The Lion & The Lamb

0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.360 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:09.040 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.880 share it with a friend, reappreciate you and pray for 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:14.920 God's very best in your life. Oh God, bless you. 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:17.720 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:20.040 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:00:20.079 --> 0:00:23.720 daily podcast or YouTube channel and social media, and you 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:26.000 can come visit us in person. We'd love for you 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:28.240 to be a part of one of our services. But 0:00:28.360 --> 0:00:31.280 I like to start with something funny, and in Texas 0:00:31.360 --> 0:00:35.239 we're known for everything being bigger. There was this Texan 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:38.440 farmer that loved to brag about the size of his ranch. 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:41.720 He was in England and he met this English farmer 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:44.520 and he asked him how big his ranch was, knowing 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:47.479 that he'd probably ask about his. The Englishman said, my 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:51.199 ranch is thirty five acres. How big is yours? The 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:53.640 Texans said, let's just put it this way. If I 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:57.440 got in my truck at sunrise and started driving across 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:01.480 my property at sunset, I'd still be on my ranch. 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:04.600 The Englishman said, yeah, I used to have a truck 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:08.720 like that. Say it like you mean it. This is 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:11.680 my Bible. I am what it says I am. I 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:14.120 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:16.959 it says I can do. Today I will be taught 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:21.000 the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:24.199 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:01:24.680 --> 0:01:28.920 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:32.800 to you today about the lion and the lamb. On 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:35.680 the inside of each one of us is both. There's 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:40.039 a lion. It's there to protect, to defend, to conquer. 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:45.120 The lion is courageous, aggressive and helps us accomplish our dreams. 0:01:45.800 --> 0:01:49.200 There's also a lamb in us. It's there to stay 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:54.240 in peace, to overlook offenses, to not respond to every circumstance, 0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:57.600 to let God fight our battles. When we see this 0:01:57.640 --> 0:02:00.800 with Jesus, he was called the lion of the tribe 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:04.800 of Judah. As the lion, he overturned the tables in 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:07.960 the temple and ran people out that were doing wrong. 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:12.080 As the lion, he spoke strongly to the Pharisees, the 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:16.279 religious leaders who had impure motives and called them hypocrites, 0:02:16.720 --> 0:02:20.280 said they had dead men's bones. He was also called 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:24.160 the lamb of God. As the lamb, he didn't respond 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:27.520 to his critics when they brought him before Pilot for 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:31.840 all these false accusations. The scripture says he answered them 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:35.600 not a word. He didn't defend himself. On the way 0:02:35.639 --> 0:02:40.120 to the cross, the soldiers and others mocked him, made fun, Hey, 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:42.760 if you're so great, if you're really the king, why 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:46.160 don't you come down save yourself? He said, I could 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:49.640 have called ten thousand angels to rescue me, but he 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:52.880 didn't do it. He had a purpose to fulfill. He 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:56.079 knew it was all a part of God's plan. It's 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:58.720 not are you a lion or are you a lamb? 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:03.079 You're both. The key is knowing which one is supposed 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:07.440 to come out. Ecclesiastes says there is a time and 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:10.840 season for every purpose. There is a time for war 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:14.080 and a time for peace, a time to fight and 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:17.760 a time to hold back. You won't reach your destiny 0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:21.760 being all lion fighting all the time, or being all 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:25.800 lamb retreating all the time. And some people are good 0:03:25.800 --> 0:03:28.520 at being the lion. You look at them wrong and 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:33.440 they'll roar. They love arguing, getting even speaking their mind. 