Joel Osteen - Supercharged
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I want to talk to you today about Supercharged. We all have times where we feel like we've reached our limits, we've done our best at work, we worked hard, we stayed in faith but the dreams seems too big, the challenge too strong, the medical report is not good, we've come to the end of our ability. If we only had more talent, more stamina, more favor, more creativity, then we could accomplish the dream, then we could defeat the giant. God knew there would be times like these where on our own we can't fulfill our purpose, by ourselves we're at a disadvantage, the giant is bigger, the opposition is stronger - we don't have the endurance to withstand what we're up against.
David felt this way. As a teenager when he saw Goliath his reasoning said, "You don't have a chance. He's twice your size". David had a good heart, he was faithful, but he was limited. He didn't have the size, the strength, the experience. But David knew a secret, he said in Psalm 103:5, "You have supercharged my life so I can soar like an eagle flying in the sky". You may feel like you're at a disadvantage, the giants are bigger, you don't have the strength, the talent, the endurance - God is saying "Don't worry, I'm about to supercharge your life. I'm going to give you strength that you've never had, ability that you've never seen, favor that will catapult you ahead".
God will never let you face a giant that you can't overcome, he'll never put a dream in your heart that you can't accomplish. You may not have the size, the skill, the experience, that's okay, a supercharge is coming. When God breathes on your life you will accomplish things that seem impossible, you'll outlast opposition that should have overwhelmed you. You'll discover talent and ability that you didn't know you had. Instead of thinking, "I can't take this anymore, I'm so tired, these obstacles are so big", turn it around, "Father, thank you for supercharging my life, thank you for supernatural favor, supernatural strength, supernatural ability".
When David went out to face Goliath he could have been intimidated, afraid, wondering what he was going to do, but all of the sudden he felt strength that he had never felt, courage, ability. He picked up that rock and slung it with such force, such accuracy that it knocked Goliath to the ground unconscious. How could that happen? God supercharged his life, God gave him strength, ability, and favor to do what he couldn't do on his own. The scripture says (Psalm 18:29), "You can run through a troop and leap over a wall". We can't do that in our own ability, you can't run through hundreds of soldiers trying to stop you, you can't jump over a huge wall surrounding a city, but when God supercharges your life you'll accomplish what you can accomplish on your own. Don't be discouraged because you feel limited, you're facing obstacles that seem bigger, you're tired n fighting battles - a supercharge is coming
When I was in high school I had a Maroon Camaro, really nice sports car, it had been my sister Lisa's and it was passed down to me. I was so proud of that car, when you turned it on it had a rumble, you knew it had power. As a teenager that made me feel good. This car was fast, it was agile, you could maneuver it through the turns, I love driving it. Well, a good friend of mine had the same car, the same gear in a different color, but his father was a mechanic. In the evening he and his dad would work on the car, in those days we would say "They souped it up", they put in a different air compressor that gave it more horsepower, they installed a bigger muffler, a different exhaust system, they put different shocks on it so it would handle better. What's interesting is his car looked just the same as mine, on the outside you couldn't tell anything was different, but when he turned his on, his motor was twice as loud, his car was faster, stronger, zero to sixty much quicker, would handle better take the turns easier.
We would never race, but if we did (Lord, forgive me for lying), but if we did it would be no match, his car would beat mine every time. Why? His car was supercharged, mine was ordinary. Everything about you may say "You're ordinary, you're average, you can't start that business, you'll never write the book, you can't break the addiction, everyone in your family struggles". On your own that may be true, the good news is your Heavenly Father is a master mechanic, he knows how to soup you up, he's about to give you more horsepower, you're going to feel strength, determination, stamina that you've never felt. There's going to be a new boldness, greater confidence, courage to step out and do things you've never done. You're going to have more creativity, more wisdom, great ideas and great favor. You're about to go further than you thought. It's going to happen faster than you think.
You don't see how you can get out of debt, the medical report is not good, you got passed over for that last promotion, you feel stuck - now get ready, a supercharge is coming. You're going to get well sooner, come out of debt quicker, accomplish that goal easier. This supercharge is going to empower you and enable you to go where you can't go on your own, to accomplish what seems impossible. Now you may feel tired, weary from the pandemic, just trying to hang on - God is about to breathe new life into your spirit, new passion into your dreams, he's renewing your youth like the eagles, you will run and not be weary, you will walk and not faint. You're going to think, "Where did I get this strength? How did I accomplish this dream? How did I overcome the addiction? How did I get this position"? It was God doing for you what he did for David, supercharging your life, making things happen that you couldn't make happen.
