Joel Osteen - He'll Do It Again
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I want to talk to you today about «He’ll Do It Again.» We’ve all seen God work in our lives, open a door we couldn’t open, bring great people across our path, or turn a situation around. We know it was His hand of favor. It’s good to look back and remember what God has done and let that be fuel for your faith. But God doesn’t want you to live off of yesterday’s miracles; He’s a do-it-again God.
Not only for what He’s done in your life, but when you look back in Scripture, it shows you His nature. He parted the Red Sea back then; He’s going to make ways in your life. He kept the fire from harming the teenagers; He has supernatural protection for you. He stopped the sun for Joshua, opened prison doors for Paul and Silas, hid Elisha from the enemy, sent quail into the desert to feed the Israelites, and put Rahab, the former prostitute, in the family line of Jesus. The good news is He’s a do-it-again God. He did it for them; He can do it for you.
A great way to release your faith is to remind God of what He did and then say, «God, do it again for me.» God, You caused David to defeat a giant that was twice his size. Now I’m facing this big obstacle. God, do it again for me. God, You gave Hannah a baby after she had been barren for many years and turned that situation around. God, I’m told we can’t have a child, but I’m asking You, God, do it again for us. Anything you can find that God has done before in your life, a friend’s life, or in Scripture, let that be a reference point: God did it for them; now He can do it again for you.
That’s why I often share about us getting the compact center. This was the hand of God making a way where we didn’t see a way. When you face obstacles that seem too big, when you don’t have the finances or the connections, instead of doubting and giving up, dare to say, «God, You did it for Lakewood; do it again for me.» You defeated their giants; defeat this giant. If you’re facing an illness that doesn’t look good, the medical report says you’re not going to get well. God, You did it for Joel’s mother; You healed her of terminal cancer. Do it again for me. The Scripture says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What He did back in Bible days, He will do today. What He did for your grandparents, He’ll do again. What He did for you ten years ago—your past victories were not your last victories. You’ve seen God show out in your yesterdays, but God is not finished; He’s about to do it again.
Now you have to do your part and have a do-it-again mentality. Find the stories that inspire your faith, where you know it was the hand of God, and have that boldness to say, «God, do it again for me.» When David faced Goliath, he didn’t have a chance. Goliath stood over nine feet tall, and his armor weighed 125 pounds. David was half his size, a teenager with no military training; he was a shepherd taking care of animals. Goliath was the champion of the Philistine army. How could David have the courage and faith to go out and face him?
I can imagine that as David thought about this huge giant, his mind went back to the stories he had heard about Joshua and Caleb. When Moses sent men to spy out the promised land, they discovered there were giants living there. They were the descendants of a man named Anak, a huge giant. They were called the Anakites. The spies came back, «Moses, we don’t have a chance; they’re too big! We felt like grasshoppers compared to them.» But Joshua and Caleb had a different report. They said, «We are well able; let us go in at once; our God is bigger!» But the negative report spread like wildfire. The people never did go into the promised land; they died in the wilderness.
But forty years later, when Joshua came to the land of Canaan, do you know who was in it? The Anakites—these same giants inhabited the land. But this time, Joshua took this younger generation, people with a different mindset, and they went in and defeated the giants and made it to the promised land. Well, forty years after Joshua had died, David was facing Goliath, another giant. The first group that didn’t make it into the promised land had no reference point; they had never seen anyone defeat giants. But not David. He had heard the stories of how Joshua had gone up against a whole city of giants and wiped out all the Anakites.
Now David had a reference point. When fear and doubt tried to flood his mind, David thought, «Wait a minute, God, You did it for Joshua. You gave him supernatural strength to defeat an army of giants. God, I know since You did it for him, You’ll do it again for me.» David had a do-it-again mentality; he remembered what God had done in the past. That was the fuel that empowered him to step into his destiny.
When you face giants in life—the giants of sickness, debt, or trouble—don’t be like the first group: «Oh, we’re not able; it’s too big!» No, you have a reference point: God did it for Joshua; He defeated a city full of giants. God did it for David; He anointed his slingshot and brought down what should have defeated him. Our attitude should be, «God, I’m asking You to do it again in my life. Show Yourself strong; bring down these giants.» That’s the faith that activates God’s power.
