Take a Seat

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What if 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.080 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:01:11.120 --> 0:01:13.600 five minutes with a clear picture of where you stand 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.399 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.480 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:23.280 and get your financial wellness score today. That's face t 0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:25.679 dot com. This add a sponsored by Facet. Facet Wealth 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:27.840 in Corporated is an SEC registered investment advisor. This is 0:01:27.840 --> 0:01:29.400 not an offer to buy yourself security s noor is 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:30.800 it investment, legal or tax advice. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:34.039 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:36.840 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.319 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:40.880 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:43.880 We appreciate you and pray put God's very best in 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:58.480 your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:01.520 come into your homes and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:03.640 please stop by and be a part of one of 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:06.760 our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.799 at home. I like to start with something funny, and 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.920 I heard about this mom. She was cooking breakfast for 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:17.040 her two young boys. Ryan was five and Kevin was three. 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.640 They begin to argue over who should get the first pancake. 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:24.040 She saw this as an opportunity to teach them a lesson. 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:28.040 She said, boys, boys, if Jesus were here, he would say, 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:31.880 let my brother have the first pancake. Ryan turned to 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:34.760 his younger brother and said, okay, Kevin, you be Jesus 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:38.960 say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:41.720 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.200 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:47.000 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:51.120 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:02:51.240 --> 0:02:55.520 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:59.239 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:03.560 about keep your seat. In the Old Testament, the priest 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:06.040 had to go into the temple at certain times a 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:10.520 year and make sacrifices for the people's sins. That's how 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:13.960 they had forgiveness. It was all based off of works. 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:18.320 There were no chairs in the tabernacle, no reason for seats. 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:22.320 The priests couldn't sit down. They lived under constant pressure. 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:26.960 Their work was never done. Another sacrifice was always required. 0:03:27.720 --> 0:03:31.160 But when Jesus was crucified. He said on the cross, 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:35.520 it is finished. He was talking about the old way 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:40.280 of having to constantly work for God's goodness. The scripture 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:44.120 says he sat down at the right hand of the Father. 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:49.080 Him sitting is a picture of rest. Under the old covenant, 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:52.720 the priests were constantly working, trying to cover the sins, 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:55.400 trying to be good enough, trying to make things happen. 0:03:55.920 --> 0:04:00.440 Under the new Covenant, Jesus is sitting and resting. Here's 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:04.640 the beauty. Paul said in Ephesians, we are seated with 0:04:04.920 --> 0:04:09.560 Christ in heavenly places. There is a seat of rest 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:13.160 that belongs to you. You don't have to go through 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:17.680 life wrought up on the inside, worried about your finances, 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:21.520 trying to make a family member do what's right, Frustrated 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:25.600 because a dream hasn't come to pass. Do yourself a favor. 