TD Jakes - Rise Above
Drawing from Paul's words to Timothy and David's reaction to his child's death, the preacher celebrates enduring the fight of faith, keeping belief amid loss, and finishing one's course—proclaiming that vulnerability in grief gives way to sudden resurrection power, turning mourning into praise and declaring a turnaround for those who refuse to quit.
Paul's Vulnerable Admission
Paul writes to Timothy and says, "I fought a good fight," letting him know being me is not easy. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not in my suits—you can get suits like me, but they will not make you stand like me.
I fought a good fight, baby. I fought one hell of a fight. Are there any fighters in here? Slap somebody and tell them I fought a good fight.
I fought my way up. I fought to get to work. I fought to get up on my feet. I fought to stand. I fought to carry on. I fought to love. I fought to live. I fought to get out of the bed.
I fought with my fears, my doubts, my anxieties, my insecurities. I fought with haters, liars, backbiters, and betrayers. I even had to fight with family—and many times I laid in the bed. I could not go to sleep because I was fighting with myself.
I fought—high five somebody—tell them I fought a good fight.
A Revolutionized Perception of Fighting
I mean I fought such a good fight that when I look at what other people call a fight—what they call a fight is what I call normal. My whole perception of what a fight is has been revolutionized—that is not a fight. I fought a good fight.
The old man tells the young man, "I fought a good fight."
Keeping the Faith Amid Loss
I kept—I kept the faith. I kept it. I lost a lot of stuff. I lost a lot of friends. I lost a lot of strength. I lost a lot of courage. I lost a lot of time. I lost a lot of money—but I kept.
Down on my knees I was still believing—broke I was believing—lonely I was believing—betrayed I was—T three people—tell them keep the faith. Keep the faith.
If you lose a job—keep the faith. If you lose the spouse—keep the faith. If you bury your child—keep the faith. If you have to downsize—keep the faith. If you have to move in with your mama—keep the faith. If you are at your wits' end—keep the faith. If you are out to catch the bus—keep the faith. If you hitch the thumb—keep the faith. If you get sick—keep the faith. If you lose your kidneys—keep the faith. If you got hard trouble—keep the faith.
You might not get a new heart, but you got to keep your faith.
Finishing the Course
Then he says—the old man says to the young man—I finished my course.
I am concerned because we are living in a world that has become comfortable with going to school and getting an incomplete.
The danger of living a life of incompletes—three or four sets of families, three or four sets of kids—nobody can count on you to stay. Forget winning—forget winning—to stay.
You do not have to be a superhero. Nobody can count on you to stay—to stick it out—to endure. Nobody can count on you past happy.
They used to come in my office and say I am leaving him because he is beating me. I am leaving him because he abused my children. I am leaving him because he is homicidal.
Now they come in my office—they say I am leaving because I am not happy. You are not happy? Who told you you was going to be happy? What does that have to do with anything? Who do you know in your life that is happy all the time?
You quit because you were not happy.
To the person who keeps quitting—you have to live with that infection—that you carry—that propensity to never finish.
Paul says I finished my course. I did not finish yours. I did not finish yours. I did not finish yours. I am not into your business. I am not trying to get in your business.
People who are trying to finish their course are not nosy—because they are so focused trying to finish what they started. I do not have time to worry about what is going on in your house. I am so busy trying to manage what is going on in—it is all I can do to finish my course.
Somebody in this room—you have quit so many things that you have lost respect for yourself. Somebody say give me the grace to endure.
Enduring Despite Thorns
Do not misunderstand it—you cannot be no wimp now. The Apostle Paul got into trouble. Lord, remove this thorn from my flesh. He had to pray. He had to go through some tough time.
He said I got so depressed. I got so discouraged. I wanted to die. I prayed—after seeing people get healed and delivered—I raised people from the dead and could not get the thorn out of my own flesh.
The contradictions of being powerful outwardly and conflicted inwardly is enough to make you quit—and still he finished the course with a God who said no to his own prayer.
Oh, y'all do not want to talk to me. What do you do when you are better on the outside than you are on the inside? I can get rid of your thorn, but I got to bear—oh my God—this is so good. I am going to get my own CD. I am going to get this.
Jesus' Struggle to Finish
Is not it amazing how good you can be at fixing other people's lives? You know exactly what they ought to do.
Even Jesus struggled with finishing. Yes indeed—He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane and says I do not know—I do not know. This is—Daddy—this is tougher than I thought.
He labored in prayer to sweat like blood—blood like sweat poured through His skin—saying can I get out of this? Can I get out of this? Can I—can I get on a horse and ride away? Can I take a camel and ride away from across?
Jesus says, "Daddy, can I quit? I have never seen The Potter's House so quiet."
Three times He prayed—help me to finish. Is there a way that I can get out of being me?
