Joel Osteen - It's Still Going To Happen
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I want to talk to you today about It's Still Going to Happen. We all have things that we're believing for. And we prayed, we've done our best, but the medical report hasn't improved, we didn't get to a promotion, we haven't met the right person. We wanted to go back to school, but nobody supported us. We tried to start our business, but we had opposition, delays, people did us wrong. Now, we think it wasn't meant to be. We may have given up, the good news is: God hasn't given up. He doesn't abort dreams. He's called the author and the finisher of our faith. The dreams he's whispered in your spirit, the promises that you're standing on, it may be too much for you, but it's not too much for him. He's saying today "It's still going to happen. You're still going to get well. You're still going to meet the right person. You're still going to have that baby. You're still going to pay your house off. You're still going to break that addiction. You're still going to see your children fulfill their purpose".
See, sometimes you just need faith spoken over you. Words have power. When you've heard for so long that it's not going to happen, that negativity can take root. You have to let that all go out, and by faith receive this phrase into your spirit, "It's still going to happen". Every voice may tell you the opposite, "There's no way it. Would have happened by now. You don't have the resources. You tried before, but it didn't work out". Let that go in one ear, and out the other. Don't get in agreement with the doubt, get in agreement with God. You don't have to see how it's going to happen, all you have to do is believe. Start declaring favor over your life, start talking like it's going to happen, start thanking God that he's working.
When those negative thoughts come telling you it's too late, just answer back, "No, thanks, it's still going to happen". "Well, the medical report doesn't look good", that's one report, but I have another report, it says "I'm still going to get well". "Well, you've had a lot of bad breaks. Looks like that set you back". No, thanks, I'm still going to accomplish my dreams. Or how about, "Well, your children are off course. Seems like the more you pray the worse they get". No, thanks, as for me in my house we're still going to serve the Lord. "What you're believing for is way over your head. You don't have the resources, the connections, the experience, no way that dream could come to pass", no you're looking at it in the natural, but the God I serve is supernatural. He says it's still going to happen.
In the face of doubt, negative voices, people telling you it's not going to work out, it's very powerful to enter back with this declaration of faith, "It's still going to happen". You're saying, "God, my hope is in you. You're the all-powerful Creator of the universe. What you promised me, I know it will come to pass". No person can stop him, no sickness, no addiction, no delay, no pandemic. All the forces of darkness cannot stop what God is purposed for your life. The only one that can stop him is you, if you get discouraged, negative, lose your passion.
It says in Psalm 78:41, that "The people limited the holy one of Israel". God told them that they would make it into the Promised Land, but along the way they had delays, setbacks, opposition. That's all a part of God's plan. What we do in the difficult times will determine whether we see the fullness of our destiny. They got discouraged, and started complaining, "What are we going to eat out in the desert? How are we going to survive? Those people in the Promised Land are too big, they look like giants, we don't have a chance". The whole time God was whispering, "It's still going to happen. I'm in control. I'll defeat these enemies for you. I have provisioned for every season". But they let the doubt and what they saw talk them out of what God promised.
Don't be like them. God puts things in our spirit on purpose that are too big for us. He allows us in situations where we can't get out on our own. It's a test: are we going to do like them and get discouraged, miss our purpose? Or are we going to let what God says override the doubt, and believe that it's still going to happen? "Despite the giants, I'm still going to go into my Promised Land. Despite the medical report, I'm still going to get well. Despite this opposition, I'm still going to accomplish my dreams". Let me declare it over you: "Despite the delays, the setbacks, how you were raised, you're still going to live a blessed, fulfilled, victorious life. Despite the breakup, despite who walked away, the hurts, the loneliness, that's not how your story ends. That's one chapter, but you have a whole book. You're still going to meet someone great, you're still going to laugh again, love again, dream again. God says: your latter days will be better than your former days."
When those thoughts whisper, "No, no, no, Joel, is too late. I've been through too much. It's never going to work out", recognize what's happening. That's the enemy trying to keep you from the awesome future God has in store. Tune that out and get in agreement with your Creator. He's saying "It's still going to happen". It's not too late, the giants aren't too big, the opposition is not too strong. He's in control. You wouldn't be hearing this if there wasn't something amazing about to happen. New doors are about to open, the right people are about to show up. Your health is going to suddenly turn around. A shift in your finances, your career, where suddenly you're catapulted to where you never dreamed. What God has in mind is much bigger, better, more rewarding than what you had in mind.
