Treat Every Person Like A Gatekeeper

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This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.120 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.640 comeback with Perdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.840 or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:42.680 completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.800 You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:46.920 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:49.600 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:51.840 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:55.040 and career. Make it count with Perdue Global produce online 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:59.720 University for working adults start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:03.400 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:06.600 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:09.280 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:12.000 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:26.000 for God's very best in your life. God bless you. 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:29.320 It's a joy to come into your homes. We love you, 0:01:29.640 --> 0:01:32.280 and if you're ever in our area, please stop by 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:34.560 and be a part of one of our services. I 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:37.080 promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:39.399 thanks so much for tuning in today and thank you 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:42.440 again for coming out. I like to start with something funny, 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:45.640 and I heard about this pastor. He found a dead 0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:49.280 mule on the church grounds. He called the health department 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:52.040 and they said they couldn't pick it up without approval 0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:55.160 from the mayor. Well, the mayor was known to be 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:59.000 rude and hard to get along with. When the pastor called, 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:01.960 the mayor didn't dis point, he began to rant and 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:04.840 rathe and he finally said to the pastor, why are 0:02:04.840 --> 0:02:07.840 you even bothering me? Isn't it your job to bury 0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:10.840 the dead? The pastor prayed and ask God for the 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:13.840 right response. He said, yes, Mayor, it is my job 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:16.679 to bury the dead, but I always like to notify 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:21.440 the next of ken. First, hold up your Bible. Say 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:24.760 it with me today. This is my Bible. I am 0:02:24.840 --> 0:02:27.240 what it says I am. I have what it says 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:29.880 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:33.000 Today I will be taught the word of God. I 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:37.160 boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:41.120 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:02:41.160 --> 0:02:44.799 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:50.040 treating every person like a gatekeeper. A gatekeeper is someone 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:53.560 God has ordained to open a door for you. They 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:57.160 are linked to your destiny, to introduce you to someone, 0:02:57.639 --> 0:02:59.800 to put in a good word, to give you with 0:03:00.400 --> 0:03:03.839 or advice that will thrust you forward. They didn't come 0:03:03.840 --> 0:03:08.359 into your life by accident. God divinely orchestrated your past 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:13.200 across It's important to realize a gatekeeper may not be 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:17.280 who you would expect. May not be the boss. It 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:20.400 may be the intern that just started, may not be 0:03:20.560 --> 0:03:23.520 the friend with all the connections, may be the lady 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:26.400 at the grocery store that you see each week. May 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:28.959 not be the head coach. It may be the young 0:03:29.040 --> 0:03:34.560 man that cleans the locker room. Many times gatekeepers are disguised. 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:39.520 God uses people that we might consider to be less influential, 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:44.000 less important, somebody underneath you at the office. Don't write 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:47.160 them off. Don't be too busy and not give them 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:51.600 the time of day. Treat every person with respect and honor. 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:56.280 Make them feel valuable and important. God brought them across 0:03:56.320 --> 0:04:00.000 your path for a reason. They may have an eyea 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:03.360 idea that will thrust you forward. They may introduce you 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.560 to someone that will open up a door, or they 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:10.400 may be just a test. God wants to see how 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:13.200 you're going to treat somebody that you don't think can 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:17.000 do anything for you. Bottom line is this, If you 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:21.040 will treat every person like a gatekeeper to your destiny, 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:24.520 one of them will be God will open the right doors. 