You Will Defy The Odds

0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:03.600 Hi, this is Joelan Victoria. Thanks so much for listening 0:00:03.600 --> 0:00:07.200 to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We 0:00:07.320 --> 0:00:11.160 believe you're going to have an awesome twenty twenty four, healthy, productive, 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:15.480 and favor filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. Well, 0:00:15.520 --> 0:00:18.040 God bless you. It's great to be with you today, 0:00:18.120 --> 0:00:20.799 and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:24.880 week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, 0:00:25.360 --> 0:00:27.720 and you can come visit us in person. We'd love 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:29.920 to have you be a part of one of our services. 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:32.640 And I'd like to start with something funny. And I 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:35.760 heard about this lady that died. She was standing at 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:39.040 the pearly gates. Saint Peter says, you can't come in yet. 0:00:39.400 --> 0:00:42.880 You have to correctly spell a word. She said what word? 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:47.199 He said, any word, So she spelled the word love, Helvee. 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:50.400 Peter said, welcome to Heaven. Then Peter asked if she 0:00:50.400 --> 0:00:53.239 would take his place for a moment. He instructed her 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:56.600 if anyone came to just follow the same procedure. In 0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:59.560 a few moments, she sees her ex husband walking up. 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:02.400 She can't believe it, She said, what are you doing here? 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:05.000 He said, I just had a heart attack. Did I 0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:07.679 really make it to heaven? She said, not yet. You 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:10.720 have to correctly spell a word. He said what word? 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:14.560 There was a long pause, and she said, checkus Slovakia. 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:19.319 Here we go, y'all. This is my Bible. I am 0:01:19.400 --> 0:01:21.960 what it says I am. I have what it says 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:24.640 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:01:25.040 --> 0:01:27.880 Today I will be taught the word of God. I 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:32.280 boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:36.160 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:39.640 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:44.000 you will defy the odds. We all face situations where 0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:46.600 we don't see how they can work out. We don't 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:50.160 have the funds to accomplish our dreams. A sickness looks 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:53.120 like will never get well, or a child is off course. 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:56.080 A student told me how he wanted to go to 0:01:56.120 --> 0:02:00.560 medical school and finish his undergraduate work and doesn't very well. 0:02:01.280 --> 0:02:04.440 He needs a scholarship, but he's been turned down by 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:08.359 over forty schools. He was so discouraged, thinking it could 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:12.200 never happen. But God loves to take people who are 0:02:12.200 --> 0:02:16.200 the underdogs where there are no good options, and do 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:20.760 something supernatural in their lives. The odds may be against you, 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:24.400 but the most high God is for you. You and 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:28.600 God are a majority. What you're up against may seem bigger, 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:33.560 the opposition stronger. God will put you in situations on 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:37.399 purpose where the odds are against you, so He can 0:02:37.440 --> 0:02:40.799 show out in your life. It's not there to stop you. 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:43.920 It's a setup for God to make you an example 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:48.720 of his goodness. But voices will whisper You're outnumbered. You'll 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:51.960 never defeat this giant. It's too big. Never get out 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:55.799 of this trouble, Never overcome this illness. No, you were 0:02:55.919 --> 0:03:00.000 created to defy the odds. You have the most powerful 0:03:00.120 --> 0:03:04.600 force in the universe breathing in your direction. God is 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:08.239 not limited by what you don't have, by what family 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:12.000 you come from, by your connections, your education, your talent. 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:15.120 I can't accomplish my dream, joy, I don't know the 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:19.120 right people. That's okay, you have friends in high places. 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:23.000 God controls the universe. I can't get out of debt. 