Joel Osteen Podcast - Yes Is Coming | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: October 17, 2023

When God gets ready to bring your dreams to pass, He’s going to turn that “no” into a “yes.” What hasn’t worked out in the past is going to suddenly fall into place. He’s about to make a way where there was no way.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.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. These are the finest people in all of Houston, Texas, right here at Lakewood.

We'd love to have you come out. I like to start with something funny, and I heard about this older lady. She came to church one Sunday morning, a friendly usher, met her at the back door, said, ma'am, where would you like to sit? She said, I want to sit on the very first row. He said, oh, no, ma'am, you don't want to do that. Our pastor is very boring. He'll put you to sleep.

Let me seat you somewhere else. She looked appalled. Said, sir, do you know who I am? He said, no, ma'am. She said, I am the pastor's mother. He hung his head in embarrassment. He finally looked up and said, ma'am, do you know who I am? She said no. He said, thank God. Say it like you mean it. 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 yes is coming. Sometimes we've gone through so many knows that we get discouraged and give up on our dreams. Maybe the loan didn't go through. You didn't get the promotion. You tried to break the addiction, but you couldn't do it. Young couple told me how they've had four miscarriages, haven't been able to have a baby.

You may have had a lot of nose in the past. Your dreams haven't come true yet. but I believe God is saying this is going to be a year of yes. Yes to the healing. Yes to the promotion. Yes to the breakthrough. Yes to having that baby. What hasn't worked out in the past is suddenly going to fall into place.

Doors you thought were closed are suddenly going to open. Dreams you've given up on. Promises you've let go of thought there's no way. God is about to make a way. in this year of yes God is going to reverse the nose. The times you've been denied, turned down, told

no thanks, that's not the end. It just wasn't the right time. Yes, yes to the dream you quit pursuing. Yes to the child getting back on the right course. Yes to the business you've been wanting to start. Now people may tell you no.

You can't get well. Look at the medical report. No, sorry. You don't have the experience we need. No, you're not talented enough. No, that idea is not going to work for us. Their no doesn't cancel out. God's yes. Don't let them talk you out of your dreams.

God has the final say. He's saying, get ready for yes. Yes, to increase. Yes to freedom from the addiction. Yes, to see in your family restored. Yes, to new opportunities. God is going to put

you at the right place, at the right time. He's going to send divine connections, people that will go out of their way to be good to you. You couldn't make it happen. It was the favor of God bringing you into your yes. I talked to a lady that had been out of work for over a year. She worked as an executive in sales, very successful. After many years, unexpectedly, her contract was not renewed. She had an impressive resume. and she applied at a couple dozen companies, but no one was interested. She was turned down again and again. Several months later, a company called and asked her to come in for an interview,

and she was excited and looked like something had finally opened up, and the interview went well. She thought she had it, but they called back and said she just wasn't the right fit. This happened four more times where she went in and interviewed, looked like she was the front runner, then she was told no, one no after another. A few months later, a company from out of state called. They were very interested. It was between her and another man. And she flew to that city for an interview. On the way to the office, the taxi cab driver struck up a conversation. She was very friendly and told how she was there to go on a job interview and how she had been praying and believing that something would open up.

Out of all the offers, this was the one she wanted the very most. He dropped her off and told her that he was pulling for, that he believed that she was going to get it. Later that day, the lady that interviewed her had to catch a plane. It just so happened. This same man came back to the office and picked her up when she called for a taxi. Being the friendly taxi cab driver that he was, he asked her how her day was going.

she explained how she had been interviewing two people, a man and a woman, and couldn't decide between the two. The taxi cab driver said, let me tell you who you should pick. She said, what do you mean? He said, I picked up that lady you interviewed and brought her this morning, and you won't find a better person. She's smart, she's talented, she's articulate, plus she wants to work for you. He went on and on singing her praises. the lady said, you know what? I just made my decision. When she called the lady in the other state and told her that she got the position,

she said, if you ever see that taxi cab driver again, you need to thank him because he's the reason I chose you. What are the chances in a large city that the same taxi cab driver would pick up both ladies? That wasn't a coincidence that was the hand of God. In this year of yes, God. is going to have the right people put in a good word for you. You may not think you have the connections. Don't worry, you have friends in high places. God is not only guiding and directing your steps, he's lining up the people you need. He's arranging things in your favor. Paul said in

2 Corinthians from the message translation, whatever God has promised gets stamped with yes. That means the dreams God's placed in your heart. The promises he's spoken over you have already been stamped with yes. God has already set the date to bring it to pass. It's already on the schedule, but there's one more thing that God needs. It goes on to say, God's yes with our yes, together makes it a sure thing. God is saying yes, now he needs your yes to make it happen. God's yes by itself is not enough.

