John Gray - It Was Meant To Be
Romans 8:28. And we know that most things... some things... just the good things... "And we know that all things work together". Put your hands together like this real quick. The trials, the pain, the tears, the rejection, the questions, the fear, the people that walked away, rejected you, lied to you, lied on you. All things are working together. Watch this. For what though? Look at somebody and tell them, it's good. Tell them it's good. Tell them it's all good. I like that. It's all good. I don't care what's going on in your life. Just confess out of your mouth, it's all good. To those, but it's a promise to certain people.
This is important. It ain't for everybody. The Bible makes it clear, all things ain't working for everybody, but all things are working together for good to those who love God. Is there anybody in here that loves God? Do you love God on that TV screen? Do you love him? 'Cause I'm looking at you. Do you love him. Anybody love God? "To those who are the called according to his purpose", you in here tonight, you watching online, guess what. You've got a purpose. You couldn't escape it if you tried. God already made up his mind about you, which is why some people love you and others can't stand you.
Some people like you for no reason, that you haven't done anything to 'em. You're nice to 'em. They just don't like you, because people don't like what they cannot control. Your purpose is bigger than haters. It's bigger than plots. It's bigger than plans, so stop worrying about anything else. It's all working together. Why? Because you love God and you are the called according to his purpose. I have a word from God tonight. Because somebody in here needs to be reminded that all things are working together, including the things that don't make sense.
The title of my message tonight is It Was Meant to Be. It Was Meant to Be. Now, if you could just give God a praise on credit and then we'll just get into the word, but if you believe everything in your life was meant to be. And I'm sure we've got some visitors here, like who is the large brown man up here singing and sweating? But you don't know what God has done in my life, so don't mind me, 'cause God's been setting me free this week from stuff that held me hostage for about 34 years, so hey, glory! So I'm not going to be quiet tonight. Somebody else needs a miracle in here, and not just me. It was meant to be.
Go ahead and be seated. Even the person you're sitting next to, the people in your section, they're supposed to be there. I need you to understand that if you're here, if you're watching, you are literally in an assigned seat and connected to your seat is a blessing, is a revelation, is a place of clarity and perspective, and God is going to meet and exceed your expectation. Does anybody believe that God can be specific to you individually? I have a question to ask you. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why? Why do the people who serve God seem to go through so much?
I was serving God, and I get a phone call from a doctor telling me I got something in my body that unless chemo or radiation knocks it out, my life will be over, but God, I've been serving you. What is this? Why do bad things happen to good people? You thought they were the one. They had your heart. You all was in love. Mama, I think he the one. I do. I think he the one. But yo mama had a little Holy Ghost, she was like, mm, I don't know. I don't, mm. When they do this face, mm mm. He promised you, he promised you. "Always and forever and"... looks like forever had an expiration date. Cause men shouldn't say forever 'cause we weren't created in this realm for forever. There is an eternity, but sometimes men and women will let you down.
And so now you've been nursing a broken heart from somebody who promised you they wouldn't leave, and now you can't even move forward with your life because what if it happens again? Why do bad things happen to good people? My mom, she's anointed. She hears from God. She got married to a drug addict and she had no clue. Why wouldn't God whisper in her ear, hey, he on some stuff. Don't be laughing at my daddy, though, for real, no. Everybody's struggling with something. What you struggling with? Why you worried about me and my family? Why don't you worry about you and your little family? Unless of course, there is something to be said about our free will and God's perfect will.
I want you to know that when you give your life to Jesus Christ, you align yourself with the word that he's spoken over you, and in spite of the enemy's best effort and yours included, your free will and all, God is still going to get you to the destination point. All things are working together, and even the things that didn't make sense were meant to be. Somebody say, "It was meant to be".
You know, more and more I think about my father because I am a father. Anybody in here write in their journal, or are there any people who write in their journal? 17 of you all, amen. The rest of you all are like, nah, I don't write nothing. I watch Empire. That's what I do. Queen sugar, that's what I do. So, I'm going to let you all in on a little bit of a journal entry.
Dear dad, you have a grandson. He's four years old now, and he just had his first tee-ball game. He got three hits, and ran after the ball and not to first base. He did better than me. My only little league at bat, I struck out with the bases loaded to end the game. I had tape on the back of my Jersey, not even a real Jersey. A hanes t-shirt with some duct tape. My son got number six even though he's number four. It may not seem like a big deal, but I asked the Lord to let me live to see John gray VI. Maybe that Jersey was God letting me know he's going to keep his promise.