There was a man in the scripture named Zerubbabel. God put a dream in his heart to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The king gave him permission to start the project, he took fifty thousand men and they laid the foundation, took two years. They were so excited, they had a big celebration, singing, trumpets blowing, cymbals clashing. The scripture says (Ezra 3:11), "The people let out a great shout praising God because the foundation had been laid". Zerubbabel knew God's favor was on his life. Everything was falling into place: the supplies, the people, the foundation, looked beautiful. They were about to start the next phase, when opposition arose. The enemies of the people of Judah heard about the progress, they didn't like it, they didn't want the temple rebuilt, so they started stirring up trouble.
It's amazing how when you make some progress, you see some favor, promotion, how that stirs people up, jealousy, gossip, slander. They had no problem with Zerubbabel as long as he was average, "Stay in your corner, don't make any ways". But God has put greatness in you. He's called you to stand out, to be a difference maker, to take your family to a new level. Don't be surprised when you take steps of faith, you get out of your comfort zone, start that business, go back to school, break the addiction, get back in church, if you don't see people start to find fault. Why are they doing that? They want you to stay average, they want you to be mediocre, but that's not your destiny. God is going to take you where no one in your family is gone. He's going to cause you to set a new standard.
Now, one requirement is you have to be thick-skinned. You can't get drawn into pity things that will pull you away from your destiny. The trick of the enemy is to get you distracted, focused on what they're saying, trying to prove to them that you're okay, worried about what they think. Don't waste your time trying to win people over, that are determined to misunderstand you. They're not coming against you, they're coming against the greatness God put in you, they're coming against the favor, the anointing, the calling on your life. You have to be an eagle in rise above it. Everyone's not going to be happy when you succeed, everyone celebrating you reaching new levels, that's okay, stay focused on what God's called you to do. Don't come down to their level and get involved in battles that don't matter.
These people continue to stir up trouble and lie about Zerubbabel. They sent a letter to the king, saying that Zerubbabel and the people of Judah were troublemakers, that they weren't going to pay taxes, and they were trying to take over the city, none of which was true. But they were so convincing, that the king issued an order stopping all construction, no work could be done. We kept a week went by, month after month, even year after year. The foundation just sitting there empty. Weeds growing up, property run down. Can imagine Zerubbabel coming by at night, walking around and seeing the lumber rotting, the supply is going to waste, "Oh, God, I know you told me to rebuild. I know I was doing the right thing, but now this opposition, these people have lied, the authorities have been poisoned. God, it's not fair".
He was discouraged, and thoughts told him, "You've wasted your time. It's never going to work out, just go back home". But God doesn't make a promise and then change his mind. He doesn't speak something to you, and then let circumstances talk him out of it. The scripture says, "Everything serves his plan". We're not going to understand everything that happens, but the right attitude is, "God, this doesn't make sense to me, but I trust you. I know everything is serving your plan". Nothing happens without God's permission. Just because he put a dream in your heart doesn't mean there won't be delays, opposition, bad breaks. Times where it seems like the enemy got the best of you. These people lied and shut down the project.
"Joel, this person walked away. The loan didn't go through. My health didn't improve" or "Right when I was getting ahead, man, the pandemic hit, set me back" - you're right where Zerubbabel was. He had seen God's favor, things had fallen into place, then the bottom fell out. That's when these lies will come, "It will never happen now. You'll never get well. Never see your business succeed. Never meet the right person". No, God has not changed his mind. Despite the delays, the opposition, what wasn't fair, he's still saying, "It's still going to happen. You're still going to accomplish the dream. You're still going to get well. You're still going to have that baby".
God said in Philippians 1:6, "I will bring you to a flourishing finish". Not a defeated finish, a bankrupt finish, a lonely finish, a betrayed finish. God has a victorious finish for you, an abundant finish, a flourishing finish. That means you're blossoming, blooming, seeing dreams coming to pass, going further than you've imagined, healthy, whole, being a bigger blessing than you've ever dreamed. I've heard it said, "God always ends on all-is-well. If all is not well, then it's not the end. If it's not good, then God is not done, it's just another step on the way to your destiny". Now, the mistake we make is we quit believing along the way. We laid the foundation, we saw God's favor, had a big celebration, but then we had setbacks, delays, disappointments. Now every circumstances says, "It's not going to happen".
Well, 16 years later the foundation was just sitting there, nothing had changed. When these two prophets showed up Zachariah and Haggai, they said to Zerubbabel, "It's time to start rebuilding the temple". He could have thought, "What do you mean? It's been 16 years. Don't you know what we've been through, what hasn't worked out, who was against us? I thought this project was over". Zechariah said, "No, Zerubbabel, God sent us to tell you: it's still going to happen".
