Joel Osteen - The Shaking Is For Shifting (04/19/2020)
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In this sermon, Joel Osteen teaches that the «shaking» we experience in life—whether through a pandemic, loss, opposition, or unexpected difficulties—is not meant to stop us but to shift us into God’s greater purpose, drawing from the story of Philip in Acts who was forced out of Jerusalem into Samaria where his ministry flourished. He encourages believers to trust God during uncertainty, knowing these trials position us for promotion, new opportunities, and unprecedented favor.
The Purpose Behind the Shaking
I want to talk to you today about «The Shaking is for Shifting.» This pandemic that we are dealing with is something that we have never experienced: the economic world is shaken, people are not able to go to work, our social lives are shaken, having to stay apart. With all the fear and uncertainty, many people’s emotional well-being is shaken. In life, we all have these times where things shake us to our core. An unexpected illness, we lose a loved one, we have been at that job for years but now there is opposition, people that are trying to push us out, and all the stability that we were used to—the finances we were counting on, the children doing great things—is no longer there.
It is easy to get discouraged and wonder, «Why did it happen?» But here is the key: the shaking is not there to stop you; the shaking is there to shift you. If you will keep the right attitude, that shaking will shift you into promotion, it will shift you into greater influence, shift you into better relationships. God uses these shakings to get us in position for new levels. Without the door closing, we would never get out of our comfort zone. We may not like it, but the shaking is forcing us to change; it is forcing us to grow.
If everything kept going along as is, we would never reach our potential. Stay open for something new. Do not go back to the same ways you used to do things. The reason God allowed the shaking is to shift you into something better. Maybe a company had to lay you off—that was not a surprise to God. He shook things up so He could give you a better position with better benefits in a better environment. It looks like a setback, but really it is a setup. God is using it to shift you to where you could not go on your own.
The Disciples and Saul’s Persecution
In Acts chapter 2, the disciples were in the upper room. The Holy Spirit came in like a rushing mighty wind; they were all filled with the Spirit. They knew God was with them and they were going to do great things. But in chapter 8, a man named Saul came along. He hated these disciples; he had letters from the government to have them arrested and put in jail. The Scripture says (Acts 8:3), «Saul wreaked havoc on the church in Jerusalem.»
Here the disciples were going along, seeing God’s favor, and out of nowhere Saul showed up and turned things upside down. Their whole world was shaken. It is interesting that Saul came to Jerusalem and caused so much turmoil. Jerusalem means the city of peace; this was home for many of the disciples. This is where they felt secure; they could relax and be comfortable. But now this city of peace was the city of chaos. I am sure they thought, «God, where are You? Do You not see what Saul is doing and how much trouble we are in?»
Just a few chapters earlier, God sent the rushing mighty wind. It is not like He could not stop Saul—He parted Red Seas, He closed the mouths of lions. He could have kept Saul from ever entering Jerusalem; He could have sent angels to hold him back. But sometimes God will allow things to be shaken. He will allow a Saul, a difficulty, an unfair situation. If you do not understand that the shaking is not there to stop you but to shift you—it is getting you in position to go to a new level, to see things you have never seen—then you will live worried, upset, wondering how it is going to work out.
Trusting God in Uncertainty
Anyone can trust God when things are going their way, life is good, you are seeing favor. The real test is: will you trust Him when things are shaking? Will you stay in faith when there is uncertainty, things you do not understand? God has you in the palm of His hand; nothing can happen to you without His permission. And something or someone may have wreaked havoc in your life; things feel like they are out of control. Can I encourage you? God is still on the throne. He is still ordering your steps. That shaking is not going to defeat you—it is going to promote you. It is setting you up for what God is about to do. You are on the verge of something better than you have ever imagined. God is working behind the scenes. Things are in motion that you cannot see.
Thoughts will tell you, «It is not going to work out. You are not going to get well. Your child is never going to get back on course. This virus is going to ruin you financially.» No, the shaking is a sign that a shift is taking place. God is about to launch you to a new level; you are about to see something that you have never seen. It is not going to be ordinary, common; it is going to be uncommon, unusual, unprecedented favor, healing, opportunity. One day you will look back and say, «Wow, what I thought was a bad break was really setting me up for this new level. The shaking was not there to stop me; the shaking is what shifted me into the increase, into promotion, into talent that I did not know I had.»
