TD Jakes - Updated
The reason God allows us not to get him locked into a formula is because he wants us to always have to seek him, have to come back to him, have to ask questions, have to have the humility of coming back to him and say, I don't know what to do. 'Cause God's not gonna let you learn and get a franchise on how he operates. He'll change his method, he'll do it in a pool one time, he'll spit in your eye the next time. He'll speak the Word next time. Everybody got healed from blindness, but nobody got healed the same way, 'cause God doesn't want you to run off and wash up a formula. That's called a doctrine, that's called an idea, then you become tribalistic, then you become hedonistic, then you become bound to a method, and you can't have tradition and revelation shacking up in the same room. They just don't shack up well.
If you're going to have revelation, you have to let go of tradition. Y'all don't hear what I'm saying. God is about to unload on somebody an update. Get ready for it. The reason things have been slow and they've been crazy and they've been out of order is because God is about to send you an update. Somebody, holler update. Now, an update is an act or instance of updating current information for updating something. An update is to update a version, an account or report. It's an update, it's better. It's to make it better. When you update it, you make it better. If you update your phone, it gets better. If you're update your car, it gets better. If you update your house, it's more valuable. If you update your marriage, it has more longevity. Anything you update, it gets better, it functions better, and if things are slow and they're sluggish and they're not moving and they're not working, it's because you need an update.
Don't be ashamed of it. Just push the button and say, update. Don't try to fake it and act like it's working when it's not. Just say, I need an update. Just go back and download an update. Too many of us are faking the fun because we don't want anybody to know that you haven't had a touch in 15 years, and what you really need is an update. You need a touch from the Holy Ghost. You can't fake the funk. You have to get an update, you have to get an update, you have to get an update. You can't fake revival, you can't fake renewal, you can't fake revelation, you can't fake anointing. You can wear my clothes, but you can't have my anointing. You can't fake it, you need an update.
Now, the Pharisees and the Sadducees embrace certain hierarchies, certain ideologies, certain concepts, certain ways of doing things. It's about power and influence and infrastructure and the way they approach God based on their interpretation of theological ideologies. Their interpretation of theological ideologies taught in their religious tradition that made it difficult for them to embrace what Jesus came to update. And so, when they can't receive the update, they settle for the debate. So wherever you see the Pharisees and the Sadducees and you see Jesus, you see debate, because the Pharisees and the Sadducees refused to download the update, so they miss the healings, and they miss the miracles, and they miss the deliverance, and they miss the possibilities. They would rather debate than update.
We are living at a time that we would rather debate than update, and so people are dying, and people are going, and people are losing, people are collapsing because they would rather debate than update. They'd rather win an argument with you on Twitter then to download the update and gain further information and be better. And anytime you start to love the debate more than the update, you start to retard the growth and the development and the functionality that you could have had if you received the update. I don't want anybody that can't update. I don't want a wife that can't update, I don't want children that can't update, I don't want you to be just the same for 40 years.
If I'm growing, you gotta grow too. If I'm thinking, you've got to think too. If I'm reading, you gotta read too. If I'm advancing, I got to, you got to advance too. I don't have time to carry you just because you won't get the update. Somebody, type online, get the update, get the update, get the update. The world is changing, life is changing, seasons are changing, times are changing, and you must have the update. Once you begin to get the update, it changes your perception of things. But people like the Pharisees and Sadducees, not just them, I'm just using biblical references because we have our own Pharisees and we have our own Sadducees who would rather debate then update.
Look at Mark chapter 7, verse 6 through 9, and there it says, I'll read it for you, "He answered and said unto them, Well have the Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me". They like to talk the talk, but they really don't have it in their heart. See, the heart is where the update happens. It's not the lips, it's the heart. You can say the right stuff, but if it doesn't come from the right place, you won't have the update. You can have the language of a place that you have never been yet. Have you ever had people talk like they were more than they were? They'll try to convince you that they had more than they had.
See, it's where your lips can say something that your heart has not mastered, and it goes on to say, "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. I won't go into it, but I grew up in a church background that taught for doctrine the commandments of men, and I kept messing with 'em. I didn't mean to mess with them, but I was trying to understand it. They taught us that we couldn't grow hair on her face, we shouldn't have a beard, but then they said, Jesus, that they plucked the beard from Jesus's face. They said that women couldn't wear pants, and I tried to understand that, because Jesus wore dresses.
Yeah, they said that we couldn't wear jewelry, but they had hats as big as Chicago, apples all on their head, and fruit all over their head, and crystals and diamonds and jewels, so you can wear it up here, but you can't wear it right here, or you can't where it right, I was kind of confused. The Bible goes on to say, "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such things like that you do". It's amazing to me the amount of people that love dogmas rather than revelation. And he said unto them, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition".