I love how Zerubbabel responded. He could have made excuses, "Oh, we tried and it didn't work out. The opposition is still there. I'm too old. I missed my chance". No, the scripture (Ezra 5:2) says, "Zerubbabel rose up and began the task of rebuilding the temple". Every thought tried to talk him out of it, keep him defeated, but when he heard God say, "It's still going to happen", he rose up. That means he got in agreement with God, he started thinking differently. "Yes, this is my time". He started talking differently, "I'm equipped, empowered, anointed, the favor of God is on my life". He took steps of faith, got his men back together, got his passion back, his fire back, they started rebuilding.
Well, the same jerks, I mean the same critics went back to the king, "This man we told you about, he's trying to rebuild the temple again. You have to stop him". This time it was a new king, there had been a change in leadership. Sometimes God has to move someone out for your dream to come to pass. He has to weed out the wrong people, so he can put people in that will serve his plan. Trust his timing, trust his ways. Just because you laid the foundation, then things didn't work out, does it mean that God is through. What he started he's going to finish.
The new king told these critics he was going to have the official record searched, to see what was said about this temple. They found a decree where the temple was supposed to be rebuilt, and paid for out of the city treasury. When the king found out it was for the Israelites God, he was afraid. He had heard about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He told his people to not only leave Zerubbabel alone, to let him rebuild the temple, but he said (Ezra 6:8-10), "You are to pay for the full construction cost. You are to provide them food and provisions each day, wheat, grain, salt, olive oil".
God not only helped them finish building the temple, but he made the enemy pay for it. And yes, there are dreams God has put in your heart, seems like it's too late, too big, you don't have the resources. God wouldn't have given you the dream, wouldn't have put that promise in your heart if he didn't know how to bring it to pass. Like with Zerubbabel, it's not only going to still happen, but it's going to be supernatural. Supernatural provision, supernatural healing, supernatural favor, uncommon, unusual, things you can't explain. People helping you that don't even like you. God purpose for them to push you into your destiny.
Now, you have a part in this. You can't sit back and think, "Oh, man, I'll never get well. My business will never make it. This child will never get back on course. Joel, it's been too long. The odds are against me". Just like God sent Zachariah after 16 years of silence to prophesy that they were going to rebuild the temple, God sent me to tell you "It's still going to happen". Now you may be in a silent season, you don't see anything improving, no good breaks, no open doors, your health, family, finances just the same - you're about to see a shift, God is about to do a new thing.
The silence was all a part of his plan. The delays, closed doors, people that walked away, it was all necessary. It was setting you up for this moment. The delay doesn't mean that God said "No", it just wasn't the right time. He's saying, "You're still going to accomplish your dream. You're still going to get out of debt. You're still going to see your family restored", now your part is to rise up, get your passion back, start believing again. What you let go of - revisit. Didn't work out the first time? This is a new day, things have shifted. God's about to show you why it hasn't worked out yet, he's going to make the enemy pay. There's going to be opportunity, resources, favor that you've never seen. You will know: it's the hand of God.
I talked to a lady that had been healthy her whole life, strong, vibrant, energetic, but she noticed that she wasn't feeling as well. She had some digestive issues. She went to get checked out, and after many tests she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It didn't look good at all. The doctors told her that the demise would happen quickly, that while she was able she needed to get everything in order, make out her will, visit with her family members. They gave her less than a year to live. She was devastated, of course she didn't see this coming.
Sometimes life throws us these unexpected challenges. That's when the enemy works overtime in our mind, "This is the end. Too bad. You'll never get well. You never see your children graduate, just accept it". When we start dwelling on the negative, we're giving it life. We draw in what we're constantly thinking about. You have to guard your mind, fill it with what God promised you.
In the first several weeks this lady was so upset and so overwhelmed, she couldn't sleep at night, and could hardly function. One day she flipped on our serious xm channel, and she heard me talking about how God has the final say, how he can do what medicine cannot do, and how when we put our trust in him he can make ways where we don't see a way. Instead of dwelling on all the negative, playing the medical report over and over, she started playing another report, what God said about her, "I will live and not die. God is restoring health back into me. Despite this diagnosis, I'm still going to get well".