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:27.640 Everyone in my family struggles. You're the exception. You're the 0:03:27.720 --> 0:03:31.639 difference maker. God raised you up to defy the odds, 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:35.880 to set a new standard. Now get in agreement. With him. 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:39.640 Not an underdog mentality. Look what I'm up against. I 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:42.800 don't have a chance. I'm at a disadvantage. No turn 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:46.080 it around. The odds may be against me, but God, 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:49.160 I know you being for me is more than anything 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:53.240 trying to stop me. Our son Jonathan got me playing 0:03:53.360 --> 0:03:58.040 fantasy football this year. You choose players from different NFL 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:01.120 teams to make up your team, depending on how they 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:04.480 do each week. That determines your score. There are ten 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:07.840 different teams in our league, Friends of Ours. Each week 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:11.440 you play against one team on the app, it gives 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:14.720 you the percentage of winning and the percentage of losing. 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:19.120 It calculates all your players their statistics how they've been 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.920 performing the other. Saturday, I checked my game. I had 0:04:22.920 --> 0:04:26.360 a sixty percent chance of winning, forty percent of losing. 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:30.159 I felt pretty good. Sunday after church, I get home 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.440 around four, about half of the football games are finished. 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:37.040 I check my phone. Some of my players hadn't done well. 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:39.920 I went down to a twenty percent chance of winning 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:44.200 eighty percent of losing. We watched the Sunday evening games. 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:46.680 You can see it in real time on your phone 0:04:46.839 --> 0:04:50.560 what your players are doing. The percentages are constantly changing. 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:53.520 The last game of the week is on Monday night. 0:04:54.320 --> 0:04:57.479 I went to bed Sunday with a ninety nine percent 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:00.880 chance of losing one percent chance of one. It was 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:04.160 basically saying you're a loser, but we can't say it 0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:08.320 until the official last game is played. Well, I watched 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:11.000 Monday night. I had one player in that game, and 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.240 he wasn't doing anything. I had already given up and 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:18.320 figured out I'd lost that week. But with thirty seconds left, 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:21.480 he got the ball on a fluke play and scored 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:24.960 a touchdown. I grabbed my phone. It went from ninety 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:28.600 nine percent chance of losing to ninety nine percent chance 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:32.799 of winning. In a split second, all the odds changed 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:36.560 in my favor. I won that game. But for days, 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:40.560 all the stats said and no way. The analytics, the computers, 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:44.040 the odds maker all said I would lose. But then 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:48.600 this unforeseen good break, and I defied the odds. That's 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:51.560 the way it is with God. All the facts can 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:54.600 say you'll never get well, never get out of debt, 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:59.080 never break the addiction. It's ninety nine to one. I mean, 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:02.080 you took the fertill the treatments. You can't have the baby, 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:05.920 you don't have the resources to start your business. You'll 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:08.599 never be free from this depression. That's just who you are. 0:06:09.160 --> 0:06:12.480 Can I encourage you one touch of God's favor and 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:17.159 you will defy the odds. One good, great one healing, 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:20.760 one folk hall. You'll go from ninety nine percent no 0:06:20.880 --> 0:06:24.760 way to here. It is. Nobody saw it coming, the 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:28.760 baby you dreamed of, the healing, the business, the breakthrough. 