Instead of complaining about what you're up against, thinking you've reached your limits, get in agreement with God. "I may look ordinary, but I know a secret I've been supercharged. Father, thank you for suping me up, thank you for increasing my horsepower, giving me strength, favor, ability that I've never had".
In the scripture Nehemiah was working as a cup bearer for the king. He had an ordinary position, one of the staff members at the palace. But God put a dream in his heart to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He was living a thousand miles away, he didn't have the resources, the connections, the experience, he wasn't a builder, that wasn't it his trade, it seemed impossible. But God won't give you a dream and not give you what you need to accomplish it. You may not have the talent, the strength, the funds, but God is not finished, he's still working. When he supercharges your life, you'll come into things that you've never had. Don't judge your future based on what you have right now. There are times in your life where God is going to catapult you ahead. Suddenly you'll have the courage, suddenly you'll have the favor, suddenly the door would open. God didn't create you to reach one level and stay there - a supercharge is coming.
Nehemiah was normally quiet and reserved, never made any waves, but all of the sudden he had this boldness, this confidence to do something that he had never done. He went to the king and asked him for time off to travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. He could have been intimidated, afraid, thinking "The king might get upset, he might hold this against me". There was no reason for the king to let him off, the walls didn't have anything to do with him, but the king said "Yes, you can go". God has already lined up the right people to say yes to you. What would normally be a no, when it's your time God will turn it into a yes.
Nehemiah not only asked for permission, he asked the king for materials to rebuild the wall. He said in effect, "I know this is my project, but will you pay for it? Will you give me letters requesting the materials"? That took a lot of nerve, somehow he had this new boldness. The king didn't think twice, he said "Yes, I will". Nehemiah needed one more thing - protection. He asked the king for letters telling the other leaders who he was so he wouldn't be harmed - the king granted that request as well. Should have taken years to rebuild those walls, but Nehemiah did it in just 52 days. How could that happen? God supercharged his life, God gave him strength, ability and favor that he'd never seen.
You don't know what God has in store for you. It's easy to discount ourselves and think "Hey, we're just average, we'll never do anything great", but when God suits you up, when he gives you more horsepower, more stamina, more vision, when he makes you stronger, bolder, doors are going to open that you couldn't open, people are going to go out of their way to help you, you're going to accomplish more in less time.
A friend of mine worked for a landscaping company, and for 15 years he was the owner's right hand man - the company had grown to over a hundred employees. My friend came from a low income family, was raised very poor, they had always struggled, barely got by, that was his mindset, he thought he would never have enough to own his own home or send his children to college. But a couple of years ago this owner was going to retire, he told my friend that he wanted him to have the company. My friend couldn't believe it, he said "I don't have those kinds of funds". The owner said, "I don't want you to buy it, I'm going to give it to you".
Today my friend has his own company, it's almost doubled in two years. He said "I never dreamed I could be this blessed". He thought he was limited, all the circumstances said he was stuck, he was at a disadvantage, then God stepped in and supercharged his life. One good break, one phone call, one person saying yes and you'll be catapulted to a new level. Like with him, God is about to do something unusual in your life. You may think you're stuck, you've accepted where you are is good enough, but God's about to show out, he's about to have opportunity come looking for you. The right people are going to track you down, where there were No's in the past there's about to be a Yes. Doors that were closed are about to open. You're going to feel a lifting, a refreshing, a re-energizing.
God said he's going to supercharge your life, so you can soar like the eagles. You weren't created to always struggle, strive to make it, burden down, feeling overwhelmed. Sure we go through seasons of struggle, but that is not your destiny. Get ready to soar, you're about to lift off. What's held you down is being broken, poverty, addictions, sicknesses, trouble at work, God is breathing on your life in a new way, you're going to feel wind underneath your wings lifting you. You didn't have to make it happen, it's the hand of God causing you to soar. There's going to be strength that you can't explain, fresh energy, fresh vision, favor that you didn't see coming.
A pastor friend of mine needed a larger sanctuary. For several years he had been looking for property, trying to find something that would work, but door after door kept closing. One point he had a contract on a building, a big box store that had closed down, he was so excited, but it fell through. He started to get discouraged and think that it wasn't meant to be. When we've had disappointments, delays, we prayed and believed, but our health hasn't improved, our child hasn't turned around, we haven't met the right person, we can get weary, start to lose our passion, lose our joy. But God sees what's happened, he sees what hasn't worked out, who did you wrong, how long it's taking.
