Toure Roberts - Dominating Your Sphere - Part 2 (01/14/2026)
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In this second part of «Dominating Your Sphere,» the preacher wraps up the message by reminding us that God has assigned each believer a unique territory filled with people to reach, principalities to overcome through the manifold wisdom and mysteries revealed by the Holy Spirit (including speaking in tongues), and promises to claim. Drawing again from 2 Corinthians 10, Ephesians 3, and especially 1 Peter 5, he emphasizes humbling ourselves under God’s hand during suffering and trials—trusting the process—so that after a while, God will perfect (mature), establish, strengthen, and settle us on a higher level. The core idea is that our struggles aren’t in vain but prepare us to dominate our sphere for the sake of people and God’s glory.
Opening Personal Testimony and Context
So good to be here with you today. We started something last week called «Dominating Your Sphere, » and we’re going to finish it today. I feel the Spirit of God; man, it’s been crazy. Two weeks ago, I ruptured a tendon in my tricep, and I’ve been in non-stop pain for two weeks. I had to travel in the midst of that, so I couldn’t really get to my doctors. The way I wanted to get to my doctors was through two emergency rooms, and literally for two weeks, I lived with pain on the road doing my thing because I don’t let pain stop me from doing my thing. Are you tracking with me? If Jesus didn’t stop, I ain’t gonna stop.
Okay, so we get back; we’re tired. We’ve been on the road, my wife and I. We were in Denver and Maryland and just all over, and we’re tired. Something like, all right cool, we’re going to get back Wednesday, and on Thursday, I’m going to take it down. I’m gonna take it down on Thursday; maybe get a guest for Thursday night because I’m gonna rest. I’m gonna take it down Friday; I’m gonna chill, you know. Saturday night, I’ve got some preaching to do; Sunday, I’ll do my thing. And then, because it’s our anniversary today, we’re going to take off to Mexico for about four days, right? That was my plan.
So we land back in California on Wednesday, and the very next morning the news hits that essentially right in our backyard, a mass shooting takes place at the Borderline Bar. They were shaking up our city, shaking up our community because we just knew that if it was that close to home, because of the size of our church and the influence of our church, it was going to hit home in some way. And it did hit home as it relates to members and people being involved and all that kind of stuff. It was crazy.
So as I’m trying to figure out my strategy to encourage the city and to encourage the state from that, and praying through things, we had our service all set for tonight. Then the wildfires breakout. I couldn’t even grieve and really minister to people because, quite honestly, from that same region, the wildfires broke out, and then we’re watching as the wildfires stop moving towards our house. We get a phone call from the fire department saying we’ve got to roll up out of here.
So in the midst of the crazy—well, it was already crazy, and we already needed a break—God pretty much takes me and my family, and I have a big family; we’re eight deep, and basically we have to leave our house. And the crazy thing is everybody’s leaving their houses, and all the hotels are booked. So we find ourselves— I never even thought about it—but we basically found ourselves homeless just like that.
And God opens the door, and we’re able to stay in one hotel for a couple of nights, and then He opens another door where we can stay in another hotel for a couple of nights. Then He opened up a door for us to get in this morning, so we’re literally like nomads right now, moving around. It’s been a crazy few days. Has anybody had a crazy few days?
And it was funny; I preached for my friend last night, and he was like, «PT, you didn’t have to come. You’ve got a lot going on with your family; you’re moving around like that. You’re tired, man; you’re in pain; your arm hurts, and it’s just gonna take time to heal.»
I said, «Are you kidding me? I needed to give me some get-back. You talking about preaching for me and encouraging other people through what they’re going through is get-back for me.» You tracking with me? And I truly believe a breakthrough is coming.
So if you’re going through something—I know you’ve already come down and you’ve already been prayed for—but I’m telling you, if you’re going through something, I promise you it’s going to work together for your good. There’s something being developed on the inside of you that has everything to do with who God has created you to be, and we’re going to be okay.