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:32.560 What am I saying, don't let the odds discourage you. 0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:36.520 We look at things in the natural. Here are the facts, 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:41.599 the experts, the calculations. But God is supernatural. He's not 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:46.240 limited by what limits us. One time, the prophet Elijah 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:50.320 came up against four hundred and fifty false prophets that 0:06:50.400 --> 0:06:54.240 worship the god bail. You would think Elijah would have 0:06:54.360 --> 0:06:57.120 four hundred and fifty of his followers to go up 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:01.359 against the opposition, so it would be equal, a fair fight. 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:04.719 That makes more sense. But God will let you be 0:07:04.800 --> 0:07:08.359 the underdog on purpose, so he can show his favor 0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:11.800 in a greater way. Don't be surprised when the odds 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:15.720 are against you. Elijah could have checked his phone. Ninety 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:19.720 nine percent chance you're gonna lose, dude, Go home, turn around, 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:23.800 You're outnumbered all the facts said, he didn't have a chance. 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:27.320 He could have panicked, God, please send me more people. 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:31.080 He could have complained, this is not fair. But he 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:35.320 understood this principle that he was created to defy the odds, 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:40.600 that the God we serve has power favor breakthroughs, healing 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:46.520 that cannot be calculated, that supersedes the natural, the logical, 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:50.400 the predictable. And after the four hundred and fifty false 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.680 prophets couldn't get their God to work, Elijah called out 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:58.600 to Yahweh, to Jehovah. Suddenly fire came down from heaven 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:02.960 and destroyed those four hundred and fifty false prophets. He 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:07.200 went from ninety nine percent chance of losing to immediately winning. 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:11.080 God is going to do some things in your life 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:15.400 that defy the odds. You can't explain it. You didn't 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:18.960 have the training, but you've got the promotion. You're supposed 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:21.760 to live with that sickness, but you're healthier than ever. 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:25.480 Or you came from a dysfunctional family that should be you, 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:30.560 but you're blessed, happy, strong, beautiful. What happened You defied 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:34.840 the odds. God breathed on your life, open doors. You 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:40.200 couldn't open, gave you ability influence favor that catapulted you ahead. 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:43.960 You may be in a situation now where the odds 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:47.240 are against you. When you look at the facts, every 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:51.120 voice says there's no way you're outnumbered. It's too late. 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:54.800 Don't believe those lies. God is about to show out 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:58.840 in your life. That difficulty is setting you up for 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:01.760 God to do something you've never seen. It's going to 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:06.280 happen quickly. You couldn't plan it, you didn't have the experience. 0:09:06.800 --> 0:09:10.240 But like that fire came down from heaven, suddenly the 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.440 problem is going to turn around. The right people will 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:17.199 show up, your business takes off, your child comes back home. 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:20.559 You'll be able to say with Elijah, the odds were 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:23.600 against me, but the most High God was for me. 0:09:24.120 --> 0:09:28.800 That's what matters. Ex's A Chapter fourteen. God had delivered 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:32.200 the Israelites out of four hundred years of slavery. He 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:35.200 sent plague after plague on the Pharaoh, and he finally 0:09:35.240 --> 0:09:38.720 let the people go, and they were so excited. Was 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:42.040 a moment they had been dreaming of. As they were leaving, 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.840 God said in verse two, tell the people to march 0:09:45.920 --> 0:09:49.640 toward the Red Sea. Then Pharaoh will think their trap 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:53.840 between the Red Sea and the wilderness. God sent them 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:58.240 into a situation where there was no way out. Was 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:01.360 it like Moses made a mistake the wrong way? God 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.440 told them to go this way. You would think after 0:10:04.480 --> 0:10:07.839 the years of slavery and mistreatment, God would take them 0:10:07.840 --> 0:10:12.600 in an easy way, no obstacles, no opposition. But God 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:16.320 on purpose sent them down a path where the odds 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:20.200 would be against them. God knew Pharaoh would change his mind. 