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:27.400 When I look back over my own life, I can 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:31.400 see time and again wasn't always the most influential, the 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:35.240 most important people that helped me to move forward. It 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:39.320 was ordinary people that God used to connect me with 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:43.880 people of influence. One summer on vacation, I asked the 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:47.919 hotel bellman for directions to a certain church. The bellman 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:52.560 was a young man in his early teens, happy go lucky, 0:04:52.960 --> 0:04:56.360 working the weekend shift, probably not making much more than 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:59.240 minimum wage. He said, the church you want to go 0:04:59.320 --> 0:05:02.359 to is way too far. You'll never get there in time. 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:05.640 But there's another church about ten minutes down the road. 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:08.600 I think you'll really like that. I could have thought, 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:10.640 how's he going to know what I'm going to like. 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:12.919 I'm the pastor of a big church. I know what 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:15.800 kind of church I'm going to like. No, we took 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:19.039 his suggestion and we went to that church. We ended 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:22.560 up meeting the pastor and developing a friendship. It was 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:27.159 a divine connection. That pastor introduced me to a publisher 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:30.040 that he knew that offered me a contract to write 0:05:30.120 --> 0:05:33.320 my first book. I wrote that book, and it thrust 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:36.000 me to a new level of my destiny. But it 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:39.000 all started back with that young man at the hotel, 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:43.760 parking cars, taking care of the luggage. Yet it was 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:48.760 his input that catapulted me further than I ever imagined. 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:52.640 You never know who God has ordained to be a 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:57.320 gatekeeper in your life. Treat every person with respect. It's 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:01.320 easy to dismiss people, give them the time of day, 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:06.160 especially people that we think are under us, not as important. 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:10.920 He's just parking cars, she's just answering the phone. I'm 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:14.560 in management, they're in maintenance. I'm staying at the hotel. 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:18.040 They're just working at the hotel. The very ones that 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:22.120 we dismiss, the ones we think don't bother me. I'm important, 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:26.760 I'm educated, I'm busy. No, they could be the link 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:30.360 to you stepping into the fullness of your destiny. Don't 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:33.880 write people off. Don't judge by the outside and think, oh, 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:37.400 they don't have anything for me. You'll be amazed at 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:41.120 who God will use. In the Old Testament, God used 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:44.400 a donkey to speak to people. Stay open. God can 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:49.000 use anybody. It's like this eighteen wheeler I heard about. 0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:52.159 It was carrying this large load of pipes and it 0:06:52.200 --> 0:06:55.320 went under a bridge and the driver didn't realize the 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:59.080 load was too high and it got stuck under the bridge, 0:06:59.200 --> 0:07:02.599 wedged in there. Traffic was backed up for miles. People 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:05.560 barely getting through the city had a crew out to 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:08.599 jack up the bridge, trying to get the truck out, 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:12.680 with no success. As the crew sat there frustrated, a 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:15.720 man drove by with his ten year old son. The 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.119 boy rolled down the window and said to the crew, 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:21.320 why don't you let the air out of the truck tires. 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:24.400 They scratched their head and said, why didn't we think 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:27.080 of that. They deflated the truck tires and just drove 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:31.440 it out. Friends, God doesn't use just who we might expect. 