On December 7th, you will have been gone 16 years, and even though I only saw you four times, I still feel like you're going to walk through the door, but I know you won't. So many questions I have, things I need you to tell me how to be a better man, a better husband. Scratch that. I said stop laughing at my daddy. So many times I yearned for your wisdom, and you were nowhere to be found, but somehow I am where I am by the grace of God.
Let me just take a pause and somebody give God praise if you are where you are in spite of the people that weren't there, in spite of the people who should have been there and they weren't. Is there anybody who can say God got me to where I am? I didn't get where I am by myself. I think a few more people need to give God a praise right there. Your granddaughter dances, just like her mama. I saw her looking back at it. I said, you better turn around. Talking about, what is that? I want to make sure that I'm able to walk her down the aisle, so I've got to live. I've got to change some things. I got to go now. I'll write to ya another time.
I wish my dad could see me now, because I think a lot of his life was rooted in regret for the things that didn't happen. But God can redeem even the worst situations. Oh yes, he can. I'm sure my father probably thought the name John gray wasn't going to amount to much, looking at his life, but God will redeem a name. He'll redeem a family. He'll redeem a legacy, because it was meant to be. I'm talking to some generational interruptions in this church today. I'm talking to somebody that will break the chains that have held your family hostage. I'm talking to some people in here that the reason why the fight was so hard against you is because all the generations that are coming after you are waiting on you to be obedient, and the moment you said yes to Jesus, those chains started falling off. Somebody needs to give God some glory in here. Am I talking to anybody?
See, I could write to my dad all day, but he can't hear me, but I got another Dad. Now, I'm trying to act right, but I feel like shouting. Mama Barber, maybe you can shout for me. Mama Dodie, somebody can shout for me. Dear Dad, your word says I can cry out with a spirit of adoption, Abba Father, which means Daddy God, so where my physical earthly father did not provide, you became Jireh for me. Is there anybody where God provided for you? One person. I see a young lady there. Has God provided anything in your life?
My father promised he wouldn't leave, and he did, but your word says you will never leave me or forsake me, and I want to tell you today, dad, that I love you, and I thank you that I'm called according to your purpose, and your word over me is sure, and I can worship in spirit and in truth knowing that my name is established in heaven. Therefore, the earth has to listen. Everything that's connected to my name has to come to me right... I'll wait for somebody to catch that. Anything connecting to your name that's been held up has to begin moving in your direction right now.
The Bible says his word runs swiftly. I need you to know that the Word of God is running swiftly towards you and your house. Financial issues, swiftly. The word is coming. Issues with a job, swiftly the word is coming. Sickness in your body, NFL, baby. Not For Long. Swiftly the word is coming. I need somebody in here to know that your Abba Father is about to take this thing to a whole 'nother level. Give him a seven-second praise break if you believe it.
I'm going to tell you right now, the devil's going to try to steal some of you all praise in the next few minutes, but let me tell you about this lying devil. The devil is an imposter. He is a thief. He is a liar. He's a few things, but the one thing he is not is an author. Hebrews 12:2. Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. I need you to understand that Jesus has already completed the book of you. Your life has been written, so even if you've been like me and wrote in a journal to someone who could never read it, and you wrote your pain down, and the rejections down, and you can remember every single thing negative that's happened in your life, that's just a part of the story, because the end of the story is over here in his word, and in his word you are victorious. In his word, you are set free. In his word, you are made whole.
And I don't think I have a sound in here that understands what I just said. You can write all day, but what's concerning you has already been written. It was meant... Some of you all can't stand your job. You're supposed to be there. Some of those people think just, oh, they just can't stand you. And you can't stand them either. It was meant to be. It's necessary for your development, and it's necessary for them to see a believer who won't set it off even though you want to. They need to see something. You've got to stay there, but you won't have to stay there for long. I'm trying to help somebody. Tell somebody, I'm on assignment. God's getting ready to shift me to the next thing if I'm faithful in this thing.
Does anybody else feel the shift of acceleration in this place? This thing is finished. In spite of the contrary evidence, the lie of the enemy, you and everything connected to you is finished, tell somebody, I'm a finished work. Tell somebody else, you ain't look at 'em, I saw you didn't even look at 'em, look at 'em. Tell somebody else, tell 'em, I'm a finished work. See, but here is the thing, even you and i, if we confess it, because we're natural in our natural state, it's hard for us to believe that we're a finished work because we still see construction. We see spiritual orange cones and road closures and potholes and where we need to get some rewiring and some new submit for a new foundation, but this is the power of Jesus, he's a carpenter, so he's already got the plans. He knows how to build you up.
So your confession for those who are writing in your journals and the 8000 of you all that don't, 'cause I'm a finished work. You need to write this down so that every single time the enemy lies, you need to be like, "The word says I'm finished". First Peter five, but may the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you, I'm a finished work. I need to give you five things to help you understand that everything in your life was meant to be. Because all things are working together according to his purpose, so I need you to write these down.
