Joel Osteen Podcast - Submitting To Authority | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: November 3, 2023

If we want to experience God’s best, we have to learn to submit to the authority in our lives. When you humble yourself and do the right thing even when it's difficult, God will take care of promoting you. 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 https://www.joelosteen.com/givehopeFor more on living the life God intended for you, get Joel’s NEW book, 15 Ways to Live Longer and Healthier—AVAILABLE NOW! https://www.joelosteen.com/15waysbook 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. Did you know you can watch our weekend services live online each week? Of course, we'd love to have you in person if you're ever in the Houston area, but the next best thing is our online services. Thanks for downloading the podcast today, and we hope you enjoy the message. God bless you. It's always a joy to come into your homes. We love you. We come with a message of hope. We believe today as you listen that you'll be inspired and encouraged to just be all that

God's created you to be. But thanks for tuning in. And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by. We give you a personal invitation. Promise you will make you feel right at home. But thanks again for tuning in. I'd like to start each week with something kind of funny. And of course, you know these are just jokes, so don't anybody get offended.

John was the only Protestant in a large Catholic neighborhood. And every Friday during Lent, while his neighbors were eating cold fish, he was in his backyard grilling a steak. And they couldn't stand the temptation and decided to try to convert him to Catholic. After several talks, John agreed, and they took him to the church, and the priest sprinkled water over him and said, you were born a Baptist, you were raised a Baptist, but now you're a Catholic. A year later, during the first Friday of Lent, the neighbors smelled the same smell of steak in the air. They rushed to John's house. He was in the backyard sprinkling water over his steak, saying, you were born a cow, you were raised a cow,

but now you're a fish. Hold up your Bibles. Say it like you mean. Ready? 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. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed of the Word of God. I'll never be the same, never, never, never, I'll never be the same in Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about the importance of submitting to authority.

Everywhere we go, we're under some kind of authority. A speed limit sign is an authority. Or an us you're asking us to go a certain way. He's an authority. Most every person has a boss or a supervisor. The choir members have a choir leader. On a ball team, you have a coach. So we're all under some kind of authority.

And every day, maybe a couple of dozen times, we are tested on how we're going to respond to that authority. And some people have a real problem in this area. They don't want anybody telling them what to do. They're always kind of trying to buck the system. Well, I'll drive as fast as I want to. I'm in a hurry. Or it's okay to park in this no parking zone.

It's not hurting anything. Or I'll sit in that church wherever I want to. I don't have to listen to that usher man. I've been coming here longer than he's been alive. Who does he think he is? is telling me what to do. You know, really, that kind of defiant, rebellious attitude is going to keep you from being blessed.

And some people wonder why their prayers aren't being answered and why they can't seem to get out of that rut. And it's all because they have a problem with authority. And if you don't learn how to submit to authority, you will never be in a position of authority. We've got to first pass that test. And when I say submit to authority, I don't mean that you do what you're told. you complain about it the whole time. Well, I'll park over here, but I sure don't understand it.

When I get home, I'm going to write that company a letter and give them a piece of my mind. That's not really submitting to authority. You're submitting with your actions, but God is looking at our hearts. And true submission is when we just humble ourselves and say, God, I don't really understand this. I don't agree with this, but I'm going to come under this authority and be obedient anyway. See, if you're really going to pass the text, you've got to do it with the right attitude. Maybe your boss asks you to run this package over to a client's, and you're busy.

You've got your day all planned out. Of course, you say, sure, I'll do it, but that whole way, you complain. Well, who does he think he is? Doesn't he know I'm made for more than this? He's getting me off schedule. Now, you've got to learn just swallow your pride, submit yourself, and do it with a proper attitude. If not, you're not passing the test. And the scripture says here in Romans 13, verse one,

every one of us must submit to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except that which God has established. Notice, God has established all authority. It may be a security guard at work, maybe an usher at the ball field, maybe a supervisor at the office. We may not agree with them, but that's not the point.