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:24.360 He knew the army would come chasing the Israelites. God 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:27.760 said in verse four, I have planned all this so 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:32.160 I will receive great glory at the expense of Pharaoh. 0:10:32.600 --> 0:10:36.720 The odds being against them wasn't random, wasn't just a 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:40.960 bad break. It was a setup so God could demonstrate 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.960 his power on the Israelites. But when they saw that 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:49.480 army coming in the distance, Pharaoh's fastest chariots and most 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:54.559 skilled warriors, they begin to panic. Complain, Moses, why'd you 0:10:54.600 --> 0:10:56.960 bring us out here to die? We had a rather 0:10:57.040 --> 0:11:01.560 state as slaves in Egypt. But Moses understood when the 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:05.200 odds are against you, God is up to something. He's 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:08.720 positioning you to see his favor in a greater way. 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:13.720 Moses said to the people, do not be afraid. Stand still, 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:17.400 and you will see the Lord rescue you. I can 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:20.400 imagine the people trying to stay in faith, but the 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:23.800 terriers were getting closer. They could see the dust in 0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:27.040 the air thirty miles away, and now they're twenty miles 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:30.720 now the few hours they're gonna be here, but God 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:34.200 kept letting them get closer and closer, the odds getting 0:11:34.200 --> 0:11:37.959 more and more against them. Went from sixty percent chance 0:11:38.040 --> 0:11:41.480 to lose to eighty percent. Now they're at ninety nine. 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:45.400 The army a few miles away. Just when it looked 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.560 like it was too late, God sent a dark cloud, 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:52.640 like a thick fog that came on Pharaoh and his army. 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:57.040 They couldn't see. They had to stop. God has ways 0:11:57.160 --> 0:12:00.800 to deliver you that you've never thought of. God told 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:04.000 Moses to lift up his rod. When he did, a 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:08.360 strong east wind blew back the Red seas, cleared a 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:11.680 path for the people to walk through with these huge 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:15.640 walls of water on each side. They didn't see that coming. 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:19.320 They never dreamed the sea would open up. But God 0:12:19.400 --> 0:12:23.040 is supernatural. He's going to do things in your life 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:27.400 that you can't calculate. You can't explain, you can't plan. 0:12:27.880 --> 0:12:31.360 His ways are not our ways. When the odds are 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:35.120 against you, it's easy to panic. Worried, can't sleep at night. 0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:38.600 You have to remind yourself God is still in control. 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:42.240 You may not see away, but that doesn't mean God 0:12:42.360 --> 0:12:46.880 doesn't have a way. He created you to defy the odds. Now, 0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:50.680 be still and see that he is God. After the 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:54.760 last Israelites made it through to dry land, right on queue, 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:58.240 the cloud lifted off of Pharoh's arm in. Now they 0:12:58.280 --> 0:13:02.520 could see again chasing through the Red Sea, thinking they 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:05.959 were about to capture them. Then the wind stopped blowing, 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:10.320 the walls of water came crashing down. They were all drowned. 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:14.199 God had to let the enemy get that close so 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:17.360 he could get rid of them. Looking back, now we 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:20.920 can see coming to a dead end. Wasn't a bad break. 0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:26.280 Pharaoh changing his mind, his army quickly closing in wasn't 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:30.680 a coincidence. The odds being against them was a setup. 