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:35.600 God uses the weak to confound the wis Let's stay open. 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:40.920 Let's treat every person like a gatekeeper to our destiny. 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:45.680 Jesus said in Matthew twenty five. When you're faithful with 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:49.960 the small, God will make you ruler over much. I 0:07:50.000 --> 0:07:53.440 believe this principle is true with people when you take 0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:57.600 time for everyone. Now I say this respectfully, but even 0:07:57.680 --> 0:08:01.360 people that you might see as small people under you 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:04.840 at the office, younger, not his experience. You don't think 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:08.320 they have much to offer. But when you show respect 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:11.640 and listen to what they have to say and value 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:15.760 their opinion, when you're faithful in the small, that could 0:08:15.920 --> 0:08:19.600 be the link to you coming into much. I'm convinced 0:08:19.640 --> 0:08:23.920 there are times that we miss opportunities for advancement because 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:27.280 we don't realize the lady at the grocery store, the 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:30.440 young man at the hotel, the new teacher that moved 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:33.400 into the school that we're not really paying any attention to. 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:37.640 They are divinely linked to our destiny, and if we 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:41.199 will tweet every person like a gatekeeper, God will get 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:44.040 us to where he wants us to be. We see 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:47.000 this principle in Second Kings chapter five. There was a 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.880 very important man by the name of Naeman. He was 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:55.640 the captain of the Syrian army, very well respected, influential, 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:58.960 one of the great leaders of that day. But Naemen 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:03.360 had a problem. He had leprosy, a dreaded disease. You 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.920 can imagine. He'd gone to the best doctors, gotten the 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:10.800 best treatment, the best advice, nothing at help. He continued 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:14.200 to go downhill. But there was a young lady that 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:18.320 worked at Naeman's home as a maid. She had been 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:22.120 captured from the Israelites. During the day, she would do 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:26.680 the laundry, cook the food. Compared to Naemen, what she 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:31.080 was doing would have been considered insignificant. But one day 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:34.760 she said, Naeman, if you'll go see the prophet Elisha 0:09:35.240 --> 0:09:38.520 over in Israel, he will pray for you, and God 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:42.040 will heal you of that leprosy. Naeman could have said, 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.040 who are you to tell me what to do. I'm 0:09:45.080 --> 0:09:49.120 a captain, I've got influence. You're a maid. You're not 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:52.600 even my nationality. You're a part of the enemy. He 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:55.400 could have dismissed her and not given her the time 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:59.360 of day. But Naemen understood this principle that you never 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:02.720 know who a gatekeeper to your destiny is going to be. 0:10:03.760 --> 0:10:07.560 He went to see Elisha, traveled a great distance, knocked 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:11.440 on the door. Elisha sent his servant to the door. 0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:16.040 Elisha didn't even get up off the chair. The servant said, Naeman, 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:19.960 Elisha says, if you'll go wash in the Jordan river 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:25.120 seven times, you'll be healed. It's not a coincidence that 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:31.360 this powerful, influential, respected man was greeted by another servant. 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:35.400 God is showing us you never know who the gatekeepers 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:39.720 will be. This time, Naeming got kind of upset. He 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:43.480 said to his men. Traveled a long way. I thought 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:46.079 at least Elisha would come out here and say hello. 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:49.640 Doesn't he know who I am? Besides, I don't want 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:52.920 to wash in the Jordan river. That river's dirty. We 0:10:53.040 --> 0:10:56.800 have much cleaner rivers back at home. He almost talked 0:10:56.880 --> 0:11:00.760 himself out of it, but one of his servants said, Naeman, 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:03.360 if he had asked you to do something hard, you 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:06.080 would have done it. Why don't you do this easy thing? 