TD Jakes - Values
I’ve got something to share with you tonight. He has given me a word for you, and I want you to turn to the Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapter 10, verses 39 to 42. This is an often overlooked passage of scripture, not always talked about, discussed, or given the full credit it deserves. I believe this is partly because the characters in the text have such a dynamic story. Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus possess such an essential and powerful narrative regarding his sickness, death, and resurrection that preachers tend to gravitate toward the more dynamic elements, bypassing this because it seems simplistic. However, this is very important. When you have found it, please give me some sort of sign.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet. Talking about Martha, she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to him and said, «Lord, dost thou not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.» And Jesus answered and said unto her, «Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. You’re worried about stuff that doesn’t even matter. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.»
Wow, that’s where we are tonight, and that’s where we’re going to start. We’ll work our way out from there and see what the Lord says. Tonight, we are going to talk about values—values, that’s all. Just values. What’s it worth? What are you worth? What is this opportunity worth? What is this moment worth? Recognizing the value of a moment is very significant. Martha and Mary perceived this moment totally differently. Isn’t it amazing how two people can have the same experience at the same time and in the same place but have completely different reactions to it?
Why is it that we can go to the same service, hear the same message, and walk away with different reactions, even though we were in the same church, exposed to the same music, and heard the same message? Why is it that someone can post something about preaching, and another person focuses on something that doesn’t even matter? They get caught up in the simplicity because of what they value. What you receive is a direct reflection of what you value. The anointing that you value is the anointing that you receive.
And there they are with Jesus. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that. It would have been great to be Paul, Peter, or someone else, but they have Jesus in the house—Jesus in the house! Let that sink in for a minute: Jesus is at your house. Okay, he’s physically present in your home, and you’re worried about doing the dishes and who serves the tea and who brings the hot bread out of the oven while Jesus is in the house. That’s what Martha is concerned about; she’s focused on the work of the Lord, not the Lord of the work. She thinks what she’s doing is important, and it is the work of the Lord, but she doesn’t see that more important than the work of the Lord is the Lord himself.
Let me tell you something: there are a whole lot of Marthas in this world—not just people named Martha, but many people whose names are Jim, Fred, or Apostle So-and-So. They are more focused on the work of the Lord than the Lord of the word. They have great programs, great things in place, and are actively involved in the community, but they have lost sight of the Lord of the work. They’re doing Jesus things, but they don’t genuinely value Jesus.
She’s doing really good things: feeding people, serving, taking care of needs, ensuring everything is neat and tidy. That’s nice, but it’s not nicer than an opportunity to hear Jesus speak. They are both exposed to the same moment, yet they have completely different reactions. This is true about children as well. You can raise two kids in the same house, feed them the same food, have the same parents, and they can go in completely different directions. You might wonder, «What in the world did I do wrong?» It’s not always about what you did wrong or right; it’s about what they value and what they appreciate.
Tonight, we’re talking about values because they are significant. They matter in everything. When you go into a store and are ready to buy something, most of us don’t just go to the counter; we look at the price. We want to know what the valuation is—what’s it going to cost? When you’re ready to build a house, you don’t just tell a builder, «Build me the house and send me the bill.» No, you want to know what it’s going to cost. What is its value? If it is already built, you want an appraisal. You want to know what it is valued at before making an offer. Knowing the valuation determines how much you have to give.
When it comes to value, it’s about an exchange. I give this so I might get that. Now, it doesn’t seem like Mary is giving anything; Martha’s giving everything. She’s running around sweeping, cleaning, and serving, obviously giving. On the other hand, Mary is giving something, but you don’t see it because she’s just sitting there. It doesn’t look like she’s giving anything, but she is giving something very important: her attention. Whatever you give your attention to is what you value.
There should be many more people in Bible classes, but I thank God for the thousands that are there. There are countless individuals right now who are about to jump off a bridge due to a lack of teaching they should be receiving, but they don’t value it. They don’t see Jesus and the word as an answer to the issues in their lives. Your choices and decisions on what you give your attention to reflect what you value.
If I had some money in my hand, I could hold it up and tell you that this money is good in exchange for goods and services—that’s its purpose. Beyond that, a $100 bill won’t help me sleep, eat, or wear it. It is a medium of exchange. Through it, I can get what I can eat, wear, or see. There is always an exchange based on value.
People who want something for nothing always fail. They may get by for a while, conning people for a time, but ultimately, they fail because there is a system in the earth of sowing and reaping, seed time and harvest. You can’t harvest where no seeds have been sown, and you cannot reap what you haven’t sown. There is an exchange that determines what you value.
You can only go so long freeloading before it explodes on you. It will not be successful; you will end up depressed, defeated, and blaming everybody. The truth of the matter is, you weren’t willing to give attention, time, effort, or work to what was in front of you. Both women are giving something, so I’m not belittling Martha; she’s giving something, but she hasn’t chosen the best thing to give for the moment she has with Jesus. Instead, she’s worried about dishes and tablecloths.