Prayer for California Fires and Affected People
And I just want to pause. I do want to take a minute to pray for these fires in California. Man, so many people—I think we’re above two dozen—have lost their lives. Many people have lost their homes. And Father, we’ve got a state grieving right now from the northern end of the state all the way to the southern end. We’re hurting; some have lost lives, some have lost homes, some with memories, some were displaced. And God, You know the stress and the duress that takes place when someone loses their home, memories, and there are children who only know their house.
And God, we’re just praying that You, the God of all comfort, will comfort those families. Let them know even right now that they won’t give up; that all is not lost as long as they’ve got breath in their bodies. They’ve got a shot; they’ve got an opportunity. And so God, those of us who perhaps may not be going through that type of difficulty, Lord, will You quicken us, empower3 us, strengthen us to be a light, to be love, to be help to anyone who needs it, whether they’re affected by the fires or anything else. God, may compassion overwhelm the state. May compassion overwhelm this world, that we would reach into our resources and encourage somebody, letting them know that they’re not by themselves.
We trust You, God, and we want You to do it; but God, even more so, we want You to do it through us. May we be the miracle; may we be the breakthrough that somebody needs even now. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. God bless you!
I’m sorry if I finished your politics. I’m sorry, but not really. Let’s continue on to «Dominating Your Sphere.» I just want to read a few verses; I’m going to say a few things. I don’t think it’s going to take long today because we covered so much ground last week.
Scripture Reading
Second Corinthians 10:12–13 reads like this: this is Paul writing, and I love what he says. He says, «For we do not class or rate ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but we will boast within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us, a sphere which especially includes you.»
In Ephesians 3:8-12, it says, «To me who am less than the least of all saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God.»
Ooh, hold on, yes, suddenly I don’t want us to miss it. «And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery.» What is the fellowship of the mystery? Do me a favor, and I just want you to look at somebody and say, «You are a part of the fellowship of the mystery.» Let me make it easier: you have fellowship with the mystery. Tell your other neighbor, «There’s a mystery in you that will unlock everything that’s broken in our world.»
Okay, okay, okay, okay. Paul says a grace has been given to me to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ. To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.
There’s just so much I’m going to touch on in just a second. Let’s jump over to 1 Peter 5. It says, «Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.»
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while—after you have suffered a while—after you have suffered a while—after you have suffered a while—there is an after to your sufferings. You’re not gonna hurt always; if you’re in a season where it hurts, I just want you to know there is an after. And here’s what He says: the after is, «After you have suffered a while, this God is gonna perfect you, He’s gonna establish you, He’s gonna strengthen you, and He’s gonna settle you.»
To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen.
Opening Prayer
Lord, You love Your children; You love each and every one of us in a rich and radical way. You have not forgotten about us. Father, I pray that as we spend these few minutes together in this message, Lord, You would touch every heart in this place. There are some who need to be encouraged because they’re in a moment of suffering; there are some who need to be awakened out of their slumber because You’ve got a great calling on their lives; there are some, God, who are perplexed about a situation where they don’t know what to do.
I pray, God, that You would allow them to tap into that mystery that’s on the inside of them— that is a solution to what they’re facing. I pray that You would give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation, insight, and knowledge, and grant full access to all of heaven’s resources to get a powerful and profound truth to those who mean the most to You, and that’s everybody in this room, everybody watching via live stream, and everyone created in Your image.
So, God, we love You. Take us on a journey, and at the end of this time together, may we be stronger, clearer, more free, and victorious, and may most of all, we be a blessing to those outside of this room. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. God bless you.
Recapping Dominating Your Sphere
Well, let’s get started here today. You may be seated. We started last week in this series called «Dominating Your Sphere, » and it was based on the Apostle Paul. One of the things that we know about the Apostle Paul is that he was rich in revelation. He was not just religious, but he had spent time with God, and he had been through experiences that had drawn him closer to God. He just knew more than the average bear.