God has established it. We're always going to have people and policies and rules that we don't like and we don't understand. but if we're going to experience God's best, we've got to learn how to come under that authority, to respect those leaders, and to basically have a submissive attitude. And even if we don't do it for them, we need to learn to do it unto God. God, I don't want to park over here, but I'm going to do it unto you. God, I don't agree with this boss, but I'm going to be obedient anyway for your sake.

Or God, I don't feel like paying these taxes. They seem too high, but I'm going to do it all because I love and respect. expect you. And understand this. When we don't obey those that have authority over us, really, we're disobeying God. I know this is kind of a tough pill to swallow, but the fact is when we speed down the highway, we're not just disobeying the city, we're disobeying God. Or when we walk across the lawn, when there's a big sign that says, please stay off the grass, we're not just disobeying that park, we're disobeying God. And listen, I was the world's worst. When I used to get on the freeway. I wouldn't even think twice. I'd put it on 70 miles an hour. My attitude was, 55 is just

too slow. And I'm busy. I've got a lot of things to do. Not even get spiritual about it. Say, God, I'm speeding down the highway because I'm in a hurry to get to church. I'm in a hurry to minister to your people. In other words, God, I know it's okay to break the law as long as I'm doing it for you. Of course, I'd find me some good scriptures to back it up. You know, God, the Apostle Paul said, we're not under the law anymore. Thank God for that. I've discovered you can find a scripture to justify anything you want to if you look hard enough. And even speeding down the highway, I would pray, God, I thank you that you're going to show me which hill the policeman is over. God, give me that spirit of discernment, man. And I thought even if I did get caught, I'm just going to

pray for more of God's favor. I'm going to try to get out of it. But one day, I realized that I'm never going to be in a real of authority until I learn how to come under authority. That's the only way we're ever going to get promoted. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get stuck at a certain level in my life, all because I have a problem with swallowing my pride and coming under the authority that God has established. Notice I said again, God has established it. If it's your company policy for you to be there at eight, but you show up every other day, 15, 20 minutes late, I don't see how God can bless you. Or if the speed limit says 30, but you think nothing are going 50 or 60 all the time, that's going to keep you in mediocrity. We may not agree with it, but God has established it. If the parking attendant

asked me to park over here, he may be a teenager. I may be, quote, more important, or maybe I make more money. Listen, none of that matters. He's the authority there, and I need to respect his authority knowing that when I respect him, really I'm showing my respect for Almighty God. It's amazing today how many people have a problem in this area. I was thinking about this young man I knew he came to the church for a long time. This was years and years ago. He was the nicest guy in the world. He used to volunteer for us.

I had nothing but respect for it. But little did I know, he had a major problem with authority. And we started getting reports that he was giving the police officers outside a hard time about where he could park and why he couldn't do this and why he couldn't do that. and I could hardly believe it was even the same guy. But one day, he tried to turn in the front drive here after a service, and the officers asked him not to. And they were making the traffic go the other way, just trying to keep everything flowing. They didn't have anything against him.

They didn't even know him. I mean, there's 30 or 40 policemen out there. But he went ahead and turned in anyway and disobeyed their orders. And so an officer came over to him and started talking to him, and that young man got so belligerent, and he threw such a fit. They finally had to put him in the car and just take him off the property. And do you know, I have not seen that young man since. And I thought, what a shame that he is allowing something so minor, really, to keep him from

fulfilling his destiny. And if you don't discipline yourself and really make yourself come under that authority, then that old rebellious, don't tell me what to do attitude, is going to develop into a stronghold. And unfortunately, that will plague you your whole lifetime. And if you have a problem with authority today, you need to look down deep on the inside and get to the root cause of it. I heard somebody complaining just last week about how they were going to have to start clocking in at their office. And this was something new, and they just couldn't understand it. They were all been out of shape about it.