She has a moment with Jesus, but her values are not in the right place. This will always come back to haunt you when your values are not in the right place. Tonight, we’re talking about values and what you value. We’re also going to digress to who values you because those are the people you need to spend time with and invest your attention, energy, emotions, and even your dollars into—people that value who you are, what you are, and what you have to give.
People who value that will dignify you with their attention; they will dignify you with their resources and their responses. Do you value the moment? This may seem like a small moment, but it relates to every other moment that will happen in your life. They are building a relationship with Jesus, and that relationship is important. You can’t wait until you’re in a crisis and call for Jesus. You never fed him, never met him, never entertained him, and never interacted with him. Now, when your brother gets sick, you’re calling for a stranger.
Relationship is everything, and I hope you grasp this. I cannot stress enough: relationship is everything. Religion is wonderful, but relationship is everything. I know a lot of people with great religion but no strong relationship with the God they claim to serve through their religion. They’re doing dishes but not sitting at the feet of Jesus. Religion does the dishes; relationship sits at his feet.
If you can learn this about Jesus, you can learn it about your children, your spouse, and your life. Everything is connected to relationship, and that is essential to understand. I won’t drop the mic because you cannot have a relationship with someone you’re not talking to, listening to, or paying attention to. You can’t simply get up on stage and perform.
Here it is clear that Jesus values Mary’s attention more than Martha’s serving. What can we learn from this? When God’s glory and presence come into the room, pay attention—don’t be distracted. There’s nothing worse than watching a movie with someone who wants to talk to you while you’re watching it, especially if it’s the kind of intense drama that I enjoy. I need to follow the plot, and if you miss even a little detail, you miss everything. This story is a little thing. It doesn’t seem significant; it’s not like when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead with a dramatic call to come forth.
However, if you don’t have this, you don’t have that. You need to understand that values and valuation must be established before a crisis. You cannot wait until a crisis hits and then try to build a relationship. You can’t just send someone a message on Instagram and expect them to invest in your endeavors if you don’t already have a relationship with them. People very seldom do business with those they don’t know personally. Relationship is important. Charisma is important. Paying attention is important. Letting people feel heard is important.
Martha missed it—bless her heart. She missed it. She was busy, she was good, and she was a great woman of God, but she missed it because she wasn’t paying attention. You’d be surprised at the people, even among those who log on, who are having separate conversations on entirely different topics while the Bible class is happening. They don’t know how to focus. They don’t know how to focus; they have an attention deficit disorder. If that’s your case, get some help because focus is vital. When you focus on something, you value it, and valuation is everything. Tonight, we are discussing values.
So, okay, enough about that. Here’s one of my stories: A father had a daughter who graduated from high school, and he decided to give her a car. He had an old car in the garage for a long time, and he decided to give it to her as a gift. It was an old car, but he told her to take it down to the dealer and see what he would offer for it to determine its value. The man at the dealership looked all around the car, he said, «This car is old. You know the parts are hard to find. This car was released over 20 years ago, or even longer. I’ll give you a thousand dollars for it.»
So, she took the car back home. She said, «Daddy, he said that the car was old, had been around a long time, and that it was hard to find parts for it. He offered me a thousand dollars for it.» He replied, «Okay, take it to the pawn shop and ask them what they’ll give you.» Before she drove the car over to the pawn shop, the pawn dealer said, «We don’t normally take cars; it’s not what we do.» But she persisted, going on and on, and he finally said, «Okay, I’ll take a look at it.» He walked around the car, came back in, and shook his head, saying, «I’ll give you a hundred dollars.» She drove the car back home and said, «Daddy, he said he’d only give me a hundred dollars for it. There’s a big difference between the two offers.» He replied, «There’s one more place I want you to take it. I want you to take it to a collector.»
So, she took the car to a collector who specialized in old cars. He exclaimed, «Oh my god, do you know what you have here?» He looked at it carefully and said, «It still has its original seats, the original engine, and no real damage. This is impressive! I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars for it.» She said, «You will? Oh my god!» She came out excited and said, «Daddy, daddy, daddy! He said he would give me a hundred thousand dollars for it!» Her father responded, «Good! This is why I gave you the car. I wanted to teach you a simple lesson: how people value you depends on who they are. Never go to anyone who doesn’t appreciate you at the level you deserve.»
So, if you find somebody who’s just going to give you a hundred dollars or someone who will give you a thousand dollars, there’s nothing wrong with them; it’s just that you have to find the right place. When you find the right place, you’ll know because they will value you. A cool lesson, absolutely. I think that some of you are like a hundred thousand dollar car being sold for a hundred dollars, giving yourself away to two thousand dollar people. There’s nothing wrong with the person; they just don’t appreciate who you are. Find people who appreciate you at the level that you are worth.
What I also want you to realize is that what is valuable to one person may be junk to another. Somebody’s trash is somebody else’s treasure. Don’t allow someone who sees you as trash to make you see yourself as trash. When you know your treasure, you will recognize it when you find someone who can see it. Martha could not see that the real treasure of the moment wasn’t mopping or cleaning up or making sure all the dishes were washed; the real treasure was getting to sit at the feet of Jesus, who wasn’t going to be there very long.
