Joel Osteen Podcast - Gladly Welcomed | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: September 9, 2024

God’s approval of you is not based on your performance. He welcomes you gladly because you are His child. Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.God still works miraclestoday just as He did in Scripture! InMiracles Happen, you’ll find stories of 30 miracles from the Bible plus 5 modern-day miracles. Let our September offer stir your faith and increase your expectation—your miracle is on the way!Request your copy today,https://bit.ly/3SVZvsb. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks so much for listening to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to have an awesome 2024, healthy, productive, and favor-filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. God bless you. It's great to be with you today and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. I'd like to start with something funny and I heard a about these three aspiring psychiatrists, William, Julie, and Bubba. They were taking their first test on emotional extremes. The professor asked William, what is the opposite of sadness?

He replied, happiness. The professor asked Julie, what is the opposite of depression? She replied, joy. The professor asked Bubba, what is the opposite of woe? Bubba looked kind of puzzled. After a long pause, he replied, giddy up. All right, say it like you mean it. Here we go.

This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert. My heart is receptive.

I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about gladly welcomed. We have two small dogs at home. They're shizzoos. They're very friendly and playful. Every time they hear the garage door go up, someone returns home, they run to the back door and wait.

When we open the door, they jump up on us, so excited. Their tails are wagging back and forth. It's like they hadn't seen us in two months. We've been gone 30 minutes. And I know they're just dogs, but it still warms your heart to know that they're so glad to see you. Paul said in Ephesians, because of our faith in Christ, Christ, we can come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome. Not many of us have the audacity to think that God would be that happy to see us.

I mean, he's the creator of the universe. He has bigger things to deal with. He's not concerned about me. You are God's biggest deal. You are his most valuable possession. He made you in his own image. There's nothing more important to God than you. It says in Isaiah, he has your picture tattooed on the palm of his hand.

He knows the number of hairs on your head. He knows your thoughts before you think them. If you will have the right image of God, knowing that he gladly welcomes you, his face lights up when he sees you. He loves spending time with you, hearing your concerns, knowing what you're dreaming about, then you won't shrink back in fear, intimidated, unworthy, you will go fearlessly to him. But so many people have the wrong image of God.

They see him as being harsh, like he has a ball bat, waiting for them to make a mistake, knock them down further. Don't come near me, man, you've done wrong. You haven't measured up. You knew better. But God is not basing his glad welcome on your performance. It's not based on how perfect you've lived.

It's based on the fact that you're his child. because of your faith in Christ. Not because of your good works. Not because you perform perfectly. It's because of who you belong to. Ephesians 1 says long before God made the world, he chose you to be in him without fault. Now you may have made mistakes.

You got off course. Doesn't things you're not proud of. We let the accuser heap all the baggage remind us of how unworthy we are. how we don't deserve God's goodness? Look at what you've done. You should be ashamed. You know better.

You know how God sees you without fault. How could this be? He's already paid the price for your sins, your mistakes, your failures. He sees you without fault, but that won't do you any good if you don't see yourself without fault. If you're down on yourself,

living guilty, condemned, even though God will gladly welcome you, even though he's longing to be good to you, you won't see this goodness because you don't come fearlessly into his presence. This all started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Up to then, they were happy, confident, secure. They knew God loved them. They went boldly into his presence, walked with God, talked with God. They received his glad welcome. But when they disobeyed, the condemnation came. The accusing voice, brought fear and intimidation. The first thing they did was run and hide. They had to get out of God's presence. They knew they wouldn't be

gladly welcomed anymore. God came and said, Adam, where are you? It wasn't so much about his location. It was about his frame of mind. In the Old Testament, they had to make sacrifices to cover their sins, but we're under a better covenant. The price has already been paid. It says in Revelation, God has washed away our sins past tense. He's already forgiven you. You may have made mistakes. You're not where you wanted to be. You don't feel worthy like you deserve God's goodness. Now like Adam, you're hiding. God is saying, where are you? I long to be with you. I have mercy for your mistakes. I have forgiveness for your wrongs. What you've done did not stop. He's glad welcome. The scripture says, come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy. Notice to get the mercy,

you have to go boldly. But you won't go boldly if you think God is mad at you. You've made too many mistakes. He lost your temper. You ran with the wrong crowd. You ruined your marriage. Mercy is available. beginnings are available, but it's not going to happen if you stay down on yourself. Feeling unworthy. I don't deserve to be blessed. Get rid of that defeated mentality. God sees you without fault. He's not holding your mistakes against you. When you come to him, he won't say, it's about time. I'm so disappointed. What's wrong with you? He will gladly welcome you. Maybe like Adam, you're hiding, thinking you can't go to God. Every voice says, look at your failures.