Saul created so much havoc in Jerusalem. There was so much opposition; the Scripture says Philip had to leave Jerusalem and go to Samaria. It does not say Philip prayed and decided to go to Samaria; he did not have a choice—he was forced out of Jerusalem. When you are doing the right thing and a door closes, somebody walks away, the contract comes to an end—that is not the enemy stopping you; that is God shifting you. The enemy may have meant it to harm you, but he does not have the final say. God would not have allowed the door to close; He would not have allowed them to walk away if it was going to stop your purpose. Have a new perspective: it is shifting you to the new things that God has in store.
From Jerusalem to Samaria
Now, I have learned: when one door closes, if you will stay in faith, God will open a bigger and a better door. You may get pushed out of Jerusalem, but Samaria is waiting for you. There is a place of victory, a place of abundance that God has already prepared for you. There are people that God has already spoken to to be good to you, people that will use their influence to push you forward. There are divine connections, people that God has already ordained to come into your life—people that will love you, people that cannot wait to be with you. Quit being discouraged over who pushed you out, who did not want to be your friend, who played politics and got the best of you—they did not stop your destiny; they shifted you. They were a part of God’s plan to push you forward. You are about to come into the new things that God has in store.
Philip arrived in Samaria not by choice; he was pushed out of Jerusalem. He could have been discouraged, but he understood this principle; he knew that God was still in control. What is interesting is Samaria is where his ministry took off; Samaria is where he flourished and stepped into a new level. The Scripture says Philip saw all kinds of miracles in Samaria: blind eyes were opened, the crippled could walk, great favor was on his life. He never saw that in Jerusalem. If he would have stayed there, he would have missed the fullness of his destiny.
Many times a great shaking precedes great favor, great difficulties precede great promotion, great opposition precedes great influence. If you could see what God is up to, you would not be stressed over the shaking, complaining about the trouble, upset over the setback. When you realize it is taking you to Samaria—a place where you are going to flourish, do things you have never dreamed, see favor, abundance, breakthroughs—then you would thank God even in the shakings. Even though it is uncertain, you would have a smile on your face, a spring in your step, knowing that God is up to something. All through the day, «Father, thank You that this shaking is not going to stop me, but it is going to shift me. It may have been meant for my harm, but I know it is leading me to my Samaria, where I am going to flourish and see favor that I have never seen.»
Great Joy After Great Distress
Keep the right perspective. God never said there would not be times where things were shaken, unfair, we do not understand—that is not the time to fall apart; that is the time to kick your praise into a new gear. That is the time to speak victory over your life. That difficulty did not come to stay; it came to pass. God being for you is more than the world being against you.
The Scripture says there was great joy in Samaria. Philip left Jerusalem in great distress; it was a great disappointment. But look at how God works: Philip went from great distress to great joy, he went from great trouble to great victory, from great rejection to people that loved him greatly. He did not realize, when he was having all the opposition in Jerusalem, that great joy was waiting for him in Samaria.
You may have gone through things that have caused you great pain, great disappointment, great loss. You could be bitter, live discouraged, but that is not how your story ends. Like with Philip, great joy is coming—great favor, great relationships, great health. The enemy thought he was stopping you; he did not realize he was setting you up. In the shaking, God was shifting you. You may not be there yet, but stay encouraged; you are headed toward great joy. Not just «joy,» not just «I am okay, I made it out, thank God I am still here.» No, great joy is coming. Great victories are up ahead.
You do not have to look back and think about the good old days, «I wish I was there.» Can I tell you? There are some good new days in your future. The best days of your life are still in front of you. You may have gone through great disappointments; you need to declare every day, «Father, thank You that great joy is coming.» The Scripture says God will fill your mouth with laughter. You are going to laugh again; you are going to love again; you are going to dream again. Great joy is headed your way.
Joel’s Personal Testimony
In 1999, my father had a heart attack and went to be with the Lord. I had worked with him here at Lakewood for 17 years behind the scenes. We were the best of friends. Outside of Victoria, I spent more time with my father than anyone else. I used to think, «What am I going to do when my father is gone?» When he suddenly died at 77, my whole world was turned upside down. I thought my father would live to be a hundred and fifty years old. He was my hero, but now he was gone.
I have learned in these times of shaking, God will always give us the grace we need. The Scripture says God has armed us with strength for every battle. If we will tap into that strength, we will not go around overwhelmed and stressed out. But all these thoughts flooded my mind: «What is going to happen to the church? What if it does not make it? Who is going to be the pastor?» In the middle of all that turmoil with so much uncertainty, I felt a peace like I had never felt—something I cannot explain. Even though I miss my father, I did not get depressed; I did not fall apart. I knew deep down God was still in control.