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:30.600 Take your seat, Enter into this rest. When you live seated, 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:34.200 you're in peace. You may have problems, but you know 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:38.000 God is fighting your battles. People may have done you wrong, 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:40.880 You're not trying to pay them back. You know God 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:44.880 is your vindicator. He'll make your wrongs right. You're struggling 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:48.520 with an illness. The medical report doesn't look good. You 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:53.120 could go around upset worried. Instead, you stay seated. You 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:55.599 know God has you in the palm of his hand. 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:58.760 You know the number of your days he will fulfill. 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:04.240 Said though I am surrounded by trouble, my heart will 0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:07.919 know no fear, for the Lord will bring me safely through. 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.760 He was saying, even though everything has come against me, 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:15.760 I should be worried and upset, but I know a secret. 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:19.200 The battle is not mine, The battle is the Lord's. 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:22.479 So I'm going to take my seat. But when you 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:25.880 try to make everything happen in your own strength, pay 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:30.000 people back. Fix this problem. Live worried about a child. 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:35.080 When you stand up, God steps back. As long as 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:39.599 you're working, he'll rest. But when you sit down, God 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:41.960 will stand up, so to speak, he'll go to work. 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:46.679 That's why he told the Israelites again and again, be still, 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:50.240 and you will see the deliverance of the Lord. He 0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:54.400 was saying, take your seat. I've got this. I'm bigger 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:57.440 than what you're facing. This doesn't mean that we don't 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:01.159 do anything. We sit back, passive all day long. We 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:06.039 should be responsible. We have to pray, believe, dream, but 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:09.640 do it from a place of rest. You can work 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:13.760 hard with a rest on the inside, knowing that you're 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:16.479 doing your best and God will get you to where 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:21.240 you're supposed to be. Not working hard, frustrated thinking when 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:24.200 am I going to get good breaks? Why isn't this changing? 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:28.159 Everybody's passing me up. Don't take your seat. Work from 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:31.479 a place of rest, knowing that God's fever is on 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:35.599 your life, that he's breathing in your direction, that goodness 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:39.840 and mercy are chasing you down. Inner rest is just 0:06:39.920 --> 0:06:44.160 as important as outer rest. Your physical body may rest, 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:47.560 but if your mind never rest. If you live wrought 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:51.440 up on the inside, fighting everything you don't like, that's 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:55.599 going to wear you out, even things we should stand against, 0:06:55.920 --> 0:07:01.520 an addiction, a sickness, dysfunction. If you're always in fight mode, 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:05.040 pressured think it. I've got to change this. Constantly working, 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:08.760 it's going to drain your joy, drain your energy. You're 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:12.800 living under the old covenant under works. If I can 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:15.960 work hard enough, if I can make myself change, if 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:19.640 I can make this problem go away. Your heart is right, 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:23.160 but your approach is wrong. Why don't you approach it 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:26.640 from a place of rest. God, I can't change this 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:29.720 on my own I need your help. I'm going to 0:07:29.720 --> 0:07:32.600 be my best and God, I know you're the potter 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:35.960 and I'm the clay. In your time and in your way, 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:40.200 you will help me to change instead of doing doing, 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:45.040 doing the right attitude is done, done, done, it is finished. 