Find a reference point for what you’re believing for, somewhere in the Scripture or a friend or a relative where you know it was the hand of God. Have the boldness to ask God to do it again. This is what my parents did. My sister Lisa was born with a birth injury similar to cerebral palsy. The doctors told them she’d probably never be able to walk or feed herself. My father had been pastoring churches for years, and he was taught in seminary that God doesn’t heal today; that was only back in Bible days. He thought you just had to accept it, and God’s teaching you a lesson—that’s your cross to bear.
But God said in Hosea, «My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.» There’s a saying: «What you don’t know won’t hurt you,» but that’s not always true. If you don’t know it’s God’s will to heal you, free you, deliver you, and prosper you, then you won’t walk in the victory that belongs to you. So often, our thinking keeps us from God’s best: doubt, traditions, and the way we grew up. Someone in our family may have been addicted, depressed, or compromised. Maybe they didn’t know any better; they thought they had to accept it. But you know more. You’re the one God’s raised up to break the negative cycle, break the dysfunction, and set a new standard.
But my father was taught wrong. His tradition said your daughter can’t be healed, but something deep down didn’t sit right. The Holy Spirit will rise up in you to challenge your beliefs, to stir you to reevaluate why you think the way you do. My father went to a hotel downtown for a few days to be alone and read Scripture. He shared how he took off his denominational glasses and read it like he was reading it for the first time. He saw how Jesus went around healing person after person; He healed the woman with the issue of blood, the blind man, Peter’s mother-in-law, the ten lepers, and the crippled man.
Daddy thought, «Oh, that’s great; all that happened back then.» Then he read how Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. A light turned on; he realized that if He did it back then, He’ll do it again today. That day was a turning point. He quit praying, «God, just give us the grace to raise Lisa and endure this hardship.» He started praying in faith, «God, You did it for the lepers; do it again for us. God, You did it for the woman that was sick for twelve years, but she touched the edge of Your robe; God, do it again for Lisa.»
He got a new reference point. Little by little, Lisa started getting better and better. Today, you know Lisa is perfectly healthy, whole, and a mighty woman of faith. What will God do in your life if you’ll start praying some do-it-again prayers? That should stir your faith for things you’re believing for, promises you’ve been standing on a long time, and you don’t see anything improving. Find a reference point; something God has done in the past; the Scripture, a door He’s opened for you previously, a friend that saw the favor of God. Use that as an example to say, «God, do it again in my life.»
David said in Psalm 68, «Display Your power, O Lord, as You have done before.» At this point when he wrote that, he had already seen Samuel come to the shepherd’s fields and anoint him as the next king. He’d seen Goliath fall. He’d experienced protection from King Saul; the spears missed him while a whole army chased him through the desert, but he wasn’t found. All these amazing acts of God’s favor, protection, and promotion. He could have been satisfied: «Man, I’ve seen God’s goodness.» Look at his attitude! He was saying, «God, do it again. Display Your power, Your favor, Your healing.» He had this do-it-again mentality. That’s one reason God used him in amazing ways.
He found reference points where God did it for him in the past, where God did it for others, like Joshua or Caleb. When he faced challenges, he understood that if God has done it before, that set the precedent and established the pattern. Now we have an example where we can say in faith, «God, You did it for them; now do it again for us.»
When you’ve gone through bad breaks, and life throws you some curves, it’s easy to fall into self-pity and give up on dreams, saying, «God, why did this happen?» That’s going to keep you where you are. Instead, go back in the Scripture to a man named Job. Job had his whole world turned upside down. He was doing great—a man of integrity who honored God—but he lost his health, his business, and his family. He was so depressed that he sat down among the ashes. Right when he was about to give up, he looked to the heavens and said, «I know my Redeemer lives.»
In the middle of the trouble, he started declaring the goodness of God. The Scripture says God brought Job out with twice what he had before—twice the cattle, twice the strength, and twice the joy. He had twice as many children; God gave him double for all the trouble. In those difficult times, instead of complaining and thinking about how bad life is, try a new approach: «God, You did it for Job; I know You’ll do it again for me. You brought him out better than before. Lord, I want to thank You that I’m coming out better than before.» That’s what gets God’s attention—not complaining, but speaking victory and having this do-it-again mentality.
See, the stories in Scripture aren’t just there so we can see what God did back then or celebrate their victories; they are examples we can use for our own lives. If you’ve been struggling with an illness for a long time, say, «God, You healed that man who had been sick for thirty-eight years by the pool of Bethesda; God, do it again for me.» If you’re struggling in your finances, say, «God, You brought the Israelites quail in the desert; supernatural provision, do it again for me.» If God gave Rachel a baby after she had been barren for years, say, «God, do it again for us; let us conceive this child.» If God brought Ruth a great husband after the pain and heartache, exceeding her expectations and giving her Boaz, say, «God, do it again for me; bring somebody amazing into my life.»