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:10.640 Isn't an interesting? That was the third servant that spoke 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:15.479 to him. God didn't use the powerful, the most influential. 0:11:16.000 --> 0:11:20.400 God used people that he might consider to be less significant. 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:24.360 Naeman finally swallowed his pride and went and washed in 0:11:24.440 --> 0:11:27.000 the Jordan river. When he came up the seventh time, 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:29.600 his skin was just as clean as a little baby. 0:11:30.320 --> 0:11:32.920 But it all went back to that first young lady 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:37.320 that made she was a gatekeeper. If Naeman would have 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:39.600 blown her off, not given her the time of day, 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:43.160 he would have missed his miracle. In the same way, 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:46.320 you don't know who your gatekeepers are going to be. 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:52.200 God will bring people across your path that may seem insignificant, 0:11:52.240 --> 0:11:55.640 people that are under you, but they are divinely linked 0:11:55.720 --> 0:12:01.000 to your destiny. They hold the key to promotion and increase. Really, 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:05.199 what that is is a test God wants to see. 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.280 Are we going to treat all people with respect and 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.880 honor or only those that we think can do something 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:15.199 for us. A lot of times the people that were 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:18.560 playing up to trying to win their favor, maybe they'll 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:21.559 open a door. The fact is they're not a gatekeeper. 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:25.160 They don't hold the key. Promotion doesn't come from them. 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:28.480 Promotion comes from God, and God will use the most 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:34.719 unlikely people. A hotel bellman, a maid, an intern, and 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:38.720 unpopular kid at school. Let's pass the test and treat 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:42.600 everyone like a gatekeeper. When I was in my early twenties, 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:45.800 I was in the airport traveling back home to Houston, 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:49.320 and I'd had a real long week. Very tired. I 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:51.800 couldn't wait to get on the plane and just lay 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.360 my head back and relax. They finally allowed us to board, 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:58.280 and I had a whole road to myself. But right 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:01.679 before they closed the door, this elderly gentleman got on 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:04.760 and came over and sat down next to me. He 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:09.800 was the friendliest, kindest, most talkative person in the world. 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:13.920 In fact, all he wanted to do was talk. And 0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:17.040 normally I enjoyed visiting, but this day I didn't feel 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:20.760 like it. I was tired, so every opportunity I could, 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:24.760 I tried to end the conversation. I got my magazine out, 0:13:25.160 --> 0:13:27.600 acted like I was reading, hoping he'd take the hint. 0:13:27.720 --> 0:13:30.840 He kept talking. Closed my eyes laid my head back 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:33.480 like I wanted to sleep. He kept talking. Started to 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:36.360 watch the movie. He kept talking. This was twenty years ago. 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:40.840 I think he's still probably talking. And I wasn't rude, 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:45.680 I wasn't disrespectful, but I wasn't very friendly. I didn't 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:48.720 engage in the conversation. I just nodded my head every 0:13:48.720 --> 0:13:51.560 once in a while. The plane had to stop in Dallas. 