TD Jakes — Five Points to My Star
Merry Christmas. Happy holidays, season greetings to all of you. I'm bishop t.D. Jakes and I'm delighted you've chosen to join me on this broadcast because we're really, really geeked about sharing the Word of the Lord with you. I believe it will bring forth fruit in your life. As you're going to a new year, there's things I want to share with you I believe are absolutely life-changing. The message we'll share today is five points to my star. It's very appropriate for the time we're in right now. The points are universal and timeless. I believe it will bless your life. Take a look at this and be blessed.
I'll never forget growing up, my wife and I talk, in the book we talk about how differently we grew up in terms of Christmas. Her traditions were different than mine. They grew one a lot of decorating and festivities and fanfare and trees in the house and lights outside the house and chestnuts over an open flame. We were a little simpler than that. We had food. We weren't worried about lights. We had a turkey or duck or hen anything to eat, that was Christmas to us.
It's interesting to watch the difference between how she relates to the holidays and how I relate. We both get excited about it but in different ways. We always had a Christmas tree a live tree and always got it on Christmas eve because it was cheap. I like to give you something deep theological for it but Christmas Eve they were letting them go for a dollar and we would drag it home and hope the pine needles didn't fall off over the holidays. My mom put a star in the window. All different bulbs on it. Different colored bulbs and that was her idea of decorating the house. Put it out and light it up and if he was really fancy, she would put a blinker up and that was the extent of Christmas.
All through our childhood we were taught to draw little stars and our childhood definition of a star was quote, it had five points. I think it's interesting to take that concept, I recognize and realize that stars in their truest sense certainly don't have five points. I would like to talk about a star that is a star in my life. The King of kings, the Lord of lords and the Mighty God. I want to talk about five points in this season of festivity that should teach us about life and God that should be significant not only for the season but for the rest of your life. Can you say amen?
It's important you understand that Isaiah said his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting father and Prince of Peace. He gives five different attributes to the name of Jesus Christ. Wonderful. Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. And Prince of Peace. On the night that Christ was born in a manger, there's three wise men that gathered out to be witnesses to that birth along with his mother and father. There's five witnesses to the birth of Jesus Christ. There are five books to the Pentateuch. Genesis, exodus Leviticus Deuteronomy numbers that make up Pentateuch. Five fold ministry leads the church. Apostles prophets, pastors teachers and evangelists.
Five is a significant number to God. It's the number of grace. At the end of the fifth day all of the creative elements were created by the fifth day and man was created on the sixth day. Hold up your right hand. You have five fingers on your right hand. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that in due time he will exalt you. Five, five for the power and the authority that was extended whenever they laid hands on people. They laid hands on people as a symbol of power and authority. There were five wounds in the body of Jesus Christ when he was crucified and they hung him high and stretched him wise and pierced him in his right hand and left hand and right foot and left foot and pierced anymore his side one two three four five wounds that made up the body of Christ. Offered up a living sacrifice.
I want to give you five points today. Five points to my star and message I want you to remember throughout the Christmas season that should be important to you. Can you say amen? It's important that we as Christians discipline ourselves not to get overwhelmed in the tidal wave of marketing and conception all ideas that cause people to get away from what Christmas is all about. There is no way you can really celebrate the real worth of Christmas and leave Christ out of the mass. He's everything to the story. It's not important whether he was actually born on the 25th or not. The reality is it's a historical fact and biblical fact he was here and he lived and he impacted. I don't know any other figure throughout all of history that has impacted the world like Jesus Christ.
Whether you accept him or reject him, believe in him or don't believe in him. I bet you heard of him. He left a mark on this world and they're still talking about who he is. 33 years on the earth. 3 years of ministry and in 3 years of ministry he revolutionized the world. There are things that he did before he ever began his ministry of three years. The Bible covers the story and birth of Jesus Christ to when he was 12 years old. From 12 years old to 30 is totally silent and says absolutely nothing about 18 years of his life. At age of 30 yokes up the mantel of ministry and ministers three years and at the end of three years he goes to the cross and pays the ultimate sacrifice because he was in fact, born to die.
But I submit to you brothers and sisters that Christ didn't wait until he was 30 to start giving us word and message. So the Bible says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. A man sent from God, his name was John. He was not the light but he was sent to be witness of the light saying there's one who is coming after he who is mightier than I whose shoes I'm not worthy to latch. I indeed baptize you with water but he'll baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And finally crescendos and said he dwelt among us and we beheld his glory full of grace and truth.