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:50.040 God has already defeated every enemy. He's already planned out 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:53.640 your days for good. Now take your seat. Live from 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.320 a place of rest, a place of peace, a place 0:07:56.360 --> 0:08:01.480 of trust. When I first started ministering so nervous. I 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:04.320 knew I was supposed to step up and pasture the church, 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:07.560 but I dreaded having to get up in front of people. 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:10.679 All through the week, I'd have to fight these thoughts. 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:13.200 What if I don't know what to say? What if 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:16.920 nobody comes? What if people don't listen to me. When 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:19.760 I would finish my message on a Sunday morning, for 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:23.800 about thirty minutes, I would be so relieved and so grateful. 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:27.240 Then I would start thinking about the next week. What 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:29.600 am I gonna say next Sunday? What if I can't 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:33.400 come up with anything. After about six months, I thought, 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:36.760 I am not living like this anymore. I'm going to 0:08:36.800 --> 0:08:40.240 take my seat. If I had not made that decision, 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:43.520 I wouldn't have made it to forty years old. You 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:50.880 weren't created to carry those heavy burdens, weighted down with worry, stress, frustration. 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:54.760 This is the reason some people have health issues. They 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:59.040 can't sleep at night, they have digestive problems, high blood pressure. 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:03.679 It's because there's no inner rest. They haven't learned how 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:07.520 to take their seat on the inside. They're constantly worried 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:11.640 about their child, trying to figure everything out, frustrated because 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:16.000 it's taken so long. The psalm is said, be still 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:20.480 and know that he is God. This infers if you're 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.200 not still, if you're not seated, you won't really know 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:27.839 that he is God. You won't see his favor, his blessings, 0:09:27.840 --> 0:09:31.600 his goodness like you should. When things come against you. 0:09:32.200 --> 0:09:35.800 Like with me, it's easy to let your mind constantly 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:39.320 play all the what ifs. What if it doesn't work out, 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:43.480 what if the report isn't good, what if they don't change. Remember, 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:48.959 when you're working, God is resting. If you'll start resting, 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:53.200 turning that over to God, then he'll start working. He 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:57.120 sees what's happening. He knows how big the challenge is. 0:09:57.640 --> 0:10:01.880 He knows who did you wrong? News is he already 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:05.760 has the solution. He's not going to just bring you out. 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:08.680 He's going to make the enemy pay and bring you 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:12.160 out better than you were before. Now do your part, 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:17.160 take your seat. Quit trying to figure everything out. Some 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:22.080 situations there is no logical solution. You have to turn 0:10:22.160 --> 0:10:25.720 your mind off. In one sense, the scripture says, lean 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:29.880 not to your own understanding. It's okay to say God, 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:32.360 I don't see how this can work out. I don't 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:35.240 see a way, but don't stop there. Follow it up 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:38.080 with but I know you have a way. I know 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:40.840 this is not a surprise to you. You had the 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:44.120 solution before I had the problem. So I'm not going 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.920 to worry. I'm going to live from a place of peace. 