Six weeks later she went in for surgery, and they thought they could extend her life a little bit. Afterwards the surgeon came out with a very puzzled look. He said I have all the x-rays that show all the cancer, but when we went in we couldn't find any cancer, you are perfectly healthy. They had no explanation. These were some of the leading experts, one of the most renowned hospitals in the world. That was God doing what only he can do. And I realized it doesn't happen that way for everyone, but how do you know you're not going to be one of the ones that it does happen for? Why not be a believer and not a doubter?
God is saying, "Despite the diagnosis you're still going to get well. Despite the setbacks, you're still going to accomplish your dream. Despite the delays, you're still going to meet the right person. Despite what the experts have told you, you're still going to have that baby". Don't talk yourself out of it, talk to yourself into it. It's easy to think, "Nothing good's in my future. I've reached my limits", that's going to keep you where you are. What God promised, "Is still going to happen", now do your part and rise up, believe it, and watch what God will do.
I think about Jacob in the scripture. His youngest son Joseph had these big dreams, he was going to do great things. As a father, Jacob was so proud of Joseph. When he looked at him he beamed with joys. He even gave him his coat of many colors, which represented the favor on his life. One day he sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were in another city, and they were jealous, and ended up selling him as a slave. They killed a wild animal, and put blood on Joseph's coat. They came home and showed their father, "Dad, look, he must have been killed by an animal". Jacob was so heartbroken. He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth. For weeks he mourned. Month after month his family tried to comfort him, but it was no use. He said, "I will die in my morning for my son".
13 years later, it's a great famine in the land, Jacob sent these other sons to Egypt to try to find food. Little did they know, Joseph was in charge of the food supply. They came back home and told their father the amazing news that Joseph was still alive. Jacob couldn't believe it, he was in awe, so overjoyed. Eventually he and his whole family moved to Egypt to live with Joseph. But when Jacob was a hundred and forty years old, he's about to pass, he called Joseph and his grandsons in to give them the blessing. Imagine how Jacob must have felt: he never thought he would see his son again, and now he not only has Joseph, but his grandsons are standing in front of him. If you would have told Jacob "This was going to happen" 13 years earlier, when he was heartbroken, in mourning, he would have said, "There's no way. That's impossible. My son is gone. How could I ever see his grandchildren"?
But look at how awesome our God is. He's working in ways that we could never imagine. We all have dreams that we've given up on, goals, promises. "There's no way, I've been through too much, Joel. That door is closed, I've made too many mistakes, I've missed too many opportunities". God is about to surprise you. He's going to do something out of the ordinary, something that you didn't see coming, that will boggle your mind. You quit believing for it, you accepted that it's never going to work out, but like with Jacob, you're going to stand in awe, not believe in your eyes, thinking "I could have never fathom this would have happened". That's how amazing our God is. Now, you may be in the middle of a setback, in the middle of a silent season, in the middle of mourning - that is not the end. God has a flourishing finish for you. He has not brought you this far to leave you. Your greatest victories are not behind you, they're in front of you. Stay in faith is still going to happen.
There was a young woman that was raised by a single mother, and growing up she began to wonder about her father: who he was and why he wasn't in her life? Her mother had conceived with this man that she didn't really know, just a one-night stand. This mother was kind of embarrassed, and didn't want to elaborate, especially to her young daughter. As this child got older, the mother tried several times to reach out to the father, but he wasn't around, and wouldn't return phone calls, didn't want to have anything to do with this child. After she graduated from college and started our own family, she still had this deep longing to know her father.
She had two beautiful children, and thought about all the moments they could share together. She searched the internet, and tried several other ways, but still nothing. She finally accepted that it wasn't meant to be. But just because we give up doesn't mean God gives up. One day she received a note in the mail, out of the blue, said "This is your father. If you would like to connect, I would love to talk to you". She couldn't believe it: after 39 years she was able to meet her father. There's no anger, no bitterness, just a joyful reunion, laughter, hugs and tears. Was just in time for her father to come to the baby dedication of her second child. She had given up, but God said, "I have a surprise for you. I'm going to bring you to a flourishing finish".
Are there things you've given up on? You think it's too late, too far gone, never going to work out? God is saying, "It's still going to happen". The dreams he's placed in your heart, the desires he's put in you, they're already on the schedule. Now, do like Zerubbabel: rise up, get your passion back, start believing again, start pursuing again. If you'll do this, I believe and declare: you're about to come out of a silent season into a surprise. Things are about to shift, new doors are about to open, the right people are going to show up, healing, breakthroughs, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus name and. If you receive it, can you say amen? Amen.