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:54.040 He said, well, I surely enjoyed talking to you, but 0:13:54.080 --> 0:13:56.280 I'm gonna have to get off here. I said, oh, 0:13:56.320 --> 0:14:00.240 I'm so sorry to hear that. I repented later, but 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:04.240 I thought I could finally get some rest. Right before 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:07.400 they closed the door to continue on to Houston, one 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:10.760 of the most famous basketball players in the world got 0:14:10.760 --> 0:14:13.520 on the plane. He's in the Hall of Fame, one 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:16.800 of my favorite players, and he came over and sat 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:20.600 right in that same seat, right next to me. It's funny, 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:24.520 all of a sudden, I wasn't sleepy anymore. I was 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:28.280 wide awake and ready to talk. I smiled at him, 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:32.000 said how's it going. He didn't say a word. I 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:34.640 thought he didn't hear me. I smiled bigger and said 0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:38.120 it louder. How's it going? He looked at me and said, 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:42.240 with the biggest snarl, not very good. He might as 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:44.240 well said, kid, you bother me in, I'm gonna punch 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:48.920 your lights out that next hour. He never said a word, 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:51.560 never gave me the time of day, didn't even look 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:54.800 in my direction. When we got off the plane, I thought, fine, 0:14:54.840 --> 0:14:59.400 I never did like you anyway. Here's my point. I 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:02.720 was ready to talk because there was somebody I thought 0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:06.880 was important, somebody that I was interested in. Had no 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:10.880 problem giving him time and energy because of who he was. 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:13.720 He's in the Hall of Fame. But the fact is 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:17.280 he wasn't a gatekeeper to my destiny. He just a 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:22.200 sour hall of famer with no personality. I wonder what 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:25.720 would have happened if I'd have given that elderly gentleman 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:31.400 the same time and energy and enthusiasm. Friends, the gatekeepers 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:34.800 God brings across our path may not look like we 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:38.080 would expect. They may not be a Hall of famer. 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:42.040 They may be disguised as an elderly gentleman sitting by 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:45.240 the plane wanting to talk. I don't know. Maybe God 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:47.560 was going to have him open a door, or to 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:49.920 connect me with someone he knew, or to give me 0:15:50.000 --> 0:15:55.120 invaluable advice or even bigger than all of that. Maybe 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:58.320 God just wanted me to make him feel loved and 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:02.480 valuable and respected and important. Maybe it wasn't about what 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:04.720 he could do for me, but what I could do 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:08.320 for him. Instead of being concerned about what I could get, 0:16:08.880 --> 0:16:11.480 I should have been more concerned about what I could give, 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:15.760 how I could make a deposit into his life. The 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:18.800 way you can tell how mature you are is how 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:21.880 do you treat people that you don't think can do 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:25.320 anything for you. We can all be kind to the boss. 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:28.200 He may give us a promotion. We can all be 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:31.160 friendly to the cheerleader at school, to the guy that 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:33.880 plays on the football team. If they like us, everybody 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:36.920 will be our friend. That's easy. But if we're going 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:40.800 to pass the test and come across our true gatekeepers, 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:45.160 we've better learn to be good to everyone. Jesus said, 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:48.480 when you do good to the least of these, you're 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:51.480 doing it unto me. When you go out of your 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:56.200 way to befriend that unpopular kid at school, the ones 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:59.560 nobody hangs out with, Jesus said, it's like you're doing 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:03.920 it unto me. Instead of rushing by the parking lot attended. 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:07.119 You see at work each day, you take time to 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:09.439 see how they're doing. You bring them a cup of 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:12.600 coffee in the morning. You're doing it to your heavenly father. 