“Three Ways to Stay Encouraged” with Jentezen Franklin

Say this as loud as possible…?️?️?️ I am God’s child I am his favorite I am the apple of his eyes He loved me so much that he couldn’t let me perish and that was why he sent his son, JESUS to die for me… He cherishes me He loves to see me happy Therefore… I know… That I cannot be disappointed I cannot be disgraced I cannot fail I am not a failure I cannot falter I will not fall into error I am the righteousness of God I am a victory I am successfully I am a dimension of my heavenly father on Earth…. I am favoured I SOAR..like an eagle…I ROAR because my father is the lion of the tribe of Judah…. Shout HALLELUJAH ?️?️?️”

Tag: best sermonsChrist JesusChristianChristiansChristmasChristmas messageChristmas sermonChristmas storyChristmas teachingcrossencouraging sermonsfaithfamilyforgivenessGodgospelheavenhellHolySpirithopeinspirational sermonsJesuslovemarriagemessagespowerful sermonprayerpreachingreason for the seasonrelationshipssermonsteachingTony EvansTony Evans sermonstrustingvictoryyouth

the following program is sponsored by

friends and partners of Kingdom

connection I want to preach for a few

moments today on this subject the most

encouraging word you’ve never heard the

story centered around John the Baptist

John was the preparer of the way John

was the one who was third cousin to

Jesus John was the son of the only son

of Zacchaeus the priest Zacharias the

priest and his mother Elizabeth

they were barren and he came in their

old age he was a miracle birth and we

have in this story an amazing thing

Jesus is baptizing or John is baptizing

people in the Jordan River and one day

Jesus his third cousin shows up on the

sandy shores of the Jordan River and

John has the amazing privilege of

introducing to the whole world

behold the Lamb of God that takes away

the sins of the world it must have been

an amazing moment it must have been one

of those times in our life that are

unforgettable he he had to feel like I

am so important to God I am so humbled I

am so unworthy to announce to the world

I get to be the one that introduces the

whole world to the Lamb of God that

identifies him as the Lamb who takes

away the sins of the world what an

amazing moment but then you fast-forward

to Matthew chapter 11 16 months later

John is in prison he’s behind bars he’s

in Chains

he’s in prison because he preached to

Herod a message he didn’t want to hear

he said it’s not right for you to marry

your brother’s wife and you are living

in adultery now if you’re gonna preach

against adultery you better be ready to

give your head on a platter and the

Bible said that Herod had him imprisoned

and Herod’s wife was angry and bitter

because he humiliated her openly and one

night she got Herod good and drunk at a

party and she to show you the perversion

she brought her own daughter out I’m

sure she was scantily clad provocative

in her dance she must have had moves

that were amazing because whatever she

did in that dance it so pleased the king

that he turned in his drunken stupor to

his wife and said you have you have

pleased me so much with this that I’ll

give you anything you ask up to half the

kingdom she had her answer ready she

said I want John the Baptist’s head on a

platter and now John is in prison he

knows the clock is ticking he knows he

has a short time and he’s in Chains he’s

behind bars two of his disciples come

and Jesus says or John says I want you

to go find Jesus he says it to these two

disciples and I want you to ask him does

he not know that I’m in prison that I’m

in Chains does he not understand that

I’m about to die I asked him is he the

one he’s the one that identified him but

now because his circumstances have

changed he’s wondering is he really the

one and he said ask him is he the one or

do I need to look for another and the

Bible said those two disciples rushed to

where Jesus was in a little village and

Jesus was performing miracles the blind

were seeing the

the lame were walking the deaf were

hearing that the dead were even being

raised and Jesus ignored them he didn’t

even if you read it in its context he

didn’t pay him any attention he didn’t

answer their question all day he just

performed miracles and then at the end

of the day he turned around and I think

it’s almost with the attitude I can’t oh

you’re still here he said you tell John

what you have seen and what you have

heard you tell John that the blind are

seeing the Deaf are hearing and the lame

are walking the dead are being raised

and tell him blessed is he who is not

offended by me and the key to this whole

story that I want to preach for just a

few moments is verse 7 and when they

departed Jesus turned to the multitude

and he began to preach to them and talk

to them about how great John was how how

else standing even paid him a compliment

that they never heard nor would john

ever hear that’s why i’m preaching on

the greatest encouragement you’ve never

heard the crowd the multitude heard it

but the disciples of john didn’t hear it