What I did not know at that time was that shaking was about to shift me. I never dreamed I would become a pastor; I never wanted to get up in front of people. But when my father suddenly passed, I had the desire to do it. I knew I was not only supposed to step up, but now I wanted to do it. My father had tried to get me up to minister for 17 years; I never had the desire. But the Psalmist said (Psalm 37:4), «God will give you the desires of your heart.» Sometimes we think that means God will give us what we want, but another way to look at it is: God will put the desires in you.
In that time of shaking, God shifted my desires. And I did not know if I would be any good; I did not know if people would come. I was afraid, intimidated, but I thought: I am not going to come to the end of my life and not know what might have happened if I would have taken that step of faith. Some opportunities do not pass by a second time. Out of that shaking, out of that loss, came talent that I did not know I had. Like God pushed Philip out of Jerusalem and he began to flourish in Samaria, God had to push me from behind the scenes to be in front of people.
Flourishing in Uncertain Times
It is significant that my flourishing, Philip’s flourishing, came out of a shaky time when there was uncertainty. It looked like nothing good was happening, when in fact God was using that shaky season to shift us, to get us in position to flourish, to see His favor and blessings in new ways. In one sense, that is where we are now. Things are shaky, uncertain; we have never seen this.
All these questions: When will it get back to normal? What about my finances? When will the children go to school? How is it all going to work out? We do not see anything positive, but in this shaking, God is shifting you. It looks like a setback, but really He is setting you up. You are going to come into new opportunities; doors that were not open before are going to open for you. You are going to have desires that you have never had. Talent is going to come out of you that you did not know was in you.
Where you have been told no before, because of this shift, you are going to hear yes. Yes to that business, yes to that new house, yes to that promotion, yes to that ministry. The shaking has changed people’s minds. Those that were not for you, would not give you the time of day—things are shifted; they are going to be for you; they are going to want to help you. The medical check-up: every time you have heard, «No improvement, nothing is getting better"—get ready for some yeses: «Yes, you are getting healthier. Yes, your blood pressure is back to normal. Yes, the cancer is gone.» There is some shifting taking place. You cannot see it yet, but do not worry; you are coming into it. You do not have to find it; it is going to find you. It is already in route; the miracle is already in motion.
A New Thing God Is Doing
Friends, God is doing a new thing. Do not think that the whole world being put on pause is just a physical thing; there are spiritual things happening. God is up to something big. He is looking for people whose hearts are turned toward Him—people like you, people that honor Him, people that keep Him first place. You are going to come out of this shaking into levels that you have never dreamed.
Proverbs 13:22 says, «The wealth of the ungodly is being laid up for the righteous.» There are things that God has laid up for you. There is going to be a transfer of wealth from people that have nothing to do with God, that only think about themselves, to people that will use the resources to build the kingdom, to lift the fallen, to feed the hungry, to bring justice to those that have no voice, to make the world a better place. God is about to shift some contracts, some businesses, some opportunities, some inheritances. It is going to be unusual income, things that you could not make happen. It is already headed your way; it is just a matter of time before you see God do unprecedented things.
Now, make sure that you keep Him in first place. You do not have to seek the blessing; just seek Him and the blessings will seek you. Part of this slowdown is an opportunity to draw closer to God. One thing this virus shows us is how little control we have. With all the advances over the last years—we can fly airplanes, we have incredible technology, the internet, smartphones, there are amazing medical procedures, we can transplant hearts—but this one virus, this one seemingly small thing, has shut down the whole world.
Putting Trust in the Right Place
If we put our trust in our finances, they can go down like that. If we put our trust in our job, our career, it can suddenly change. That is why it is so important to put your trust in God. He is the one that does not change; He is our source. That is where we get our strength, ideas, creativity, resources, wisdom. God is the giver of all good things. And yes, we appreciate the companies we work for; we are grateful to have the income each week, but they are not our source—they are simply a resource that the source is using.
Now, I believe the source, the Most High God, is about to do some unusual, unprecedented things in your finances. You are going to lend and not borrow; He is going to prosper you even in a downturn. The Scripture (Psalm 37:19) says, «Even in famine the righteous will have more than enough.» Not just enough, but overflow. There are blessings that are going to come looking for you.