0:10:48.200 --> 0:10:53.559 David said, God will make your enemies your footstools. A footstool, 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:56.719 of course, is something you put your feet upon. It's 0:10:56.760 --> 0:11:00.560 another picture of rest. God could have said he would 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:03.720 make our enemies like grass so we could walk on them, 0:11:04.200 --> 0:11:08.120 or like sand, so it's sawt. God use footstools to 0:11:08.240 --> 0:11:12.880 remind us to stay at rest. When you face challenges, 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:16.400 things you don't understand, things that are not fair, one 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:18.600 of the first things you need to do is put 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:21.760 your feet up, come back to a place of peace. 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:25.200 You have to do this by faith, because every voice 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:27.520 will tell you why. It's not going to work out. 0:11:28.120 --> 0:11:30.679 You're not going to get well. You saw the diagnosis. 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:34.800 Your family will never be restored. There's too much strife. 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:38.600 That's the enemy trying to deceive you. In the standing up. 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:43.679 He'll do everything he can to keep you from staying seated. 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:49.160 He knows when you're seated in peace, trusting God, he 0:11:49.200 --> 0:11:52.320 doesn't have a chance. When you live from a place 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:56.000 of rest, all the forces of darkness cannot stop you. 0:11:56.520 --> 0:11:59.760 God has the final say. It may have been meant 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:02.280 for your harm, but God is going to turn it 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:06.840 into a footstool, not just a place of rest, but 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:10.000 instead of being a stumbling block to stop you, it's 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:13.040 going to become a stepping stone to take you to 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:17.880 the next level. It says in Hebrews labor to enter 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:21.760 into the rest of God. That sounds like a contradiction, 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:26.800 labor to rest. But God used the word labor because 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:30.319 he knew it's going to take work to stay seated. 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:34.200 It's easy to stand up. It's easy to be offended, 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:37.520 try to pay people back. It's easy to live worried, 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:42.280 discouraged by problems. That's why it says labor to enter 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:45.360 his rest is going to take effort. And this is 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:48.240 one of the few times that God tells us to work. 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:51.920 And it doesn't say work to straighten out your neighbor, 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.760 work to make the problem go away. He said, work 0:12:56.160 --> 0:13:00.320 to stay seated. Maybe you're trying to break an addiction. Yes, 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:03.320 you have to be disciplined, you have to be determined. 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:06.800 But if there's a war going on on the inside 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:11.199 where you're upset with yourself, frustrated because you're not further 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:14.559 along trying to force it to happen in your own strength, 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:19.600 you're not tapping into the grace that's available today. You're 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:22.320 like that priest that had to make a sacrifice again 0:13:22.480 --> 0:13:26.800 and again. No, you're under the New Covenant. Christ defeated 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:30.760 every enemy. The price has already been paid. You are 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:34.000 not working to get the victory. You are working from 0:13:34.120 --> 0:13:38.800 victory when you know that you've already won. There's a rest. 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.400 You don't live worried, you don't lose sleep at night. 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:45.920 You know the outcome. God said, he always causes you 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:49.720 to tryumph. It may not turn out every time the 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:53.400 way you fought or on your timetable. But God's ways 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:56.160 are better than our ways. This is what trust is 0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:59.360 all about. What I'm saying is when you live from 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:03.079 a place of peace, you'll not only enjoy your life more, 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:06.760 but God will make things happen that you couldn't make happen. 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:12.160 My parents started Lakewood in nineteen fifty nine with ninety people. 