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:38.680 They're easily offended, always trying to pay people back. Someone 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:41.280 cuts them off in traffic, they're trying to catch them. 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:44.120 They'll drive five miles past their exit because they want 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:47.960 to show them here's something important. You're not supposed to 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:51.800 fight every battle. Many of the things that come against 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:55.840 us are simply distractions. It's the enemy trying to waste 0:03:55.840 --> 0:04:00.240 your time, your energy, your emotions, getting you engaged in 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:05.160 conflict that doesn't matter. When someone does us wrong, they 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:09.480 say hurtful things. That lion naturally comes out here. I 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:12.480 am let me go to work. I'm ready to roar. 0:04:13.400 --> 0:04:16.400 You have to ask yourself, if you win that battle, 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:19.960 what's it going to accomplish? Is it between you and 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:23.279 your destiny? Is it going to move you forward? Or 0:04:23.360 --> 0:04:25.599 is it just going to feed your ego, make you 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:27.920 feel good because you proved to them who you are. 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:33.400 That's a distraction. Your time is too valuable, your assignment 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:37.680 too important to get sidetracked fighting battles that don't matter. 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.039 You're not just the lion. There's a lamb in you. 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:45.360 The lamb stays in peace. The lamb is not annoyed 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:48.640 by the negative chatter. The lamb knows how to walk 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:52.000 away from conflict, and in the life of Jesus, he 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:55.840 was the lamb many more times than he was the lion. 0:04:56.600 --> 0:05:00.440 I wonder if the reason we get stressed, frustrat it 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:05.040 can't seem to make progress is we're letting the lion dominate. 0:05:05.760 --> 0:05:09.200 We're always trying to defend and prove and control. And 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:12.000 I got to convince this person to like me and 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:16.160 show them that I'm okay. Some people, no matter what 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.160 you do, are not going to be for you. If 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:21.800 you do convince them, two more will come along that 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:25.080 don't like you. It's a trap where you always have 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:27.839 to live in this fight. Mom, look what they said, 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:30.760 and my boss left me out and I got caught 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:34.919 in traffic again. Everything's a fight. Do yourself a favor. 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:40.040 Let the lamb come out. Let God fight your battles. Well, Joe, 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:43.560 they're talking about me. They're making me look bad. Can 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:47.039 I encourage you. God con vindicate you better than you 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:51.479 convindicate yourself. If you will say in peace, God said, 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:54.640 he will prepare a table before you in the presence 0:05:54.680 --> 0:05:57.760 of your enemies. He will promote you in front of 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:00.800 the people that are trying to push you down. And 0:06:00.880 --> 0:06:03.680 yes we need the lion. There are times we need 0:06:03.720 --> 0:06:06.760 to fight, but most of the things that come against 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:10.400 us are pity little things that seem big to us. 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:13.880 They misunderstand me, They said things that weren't true. This 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:17.160 is not fair. I know it's hurtful. None of us 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:19.840 like it, but it's not going to keep you from 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:24.360 your purpose. When Jesus hung on the cross and refused 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:27.360 to have the angels come rescue him, he was saying, 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:31.000 in effect, to reach your destiny, you're gonna have to 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:33.479 put up with some things. You're gonna have to be 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:37.800 the bigger person and overlook some insults and not defend 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:41.760 yourself every time, not have to have the last word. Now, 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:45.800 spend your energy roaring trying to straighten people out. You're 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:48.640 gonna have to let that lamb come out and let 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:52.599 God fight your battles. Put your reputation in his hands. 