Just recently, during this time when everything is closed down, we received a large payment to the ministry. It was something we were owed from over 10 years ago; it had to do with broadcast rights. I have had people explain it to me three times; I still do not understand what it is. I have read about it, studied it, but I do not see how it applies to us; it does not make sense to me. I have stopped trying to figure it out, and I just receive it. I believe it is one of those far and beyond blessings that God has laid up for the righteous. It is a part of the transfer of wealth.
But it is interesting that it came at this uncertain time. The shaking is a sign that things are shifting in your favor. «Well, Joel, I do not believe this is going to happen for me.» You are right; this is for believers. It is only going to happen if you release your faith. Say, «Father, thank You that this shaking is shifting me. Thank You that You are giving me new desires, giving me creativity, opening new doors, blessing me so I can be a bigger blessing.»
A Businesswoman’s Shift
I talked to a lady that watches us on television. She owns her own business and has been very successful. She is in the manufacturing industry; she has stores all over the country. A few years ago, things began to slow down; they made adjustments and were able to keep going, but they were struggling, barely surviving. One day she received word that 36 of her stores were closing. That was almost half of her business. She could not make it without that income.
Her whole world was shaken. She had poured her heart and soul into that business, built it from the ground up; she never thought she would be in this position. And all the circumstances said it was over; she could have accepted it, given up on her dream. But in the middle of that shaking, with all the uncertainty, she said, «God, I trust You. I know You are still in control, and You can make a way where I do not see a way.» A few weeks ago, a large company that she had never done business with called her and said they wanted to put her product in 360 of their stores. Overnight, she went from 36 stores to 360. She thought she was going under, but suddenly she had ten times the amount of stores.
I have learned God is not so much into addition; He is into multiplication. One touch of His favor will catapult you ahead. We look at our circumstances in the natural and think this could never work out, but we serve a supernatural God. He is not limited by what limits us. One good break, one contract, one phone call, and God will multiply what you have. He will thrust you to a new level.
If this lady were here, she would tell you: the shaking is a setup; it is a sign that God is about to shift things. There is going to be a shift in your finances, a shift in your career, a shift in your health, a shift in your marriage. It is shaky right now; things seem uncertain; you are tempted to live worried, stressed out—get ready, a shift is coming. God is going to make things happen that you could not make happen.
Paul and Silas in Prison
Perhaps the medical report does not look good; it is shaking your world—come back to a place of peace: God can do what medicine cannot do. He promised the number of your days He will fulfill. Maybe a child is off course, your business went down, you are in a legal situation, you never dreamed you would be dealing with this—it is keeping you awake at night. It is not a surprise to God. He would not have allowed the shaking if He did not already have a solution. If He did not have some area already lined up, He would not have allowed the trouble in Jerusalem. Instead of being stressed over the shaking, why do you not start thanking Him for the solution? «Father, thank You that a shift is coming—breakthroughs, healing, favor. Thank You that what You started in my life You will finish.»
In Acts chapter 16, Paul and Silas had been put in prison for sharing their faith. They were in the deepest dungeon with chains around their feet. The authorities were so afraid of their influence; they went to great lengths to make sure they could not escape. But God will never let you get in a problem that He cannot get you out of. It may look like your situation does not have a solution; the odds are against you, but God has ways to do things you have never thought of. What is impossible with people is possible with God.
At midnight, Paul and Silas were singing praises and thanking God. Verse 26 says, «Suddenly there came a great earthquake; all the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.» Notice what the shaking did: it opened prison doors; it unloosed chains that were restricting them. Paul and Silas walked out as free men.
The shaking on the surface may have seemed like a negative thing, but without the shaking, Paul would not have fulfilled his purpose. The shaking was necessary for him to become who he was created to be. We may not like the shakings, the times things seem out of control, but like with Paul, they are not going to stop you; they are going to shift you. Out of this shaking, new doors are going to open—new opportunities, new relationships, things that you did not see coming.
Chains that have held you back are about to be unfastened: chains of depression, chains of lack and struggle, chains of addictions. Do not complain about the shaking; it is serving a purpose. God is using it to thrust you where you could not go without it. Now every day, «Father, thank You that the shaking is shifting me into promotion, into healing, into new levels.» If you keep this attitude of faith, I believe and declare: like Philip, you are going to come out of the shaking into great joy, great favor, great increase, great relationships, into the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name.