«Martha, Martha, you are troubled with so many cares.» The things you’re worried about are not important. You want me to make Mary get up from being at my feet while I’m talking to her, to enter into your lower valuation of me? You want me to make her do it? She has chosen the good part. Wow, she has indeed chosen the good part! It’s interesting to understand that Jesus was a frequent visitor at their house and, over time, they built a relationship with him that ultimately saved their brother’s life and brought him back from the dead. However, the resurrection of Lazarus started with Mary sitting at Jesus' feet.
That’s important for you to understand: there is a correlation between valuation and the miraculous power of God being manifested in your life. So, nothing you do in giving Him attention is wasted time. Every praise, every worship, every moment of meditation, devotion, and consecration—talking to Him while you’re driving to work—all comes back to bless you in times of need, grief, sickness, or sorrow, strengthening you in ways that you wouldn’t have been strengthened had you not built a relationship with Him. Countless people come to you with no relationship, asking you to do things for them. They don’t understand that nobody wants to open the door to a request; you want to open up the door to a friend. Once the friendship is established, then you can listen to the request, and you hear it differently.
You hear it differently when you know that they knocked on the door for you and not for what you can do. Who is knocking at your door right now, and what do they want? Who sees you for a hundred dollars or a thousand dollars and doesn’t recognize your true value? Or maybe you’re the one giving a hundred dollars to a hundred thousand dollar opportunity. Perhaps you’re the one that isn’t giving full attention to the opportunity right in front of you because you don’t value it. Much of our lives, some of the greatest things that have happened to us, we didn’t fully value at the time.
I didn’t value how I was raised while I was growing up. I thought my father was mean; I thought he fussed too much. I believed my mother talked too much; I didn’t think they were hip. I didn’t think they were cool. Later on, I came to appreciate who they were. Now they’re both gone—oh, what I wouldn’t give to hear their voices again! Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be in the kitchen and watch my mother cook again! Oh, what I wouldn’t give to go with her to a business meeting or one of her conventions; she dragged me to. Oh, what I would give to be with my father during one of those overnight jobs where we had to work all night just to be around him.
I would do it in a heartbeat. Make sure that you value the moments you have and the people in your life while you have them because you may never have that opportunity again. All of that is taught here, and nobody’s talking about it. Nobody’s discussing this because they leap over this and go to «Lazarus is sick, let’s go get Jesus.» They forget that you had to establish a relationship with Jesus to be able to sin for Him, break up His schedule, get His attention, and bring Him back—that’s only based on the strength of the relationship.
Mary clearly chose the good part; she chose the best part. She prioritized what mattered most, and He says to Martha, «I want to read again, 'You are careful and troubled about many things.'» Are you careful and troubled about many things that, in the grand scheme of what’s in front of you, don’t matter? I went to see my grandmother once; I went every year to see her when I was a kid. My grandmother had several rules: «Shut that screen door, or you’re going to die!» and «Please do not sit on my bed.» When my grandmother made her bed, it was so tight you could bounce a quarter off it.
If you sat on that bed, it might cost you your life! I came back as an adult, and all these kids were all over my grandmother’s bed, running in and out the door, leaving it open, and she wasn’t saying anything. I said, «Granny, are you okay?» She said, «What’s the matter, Tommy?» I said, «Granny, the door is open! They’re all over the bed; they wrinkled up the bed!» She said, «I learned that wasn’t as important as I thought it was.» Some of the things you are worried about right now are not nearly as important as you think they are. You are like Martha; you are troubled about many things.
You are concerned about many things, but one thing is needful. Find one thing out of all the things on your list of tasks that must be done. What is the one thing that boils down to being your priority because this is what you value most? To find out your priority, you have to know your core values. What are your core values? It’s challenging to ask church people about core values because they get deep and start reciting scripture, saying, «My core value is to praise the Lord.» No, let me ask it differently: what do I get when I get you? Is it loyalty? Is it trust? Is it integrity? Is it companionship? What are your core values? What makes you tick? What would you leave dirty dishes for?
What would you leave other important things behind to focus on? Find your one thing. This is so good; at least you know. I’m not saying you all have to do dishes sometimes, but faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear Jesus teach, don’t be busy making beds. Don’t fixate on other things. Don’t be on your knees praying about matters that are of little consequence compared to what is being offered to you. Martha didn’t grasp the value of what was being offered. He was presenting her a chance to build a relationship that would ultimately save her brother’s life. Jesus didn’t return to her house because she washed dishes; he came back because Mary chose the best part.
She valued His presence before she encountered trouble. Now, when you get in trouble, everybody values your attention, but what you did before determines how things unfold in the end. What you did beforehand determines your destiny. Whatever you value before you need it is what comes back to bless you when you need it. You can’t wait until you need it and then expect to reach out and claim a right to it, being upset because you didn’t do it when you hadn’t built the necessary relationship beforehand.
Let’s go deeper; this is good! I hope you’re enjoying this; I’m enjoying this. I’m jumping right into the middle of it. If you’re just coming on, you missed a whole lot. I don’t even know where to start to get you caught up. But, I wrote down six things I want you to think about. Number one: the danger of inflation. The danger of inflation. What I mean by that is the Bible says we should not think of ourselves more highly than we are. Some people are inflated; they have inflated egos. They only cater to people who have an inflated image of them. They think they’re better than they are at what they do.