When David wrote this passage, he'd been through great battles. He said, "Enemies have come against me with no cause. My friends, my family have turned on me". He knew what it was like to feel forgotten, feel like he'd reached his limits. He could have easily settled there, but in the middle of all the turmoil and questions, feeling tired and weary, he declared by faith "God will supercharge your life so you can soar". You may be where David was, things have come against you and your health, your finances, your children, you're tired of fighting, seems like you're stuck - God is saying to you what he said to David, he's about to supercharge your life, he's about to do something out of the ordinary. He's not going to let you stay stuck. One version of this passage says "God fills your life with good things". Something good is coming, something unexpected. The reason it's taken longer is it's going to be better than you think, it's going to be more rewarding. When you see what God is up to, it's going to breathe new life into your spirit, new passion for what's in front of you, you're going to feel supercharged, stronger, more passionate with greater vision.
My friend kept being his best, but no doors were opening. Right when it seemed like it would never work out, the mayor of his city called, there was a group that built a large casino, a huge building and they had gone bankrupt. He asked if the pastor wanted to purchase it. My friend thought it would be 30 or 40 million dollars, and they didn't have those funds, and he told the mayor "Yes, but he didn't think he could afford it". The mayor said, "It's not going to be 40 million, that's what it's worth, but we'll sell it to you for 2 million dollars". When God says supercharge that means something out of the ordinary. Get ready for explosive blessings, blessings that catapult you ahead.
Supercharge means you're going to have more horsepower, more influence, more resources. You have not seen your best days, you have not accomplished your biggest dreams, you have not run your best race. You've done well, God's been good to you, but God doesn't take you to one level and say "That's good enough, just settle there", he's about to supercharge your life. He's going to give you a greater anointing, greater talent, greater opportunities. Like my friend, you're going to see favor that you've never seen, people pushing you up, pushing you forward. It's not going to happen by your mind, it's not by our power, but it's by the spirit of the living God. He's about to soup you up, make things happen that you couldn't make happen, bring things out of you that you didn't know you had.
Supercharged means a new level of strength, new level of stamina, new level of endurance. What used to bother you is not going to bother you anymore. What used to be too much, overwhelming, is going to be easy to overcome. What used to be intimidating, fearful "I can't do that", there's going to be a boldness, a confidence, a courage to step up to who you were created to be. I am not looking at ordinary people, I'm looking at supercharged people. On the outside we may seem average, but under that hood the Creator of the universe, the master mechanic has gone to work. He's done great things for us in the past, you haven't seen anything yet, there's a new level of supercharged coming. What God has done in your past is going to pale in comparison to what he's about to do.
Now our mind will tell us all the reasons it's not going to happen, how you're stuck, you've reached your limits, "You can't take that promotion, you're not qualified. You'll never come out of debt, you come from the wrong family". Do yourself a favor, tune all that out and get in agreement with God. "Father, I believe what you promised that you are supercharging my life. Thank you that you are causing me to soar like the eagles, taking me to heights that I've never been".
For years Elisha served the prophet Elijah. He was a young man when he left his family business to travel with Elijah, and take care of him. He would bring him food, made sure his tent was set up, he had a nice place to rest. I'm sure some of his friends said, "Elisha, what are you doing taking care of this old man, waiting on him hand and foot? Why don't you go do your own thing"? But Elisha was faithful. He could have seen it as insignificant, slacked off, but he kept being his best serving with excellence. Wherever God has you, be your best where you are. Don't slack off because it's not where you want to be, don't cut corners, waste time, show up late - if you're not faithful where you are, God can't trust you with more. That's a test. Will you be your best even though what you're doing something that seems less than what's in you? Will you keep a good attitude even though it feels insignificant?
Elisha kept doing the right thing year after year. It looked like that was his destiny, just stay in the background, be good to others. But God didn't create you to always be in the background. It's good to help others to shine, but God wants you to shine. He sees your faithfulness, taking care of your children, being your best at work, helping that friend in need, doing the right thing when no one is saying "Thanks". You keep being faithful and your time is coming. God is going to take you from the background to the foreground. It's going to happen suddenly. You didn't see it coming. Instead of working in that department you're going to be running the department, instead of teaching at that school you're going to be in charge of that school. Instead of serving that boss, like my friend, you're going to own that company.
One day Elijah was about to be taken to heaven in a whirlwind. Three times he told Elisha to stay where he was, go do his own thing that his life was coming to an end. But each time Elisha wouldn't do it, he said "No, I'm going to stay with you to the end, I'm going to go wherever you go and take care of you". There's something about a faithful person, that gets God's attention. Every time you come to church, sing in the choir, get to work on time, have a good attitude day in and day out, God sees that. You are setting yourself up for God to show out in your life.
