TD Jakes - Sustainable Outcomes: Still Here
Go to the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 7, verses 24 through 28. Dr. Orin Perry, would you wave your hand in the house tonight, visiting pastor? Give God a praise for him. My therapist is in the house tonight. Would you wave your hand at him? Let him see who you are. Amen. Pray for him because he was mean to me. He had me doing stuff that our old bodies shouldn’t have to do anymore. I tried. I told him, «The best part of our session is when you leave.»
Thank you for being who you are. Come on, give God a praise for him. It will please you to know I was running today, lifting weights today, and running around my property today. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, man. Yeah, yeah. I still might eat some cheesecake before it’s over, but no, I’m just teasing you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I’m trying to feel good, and I am feeling good. This is quite the text, and the Lord has been speaking to me about it off and on for some time. I want you to pray with me that I might be able to communicate with you what He has communicated with me. Therefore, whosoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
What did he do? And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it fell not. And it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand, and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority and not as a scribe. He spoke like he knew what he was talking about. His attitude was different from the attitude of other people who spoke because he had a different perspective. He had a longer view. He had a vision in mind. He knew. They were used to reading the words, hearing the words, and teaching the words. The scribes wrote the words, but he was the Word. Are you hearing what I’m talking about?
So tonight, I have a title and a subtitle. So that means you’re going to be in trouble. Okay, the title is sustainable outcomes. Sustainable outcomes. Sustainable outcomes. It’s no good how things come if they don’t stay. It doesn’t do any good to fix it if you’re going to break it again. You want to have sustainable outcomes. And my subtitle is real simple. Look at somebody and say, «Still here.»
Father, bless the Word while it is taught tonight. Let it bring forth life. Let it change things, fix things, heal things, mend things. Give us the kinds of outcomes that are sustainable, that we can maintain, that we can count on, so that no matter what we encounter in our lives, we will have the ability and endurance to have done all to stand, to stand therefore with our loins girded about with truth. I thank You for what You are going to do in Jesus' name. Somebody shout, «Amen.» Amen.
You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. There you go. So, I was talking several years ago to a facilitator, an executive, a CEO who runs hospitals, and I was speaking to him at a time when we were hosting MegaFest. I wanted to organize a health fair in front of MegaFest. I informed him about the demographics of the attendees and the health issues prevalent in that population. I said, «Why don’t you come and set up a health fair? It will give you an opportunity to help solve some of these pervasive problems in our community, which have incidentally worsened.» He gave me the strangest response. He said, «Your population, by and large, is not from our city.» He added, «When we do a health fair, we do it with the intent of attracting long-term clients and patients.»
This somewhat hurt my feelings because I believed health fairs were intended to eradicate disease. There are certainly doctors who share that vision, but I was not speaking to a doctor; I was talking to an administrator. Suddenly, I realized that what I viewed as a mission, he perceived as a business. I didn’t realize that, being so mission-oriented, what I considered a mission was his livelihood, his payroll, his mortgages to pay, and his insurances to provide. He was focused on longevity and sustainability, aware that those people would fly back out of town and go somewhere else. He didn’t want to incur the expenses and pay all those people for hours of work for someone who would only be there for a weekend. He was seeking sustainability while I was looking for people who just wanted to get better. Neither of us was wrong, but we had different perspectives.
Sometimes, having a particular perspective depends on the position you hold. That’s why you cannot let people who comment on your posts or say little funny things about you worry you. They are speaking from their perspective. Indeed, it is the way they think about something that shapes their views. What I love about the radical Jesus we serve is that he always challenged people’s thinking. Most of the time, he challenged the way religious people think because the hardest individuals to transform in their beliefs are those who are already indoctrinated with ideas ingrained generationally to the point that they cannot escape the prison of their mindset. They might have escaped the prison of sin, but some cannot break free from the prison of religious ideologies.
Jesus had a way of challenging spiritual thought to transform the way that you think, allowing you to evolve into the realm of his thinking. We have a God who has planned the end from the beginning. However, we have a people who are spontaneous. Let me say that again: we have a God who has planned the end from the beginning, but we have a people who are spontaneous, who make last-minute decisions regarding what they will do, what they will wear, and where they will go. They are unpredictable. We have a God who is steadfast and stable, while we have a people who make emotional decisions on the spur of the moment. The Bible says, «How can two walk together unless they agree?»
Often, when you see Jesus in the Gospels speaking to people, he is addressing religious individuals, attempting to change their way of thinking. It’s like trying to crack concrete with a fork. Once someone becomes convinced of something, the Bible indicates that, at one point, they were so resolute in their religious convictions that they killed the prophets. When God sent his son, they crucified him. Now, I am not even dealing with sinners yet; I am talking about religious individuals. They killed the very God they claimed to serve. When that God sent a prophet, they killed the prophet, thinking they were doing God’s service. We need a revival, but not a 5-day, 10-day, or 12-day revival.