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:16.880 For about thirteen years, the church didn't really grow. They 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:20.200 had less than two hundred people. My father had much 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.880 bigger things in his heart. At seventeen years of age, 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.320 he knew one day he was going to pastor a 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:29.200 church with thousands, but he wasn't seeing any of that. 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:32.440 His friends would come by and say, John, what are 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:36.760 you doing out here? Still pastoring this little church. They 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:40.720 meant well, but sometimes your friends can be discouraging. They 0:14:40.720 --> 0:14:43.240 were seeing, John, why don't you stand up? Why don't 0:14:43.280 --> 0:14:45.000 you make something happen? Why don't you do it in 0:14:45.040 --> 0:14:49.160 your own strength. My father's attitude was, I'm going to 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:51.920 keep doing what I know God asked me to do. 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:55.800 I'm not going to be frustrated because it's not growing. 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:59.000 I'm not going to slack off because it hasn't turned 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:02.840 out my way. I'm going to keep my seat. He 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:06.080 lived from this place of rest, knowing that God is 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:10.240 in control, that God is keeping the records. These are 0:15:10.400 --> 0:15:13.760 tests that we have to pass. One of them is 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:18.240 being faithful when nothing is changing, doing the right thing 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:22.640 when it's not growing. It's easy to get frustrated. God, 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:25.600 I've got bigger things in me. Why isn't it changing? No, 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:31.160 keep your seat. God is watching you. He sees your faithfulness. 0:15:31.520 --> 0:15:34.120 He sees you doing the right thing when it's hard, 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:38.720 and at the appointed time in your due season. God 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:42.680 is going to catapult you further than you can imagine. 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:47.480 You are not falling behind. You are being prepared. God 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:52.160 is getting you ready. Everything you went through deposited something 0:15:52.200 --> 0:15:56.960 on the inside. The delays made you stronger. The fact 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.040 that you're not as far along as you would like, 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:03.120 that was ordained by God. Those people that didn't support you, 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:07.280 the people that walked away, you could have become bitter. Instead, 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:10.840 you stayed seated. You kept your peace. Now get ready. 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:14.480 Your time is coming. God has something bigger than you think, 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:18.600 more rewarding than you can imagine. He's going to exceed 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:23.000 your expectations. That's what happened to my father. He ended 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:27.400 up pastoring a church with thousands and thousands. But sometimes 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:31.560 the reason we're frustrated is we're trying to change things 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:35.600 that only God can change. You can't make people do 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:40.000 what's right. You can pray for them, you can encourage them, 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.480 but they have their own free will. Don't let them 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:48.800 steal your joy. You are not responsible for other people's happiness. 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:53.240 You cannot keep everyone in your life happy. You are 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:57.240 responsible for your own happiness. And I don't mean to 0:16:57.280 --> 0:17:01.680 live selfishly, but sometimes we take on a false sense 0:17:01.720 --> 0:17:04.960 of responsibility. We think we have to keep all of 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:08.120 our neighbors happy, all of our co workers happy, all 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:11.320 of our friends, all of our family. I've learned some 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:15.280 people don't want to be happy. They just want your attention. 0:17:15.920 --> 0:17:18.800 They want you to cater to them and come run 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:22.920 and every time they call. If you don't, they'll try 0:17:22.960 --> 0:17:26.240 to make you feel guilty for not meeting all your demands. 