When Elijah went to heaven, God said "All right, Elisha, now it's your time to shine, I'm going to supercharge your life. You've celebrated others, now you're about to be celebrated. You've been faithful in the background, now I'm going to bring you into the foreground". The scripture says, God gave Elisha a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Elisha had twice the anointing, twice the favor, he did twice as many miracles. Like Elisha you've been faithful, you've celebrated others, you've made sacrifices for those children, you've been your best at work - that didn't go unnoticed. God is saying to you what he said to Elisha, "I'm about to supercharge your life. You're going to see favor, opportunities, doors opening that you've never seen".
And it's good to celebrate others, but God wants you to be celebrated. You may think you've reached your limits, you're satisfied, God's been good to you, but God is not satisfied, he's about to supercharge your life so you can soar. Sore doesn't mean struggling, never getting good breaks, worried about your finances, problem it works, no there's about to be an ease on your life, without great effort things falling into place, opportunity finding you, good breaks chasing you down, strength that you've never had. You feel better, healthier, more energy. What happened? God supercharged your life. He said your latter days will be better than your former days.
For years I celebrated my father. I was happy to do it, I would pick out his suit and ties for Sundays, make sure he looked good on television. I wasn't looking for credit, hoping one day I would be up here, I didn't think I could do this, I just wanted to make my father look good. I was satisfied, but God wasn't satisfied, he had bigger things in mind. Those 17 years that I worked behind the scenes, I say this in humility, but I was faithful. I did my best, I gave it my all, I would work hours on a light adjusting it, I wanted it to all be perfect. When my father died, God suddenly took me from the background to the foreground. I was happy celebrating my father, but God said "Now it's your time to be celebrated".
God supercharged my life, he brought talent out that I didn't know I had, he gave me greater confidence, courage, favor that I'd never seen. You may think that you've reached your limits, you don't have the talent, the courage, the experience - get ready, God's about to soup you up, you're going to discover ability that you didn't know you had, strength that you've never felt, greater resilience, more determined. Not moved by opposition, not affected by the naysayers, you're going to soar to heights that you've never gone. It's not going to just amaze you, it's going to amaze the people around you.
I received a letter from a young lady named Elena. She was born with Spina Bifida. At two months old she had to have surgery to untether her spinal cord. Her parents were told that she would never be able to walk, run or do any kind of physical activity, but they understood that God has the final say. Every day her mother exercised Elena's little legs, speaking faith over her the whole time. Much to the doctor's surprise at seven months old she began to walk. She went on to join our children's choir here at Lakewood, she loved to sing, love to dance, any kind of activity, but at the age of 10 there was a problem with her spinal cord, she had to have emergency surgery. When she woke up she was paralyzed from the neck down. The doctor told her unfortunately she wouldn't be able to walk again. She could have been depressed, given up on life, but at 10 years old she said, "Doctor, I walked in here on my own, and I'm gonna walk out of here on my own". Every circumstance said she was paralyzed, her life was limited, just settled for it, but on the inside she heard God saying "You will walk again. I have a destiny for you. This is not the end".
When she told the doctor that she was going to walk out, for the first time since the surgery she felt her toes begin to move, that was the start of a miracle. Her therapist told her, "Out of all the patients I have with Spina Bifida, you're the only one that can walk with no leg braces". On the medical report the doctors wrote, "There is no scientific proof as to why Elena can do what she can do". Elena and her family are with us on the front row, Elena so beautiful. Let me tell, you yesterday Elena graduated with her master's degree in mental health, she started an organization with her mom called sore to help children with disabilities.
When God supercharges your life, it will defy the odds you'll have strength that you shouldn't have, healing that can't be explained, abundance that doesn't make sense - it's God causing you to soar. Don't believe those lies that the problem is too big, the dream is too great - that may be true if you stay like you are, the difference is: God's about to supercharge you. I believe even right now something is shifting, you're going to feel a lift, a refreshing, an ease, the struggle is coming to an end, the burden is being taken away. What's held you down in the past will hold you down no more. God is putting a new set of wings on you: get ready to soar, get ready to overcome, get ready to go places you've never been. I believe and declare: a supercharge is coming, you're going to have more horsepower, go further, faster, stronger with more stamina. Like Nehemiah and Elena, you're going to overcome the odds and accomplish great things. Like Elisha, you're going to see favor, increase, opportunity, that you've never seen, in Jesus name. If you receive it can you say amen today? Amen.