We need a revival in the way we think. We need a transformation in our minds. We require a transformation to understand how we need to process things and how far down the road we should be thinking. In business, they refer to it as outcome-based management. They focus on the outcome, not the day or the minute, but the outcome. They want to see the outcome change. This approach emphasizes setting clear goals and evaluating performance based on measurable results instead of micromanaging processes or daily tasks.
What employees focus on is, «Is it 5:00 yet? Is it Friday? Thank God it’s Friday!» But employers know Monday is coming, and then another Monday will follow. They must think ahead rather than live in the moment. How close is it to lunchtime? Where are we going to eat? People who think in short cycles experience short-term results. People who think in long cycles make better decisions because they consider the outcomes of actions rather than the moment they are currently in. I hope this directly impacts you.
So, take your shoe off so you can feel it. If I can get that toe just right, I can change your life in such a way that you will never be the same again. You won’t be stuck in the moment. We tell people to live in the moment, but if you only live for the moment, you will be as foolish as you can be. The Bible mentions, «Look at the ant, O you sluggard; watch it and consider its ways.» While it is summer, it thinks about winter. So, while you’re talking to God about summer, complaining about the rain, you should be thinking, «Thank God for the rain to water the soil so I can have food in winter.»
However, because you think from your perspective, you are trapped in a cycle of your own emotions. When you become trapped in your emotions, you won’t even pray correctly because you’re speaking to an eternal God while praying from a specific place, and you’re speaking two different languages. It’s like one of you speaks French while the other speaks Spanish, as you are so engrossed in today that you fail to see that God is using today to guide you into tomorrow. If you don’t understand this, you will despise today and miss tomorrow because today is the tool God uses to prepare you for tomorrow. God is concerned about the outcome, not the inconvenience. He’s focused on the end of a matter.
The Bible states that Christ was the lamb slain from the foundations of the world. God had a plan of redemption set in place before Adam ever sinned because God is a God of outcomes. And when you are a God of outcomes, you think about things differently. If you can become an outcome-based manager of your life, you will stop worrying about who didn’t speak to you, who didn’t like you, or who is a hater. You won’t need to discuss haters to motivate you because you will realize that the hater is neither here nor there.
If it doesn’t affect the outcome, it doesn’t matter what a hater says, one way or the other. Your mind needs to focus on clear goal-setting. Your mind should be on leadership decision-making: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. That’s what you should focus on—smart thinking, not things that don’t matter. I don’t care if you like my jacket or glasses because that has nothing to do with my long-term objectives. I’m concentrating on my goals, not your opinions. Your opinion doesn’t outweigh my objectives.
All the successful people are recognizing this because they understand that your objectives do not depend on others' opinions. You find yourself trying to change someone’s opinion when it won’t make or break you, whether they like you or don’t like you, whether they believe in you or not. Nobody received a raise simply because someone liked them. No one got a spiritual gift just because someone likes them. You must focus on your objectives and strive toward them to achieve the outcomes you desire in your life. You should think far ahead so that you can act today in a way that connects with tomorrow.
Tomorrow must link to next week; next week must link to next month. When everything is said and done, you will be where God wants you to be. The issue, however, is that Jesus was addressing people who were only concerned about the moment. They were focused on the present and said, «We did great works in your name. We healed the sick in your name. We raised the dead.» He replied, «Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.» He gives them two reasons before telling his story. The first is that he said, «Your relationship with me should be the foundation from which you operate.» Not your brokenness, nor your need to prove something to someone who isn’t there anymore. Your foundation must be your relationship with me. The second thing he states is your obedience.
So, if you’re taking notes, write down «relationship» and «obedience.» He said that if you hear my word and obey it, you will build on a solid foundation. You will build. Touch three people and say, «You will build. You will build.» Everyone in this room is a builder. Everyone is constructing something. There’s no one here who isn’t a builder. Whether you build fear, doubt, anger, insecurity, crisis, trauma, or trouble, everybody in this room is building something. Whether you realize it or not, you are building something right now. If you’re watching me online, you are a builder—decide what you are building.
Everyone in the story was building. Jesus uses this metaphor to teach them about accountability, achieving outcomes, and understanding that following rigid processes are not as crucial as obtaining definitive outcomes. In essence, any time you value the process more than the outcome, you become trapped in that process. «No, I have to do it this way because I love the process» instead of focusing on the outcome. In reality, the methods we employ to accomplish tasks may vary from person to person, but as long as we achieve the necessary results, that is what matters. People will criticize you for your processes while you should be focusing on your outcomes.