That's what Christmas is all about. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Sermons in the flesh. Physical sermons. Sermons that we can see. I want to suggest to you that there are five different things that are preached to us in the early developmental stages of Christ's life that should become five points that will help you not only to have an appreciation of the holidays not only to have a warm and fuzzy feeling or drink a glass of eggnog while you enjoy the season but go into a brand-new year to face new obstacles and tests and trials and temptations, they will help you whether you're running a business or family or trying to control your own temperament and personality.
Are you ready? Number one. The first point I want to teach you that Christmas teaches us is that man has nothing to do with God's promise. When the angel came to Mary and said hale Mary you've been highly favored among women. You shall have a son and he shall save his people from their sins. The first something she said to him, Lord, how can these things be knowing I know not a man? Over the discourse she began to realize something every believer has to understand if you're going to be effective in life and effective believer. Man has nothing to do with God's promise.
What are you saying? I'm saying Mary began to realize God doesn't need the help of man, not his potential to perform his word in your life. In fact, man can be totally oblivious to what God's spoken in your life. You can be controversial and criticized by men. But if God says he's going to do something in your life. God will do it. Man can't stop it. Say that with me. Man has nothing to do with God's promise.
I don't know what God's promised you. I'm sure he's not promised you what he promised Mary. I'm sure you're not to birth a physical Jesus Christ. Maybe you're birthing a business. Maybe you're birthing a family. Maybe you're birthing a ministry. Maybe you're birthing a vision and you don't see the natural resources and support whatever you have to do in your spirit and God's spoken something in your spirit and you're staggering at the promise of God saying Lord, I can't do this. I don't have enough help. I don't have enough support. I don't have enough people.
God wants you to understand even in the midst of the Christmas season that man has nothing to do with God's promise. If God promises you something, he's able to bring it to pass. The Bible says the spirit of God overshadowed Mary, that it came upon her. What you need to fulfill the promise of God is not so much to confer with men but to confer with God. I am convinced if we spend too much time seeking the approval of people but I've learned over 27 almost 28 years of my ministry that man will approve you one moment and disapprove you the next moment.
Can I get a witness? People are so fickle they'll change their mind on you in a moment. If you build on the opinions of people, whatever you build will crumble and come to ruin. But my hope this morning is build on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but holy lean on Jesus' name. You don't have to have man. You don't have to have man's approval. You don't have to have man's resources. And you don't have to have man's money. O you can't handle that. You think money is the thing you've got to have before you can do anything. Let me tell you something. You don't have to be able to afford it. You don't have to be able to see your way clear. People don't have to embrace you, support you or en doors you. In fact they can criticize you.
Everybody was murmuring about Mary. She was very controversial. Even her own boyfriend was trying to give her a bill of divorcement and put her away and put her to the side. But no one can curse what God has blessed. If God blesses you, sometimes you've got to stand your ground and be tenacious and say he that has begun a good work in my life shall perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.
I wish to God we had more men and women that were willing to be continual verse al. That were willing to be criticized. We have so many people that are so politically correct, trying to be polite, trying to fit in. Sometimes you have to feel the fear and do it anyway. Feel the controversy and do it anyway. Because man has nothing to do with God. I don't know what you're believing God do. How difficult. How impossible. How tenacious you feel you have to be. But I want you to know this morning on the verge of Christmas that man has nothing to do with God's promise. I dare you to allow that promise to kick in your womb and stay alive in your spirit and to be tenacious enough to hold on to your dream. If you hold on to it, God will bring it to pass.
Touch somebody and say, don't abort your baby. It may be hard. It may be difficult. It may be controversial. You may have pain. You may not have support. You may not have friendship. You may not have the endorsement of people you respect. But if God started something in your life, don't abort it because you run into trouble and opposition. In fact, pain is indication that birth is getting close. You don't hear what I'm saying to you. Pain is an indication that pain is getting close. The faster the pain, the closer the baby. Don't fool with me this morning. I'll preach in here this morning.
You might be going through a hard time. You might be going through a lot of opposition, but that's the time that you've got bear down. Touch somebody and say, bear down. When the pain is getting greater that's when you have to bear down. When opposition is the greatest, you have to bear down. There's something inside of you worth pushing for, worth striving for, worth delivering. I wish I had a witness.