But usually the only people that have a problem with submitting to authority are the people that are breaking the rules. I mean, what's the big deal if you have to clock in at your office if you get to work every day on time? The problem is when you don't get there on time. I remember my father, he used to ask people to be at their desk at 9 a.m. He didn't want you to be in the lunchroom getting a cup of coffee at 9. Didn't want you to be visiting with a coworker at 9. He wanted you to be at your desk ready to go at 9 o'clock sharp. That was his pet peeve.

Well, there was a young lady that worked here. This was years ago, and she just didn't understand that. She had a kind of a defiant attitude. She said, that's not right. If I'm on the property at 9 o'clock, that means I'm officially at work. Well, the reason she had such a problem with it was because she was late every other day. And if you make a big deal out of something like that that's not a big deal, nine times out of 10, you're the problem.

And you need to recognize that company is paying you your salary. They may have some pet peeves. They may do some things you don't like, but you're going to have to swallow your pride, quit complaining about it, and start coming under that authority. That young lady, she didn't last around here but a couple months' time. So my father wouldn't put up with that. And here's the problem. If you're not submitting to authority and you're always looking for some reason to buck the system,

that's going to follow you wherever you go. You'll leave that place all sour with a bad attitude. You'll go to the next place and have the same problem, the next place, and the next place. You might as well just make up your mind that you're going to swallow your pride and say, God, I'm going to start coming under this authority. I know you have established it. And they're not the problem. I'm the problem.

God, I know they don't need to change. I need to change. When we have that kind of attitude, that's when God can promote us. But really, I believe in all of us, there's something that doesn't like being told what to do. There's something in human nature that says, you know what, just don't tell me what to do.

And usually, if we have a problem with authority, I've found it's one or two areas. It's either pride. We're too proud. Man, don't tell me what to do. I know what I'm doing. or we're insecure. And we think that when we submit, we're going to look like we're weak,

or we're going to feel like we're a little inferior. But really, it's just the opposite. When you can submit to authority, you know who you are. When you're kind and courteous to those that are over you and you do what they tell you to do with a good attitude, that's the mark of a very mature person. That's a mark of maturity. I know on these events we've been doing on the road,

not too long ago, we pulled up at this one arena, about a half hour before the service was to begin. And there was this long line of cars waiting to get in. There were probably six or seven different gates open, and there was an $8 charge for the parking. And somehow, nobody on our team had notified them that we were coming through that gate. Or maybe we came to the wrong gate.

I don't know. But when we pulled up there, the parking attendant happened to be a young teenage guy, and he came up to our car, and he said, that'll be $8. And, you know, we kind of laughed in the car. I thought that's kind of interesting. I've never paid to see myself.

And our driver, he said, no, no, no, no, no, this is the main man that they're all coming to see. These are the main people we need to get in. And I'll never forget, that teenager, he stuck his head in our car, and he looked at me, and he didn't know me from Adam. He wouldn't let us in. And so he got on the radio, and he started calling around. And really, it wasn't his fault. He didn't have the authority to let us in. But this all took place, maybe just 10 or 15 seconds.

The first thing I did was check my wallet. I thought, man, let's pay him and move on. Unfortunately, I didn't have any money, and I had to ask somebody in the car, let me borrow $8. But, you know, my attitude was, we don't have to make a big deal out of this. Let's just swallow our pride, pay the money. Thank God we got enough money, and let's just move on. But the truth is, we could have just barreled all the way in there and embarrassed the guy. And I'm sure it would have been okay.