When I was a young boy, I grew up in a neighborhood where the ice cream truck would come by. When the ice cream truck appeared, it rang a bell, and all the kids would rush out of their houses to chase it. Once the ice cream truck ran out of children, I noticed that it would pick up speed because all its customers were gone. Our fun was his business. Yes. I love ice cream; he loves selling ice cream. He wanted the money; I wanted the ice cream. Fair exchange, no robbery. However, I couldn’t understand the dog that ran after the ice cream truck. This is my problem with it: the dog ran as fast as he could, yet the truck was going faster. I wondered if the dog ever considered, «What will I do if I catch it? I can’t drive!»
How often do we chase something without thinking about what we will do if we catch it? Oh, you don’t hear what I’m saying. How many times are we pursuing positions, chasing people, or going after opportunities, but if we catch them, we have no plan of action? If you lack a plan for your next step, you will never fulfill God’s purpose. Successful individuals in the kingdom and in life have thought ahead, saying, «When I get there, I will do this; when I get there, I will do that; when I get there, I will do the other.» They maintain a strong sense of focusing on autonomy and flexibility. I must act if you don’t act. I need to move if you don’t move. I must be flexible enough to adapt when you adapt because I am concerned about outcomes. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to achieve them.
The process says, «I’m not going to turn because I didn’t plan to turn, and I can’t make a change because I don’t like changes. I’m in love with the process, not the outcome.» But people who focus on the outcome will drive down the alley. They’ll drive through somebody’s backyard. They’ll climb over a fence. They’ll leap over the wall because they’re not worried about how they look; they’re concerned about the outcome—outcome-based management. This is essentially what Jesus is teaching in this text. He says, «If you don’t build right on the right foundation, it’s not going to last. If you’re building the house thinking it’s never going to rain, that’s great. How will you be able to endure?»
In other words, plan for trouble. Include challenges in your plan. Jesus is telling them that it’s not going to be easy. Nobody in this story was not a builder, and nobody in this story had no trouble. So for all of you sulking because you have trouble and feeling sorry for yourselves, the enemy is stealing years from your life because there is not one person in this text who didn’t experience trouble. So you’re sitting there thinking you’re in a class all by yourself. «I had a hard time. I had a hard life. I had a difficult childhood. I had a bad marriage. I had a broken home.» So what?
So did everybody else. And if they made it, you can make it too. This story shows that the self-defeating idea is slowing down your performance and stopping your progress because you are giving yourself permission to remain unhealed. Oh, all excuses are just permission to stay stuck. They are the narcotic you give yourself to deflect any spiritual moment that could impact and change you. It never occurs to you that this message really applies to you because you’ve already erected a force field. A story you told yourself is a narrative that keeps you always running and never catching up because you’re pursuing things you can’t drive. Can I go a little deeper? Now, when you examine this text, there’s something important I want you to realize.
This text is incredibly redundant. The rain comes, the wind blows, and it beats against the house without discrimination. Whether the man built the house on the rock or the sand, they still face the same storm. There isn’t a person in this room who isn’t in some kind of storm—whether a financial storm, an emotional storm, a lonely storm, a mental storm, a family storm, or a grieving storm. I said there’s not a person in this room who isn’t facing some kind of storm. I don’t care how they dress, how much money they make, what their draperies look like, or what rug lies on the floor. There isn’t a house built that didn’t go through the same kind of storm. It’s not even a different storm. It has the same progression; it goes from rain to storm to beating against the house. It’s the same.
Whether you built on the rock or you built on the sand, you will still experience the same storm. You are not special. You—let me tell you, you are not special. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but you are not special. I don’t care what you build on; you are not special. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. That’s what the Word of God says. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. But the way you process this in your head allows you to have a justifiable reason not to improve. «I don’t know what kind of devil is coming against me. I must be facing some spiritual warfare. I must be working with a witch somewhere. All hell is breaking loose in my life.» Well, all hell is breaking loose in everyone’s life. That shouldn’t stop you from being a builder.
Slap somebody and tell them, «I’m a builder. I’m a builder. I’m a builder.» That means I’m going to create something that isn’t there. I’m not just going to take over something that already exists. I’m going to build something that doesn’t exist. I won’t sit here waiting for someone to hand me a finished product because I’m a builder. And why would God call a builder and not give them something to build? Look at someone and say, «I’m going to build this thing. I’m going to build this house. I’m going to build this marriage. I’m going to build this family. I’m going to build my own peace. I’m going to build my own joy. I’m going to build my own tomorrow. I’m going to build my future. I’m going to build my retirement. I’m going to build my peace. I’m going to build my ministry.