Number one, there's purpose in my pain. Anybody in here can say there are some areas where you're battling right now. There's some pain, emotional, spiritual, there are some questions. Only a few of you all, well amen, for those of us who are, no, don't be trying to lift your hand now, you had your chance to tell the truth. You don't want to tell the truth. In these streets. There's purpose in my pain. God never wastes pain. Trying to help somebody in, at home, you're watching online, God never wastes pain. My tears have value. My cries carry weight.
And I've learned how to praise in spite of my pain. And I've learned how to worship when I don't understand. Most importantly, I've learned how to worship after no, 'cause sometimes when we say "All things", we mean "All good things" but sometimes God will tell you, "No". You will pray and he'll be like, "No", why? "'cause I'm God". "Oh, okay". And the rhetorical response, is normally we get a attitude when we don't get what we want. And the question from heaven is, "Hey, where is my worship"? "You only worship me when I give you what you want? When you didn't create you? And you're not even alive for your own purpose, but for my purpose".
Can you worship after no? That's a question you need to ask yourself, and the next time God tells you no, I dare you to bless him and confuse the enemy, "You said, no, God I bless you. That means you must have something better for me, or I didn't need it, or just no, means no. And I love you and I bless you". Somebody just caught that. Especially for my single folk, "God I know that's the one, that's the one", no. "I'm tired of being single, I'm tired of living at holy". "But I'ma bless you anyway, I'm not going to the club tonight. Okay, I'll drive past it. Okay, I'll go in for 20 minutes, but then I'm leaving". Everything in your life was meant to be, your pain was a part of the purpose. It's working together. Your pain is a part of God's ultimate plan.
Number two, there's purpose in my process. Anybody in process? Listen, let me tell you something, the I wish some of the older saints would have told me, you know, they'd be, "I've been walking with Jesus 60 years", why didn't you tell me some of them years, was gone get on my nerves. Why didn't you tell me that sometimes he was going to ask me for things that I wanted to hold on to. There's purpose in my process, watch this, the process is working some things out for me and working some things out of me. It's important for you to catch this, because you need to know that the process is a part of God's plan.
Second Corinthians 4:16, therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. There is purpose in my process, what God is doing, he's working out something that is going to outlast me. And it's going to outlast you. I hope you're catching this, especially right there in the back in the green t-shirt because I believe that God wants to literally change everything in your life.
Someone's like, "Me, in the green"? If you got on green, I was talking to you. If you got on red, I was talking to you too. God doesn't waste pain, and he's working something out of you, and the process is actually designed to make you look and function more like the man Jesus in the earth. So pride has to go, selfishness has to go, bitterness has to go, jealousy has to go, insecurity has to go, sin has to go. Won't get a lot of claps on that one, but it's still the Bible.
Number three, there's purpose in my position. Jesus in Matthew three, was getting ready to be baptized by John the Baptist, and in the 13th verse, the Bible says, "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent him saying, I need to be baptized by you and are you coming to me"? "But Jesus answered and said to him, permitted to be so now, for thus, it is fitting, to fulfill all righteousness". There is purpose in my position. I know that you sometimes are surrounded by people who don't have the same level of talent that you have, but they seem to have authority or position over you.
Listen, if you're in that situation at because God wants you to remain submitted, remain committed to the process, honor where you are, keep functioning where you are, 'cause there's favor in your position, you're not in competition with anybody else, you are literally trusting God for whatever's to come next. If you're believing God for an upgrade at a job or a, what, I said upgrade, what am I talking about? You don't get upgraded at the job, but you know, what do you call it, promotion. Promotion don't come from the east or from the west, it comes from the Lord, so you need to chill, do your part. Don't be looking for no promotion, you come in at 8:16, you're supposed to clock in at 8:00. Won't get no amen, say, "I was with you until the end, 'cause, you know, 'cause traffic, see, 'cause traffic, traffic".
Let me hurry up 'cause I was singing, it took some of my preaching time, but I feel like giving you these, there's purpose in my position. Jesus said, "Even though I'm the Savior, we got to do this because this is a part of the plan". So you need to understand that there are people that God will send into your life just to check your character. And until you pass the test, you won't graduate. Some of you are like, "This person continues to get on my nerve. The one I have left. The one nerve 'cause they got all the rest of my nerves, this is the last nerve". God says, "Then you better learn the lesson". Because until you learn the lesson, that person's not leaving because that person is the only one that can pull out of you, the stuff that's not like Jesus. Stay in position and allow the father to elevate you in his time, he already wrote it in his book, you are going to get to the intended destination.
