Pit Praisers

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

We all have times when we feel like we're in the pits (bad medical report, debt, etc...) Praise turns things around and we need to praise before things turn around.

Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and threw him into a pit planning to fake his death.

People don't have the final say when life takes an unexpected path God is still working.

Judah means praise.

So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is  there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is  our brother and  our flesh." And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the  brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

Genesis 37:26‭-‬28 NKJV

Praise can get you out of the pit.

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

Psalms 40:2 NKJV

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalms 34:1 NKJV

Paul and Silas

They were working for God and got thrown into prison.

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

Acts 16:25‭-‬26 NKJV

The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV

When we're in the pits it's easy to have a pity party instead, thank God that he is bringing you out.

Sometimes the pit is on the road to your destiny. God will not mismanage your life, he's planed the beginning to the end but he didn't promise that it would always make sense.

In Joseph's dream his brothers were bowing down to him, but when he ended up in the pit it seemed backwards.

Praise can be an attitude.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Pitstop

In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tyres, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, as a penalty, or any combination of the above

The pitstops are not the end. It's a time to refuel and get prepared for the next leg of the race.

This pit is not my final destination.

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 15:21‭-‬28 NKJV

God will break protocol and turn your situation around when you praise even if you don't deserve it. 

But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.

Psalms 22:3 WEB

the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the Lord of hosts, For the Lord  is good, For His mercy endures forever"— and of those who  will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord . For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the Lord .

Jeremiah 33:11 NKJV

Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6)

It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the city wall shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him."

Joshua 6:5 WEB

Do you trust God enough to praise him in front of a wall that's not moving?

Exhortation

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

Psalms 89:1 NKJV

The Trevinos

Affected by generational curse that led them to divorce but remarried his SAME wife after a God coincidence at Lakewood when he ran into his wife again. While allowing God to work on them through faithfulness, getting plugged in, and through classes.

The Villareals

From a rough background but sought God and were able to overcome that. When they first started coming to Lakewood he looked at offering as God wanting to take something from him. The funny thing was that he had nothing to give but God didn't hold that against him. He now has 3 glass companies and is prodpering.

Neither family had Godly examples but they planted themselves at Lakewood and were able to raise their children in a Godly way.

God wants to meet us right where we are and he is not holding anything against me.  His plans for me have not changed.

But this I  say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So  let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

II Corinthians 9:6‭-‬8 NKJV

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

Luke 6:38 NKJV

We are all supposed to grow in our measure of giving.

Healed Through Humility

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

To reach your highest potential you must humble yourself. 

Peter had been out fishing when Jesus suggested that he fish a certain way. Peter could have relied on his own expertise and disagreed but instead he did what Jesus asked him to do.

When you walk in humilty then you'll get your big haul.

Your flesh will tell you all of the reasons that you should put your boat away.

Even Jesus had to humble himself.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:8 KJV

Our relationships will be better if

The kitchen sink was convenient but Victoria didn't want Joel to use that sink after he had worked out. He told himself that he shouldn't have to walk all the way to the back so he'd use that sink anyway. He didn't want to walk a few feet after he'd just played 90 minutes of basketball running up and down the basketball court! Pride causes us to make lame excuses.

One way to honor God is to honor the people He has placed in our lives.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

Song of Solomon 2:15 KJV

Just as little negative things can spoil "our vines", little positive things can imptove the vines.

Pride keeps us from rising higher. Humility gives us the power to become obedient.

2 Kings 5 "The Healing Naaman"

A servant from the land that Naaman had just conquered suggested that he go to her homeland for help. He could have considered his station as higher than hers disqualified any suggestion she may have had. He could have considered that a person who didn't look like him or have his background as him didn't have the ability to help him. He went ahead and did it and was told to wash 7 times in his enemy's dirty river. He didn't like that idea.

But his officers [someone lower than him in station] tried to reason with him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go and wash and be cured!'"

2 Kings 5:13 NLT

• Treat everyone with respect and value everyone's opinion. God uses everyone.

• Do what God asks even when it doesn't make sense.

• Without humility we'll make excuses.

Pastor John left a church where he pastored thousands to start Lakewood with 90 people.

The Prodigal Son

"When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!  I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,  and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."' "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.  And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,

Luke 15:17‭-‬20‭, ‬23 NLT

Don't let pride keep you from God's best. God isn't looking at our performance, he's looking at our heart.

Victoria Osteens Exhortation

She loved to make handmade cards signed with butterflies and flowers at the bottom in yellow words was written "I feel like we're something important and I know that I am".

The voice of God is in us all saying that we are made in His image. The voice is speaking out value and importance but the world tries to drown it out. What we think doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is who God

If life has put some wrinkles in you you haven't lost value. 

When I spend my life well it helps others spend their lives better.

Gideon

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, you mighty man of valour.  And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.  And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?  And [Gideon] said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

Judges 6:12‭-‬15 KJV

Such a contrast in God's voice and what Gideon had to say.

Many of you have heard the tale of the mouse who rode the elephant across a bridge.  After getting to the other side, the mouse said, "We really shook that bridge!"     Of course, it's the elephant that shook the bridge, but the mouse rode the power!     

The Two Yous

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

We all have contradicting characters living on the inside of us.  There's a constant battle between the flesh and the spirit.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he  is  a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

The old man may be dead, but he can be resurrected.