I’ve seen people who thought they needed the opportunity; it should be given to them, but the truth is, they weren’t ready for it. Inflation. You’re a king in your own eyes; you think you’re great in your own eyes. You think that you’re better at it than you are, and that’s a dangerous thing. The Bible says you ought not to think of yourself more highly than you are. It’s very dangerous to have an over-inflated self-image. You don’t want to have low self-esteem, but you also don’t want an over-inflated self-image: «I’m too good to do that. I’m too good to do this…» No, calm down! Over-inflated!
When I first became a pastor, I went to a convention, and I was asked to play the piano. I looked at him and said, «I’m a pastor now!» He replied, «Who plays at your church?» I dropped my head and admitted, «I do.» He brought me back down to earth, making me realize that I was overly inflated. Do you have an issue with the danger of inflation? Do you think you’re ready for things you’re not prepared for, and then get angry with God because things aren’t coming together? The truth is, you’re not ready for it. You may not take care of your goldfish but want to get married. You won’t walk the dog but want a wife. You don’t take care of the child you have, but you’re talking about having another child.
That’s the danger of inflation. I want you to get this: number two, don’t settle for deflation. Someone who has a low value of you shouldn’t dictate your own self-worth. Just because the broker wanted to give you a hundred dollars doesn’t mean that’s all you’re worth. Know when to walk away. There are people who can never see the treasure in you, and you keep laboring and trying to convince them of your importance. You don’t have enough life left to convince someone that you’re valuable. You have to move on.
You can’t let people put you on sale and place you in the bargain basement and leave you there. Over-inflation is just as bad as deflation, where you have low self-esteem, confidence, and no sense of worth or value. You do things you don’t want to do, say things you don’t want to say, let people act in ways you wouldn’t normally tolerate—but you’re so desperate for their attention that you’d do anything to get it. That’s the second problem with values: if you have low self-esteem and low value and don’t think highly enough of yourself, people can treat you however they want.
Though before God, all bets are off. When it comes to God, nothing is worth more than humbling yourself. That’s why they laid prostrate on the floor: «I am nothing,» as Samuel said. «We are poured out like water.» What does water do? It debases itself! When it comes to God, whatever I have is nothing. Whatever I own is nothing. Whatever talents I have are nothing; whatever I’ve learned is nothing. Nobody’s going to be teaching classes in heaven—none of the professors, theologians, or scholars will teach in heaven. None of them! This book won’t be available in heaven; nobody’s wisdom will matter there because when we come before Him, all that looks amazing now will fall to the floor like water compared to Him.
So when it comes to God, you should always humble yourself before Him. You don’t want anyone belittling you, but it’s one thing for me to prostrate myself and quite another for you to prostrate me and make me feel like nothing. You belittle me and bring me down to nothing, and there are people who live off the energy of making you feel bad about yourself. Don’t let them do that. I’m talking about values tonight. If you’ve just joined us, we’re discussing values and sharing some important things that I believe are necessary to help you grow into the things of God, to develop as a believer, and to have a correct analysis of what you bring to the table—who you are, what you’re worth, what you do, what you have to offer, and what you don’t have to offer. This is a realistic expectation.
Now, we teach faith—you believe God for this, and I believe God for carpet. That doesn’t mean I can believe God for a wife; am I a husband? I’m amazed at the people who are believing God for a spiritual father but don’t know how to be a spiritual daughter or son. They’ll jump up quickly, saying, «That’s my spiritual father,» and then, when the relationship ensues, they have no clue how to be a son or daughter. They just don’t know how; they’re not bad people; they simply lack knowledge of valuing what they prayed for. You might be praying for something that you don’t fully appreciate, and maybe God isn’t granting it to you because you’re not ready to fully appreciate it and give it the attention it needs to be maintained.
You don’t need a garage if you don’t have a car; you don’t need gas if you don’t have a car; you don’t need an oil change if you don’t have a car; you don’t need a filter change if you don’t have a car. To whom much is given, much is required. Before you start praying for much, be sure you can meet the requirements necessary to function on that level. We’re talking about values tonight—specifically the difference between Mary and Martha. We’re discussing Mary, who is mesmerized by Jesus; she’s captivated by Him, looking into His face, hanging on to His every word, while Martha is running around picking up plates and moving things. Eventually, Martha stops and talks to Jesus, praying, «Make her get up and do some work.»
She’s in the presence of someone who will later raise her brother from the dead, who will raise Himself from the dead—with such pageantry that when He dies, graves open up all over Jerusalem—and her prayer to Him is to make her sister wash dishes. Sometimes we ask God for things that really don’t matter; it’s not that big of a deal, not a big thing at all.
Martha, Martha! Seldom do you hear Jesus call someone by name twice, because normally, when a name is called twice in the Bible, it signifies a covenant. «Abraham, Abraham!» Whenever you hear God call, «Moses, Moses! Take off your shoes, for the ground you stand on is holy ground.» «Joshua, Joshua!» Whenever you hear God use a name twice, that’s significant. «Boom, boom!» Once has He spoken, and twice have I heard it; power belongs to God. It’s a covenant relationship. Jesus says, «Verily, verily, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise"—that’s covenant talk.