I’m going to build my gifts. I’m going to build my preaching. I’m going to build my teaching. I’m going to build my technology. Whatever it is, I am going to build it. I am not going to sit here waiting for you to hand me something because you’re not coming. You are building for you. I am going to build for me. I am a builder. Everyone in this story is a builder. Why do you think the rain came? Why do you think the wind blew? Why do you think hell beat against it? Because the enemy hates builders. I don’t care what you build on; he hates builders, and you’re under attack because you’re a builder.
Did you really think that the devil would go to sleep and let you build something for God without fighting you? Did you really think that God would let you preach like that and not fight you? Did you really think that God would anoint you as He has without the enemy sending a storm? Great is the storm that falls upon gifted, builder-like individuals who are anointed. That’s part of the process. That’s how you know you’re a builder. When you see the rain coming, you know you’re a builder. When you see the rain coming, you realize you don’t have time to play.
„Slack not thy hand, and go tell Ahab the rain is coming.“ The rain is a sign that God is about to turn things around. So when all hell breaks loose, that’s when you need to praise God the most because the rain is a sign. God wants you to hurry up and run. Push somebody and say, „Run!“ You’ve been walking. You’ve been crawling. You’ve been sleeping. You’ve had no measurements. You have no metrics. You have no KPIs. You have no focus. You’re not running because you lack a sense of urgency. That’s why you’ve been stuck for so long. You don’t have a sense of urgency to run. The faster the truck moved, the more the dog chased it because he understood this is about rhythm. This is about pace. This is about speed. This is about haste.
And suddenly, God healed them. And suddenly, God moved. And immediately, God set them free. And immediately, God destroyed them. You don’t have time to pontificate and sit around worrying about this, that, and the other. You’ve got to get there quickly because the storm is coming. You’ve got to get this right because the storm is coming. You’ve got to get this solid because the storm is coming. Performance does not guarantee success. Thank you for saying amen with me, brother. Performance does not guarantee success. Both of them performed well, but both of them didn’t prepare well. Anytime you outperform your preparation, you’re headed for trouble. It is the one who prepares the best, not the one who performs the best, that achieves the greatest victory.
There is no difference in the wind. There is no difference in the rain. There is no difference in the storm. It’s just that one of them prepared, and the other merely performed. There is no difference in their performance. It doesn’t say that one built a better house than the other. It doesn’t say that one house was stronger than the other. It doesn’t say that one house was bigger than the other. It doesn’t say that one house was better than the other. Because God’s metrics are not based on your measurements; God’s metrics are based on your foundation. Hallelujah. Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal: the Lord knows those who are His.
As long as God knows me, you can hate me all you want. As long as God knows me, you can talk about me as much as you like. As long as God is for me, who can be against me? I sense something is about to break loose in this place. I feel change is about to come in this place. Somebody take 30 seconds and give God praise. I’ve got to pick up my pace. I have to pick up my pace. I’ve got to pick up my pace. I can’t be mad this long. I can’t be broken for this long. I can’t feel sorry for myself this long. Some of you are still angry at people who are dead. The person is dead, and you’re still mad at them. They’re all in a nursing home, and you’re still angry with them. You let them take your life away with your rage because you are stuck in one place, and you’re not focused on outcomes; you’re worried about opinions, and you keep it alive. You breathe life into it. You resuscitate it. You revisit it. You remind yourself of it. Every time God wants to deliver you, you relapse because you won’t let it go, as it serves as your excuse for not doing better in your life.
And you are just chasing the truck. Just chasing the truck. Just chasing the truck. Just chasing the truck and getting nowhere because you are not concerned about outcomes. Can I go deeper? Touch your neighbor and say, „If he goes any deeper, you might have to change.“ If he goes any deeper, you might have to drop your crutches. If he goes any deeper, you might have to give up your cane. If he goes any deeper, you might have to apologize. If he goes any deeper, yolks may have to be destroyed in your life. If he goes any deeper, you might have to relinquish your excuse for failure because you have granted yourself a free pass not to move forward in your life.
If our ancestors made it through slavery—backs beaten like dogs, left lying in the street, women raped, men castrated, hung from trees—if they made buttermilk without a grocery store, if they made their own butter, if they churned their own butter, if they came together and beat their own wheat, and they still made it, and still sang, and still laughed, how have you lost your song with your car-driving self, with your air-conditioned self, with your dishwasher-using self? Your grandmother never saw a dishwasher and still managed to have a song.
Shame on you for losing your spirit in this storm. Shame on you for hanging your head in this storm. These light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory. Your ancestors would be embarrassed that you didn’t fight harder. They fought with nothing in their hands. They fought without friends by their side. They fought through crises and in the store. You park in garages. You live in fine houses. You go out to the movies. You have everything at your disposal, yet you still complain. Shame on you if you don’t stand up, pull yourself together, and say, „Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.“ I feel the greater one rising within me.