After all, it was our event. We were bringing thousands of people to that arena. But my point is, you can't be too proud. to just swallow your pride and do what you're told to do, even though you know it may not be right or it may not seem fair. Let me tell you, in the long run, God will make that up to you. And sure, I could have thrown a fit. I could have said, look at here, buddy, don't you know who I am? That's my picture up there on the marquee. I'm the smiling preacher, man. Where are you being? Not smiling too much now, buddy. Learn to swallow your pride. Just to. Just to be a little. Just,

humble yourself, you've got to have a submissive attitude. And remember, when we disobey and disrespect those in authority, even if it's a teenager, we're really disobeying and disrespecting God. And too many people just are always looking for some reason to buck the system. They're always looking for some reason to fight. Man, you can't tell me where to park. Don't tell me where to sit around here. You know, they got that rebellious kind of defiant attitude. And, you know, some people, they'll even come into church and sing and pray. Yes, this is the day the Lord has made. God bless you, brother, you sure look great. Then they go out in the parking lot and chew the policeman out. Don't tell me I can't turn left here, buddy. I didn't turn left here all my

life. They bust out of here going 50 in a 30, almost mow down two neighborhood kids, trying to beat the Baptist Toulubis. You know, then they pray. You know, God, how come you never answer my prayers? I went to church. I gave in the offering. I even volunteered in the nursery last week. The whole problem is they're not submitting to authority. They're not dealing with that stronghold of rebellion. And as I said, God can't bless that. And I've learned most of the time, it is not the big things that keep most people in mediocrity.

It's not lying, cheating, committing adultery. It's just the small things. The scripture says it's the little foxes that spoil the vine. Why don't you start submitting to that authority? Just swallow your pride and do it with a good attitude. When we went down to Minute Made Park this year for our Easter service, the policy there at the park, as most of you probably know, is they got to check your bags before you come in. And so when Johnny and I pulled up before the service, we had a couple bags, and so we just got in the line. I'll never forget what the security lady said.

She said, you know what, that's what I like about you. You don't think you're too good to get in the line like everybody else. And really, I never really thought about it. You know, I mean, we were on their turf. It was their building. I thought if I'm going to go in and have our Easter service, I'm going to have to come under their authority. See, don't always be trying to be the exception to the rule.

Listen, I'm too important. I don't have to follow those rules. Or I've worked at this company a long time. I can make some personal long-distance phone calls. I can leave early if the boss isn't looking. I can play on the internet if I want to. No, those are the little things that keep so many people from God's very best. And after all, what kind of witness are we being if people's

see us speeding down the freeway cutting people off, or if we're always gossiping about the boss behind his back, or if we throw a big fit because the elevator is closed for repairs, and we got to walk up a couple flights of stairs. Well, that's not right. I want to speak to the manager. No, the Bible says we are Christ ambassadors here on this earth. We represent Almighty God. And I would hate to think that somebody could look at my life and say, man, isn't that that minister? Can you believe how rude he was to that security guard? Can you believe how fast he's driving? Can you believe he's parked in that no parking zone? You're talking about ruining your witness. Friends, we've got to start respecting and obeying authority. I've found most people are not listening to a

sermon. They're watching our lives. Quit looking for reasons to always buck the system. Start obeying those that have the authority over you. Thinking about that young teenager at the parking gate, What if he could go to his friends and say, man, you should have seen that guy when I wouldn't let him in. He threw a fit. He's one way on TV, but no, I know what he's really like. No, thank God I've learned and I'm learning to have a submissive attitude. I'm doing my best to obey and respect authority, knowing that other people are watching, especially our children. I remember a few years back when Jonathan, our son, was about six years old. We were driving home from basketball practice one night.

And he started asking about the street signs and how I knew where we were going and all these questions about driving. So I started explaining this to him. And about that time, we came up on this speed limit sign. And he saw the 3-0. And he said, hey, Daddy, what does that 30 mean? I said, well, Jonathan, that's the speed limit. That's how fast we're supposed to be going. I'll never forget.

He leaned up from the back seat. He looked at my speedometer. He said, as innocently as you can imagine, Daddy, how come we're going 45? And I thought to myself, why am I teaching him this? But you could hear the concern in his voice. I know exactly what he was thinking. If it says 30, Daddy, why aren't we doing it? And the truth is, I didn't have a good answer.