nor did john hear it they didn’t they

weren’t there when he said of all the

men born of woman there is none greater

than john the bacon you imagine how that

would have encouraged john if they’d had

just taken that message back and said

well jesus was doing miracles and son

and in the middle of it john he talked

about you and he said there’s no one

greater born of woman than can you

imagine how that would have helped him

deal with the chains and deal with the

bar and deal with the guillotine deal

with the prison he was in can you

imagine the encouragement

strength that he would the mindset that

that he could have had facing what he

had to face if it had just heard those

encouraging words but he didn’t hear him

he began to brag on John in such a way

but he never heard those words in his

prison and today I’m going to preach to

you a message that John never heard even

if you’re behind bars even if you’re in

a prison of pain if you’re in a it held

by chains of difficulty even if you are

even if you’re locked up spiritually in

in a prison of addiction even if you are

trying to get free from your past

failure and guilt and condemnation the

first point I want to preach to you to

encourage you today out of this story if

John would have heard what Jesus said

about him I believe he would have picked

up three quick thoughts number one

you’re doing better than you think you

are turn to somebody say you’re doing

better than you think you are the Bible

said that Satan is the accuser of the

Brethren so if hell is the accuser of

the Brethren I want to be a complementor

of the Brethren Jesus Christ loves you

and I know you may have issues and you

but you’re doing better than you think

you are somebody needs to know today

you’re gonna make it somebody needs to

know today you’re doing all right you

may not be what you ought to be but

you’re not what you used to be and

you’re gonna get there by God’s grace

don’t you give up don’t you quit and

don’t you keep putting yourself down

you’re doing better than you think you

are when old preacher said one time I’m

going to tell you how to go to heaven

now I’m going to tell you how to this

morning

don’t ever stop going that’s all you got

to do to get to heaven just don’t ever

stop going Ecclesiastes chapter 3 gives

28 times

and seasons in life it says there’s a

time to be born there’s a time to die

there’s a time to laugh there’s a time

to cry there’s a time to dance there’s a

time to mourn there’s a time to gather

there’s a time to to let go all cut it’s

28 different times in life the one time

I can’t find in there is the time to

quit there is no time to quit in your

life in this if you keep going that’s

how you get to heaven tell somebody this

is no time to quit you don’t know what

people are going through you don’t know

what prison they’re in you don’t know

what depression you don’t know what fear

you don’t know what financial load you

don’t know that someone near you may

have cancer they may have got the worst

diagnosis they could imagine this week

but the word of the Lord to you today is

you’re doing better than you think you

are you may have bars you may have

changed but you’re still blessed if John

would have heard that in that prison he

would have rattled those chains behind

those bars and shouted and praised God

and I want to give you a message that

John never heard you’re doing better

than you think you are but pastor I’ve

got cancer I’ve got I’m a single mom and

I’m running out of money I’ve got an

addiction in my life and I keep trying

to kick it but I just can’t I’m not here

to beat you up I’m here to tell you

you’re doing better than you think you

are well how do you know that caught you

listening to me preach cuz you’re

sitting in church or you’re watching

wherever you’re watching this you’re

doing better than you think you are

because if you were as bad as you think

you are you wouldn’t want to be in

church and you wouldn’t be listening to

a preacher preach to you something in

you says even if I fall I fall forward

and I’m gonna go after God and if you do

fall listen beat the accuser to the

throne of grace Satan is the accuser of

the brother and he wants to go before

the throne and throw mud on you and what

I’ve learned is when I mess up dust

myself off get up and run to the throne

and beat the accuser to the throne

everybody take a praise break

and remember you’re doing better than

you think you are don’t you quit don’t

you give up how do you know I’m doing

better than you think I think I am

because you’re not in a drug house

because you’re not in the funeral home

you’re in the house of God and you’re

doing better than you thought you were

do you know that it takes it takes 72

muscles to smile and it takes 108

muscles in your face to frown why don’t

you get lazy and be happy you’re doing

better than you think you are look at

somebody and say you need to get lazy

and smile be encouraged today I’m tired

of the devil discouraging people and

beating people up I’m not here today I’m

saying to you today that there’s a God