God works where there's faith. If this lady would have gone around thinking, I'll never get the position. Nothing good ever happens to me. That would have kept it from happening. When it comes to God, be a yes man. Be a yes woman. God says he's restoring health back into you. You can think of all the reasons why you're not going to get well,

or you can be a yes man. Yes, God, I agree. Thank you that I'm getting healthier. Thank you that I'm getting stronger. God said in Psalm 65 that he's going to crown your year with a bountiful harvest. You can go around not expecting good breaks, not expecting to get ahead, or you can be a yes man. Yes, God, I agree. Thank you that it's going to be a blessed, prosperous, abundant, bountiful year. That's not just being positive. That's putting your yes with God's yes. God said what was meant for your harm, he's going to

turn and use to your advantage. You can dwell on all your hurts, what didn't work out, the people that did you wrong, or you can be a yes man. Yes, God, I agree. Thank you for beauty for these ashes. Thank you that you're my vindicator. Thank you that you're fighting my battles. Is God waiting for your yes? Are you letting the nose, the disappointments, the delays convince you that it's not going to happen? you may not have seen it yet, but this is a new day. You are coming into a year of yes. I'm asking you to put your yes with God's yes and watch what happens. There was a young lady in the scripture named Hannah.

She was married to a man, but she wasn't able to have children. She kept praying and believing. But the scripture says the Lord had shut Hannah's womb. Year after year went by. She was so discouraged. Didn't look like she'd ever be able to have a baby. To make matters worse, her husband was married to another woman as well,

and she kept having children. She didn't have any problem conceiving. This other wife would make fun of Hannah, try to make her feel like she was inferior, something was wrong with her. Hannah would end up in tears so upset. One day Hannah went to the temple. She was crying and asking God,

to give her a baby. The prophet Eli saw her and asked what was wrong. She explained how she was barren and she was asking God to open up her wound. Eli said, cheer up. The God of Israel has granted your request. You're going to have a baby. Hannah went back home like a different person. She had a spring in her step, a smile on her face. On the outside, nothing had changed. No baby, no sign of a child, but on the inside, she put her yes with God's yes. At that point, she believed she was going to have a baby. When that other wife made fun of her, too bad, Hannah, you'll never have a child instead of getting upset. Instead of crying, her new attitude was, I may have had some nose, but I have some inside information. I know my yes is coming. The God of Israel has spoken it over

me. I may not see it yet, but I walk by faith and not by sight. I know my baby is coming. A year later, she went back to the temple with her baby boy, Samuel. She came in to her yes. Like Hannah, you may have had a lot of nose. People have tried to discourage you, make you think that it's never going to happen. You need to get ready. Your yes is coming. The same God that shut Hannah's womb, opened Hannah's room. God may have said no in the past, doesn't mean it's going to be no in the future. Just as God turned Hannah's no into a yes, God is going to turn around some nose for you. Will you do like Hannah and start acting like what God told you is going to happen? All Hannah had was a word from the prophet that she was going to have a baby. She didn't have an

ultrasound. She didn't have a pregnancy test. She just had what Eli said to her. He could have been wrong. You have something so much more powerful. You have the promise from the God who spoke worlds into existence. He's saying, if you'll put your yes with my yes, I'll turn the nose around. Those situations that seem permanent, the addiction you've dealt with for years, health issue that won't go away, maybe a struggle in your finances. Seems like you're stuck. Thoughts tell you, just accept the nose. Just get used to it.

Don't believe those lies. God is about to open up your womb. What you've been dreaming about. That child to get back on course. That business to take off. That person to spend your life with. You need to get ready. Your time is coming.

Your yes is headed your way. A young lady, I know, was working as a news reporter. She was in her early 20s. she had a problem with her skin. She had real bad rosation. When she was out filming a report if she sweated or accidentally touched her face, rubbed her makeup off, that red would shine through so brightly. It looked really bad.

She couldn't find any makeup that would cover it up and last. She ended up quitting her job as a news reporter. She started working on a new makeup line that would fix her problem. She developed a product that she really liked. She believed it would be successful. She and her husband went to bank after bank trying to get funding, but they were turned down again and again. Her husband started a website so you could order the product. It was up for weeks and weeks with no activity, no orders.