Slap somebody and say, „I’ve got a greater one. I’ve got a greater one. My power isn’t in my roof. My power isn’t in my windows. My power isn’t in my siding. My power is in my foundation. I built this on a rock. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.“ I wish I had 10 people who could admit I’m speaking to you tonight. This word is for you. This word is for you. This word is for you. Whether you receive it or not, this word is for you. You must be prepared to make some adjustments.
Tell your neighbor, „I’m going to make some adjustments. I’m not going to be the same man. I’m not going to be the same woman. I’m going to make some adjustments.“ If I have to dig a new foundation, I’m going to make adjustments. If I have to change my attitude, I’m going to make adjustments. I feel a praise about to hit this house. I feel a praise about to erupt in this house. I feel a praise about to fill this house. I’m about to make some adjustments. I won’t be the same person you sat next to Sunday after Sunday because I’m running out of time and have to make adjustments. Somebody give Him praise for adjustments. It doesn’t matter how I got there. As long as I reach the outcome, that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter how many nights I cried.
As long as I reach the outcome, that’s all that matters. I have a story. You have a story. She has a story. He has a story. But still, I reached the outcome. And the devil doesn’t like it. But I’m here, having done all to stand. I’m standing here with my loins girded about with truth. And I came to tell hell, I came to tell demons, I came to tell witches, I came to tell hexes, that since I didn’t die, I might as well live. I might as well keep preaching. I might as well keep moving under the power of the Holy Ghost. Since the blood is running warm in my veins, I might as well keep on doing what God called me to do. I feel a praise deep in my belly. I feel a praise within my spirit.
Something is going to happen in this place. Whatever I have to adjust to, I’m ready. I’ve been working out all day. I’ve been lifting weights all evening because I want the devil to know the fight is on, baby. The fight is on. The fight is on. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Somebody help me praise Him. Somebody help me praise Him. Somebody help me praise Him. So you go ahead and brag about your car. You go ahead and brag about your shoes. You go ahead and brag about your suit. All of that’s nice. All of that’s wonderful. Beautiful drapes, wonderful carpet; all of that’s good. But none of that stopped the storm. I’m praising God. Not for the bricks, not for the stone, not for the doorway. I’m praising God because I’m still here. I’ve been to hell and back, and I’m still here. I had to crawl on my belly, but I’m still here.
And I refuse to be here and let go of my praise. Slap your neighbor and tell them I’m still here. You can’t ignore me. You can’t overlook me. You can’t push me away. I’m still here. As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord. I’m still here. With every breath I have, I’m going to give Him the praise. I’m going to praise Him until the storm gets tired. I’m going to praise Him until the wind stops blowing. I’m going to praise Him until the hell ceases. I’m still here. And I have the kind of praise that’s stronger than your praise. Because I have a flood praise. I have a wind praise. I have a fire praise. I’ve been through the fire. I’ve been through the furnace. I’ve been through the flood. And I’m still here. I’m still here. I’m still here. I don’t need any other reason to praise God except that I’m still here.
Tell my storm I’m still here. Tell the devil I’m still here. Peter should have rebuked the wind and said, „I’m still here. It might be rocky, but I’m still here. It might be waves, but I’m still here.“ If I’m on the boat and Jesus is on the boat, we might as well have church in the storm. Because there’s no way this boat’s going down. As long as Jesus is on the boat, I’m still here. It gets rocky, but I’m still here. I cried myself to sleep, but I’m still here. I crawled on my knees, but I’m still here. I went through chemo, but I’m still here.
Let everything that has breath know I’m still here. I’m still here. And if you’re going to be my friend, you have to rejoice with me. And the only reason you don’t rejoice is that you’re jealous. But everybody who’s for you, the Bible says, „Rejoice with them that do rejoice.“ Stop trying to find somebody to be happy for you before you’re happy for yourself. If you are happy for yourself, you’ll draw somebody who’s happy for you. But you’re too busy talking about the wind. You’re too busy talking about the rain. You’re too busy talking about the storm. That’s your idol. That’s your god. But the Lord sent me here tonight to tear down every idol. It’s got to come down. Pull it down. Pull it down. Pull it down. Pull it down. Pull it down. Pull it down. Pull it down.
I won’t let anything separate me from the love of God. Neither height nor depth, nor powers nor principalities. I’m pulling it down. I’m pulling it down. I’m pulling it down. I’m pulling it down. Why are you going to pull it down? Because I’m still here. I’m still here. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. If you’re redeemed, come out of your closet and give God some praise. I know you’re cute, but give God some praise. I know you’re educated, but give God some praise. I know you just got your hair done, but give God the praise. Nothing the devil sent has stopped you from surviving. You ought to give God a praise. Give Him a praise. Give Him a praise. Don’t let Him take it. Give our God some praise.