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:55.720 You have to trust the purpose of God for your 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:59.640 life that what he's doing doesn't need you to correct 0:07:00.440 --> 0:07:04.360 along the way. Straighten every person out, fix this one 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:08.240 over here, control that one over there. Your lyon is 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:10.840 going to have a nervous breakdown. He told me to 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:13.440 tell you, give me a day off there's a lamb 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:17.200 in you that's ready to rise up. The lamb is 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:20.600 a place of peace. The lamb is knowing that God 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:23.840 is your vindicator, that nothing can stop what he is 0:07:23.920 --> 0:07:27.640 purpose for your life. When you're in peace, you're in 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:32.040 a position of power. Seems like being loud, force full, aggressive, 0:07:32.040 --> 0:07:36.200 that's power, but sometimes that's showing weakness. We're trying to 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:40.000 roar to hide our insecurity. Why don't you be still 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:43.480 and you'll know that he is God. And it's interesting, 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:46.560 out of all the animals that God could have compared 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:50.480 us to, there's the lion and the lamb. The lamb 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:54.840 is one of the most peaceful, calm, unbothered animals you 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:59.760 could find. You've never seen a nervous lamb, an upset lamb, 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:04.920 a lamb arguing and fighting. Lambs just go out and graze, enjoy. 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:09.200 The pastors enjoy the day. One reason is because they 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:12.880 know they have a shepherd. They're confident that someone is 0:08:12.960 --> 0:08:17.360 watching over them and keeping the wild animals away, providing 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:20.360 for them, leading them to food and water, so they 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.800 stay in peace. And sometimes we're trying to make it 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:27.040 all happen on our own. We got to find the food, 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:30.200 so to speak the opportunity and kick the door opening. 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:32.720 We got to convince these people to like us and 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:36.880 keep the harm away. Here's what we're missing. It's not 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:40.160 just up to us. We have a shepherd. We have 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:44.840 a defender, a provider, a vindicator, a waymaker, a healer, 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:48.200 a deliverer. But if you live in a fight mode, 0:08:48.960 --> 0:08:52.480 thinking the lion always has to rise up, you won't 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.560 be able to say with David, the Lord is my shepherd, 0:08:56.000 --> 0:09:00.439 I shall not want one translation says I have everything 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:04.200 I need. It's a powerful way to live knowing that 0:09:04.280 --> 0:09:07.839 as a lamb we have a shepherd watching over us. 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:12.320 We don't have to connive, manipulate, defend. We can live 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:15.720 in peace knowing that the good shepherd is in control 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:19.600 of our life. Victoria and I were in Colorado a 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.400 while back riding four wheelers, and we're out in the 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:26.400 National Forest and it was very beautiful. We came around 0:09:26.440 --> 0:09:29.920 this corner and there were hundreds of sheep on the path. 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:33.000 There wasn't any way for us to get around, and 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:36.080 we stopped our four wheelers and sat there a few minutes, 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:39.160 but they never budged. I decided I was going to 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:42.480 try to scare them away. I drove right up to him, 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.080 maybe twenty feet away, and I put the machine in 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:48.520 neutral and read the engine as loud as it would 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:52.400 go full throttle. Felt like the ground was shaking. I 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:55.920 was watching so closely. Do you know, not one sheep 0:09:56.280 --> 0:10:00.280 ever turned and looked. Not one paid any attention. They 0:10:00.280 --> 0:10:03.600 acted like I wasn't even there. I learned a lesson 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:07.520 that day, sheeper. Stubborn sheep are not going to lose 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:10.960 their peace. We need to take a lesson from them. 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:14.840 Be more stubborn when it comes to giving away your peace. 