Joel Osteen Podcast - God Has The Final Say

Episode Date: April 12, 2020

During times of discouragement, when it seems like you are at the mercy of your circumstances, know that God always has the final say. Whatever you are facing, you can live with confidence knowing that God has you in the palm of His hand. The battle belongs to Him!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 visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope 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.

No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if you could unlock insights about your finances in less than five minutes with a clear picture of where you stand today and where your money can work harder? Now you can.

Visit facet.com to take the free quiz and get your financial wellness score today. That's facet.com. This ad is sponsored by Facet Wealth Incorporated is an SEC registered investment advisor. This is not an offer to buy or sell securities, nor is it investment, legal, or tax advice. Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your comeback with Purdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already completed up to 75% of your undergraduate degree.

You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and respect. When you take the next step in your life and career, make it count with Purdue Global. Purdue's online university for working adults. Start your comeback at PurdueGlobal.edu. He'll forget about the video game you gave him on his birthday.

Wow, thanks, Grandpa. But he'll never forget how you invested in his future with the UNEST app. Wow, thanks, Grandpa. The UNEST app makes it easy for grandparents and family friends to give funds to a child's investment account for limited time. Download the UNEST app and use the code IHeart50 at sign up to receive a $50 bonus when you fund your account. That's code IHeart50 when you sign up at UNEST.co for a $50 bonus.

See terms and conditions at UNES. See you. There's something about you that makes you unstoppable. You have an advantage. God not only breathe life into you, but he put a hedge of protection around you. Nothing can touch you without his permission. You're not at the mercy of bad breaks, sicknesses, accidents, people against you. None of that can stop your destiny. Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. We spending this time with you, I know you're going to leave encouraged and inspired. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week and follow us on social media to stay connected. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. Enjoy the message.

Victoria and I want you to know that we're praying for you and that God has you in the palm of his hand. None of this is a surprise to him. Sometimes when we watch the news, it's easy to live in fear and worried, wondering what's going to go on. But it's important to tune that out and tune into your faith. You can't take in negative all day and live a positive life. So I hope that you'll choose to live out of a place of faith and trust, knowing that God's guiding you, guarding you, guarding you, protecting you. He's going to get you to where you're supposed to be.

But great to have you tuned in today. You know, more than ever, we have to stay connected to our faith. And we can do that by staying connected to each other. continue to watch this ministry. And like Joel said, to feed your faith so that we can stand strong in these difficult and trying times. You know, when we're strong,

we can be strong for other people. And I know that God's got you in the palm of his hand that we're going to make it through together. So let's stay connected. A great way to stay connected is through our social media, a podcast, our YouTube channel, lots of ways we can inspire you during the week.

But I hope you enjoyed this message today. I want to talk to you today about God has the final say. We all face situations that look permanent, like they're never going to work out. It's easy to get discouraged and accept that it wasn't meant to be. But it's not over until God says it's over. The medical report may not look good, but that sickness doesn't have the last word. God has the final say. You may have struggled with an addiction for years, but the addiction

doesn't have the final say. People may be against you. You have opposition, but people don't have the final say. No disrespect, but the doctor, the banker, the lawyer, the expert, the judge, they may be good people, but they're not on the throne. God is on the throne. Him being for you is more than the world being against you. God won't let you get in a problem that he can't get you out of.

He wouldn't have let the three, Hebrew teenagers be thrown into a furnace if he didn't know the fire wasn't going to harm them. King Nebuchadnezzar thought he was in control. He thought he had the final say that the fire would finish them off. That's what always happened. But this time, he wasn't dealing with ordinary people. He was dealing with children of the Most High God. They came out without the smell of smoke. there's something about you that makes you unstoppable. You have an advantage. God not only breathed life into you,

but he put a hedge of protection around you. Nothing can touch you without his permission. You're not at the mercy of bad breaks, sicknesses, accidents, people against you. None of that can stop your destiny. Well, if I can get this supervisor to like me, maybe I'll get the promotion. Now, you don't have to play up to people.