Martha, Martha! What’s wrong with you that you are majoring on the minor and minoring on the major? Now let me move on to my third point: your credit card reflects your values. If I want to know what you value, let me see your credit card statement. Let me see your phone. I can quickly find out what you value because what you value, you spend money on and give attention to. If I’m going to investigate you, those are the two things I need to know to understand who you are. I can discern quite easily what you value based on how you spend your time and money.
Are you asking God to value you with what He has to give you while you don’t value Him with what you have to give Him? I want that to sink in for a moment; I paused on purpose. I’m not searching for something to say. We want God to give us what He has in His hand while we hold back what we have in ours. I’m not just talking about money; I’m talking about talent, ability, singing—whatever gifts we have been given. We want Him to share His gifts with us while we refuse to offer our own.
Mary is just looking at Him, giving Him her full attention. Everything she has is focused on that moment. «I’ll do the dishes later; this is a God moment, and I value this moment with God.» I cannot remain in a place where my anointing is not valued. You don’t have to like me; that’s okay. You don’t even have to know me; that’s fine. But for me to do what I do, you have to value what God has given me. I cannot continue to minister in a place where I’m not appreciated for what God has given me. You don’t have to worship me; you don’t have to bow when I walk in the door—none of that. I’m talking about the importance and value of what God has given me; it deserves respect.
So, returning to my third point—your credit card reflects your values. What if, between your credit card and your phone, I could see what you value? If I opened up your credit card statement and your phone, what would it reveal about you? I’m not saying this to condemn you or make you feel bad; I want you to think. What changes do you need to make in what you invest in and what you pay attention to in order to change the outcome of your life? That way, when you experience a crisis and need God’s attention, you can get it.
Number four: valuation is more than dollars. I touched on that briefly, but let’s explore it further. Valuation involves time and attention. I learned this as a father. At first, I didn’t understand that valuing your family requires spending time with them. I came home every night after working hard, checked in with the kids—"How are you all doing? Is everyone good?"—and went on about my routine. I didn’t grasp that their «yes» didn’t necessarily mean they were okay. Valuation is more than dollars; sending the kids a check each month doesn’t make you a father.
When you value something, you spend time with it. Valuation is more than dollars. Stay away from the people who only call when they want something. Valuation is more than dollars; you always want me to pray for you, but you’re not praying for me. You seek what I have to offer without giving anything in return. Valuation is more than dollars.
Number five: appraisals start with childhood experiences. If I were going to sell this house, I’d get an appraisal on it, which tells me what it’s worth at a specific time. How we value ourselves has a lot to do with what happened—or didn’t happen—when we were children. Our self-perception heavily depends on childhood experiences. I’m not a psychologist or a therapist, and I’m not here to treat childhood scars and issues, but if you’re wondering why you have a low valuation of yourself, it’s not because you’re not valuable; you just don’t see yourself accurately because of past experiences.
The feeling of self-worth starts in childhood, yet the hardest thing to get people to do is to work in children’s ministry. You can get all kinds of people to sing in the choir, but it’s difficult to find those willing to work with children. Appraisals begin with childhood experiences. I still remember the names of the people who spent time with me when I was five and eight—my Sunday school teachers, my vacation Bible school leaders, my Sunbeam choir director. I could name them all right now, and these early experiences collectively shaped who I became.
What about those who had a terrible childhood? «Rarely, I say unto you, you must be born again.» «How can I, Lord? How can I go back into my mother’s womb?» No, to be born of water and spirit cancels out the past and offers a chance to start anew with fresh experiences and a new identity. You begin making affirmations: «I am who God says I am.» «I can do what God says I can do.» «I can have what God says I can have.» All these affirmations help cancel out negative past experiences.
I don’t know who I’m talking to, but I feel like I’m speaking to someone right now who might be saying, «If appraisals start with childhood experiences, I’m in trouble because my childhood was horrible.» No, you’re not! You just need to step into the new birth. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, and all things become new. You need to let those new things replace the old things in your life. In fact, I encourage you to start right now.
Right now, I am the head and not the tail; I am above and not beneath; I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ, who loves me. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. I am an overcomer. I am victorious. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, regardless of my size, complexion, height, or anything else. I am marvelously made! Start affirming yourself, building yourself up, and you can counteract any negative appraisal that began early in life. Whether you were abandoned, abused, or faced other horrors, there are those who came from such backgrounds who have risen to become doctors, lawyers, leaders, while others have struggled with addiction.
You must reach a point where you decide: «Wait a minute; I’m going to start over. I will wipe the slate clean and allow the Holy Spirit to create in me a clean heart and renew within me a right spirit.» That’s the conversation you have with God when you’re trying to start fresh: «Create in me a clean heart; I don’t have one.» «Renew within me a right spirit; I didn’t receive what I should have when I needed it, but I will not spend the rest of my life under the curse of a bad appraisal.» I’m going to get a second chance!