I wanted to say, you're going to have to talk to your mother about this. Finally, I said, Jonathan, I'm just in a hurry to get home. There's really no excuse for it. So we're going to slow down and obey the law. But see, we can't tell our children to do one thing. To respect their teachers, to respect other authority, and then by our own actions, we're not respecting and obeying other people's authority. We need to be a good example to our children, to our co-workers, to the lady at the grocery

store. When it says express lane, 12 items, limit, don't go up there with 27 items, say, I just lost count today. Be a good example. I've made up my mind. I'm going to respect the authority in my life. Sure, I may be the boss when I'm up here, but when I get out on the freeways, I got to come under that authority. When I go to the ball field, I got to come under that authority.

When I go to the swimming pool and they ask you not to bring drinks in, I'm not going to hide my Dr. Pepper's under my towel. When they say, no children under 16, I'm not going to take my 10-year-old and just say, boy, he sure looks young, doesn't he? No, I know. I'm not going to continue to be blessed. I'm not going to stay in a position of authority until I really know how to see. stay under authority. And I learned so much of this from my father. When we used to travel overseas to India, Daddy had such respect for those leaders. We would go way back into the villages and sometimes they would gather as many as two or three thousand native pastors. And here Daddy was well known and

well thought of throughout India. But when he got there, one of the first things he would do was to meet with the main leaders and just basically submit to their authority. He would ask them, what do you want me to do? How long you want me to speak? What subjects would you like me to deal with? How can I help you the best? He just did his best to honor them and to come under their authority. And sure, Daddy could have blown in there like a big shot, here I am, I'm ready to do my thing. No, he just humbled himself and he had that submissive attitude. In fact, one thing in India at that time was that the women didn't wear any jewelry. They didn't think that was right. And so when we got there, first thing Victoria would do was take off her jewelry.

We had any other ladies, we'd ask them to take off their jewelry as well. We didn't have to. We could have argued with them. We could have debated it. We could have tried to make a statement to them. Hey, why are you being so legalistic? No, we knew the right thing to do was to just respect those leaders and come under that authority. My point is, when you go to somebody else's office, somebody else's home, you're on somebody else's turf, they may not do everything exactly the way you used to, but receive.

respect them, don't have that defiant attitude. Well, this is not the way we do it at my office. We can leave 15 minutes early on Friday. I don't understand it. Or this church made me sit over here, and I really wanted to sit over there. At my church, I can sit anywhere I want. Have you ever realize you're not at your church? Respect that authority and do it with a good attitude. Ooh, it's getting hot in here today, isn't it? After my father went to be with the Lord, the first few months, we had quite a few guest ministers. We always had these guidelines we asked them to follow. And one thing that was important to us was that they speak a certain length of time. As you know, we have our children's and youth services going. We have parking issues to deal with. And so it's

very important to us that we get out on time. Well, we asked this one young minister, a good friend and a very good person, if he would speak for us for us for 30 minutes and then turn it back over to us. He said, absolutely, I'll do whatever you want. And he got up here in the pulpit, and he was very gracious. and very honoring toward us. And he even said publicly at the very beginning, I'm only going to speak 30 minutes tonight. I really want to honor the leadership here. And I realize that anybody can make a mistake,

but I'm just making a point. And the funny thing is, 30 minutes came and went. 45 minutes, one hour, one hour and 15 minutes. An hour and a half later, he finally got through. Half the congregation was gone, and the truth is, I wanted to be gone. our kids had been out for an hour running around with no parents. I mean, it was a big mess.

He told me after his boy, I just really got caught up in the spirit tonight. I thought to myself, man, you got caught up in the wrong spirit. Because listen, God is not going to give you a different plan than he's given the leader of that place. And even if you do feel like that you have different direction and you want to do something different, you should at least meet with that leader and submit to their authority and ask them about it. The problem with what he did is unless God split this auditorium wide open and gave us a sound from heaven, we would never invite him back. You know, and if you're not submitting to authority, really you're only hurting yourself. When you're on somebody else's turn, at their home, their business, if it's their seminar, their ball team, come under that authority.