When you go to work, be your best, let your talent shine, then when it's time for you to be promoted, all the forces of darkness cannot hold you back. Well, my boss doesn't like me. Your boss doesn't have the final say. They are a pawn in the hands of God. You are not doing life by yourself. God is behind the scenes pulling strings,

orchestrating things in your favor. At the right time, God will either cause that person to like you or move them out of the way. But they cannot stop your purpose. And when you know that God has the final say, you don't live frustrated, trying to manipulate people,

worried about your children. You stay in peace knowing that nothing can stop God's plan. When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse's house to choose one of his sons, as the next king of Israel, Jesse lined up seven of his sons, said, all right, Samuel, take your pick. He didn't bother to bring his youngest son, David,

in from the shepherd's fields. He had already ruled him out, thought he's too young, too small, not talented. David's not king material. If people had the final say, this would be a problem. If people determined our destiny, we would have never heard of David.

But when people leave you out, it may hurt, but that doesn't stop your purpose. Samuel said, Jesse, I don't see a king in these sons. Do you have any other sons? This shows us that what God has for you won't go to anyone else. People may try to manipulate things, discredit you, leave you out. Don't worry, God is on the throne. He's pulling the strings. He knew who wasn't going to like you, who was going to try to push you down.

You don't have to try to get even. Stay on the high road and what has your name on it will come to you. Jesse sent word for David to come into the house. When Samuel saw him, first thing he said there's the next king of Israel.

God doesn't choose the way we choose. We look on the outside, the size, the talent, the personality. God looks at the heart. People may have counted you out but God has already counted you in. He overrides what people say. He overrides the injustice. Well, Joel, I'm in an unfair situation,

but nothing's changing. It's not over yet. That's not how your story ends. Your time is coming. Like with David, you're going to be called into the house. God has not forgotten about you. What he's promised is still on the way. Bad breaks didn't stop it. People didn't cancel it. Delays doesn't mean it's not going to happen. What God started, he's going to finish. He has the final say. Now, don't go around talking about how it's not going to happen and this illness is going to be the end of me and I'll never accomplish my dreams. You know what you're doing? You're putting your circumstances on the throne. You're saying they have the final say. They control my destiny. You need to take the problem off the throne and put God back on the throne.

God is sovereign over your circumstances. That means God reigns over everything in your life. Not just over the universe, he reigns over the sickness. He reigns over your children, over your finances. 1. Peter 3 says, Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone. From angels to armies, he's standing right alongside God and what he says goes.

Now, you may be dealing with the sickness. The medical report says you're not going to make it. That's one word, but God has the last word. The sovereign God, the God who reign says, I am restoring health back under you. Now keep God on the throne. When thoughts tell you you'll never get well, just say, no thanks.

I know a secret. My God has the last say. Sickness you may have a say. Injustice, you may have a say. but I have bad news. What you say is subject to the God who created me. What you say is overruled by the most time. He has the final say on everyone and everything.

God promised Abraham and Sarah that they were going to have a baby, but they were both way too old. Abraham was in his 80s. Sarah had gone through the change of life. There was no way in the natural for them to have a child. and sometimes God will put things in our heart that don't make sense to our mind. It's easy to dismiss it and think, well, that'll never happen. The scripture says Abraham considered not the weakness of his own body,

nor the deadness of Sarah's womb. He didn't deny that Sarah's womb was dead. He didn't ignore the facts. He just chose not to dwell on them. He didn't go around talking about how impossible it. was. If you're going to stay in faith, you have to do like Abraham and not consider what looks dead. Don't dwell on what seems impossible. Are you spending more time thinking about the problem or the promises? Are you talking more about how big the challenge is or about how big your God is?

When we received word that the Rockets basketball team was moving out of this building, the former compact center, and it was going to be for sale. something came alive on the inside. I knew God put that promise in my heart. But like Abraham, all the odds were against us. We didn't have the finances, didn't have the experience necessarily. The people that wanted the building were a huge real estate company, one of the largest taxpayers in Texas. But instead of focusing on how impossible it was, Victoria and I would come up at night when the rockets weren't playing, nobody was around, we would walk around the outside of the building

and thank God that it was ours, thank him that he was fighting our battles, thank him that he was making a way where we didn't see a way. Instead of considering the circumstances, we chose to consider the greatness of our God. I've learned the bigger you make God, the smaller problems become, the more faith rises in your heart.