In order to keep your own tradition, you have to reject the commandment of God, you have to refuse to update. I thought that the phone would update itself, but you have to be willing to receive the update, and the update requires that you meet certain requirements. Our phone has to be plugged in, Wi-Fi has to be on, you don't just get the update because you need it. God will not give you the update because you need it. You have to meet certain requirements. Those of you that missed the worship service 'cause you don't think it matters, you don't understand that when you get in the worship service, you'll make your Wi-Fi connection.
Oh, y'all don't hear what I'm saying. Well, that's how you make a connection so that when I get up to preach, you can receive the update. Y'all don't hear what I'm saying. Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God, glory to God, glory to God. The Wi-Fi makes it possible for you to download the update, and if you don't open up your spirit and worship, don't sit back and cross your legs and look cute and be important. I know you got a nice suit on, I see them red bottoms, but uncross your legs and open your mouth and bless the Lord until you start to get a signal, because when you get a signal, you can get a download, you can receive an update. You don't hear what I'm saying to you. And all of a sudden, we embraced tradition. And the traditions of men make the Word of God of no effect.
And so, when we talk about traditions, I want to broaden your mind. Traditions does not necessarily mean old because new stuff can become traditional too. Like, it used to be we didn't preach without a collar on, and then they changed and everybody started preaching in blue jeans and skinny jeans and T-shirts and all of that, but that's a tradition too. It's like atheists who say they aren't religious and not understanding that atheism is a religion. The very fact that you put -ism on the end of it is a religion, it's a religion, it's a religion, it's a religion, it's a religion, it's embracing a certain idea and philosophy and adhering to the dogmas and the truth of that, and even atheism is what it hates. To follow God, we have to be nomadic. We have to be willing to move. We have to move when God moves. We have to have the liquidity of thought and nimbleness of mind that is necessary to make us followers of Christ, not masters of Christ, followers of Christ.
So, that means you gotta be nomadic, you gotta be prepared to transition at a moment's notice, that means that what he did ten years ago is not what he's doing right now. What he did five months ago is not what he's doing right, give us this day our daily bread. Look at how many times you have to talk to him, give us this day our daily bread. We don't want to assume anything. You bake the bread, we knead the bread, give us this day our daily bread. Keeps me with my arms up, keeps me with my mouth open, keeps me depending on you, keeps me leaning on you, keeps me calling on you, keeps me humble, keeps me in my place.
I'm not smart enough to feed myself, give us this day our daily bread. Give me the bread for the day that I'm having. Give me the bread for the fight that I'm fighting. Give me the bread for the hell that I'm going through. I cannot fight today's devil with... oh, god. Whoo, glory to God. See, the reason you're being defeated is you're fighting with yesterday's bread, and you're fighting today's devil. You need fresh bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Update me, update. This is a new kind of devil. I need a new kind of anointing. This is a new kind of war. I need a new kind of strength. This is a new kind of fight.
Jesus is God's update. He came to fix what was broken, he came to straighten out what wasn't working right. Jesus is God's update, sent down from heaven to earth to update the thinking and the theology of people who already knew him as Jehovah God, who already knew him as Elohim, who already knew him as El Shaddai. They knew him as God, but when he came with an update, they rejected the update. If you reject the update, you miss the blessing. You have to receive the update. Whosoever will, receive the update.
If you're listening at me right now, receive the update. It's not the drugs that are holding you, it's that you refuse to receive the update. It's not the liquor that's holding you. It's that you refuse to receive the update. If you get the update, it will drive out the liquor. If you get the update, it'll drive out the drugs, if you get the update. Come on, talk to me, somebody. I feel glory in this place, I feel glory in this place. I'm gonna give you seven things that Jesus came to do:
Jesus came to update our understanding of God. He came to update our understanding of God.
Number two, he came to destroy the works of the enemy. I mean, destroy them, not wrestle with them, not pull on 'em, not bruise their head, he came to destroy, to destroy, to annihilate the works of the enemy. He came to destroy the works of the enemy.
Number three, he comes to reveal the new covenant.
Number four, he comes to fulfill the law.
Number five, he comes to offer the kingdom.
Number six, he comes to unleash the healing of our sin-sick souls.
Number seven, he comes to show us the way to the Father.
All of this, he comes in the update. Somebody, shout in the update. So, in the update is a deeper understanding of God. Number two, in the update is the works, it's the destruction of the works of the enemy. Some of you got a bug in your system, God wants to chase it out and drive it out and drive it out and drive it out and drive, he wants to destroy the works of the enemy. The update comes to reveal the new covenant. The New Testament was in his blood. Testament and covenant are interchangeable. He comes to fulfill the law. The update comes to offer the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Who was at hand? Jesus. He comes to offer us the kingdom. The update comes to unleash the healing of our sin-sick soul. The update comes to show us the way to the Father.