So the Bible says He spoke as someone with authority. You’ve lost your authority. You’re letting everything run over you. The devil is a liar. You have to get your authority back. I take authority over everything that’s been after you. I take authority over what’s after your peace, what’s after your mind. I take authority in the name of Jesus. I refuse to pay rent and not sleep in my house. The devil is a liar. I’m taking back our bed. I’m taking back our house. I’m taking back our children. I’m taking back our joy. I take authority. I will survive. If I lose a job, I’ll make a job. If you won’t have me, I’ll have myself. Whatever it takes, I will.
In April, I was reading the story and it kept blowing my mind because I couldn’t find anything different between the two stories. They were both builders. They built the same. There’s no criticism of how they built. It was the same. The house stood until the storm came. The storm revealed who built on the rock and who built on the sand. How you handle your storm shows your devil what you’re made of. Y’all don’t hear what I’m talking about. Y’all don’t hear what I’m talking about. Y’all don’t hear what I’m talking about. Y’all don’t hear what I’m talking about. Oh my God, help me tell them. I feel the power of the Holy Ghost. See, you don’t understand. I’m from West Virginia. And when we get ready to build a house, we pull footers, right?
We pour footers. We dig it out. We fill it with concrete. We lay cinder block, and we pour footers and might build a basement. When I came to Dallas, nobody built footers. They built pier and beam because the ground is so shaky that if you don’t pour pier and beam, the house will fall down. Thank you, Jesus. But I’m not building on shaky ground. I don’t need pier and beam in my soul. I don’t need anything to stabilize me. I want to build on a rock. The footer was a rock. That’s why it was made of concrete. And my mama taught me whenever you get ready to buy a house, don’t be persuaded by the roof. Check the foundation. If the foundation standeth sure, then no weapon formed against you shall prosper.
See, you’ve been hanging out with people who are built on pier and beam. And every so often, you have to fix cracks. Because even though it’s built on pier and beam, it’s still shifting. And every so often, the door doesn’t close. I don’t care how much you paid for the house; the door doesn’t close. Because pier and beam is how we compensate for not having a rock. Stay right there. So you be my pier and you be my beam. And the only thing wrong with having you as pier and beam is that both of y’all are moving, and I can’t build on something that keeps moving. I have to stand on a rock. Every ounce beneath me is solid concrete. I don’t care what you hit this pulpit with; you’re just going to run into more rock.
The whole thing is rock. There’s no studs. There’s no wood. When we poured it, we poured it absolutely solid. It’s solid as a rock. Hallelujah. You need to be solid as a rock. You can’t be built on something that’s moving. It’ll look good for a little while. After a while, the door won’t close. It’ll look good for a little while. After a while, the window won’t shut. I ain’t talking about your house, but I came from West Virginia, where we had houses so strong you could live in the basement. So even if a hurricane came, you could run down in the basement and still be safe. There are some people out there; you’ve been a basement in your family, and that’s why they run to you every time a storm comes because they know you’re going to stand in the storm.
And I know you’re tired of them, but there’s no need in complaining. You have a house on a rock and they have a house on sand. Somebody shout yes. Somebody shout yes again. Somebody who’s feeling kind of solid, give God a praise right now. Jesus is my rock. He’s my rock in the wilderness. He’s my rock in times of trouble. He’s my rock in the middle of a crisis. He’s my rock that’s going to get back everything I lost. The Bible said that Christ was the rock that followed the children of Israel through the wilderness, and the same rock that followed them was the same rock that they drank from. If you’re going to ever get a drink, you have to go back to being built on the rock, not on the wind, not on the balance sheet, not on the budget, not on what you see with your eyes. You need to be built on a rock. Shout yes. Shout yes. Shout yes. Shout yes. Shout yes.
So tonight, you need to make a declaration, a celebration, and a declaration. Yes, sir. Not a glorification of the storm you went through, but the fact that you’re still standing. I am still here. Not who didn’t make it, not who couldn’t take it, not who forsook you. I don’t know about you, but I took things I didn’t think I could endure. I faced challenges that blew my own mind. I dealt with issues that knocked me down to my knees. I withstood problems that made me cry all night long. I endured things that I thought I could not stand any longer. But when I wanted to give in, the rock wouldn’t let me. And I praise Him for being my rock. And I praise Him for being my strength. And I praise Him for being my help.