Number four, there's purpose in my patience. That's a word nobody wants to preach about. There's purpose in my patience, God will reveal to you what you need to know, when you need to know it. "God, I need some answers, I need 'em tonight, I need you to hurry up, because I've, I'm going through some stuff and then my baby daddy he's not here, he ain't here, he said he was gone write a check, he didn't write no check, Jesus what are we gone do"? "Calm down I got you". "No, I need it now". There's purpose in your patience. And until your answer arrives take him at his. Because every promise of God is yes and in him amen, through Christ Jesus.
David said, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me. When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are your thoughts towards me, oh God. How great is the sum of them if I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I am awake, I'm still with you". How do you get a revelation like that? In those times when he was impatient, hoping that God would show up and God had to calm him down and like, "I got it under control". There's purpose, the reason why I didn't give it to you easy is because you wouldn't have honored it properly. Nobody values what they get easy.
I'm speaking to some ladies in here right now, because I want you to understand, he'll tell you, "If you love me, you'll do this", no, if he loves you, he will go to a Christian counselor and will walk through the process with you and you all will talk about boundaries, and you all will keep the sex until marriage because a real man of God doesn't want to uncover you, he wants to keep you covered and he doesn't want to leave you with a spiritual weight, you can't get rid of. Look, anyway that's, let me help somebody else. If it was easy to give away, then you don't understand the value of who you are. Patience, I ought to messed up some people got some dudes in here like, "Man, I ain't coming back here, man". Come on back man, God has a word for you.
Number five and this is the last one and then we can leave together, just stay with me on this. There's purpose in my praise. Psalm 22:16, this is David talking. He's in trouble, anybody ever been in trouble? Anybody ever needed God to show up? He said, "For dogs have surrounded me. The congregation of the wicked has enclosed me". Then it goes prophetic, these next verses are David, but they also correlate to somebody else you know, "They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, oh Lord, do not be far from me. Oh my strength, hasten to help me". Hurry to help me. "Deliver me from the sword. My precious life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth. And from the horn of the wild oxen".
And all the haters who can't stand me and I just added that in, right at the end right there. Watch the next part of the verse, "You have answered me and now I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the assembly". That means in church, "I will praise you". There's purpose in my praise and since God delivered me publicly, I'm gone praise him publicly. This is your opportunity right here, if God has ever delivered you from anything, if he's ever freed you from anything, you got it Brandon.
If he's ever delivered you, can you bless him? If he healed you, can you praise him? He didn't give you a private miracle, so don't give him a private praise. People are looking at you and they know only God did that, you might as well give God a public praise. There's purpose in my praise. I was praising when nothing made sense, now I'm praising that my prayer has been answered. And even though there's been pain and questions and issues, I know that what I wrote is not the end, what he wrote is the end and everything in the middle was meant to be. Let's pray:
Father, I thank you for these people. They got kids, they got to get home, they got to get ready for work and school, but in this moment, I ask that you will seal this word that everything in our lives, even the things that don't make sense, were absolutely meant to be. But at the end of it, your name will be glorified. So may we hear reports, supernatural reports of healing, miracles, signs and wonders, for this is the promise of the word, that these signs will follow them that believe. We love you, this is our prayer. We don't want anything that's not in your word. And therefore, we don't want anything in our life, that doesn't remind you of the word you've spoken over us. We love you, we honor you, in Jesus name, amen.
Give me just a few seconds, give the Lord of praise right there. Do me a favor, be seated real quick, 'cause we got to do this. If you're in here, you've never given your life to Jesus head bowed, eyes closed, hands bowed, eyes closed. If you're here, you've never given your life to Jesus, or you need to rededicate your life to Jesus, this moment is for you. I'm gone count to three, I need you to stand up and say, "I'm coming home, this is for me. I've got to give my life to Jesus because now I realize even the things I thought were working against me, were working for me and it was meant to be".
This is the power of Jesus Christ, one, two, three, stand where you are. Stand where you are, look at this. Look at this. Oh, we can do better than this, who else? Hey, if somebody near you is standing up, celebrate shout real loud, bark like a... Anybody over here? Look at that. Welcome home, anybody else? All you all saved, what up? Anybody else, look at that? Now, 15 of them over there, look at that, that's a salvation festival. Somebody give God praise. Remain standing, you'll have a book from our pastors. I want to lead you in this prayer, the people that are sitting are going to pray this with you.
Lord Jesus. I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord. Thank you for the blood that paid for my sin. I'm made new. The good and the bad, all of it was working together for my good, for your purpose. I love you. Today I begin brand new. In Jesus name. Amen.