who loves you and he’s bragging on you

and you may not know it but you’re doing

better than you think you are if you

believe that clap your hands and praise

God for His grace that’ll never let you

go I wish John could have heard this

word but you get to the second point is

this you’re doing better than you think

you are secondly you matter more than

you think you did you matter more than

you think you do there’s an amazing

scripture in Isaiah 41 said everyone

helped his neighbor tell somebody you

matter and he said to his brother be of

good courage so the craftsman encouraged

the goldsmith and he who smooths the

hammer inspired him that strikes the

anvil saying it’s ready for the

soldering then he fastened it with pegs

that it might not totter

I want you to catch that now the

scripture said that the carpenter

encouraged the goldsmith and the

goldsmith in

courage the guy who had the hammer and

the guy who had the hammer encourage the

guy who held the nail and they’re just

encouraging one another encouraging one

another because they were saying to one

another you matter you matter no you

matter no you matter you matter and the

reason was they didn’t want anyone did

you catch it too totter

the word totter means to wobble to

stagger to fall down God doesn’t want

anybody staggering and wobbling and

walking God wants everybody in this room

to be able to stand up and sometimes a

little encouragement from a neighbor a

little encouragement from somebody I

want to say to every parent you matter

more than you think you do sometimes we

get so discouraged trying to raise our

families and our children trying to make

and hold the family together and all

kinds of stuff and you almost feel like

what difference does it make what

difference does it make but at some

point you have to come and I’ve come to

encourage you no matter what’s going on

you matter more than you think you do my

dad has gone on to be with the Lord my

mom is sitting down there and I wish I

could have told him but before he went

to heaven

dad you matter you never passed her some

SuperDuper church but you really

mattered to me to our family my brother

Richie he went home so early at 50 54

years old Oh Richie you mattered so much

I was saved under his ministry I

wouldn’t be a Christian if he hadn’t

obeyed the call of God his daughter his

three sons is why their family is

blessed you matter more than you think

you do and what happens is when we go

through prison experiences meaning where

we’re engaged in trials and tribulations

and bad times we get to putting

ourselves down and thinking that we

don’t matter I’m sure John thought in

that Prisoner he’s doing miracles he I

don’t even matter

but you matter more than you think you

do even Jesus Christ needed

encouragement when he went to the Mount

of transfer

duration the Bible said that Elijah and

Moses came down from heaven to talk with

him about his death you know why I

believe Jesus was starting to totter I

believe he was beginning to ask do I

really matter

am I really going to make a difference

do I really need to do this am I

is this really because when you get in

the thick of a storm and a battle you

get to questioning everything but you’re

doing better than you think you are and

you matter more than you think you do

in Luke 17 it said that they talked to

him about his death

I can see Moses say now Jesus listen to

me he said I had to die before the

children of Israel could enter into the

promised land and it was because of my

death that they got to go in and I can

see you lied you step up and say that’s

right I had to be taken up in a fiery

chariot before the double portion and

Elijah did double the miracles that I

did but it wasn’t released until I was

taken up and suddenly Jesus gets

encouraged to go to a cross and finish

the work you need to understand that you

matter more than you think you do jesus

said of John listen how important he was

and he never heard this encouragement of

all the men born of woman there was none

greater than John the Baptist he never

heard that encouragement and I wonder

who is in your family in your life in

your world

who’s thinking about suicide or thinking

about giving up or feeling like they’re

just a failure and they messed up and

what difference does it make I don’t

even matter and I messed my life up mess

people’s life up but boy wouldn’t it be

something if we would give them the

message John never heard and say there’s

great possibility and you matter to me

and I can

and you’ve made an impact in my life

don’t you dare come to my funeral and

weep and cry and never show any

appreciation

while I’m alive come on tell somebody

tell me while I’m breathing tell

somebody you matter more than you think

turn to your other neighbor and say

other neighbor you matter more than you

think and lastly it’s less about you

than you think

this is the message John never heard

it’s not all about you some things

happen in our life and there’s another

world and another another viewpoint

that’s taking place and it’s not all