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:19.720 Next time someone reps their engine at you, so to speak, 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:23.080 tries to get you upset, offended, just ignore it and 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:27.520 carry on. If you let them upset you and what 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:31.080 they said ruins your day, and the delay sours your morning, 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:36.040 you're giving away your power. You need your joy, your 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:40.120 peace to have a productive day. No one can take 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:43.400 that from you. You have to give it away. You're 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:46.679 in control of your peace. You can't control what other 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:49.720 people do and what they say, how they treat you, 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:53.920 but you can control how you respond. I know sometimes 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:56.640 we do have to confront and the lion needs to roar, 0:10:57.160 --> 0:11:00.280 but most of the time the lamb needs to come out. 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:04.040 If that battle is not between you and your destiny, 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:08.120 ignore it and move on. This is what David did 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:11.800 as a teenager. He's working in the shepherd's fields and 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.480 his father asked him to take lunch to his brothers. 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:17.440 They were in the army in another city. When his 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:21.080 older brother Eliab saw David, he said, in front of 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:24.640 all the soldiers, what are you doing here, David? And 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:27.480 what did you do with those few sheep you're supposed 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:30.520 to be taking care of. He tried to be little 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:34.800 David and make him feel small here. David had done 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.840 a good deed and traveled all day. He could have 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:42.120 been offended. I'm sure the lion rose up his emotion 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:44.760 said let him have it, but he wouldn't do it. 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:49.960 The scripture says David turned and walked away. He had 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:53.319 to calm the lion down and let the lamb rise up. 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:57.680 To be the lamb, you have to swallow your pride. 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:00.600 You can't let your ego get the best of you. 0:12:00.600 --> 0:12:04.680 You have to rule your spirit, rule your emotions. A 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.800 lot of times we want to rule other people, control 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:11.720 how we're treated, control what they say, their opinion. We 0:12:11.760 --> 0:12:15.199 can't control those things. What you can control is your 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:19.360 own spirit. You get to choose the lion or the lamb. 0:12:20.320 --> 0:12:25.560 Your emotions will choose the lion. They want to engage, payback, defend. 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:29.600 That's not always the right choice. If you're the lion 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:33.680 all the time, you'll get distracted fighting battles that don't 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:38.680 matter what significant is. A few minutes later, David heard 0:12:38.679 --> 0:12:41.840 Goliath taunting the Israelites. He came out on the side 0:12:41.880 --> 0:12:45.200 of the mountain and shouted all these threats the soldiers 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:49.400 they all ran and hid. Not David. The lion rose up. 0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:54.240 He said, who is this uncircumcised philistine? That he should 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:58.360 defy the armies of the living God. Had David not 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:02.040 walked away from Eliab, he would have never seen Goliath. 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:06.280 Had he engaged in a battle that didn't matter, let 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:10.000 that petty comment get him up tied off track, he 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:12.920 would have missed the real battle he was supposed to fight. 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:17.600 Don't spend your time fighting petty things. The enemy will 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:20.880 try to bait you into conflicting, trick you into being 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:24.160 offended thinking I need to pay them back. They're messing 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:28.240 with the wrong person. Do like David, turn and walk away. 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:32.080 There are enough real battles that you need to fight. 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:35.240 There are goliaths God has put in all of our 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:38.600 past giants we're going to defeat that will take us 0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:42.280 to a new level. But if you're fighting the petty things, 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:46.480 you'll never get to Goliath. David asked, what is the 0:13:46.520 --> 0:13:50.120 reward for defeating this giant? What is the prize for 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.959 taking him out? David was smart. He wasn't going to 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:58.079 fight him for no reason. They said, whoever defeats Goliath 0:13:58.400 --> 0:14:02.040 will get King Saul's dawn in marriage, and he and 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:06.760 his family won't have to pay taxes anymore. Well, David 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:10.000 was a shepherd. He came from a low income family, 0:14:10.280 --> 0:14:14.160 looked like they would always struggle. This was an opportunity 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:18.559 to change his family line, a destiny moment. With this 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:23.000 one victory, he could go from an ordinary citizen to royalty. 