Now, I know it’s been hard. I know it’s been so hard that some things you can’t even talk about. I know it’s been so hard that you incurred some damage. Your roof is all leaking. The glass in your windows is broken. Great was the storm that came against the house. But the house stood, and the other man’s house fell to rubble. I’m not saying rejoice in it, but watch your enemies crumble before you. Amen. Yes, sir. We see that. Watch them plan for you not to survive. Just at the last minute, while they’re planning the funeral, at the last minute, while they’re counting on you just to crawl up and die, at the last minute, even when you thought you were going to die, you hit the rock.
And somehow, you stood when you thought you couldn’t, because you’re tougher than you think you are and you’re stronger than you think you are. And you have more grace than you realize, and you know what? You’re going to be all right. You’re going to be all right. I speak with authority. Having known Him for myself, I speak with authority. What God has for you is for you. I’ve been as close to heaven as anyone can get without staying. That’s right. I fell all the way down and hit the rock. How dare you witness a miracle and not get anything out of it? Look at you. After everything you’ve been through. Look at all the people you’ve lost. Some through death, some through disease, some through outright betrayal.
Look at all the storms that came against you. If you’re watching online tonight, I’m talking right to you. There’s a reason you’re online right now. And you can talk about churches all you want. I don’t believe in those churches. I don’t believe in it. Why are you online? You’re going to see soon. We’re getting stripped down to all we have left to stand on. You’re going to walk into that strip club and ask for your money back because it is not going to sustain you. Teach us. People won’t sustain you, but God will. I don’t care if we have to go back to raising chickens. I don’t care if we have to go back to canning jelly. Was God any less God for your grandmother than He was for you? Was God any less able for your great-grandfather than He is for you? Yes, sir. No, sir.
If they lived their lives and made it, how can you let the devil convince you that you can’t make it? You are living in the dreams of your ancestors. You are living in the dreams of your forefathers. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. They would be so embarrassed for you to get into your nice little car and drive home crying, talking about how you can’t make it. That’s right. That’s right. When they walked miles to go to church with no air conditioning. Yeah. And shouted even when they couldn’t vote. And you’re sitting there with your cute self. I don’t care what ethnicity you are. If you go back far enough, you will see storms and troubles that you can’t imagine. If they made it, if they raised 13 kids or 10 kids or five kids and fed everybody.
If they had sweet potatoes under the front porch. Come on, somebody. Y’all don’t know nothing about what I’m talking about. Y’all don’t understand anything about lard. Y’all don’t know what I’m talking about. You don’t know what I’m saying. If they made it and had good food, they cooked so well with so much less that people hired them to cook for them. So why are we so troubled? Because the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. So since he can’t stop you from being blessed, right? He stops you from feeling blessed.
Come on. And we have raised an age of people who worship their feelings. Come on. They’ve been taught to worship their feelings more than to live in their faith. Because the enemy has been working on this for decades to make sure you don’t feel blessed. He couldn’t stop you from being blessed, but he wants to stop you from feeling blessed, from being blessed. He wanted to stop you from feeling blessed. But today we pull it down. Everybody who has had an awakening through this word in any area of your life, rush to this altar right now. There’s no difference between our house and your house and her house and their house. They all experience storms. They all face rain. They all encounter wind. It’s just that some of them are built on the rock. 1,000 square feet, 10,000 square feet—it doesn’t make any difference if it’s going to crumble. It’s going to crumble.
Someone in this room, you have not appreciated the rock. Your fathers worked twice as hard for half as much. We have bought into a lie that if you don’t have this, that, and the other, you spend more on your hair than your mom spent on her house. Right? Oh, y’all are looking all funny. I’m going to tell you because I know what time it is. Ask your grandmama if she would have thought about spending that much money on someone else’s hair. Come on, Bishop. No, y’all don’t know anything about hot combs and burger grease. Y’all don’t know anything about that. Y’all don’t know anything about Bergamot grease. I can smell it right now. You don’t know anything about the grease that held your hair down with a stocking cap tied in a knot by your grandmama. You’ve forgotten where we came from, and we are still here. You are worried about what these people are doing when you ought to be thinking about what your God is doing.
Someone would love to have your troubles. Go into the AIDS ward. Stay around all these people. Go into the AIDS ward. Go into the cancer unit. Go up to the children’s hospital and ask them if they would rather be here than there. And you’ve got the nerve to be here and still not be happy. You walked up here, not in a wheelchair. You walked up here, not paralyzed. Don’t you wait until God gives you something to cry about. See, that’s old school stuff. Y’all don’t do that now. Y’all do gentle parenting. But my mama used to tell me, „Oh, you going to cry? You going to cry? I’m going to give you something to cry about. If you don’t learn to be thankful, you’re going to get something to cry about.“
Lift your hands and let your spirit recognize how blessed you are that you are still here. I know you’ve had problems. I know it’s been tough. I know it’s been hard. I know it’s been difficult because the enemy wants you to be weak enough to melt in this heat. And if you are wax, you’re going to melt. But if you’re clay, you’re going to get harder. Because the same heat that melts the wax hardens the clay. It’s the same heat. It’s the same wind. It’s the same rain. It’s the same storm. The only difference in the whole story is the house.