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.560 It was all a part of a strategic plan to 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:38.800 deliver the Israelites from their enemies. What if you knew 0:13:38.880 --> 0:13:41.559 the odds being against you was all a part of 0:13:41.600 --> 0:13:45.840 God's plan? What you could be worried about the enemy 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:49.400 closing in people that weren't trying to discredit you, not 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:53.920 feeling qualified. That God allowed all that to happen, not 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:56.800 to just make you miserable, but so He can show 0:13:56.840 --> 0:14:00.800 his power in your life. Trust him. When the odds 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:05.000 are against you, things happen. You don't understand. You were 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:07.679 doing the right thing, but you came to a dead end, 0:14:08.400 --> 0:14:12.360 your health problem, financial setback, a friend turned on you. 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.520 God wouldn't have allowed it if he wasn't going to 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:18.440 use it for your good. I'm sure you'll be tempted 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:21.880 to worry. Why did this happen? God is saying to 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:25.720 you what he said to the Israelites. Stand still and 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:28.720 you will see my deliverance. You will see my favor, 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:32.600 you will see my healing, you will see the victory. 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:35.520 When I look back over my life, I see these 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:38.800 times that the odds were against me, and times I 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:42.520 was outnumbered. But that's what God used to get me 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:46.200 to where I am. When my father passed, I knew 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:48.680 I was supposed to step up and pasture the church, 0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:52.200 but I didn't feel qualified. I didn't have the training. 0:14:52.720 --> 0:14:56.120 I never been to seminary. My father had pastored here 0:14:56.200 --> 0:15:00.600 for forty years. He'd been in the ministry over fifty years. Well, 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:04.120 I'd been in the ministry zero years. I had spoken 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:08.200 one message the week before my dad passed. All the 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:11.960 odds were against me. But when you're weak, God will 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:15.920 show himself strong. When you don't feel qualified, God will 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.640 breathe on your life and give you ability, wisdom, favor. 0:15:20.480 --> 0:15:22.720 I discovered things in me I didn't know I had. 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:26.240 But if you let the odds being against you talk 0:15:26.280 --> 0:15:29.400 you out of your dreams cause you to get discouraged 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:32.800 where you never take steps of faith, then you'll miss 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:36.360 the greatness that God put in you. You're not always 0:15:36.440 --> 0:15:41.280 gonna feel confident, feel strong, feel passion. You may feel weak, 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:45.800 feel doubt, feel uncertainty, but you have to override that 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:49.320 and say, God, I know you being for me is 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:52.120 more than what's trying to stop me. This is what 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:56.120 David did. He was seventeen years old when he heard 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:59.960 Goliath taunting the Israelites. The other men in the army. 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:04.240 They were afraid they would run and hide. Something rose 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:07.800 up in David, a fire, a passion. He knew he 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:11.600 was supposed to fight him. But if someone was calculating 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:15.400 the odds, this would have been ten thousand to one. 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:19.240 Goliath was the champion of the Philistine army. He was 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:23.920 their most experienced, skilled warrior, stood over nine feet tall, 0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:28.760 had the latest armor, the sharpest sword. David was a shepherd. 0:16:29.280 --> 0:16:34.040 He had no training, no military experience. He was small, young, 0:16:34.320 --> 0:16:37.800 He looked like a kid. Even when Goliath first saw him, 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:40.760 he laughed and said, am I a dog that you'd 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:43.240 come at me with a stick. He was saying, you 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:45.600 mean you got this little twig that's gonna fight me. 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:48.760 Even King Saul tried to talk David out of it. 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:51.840 He said, David, you're just a boy. You don't have 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:56.480 a chance. It's interesting that God could have chosen someone 0:16:56.880 --> 0:17:00.680 that matched up much better with Goliath, that was the 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:05.159 most skilled, most trained, biggest, strongest. That would have been 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:10.600 a much ferrifight, two champions competing. But notice how God works. 