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:30.280 What they really want is to control you. Don't fall 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:33.840 into that trap. Be nice, be kind, but don't be 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:37.320 a doormat. You have a destiny to fulfill, you have 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:42.640 an assignment. It's very easy to let people cause us 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:46.640 to stand up, lose our peace, live frustrated. No, sit, 0:17:46.720 --> 0:17:50.199 back down, stay at rest. I had to learn this 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:54.719 lesson because always felt responsible to keep everyone around me happy. 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:58.320 It was easy when I was young, had a few friends, 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:01.080 a few family members. But as I got older and 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:06.520 had more family, more friends, cousins, relatives, colleagues, neighbors, I 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:10.400 ended up spending half my time putting out fires, calming 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:13.840 this one down, cheering this one up, running over here 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:16.840 so this one wouldn't be offended. One day I realized 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:20.960 I can't become who I'm created to be if I'm 0:18:21.000 --> 0:18:24.800 trying to please everybody around me. I had to draw 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:28.080 that line in the sand and say, I'm sitting down, 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:31.640 I'm staying in peace now. I'm not going to let 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:36.680 people who won't take responsibility for their own happiness make 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:40.200 me feel guilty and try to control me. And I'm 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.240 a nice person. I sound mean, but I'm not. I 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:47.400 will go the extra mile. But some people are high maintenance. 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:51.960 They will drain all the life, the energy, the goodwill 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:55.320 out of you if you allow them to. They are 0:18:55.359 --> 0:18:59.840 not being disciplined to manage their own life, their own emotions. 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:03.840 They'll expect you to keep them fixed, but you cannot 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:08.600 fulfill your destiny. You can't accomplish your assignment unless you 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:12.159 put up some boundaries and not let people pull you 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:15.960 out of rest, make you feel guilty, get your upset 0:19:16.480 --> 0:19:19.119 like you have to keep them happy. That is a 0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:24.160 co dependent relationship. They can't be happy without you. That's 0:19:24.200 --> 0:19:28.560 not healthy. Be nice, but be firm. You have to 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:32.880 labor to enter into this rest. God wouldn't have said 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:36.360 labor if it wasn't going to be uncomfortable at times. 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:38.600 I know you're like me. You don't want to hurt 0:19:38.640 --> 0:19:41.960 people's feelings, but you are not doing them a favor. 0:19:42.320 --> 0:19:46.679 By catering to them. You are enabling their dysfunction, and 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:49.640 that's keeping you from moving forward. They have to set 0:19:49.680 --> 0:19:53.080 some boundaries. I'm not going to come run and every 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:56.399 time they call, not going to change my plans and 0:19:56.480 --> 0:19:59.360 not spend time with my family to go help them 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:03.040 for the four one hundredth time this month. Some people 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:07.000 are alarmist every time they call it a major crisis, 0:20:07.280 --> 0:20:09.680 a major emergency. It's got to be dealt with right then. 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:13.120 I don't know about you, but I have enough drama 0:20:13.200 --> 0:20:16.320 in my own life. I don't need somebody else's drama. 0:20:17.320 --> 0:20:20.320 If you're a drama queen. Call my brother Paul, He'll 0:20:20.359 --> 0:20:23.919 help you out. Years ago, I had this friend I 0:20:23.960 --> 0:20:27.320 went to high school with. We played basketball together, and 0:20:27.359 --> 0:20:30.200 he's a fine young man. I enjoyed being around him, 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:34.240 but he started becoming overly dependent on me. I had 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:36.360 to call him, I had to tell him what all 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:38.600 of our friends were doing. I always had to go 0:20:38.680 --> 0:20:42.200 pick him up. I felt pressured. I was young, didn't 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:44.760 know any better. I did it, but he got married. 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:47.119 I got married and I didn't have the time like 0:20:47.160 --> 0:20:50.960 I had before. He couldn't understand it. He would get upset. 