As we walked around the building, we were saying, Lord, we know you can open doors that no man can shut. We know you can take us where we can't go on our own. When you get an agreement with God, he will make things happen that you could have never made happen. If Sarah would have gone for a checkup, the doctor would have said, I'm sorry, ma'am, you're too old. You waited too late. Plus, your husband is an old man. even if your womb was somehow fertile, he doesn't have the seed. No doctor would have given them a chance.

Medically speaking, it was impossible. But don't let people talk you out of what God put in your heart. Don't let the experts convince you that it's not going to happen. Remember, experts built a Titanic and it sank. Amateurs built the ark and it floated. No disrespect, but sometimes the experts can be wrong. They don't know what God put in you. They can't see your seeds of greatness.

On your own, what they're saying about you may be true, but you're not on your own. You have the most powerful force in the universe breathing in your direction. He has the final say over your dreams. People may have discouraged you, but what he promised is on the way. He has the final say over your health.

May not have happened yet, but healing is coming. He has the final say over your children. That child that's off course, God knows how to get their attention. He says, as for you in your house, you will serve the Lord. When Abraham was 100 years old, Sarah was 80, this was 20 years after the promise, they came into a final word. Sarah gave birth to a son. God overrode the laws of nature.

He overrode what the expert said. He even overrode mistakes that they had made. If Abraham were here today, he would tell you, don't let circumstances talk you out of what God put in you. It may look dead, seem impossible. The experts say no way, but I can tell you firsthand, God has the final say. Think about Joseph. His brothers had a say. They were jealous of him, betrayed him, sold him into slavery.

Potipers' wife, the man Joseph worked for, she had to say, she loved him. about him. Joseph was put in prison. He had all these negative voices, negative circumstances in Joseph's life. He could have lived bitter, but he understood this principle. After all the bad breaks, he was suddenly brought out of prison and made the prime minister of Egypt second in command. What am I saying? When God has the final say, it will make up for all the injustice, all the delays. You are not falling behind. You're not losing ground.

One touch of God's favor will put you 50 years down the road. Not in age, but in influence, in position, in opportunity. I believe like Joseph, you're about to see God step in and override what's been hindering you. You're about to come into a final word in your health, in your relationships, in your finance, That struggle may seem permanent like you'll never get ahead. God is about to override the lack, the limitations, the people that have held you back, and release you into new levels of influence, increase, abundance. The final word is you will lend and not borrow.

You are above and not beneath. Or maybe you were raised in dysfunction, depression, addictions. The final word is coming. God is about to break those yokes that have held you back so you can step up to who you were created to be. The final word is freedom, wholeness, abundance, and victory. In the scripture, two sisters, Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus, were close friends with Jesus. Lazarus became very sick. Jesus was in another city, so Martha sent word for Jesus to come pray for their brother.

They had seen Jesus heal people, opened the eyes of the blind, turn water into wine. They knew he could do miracles. Jesus got the word, but he stayed in that city for a day, two days, three days, then their worst nightmare came true. Lazarus died.

They were devastated. Four days later, Jesus showed up. Has it ever felt like God came too late? You prayed, you believed, you asked, but the problem didn't turn around. Martha said, Jesus, if you would have been here, if you'd have just come when we asked, my brother wouldn't have died.

She could have turned away, live bitter, angry, that would be the end of the story. But she went on to say, Lord, even now, I know whatever you ask, God will do it for you. She was saying, yes, it looks bad. It seems impossible, but I know you have the final saying. Jesus said to them, take me to where you buried Lazarus.

Take me to the tomb. He was saying, take me to the place where you quit believing. Take me to where you decided you're not going to get well. You'll never meet the right person. Unless you go back to that place and stir your faith up, it will limit what God can do. They went to the tomb,

Jesus told them to roll away the stone. Martha said, Lord, he's been done. dead for four days, he's going to stink. The stone represents what you've given up on. You think it's been too long, too late, it's never going to happen. So you put the stone on the promise, the stone on the dream. You have to do your part and roll away the stone. You have to start believing again. Get your passion back. They removed the stone, but Jesus didn't go in the tomb and lay hands on Lazarus, like he did the blind man

and some other people that he healed. This time he spoke. Said Lazarus, come forth. Instantly, Lazarus woke up. He came out of the tomb on a word from the Lord. Now, Jesus may not be here in person today, but we have what Lazarus had.