0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:14.359 David had all the odds against him. It didn't make sense. 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:17.199 If David would have only looked at it from a 0:17:17.240 --> 0:17:20.520 logical point of view, we wouldn't be talking about him. 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:25.520 But David understood that he was created to defy the odds. 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:30.479 There are levels of your destiny you cannot reach without 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:34.840 being outnumbered over your head. The odds being against you 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:38.600 is a sign that God is up to something. He's 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:42.320 positioned you there for a purpose. It's not a coincidence 0:17:42.600 --> 0:17:46.120 that there's a giant between you and your destiny. Yes, 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:49.120 it's easy to shrink back. I can't bite this giant, Joels. 0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:52.600 I can't lead my department. I'm not qualified. I can't 0:17:52.600 --> 0:17:56.560 write that book. I'll never break this addiction. All I 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:59.640 have is a slingshot and a few stones. That's all 0:17:59.640 --> 0:18:03.480 you need. Your slingshot, with the favor of God, will 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:07.320 bring down the goliath in your life. The scripture says, 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:11.840 David ran quickly toward Goliath. All the other men ran 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:16.440 quickly away from Goliath. Look At how David is defying 0:18:16.480 --> 0:18:19.680 the odds. He was saying, God, I'm not moved by 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:22.879 what it looks like in the natural. I know you're supernatural. 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:25.959 He picked up a stone and put it in his sling. 0:18:26.560 --> 0:18:30.600 The whole time Goliath was laughing. David slung that rock, 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:34.760 and the laughter stops. Goliath tumbles to the ground. David, 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:40.040 a shepherd boy, defeated this philistine giant. Are there giants 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.800 in your life waiting to be defeated. You're thinking about 0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:46.520 how big it is, and man, I don't have the experience. 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:50.520 They said, this sickness is permanent. Have a new perspective. 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:54.960 The odds being against you is a set up. God 0:18:55.040 --> 0:18:58.359 allowed that so he can show out in your life. 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:02.480 On't be intimidated thinking you're lacking. You don't have the experience. 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:06.040 You have everything you need. When you make a move, 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:10.960 God will breathe on what you have. You'll discover ability, favor, 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:15.119 healing that will cause you to defy the odds. A 0:19:15.160 --> 0:19:18.359 man called My Serious XM program and told how as 0:19:18.400 --> 0:19:22.120 a young man, he got off course selling drugs and 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:25.639 he got bigger and bigger. He was controlling a large 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:29.359 area of the illegal substances in his city, making so 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:32.760 much money. But at twenty seven years old, it all 0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:36.800 came crashing down. He was arrested and received a forty 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:40.720 year prison sentence. He was so distraught and so down 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:44.720 on himself. He started watching our services in prison and 0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:47.440 he gave his life to Christ and he would make 0:19:47.480 --> 0:19:51.520 these declarations with us, I'm forgiven, I'm restored, I have 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:55.040 a bright future. This began to change the way he 0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:59.560 saw himself from a victim to a victor, and he'd 0:19:59.560 --> 0:20:03.119 been there six years. He started telling his cell mates 0:20:03.440 --> 0:20:06.400 that he was going to get out that year. They 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:08.480 looked at him like he had lost his mind. He 0:20:08.520 --> 0:20:12.280 had thirty four more years left. Even with good behavior, 0:20:12.520 --> 0:20:15.360 he would have to serve another twenty years. They gave 0:20:15.440 --> 0:20:18.840 him a hard time, told him he was dreaming. He 0:20:18.960 --> 0:20:21.840 just kept thanking God that he was making ways and 0:20:22.040 --> 0:20:25.680 opening doors, doing what only he could do. He knew 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:28.800 it wasn't possible in the natural, but he dared to 0:20:28.840 --> 0:20:32.160 believe that he could defy the odds, that God could 0:20:32.200 --> 0:20:36.199 do the impossible. Six months later, the warden came to 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:39.840 his cell and said, we just received orders to release 0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:44.120 you today. He was placed on parole for ten years, 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:48.040 but he was free to go home that day. His 0:20:48.080 --> 0:20:50.480 cellmates said, will you pray for us before you leave? 