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:16.439 That person at the office that others may see as 0:17:16.520 --> 0:17:19.360 second class. They don't know much, they don't have any 0:17:19.400 --> 0:17:22.399 good ideas, yet, you take time to listen to what 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:25.479 they have to say. You invite them to meetings, You 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:29.320 help them get more experience. Then as you help others, 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:31.879 it's just like a boomerang that help is going to 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.760 come right back to you. I love this story my 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.760 friend Phil Munsey told he's the pastor of the Life 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:40.960 Church in southern California. He was at a gas station 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:44.000 filling up his car and this man pulled up in 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:47.600 a fairly nice car, got out and started going around 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:50.960 asking people for money for gas. Phil could see that 0:17:51.000 --> 0:17:53.760 he was coming in his direction, and Phil loves to 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:56.520 be good to people, and when he came over, Phil said, hey, 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:58.520 don't say a word. I've got you covered. I'm going 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:01.240 to fill your car up with gas. He only wanted 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.480 five dollars, but Phil put nearly fifty dollars worth of 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:08.160 gas in his car. He was so appreciative. Before Phil left, 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:10.919 he reached in his car and handed him a copy 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:13.480 of his book and said, here, take this and read it. 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:17.399 As Phil was pulling away, he noticed that man was 0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:20.000 showing it to another man that had pulled up on 0:18:20.040 --> 0:18:24.439 a motorcycle. He was explaining how this total stranger just 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:27.240 filled up his car with gas. He was so excited. 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:30.360 Well about a year later, Phil was in a car 0:18:30.480 --> 0:18:34.480 dealership getting his daughter's car fixed and just passing the time. 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:36.399 He walked over to the showroom to look at the 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:39.800 new cars. This man walked out that worked there. Come 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:42.720 to find out he was the general manager in charge 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:45.040 of the whole place. Phil said, Hey, tell me about 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:47.720 this new car. He looked at Phil and his eyes 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.040 got real big. He said, I know who you are. 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:53.640 You're the man that filled up a total stranger's car 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:56.840 with gas. A year ago. I was on a motorcycle 0:18:57.000 --> 0:19:00.200 and I saw the whole thing take place. He's so 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:03.720 impressed with what Phil did. He was so moved. He 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:07.560 said to Phil, whatever you need, I want to help you. 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:10.280 I'll fix your daughter's car for you. I'll make you 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:13.640 a deal. You can't refuse anything you want. You've got 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:16.960 it now. When Phil goes into that car dealership, they 0:19:17.080 --> 0:19:20.280 treat him like a king. Here's my point. When you 0:19:20.440 --> 0:19:24.120 do good, God not only sees it, he'll cause other 0:19:24.160 --> 0:19:27.560 people to see it. That man saw Phil being good, 0:19:28.440 --> 0:19:32.600 he ended up being a gatekeeper. He opened a door 0:19:32.760 --> 0:19:35.920 of favor and increase that Phil would have never experienced. 0:19:36.480 --> 0:19:39.000 When you do it to the least of these, you're 0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:43.120 doing it under God. I wonder how many good breaks 0:19:43.320 --> 0:19:46.879 we miss out on because we're not treating every person 0:19:47.240 --> 0:19:51.480 like a gatekeeper. So often we tend to categorize people 0:19:51.480 --> 0:19:54.320 and we think, Okay, they're important, they've got something I want. 0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:57.560 I've got to be good to them. No, God's ways 0:19:57.680 --> 0:20:01.879 are not our ways. When you reali God has ordained 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:05.119 every person that comes across your path, then you'll go 0:20:05.200 --> 0:20:08.200 out of your way to make them feel respected, make 0:20:08.280 --> 0:20:10.960 them feel honored, not only because it's the right thing 0:20:11.000 --> 0:20:14.320 to do because they're God's children, but know one as 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:19.200 well that they are divinely linked to your destiny. Either 0:20:19.240 --> 0:20:22.560 that act of obedience in treating them right is passing 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:26.240 the test and will lead to something greater, or they 0:20:26.320 --> 0:20:28.960 may be a gatekeeper that will open the door to 0:20:29.080 --> 0:20:33.160 favor and promotion. Pay more attention to who God brings 0:20:33.200 --> 0:20:37.239 across your path. Sometimes all it takes is holding the 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:40.520 door open for a stranger to make their day, Just 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:44.080 giving a smile, just making the person at the grocery 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:47.679 store feel welcome, just reaching out to that person at 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:51.520 the office that nobody pays attention to. It not only 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:54.479 lets them know that somebody cares, but you don't know. 