You can come out on a word from God. God says, you will live and not die. let that take root, you can come out on that word. God says whatever you touch will prosper and succeed. There's a word you can come out on. Or whom the sun sets free is free indeed. There's a word that breaks bondages. What God says in the scripture is the final word.

It's significant that Jesus waited four days to pray for Lazarus. He could have healed him the first day. He knew he was sick. Or at least the second day. and not made them go through so much. But there's always a reason for a delay. We may not understand it, but God knows what he's doing. And while you're waiting for a situation to turn around,

waiting for your health to improve, waiting for your child to get on the right track, that's a critical time. You have to pass the test of waiting. If Martha would have stayed negative, bitter, complaining, she could have stopped the miracle. Will you stay in faith when heaven is silent? Will you wait with a good attitude and keep thanking God

that he has the final say when you don't see anything improving? How you wait will determine whether or not the situation changes. And back in those days, the Sadducees, these were the people that were very against Jesus. They believed that the spirit left the body three days after the person died. It wasn't a coincidence that Jesus waited to the fourth day. He did it so that when he raised Lazarus, there wouldn't be any doubt about it. And sometimes God will wait on purpose, so you not only know it's his favor, but so all of your critics, your neighbors, your relatives, your coworkers, they won't be able to deny the goodness of God in your life.

I talked to this lady. Her son was diagnosed with muscular. dysrophy when he was six years old. He got to the point where he couldn't walk. When he was 12, he had to have surgery on his feet and heels. It was a routine procedure, but something went wrong. He ended up in ICU on a ventilator, couldn't breathe on his own. His other organs started to shut down his heart, his liver, his kidneys. He had to go on dialysis. The doctors told this mother that they didn't think he was going to make it. She kept praying and believing,

but everything went downhill. Got so bad, they needed to put him on a machine to bypass his heart and lungs. Basically, he would be on life support just waiting to pass. They went to get the paperwork for the mother to sign to give them permission. While she was waiting, the doctors came running in.

They said, hang on, you don't need to sign. there's been a sudden change. They couldn't explain it, but his heart started working. His blood pressure stabilized. His lungs begin to function. They couldn't understand how one moment he was dying

and the next moment he was coming back to life. Friends, God has the final say. If it's not your time to go, you're not going to go. The scripture says, the number of your days God will fulfill. You don't have to fulfill it. God's going to fulfill it. Nothing can snatch you out of his hands. Cancer can't take one day that God has planned for you. That sickness cannot take you before your time.

Well, Joel, my loved one didn't make it. Then their time was up. They fulfilled the days that God planned for them. They didn't show up in heaven unannounced. They didn't get there and God say, wow, I didn't know you were coming. God was the one beckoning them to come. He was the one receiving them with open arms. We may not always understand it or like it, but you can rest assured God has the final say. He planned all of your days before you were born, and he's promised to fulfill the number of your days.

This young man totally recovered. It's no longer on dialysis. His heart is fine. His lungs are fine. He's fulfilling his. purpose. But you may be in a situation like the mother. Doesn't seem like it'll ever turn around. Dream that looks impossible. An addiction that seems permanent. I believe you're going to hear what she heard. There's been a sudden change. Something has happened that we can't explain. You thought you

would reach your limits. Suddenly you're promoted. The company wants you to run the department. You thought you'd always struggle with the illness, the addiction, Get ready for a sudden change. Forces of darkness are being broken. Any area where you're not living in victory is not permanent. It's temporary. God has the final say. My brother-in-law Don graduated from Texas A&M University.