0:20:51.880 --> 0:20:55.439 The odds may be against you today, maybe not in prison, 0:20:55.520 --> 0:20:59.919 but in your health, your dream, your marriage, all the facts. 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:03.199 It's not going to happen. You can't get well, you 0:21:03.320 --> 0:21:06.600 never reach your goal. That giant is too big. Can 0:21:06.640 --> 0:21:11.679 I encourage you? God specializes in defying the odds. You 0:21:11.720 --> 0:21:15.000 wouldn't be hearing this if God wasn't about to do 0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:19.840 something unusual, uncommon. It causes you to stand out where 0:21:19.880 --> 0:21:23.520 people can see his favor on your life. Now give 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:26.400 him something to work with. I don't think that man 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:28.960 would have his freedom if he had not dared to 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:33.240 believe and to declare and to release his faith. That's 0:21:33.280 --> 0:21:36.399 what causes the creator of the universe to go to work. 0:21:37.480 --> 0:21:41.679 John chapter eleven. Lazarus had become very sick, and his 0:21:41.800 --> 0:21:44.800 sisters were close friends with Jesus, and they were in 0:21:44.840 --> 0:21:48.440 another city, and they sent word asking Jesus to come 0:21:48.520 --> 0:21:52.280 and pray for Lazarus. When Jesus heard their request, but 0:21:52.359 --> 0:21:56.399 he waited two days, and Lazarus died when he arrived. 0:21:56.400 --> 0:21:59.680 He is already in the tomb, wrapped up in burial. Closed. 0:22:00.359 --> 0:22:03.760 Jesus said to his disciples, this sickness is not going 0:22:03.800 --> 0:22:06.320 to end in death. It is so the son of 0:22:06.359 --> 0:22:10.800 God will be glorified. Jesus knew he was going to 0:22:10.840 --> 0:22:14.720 heal Lazarus, but he waited on purpose. He could have 0:22:14.800 --> 0:22:18.639 spoken to him from another city when the messengers first 0:22:18.760 --> 0:22:21.879 arrived and healed him. He could have traveled the next 0:22:21.960 --> 0:22:24.400 day and touched him while he was alive and made 0:22:24.480 --> 0:22:29.120 him well. But this delay wasn't random. Jesus was saying, 0:22:29.160 --> 0:22:32.000 in effect, I'm gonna let the odds be against him 0:22:32.040 --> 0:22:35.320 in a greater way so I can show my power 0:22:35.640 --> 0:22:39.320 in ways you've never seen. Same thing with David. He 0:22:39.480 --> 0:22:43.480 chose a giant for him to face. Elijah outnumbered four 0:22:43.560 --> 0:22:47.359 hundred and fifty to one. It's because God loves to 0:22:47.400 --> 0:22:52.080 defy the odds, to do things that seem impossible. Jesus 0:22:52.119 --> 0:22:54.880 spoke to Lazarus and he came back to life out 0:22:54.880 --> 0:22:58.439 of that tomb. From then on, everywhere Lazarus went, he 0:22:58.600 --> 0:23:02.640 was a testimony the favor of God. She it's one 0:23:02.640 --> 0:23:05.760 thing to have a healing, but God wanted something better, 0:23:06.080 --> 0:23:10.040 a resurrection, and sometimes God will let the odds be 0:23:10.119 --> 0:23:13.959 against you in a greater way. Doesn't make sense, but 0:23:14.040 --> 0:23:17.639 God is up to something. Trust him when you don't understand, 0:23:18.440 --> 0:23:21.119 stay in faith. When he doesn't show up in time. 0:23:21.760 --> 0:23:25.920 He has something coming better than you've imagined. A friend 0:23:25.960 --> 0:23:29.719 of mine was born with no ears. His parents had 0:23:29.800 --> 0:23:33.080 other healthy children. They were course hoping for the same, 0:23:33.240 --> 0:23:36.440 but they were told this child would never be able 0:23:36.440 --> 0:23:40.359 to hear and therefore never be able to speak. They 0:23:40.400 --> 0:23:45.080 were devastated. There was no explanation. The father and mother 0:23:45.160 --> 0:23:49.440 were weeping holding their baby son. The grandmother came in. 0:23:50.160 --> 0:23:52.639 She said to her son and daughter in law, I 0:23:52.720 --> 0:23:56.560 know why you're crying and how disappointed you are, But 0:23:56.640 --> 0:24:00.000 God is going to use your son to do amazing things. 0:24:00.560 --> 0:24:03.640 This is not going to stop his destiny. He's going 0:24:03.680 --> 0:24:06.920 to impact people all over the world. That didn't make 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:11.760 any sense. He had this limitation, this disadvantage. But this 0:24:11.960 --> 0:24:16.480 grandmother knew that God specializes in defining the odds, that 0:24:16.520 --> 0:24:21.080 what looks impossible for us is possible with God. They 0:24:21.080 --> 0:24:24.120 didn't see any sign of it, no way in the natural, 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:27.879 but they just kept staying in faith, declaring what God 0:24:27.920 --> 0:24:32.240 promised that their son would fulfill his destiny. At two 0:24:32.320 --> 0:24:36.159 years old, he was in his crib. A door slammed. 