Finally, an order came through. She went running to her husband and said, look, we got our first order. He said, no, that was me. I was just testing the website. She knew God had put this dream in her heart. But all she kept getting were knows. Her goal was to somehow get on a home shopping channel like QVC. For years, she sent them product. She met with representative, trying to make it happen, but it didn't work out. They were down to their last thousand dollars, didn't know what she was going to do.

She went to a large cosmetic convention. All of the major companies were there. She had a three-foot booth where she was showing people her product. Across the way, QVC had a huge booth. This older lady came over and said, Honey, I love your product. I'm going to tell my buyers at QVC, we need to have you on our channel. That lady was an on-air personality that had been there for over 17 years.

She used her influence to open the door. This young lady went on QVC, her product was a huge hit. Today, our friend Jamie Kern, the founder of It Cosmetics, goes on QVC 200 times a year. Her company has become one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world. But like Hannah, for years, it was as if the wound was shut up. No good breaks, no favor, very little progress. Then one day, she came into her yes. That one good break thrust her further. than she ever imagined. Years later, she was talking to the lady

that put in a good word for her that day. She asked her why she did it. The lady said, well, I like your product, but it wasn't about the cosmetics. When I saw you that day, I felt like God said to me, go help that young lady. God has the right people lined up for you.

In this year of yes, you're going to see doors open that you haven't been able to open for years. The dream God has placed in your heart has already been stamped with yes. Are you adding your yes to God's yes? Are you doing like Hannah and thanking God even though you don't see anything happening? Will you be bold enough to believe that you're still going to give birth even though it feels like your womb has been shut? Heaven is saying yes, yes to your dream, yes to your healing, yes to the freedom, yes to the breakthrough.

Well, Joel, this sounds good today. It's encouraging, but I don't think I'm going to have a year of yes. I've had so many nos. You're right where Hannah was. The problem is, if you keep adding your no to God's yes, you can cancel out what God has in store. Other people's no cannot stop you. What they say, what they do, they don't control your destiny.

the enemies know cannot stop you. What you believe is what matters. God needs your yes. He has amazing things in your future. He's going to give you more influence and favor than you've ever imagined. Now keep adding the yes. Thoughts may tell you no. Circumstances may tell you it's never going to happen,

but your yes and God's yes makes it a sure thing. Why? Because God controls the universe. verse. One touch of his favor can turn a no into a yes. From no we don't need you to yes, you have the position. From no you'll never get well to good news, you're cancer free. From going to interview to interview with no success, to having a taxi cab driver put in a good word for you. Friends, you need to get ready. Your yes is on the way. Like Hannah, God is about to open up your wound. The book of Second Kings, there was a king named Hezekiah

that was told no. But his no didn't come from people. It came from God. He was very sick, close to death. His mentor, the prophet Isaiah, came to the palace to see him. Isaiah was called the Eagle Eye prophet.

He was the one that spoke for God. He didn't make mistakes. I can imagine when King Hezekiah heard the news that Isaiah was at the palace, he brightened up, thinking maybe, there's hope. Maybe he's going to pray for me and I'm going to get well. Or maybe he'll give me an encouraging word that I can stand on.

Isaiah came in and said, King Hezekiah, I have a word from the Lord for you. Hezekiah leaned in closer. Isaiah said, the Lord says, set your house in order for you will surely die. He didn't say you might die. Hezachia doesn't look too good. Maybe you'll pull through. He said, you will surely die. what do you do when God says no

Hezekiah could have thought well too bad for me I'm done no use even trying the scripture says Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and started praying He reminded God how he had served him How he had torn down the pagan altars And how he'd set a new standard for his family He asked God for his mercy to give him more years

His attitude was if I die I'm going to die asking for the yes. Before Isaiah could leave the palace grounds, God said to him, Isaiah, go back to Hezekiah and tell him, I've heard his prayers and I've changed my mind. I'm going to add 15 years to his life. Even when you feel like God has said no, if you'll dare do like Hezekiah and ask God for the yes, your faith can cause God to change him. his mind. In this year of yes, God is going to reverse some nose. Mistakes

that you've made, God is going to correct them and give you another chance. Opportunities that you've missed, he's going to bring them back across your path. The things that have been a struggle, the constant pressure, it's going to suddenly turn around. Hezekiah and Hannah, both face