Look at your weaknesses. You don't deserve it if you only knew that God is standing before you right now with open arms. He's not just going to welcome you. He's going to gladly welcome you. Why don't you come out of hiding, come out of unworthiness, come out of condemnation, and receive this glad welcome. God, I know I'm not worthy, but I want to thank you that you have made me worthy. Lord, I know I have many faults, but I have many faults.

I thank you that you see me with no faults. How do you see God as someone that will gladly welcome you that's looking forward to seeing you that won't judge you? Or do you see him as someone that's hard, condemning, holding your mistakes against you? Your perception of God will have a great impact on whether you become all you were created to be. And sometimes religion distorts the image of God. it can show God as being harsh and mean when you can't measure up, uses guilt and making you feel

unworthy to try to get you to live right. But condemnation doesn't make you do better. The scripture says it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. When you understand that God loves you unconditionally, not if you perform perfectly, but even when you make mistakes, he has mercy, that he finds you without fault, that he gladly welcomes you, that there's nothing more valuable, nothing more important to him than you, then you'll put your shoulders back. You'll hold your head up high and step up to who you were created to be. Luke chapter 15, a young man asked his father for his inheritance early. Father agreed and gave him the money. The son left home and went out and lived a wild life, partied all the time, wasted his inheritance, making poor choices.

The money finally ran out. Young men had nothing to eat, nowhere to go. He found a job on a farm taking care of some hogs. He was so desperate he had to eat the hog food to survive. He was very down on himself, ashamed, embarrassed. He had no one to blame except himself. As he was sitting in the hog pen, dirty, smelly, not knowing what he is going to do next,

he began to think about his father. He said even the servants at my father's house live better than I do. They have a nice place to stay. They have three meals a day. They get paid well. He thought about how good his father was, how he was even kind to the staff. He remembered how he was loving, generous, merciful, compassionate.

As he contemplated who his father was, something rose up on the inside, a boldness, a confidence. He said, you know what? I'm going to arise and go back to my father. He didn't say I'm going to go back home. He didn't say I'm going to my family's house. He said, I'm going to my father. He knew everyone may not accept him.

There would be judgment from people. Maybe friends would look down on him. Maybe a sibling would say hurtful things, but he knew his father was the key. As he made this journey back home, I can hear thoughts telling him it's not a good idea. Your father's not going to receive you. Look at what you've done. Look at how dirty you are. You better turn around. The whole time he kept dismissing it saying,

no, I remember who my father is. If he had the image of his father being harsh, mean, judgmental, he would have never come home. How you see your heavenly father will determine whether you want away from him or whether you want to him. Now, maybe you're staying away. because you have the wrong image of God. You're letting those lies play. God won't receive you. You've blown it too many times. You should live guilty and condemned.

No, if you knew who your heavenly father really is, like this young man, you would arise and go to your father. When he got close to the house, this big moment finally came, his heart was beating fast. He was trying to believe for the best, but fear, unworthiness, guilt, was playing louder than ever.

Can imagine he wants to turn around. Just forget it. This wasn't a good idea. Right then, he looks way off in the distance and sees someone running toward him. He thinks, who could this be? Is there a problem? An emergency?

Someone in trouble. They get closer and he realizes it's his father. He naturally thinks he's coming out here to condemn me, keep me off the property. But when this father gets to his son, He grabs him and hugs him with all of his might. Won't let him go. Remember, the son is dirty.

He has hog feed, manure, mud all over him. Hadn't showered in days. Smells badly, but it doesn't stop this father. He doesn't pay any attention. Our God will get dirty to restore you. He's a God that comes to messy places. The dirt on your life, the mistakes you've made, the mess. it will never keep God from coming to you.

Nothing you've done is too much for the mercy of God. His father told his assistant, go get the best robe and put it on my son. Get some new shoes and put it on his feet. And get the family ring and put it on his finger. This means that all of his authority as a son was restored. He went on to say, go kill the fatted calf. We're going to have a party.

God knows how to gladly. welcome you. Would have been nice that the Father would have just forgiven him. Let him come back home, not make a big deal about it. But notice how God doesn't just take you back, he restores you. He gives you back what you lost. This is hard for us to fathom that God will be good to us, even though we've done wrong. He'll have a party when I returned, but not because I did something great, not because I accomplished a goal, but I blew it. I made poor children. I made poor, choices. This is the goodness of our God. Maybe like this young man, you think that God wouldn't have anything to do with you. You've gotten off course. You've made mistakes. When the truth is,

God has a robe of honor waiting for you. It's not in the hog pen. It's with your father. He has a ring of authority. He wants to not just receive you back, but restore what's been taken. restore your honor, restore your reputation, restore your joy. You're condemning yourself when he has a fatted calf out in the field with your name on it. Don't believe those lies that he'll never really be happy, never be fulfilled. If you'd only made better choices, it's time to arise and go to your father. When you do, the scripture says, you can be assured of his glad welcome. Not maybe, not if he's in a good mood. Not if you've never had this problem before. No, you can be sure he'll be there with open arms.