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:53.560 I tried to keep him happy. I'd go see him, 0:20:53.640 --> 0:20:56.760 Let's go play basketball, let's hang out. It was never enough. 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:00.320 He'd call back again. Upset got to the point where 0:21:00.320 --> 0:21:02.639 when I saw his name on my phone, I didn't 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:05.720 want to answer it. I felt guilty, so I did, 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:08.480 but he'd tell me all the reasons why I wasn't 0:21:08.520 --> 0:21:11.640 being a good friend. One day I learned what I'm 0:21:11.680 --> 0:21:16.000 telling you. I am not responsible to keep everyone around 0:21:16.040 --> 0:21:19.480 me happy. And I was nice, but I stopped answering 0:21:19.520 --> 0:21:22.920 his call. And the funny thing is I didn't feel guilty. 0:21:23.000 --> 0:21:26.359 I felt good about it. I knew he was pulling 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:30.400 me out of rest. There are some people. You cannot 0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:33.960 stay seated with them in your life. If you don't 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:37.960 make an adjustment, you'll be frustrated for the next twenty years. 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:42.639 Be respectful, but put up some boundaries. Well, Joel, what 0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:44.840 if they get upset, what if they don't want to 0:21:44.880 --> 0:21:47.800 be my friend? Say thank you Jesus, they did you 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:51.879 a favor. Here's the bottom line. When you get to heaven, 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:55.520 you are not going to answer to people about what 0:21:55.560 --> 0:21:58.320 you did with your life, how you spent your time, 0:21:58.520 --> 0:22:01.160 how you used your gifts. You going to answer to God. 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:05.240 Your destiny is too important to let people control you. 0:22:06.000 --> 0:22:07.639 There are a lot of things in life that we 0:22:07.720 --> 0:22:11.199 can't change. We can't make people do what's right. We 0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:14.520 can't make ourselves get well necessarily. We can't make a 0:22:14.600 --> 0:22:18.280 dream come to pass. But we can change our approach. 0:22:18.680 --> 0:22:22.240 We can choose to not let these things upset us. 0:22:22.720 --> 0:22:26.760 We can make this decision to take our seats. Somebody 0:22:26.760 --> 0:22:30.000 cuts you off in traffic, it's tempting to stand up, 0:22:30.440 --> 0:22:32.560 tempting to get upset. Let me show them, let me 0:22:32.560 --> 0:22:35.679 blow my horn. They've already moved on. They're already in 0:22:35.720 --> 0:22:38.040 the next lane, you might as well sit back down. 0:22:38.480 --> 0:22:41.640 Don't let a stranger pull you out of rest. It's 0:22:41.680 --> 0:22:45.280 not hurting them, it's souring your day. A lot of 0:22:45.320 --> 0:22:48.680 these things are simply test. Are we going to keep 0:22:48.760 --> 0:22:51.960 letting the same things upset us, the same people get 0:22:51.960 --> 0:22:56.280 on our nerves, the same delays sour our life. My 0:22:56.359 --> 0:23:00.520 message today is very simple. Stay seated. This is a 0:23:00.560 --> 0:23:03.760 freeing way to live. When you know that God is 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:07.919 in control, that nothing can happen without his permission, and 0:23:08.000 --> 0:23:11.359 that He is directing your steps, takes the pressure off. 0:23:11.920 --> 0:23:16.159 You can live calm in peace, not fighting everything you 0:23:16.240 --> 0:23:20.480 don't like. You have a disappointment, the medical report is 0:23:20.520 --> 0:23:23.520 not good. I'm not going to worry. I'm staying seated. 0:23:23.720 --> 0:23:26.520 God is my healer. You have a set back in 0:23:26.560 --> 0:23:30.160 your finances, you lose a big client. Every voice will say, 0:23:30.440 --> 0:23:34.240 be worried, be upset. That's not fair. If you'll listen, 0:23:34.600 --> 0:23:38.719 you'll hear the still small voice saying, stay seated. God's 0:23:38.800 --> 0:23:42.760 working behind the scenes. Payback is coming, Abundance is on 0:23:42.800 --> 0:23:46.720 the way. I wonder how much more we'd enjoy life 0:23:47.000 --> 0:23:49.879 if we would learn to live from this place of rest. 0:23:51.000 --> 0:23:54.679 In the scripture, it compares a believer to an ego, 0:23:55.240 --> 0:23:59.119 and it's interesting how an ego handles challenges. A crow 0:23:59.359 --> 0:24:02.439 is one of the eagle's biggest pest. When the eagle 0:24:02.560 --> 0:24:05.080 is flying, the crow will come up right behind it 0:24:05.160 --> 0:24:08.800 and pester it, do things to annoy it. Even though 0:24:08.840 --> 0:24:12.040 the eagle is much bigger, it can't turn as fast 0:24:12.080 --> 0:24:15.240 as the crow, and so instead of fighting the crow, 0:24:15.760 --> 0:24:19.880 getting upset trying to defend itself, the eagle will simply 0:24:20.280 --> 0:24:24.879 stretch out its eight foot wingspan, catch the winds, and 0:24:25.000 --> 0:24:29.560 rise higher and higher, and eagle can fly at heights 0:24:29.920 --> 0:24:33.080 that no other birds can fly. At some point, the 0:24:33.160 --> 0:24:36.040 crow will have to fall away. He can't breathe at 0:24:36.040 --> 0:24:39.800 that altitude. In the same way, we all have some 0:24:39.960 --> 0:24:44.680 crows in life, some chickens and turkeys