situations where God said no. God shut Hannah's womb, told Hezekiah that he was done, Hannah went to the temple and asked for a baby. Hezekiah asked for more years. The common denominator was they both asked for yes in the face of no. Every circumstance said, forget it. God said no, just live with it. Their attitude was, God, we know you control the universe. And even though this seems like a no to us, we're asking in your great mercy to change. your mind and give us a yes. Are you bold enough to ask for a yes, even though all you keep getting or knows? Jesus told a parable in Luke 12 about a widow woman that went to see a judge to try to get

relief from someone that had done her harm. He was an unjust judge. He wasn't fair. He didn't listen to the lady, didn't give her the time a day. He just dismissed her and sent her away. The next day, The lady was right back in his courtroom asking for justice. The judge said, lady, didn't I tell you no yesterday? She said, yes, you did. But I'm not going to leave you alone until you give me a yes. He had her put out again. She came back the next day and the next and the next.

Asking for justice, pleading her case. Finally, that judge got so frustrated. He said in verse 5, this woman is driving me crazy. That's a message all over. on its own. That's next week. He went on to say, I'm going to see that she gets justice because she is wearing me down with her constant request. She kept asking for yes in the face of no. If you're going to see your yes, you have to be determined. If you accept the first no, you weren't serious about it. The nos are a test. God wants to see how bad do you want it?

If you get discouraged, give up, you didn't want. You don't want. it badly enough. You have to do like this woman, keep asking, keep praying, keep believe, and keep dreaming, keep hoping. If one door closes, try another door. One company says, no, try another company. If one bank turns you down, try another bank. A friend of mine wanted to start his business. He was turned down by 31 banks. 31 times he was told no. Sorry, we can't help you. Doesn't seem like a good idea to us. He knew that dream had already been stamped with God's yes. He just kept adding his yes going through the closed doors, not getting discouraged. Bank number 32 said, we think it's a great idea. He started his business. It's taken off and expanded all around the world. He told me

how some of those same banks now are trying to get his account. You know what he tells them? No. what am I saying? Don't get discouraged by the nose. The nose are a part of your destiny. They're leading you to the yes. You have to come to your closed doors before you'll get to your open doors. You may have had a lot of nose in the past. Things haven't worked out. You need to get ready. Your yes is coming. God is going to open doors that you could not open. He's going to cause people to change their mind and go out of their way. to be good to you. It's going to be unprecedented favor. You will know it is the hand of God. I talked to a lady named Cherie. She's a single parent living in Compton, California. Compton, of course, is known for being a

rough environment, drugs, and violence. Her husband was in the federal penitentiary. Cherie is a school teacher. For 13 years, she raised her son, E.J. by herself. there were a lot of negative influences, a lot of opportunity for him to get off course, but Sheree is a praying woman. Every morning before school,

they would listen to our messages. Her goal was for her son E.J. to go to college. Even though it looked like he had some disadvantages, a rough environment, the odds against him, they believed that God would open the right doors. They had had a lot of nose in the past,

but they knew their yes was. coming. They were waiting for different colleges to respond to see if he got accepted anywhere. Several weeks ago, on their way to school, they were listening to a message where I was talking about unprecedented favor and how God was going to do something unusual and out of the ordinary. When Sheree heard that, something came alive on the inside. She told her son E.J., that's for us. Later that day, E.J. opened up an email. it said, congratulations, you have been accepted into Harvard University. Cherie says that E.J. is the first African-American from Compton to ever get accepted to Harvard.

His goal is to become a neurosurgeon. You've heard that phrase, straight out of Compton. A lot of times we think of the negative, the gangs, the violence. How about straight out of Compton and straight to Harvard? Jesus came from the city of Nazareth. That was a poor run-down city in those days. His critics said, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? That's not an important, influential place. Yet the Son of God came out of Nazareth. Can any good thing come out of Compton?

Yes, E.J. Yes, Cherie. Yes, a whole lot of others. Can any good thing come out of your neighborhood? Yes, you can. You're the history maker. You're the exception. You have seeds.

of greatness. Like E.J. and Cherie, there are yeses in your future that are going to thrust you to the next level. God is going to open doors that no man can shut. He's going to bring divine connections, people that will use their influence to push you into your purpose. And you may have had a lot of knows in the past, but you need to get ready. I believe and declare. You are coming in to your year of yes.

God is saying yes to the scholarship, yes to the right person, yes to the healing, yes to the breakthrough. Your yes is on the way. In Jesus' name, 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.

Get in a good Bible-based church and keep God first place. Thank you for listening to the Joel Osteen podcast. Help us continue to share the message of hope with those all over the world. Visit joelosteen.com slash give hope to give a gift today. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you inspired. all through the week. We're praying for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.