He's a huge Aggie football fan. Last year, he was watching a big game on television with one of their main rivals. The score was going back and forth. came down to the final possession. The Aggies had the ball, a few seconds left to go. They needed to score in order to tie the game,

but the Aggie quarterback threw an interception. The other team got the ball, looked like the game was over. They poured Gatorade on the coach. The team members came on the field celebrating. The opposing fans were going wild. Don was so frustrated, he not only turned the television off,

he deleted the recording. from his DVR. He didn't even want that game in his files. Half an hour later, a friend texted him saying, wow, this game is unbelievable. He thought the friend had recorded it and was watching it late. He checked Twitter and saw the other comments. Come to find out, before the Aggie quarterback through the interception, his knee touched the ground so the play was dead. The Referees reviewed it and gave the ball back to the Aggies, they went on to score and tied the game. The game went into overtime. First overtime still tied.

Second tied, third, fourth. In the seventh overtime, the Aggies won the game. It was one of the greatest games in college football history. But sometimes we do like Don. We turn the game off too soon. We think we'll never get well. whenever meet the right person, whenever accomplished a dream,

we tried, it didn't work out. Feels like the opposing team is won. They're celebrating. They poured Gatorade on the coach. Can I tell you, it's not over until God says it's over? You better go back and look again.

Your story doesn't end to defeat. It ends in victory. As long as you're breathing, the game is still going. Yes, there will be time, it looks like it's too late, it's impossible. God has ways you've never thought of. Get your passion back. Start believing again. The game is still on. This is what happened 2,000 years ago. Satan and all the forces of darkness were celebrating. They already shot the confetti,

poured the gatorade, and started their victory party. They finally defeated Jesus, nailed him to a cross. what they didn't realize was Jesus prophesied not only his death but his resurrection. They got the first part of the information, but they didn't get the final word. Jesus said, destroy this temple, and in three days, God will raise it up. Jesus asked to borrow Joseph's tune.

He was saying, I don't need to buy it. I'm only going to be there three days. Satan had selective hearing. While they were partying, having their celebration, Jesus came walking in, took away the keys of death and hell, said, I am he that lives. I was dead, but I'm alive forevermore. Now, the enemy may be celebrating over you,

thinking that you're done, you've seen your best days, you'll always be lonely, struggling, addicted, mediocre. You need to let him know you didn't hear the last word. I may be down, but I will arise. I may be facing this illness, but healing is coming. This setback in my finances and not permanent, abundance is in my future. The final word says, your latter days will be better than your former days. Now, get in agreement with God.

Go back to those places where you quit believing and roll away the tomb. Who told you it was over? That wasn't the final word. like with Lazarus, it may look dead, but I believe and declare it's about to come back to life. There's a sudden change coming, sudden healing, sudden promotion, sudden opportunity. What you thought was permanent is about to suddenly change in your favor. In Jesus' name, and if you receive it, can you say amen today? But I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

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. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. to share the message of hope with those all around the world. Visit Joel Osteen.com or click the link in the description to partner with us today. We hope you'll share this message with a friend, and be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying for you.

I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time. More than ever before, people are turning to the church for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely been ill-equipped to help. That is until now. Join nearly 50,000 people just like you who've enrolled in the mental health coach training program and become equipped to help. For a limited time, apply for a full tuition scholarship and only pay a one-time tech fee of $54 if accepted. Apply now at mentalhealthcoach.org. Again, that's mentalhealthcoach.org.

Be a barbecue hero with delicious ultra-low net carb, hero bread, buns, and tortillas. Soft and fluffy, high in fiber and with zero. Eurograms of sugar and up to 10 grams of protein. Coming in at under 100 calories per serving. Oh, and did I mention, they taste like their mouthwatering traditional versions. It's enough to have the neighbors asking for seconds. Use code IHM 10 for 10% off your first hero bread purchase at hero.co. That's IHM 10 for 10% off at hero.co.

Summer is here and our sleep is just as important as our weekend plans. So get the sleep you deserve with Lisa. For a limited time, save up to $700 off select mattresses, plus two free pillows during our summer sale. Check out our hybrid mattress designed to keep you cool during those hot summer nights. Lisa also offers free shipping and a risk-free 100-night trial. Get the sleep you deserve. Shop our summer sale now and save up to $700 off select mattresses.

Plus two free pillows at Lisa.com. That's L-E-E-E-S-A.com. Exclusions apply, visit Lisa.com for details.