Respect, honor, and obey what they're asking you to do. One thing I really appreciate about Victoria is she's always respected my authority. as the leader in our home. She's got a very strong personality. She's bright. She's got great insight into things. And probably 99.9% of the time we see eye to eye. We agree. But there are times like anybody that, well, you know, I just don't agree. I say, Victoria, I'm sorry. I do not see it that way. And when it comes down to making the final decision, she always tells me, Joel, you know how I feel. Just do what you think best for our family. And sure enough, I'll do it my way. And a couple of weeks later, she'll say, see, I told you so. But in a marriage, somebody has to

make the final decision. And the fact is, God is going to hold the man responsible for that home. And I'm not saying that we're not equal. We both should have equal input, but somebody has to have the final say. The key is, I respect her. I value her opinion. I listen to her input. A lot of men today, they love that scripture. The wife has to submit to their husbands. But the problem is that husband is not submitting himself under God's authority. You've got to love and honor and respect your wife. And submitting to you doesn't mean you just blow her off. You run over her like a doormat, you know, and never listen to her.

No, you've got to value her opinion. You've got to listen to her input. You've got to respect your wife. All the women are clapping. I heard about this guy that was bragging to his buddy about how he was the head of his house. He said, yeah, I'll run things at me. my house. About that time his wife walked up, he hung his head and said, I run the vacuum, the lawnmower, and the dishwasher. Daddy used to say, the man is the head, but the woman is the neck that

turns the head. Men, you won't have any problem being the leader of your home if you'll respect and honor your wife. I like what somebody said, men, if you want to be the king of your home, make your wife the queen. Let me ask you this today. How do you respond to the authority in your life? Do you humble yourself and submit to it? Or do you kind of have that defiant? Don't tell me what to do attitude. No, God can't bless that. And some of you, that's the only thing that's keeping you from going higher.

If you would just swallow your pride and start respecting that authority, you'd see God's favor in a greater way. Remember, when we disobey authority, we're really disobeying God. It may not be a big thing, but if we don't deal with the small things, they're going to keep us from God's very best. So why don't you make a decision with me? that you're going to start coming under the authority in your life with a good attitude. Be a good example.

You may not agree with everything, but at least do it under God. If you will have a submissive attitude and respect the authority in your life, let me tell you, there's no limit to what God will do. He'll promote you, he'll pour out his blessings in favor, and you'll experience the victories he has in store. Amen. How many of you receive it today? I know you do.

We never like to close our broadcast without giving 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. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer,

we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. Sometimes life can make you feel like you were just living in the dark. Even your prayers don't feel like they're making it to heaven. But God is listening and his light is about to shine.

We know God is all powerful, that he can answer any prayer, but sometimes we don't know what to pray. We don't think we deserve God's goodness. Maybe we're inconveniencing him or he has more important things to deal with. But God is concerned about every detail of your life. He's waiting to hear your prayers. I have a new resource called praying with confidence, guided prayers for life's moments. When you face challenges or obstacles that seem too big, you'll find prayers that will build your faith,

prayers that will move the hands of God. There are prayers you can pray for peace and comfort, prayers for your family and health, prayers for your dreams and goals. As you make these prayers your own, pray with confidence, that's when you'll see the creator of the universe go to work. I hope you'll request your copy today. With a gift of any amount this month, we would like to immediately send you a copy of praying with confidence, guided prayers for life's moments. In this new resource, Joel shares how to pray,

when you need a breakthrough, when you need strength. Yes, when life's moments happen, and you're not sure how to pray, praying confident prayers will put you on the right path. You'll enter new seasons in your prayer life that will turn challenges to victories, heartache to hope, frustration, to newfound favor. Be sure to request your copy of Praying with Confidence, Guided Prayers for Life's Moments Today.

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