Is there anybody in here who has ever prayed, Lord, is there a way I can get out of being me? Being me is not going so good. Being me is not what it is cracked up to be. Daddy, can I quit?
And finally He says not My will—that is where—that is where it is. That is the whole thing. Not My will means not My way—not My preferences—not My pleasure—not My style—not what I wanted—not what I liked—but Thine be done.
David's Reaction to Loss
What do you do with what normally works? The other word—we tried to lift him, but we could not lift him—and now we hide the truth from him because we do not think he can handle the truth—uh-huh.
So do not tell him that the child is dead because he is really going to flip out if he finds out that bad has gotten worse. He is tripping over bad—and if we tell him bad has gotten worse, he is going to go absolutely bananas.
But the Bible said that while they were whispering—yes—David looked up and saw them whispering—yes sir—and it said—and he perceived. He perceived that the child was dead.
Perceived means in his mind—he sensed that the child was dead—and that is what changed everything.
Because if you can kill it in your head—if you can kill it in your head—you can kill it in your life.
Now the clock can strike midnight all it wants to—yes sir—but if that thing is still living in your head, it is going to still be living in your life.
If you are still bitter in your head, you are going to be bitter in your life—you are just going to have a new calendar to work that same old conniving hateful stuff that you did last year.
You are still going to be jealous. You are still going to be insecure. You are still going to be cussing people out and drinking communion.
But if the clock strikes 12 and something flips in your mind—and you say wait a minute, devil—it is over.
I am going to believe that in 2013—forgetting those things which are behind me and reaching to those things which are before me—flap somebody and say I got to get it behind me.
I got to get it—I got to get it—I got to get it—I got to get it behind me. I got to get it behind me. I got to get it behind me.
This is my year—destiny. I got to get it behind me. I got too much in front of me to let this destroy me. I got to put it behind me. I got to get loose. I got to get free. I got to get over.
Look at your neighbor behind you—say watch out—I am getting ready to throw something.
Every doubt—every fear—every worry—every anxiety—every burden—every dilemma—everything that ever held you back—everything that kept you up at night—tell your neighbor I got to throw it behind me.
I got to throw it before midnight. I got to throw it before I get my prophecy. I got to throw it before I go into my destiny. I got to throw it so I can do what God wants me to do. I got to throw it—tell everybody you can reach—I am getting ready to throw that thing. I am getting ready to throw that thing. I am getting ready to throw that thing.
I am getting ready to forget those things which are behind me—uh—and reach to those things—uh—which are before.
Give God a praise right now.
Sit down—give me a minute.
He reckoned—he reckoned it to be dead. He perceived it was dead. Oh my God—that is a powerful thing.
Your perception has everything to do with how this year is going to work. It is not what you perceive about me—it is what I perceive about me.
I do not—I do not need you to come prophesy—yeah, I say unto thee by 4:00—to shut up. Yeah—it is not the word of the Lord in your mouth that is going to save me—it is the word of the Lord in my mouth that is going to—as a man—so is—and here—here it comes—the child is dead.
And what blew their mind was his reaction. It did not blow their mind that the child was dead—it was the king's reaction to the child being dead that blew their mind.
See, he was on a downward trajectory. He had collapsed. He had fallen on the ground. He had stopped eating. He had rent his garments. He had cried and screamed.
The logical next step for him going down was to go further down than he was before.
What makes this text radiate is that—for no logical reason—in spite of natural evidence—in spite of the stench of death—in spite of his childhood insecurities—in spite of the odds being stacked against him—what makes this text powerful is when everybody around him expected him to give up and down—suddenly—I prophesy a suddenly.
Oh God—I feel like preaching—y'all better stop me. I prophesy—uh—suddenly.
Flop your neighbor and say suddenly.
I know they are betting against you. I know they said you would never get up. I know they said you would never go on with your life. I know they said you would never be nothing—but the Lord sent me here to tell you tonight—the devil is a liar.
Just when they dug a grave for you—God is about to turn everything around.
Somebody turn around right now—God is about to turn it around.
You are about to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
I want you to take 30 seconds and give God a crazy praise.
Praise Him like it is about to turn. Praise Him like the devil is a liar. Praise Him like you are coming out with the victory. Praise Him like you are about to make a U-turn.
I cannot hear you—give the Lord a crazy praise right now.
Run over to somebody and tell them this is my year—I am going to turn it around this year. This is my year—devil, you are a liar.
You tried to kill me. You tried to destroy me. You tried to drive me crazy. You left me eating dirt—but the devil is a liar.
I am back—I am back—I am back—I am back—I am back—I am back—I am back.
Tell your neighbor I got to give God a praise for resurrection. I got my joy back. I got my fight back. I got my praise back.
Find you somebody that is making a U-turn—take him by the head and say oh magnify the Lord with me.
Give Him a praise right now.