“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 ?️?️?️”
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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
about you it’s about him with your gift
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