One house was built on a rock, and one was built on sand. If you’re not built on a rock tonight, you can be. You can invite Christ into your life. I don’t care what you did or who you did it with. I don’t care how long it’s been or how tough it’s been or how confused you might be. If you invite Jesus Christ into your heart right now, He will put you on a solid foundation. Right where you are, if you have not given your life completely over to Christ—I’m not asking you if you are a member of the Potter’s House, or if you go to church. No, that isn’t hard enough. Do you know Jesus? If you know Jesus, then why are you so troubled?
Lift your hands. Lift your head. Lift your heart. Lift your mind. Lift your spirit. Lift your heart and cry out to God. Out of your mouth. Out of your mouth. Out of your mouth. Your God is greater than your storm. Your God is greater. Your God has to be greater than your storm. Why would you worship a God who is not greater than your storm? Thank you, Lord. Now, Father, you see the hands of your people. You see the scars on their hearts. You see the troubles that they faced, and still you sustain them. Still you sustain them. It was terrible, and you sustained them. It was unfair, and you sustained them. It was heartbreaking, and you sustained them, that we might have an expected end. We’re not worried about the process; we’re worried about the outcome.
You said in your word that we might have an expected end. The middle might be tough, but the end is going to take us where we need to be. And so we praise you for the end of a thing. Come on, Sh. We praise you for the end of a thing while we’re still in it. We praise you for the end of a thing while it’s still raining. We praise you for the end of a thing while it’s still going on. We praise you for the end of a thing. We believe that we will never be the same again. I’m going to let you go in just a moment because I believe the Lord has done the work. But if this was your word tonight, I want you to sow a seed. I don’t care whether it’s a thousand dollars or ten dollars. I just want you to sow a seed as a sign that says, „God, I heard you. And I’m going to change the way I talk to myself. And I’m going to change the way I talk about myself. And I’m going to change what I’m doing to myself. I sow a seed.“
You’re watching online tonight. This word reached in and challenged you, reminding you that you have an outcome. When the process is over, you have an expected end. I want you to sow into the end and stop complaining about the middle. I’m not going to give you long; I’m not going to lay out in the hallway and fall under the power and tell you what your grandmama’s name was. Because if you don’t know your grandmama’s name, I can’t help you. I’m going to ask you to receive this word with gladness and to do it right now from the pulpit to the door to the PMTs. You always collect it, but you don’t always sow it. To the security people, to the person who is watching online, and God spoke directly to you, directly prophetically to you—sow this seed to let hell know I’m still here. I’m still here.
All I have is this $20, but I’m sowing it. I’m believing in you. I’m thanking you. I’m still here. I present this $2,000 before you. I present this $5.55 before you. I’m still here. I’m still here. Hey, I’m still here. Wave it at me if you’re still here. Sow it if you’re still here. Plant it if you’re still here. You can’t pay for it, but you can acknowledge it. You can acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will direct your path. I love that scripture because sometimes direction is better than money. Sometimes direction is better than company. Sometimes direction is just direction. Do I go or do I not go? Do I give up, or do I fight for it? Sometimes a word of direction from God is absolutely priceless.
I’ll have you out of here in five minutes. If you don’t have a church home, and you need a church home where you can grow, be fed, and be ministered to through the word of God, if you come to my left, the doors of this church are open. We don’t usually open the church on a Wednesday night, but there’s somebody in this place who needs to make this your church home tonight. If you have to go into a trance and call your grandmama to ask her if it’s okay—because she baked the first sweet potato pie in the church you came out of—it’s not for you.
If you need a home, if you’ve been spiritually homeless, and some of your behavior is coming from your unsettledness—you eat a little here, and you eat a little there, and you eat a little over there, then a little bit here, and a little bit there—you’ve never been steady on a rock. Then come right now. Whosoever will, let him come. Whosoever will, let him come. Are you coming? Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. How many people are glad you came to church tonight? Post about it, tweet about it, tell everyone about it. You know why I say to do that?
The Bible says you are overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. You need to tell them, „I heard a word tonight that got down in me, settled me, ministered to me, stabilized me, and I will not die. I will survive. I will live. I am still here. I am still here. Even if he left me, I am still here. If I’m working two jobs, I am still here. If I’m living with my mama, I am still here. You are not going to ignore me. I am still here.“ Father, I thank you tonight. I love you. Now unto Him that is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the only wise God our Father be glory, dominion, and power, world without end, throughout all ages. We pray in Jesus' name. Shout amen.