He's waiting to celebrate your arrival. And we feel the guilt, the condemnation, but God sees our failures already covered. Now, we have to receive the forgiveness, receive the mercy, and see ourselves without fault. This goes against our natural reasoning because everything in us says, oh, man, you're just a poor old sinner.

you're just unworthy. The truth is, you used to be an old sinner, but when you gave your life to Christ, you became a son, a daughter of the most high God. He has made you worthy. You are the righteousness of God. It's not your righteousness, it's his righteousness. Don't live with a weak worm of the dust mentality.

I don't deserve God's goodness. Like that prodigal, I brought the trouble on myself. The scripture says, where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. You didn't supersede your allotment of grace. You didn't make a mistake so big that God ran out of mercy. Instead of living condemned, why don't you go boldly to the throne and receive that mercy? God is waiting to gladly welcome you.

Here's a key. He won't force you to come. He didn't make the prodigal son go back home. It was the young man's choice. when you take one step toward God, he comes running toward you. Only place in the Bible where it shows God running was to this young man that had gotten off course. God could have come running to heal the lepers, running to teaching the synagogue, running to the religious leaders.

Instead, he came running to someone that had made mistakes. My little dogs, I told you about. When I get home this afternoon, I have no doubt they're going to be happy to see me. I am fully convinced they will be there with their tails wagging jumping up on me. What would happen if we believe that God will always gladly welcome us? How much better would we live? How much freer, more secure, at peace? If we were confident that God is for us, that He sees us without fault,

that even when we make mistakes, he's waiting with arms held open wide, ready to restore us and get us back on track. The enemy has worked overtime to try to convince people that God is out to get us. He's mad at you. He's counting your mistakes. He's about to knock you down further. That is not our God. Don't let the wrong image of God keep you from coming to him.

The scripture says the people who know their God will be strong and do exploits. I believe one meaning of this is when you know the character of our God. when you know he's for you, when you know he gladly welcomes you, when you know he sees you without fault, when you know he comes running when you make mistakes, then you're going to be strong and you're going to do great things. Well, Joel, when we make mistakes, I believe we should do better. Yes, I agree, but you're not a finished product. God is still working on you. While he's changing you, while you're growing, you have to learn to accept yourself.

Not beat yourself up when you don't perform perfectly. What you struggle with, the mistakes you've made are not a surprise to God. He's the one that made you. You're on that potter's will. He's continuing to mold you. Now stay positive toward yourself. Give yourself grace. You can't change in your own strength.

You keep honoring God and his timing he'll help you to change. Think about Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector. they were known for being dishonest, cheating people. He was the chief tax collector. Zakias was despised. The people in the scripture described him as scum. It's pretty bad when the Bible calls you scum.

Jesus came passing through the town. Zakeas was up in a tree trying to get a glimpse of him. Jesus stopped. Out of all the people there, thousands, Jesus looked up and said, Zakias, come down. I want to go to your house and have dinner. This didn't make sense to the religious leaders. They complained, why is he going to dinner with a notorious sinner?

Religion says you're too bad. You made too many mistakes. Stay away. But God says, I will gladly welcome you. I'm going to come to your house for dinner. Jesus could have gone to the mayor's house, the high priest house, to the governor's house. This is showing us how God doesn't judge the way people judge.

if God gladly welcome Zakias, why do you think he's not going to gladly welcome you? Joel, I made some mistakes. I still struggle with my temper. I gave into this temptation. That didn't cancel out his mercy. Run

to God, not away from him. Don't do like Adam and start hiding. You can be open and honest with God. He's not going to judge you. It's very powerful when you admit your dependence on Him. God, I'm struggling in this area. I can't overcome on my own. I need your help. That's when you'll feel a strength, a power to do what you can't do on your own. Zakias went to dinner with Jesus,

but he didn't lead the same way. He said, I'm going to give half of my income to the poor. Those that I have overcharged, I'm going to give four times the amount back. Jesus said, this day, salvation has come to your home. Sometimes we, we, think if we berate people, tell them all they're doing wrong, make them feel guilty, then they'll change. Most people already know what they're doing wrong. When they hear about a God who gladly welcomes, a God that doesn't hold their faults against them, a God that shows mercy when they deserve judgment, then they'll change. Now make sure you have the right image of God. He's for you. He has a great plan for your life. It's not focused on all your failures. He has,

mercy for every mistake. He's waiting to gladly welcome you. All you have to do is take that step toward him. No more hiding. No more living condemned, feeling unworthy. Go to God with boldness and receive this mercy. It says come boldly to the throne. You won't receive it if you go around thinking, I don't deserve it. I'm unworthy. I'm like Zacchaeus. I've made a lot of mistakes. Done things I'm not proud of, God is calling your name today saying, come down out of that tree. Come out of hiding. I want to come to your house. I want to gladly welcome you.