Jesus came to show us the way to the, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father save by me". That's why before we were called Christians and before we were called believers, the church was called the way. Do you still believe your faith is the way? Do you still believe that your God is the way? The way, the way, he is the way. I'm in the way, they would say, I'm in the way, I'm in the way. The way, he is the way. He is the way to peace. He is the way to joy. He is the way to contentment. He is the way out of debt. He is the way to discipline. He is the way to healing. He is the way to therapy. He is the way to renewal. He is the way to hope. He is the way to life. He is the way, he is the way, he is the way, he's the way. The Bible describes him, "He which is and was and is to come".
In Revelations 1 through 4, "He which is and was and is to come," he which is and was and is to come, he which is and was and is to come. He which is, that's present, right now, was, that's historical, and is to come. He is the eternal Son of God. He didn't just become the Son of God. He wasn't suddenly made the Son of God. The Bible said he was slain from the foundations of the world. John says he made the world, and the world was made by him. The book of Hebrews begins to teach us that when it talks about Jesus, that Jesus was the... take me back to Hebrews 1 and 2, I think it is 1 and 2, 1 and 2, 1 and 2, yeah, that's right there, right there, "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things," that's the future, here's the past, "By whom also he made the worlds".
If he made the worlds, why are you praying to the worlds? He which is and was and is to come. Can I go a little deeper? That means he transcends time. He is not bound to is or was or is to come. He is both is and was and is to come, 'cause is and was and is to come speak to time. God transcends time, 'cause he lives in eternity. And because he lives in eternity, he could see that which is and was and is to come in one glance. You have to wait till tomorrow to see tomorrow, but he's in tomorrow and today and yesterday. That's why I go to him for my healing, because he's the only one who can heal what broke yesterday, change how I react today, and fix what I'm gonna do tomorrow. He which is and... oh y'all, y'all didn't get how good that was, y'all didn't get how good that was. I could find him today, he can fix what broke yesterday, and change how I respond tomorrow. He which is and was and is to come. He which he is and was and is to come.
That's why you praise him, that's why you give him the glory, that's why you lift him up, not 'cause you're cute, not 'cause you dance good, not because you've got a cute shout, you praise him because if you're praising him now, he can fix what happened back then and change how things turn out tomorrow. I dare you to praise he which is and was and is to come, he which is and was and is to come, he which is and was and is to come. "I am the same yesterday, today, and forever more". Galatians chapter 4, verses 4 through 6, identifies to us that when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son. He already existed, or he couldn't have been sent forth. Ooh, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God, and because you are sons, say, I am a son of God. I don't care nothin' about you being a woman, say, I am a son of God. It's not about a gender, it's about a position. Say, I am the son of God. Because you are the sons, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, lift your hands and shout, Abba Father.
Something is about to happen in this place, something is about to happen in this place, something is about to happen in this place, something is about to happen in this place. When you start talkin' about God, hell gets nervous. When you start talking about God, your faith leaps out of jail. When you start talkin' about God, your mind gets renewed. That's what you came to talk about, you came to talk about God, you didn't come to be analyzed, you didn't come for psychotherapy, you didn't come for a massage, you didn't come for motivation, you came to learn about God. Your God, my God, the God who can do anything with anybody at anytime at any place at any time. He's God, he's God, he's got all power in his hand. Heaven is his throne and earth is his footstool. He's God. Shout yes, somebody. He is the heir of all things. He is the air appointed, everything falls up under his auspices, everything's under his skirts, everything's under his power.
Your mind, your health, your finances, your body, your family, your situation, your circumstance, your future, your destiny, it's all up under his hands. He is the heir of all things. He controls everything, he controls everybody, he controls every situation, and you got him inside of you, and you sit there looking at me when you got him down inside of you. The liberating God, the water-walking God, the cancer-rebuking God, the soul-stirring God. Somebody, help me praise him. Oh, I praise him by myself. I'm talkin' about God. Christ in you, the hope of glory, I need a 30 second of Holy Ghost praise to break out in this house right now. God, God, God, God, God. Everybody who got him ought to feel it right now, 'cause when you start talking about him, he sits down in the praise, he inhabits the praises of his people. And if there's any kind of little bitty bit of God down inside of you, he ought to be leaping right now, he ought to be jumping right now, he ought to be moving right now, he ought to be stirred right now.
Your gifts ought to be stirring, your tongues ought to be talking, your hands ought to be clapping, your feet ought to be moving, your soul ought to be rejoicing. I'm talkin' about he which was and is to come, he which is and was and is to come, he which is and was and is to come, I'm talking about your God. I'm talkin' about the Mighty God, the Wonderful Counselor, the Deliverer, the water walker, I'm talkin' about the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. I can't hear you. I dare you to open your mouth. Somebody, shout update. The devil thought he had me, but I just gotta... the sickness thought he had me, but I just gotta... I thought I was getting weak, but I just gotta... you need to let hell know, you thought you had me locked to the floor, but God just downloaded an update. And still I rise, and still I rise.