In my opinion, here comes Jesus. Jesus thought so much of you that when they conducted an evaluation and asked Him how much He would pay for you, He went to the cross and died for you. That’s how much God thinks of you. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever, foster child, nobody’s child, biracial rape victim, whatever, whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. He has adopted you into the royal family. We were strangers and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel in Ephesians chapter 2, but now, God, who is rich in mercy, wherein He has loved us, He commended His love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
This is why you need to know your Bible, not just your preacher. You need to know your Bible. We’re living in a generation where people know their preacher, and they say, «Oh, you’re my preacher! I just love you! You’re my preacher! I just love to hear the word of God.» You need to fall in love with the Word. The preacher is going to die; the Word will never die. The preacher’s gonna fail; the Word will never fail. All preachers fail; all of them. Some fail publicly; some have problems. All preachers fail. You know why? They’re made out of the same dirty, filthy clay that you’re made out of. You don’t build your hope on a man; you build your hope on His Word, the Word of God. It is the words that I speak unto you that are spirit and life, not me!
I’m just like you, trying to make it through this world the best way I can. But the words that I speak unto you are spirit and life, and they’re solid. Heaven and earth will pass away, but not one jot or tittle of His Word will fail. His preachers will fail; His prophets will fail; His prophetesses will fail; His bishops will fail. All of that will fail, but the Word itself will never fail. Build your hopes on things that are eternal and get this Word down in you so that you can make the kind of affirmations that correct the appraisal you should have gotten from your childhood. You can start over from where you are—yes, even at 50, yes, even at 65. You can start over—yes, even at 82, you can start over right now with a much better opinion of yourself as you let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Oh, we’re having a great time tonight, are we? Are you getting something out of this Bible class? I want you to write something on the line that you’re getting from this Bible class. I want to hear it right now. I want to see you type it. I want to see you declare it. I want to see you confess it. Confession is made unto salvation! Confess a new beginning, a fresh start, a new life, a new appraisal—I’m getting an upgrade! I’m getting an upgrade! And that brings me to my sixth point: re-evaluate through upgrades. That’s what we’re talking about—re-evaluating yourself through an upgrade. You upgrade; you upgrade.
Sometimes, when I do real estate, they come in and say the house is nice, but it needs upgrades; the faucets are outdated, the fixtures are outdated, the doorknobs are outdated, and this and that is outdated. It’s got mirrors all over the house like it’s 1970. It needs this; it needs that; it needs upgrades. You do the upgrades, and it changes the evaluation. Listen: all you need is an upgrade. Re-evaluate through the upgrade. Let’s do some upgrades! You can’t help what you did; you can’t help where you came from; you can’t help what you’ve been through; you can’t help what your parents needed, but you can get an upgrade. You can get an upgrade tonight! We’re talking about values, and this is really, really good. I’ve got some more for you. Are you ready for this?
I want to share some more with you. I want you to go to John 11:19 and 20, because now we’re going to the scene where Lazarus is dead, and Jesus is coming into the house. The Bible says that many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him. All I want is His last one, two, three, four, five, six, seven words: but Mary was still in the house. Martha goes running out the door to meet Jesus, but Mary was still in the house. Oh Lord, teach me to be still in the house—not frantic, not angry, not shocked! Give me that stillness, that steadiness. Mary was steady in a way that Martha was all over the place running out there. «Had You been here, my brother would not have died!»
Shut up, Martha! You always did talk too much; you always did have your mouth going when you ought to be still. Shut up! Mary is still. God wants you to have a still spirit, a peaceful spirit. Peace, be still! A still spirit, a steady spirit. She’s still; she’s still in the house, steady as she was when Jesus was there, because Martha thinks Jesus is coming. Mary knows He never left. Mary is still in the house. I pray that God would make you still in your own house, calm in your own skin, confident in who you are. Still, Mary was still in the house. And I know it means that Mary stayed in the house while Martha went outside, but it also means that Mary was still in the house—calmness, peace, a benefit that comes from what she valued.
What are your core values? What do you value? What do you care about? What would you fight for? What would you stare at? That’s what you value. Church lasts too long; you don’t value it. I don’t think I would shout necessarily; you don’t value it. I never let sinners come in and tell me what I’m worth and what I should be getting and what I should be doing. You don’t value it. Anytime you think it’s all right for the drug dealer to have something but not the preacher, that’s because that’s what you value. Hip-hop artists can have it, but I can’t have it; that’s what you value. That’s your pastor; that’s your 50 cents; your pastor, and you’re good with it. You don’t value this, so you don’t respect it. You don’t see anybody going on a rant about nobody else having anything except the man or woman of God, and it’s because they don’t value it.
I’m not talking about slick, sneaky, creeping preachers who are ripping everybody off and the church is raggedy, and the building is torn down, and he’s living in a mansion while the church is meeting in the garage. I’m not talking about that; he’s got problems that need to be worked out. His values are not in the right place. Not that he can’t be used of God, but his values aren’t in the right place. I am talking about people who love God’s people, fear God’s people, and serve God’s people. You don’t get to stand up in a strip club and tell me what I’m worth. You just don’t. I’m sorry, you just don’t. The reason you don’t think I’m worth anything is that you don’t value me. The reason you don’t get up out of bed is something you don’t value. You can get up on Monday; you’ll find a way to get out of the house on Monday, but can’t on Sunday! I’m talking about your values tonight. What do you value? What is most important to you as a person? Do you value the things of God?