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:58.360 They may be a gatekeeper in your own life. That's 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:01.280 what happened to a friend of mine. We played baseball together, 0:21:01.359 --> 0:21:04.600 and after high school he joined this team that traveled 0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:08.760 all around. Most of the young men were college level players, 0:21:08.880 --> 0:21:12.160 very talented. They had all grown up together, knew each 0:21:12.200 --> 0:21:16.000 other very well. My friend was not only new, but 0:21:16.080 --> 0:21:19.840 he wasn't quite as talented as those other players. During 0:21:19.840 --> 0:21:23.080 the season, coach would hardly ever put him in. He'd 0:21:23.080 --> 0:21:25.600 go four or five games, never playing even in any 0:21:26.320 --> 0:21:29.440 The other young men they were good people, but they 0:21:29.520 --> 0:21:33.000 sort of treated him as second class, really didn't give 0:21:33.040 --> 0:21:36.440 him the time of day. But there was one young 0:21:36.560 --> 0:21:39.960 player he was the star pitcher. He went out of 0:21:40.000 --> 0:21:43.359 his way to include my friend, to make him feel 0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:47.960 welcomed and appreciated. One day, my friend invited this picture 0:21:48.080 --> 0:21:50.639 over to his house just to hang out. It just 0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:53.879 so happened that his sister was there. His sister is 0:21:54.000 --> 0:21:57.000 very beautiful, very talented, and the pitcher and the sister 0:21:57.119 --> 0:21:59.280 met and they ended up going out on a date. 0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:03.680 Story short today. That picture is not his friend, it's 0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:06.679 his brother in law. He ended up marrying his sister. 0:22:07.359 --> 0:22:10.159 You never know who the gatekeepers are going to be. 0:22:10.960 --> 0:22:14.760 Don't overlook the people God's put in your life. Others 0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:17.879 may see them as second class, not as talent, and 0:22:17.920 --> 0:22:20.800 not up to par. No, treat every person with respect. 0:22:21.280 --> 0:22:23.679 Go out of your way to make them feel valuable 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:28.520 and important. They are divinely linked to your destiny. You 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:31.520 don't know, like in this case, they may open a 0:22:31.600 --> 0:22:35.000 door that nobody else could open. That's what we see 0:22:35.040 --> 0:22:37.879 with Joseph. He was in prison for something that he 0:22:37.920 --> 0:22:41.080 didn't do. There were two people in the prison with him, 0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:45.680 PAH's butler and Fro's baker. One night, they both had 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:49.040 a dream and they didn't understand what it meant. The 0:22:49.119 --> 0:22:52.440 next morning, Joseph saw that they were worried and frustrated. 0:22:52.880 --> 0:22:55.360 He asked them what was wrong. They said, we had 0:22:55.359 --> 0:22:58.280 this dream but were troubled by it. We don't understand 0:22:58.359 --> 0:23:01.720 what it means. Joseph said, no problem, I can help. 0:23:02.080 --> 0:23:06.240 I can interpret dreams, tell me what they are. Notice 0:23:06.359 --> 0:23:10.000 Joseph went out of his way to help them. Joseph 0:23:10.160 --> 0:23:12.600 could have had a chip on his shoulders. He could 0:23:12.640 --> 0:23:15.720 have said, don't bother me. I've got enough problems of 0:23:15.760 --> 0:23:18.760 my own. Do you know my story? I was betrayed 0:23:18.800 --> 0:23:23.040 by my brothers. I was sold into slavery. No, Joseph 0:23:23.200 --> 0:23:27.360 understood this principle to treat every person like a gatekeeper. 0:23:27.880 --> 0:23:31.360 He interpreted that dream, and eventually the butler was released 0:23:31.359 --> 0:23:35.399 from prison. Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream that 0:23:35.520 --> 0:23:39.480 he didn't understand. He was upset and worried. The butler 0:23:39.520 --> 0:23:43.280 said to him, I know somebody that can interpret dreams. 0:23:43.520 --> 0:23:47.440 His name is Joseph. He's in prison. They brought Joseph 0:23:47.440 --> 0:23:51.680 out of prison. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream, and Pharaoh put 0:23:51.760 --> 0:23:55.560 him in charge over all of Egypt. But had Joseph 0:23:55.720 --> 0:23:59.679 not taken time for the butler and been good to him, 0:24:00.040 --> 0:24:03.320 he might not have ever gotten out of prison. See, 0:24:03.400 --> 0:24:07.479 your destiny is not just between you and God. It 0:24:07.560 --> 0:24:11.560 is connected to certain people that God has ordained to 0:24:11.640 --> 0:24:15.680 come across your path. When you realize that every person 0:24:16.119 --> 0:24:20.600 could be a gatekeeper, every person is divinely linked, then 0:24:20.640 --> 0:24:23.520 it's easy to take time for people and to treat 0:24:23.560 --> 0:24:28.200 everyone with respect and honor. Back in the early nineteen eighties, 0:24:28.640 --> 0:24:32.359 there was a young African American police chief brought into 0:24:32.400 --> 0:24:37.280 our city. His name was Lee Brown. My parents reached 0:24:37.320 --> 0:24:40.480 out to him to welcome him to town, let him 0:24:40.520 --> 0:24:43.159 know that the people of lake would loved him. We 0:24:43.160 --> 0:24:45.919 were praying for him behind him. We believed in him. 0:24:46.280 --> 0:24:48.640 He would come out to the church and we would 0:24:48.640 --> 0:24:51.480 pray over him. Over the years, he would invite my 0:24:51.600 --> 0:24:55.000 parents to go pray at different police and city functions. 