This is what I had to do when my dad went to be with the Lord. I knew I was supposed to step up and pastor the church, but I didn’t feel qualified. I’d never ministered and didn’t have the training. My thoughts told me that I couldn’t do it. But I remembered the story of Gideon in Scripture. He was hiding in a winepress, afraid of the Midianites that had surrounded his city. Every time the Israelites' crops would come up, they would come and take all the harvest. The Midianites were much bigger and stronger. Gideon was intimidated and living in fear.
When an angel appeared and said, «Mighty hero, the Lord is with you. You are to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites,» he said, «How can I lead these people? I am the least one in my father’s house.» He was saying, «I’m not qualified; I don’t have the talent, the courage"—all these excuses. But God wouldn’t have asked you to do it if He hadn’t already given you what you needed. You are strong, well-able, and equipped. You are empowered.
Gideon finally changed his thinking. He went out and led the Israelites to great victories. In fact, he’s now listed as one of the heroes of faith. When my father died, I felt unqualified. I could have stayed in hiding, so to speak, behind the scenes where I was comfortable, but I could feel the calling to step up. I used Gideon to fuel my faith. I said, «God, when Gideon was weak, and he didn’t feel like he could do it, You gave him strength. You went before him and made crooked places straight. You opened doors that he couldn’t open. You protected him from enemies. God, I know You’re a do-it-again God; You did it for him. Lord, do it again for me.»
When you remind God what He’s done in the past, that’s fuel for your faith. Don’t sit around complaining, «Oh man, Joel, the sickness is too big, and my child is so far off course. My finances are so down.» Defeat talk is going to bring defeat. «It’s never going to happen» talk keeps it from happening. Zip that up and find some examples of where God did what you’re believing for, and let that be your declaration.
How about this: «God, my child is way off course, but when Saul was Your greatest enemy, when he was persecuting the church, You changed his mind and turned him into a powerful believer. God, You did it for Saul; do it again for my son; turn his life around.» Maybe you feel like you’re in a famine—things have dried up, no good breaks, problems at work. It’s tempting to lose your passion and just drag through the day, thinking nothing good is in store.
In Scripture, Elisha was in a famine for three and a half years; everything was barren. He went up on top of Mount Carmel and started thanking God for rain when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. At one point, he said, «I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.» He heard rain in his spirit before there were any clouds in the sky. It wasn’t long until the heavens opened and there was a downpour of rain—the drought came to an end. Let that be your example: «God, You brought Elisha out of that drought; You turned that barren place into an abundant place. God, You did it for him; I’m asking You to do it again for me.»
You’re saying, «God, I know You’re the same; I know You haven’t lost Your power. You were a way maker back then, and You’re a way maker right now. You stopped the famine back then, and You’ll stop the famine right now. You were a healer then, and You’re a healer now. You provided manna in the desert back then; supernatural provision, and I know You’re a provider now.»
Give God something to work with; remind Him what He’s done. Then make it personal: «God, You did it for them; do it again for me.»
In John chapter 12, Jesus was talking to His disciples, telling them how He was about to be crucified, how He was deeply troubled and facing all this opposition and suffering, but His heart was set on doing His Father’s will. He said in verse 27, «This is the reason I came, Father, to bring glory to Your name.» A voice spoke out of heaven and said, «I have already brought it glory, and I will do it again.»
The first glory God talks about refers to Jesus' birth—how that was supernatural—the miracles Jesus performed: multiplying the food, raising Lazarus, walking on water, all these things that had happened up to that point that brought God glory. God acknowledged that, but then He said, «I’m going to do it again.»
What’s significant is the next glory was Jesus going to the cross and being raised from the dead. The next glory was defeating the enemy and taking the keys of death and hell. The next glory was the Holy Spirit coming to live inside each one of us. The next glory was being seated at the right hand of the Father. What was God showing us? That His glory is progressive. What He’s about to do is greater than what He’s done in the past.
You’ve seen God’s goodness, His favor, but you haven’t seen anything yet. When He does it again, it’s going to be bigger and better—something that you haven’t seen. A friend of our family had a very successful business. He was an influential man known around the country; it seemed like anything he did took off. For many years, he was at the top of his field. But at one point, the economy turned, he had some setbacks, and everything started to go down.