I’ve got one more scripture. I’ve got one more scripture, and I’m going to wrap this up. Let you go. Galatians chapter 6, verses 4 through 10. Part of it is one of the most quoted scriptures in the Bible: «Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.» Boy, the King James says, «Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.» Everybody who knows their Bible at all quotes this scripture. «Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.» They don’t read what’s just before it, but we are.
Let’s start at verse 4: «Each one should test their own actions.» So you’re constantly testing your own actions, doing evaluations and updates and upgrades on who you are. That’s what it means to be a Christian. Then they can take pride in themselves alone without comparing themselves to someone else. You’re not running against anybody else; you’re running against yourself. I’m never preaching against the other preacher; we’re on the same team. I’m preaching against the voice I hear in my own head, and I’ve got a long way to go to get it out, like he puts it in. But that’s what I’m working on—testing myself by my actions. Then you can take pride in themselves alone without comparing themselves to someone else. You don’t need to be like anybody else; you need to be a great you. For each one should carry their own load.
My grandmother used to say, «Every tub needs to stand on its own bottom.» You need to carry your own load. There’s something wrong anytime you are content. Now, any of us can get in a situation where we have to be carried physically, financially, or emotionally due to trauma, death, or crisis. You may need to be carried by somebody for a little while, but there’s something wrong with you when you are happy to be carried for long periods of time. Each one should carry their own load! We don’t hear nobody quoting that! Oh, I hope you get this tonight! My God! Are you getting this tonight? That’s where self-esteem and self-respect for yourself come from—when you carry your own load!
If four people are carrying a box, and you’re carrying your own corner, you’ve got your corner down; you don’t have to carry someone else’s corner! Carry your corner; each one should carry their own load! Never look; nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the Word should share all good things with their instructor. Paul says if you are getting instruction in the Word, and it’s causing you to be blessed, and it’s causing you to grow, and it’s causing you to get promotions, and it’s causing you to prosper through the Word that he is speaking to them, he said it’s only right that you share out of what God has blessed you with, since it was inspired or instigated or fertilized by what I preached to you.
If I gave you what I had, it’s only fair that you give back—not all of it, but that you give some acknowledgment back in the way you give, in the way you sow, and in the way you serve. Or you rob! This is what Paul is saying to the Church in Galatians; I didn’t write this! Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the Word should share all good things with their instructor who feeds you. Feed what’s feeding you! If it’s feeding you, if it’s helping you to grow, if it’s making you a better person, if it’s causing you to have increase, feed what’s feeding you! He said you should share with your instructor!
Now he’s talking about first being responsible—carrying your own load, doing your own thing. But then when it comes to ministry, he says if I’m ministering things to you that cause you to have increase and you don’t share with the one who ministered it to you, then that’s wrong! Nobody quotes that! Then he said, «Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.»
See, now we’re into the grand discussion on valuing. No wonder Mary was staring at Jesus as He was teaching, because her life was going to be altered by what He was teaching! She shares every time He comes into the city—she shares, «Come and stay with me!» She shares what she has because He shares what He has, and it’s a fair exchange, and it’s no robbery! Good God of mercy, it’s good! The world knows this! The world knows this! They go to their conferences, they go to their conventions, and we charge higher prices than you can do in the church, and they go and they receive, and they share! But they know that! They absolutely understand that they get this! Corporations understand that they don’t get access to your platform without contributing to your platform! It’s only us who want to receive something and then begrudge the person who taught us how to receive it!
Paul condemns it here! Then he goes on, «Whosoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction. Whosoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.» He says what I’m giving you is gonna cause you not only on this side but on that side to reap eternal life, life, life! Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up! All of this is built around receiving great teaching and sowing back into great ministry. Then he said, «Don’t be weary in well-doing, for you will reap in due season if you don’t give up.»
You give up before harvest time; it’s not my fault. The seed was good, and when the season is right, the seed is going to produce a harvest. When it harvests, a certain portion needs to go back to the one who gave you the seed. That’s what he’s saying; that’s really what he’s saying. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
First, he starts talking about doing good for the one who instructed you; that’s in verse number six. Okay, let’s go back to say, nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. I’m reading it from the NIV. By verse 10, he says that not only that, but we should do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.
Why are you saying this? Because you value it. As we come to a close today, what do you value? Where’s your evidence? If your life is being transformed by the miraculous power of God, if you’re gaining new courage in hard times, if you’re being stabilized in storms, if you’re being strengthened in crises, if it helped your marriage, if it helped you with your kids, if it helped you to grow, if it helped your business, if it helped your life, if it helped your prayer life, if it helped your worship life, if it helped you to know Jesus, then sow into it. I’m not saying that if you harvest 12 bushels of corn, you should give away 12 bushels of corn, but if you harvest 12 and do not give one or two, how will it sustain itself? If it’s all one-sided, it all comes back to what you value. Now, this is what I want you to get out of it: I want you to understand that whoever God uses to instruct you in the word of God, the man or woman enough to sow into the instructor, is essential.