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:27.560 There were great spoils. As he was contemplating all this, 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.480 he said at one point, is there not a cause? 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:33.720 He was saying, I have a good reason to fight 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:37.680 this battle. Number One, Goliath is coming against the Lord 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:40.600 God of Israel. That's the main thing I'm gonna fight 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:44.360 for my fate. And number two, there's a great reward 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:48.880 not just for David, but for his family. One way 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.040 you know it's a battle you're supposed to fight is 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:55.000 when it's not just about you, but it's making the 0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:58.440 world a better place, it's making your family better. You're 0:14:58.480 --> 0:15:01.600 fighting for justice, for the old, for the down trodden. 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:06.560 David fighting Eliab. There were no spoils. That would have 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:09.320 just been for David's ego to try to prove to 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:12.680 Eliab who he was. You don't have anything to prove. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.080 Why are you fighting battles trying to convince someone to 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:20.280 like you. You don't need that. It's a distraction. David 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:22.680 went out to face Goliath. He looked at him in 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:25.640 the eyes and said, Goliath, this day I will defeat 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:28.600 you and feed your head to the birds of the air. 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:33.000 That lion rose up. He went out with courage to 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:37.040 defend the people of Israel and to stand up for Jehovah. 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:41.840 He slung that rock and knocked Goliath to the ground unconscious. 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:45.560 There are times the lion has to roar. You have 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:49.080 to be strong, courageous and go after what God put 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:52.200 in your heart. It's not being a lamb all the 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:55.640 time or being a lion all the time. It's knowing 0:15:55.720 --> 0:16:00.240 the seasons. Pay attention to what you're giving your energy too. 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:04.200 Most of the time, we need to live as the lamb. 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:09.960 Ignore the negative comments, overlook the offenses. Forgive the driver 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:12.840 that cut you off. You're never gonna see them again. 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:16.480 Why are you letting that ruin your day? I was 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:19.840 in the Costco parking lot on a Saturday not long ago, 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:23.160 and there were four times as many cars as there 0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:26.400 were spaces. And I dropped Victoria off and I was 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.200 gonna park and wait in the car. And after driving 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:33.160 around forever, I finally saw this lady coming out with 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:35.840 her kids and start to get in her car, and 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:38.560 she had twenty seven carts. I knew it was gonna 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:41.000 take two hours to unload, and I just happy to 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:44.920 get that spot. She got everything unloaded and took the 0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:48.000 carts back one by one. I found that one person 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:51.120 that puts everything back. She finally backed out and I 0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:53.600 was about to pull in, and here comes this jerk, 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.720 I mean this other person. I was blocked by her 0:16:56.800 --> 0:16:59.640 for a second. He darts in from the wrong direction 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:03.000 and takes the spot that I've been waiting for for 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:06.440 three weeks. It's funny how the lamb can go into hiding. 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:10.240 All I felt was the lion saying, hall shake your fis, 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:15.120 let them know you. Sometimes it's just a test. Can 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:18.159 you keep the line down in the pity things of life? 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:23.199 Can you rule your spirit, control your emotions when other 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.640 people do you wrong. I thought to myself, I'll give 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:29.159 you my parking space, but I'm not gonna give you 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:32.199 my peace. I'm gonna say calm, I'm gonna overlook it. 