too. People that 0:24:45.040 --> 0:24:48.119 want to irritate us get on our nerves and do 0:24:48.240 --> 0:24:51.720 things to try to bait us into conflict. It's easy 0:24:52.119 --> 0:24:55.760 to get upset try to straighten every crow out, but 0:24:55.920 --> 0:25:00.119 remember you're an eagle. You can go up higher, You 0:25:00.160 --> 0:25:04.040 can fly where the crows cannot fly, but if you 0:25:04.119 --> 0:25:07.119 stay down at their level, try to straighten out every 0:25:07.240 --> 0:25:11.320 crow and get involved in conflicts that don't matter that 0:25:11.400 --> 0:25:14.840 will keep you from your destiny. The crows, the chickens, 0:25:14.880 --> 0:25:19.560 the turkeys, they are simply distractions. When an egle faces 0:25:19.600 --> 0:25:22.960 a storm, there's bad weather in its path, it doesn't 0:25:23.000 --> 0:25:26.399 bury its head and try to force his way through it. 0:25:26.720 --> 0:25:29.760 Fight the winds, fight the rain, fight the thunder. Again, 0:25:30.240 --> 0:25:34.680 it catches the thermal winds and goes up higher until 0:25:34.680 --> 0:25:38.480 it's above all the turmoil. Like the eagle, We all 0:25:38.480 --> 0:25:42.280 face storms, we all have difficulties. The key is to 0:25:42.400 --> 0:25:45.920 rise above all the turboil. You don't have to fight 0:25:46.000 --> 0:25:49.200 your way through it. Don't let it get on the inside. 0:25:49.680 --> 0:25:54.000 Remain at rest, stay seated, and God will fight your battles. 0:25:54.480 --> 0:25:59.600 Too often we're fighting when we should be resting. We're standing, 0:26:00.040 --> 0:26:02.639 we should be sitting. And yes, I know we have 0:26:02.720 --> 0:26:06.160 to stand strong. I'm talking about in your spirit, even 0:26:06.200 --> 0:26:09.119 when it stormy all around you, things happening that you 0:26:09.160 --> 0:26:12.600 don't understand. You need to have a rest knowing that 0:26:12.640 --> 0:26:15.360 God is still on the throne, that He is bigger 0:26:15.400 --> 0:26:19.440 than anything you're facing. When you're an eagle, when you've 0:26:19.520 --> 0:26:22.600 learned to rise above the challenges, you'll be at peace 0:26:22.840 --> 0:26:25.840 when you could be upset you'll have a smile when 0:26:25.840 --> 0:26:29.720 you could be discouraged. You're showing God that you trust him. 0:26:30.040 --> 0:26:34.680 You're taking your seat. Sometimes after a long day, I'll 0:26:34.680 --> 0:26:38.640 be standing in my kitchen talking to Victoria and our children, 0:26:38.680 --> 0:26:41.240 and we can talk for a long time, and at 0:26:41.240 --> 0:26:43.760 some point I'll tell them I have to go get 0:26:43.760 --> 0:26:46.439 off my feet. I know when I'm done, when I 0:26:46.480 --> 0:26:50.560 need to sit down and relax. Maybe today you need 0:26:50.600 --> 0:26:53.680 to get off your feet. You're living worried about your 0:26:53.720 --> 0:26:57.639 health and stressed over your finances, upset because that child 0:26:57.720 --> 0:27:00.560 still hasn't changed. Why don't you come back to a 0:27:00.600 --> 0:27:04.800 place of peace. God hasn't all figured out those enemies. 0:27:04.840 --> 0:27:08.320 You're concerned about those obstacles. They're not going to stop you. 0:27:08.600 --> 0:27:12.160 They're going to become a footstool. And instead of laboring 0:27:12.240 --> 0:27:15.120 to try to fix everything, I'm asking you to labor 0:27:15.520 --> 0:27:18.720 to enter this rest. You weren't created to carry the 0:27:18.760 --> 0:27:21.840 heavy burdens. There is a seat of rest that has 0:27:21.880 --> 0:27:24.560 your name on it. You may have been standing for 0:27:24.600 --> 0:27:27.840 a long time, but God is saying, take your seat. 0:27:28.560 --> 0:27:31.879 Live from a place of rest. Work hard, do your best, 0:27:32.000 --> 0:27:35.680 but on the inside, stay in peace. If you'll do this, 0:27:36.119 --> 0:27:39.200 I believe and declare You're not only going to enjoy 0:27:39.280 --> 0:27:42.440 life more, but God's going to bring dreams to pass. 0:27:42.720 --> 0:27:46.800 Problems are about to turn around. Health, wholeness, favor, victory, 0:27:47.080 --> 0:27:51.000 the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. If you 0:27:51.080 --> 0:27:55.119 receive it, can you say amen? Today I'd like to 0:27:55.160 --> 0:27:57.919 give you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of 0:27:57.960 --> 0:28:01.920 your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:03.080 --> 0:28:07.960 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I'll 0:28:07.960 --> 0:28:11.680 make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed 0:28:11.720 --> 0:28:15.000 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:28:15.000 --> 0:28:18.080 in a good Bible based church, Keep God first place. 0:28:18.960 --> 0:28:22.360 Thank you for listening to the Joelus Deine podcast. Help 0:28:22.480 --> 0:28:25.200 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:25.280 --> 0:28:29.200 all over the world. Visit Joeloustin dot com slash give 0:28:29.280 --> 0:28:30.959 Hope to give a gift today. 0:28:32.240 --> 0:28:35.160 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:28:35.160 --> 0:28:38.560 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:28:38.640 --> 0:28:41.840 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:28:42.000 --> 0:28:44.440 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:28:44.520 --> 0:28:45.000 next time. 0:28:51.960 --> 0:28:54.720 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:28:54.760 --> 0:28:59.080 for everyone. 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