about you John’s in that prison and he’s

thinking it’s all about me but there’s a

greater thing Jesus is thinking it’s

about the kingdom we have a relative in

the church who they tried to have

children I married them and they tried

to have children they couldn’t have

children

years and years and years and finally

they decided to adopt a child from China

and they spent enormous amounts of money

and thousands and thousands of dollars

and flew over to China finally the day

came when they put that baby that they

had longed to have in their family for

decades they put that little baby girl

in their arms and I’m sure to that baby

it was just another set of arms but to

that mom and that dad they’re weeping

they’re crying they’re broken this is

the greatest thing this is the most

amazing thing because it’s less about

you than you think when you get born

again it’s awesome when you get saved

it’s awesome when you get baptized but

as great as it is for you here it’s less

about you

then you think you have a father in

heaven you have a cloud of witnesses in

heaven you have loved ones in heaven and

the Bible said when one Center repents

all of heaven breaks out and goes

berserk in rejoicing and shouting it’s

less about you than you think

I thought about Adam and Eve when they

sinned why didn’t God just wipe them out

I thought about this this week Lord why

didn’t you just start over why didn’t

you just why didn’t you just say they

messed up they’re broken people they’re

just – people start all over try again

God is not in to replacing damaged

products

God is in to fixing damaged products

must say it like I want to say God is

not in to replacing damaged marriages

God is in to fixing damaged marriages

the past is the past

but now if you’re in one I’m saying to

you you serve a God who doesn’t want to

replace you he wants to fix you and it’s

less about you than you think it’s all

about him and his cross and his

sacrifice one day there was a man on the

side of the road his car had broke down

he had the hood up and a big limousine

pulled in behind him and the man got out

he was dressed from head to toe like a

million bucks and he walked over in his

suit and he said do you need some help

and he said yes and he looked up under

and he said when I tell you you just sit

in there and hit the nisshin and and and

and cut the car on when I tell you and

he did something under the hood and said

try it and he tried it and started right

up and the man said my goodness how did

you do that he said he said how much do

I owe you and the man said you don’t owe

me a thing he said why would you in a

limousine

you look like you’re very well off what

what why would you stop to help me he

said my name is Henry Ford he said I’m

the creator of this car you’re driving

and it really bothers me to see one

broke down on the side of the road not

doing what I created it to do I’m saying

to somebody listening to me today that

God’s not going to replace you he’s

going to fix you because it bothers him

to see you not living the life he

created you to live it’s less about you

your father gets great joy when he sees

you overcoming when he sees you moving

forward Joe didn’t know what was going

on he never heard the encouraging word

the day he lost his wealth he lost his

family he lost his health he lost ten

children

he didn’t understand but what he didn’t

know is it was less about him up in

heaven there was a conversation between

God and Satan God said have you

considered my servant job bragging on

him sometimes we think when we get in

prison and chains and tough

circumstances and adversity we think God

doesn’t love us it may be God has been

bragging on you have you considered my

servant job God said he doesn’t serve me

because of I can hear Lucifer saying

anybody can serve you look at him he got

a hedge around him who wouldn’t serve

you you give him everything he’s in a

perfect environment and who can’t live

for you like that and God says you

couldn’t

that’s why I don’t let the devil beat me

up with condemnation I remind him you

couldn’t live for God in heaven and I’m

living for him on earth you couldn’t

live for God when there was no sin and

no devil and I’m living for God with sin

all around me and when I stumble I get

back up and I beat you to the throne Oh

somebody praise God that it’s less about

you and more about him joke God says he

doesn’t serve me because of he serves me

and worships me in spider it’s one thing

to worship God because you’ve got a nice

house because you’ve got a nice car

because everything’s good because all

your people are blessed that’s wonderful

but it’s another thing to worship God in

spite of trials and bars and chains and

tribulations and heartbreaks and tears

when you can do it then when you can

praise in pain when you can lift your

voice and say the Lord gives the Lord

takes away I don’t praise you because of

I praise you in spite of my hardships

you’re worthy of the praise it’s not

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