Secondly, I want you to understand that to whom much is given, much is required. We have an obligation to reach back, to help other people, to bring them up, teach them, train them, and provide opportunities for them—hire them if you’re in a position to do that. We have to help each other to get to where we’re trying to go. Sometimes we even have to carry them for a while, but ultimately, we want them to stand on their own two feet.
Number three, I want you to reevaluate yourself—not too high, not too low, but with an honest evaluation. Another thing I want you to gather from this is that even if you didn’t start out with the right appraisal and you never received the attention, affirmation, affection, or financial support that you needed, let’s wipe the slate clean. Let’s wipe it clean. Come on and wipe it clean right now. By faith in the Spirit, you’re being wiped clean. Let’s start doing the affirmations necessary to build up what the enemy tried to tear down.
The final thing I want you to take away from this is: don’t sweat the small stuff. Martha, Martha, you’re worried about things you shouldn’t worry about. One thing is needful. Get down to your one thing, Martha; get down to your one thing. A girl is going to pay you back in spades; it’s going to raise your brother from the dead. It’s going to give you a place in the history of Jesus Christ. Thousands of years after you’ve gone, they’ll still be talking about you. If you understand what Mary understands, Mary has found her one thing. David said, «One thing I have desired of the Lord; that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.» For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle, He shall hide me; He shall set me upon a rock.
Psalms 27: «One thing have I desired of the Lord; that will I seek after.» That’s what I’m going to focus on, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble, when trouble comes, He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle, He shall hide me; He shall set me up on a rock. Why will He help me? Because I found my one thing. One thing is needful for Martha. One thing is what matters, Martha: getting this word in you and letting it do what it was designed to do. That is your one thing—letting it transform, heal, correct, resurrect, restore, and upgrade you. That is your one thing; that will increase your value. If you’ve been passed around from dealerships to pawn shops and none of them really saw your value, find the collector who understands that you are a collectible item—a designer’s original—and so are you.
This have I spoken to you that your joy might be full and that it might remain in you and that you should bring forth much fruit. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bring forth much fruit; so shall you be my disciples. Tonight, we’ve been talking about values. Tonight, we’ve been talking about second chances. Tonight, we’ve been discussing self-worth. We’ve been talking about God’s worth, being poured out like water before you. Tonight, we’ve been addressing getting our values in the right place. Tonight, we’ve been talking about me. Tonight, we’ve been talking about you.
Tonight, we’ve been talking about life. Life is all about values. May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, rest, rule, and abide now and forevermore. And Mary was still in the house. Stay in the house; keep your focus on Jesus. Keep the main thing the main thing. Feed what’s feeding you. If it’s not feeding you, don’t be a troll; leave it alone. If I’m teaching tonight and it’s not feeding you, don’t be a troll; go. You don’t have time to pay attention to something that’s not helping you grow. Just unfollow me; life is too short to spend running behind people throwing insults into the air. Find what’s feeding you, reward what’s feeding you, and focus on it. Let somebody else do the criticism, because there will never be another moment like the moment we’re having right now. Just me and you; this moment God has given to you.
Can I pray for you tonight? I don’t know how this hits you; I don’t know what it stirred up. I don’t know what I’m stepping on, but I feel like I’ve touched on some things, stirred up some areas, and I want to pray with you that your values can be raised to the level they need to be at. I pray that you would value what is most important to you, that you would not allow people to undervalue you, that you would not inflate your self-worth because of your ego, but that you would be still and steady in the house, focusing on the teaching that gives you life. Martha, I’m going to pray that you release all that worry you have about things that are really not important and find your need for that one thing and focus on it.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I come toward your throne in humility and yet with boldness, and I ask you, Lord, to touch your sons and daughters right where they are. There have been so many times in my life when you had to correct my values because they were pointed in the wrong direction, and I’m only here because you were merciful and kind. Be merciful and be kind as we correct those things. There’s somebody right now, Lord, that needs to correct their values, and I pray that they would do it in the name of Jesus and come to know you, even in this Bible class, in a fresh, real, and meaningful way. I pray for the person who’s always busy; they have so much to do, but one thing is needful for them. They’re always doing this and doing that, but one thing is necessary. They’re always trying to fix this and straighten that out. One thing is needful; put them in a still place. Ah, put them in a still place and give them a calmness like Mary and not an anxiety like Martha. Set them down in you and let them rest in the fullness of what you have for them, so that even when they face death, sickness, and sorrow, they are still in the house. I trust you to do it. I trust you that someone’s life has changed. I don’t care if it’s one person; I trust you tonight that someone’s life has changed. I pray for everyone who has found this instruction valuable, for those who have sown into it and have been faithful with it and have blessed it. I pray, God, in the name of Jesus, for an increase in their lives; a harvest is coming. Don’t let them be weary in well-doing; they will reap in due season if they faint not. I rebuke fatigue; this is no time to faint. In Jesus' name, amen.