TD Jakes - Expect God to Do the Unexpected
I want to spend a minute talking about the enemy of normal. Normal is an enemy every believer should flee from. Normal, because if you walk with God, your life should not be normal. When you walk with God, you should not be ordinary. When you walk with God, you’re not supposed to fit in the clique. When you walk with God, you ought not to be like everybody else. When you walk with God, every day is a new day. When you walk with God, He does amazing things. When you walk with God, He opens doors unexpectedly. When you walk with God, He lets you meet people you never thought you would meet.
When you walk with God, He puts you in situations that you aren’t even qualified for, but God has ordered your steps in such a way that every day is exciting. When you walk with God, there’s a spirit of gratitude that comes into your life because your life is not normal, and it is not routine. When you walk with God, God will always do the unexpected. Can I go deeper? I have all kinds of journalists that ask me, «I want to follow you around today so I can see what life is like for T.D. Jakes on a normal day.» I said, «You can forget it. I have never had a normal day. Every day is different from the other day. I don’t have any day that looks like the day I had before. One day I’m in Africa, the next day I’m making oxtail. One day I’m in Washington, the next day I’m in New York. One day I’m at a business meeting, the next day I’m laying hands on the devil. One day I’m at the hospital, one day I’m at the mall.»
I don’t have a typical day, because when you walk with Jesus, He does the unexpected. I’m wondering if there’s anybody in here who’s spiritual enough to have walked in the unexpected. You can’t put me in a box. You can’t give me a title and tell me that’s what I am. You can’t expect me to always dress the same. I just said that because I have an unexpected God. I’m just like my Daddy; one day I’m in jeans, one day I’m in a suit, one day I’m in shorts, one day I’m in coveralls. You can’t expect me to fit into your routine, deadbeat, ordinary, lifeless, religious, philosophical ideology because I serve a God who hates religion. He likes relationship. He does the unexpected. He does the impossible. He speaks to mountains and tells them to go into the sea. He comes to His disciples walking on water. He stops funerals and raises the dead. He goes to weddings and turns water into wine.
I serve a God who’s able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you may ask or think. Have you met my God? Have you met my God? He sleeps in the middle of a storm. He casts demons out of Legion. Have you met my God? He pays taxes out of the fish’s mouth. Have you met my God? He refuses to back down at the whipping post. Have you met my God? He prays for the people who crucified Him. Have you met my God? He rolls His own stone away. He gets up out of the grave. He walks in the garden alive again. Have you met my God? Type on the line: the unexpected, the unexpected, the unexpected, the unexpected. Type it as fast as you can.
I came to tell you that 2022 is going to be your year for the unexpected. This is going to be the year that the cycle breaks. This is going to be the year that God releases you from enablers and brings you to evangelism. This is going to be the year that you get strengthened in places you never had before. This is going to be the year that you leap over obstacles. This is going to be the year that you step over mountains. This is going to be the year that the tail becomes the head. This is going to be the year that the head becomes the tail. This is going to be the year of the unexpected. 2022 is my year for the unexpected. Don’t look for me where you left me. Don’t look for me where you laid me down.
Don’t expect me to be where you dropped me off because I’m getting ready to bust a move up in here. I’m getting ready to step somewhere I’ve never stepped before. Somebody give Him 15 seconds of crazy praise! Oh, that was cute! That was cute! Thank you, but that’s not the kind of praise I want. I expected that kind of praise; I want that jaw-dropping praise, that unexpected praise, that excited praise, that revolutionary praise, that praise that says I’m not through living my life. I’ve got something else to do. I’ve got something else to build. I’ve got something else to fight.
I want somebody with an unexpected prayer to open up your mouth and give God an unexpected shout. Turn to someone and tell them, «I’m gonna do the unexpected.» Don’t expect me to be expected. Don’t expect me to be normal. Don’t expect me to be where you left me. Don’t expect me to fit in the circle. I will not stay where you left me. I will not stay where you dropped me off. I will not stay in the condition I was in. I will not stay there. I will not stay there. I will not stay there. I will not stay there.
I refuse to have another year like last year. Something is going to move this year. Something is going to change this year. Something is going to open up this year. Open your mouth and give God the glory! Yeah, yeah, yeah! I’m getting ready to mess things up. I’m getting ready to break the routine. I’m getting ready to get out of character. I’m getting ready to do the impossible. I’m getting ready to do something to write about. You’re gonna have to write about this because you’ve never seen me do this before. I’m getting ready to break some rules. I’m getting ready to get out of line. I’m getting ready to get out of the way. I’m getting ready to not need you to carry me like I needed you to carry me, because I’m getting ready to get independent.
I’m getting ready to stand on my own. I’m getting ready to flow in a brand new zone. I’m getting ready to lend and not borrow. Y’all don’t hear what I’m saying. I’m getting ready to build a second home. I’m getting ready to start a franchise. I’m getting ready to open up another business. I’m getting ready to become an investor. Yes, the one who was on welfare. Yes, the one who was on food stamps. Yes, the one they overlooked. Yes, the one they said would never be anybody. I’m getting ready to get up from here. Don’t be looking at me as if I’m supposed to be where you dropped me. I will arise!
Maya Angelou said, «Still I rise!» I lost my job, and still, I rise! I lost my friends, and still, I rise! I’ve lost my situation, and still, I rise! I will arise! Somebody help me praise Him! I don’t need everybody; I just need five people who’ll help me praise Him for the unexpected, the extraordinary, the exceptional, the unusual, the magnificent, the magnificent, the magnificent, the awesome, the spectacular power of God, the power of God, the power of God, the power of God!