0:24:55.080 --> 0:24:59.360 They developed this friendship. My parents weren't trying to get anything. 0:25:00.000 --> 0:25:03.359 He didn't have any ulterior motives. They were just being 0:25:03.480 --> 0:25:07.399 good to somebody that God brought across their path. Later, 0:25:07.440 --> 0:25:10.960 he went from Chief Brown to Mayor Brown. He served 0:25:11.000 --> 0:25:14.320 six years as our city's mayor. In two thousand and one, 0:25:14.720 --> 0:25:18.160 Lakewood was out of room. We needed a larger facility. 0:25:18.800 --> 0:25:21.520 I was at lunch with a friend. He told how 0:25:21.560 --> 0:25:24.880 the Houston Rockets basketball team was going to move out 0:25:24.960 --> 0:25:27.720 of the Compact Center and this place was going to 0:25:27.760 --> 0:25:31.320 become available. At that time, it was a city owned facility. 0:25:31.680 --> 0:25:34.240 When I heard that, something leaped on the inside and 0:25:34.560 --> 0:25:37.439 I got back from lunch and I immediately called the mayor. 0:25:37.960 --> 0:25:41.880 It happened to be Mayor Lee Brown. I asked him 0:25:41.880 --> 0:25:46.160 about the possibility of Lakewood getting the Compact Center. I'll 0:25:46.200 --> 0:25:50.400 never forget what he said. Without missing a beat, he said, Joel, 0:25:50.680 --> 0:25:54.919 I think Lakewood having the Compact Center would be great 0:25:54.960 --> 0:25:58.000 not only for Lakewood, but I think it would be 0:25:58.040 --> 0:26:03.479 great for the city of Houston as well. When I 0:26:03.560 --> 0:26:07.760 heard that, I could only think back to all those 0:26:07.840 --> 0:26:12.800 seeds of kindness and respect and honor that my parents 0:26:12.840 --> 0:26:17.240 had sown down through the years toward Mayor Brown. Mayor 0:26:17.320 --> 0:26:21.200 Brown was a gatekeeper that God had ordained to open 0:26:21.280 --> 0:26:24.159 up a door to something that we could never open 0:26:24.480 --> 0:26:28.240 without his health. He returned the favor by being so 0:26:28.359 --> 0:26:31.960 gracious and kind as we work together to make this happen. 0:26:32.560 --> 0:26:36.080 When you're good to people, you are sowing seeds. When 0:26:36.080 --> 0:26:39.800 you make people feel loved and welcomed and appreciated, You're 0:26:39.840 --> 0:26:43.680 going to come across your gatekeepers that person you're being 0:26:43.720 --> 0:26:46.960 good to, They may do you a favor, or they 0:26:47.000 --> 0:26:50.240 may end up doing your children a favor. They may 0:26:50.280 --> 0:26:53.440 open the door for one of your grandchildren. You never 0:26:53.560 --> 0:26:57.320 know who's gonna benefit because of your seeds of kindness. 0:26:57.840 --> 0:27:01.600 My challenge today is to treat every par like a gatekeeper. 0:27:02.080 --> 0:27:05.399 When you take time to help others, really you're helping 0:27:05.440 --> 0:27:09.760 yourself because every seed you sow, you're going to reap 0:27:09.800 --> 0:27:13.480 a harvest. Every good deed you do. Every time you 0:27:13.560 --> 0:27:16.240 go out of your way to make someone feel special, 0:27:16.720 --> 0:27:19.440 God sees it. He will make sure that the right 0:27:19.520 --> 0:27:23.879 people come across your path. Remember, the gatekeepers may not 0:27:24.040 --> 0:27:27.760 look like you would expect. God used a maid with Naemen, 0:27:28.200 --> 0:27:31.800 a hotel belman with me, a man in prison with Joseph. 0:27:32.160 --> 0:27:35.800 Treat everyone with respect, not just the people that you 0:27:35.920 --> 0:27:39.720 think are important. When you're faithful with the small God 0:27:39.760 --> 0:27:43.080 will make your ruler over much. In the coming days. 0:27:43.560 --> 0:27:46.160 People are going to come across your path that God 0:27:46.200 --> 0:27:50.280 has ordained. They are divinely linked to your destiny. They 0:27:50.320 --> 0:27:54.080 hold the key to promotion and increase. Don't overlook them. 0:27:54.480 --> 0:27:56.960 Go out this week and be good to the people 0:27:56.960 --> 0:27:59.119 that are in your life. And if you'll learn to 0:27:59.160 --> 0:28:02.880 treat everyone like a gatekeeper to your destiny, God will 0:28:02.880 --> 0:28:06.400 open up the right doors. You will come into favor, promotion, 0:28:06.600 --> 0:28:09.720 and increase, and I believe in declare you will become 0:28:09.840 --> 0:28:12.800 everything God's created you to be. Amen. Do you receive 0:28:12.840 --> 0:28:17.399 it today? We never like to close on broadcast without 0:28:17.440 --> 0:28:20.159 giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of 0:28:20.200 --> 0:28:24.040 your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:25.200 --> 0:28:30.000 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:28:30.119 --> 0:28:33.800 make you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed 0:28:33.800 --> 0:28:36.920 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:28:36.920 --> 0:28:39.640 in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:28:39.960 --> 0:28:42.440 He's going to take you places that you've never dreamed of. 0:28:43.160 --> 0:28:46.040 Thank you for listening to the Jeel lous Deine podcast. 0:28:46.360 --> 0:28:49.000 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:28:49.120 --> 0:28:53.080 those all over the world. Visit Joeloustin dot com slash 0:28:53.160 --> 0:28:55.160 give Hope to give a gift today. 0:28:56.440 --> 0:28:59.360 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:28:59.360 --> 0:29:02.760 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:02.840 --> 0:29:06.040 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:06.200 --> 0:29:08.680 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:08.720 --> 0:29:09.320 next time. 0:29:16.600 --> 0:29:19.520 Ever, wonder which foods connect as medicine or maybe you're 0:29:19.520 --> 0:29:22.840 looking to start meditation. 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