To stay in business, he had to borrow money and put his buildings up as collateral. He kept going down and down, and over time, he was tens of millions in debt. He was now an older gentleman at the end of his career—almost bankrupt and incredibly down on himself. He loved God and was a strong believer, but everything turned. A friend of mine would go visit him, try to encourage him, and let him know God is still in control and can make a way, but this man wouldn’t hear it.
He used to be full of faith, but now it was just the opposite. Well, years went by, and he was about to lose his mind. Years passed, and he was about to lose control—have it turned over to the creditors. At the last moment, this investor came in, someone who had always admired the man. Instead of taking the business, he not only paid off all the debt but also upgraded all the facilities—over $100 million.
The man thought he would have to give up control and change the name, but the investor said, «No, we’re going to honor you by keeping the same name. We’re going to help you run this business so it continues long after you’re gone.» Friends, your next glory is going to be greater than what you’ve imagined. God’s done it in the past, so why do you think you’re stuck? Why are you sitting there like my friend, thinking of all the reasons it can’t happen?
«It’s too big, Joel; it’s too late.» God hasn’t brought you this far to leave you. He stopped the sun for Joshua; He closed the mouths of hungry lions for Daniel; He gave Sarah a baby at ninety when it looked impossible. Why don’t you have this do-it-again faith?
«God, You did it for Sarah; do it for me. God, You gave Lakewood a compact center when all the odds were against us; God, do it for me.» God is looking for some do-it-again faith—people who know what He did back in Bible days. They know you and recognize that what He did ten years ago—that door He opened, that problem He turned around, that promotion He gave you—wasn’t your last miracle. He has another one coming; the next one’s going to be greater.
Your latter days will be better than your former days. Well, Joel, I may believe this, but I’ve made mistakes. I’ve gotten off course; I don’t deserve it. The first time Jesus encountered Peter, He borrowed his boat. When He finished using it, He told Peter to go back out; he would catch a great haul of fish. Well, Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. It didn’t make sense, but he went back and caught so many fish that the nets began to break.
That’s when Jesus chose Peter as His first disciple. He was with Jesus day and night for three years—faithful and loyal. But when Jesus was about to be crucified, Peter denied that he knew Jesus; he walked away from Him when Jesus needed him the most. Peter never had the chance to say, «I’m sorry,» to make things right. You can imagine how down he felt. Plus, all the uncertainty with Jesus being gone made Peter so distraught that he went back to fishing. He left the disciples and went to his old ways.
Early one morning, he was in his boat after fishing all night and caught nothing when he heard a voice from the beach—a man asking, «Have you caught anything?» Peter thought, «Who is this guy asking about our business?» The man said, «Throw your nets on the right side of the boat, and you’ll catch a lot of fish.» He thought, «What do I have to lose?» He threw the nets and caught so many fish that the nets began to break.
Peter suddenly realized it was Jesus on the shore. He swam quickly to meet Him. That’s where Jesus restored him and spoke victory over his life. But notice it was the same miracle as when He first called Peter. You would think, «No, Peter blew it; he doesn’t have a chance. Maybe God will do something, but it’ll be way less.»
No, God is not holding your faults against you. You may have made mistakes; you’re not where you should be, but God is calling you. He hasn’t written you off; He didn’t cancel your destiny. Quit believing those lies—that you’ve missed your chance, that it’s too late. God is a do-it-again God.
Peter wasn’t just restored back to where he was; he went on to do greater things. He gave the inaugural address when the church was founded, and three thousand people became believers. He spoke to a crippled man, and he was healed; he helped spread the good news all over Rome. When he thought he was finished, he came to the greater glory. You may have seen God’s goodness in the past—His mercy, His favor. That was the first glory, but God has another level of glory.
What He’s about to do is going to supersede anything you’ve done. Now do your part and have do-it-again faith. Find some examples; remind God what He’s done. Dare to ask God to do it for you: «God, You restored Peter; You gave him another chance; God, do it for me. God, You caused David to defeat Goliath; God, do it again. Help me to defeat this giant. God, You broke the chains off Paul; God, break these chains. Free me from this addiction.» Your past miracles were not your last miracles. Get ready! I believe and declare God is about to do it again-favor, healing, breakthroughs, greater glory, in Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say amen?