0:24:36.600 --> 0:24:39.800 He turned to look. They thought, if he can't hear, 0:24:40.280 --> 0:24:42.760 how did he know the door slam They took him 0:24:42.760 --> 0:24:46.359 to the doctor and discovered that portions of his inner 0:24:46.400 --> 0:24:50.480 ear were forming. There was more there than they ever knew. 0:24:51.320 --> 0:24:56.880 After several surgeries, his hearing was perfectly normal. He cannot 0:24:56.880 --> 0:24:59.960 only hear, not only talk, but now he can see. 0:25:00.720 --> 0:25:03.639 You are here, Ramiro. He's usually up here every week 0:25:03.840 --> 0:25:09.159 on our worship team, just like his grandmother said, impacting 0:25:09.200 --> 0:25:12.680 people all over the world. Is there anything too hard 0:25:12.720 --> 0:25:17.240 for our God? The scripture says, against all odds, Abraham 0:25:17.359 --> 0:25:21.200 believed and his wife Sarah had a baby at ninety 0:25:21.240 --> 0:25:25.480 years old. Are the odds against you? All the facts 0:25:25.720 --> 0:25:28.280 the experts say it's not going to happen. Can I 0:25:28.440 --> 0:25:32.320 remind you God is for you. His power is greater 0:25:32.560 --> 0:25:36.480 than anything trying to stop you. One touch of his favor, 0:25:37.080 --> 0:25:40.399 like Ramiro, you'll go from ninety nine percent chance of 0:25:40.480 --> 0:25:45.880 losing to winning. Friends. You are created to defy the odds. 0:25:46.680 --> 0:25:50.120 That giant is in your path on purpose so God 0:25:50.200 --> 0:25:53.720 can display his power through you, to set up for 0:25:53.880 --> 0:25:57.359 him to do something you've never seen. Don't be intimidated. 0:25:57.960 --> 0:26:03.160 Why me, this is impossible. You and God are a majority. 0:26:03.240 --> 0:26:05.520 He has not brought you this far to leave you. 0:26:06.240 --> 0:26:09.040 It may feel like you're outnumbered, but if you could 0:26:09.080 --> 0:26:13.000 see into the unseen realm, you would realize the enemy 0:26:13.119 --> 0:26:16.440 is outnumbered. There are more for you than there are 0:26:16.480 --> 0:26:20.399 against you. Now stand sail and you will see the 0:26:20.440 --> 0:26:24.480 salvation of the Lord. If you'll do this, I believe 0:26:24.680 --> 0:26:28.639 and declare, like David, you will defy the odds in 0:26:28.680 --> 0:26:32.880 your life and defeat every giant. Like Elijah, you will 0:26:33.040 --> 0:26:38.680 overcome when outnumbered like the Israelites, those dead ends will 0:26:38.680 --> 0:26:44.200 turn into doorways that thrust you into your destiny in Jesus' name, 0:26:44.760 --> 0:26:49.399 And if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd 0:26:49.400 --> 0:26:52.040 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:26:52.080 --> 0:26:56.440 Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:26:57.040 --> 0:27:00.800 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:27:00.960 --> 0:27:04.080 make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:27:04.160 --> 0:27:07.879 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:27:07.960 --> 0:27:10.320 to send you some free information on your new walk 0:27:10.359 --> 0:27:12.480 with the Lord. You can text the number on the 0:27:12.520 --> 0:27:15.480 screen or go to the website. But I hope you'll 0:27:15.480 --> 0:27:18.840 get into a good Bible based church and keep God 0:27:19.119 --> 0:27:19.800 first place. 0:27:21.200 --> 0:27:25.480 What if what you imagine came to pass? What if 0:27:25.880 --> 0:27:28.919 what you asked for turned out greater than what you 0:27:28.960 --> 0:27:33.119 can see? What if you could plan for God's best 0:27:33.160 --> 0:27:34.679 in your life. 0:27:34.720 --> 0:27:37.960 We all have hopes and dreams and things we're believing for, 0:27:38.440 --> 0:27:40.920 But what God has in store for you is more 0:27:41.000 --> 0:27:43.760 than you can imagine. When you start the year off 0:27:43.800 --> 0:27:47.240 in faith, believing, for greater things. That's when God will 0:27:47.240 --> 0:27:51.040 exceed your expectations. We love to send you are twenty 0:27:51.080 --> 0:27:54.520 twenty five More to Imagine Planner. You can write down 0:27:54.520 --> 0:27:57.440 your dreams and goals, plus use it for your everyday 0:27:57.520 --> 0:27:59.200 activity and reminders. 0:27:59.320 --> 0:28:02.160 It is so important to feed yourself hope and faith 0:28:02.200 --> 0:28:05.600 on a daily basis. This planner is not only a calendar, 0:28:05.880 --> 0:28:08.639 but it's filled with inspiration and scripture to help you 0:28:08.680 --> 0:28:11.280 stay encouraged and keep believing for what. 0:28:11.200 --> 0:28:14.080 God has put in your heart. He sees your faithfulness, 0:28:14.119 --> 0:28:16.359 how you being your best each day. You're going to 0:28:16.400 --> 0:28:19.200 see the goodness of God in new ways in twenty 0:28:19.240 --> 0:28:19.879 twenty five. 0:28:20.520 --> 0:28:23.120 As you support the ministry this month with a special 0:28:23.200 --> 0:28:25.760 year end gift of any amount, we would like to 0:28:25.760 --> 0:28:29.080 bless you with the More to Imagine twenty twenty five planner. 0:28:29.480 --> 0:28:32.280 With the new planner, you can start each day writing 0:28:32.320 --> 0:28:36.040 down the fresh vision God gives you, whether it's appointments, 0:28:36.240 --> 0:28:40.000 daily tasks, or long term desires in your heart. Let 0:28:40.080 --> 0:28:44.040 each note be a testament to your faith. Included our 0:28:44.120 --> 0:28:48.479 handpicked scriptures end uplifting reflections to empower you as you 0:28:48.560 --> 0:28:52.200 walk this faith journey with Jesus. One day at a time. 0:28:52.920 --> 0:28:54.880 Joel and I are standing in faith with you that 0:28:55.000 --> 0:28:57.400 twenty twenty five will be a year of far and 0:28:57.440 --> 0:28:59.320 beyond favor for you and your family. 0:28:59.400 --> 0:29:02.120 We pray for you every day for God's very best, 0:29:02.200 --> 0:29:04.880 and we want to thank you for your prayer and support, 0:29:05.320 --> 0:29:08.840 especially your year end gifts. You are impacting people all 0:29:08.920 --> 0:29:12.360 over the world. Remember you can watch the services online 0:29:12.440 --> 0:29:17.040 every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, listen on SERIOUSXM. 0:29:17.440 --> 0:29:20.400 We'll watch our YouTube channel and the new Joel Ostein 0:29:20.480 --> 0:29:24.200 streaming television network twenty four hours a day until we 0:29:24.240 --> 0:29:27.400 see you next time. Have a very merry Christmas. 0:29:28.040 --> 0:29:30.400 Be sure to request your copy of the More to 0:29:30.520 --> 0:29:35.320 Imagine twenty twenty five planner today. Visit Joelostein dot com 0:29:35.440 --> 0:29:49.160 or call us toll free.