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:36.120 Life is too short to let little things upset us. 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:40.479 If you'll pass these small tests, the parking lot, the 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:44.120 neighbor that offends, the coworker that leaves you out, then 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:47.800 you'll get to your golias, the battles that really matters, 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:51.120 the ones where God will empower you to bring down 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:54.000 a giant, to step up to a new level of 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:58.080 your destiny. When we were trying to acquire this place, 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:02.640 the former Compact Center, our main competitor was the company 0:18:02.680 --> 0:18:06.440 that owned all the buildings around here, eleven high rises. 0:18:06.520 --> 0:18:10.320 And it was David versus Goliath. And I'd just been 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:13.520 the pastor for three years, and I was young and 0:18:13.560 --> 0:18:17.320 new to all this. I should have been intimidated. I thought, 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:20.600 there's no way, there's so much bigger but that lion 0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:24.840 rose up on the inside. I don't like conflict. I'm 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:28.040 more easy going, but there was a fire in my spirit. 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:31.560 I knew this was supposed to be ours. And at 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:35.040 one point the company offered us a large sum to 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:38.679 just go away, just go build your own building somewhere else. 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:42.679 That didn't phaze me, never entered my mind. There is 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:47.080 a lion in you to accomplish your assignment, a supernatural 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:52.639 power to outlast opposition, a favor to overcome. They tried 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:56.600 to intimidate, but that line kept rising up, roaring back. 0:18:57.520 --> 0:19:00.399 You know it's a battle you're supposed to fight when 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:04.600 there are great spoils. This wasn't petty. This was purpose. 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:07.520 This was a place for us to give hope to 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:10.440 the world, to lift the fall, and to help people 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:14.680 become who they were created to be. While we were 0:19:14.720 --> 0:19:17.840 in that almost two year battles, one of the main 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:21.919 business leaders here in town said in public, it'll be 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:25.560 a cold day in hell before Lakewood gets the Compact Center. 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:29.560 The person that told me thought that I'd be upset 0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:33.080 and offended, and this man was so influential that may 0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:36.280 set us back. The truth is that never bothered me. 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:40.320 I never paid it any attention. I knew that man 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:44.439 doesn't control our destiny. He can't stop the purposes of God. 0:19:44.840 --> 0:19:48.080 You know what, he was a distraction. I didn't have 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:52.040 time to waste responding to what he said. His opinion 0:19:52.600 --> 0:19:55.679 didn't make us or break us. The lamb rose up. 0:19:55.880 --> 0:19:59.879 Ignore it, Joel, overlook it. Move on. What am I saying? 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:03.199 You can have both the lion and the lamb working 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:06.520 at the same time. The lion was fighting for the 0:20:06.600 --> 0:20:10.240 compact center. We will not let go of what God promised. 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:14.399 The lamb was ignoring the naysayers, not giving energy to 0:20:14.440 --> 0:20:19.160 the doubters, staying in peace despite the critics. A mark 0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:22.359 of maturity is when you know when the lamb needs 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:25.280 to come out and when the lion needs to arise. 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:30.360 Both are necessary for your destiny. The mistake we can 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:33.600 make is letting the lion come out for petty things, 0:20:34.240 --> 0:20:39.639 things that are not impacting your purpose. It's aggravations, delays, offenses. 0:20:39.880 --> 0:20:43.359 You can't get rid of all that Jesus said, stop 0:20:43.400 --> 0:20:47.520 allowing yourself to get upset. Don't go the next twenty 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:51.720 years letting the same things frustrate you. Same coworker, get 0:20:51.760 --> 0:20:55.639 on your nerves, same traffic to stress you out, change 0:20:55.640 --> 0:20:59.240 your approach. There's a lamb in you. If you'll handle 0:20:59.280 --> 0:21:02.679 it the right way, you can stay in peace. I 0:21:02.800 --> 0:21:05.280 like to ride my bike and there's this ten mile 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:08.000 path that I take and goes by the bayou and 0:21:08.320 --> 0:21:11.160 buy a bunch of woods, and at times I'll come 0:21:11.200 --> 0:21:16.200 into these large patches of gnats, thousands and thousands. I've 0:21:16.280 --> 0:21:19.840 learned to always wear glasses. Even if I'm riding at 0:21:19.920 --> 0:21:22.480 dusk and I don't have my sunglasses on, I'll wear 0:21:22.520 --> 0:21:25.920 a clear pair because the gnats will get in your eyes. 0:21:26.560 --> 0:21:29.560 They're so small you can't see them to avoid them, 0:21:29.320 --> 0:21:31.760 and all of a sudden you're in this big patch. 