Will you receive this welcome? Will you shake off the guilt, the condemnation, the past, put your shoulders back and see yourself like God sees you without fault, worthy, righteous? Many times we get our image of God from our natural father. if your father was loving and kind, it will help you to have the right perception of God. I know people, their father was harsh, condescending, wasn't around much. They couldn't count on him. Don't let that negative image distort who our heavenly father is.

God is merciful. He's loving. He's forgiving. Victoria has a great father. He's always been good to us. Jonathan was a little baby. He'd come to the house and spend the night. so we could sleep and he would take care of the baby.

Victoria is very close to her father. When she was in her teens, she had just gotten her driver's permit. She asked her father if she could borrow the car and go to a friend's house in the neighborhood. He was a little hesitant, but he finally agreed and said, yes, you can take the car

as long as you go straight there and come straight back home. She said, yes, sir, I'll do exactly that. Well, Victoria is not quite as holy as I am. she did go straight to her friend's house, but she picked her up, and then they decided to get on the freeway and go see some other friends. The problem is she didn't put the car in drive. She put it in low one. That gear is used for climbing. She was going down the freeway, barely moving with the engine sounding like a jet airplane. The car started smoking. 10 minutes later, the engine blew up. The car wouldn't move. She pulled over to the side of the

freeway. The last thing most people would do would be go call your father. He's the one that just told you to not get on the freeway, not Victoria. Like that prodigal, she said, I will arise and go to my father. She called, Dad, I made a mistake. I took the car out on the freeway. Something happened, not running anymore. If her father was hard, mean, always berating her, she wouldn't have run to him. she would have run from him. The reason she was bold enough to go to her father was she knew his nature. She had seen his character through the years,

loving, kind, merciful. When you have the right image of God, even when you make mistakes, you'll go to him. Like Victoria, you're assured of his glad welcome. Her father came, had the car toad. Do you know he never said a word to her about it? sometimes God will clean up a mess we've made and never say a word.

He doesn't condemn us, doesn't find fault. Say, I told you so. It's the mercy of God. That's what happened with the prodigal son. When he returned home, the father who represents God never brought up his past. He never said, I'll take you back, but you should be ashamed of yourself. I hope you learned your lesson. The father never said a word about it.

sometimes we don't go to God because we already feel condemned. We already know we've done wrong. We think, oh man, here comes more judgment. He's going to let me have it. No, God is waiting to gladly welcome you. Not to judge you, not to make you feel worse, but to restore you. He has a robe of honor. He has a ring of authority.

When you really know who your heavenly father is, you'll go to him with confidence, knowing that he accepts you, faults in all, that he has mercy for your mistakes, that he's not in the judging business, he's in the restoring business. When our son Jonathan was a little boy, maybe five years old, one afternoon, I couldn't find him in the house. I went looking for him everywhere. I thought maybe he's upstairs in his bedroom by himself. I went there, but he wasn't there. Went to Alexander's room, nothing, wasn't in the playroom, started to get a little concerned. had my weights in the garage and he'd come out when I was working out.

I went out in the garage still couldn't find it. Looked in my office, in the bathroom. He was nowhere. I finally went back to check my bedroom. When I got there, the door was closed. I opened it. There was Jonathan sitting in my favorite chair. This big green recliner.

The chair was laid back. His feet were in the air. He was eating a popsicle, watching TV. He looked at me with a big smile. and said, Daddy, this is the life. As a father, that made me feel good. I love the fact that he felt so loved, so valuable, so important that he could come and get in my favorite chair. He knew I would gladly welcome him.

If you want to make your heavenly father proud, get up in the green chair. Come boldly to the throne. Believe that you're loved, that you're valuable, that you're worthy. don't let a wrong image of God keep you from the blessings, the favor, the joy that belongs to you. God sees you without fault. He's already forgiven your sins.

You can come fearlessly into his presence, assured of his glad welcome. If you'll do this, I believe and declare strongholds of guilt, condemnation, unworthiness, are being broken right now. Because you know you're God, you're going to be strong,

and do great things in Jesus name. If you receive it, can you say amen today? I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you, my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again.

Love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. text the number on the screen or go to the website. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.