Peter in the Bible

In one instance he defended Jesus and was ready to die but not long after, he denied Christ

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Romans 8:13 NKJV

It feels good to feed the flesh but you won't like the results. You may not die a physical death but your dreams or relationships will. If you're always saying whatever you feel like and neglecting your responsibilities then you're letting the old man rule.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 NKJV

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

I Corinthians 15:31 NKJV

The old man is not that strong until you feed him by CHOOSING to do what you know is wrong.

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:13 NKJV

Getting your mind going in the right direction is the first step toward victory.

Nabal (1 Samuel 25)

The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she  was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was  of  the  house  of  Caleb.

I Samuel 25:3 NKJV

Nabal refused to pay David so David decided to destroy Nabal's city. Abigail stepped in and did the right thing. A few days later Nabal died and Abigail married David, the new man.

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Romans 5:20 NKJV

When you dig in and do the right thing you will come into your "10th day". The "old man" would die and not have power over you.

When no one was watching David defeated the Lion and the Bear, his personal enemies, then he was trusted to defeat his spiritual enemies. Personal enemies may not be sins, just a weight; being late for work and etc...

David's real enemy was Saul and it took years to defeat him.

Most of the time God will deliver you little by little.

And Jacob was told, "Look, your son Joseph is coming to you"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

Genesis 48:2 NKJV

Threshing Floor

thresh·ing floor  ˈTHreSHiNG ˌflô(ə)r/  noun  a hard, level surface on which grain is threshed with a flail.  

they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney.

Hosea 13:3

Sometimes it's uncomfortable to say no to the flesh and stay disciplined but that's what it takes to strengthen our spiritual man. 

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 NKJV

Victoria's Exhortation 

Your love never fails, and never gives up It never runs out on me 

God has given us His grace to reflect it on others.

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:4 NKJV

We should 

Our family should not only be on our to-do list but also on our to-love list and that takes work.

You can't stop being your very best so you can continue to reflect the best onto others, especially our family. 

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

Hebrews 10:24 NKJV

When you don't know what to do turn to love and it can't be put on autopilot.

Cheerleaders have a winning attitude no matter what the score is, in the good times as well as the bad; they are consistent. When the score is down the cheerleaders don't change their tone, they change their chant.

If the team is fumbling, they don't want anyone to point that out.  They obviously know that, they want to be reminded that they can score.

And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

Luke 6:31 NKJV

Your response sets the tone for what will go on.

Victoria was on a plane sitting across from her daughter when due to a malfunction, the oxygen masks dropped. Victoria screamed and her daughter started to cry, it wasn't a reaction the situation because she didn't know what was going on what she did know was that her mom was panicking.

You Are Fully Loaded

Joel Osteen @ Lakewood Church

When God created me he included everything I'd need. I didn't get short changed I'm fully loaded and equipped for the race that I was designed to run

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Psalms 139:14 ESV

I'm not faulty. 

When God created me he said that I was very good, he didn't even say that about the solar system.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

He calls me a masterpiece.

If I had the things designed for someone else then it would be a burden not a blessing.

When Pastor Joel stepped up to lead Lakewood, at first he tried to be like his dad and it was a struggle.

For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption,

Acts 13:36 ESV

I'm free to be me. 

It's easy to be me, I don't have to pretend or perform.

When you're who you are you are powerful. You can be small, quiet, and behind the scenes all while being powerful.

When we become envious we can start competing against people who aren't even in our race.

King Saul

Instead of celebrating David he started competing. He got distracted and started wasting time.

And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?" And Saul eyed David from that day on.

1 Samuel 18:8‭-‬9 ESV

Successful people are so focused on their own goals that they don't have time to look around at what other people are doing.

If someone has "passed you up" in a similar process, be inspired not intimidated.

Sometimes we come in at the end of the movie.

Someone else's success isn't interfering with what God is doing in my life.

True friends show up when you succeed and celebrate you. 

Pastor Joel was running and noticed a man ahead of him. He decided to try to pass him. When he finally did,  he realized that he was blocks off of track.

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

John 1:19‭-‬20 ESV

Knowing what you're not will help you stay focused on who you are. 

If you're trying to be something you're not then it will be a struggle.

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away...

Matthew 25:14‭-‬15 ESV

God is sovereign. Before he gave me my "talents", I didn't have anything. I can complain about the distribution but it won't change what the Lord has done...it will just waste time.

You don't have to have a great gift for God to do something great with your life. 

Don't get so caught up celebrating others that you don't recognize that there's something in you to celebrate.

Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His  word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.

Jeremiah 20:9 NKJV

Sarah and Abraham

And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a  mother  of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."

Genesis 17:16 NKJV

All of their circumstances said that they'd die without heirs mostly because they were old.

I'm pregnant with destiny.

Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

Genesis 17:19 NKJV

Victoria Osteen's Exhortation

A lot of people are praying for their assignments but God has already layed that out and he's working them out now. 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

A lot of time we think good deeds are "good works". Sometimes we think that good deeds are brownie points to get us more love from God but that's not how it works

Don't do good works to get blessings because that's not how it works.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it  is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8‭-‬9 NKJV

The good work is working in me because I'm made to do good works. God has already created a way of escape l. God won't give me anything that I can fail at. 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 NKJV

Alexander Graham Bell's telephone was a simple invention that accomplished great things.

I'm already walking into my assignment because the good works that I was created to do are working in me.