0:21:31.840 --> 0:21:33.960 And there have been times where I didn't have my 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:37.600 glasses and they get my contacts, couldn't see and have 0:21:37.720 --> 0:21:40.480 to pull over. And I've learned that you have to 0:21:40.560 --> 0:21:44.640 keep your mouth closed or you'll swallow the gnats. If 0:21:44.680 --> 0:21:48.200 you're talking or breathing out of your mouth, you know 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:51.840 they'll get inside and cause irritation you start coughing. But 0:21:51.880 --> 0:21:55.080 I thought about how it's the same principle in life. 0:21:55.240 --> 0:21:58.639 We all have to deal with gnats, little things that 0:21:58.760 --> 0:22:02.800 can bother, irritate, cause us to get offended. You can't 0:22:02.840 --> 0:22:06.440 avoid it. It's just part of life. Number One, If 0:22:06.440 --> 0:22:09.200 you don't keep your glasses on, so to speak, your 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:13.640 vision will get distorted. You lose your focus and get distracted. 0:22:14.280 --> 0:22:16.520 That little gnat got in my eye. Had to get 0:22:16.520 --> 0:22:19.239 off my bike and try to clean my contact out 0:22:19.240 --> 0:22:23.840 in the middle of nowhere. Little offenses, little irritations, can 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:26.680 cloud your vision and keep you from enjoying the day. 0:22:27.240 --> 0:22:30.760 And when the gnats come. Number two, keep your mouth closed. 0:22:31.680 --> 0:22:34.600 When Joe, they were rude to me, no offense, They're 0:22:34.600 --> 0:22:39.000 a gnat. Just flip it off, don't respond, don't complain, 0:22:39.680 --> 0:22:42.240 I said, flip it off, not flip them off. Flip 0:22:42.359 --> 0:22:45.680 it off. Don't go tell three friends what they did. 0:22:45.920 --> 0:22:48.800 Zip it up and keep going. You can't get away 0:22:48.840 --> 0:22:52.199 from all the gnats. Some seasons are worse than others, 0:22:52.440 --> 0:22:55.239 but they don't have to sour your day. When you 0:22:55.280 --> 0:22:57.840 know how to deal with it, and the lamb comes out, 0:22:58.080 --> 0:23:01.919 not the lion, and you ignore, you overlook it and 0:23:01.960 --> 0:23:06.080 you let God fight those battles. One reason David was 0:23:06.119 --> 0:23:10.199 a champion. He understood the lion and the lamb. He 0:23:10.280 --> 0:23:13.639 knew which one was needed for each season. He didn't 0:23:13.640 --> 0:23:17.119 try to be all lion, treat everyone like a Goliath 0:23:17.720 --> 0:23:21.800 or all lamb. Live passive and complacent. Now I wonder 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:26.200 if you're roaring when you should be resting. You're fighting 0:23:26.359 --> 0:23:29.960 when you should be forgiving. You're troubled when you should 0:23:30.000 --> 0:23:33.399 be trusting. God didn't create us to live in a 0:23:33.440 --> 0:23:37.560 fight mode. There's a lamb inside you. When you let 0:23:37.600 --> 0:23:40.679 that lamb come out, you'll not only have more peace, 0:23:40.840 --> 0:23:43.879 but God will fight for you. He'll make things happen 0:23:44.160 --> 0:23:48.040 that you couldn't make happen. And David eventually went to 0:23:48.119 --> 0:23:50.320 the palace to work for King Saul. He was his 0:23:50.440 --> 0:23:53.639 armor bearon. He would also play the heart for Saul 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:57.240 when he was depressed. One day, while he was playing, 0:23:57.600 --> 0:24:00.919 Saul through a spear and tried to kill David. He 0:24:00.960 --> 0:24:05.000 too was jealous. Everyone knew this young man that defeated Goliath. 0:24:05.640 --> 0:24:08.760 Whenever God starts to promote you, you have to pass 0:24:08.840 --> 0:24:12.880 the test of dealing with jealous people. Not everyone will 0:24:12.880 --> 0:24:16.640 celebrate you. Some will get critical, try to push you down, 0:24:16.760 --> 0:24:22.040 discredit its tempting to let the lion come out, argue, prove, 0:24:22.240 --> 0:24:25.040 try to pay them back. That's not a time for 0:24:25.080 --> 0:24:28.280 the lion. That's a time for the lamb. Stay on 0:24:28.320 --> 0:24:32.360 the high road. Overlook the offense. Trying to change their 0:24:32.440 --> 0:24:35.880 mind is a distraction. Let it go and move on. 0:24:36.920 --> 0:24:40.840 When Saul through that sphere, David ducked and it missed him. Well, 0:24:40.920 --> 0:24:43.399 David could have picked it up and taken care of 0:24:43.440 --> 0:24:46.360 u Saul. He had a good reason. This was self defense. 0:24:47.160 --> 0:24:49.760 David was powerful, he had killed a bear with his 0:24:49.800 --> 0:24:53.680 own hands. But David knew Saul was anointed as king. 0:24:54.280 --> 0:24:58.439 He wouldn't touch God's anointed. Like with his brother. David 0:24:58.480 --> 0:25:02.760 walked away pass the test. Saul chased him all through 0:25:02.800 --> 0:25:07.639 the desert. David wouldn't take revenge, he wouldn't harm Saul. Later, 0:25:07.760 --> 0:25:10.800 Saul was killed in a battle and David became the king. 0:25:11.560 --> 0:25:14.359 But if David had taken matters into his own hands 0:25:14.400 --> 0:25:18.080 and tried to vindicate himself, he would have never fulfilled 0:25:18.119 --> 0:25:21.919 his purpose. There's a time for the lion and the 0:25:22.000 --> 0:25:26.680 time for the lamb. Both are necessary. Maybe today you'll 0:25:26.680 --> 0:25:31.680 being the lion, stressed and frustrated. The reason it's not 0:25:31.800 --> 0:25:34.919 changing is this is the time for the lamb to 0:25:35.000 --> 0:25:37.840 stay in peace and to let God fight the battle. 