Number two. The second thing I want you to get out of the Christmas story is that great things are often born outside of the system. The Bible says when Mary got ready to bear down and deliver her baby, there was no room in the inn. No organized support. No system. No structure to accommodate what she was going to deliver. But this woman was so pregnant with destiny that she understood that great things can be born outside of the system. Sometimes the system will lock you out. It will shut the door and say you can't come in. It will leave you out in the cold at a vulnerable moment. It's one thing to be locked out. It's another thing to be locked out at a vulnerable moment.
You need to understand that great things are often born outside of the system. Don't wait for the system to open up the door or make room. For what God has put down inside of you. Because God has a way of doing great things in strange places. Obscure places, alienated places, rejected places, ostracized places. Who but God would birth a king in a barn? Doesn't God have a sense of humor. He would step out and say you don't have to have my promise born here to have it come to pass. Great things are born outside of the system. We're not ignorant of the enemy's devices. We understand the wiles of the devil.
The word wiles comes from greek word... Which deals with methods. The enemy of master of systems. He's always got a system to keep you away from getting what you're supposed to have. Many people have given up on their dream and promise because the system said there's no room for what you believe. There's no room for your faith. There's no room for your conviction. There's no room for Christianity. There's no room for you to carry your cross. There's no room for the Ten Commandments here. There's no room for your faith to be exhibited. Make room for everything else. For rap music, rock music, pornography, everything else. When it comes to faith the world is always saying, there is no room for you.
I've got good news for you. [applauding] you may have to bear down in a barn with nothing around you but sheep and oxen and cattle and you may have to give birth to your dream and wrap it up in swaddling clothes but the circumstances do not diminish the circumstance of the concept. I feel I'm preaching to somebody this morning. Don't let the circumstances intimidate you. It may not be the ideal circumstance but it still can be the ideal promise. My God, my God, my God, my God.
Touch two people and say, get outside the system. It's too organized, too constricting, too confining. If you're going to do a great thing you have to step outside the system. Think outside the box. Do something no one has done before. Change destiny. Great things are born outside the system. Hallelujah. Slap somebody, tell them, I'm coming out. You don't have to put me out. I'm coming out. Go ahead and stay in the inn. Go ahead and stay in comfortable but I'm willing to be in an uncomfortable situation to get what God has promised me.
One of the things that makes me follow the Lord and love him so, everything he did he did outside of the system. He did outside of the political system. He did it outside of the religious system. Nobody hated Jesus like church folk. Jesus was more controversial to religious people than secular people. Ya'll don't want to hear the truth. It was the Pharisees and Sadducees and church folk always trying to kill him. But he worked outside of the system. He was born outside of the system. He died outside of the system. The book of Hebrews says he died outside of the gates of Jerusalem. They shut the gate on him and he hung his head and stretched himself wide and died outside of the gate. He died outside of the system so that all of us who has ever been rejected by the system would have an opportunity to be able...
You don't get what I'm saying to you. You don't hear what I'm saying to you. I want to thank God for putting Jesus where I can reach him. I want to thank God for putting Jesus where I can reach him. I don't have to buy my way in. I don't have to politic my way in. Nobody has to vote me in. Nobody has to like me. If God be for me, he's more than the world against me. Thank God for putting Jesus where I can find him. I can find him even if I'm in a barn. I can find him even if I'm in a deplorable situation. I can find him even if I'm in a jail cell. I can find him in the palace. But I can find him in the hog pen. You can't hide him away from me. Because great things are often born outside of the system. Great missions. Great companies. Great visions. Great ideas. Great inventions are often done outside of the system.
In fact, if you'll do what God called you to do, let the system catch up with you later. The system runs behind, brothers and sisters. The system runs behind creativity. A day late and a dollar short. Once you're successful anybody will give you anything. But while you're struggling out in the barn nobody will bless you but God. But if God be for you, baby, he's more than the world against you. I wish I had a witness up here. I feel a little bit like preaching this morning.
In my younger days I used to cry because I was rejected outside of the system. I kept on walking with God. I learned to dance because I was rejected outside of the system. In fact I want to go back and thank all the people that rejected me. Thank you for shutting me out. Thank you for locking doors. I'm glad you didn't help me. If you helped me you could say you made me who I am. But when you shut the door... I'm out of time. I have to stop there. It's been a real joy and blessing to be with you.