0:25:38.680 --> 0:25:42.159 Ask yourself what are the spoils? If I win, what 0:25:42.280 --> 0:25:45.200 am I going to gain? If it's just to prove 0:25:45.320 --> 0:25:48.800 that they were wrong, doesn't move you towards your destiny, 0:25:49.400 --> 0:25:53.879 that's not worth fighting. That's a distraction. Be selective in 0:25:53.960 --> 0:25:57.280 how you spend your time and your energy. The enemy 0:25:57.320 --> 0:26:00.800 would love for us to go through life frustrated, mad 0:26:00.840 --> 0:26:04.720 at our neighbor, and stressed over the traffic, letting petty 0:26:04.800 --> 0:26:08.320 things keep us from our purpose. Learn to be the lamb, 0:26:08.560 --> 0:26:12.159 to overlook, to ignore, to rise above. Then, when the 0:26:12.200 --> 0:26:17.120 golias shows up obstacles that are blocking your purpose, dreams 0:26:17.160 --> 0:26:19.800 God put in you where you know there's a cause, 0:26:20.440 --> 0:26:24.359 let the lion roar, rise up in courage and faith, 0:26:24.560 --> 0:26:27.760 in power, and pursue what God put in your heart. 0:26:28.240 --> 0:26:31.600 Take new ground for your family and for the kingdom. 0:26:32.119 --> 0:26:34.560 My prayer is that you will know the times and 0:26:34.600 --> 0:26:37.760 the seasons for both the lion and the lamb. And 0:26:37.760 --> 0:26:40.840 as you listen to that still small voice, I believe 0:26:41.040 --> 0:26:44.360 and declare, like David, you're going to have the favor 0:26:44.480 --> 0:26:49.399 to defeat giants, supernatural breakthroughs, and the grace to ignore 0:26:49.440 --> 0:26:53.480 the sauls, to stay in peace, to outlast opposition, to 0:26:53.560 --> 0:26:57.760 reach the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name, and 0:26:57.840 --> 0:27:01.800 if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like 0:27:01.880 --> 0:27:04.680 to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord 0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:08.640 of your lives. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:27:09.280 --> 0:27:13.000 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:27:13.200 --> 0:27:16.240 make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:27:16.320 --> 0:27:19.560 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:27:19.640 --> 0:27:21.920 to send you some free information on your new walk 0:27:21.920 --> 0:27:24.040 with the Lord. You can text the number on the 0:27:24.040 --> 0:27:26.760 screen or go to the website. But I hope you'll 0:27:26.760 --> 0:27:30.119 get into a good Bible based church and keep God 0:27:30.440 --> 0:27:31.119 first place. 0:27:33.560 --> 0:27:38.600 Are you in a situation where you feel lost, afraid, hopeless, 0:27:38.880 --> 0:27:43.679 where there seems to be no solutions, no answers, no 0:27:43.840 --> 0:27:46.720 way out. It's time for your turnaround. 0:27:47.400 --> 0:27:50.400 We all face situations that look like they'll never change. 0:27:50.440 --> 0:27:53.320 It's easy to get discouraged. I love to send you 0:27:53.400 --> 0:27:56.040 my book Turn Around, How God can take you from 0:27:56.040 --> 0:27:59.520 a setback to a comeback, where you'll discover how God 0:27:59.640 --> 0:28:04.520 can turn sickness into health, lack into abundance, addictions into freedom. 0:28:05.000 --> 0:28:08.480 It'll inspire you to keep believing and have an expectancy 0:28:08.560 --> 0:28:12.120 for things to turn in your favor. Recent weeks, we've 0:28:12.160 --> 0:28:16.000 been celebrating the incredible life of my mother, her miraculous 0:28:16.119 --> 0:28:20.200 turnaround story of overcoming terminal cancer over forty years ago. 0:28:20.600 --> 0:28:24.199 It's a testimony of the power of God's promises. Just 0:28:24.200 --> 0:28:26.959 because you don't see a way doesn't mean God doesn't 0:28:26.960 --> 0:28:30.080 have a way. Stay in faith, your turnaround is on 0:28:30.160 --> 0:28:30.520 the way. 0:28:31.320 --> 0:28:33.720 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:28:33.760 --> 0:28:36.359 of any amount, this month, we would like to send 0:28:36.400 --> 0:28:40.200 you a copy of Joel's brand new book, Turnaround. How 0:28:40.240 --> 0:28:43.840 God Can take You from setback to come Back. Through 0:28:43.880 --> 0:28:49.360 biblical examples, real life applications, and practical encouragement, you'll learn 0:28:49.400 --> 0:28:53.160 to see challenges through a faith filled perspective. Each section 0:28:53.360 --> 0:28:56.480 highlights a faith turnaround point to help you see a 0:28:56.560 --> 0:29:01.160 positive change in your life. As you meditate on His promises, 0:29:01.480 --> 0:29:05.520 you'll begin to see your greatest challenges turn around. These 0:29:05.640 --> 0:29:10.520 power packed life transforming stories will shift your mindset strengthen 0:29:10.560 --> 0:29:14.960 your faith, and turn your trials into triumphs. Request your 0:29:15.000 --> 0:29:18.960 copy today and see the turnaround and breakthrough you've been 0:29:19.000 --> 0:29:19.480 waiting for. 0:29:20.600 --> 0:29:22.840 God won't let you get in a problem that he 0:29:22.880 --> 0:29:26.400 can't bring you out of there are turnarounds in your future. 0:29:26.920 --> 0:29:29.640 Thanks so much for being with us today. Victoria and 0:29:29.720 --> 0:29:32.240 I pray for you and your family, and we sure 0:29:32.280 --> 0:29:36.280 appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity is helping bring 0:29:36.360 --> 0:29:39.720 hope to people around the world. Special thank you to 0:29:39.760 --> 0:29:42.800 our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly gifts. 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This month, we are also 0:30:20.720 --> 0:30:24.640 offering the Turnaround Faith duo, one for you and one 0:30:24.680 --> 0:30:27.760 to share with a friend or family member to encourage them. 0:30:28.080 --> 0:30:32.080 You can also request the Turnaround Victory Collection. It includes 0:30:32.120 --> 0:30:35.800 two Turnaround books and the beautiful set of three wooden 0:30:35.920 --> 0:30:41.600 encouragement blocks, Happy, Healthy, and Free, each featuring and uplifting scripture. 0:30:42.200 --> 0:30:45.960 You can request these inspiring resources by calling eight eight 0:30:46.000 --> 0:30:50.040 eight five six seven Joel or logging on to Joelostein 0:30:50.120 --> 0:30:54.080 dot com Today call or click any time twenty four 0:30:54.120 --> 0:30:57.120 hours a day. Your life is about. 0:30:56.760 --> 0:30:57.680 To turn around. 0:30:58.280 --> 0:31:02.240 Request these resources today