His passion—he would say things like, «I’m praying that the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened.» His passion was that the people of God, particularly those whom he had personally raised up, you know, from nation to nation, would understand the richness of the fellowship they had been grafted into when they came into fellowship with Christ.
In other words, Christ is more than just getting you through a day. He is more than just making you feel good. He is more than just you having a place eternal once you pass from this life. He is profound; He is a profound mystery. And everything that is taking place in the world has been remedied in the mystery of God.
So Paul wants us to always be digging in and seeking greater revelation and aiming to understand what we’ve got when we got Christ. What we’ve got when we got Christ. And so he was talking about how he doesn’t compare himself according to how, you know, normal people do. So they compare themselves based on how much money he had, or what type of house he had, or what kind of car he drove.
Let me tell you something right now: I got cars that could burn today; I got a house that could burn today in Jesus Name. It ain’t Hallelujah, but in the natural, those things could happen. So he’s like, «I’m not boasting about that; that’s the world system.» The Bible talks about, you know, don’t really be of the world—all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—he said all of that is perishing.
So he’s like, «I’m not comparing myself by that. I’m not boasting; I’m not patting myself on the back because I’m saying I’m so great.» I won’t boast in that. He said, «But what I will boast in is I will boast within the limits of the sphere that God has appointed to me.»
And if you study that, if you look that up, he’s basically saying—I’m just recapping a little bit from last week—he’s basically saying that when God brought me here, He gave me a sphere. God did not put you on the planet without a territory—well, glory to God—without a domain, something with your name on it, something reserved and set aside for you.
Are you tracking with me? When God says—I’m gonna slow this down because I want to get this right—when God says in Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 4, when He says, «Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you, » okay, and not only did I know you, but I set you apart; I sanctified you; I set you apart, and I ordained you. That means that you could not even come here until a place had been prepared for you to rule—this is your sphere.
In other words, all of us, each and every single one of us, have a portion in this life that we are anointed to rule in, that we are anointed to drive out everything negative and everything evil and everything that stands against us. This is our portion; this is our territory, and we have to dominate. All of us have this thing called our sphere.
And we talked about last week that the sphere, first of all, begins with you, your family, your community, everything around you. I feel this: every place that the sole of your feet shall tread upon is a part of your sphere. There is a reason why you are here; there’s a reason why you’re in California. There is a reason why you are in Los Angeles. It is connected to the sphere that you have been given, and what you have to do is dominate it.
The word tells us that we are the head and not the tail. Every, I feel that as a believer—every place that the sole of your feet shall tread upon is yours. What if you stopped walking so timidly where God has ordered your steps? What if you stopped walking like an orphan or a beggar or someone who needs somebody to do something for you in the place where God has ordered?
I feel the Spirit of God, and you have to dominate it because in your sphere, we talked about this last week, there are three things in your sphere. The first thing—and it’s the most important thing—the first thing that’s in your sphere is people. That’s what God cares аbout: they’re people. And we know that because in that text when he’s talking about sphere, he says, «Oh, by the way, the sphere includes you.»
So we know that it’s not simply people, but people are in your sphere. In other words, what God has placed on the inside of you is designed to positively affect people. Feel the Holy Spirit. What’s in you, what God has placed on the inside of you, is designed to positively affect and impact other people.
So there are people in your sphere, and here is the sobering thing about the people in your sphere. The people that God has placed in your sphere, if you do not touch them, they cannot be touched because they’re not in my sphere; they’re in your sphere. Are you tracking with me?
So if I am preoccupied with trying to be successful to the extent that I go past people, I’m missing the purpose of the sphere that God put me in because everybody around me is connected to what is in me. Are you here? Oh, I feel the Holy Spirit.
And that’s why the adversary would love to have you stuck on you, because if he has you stuck on you, then you will miss the people that God wanted to bless through you. And what I’ve learned is that if you are determined to be a blessing, God will bless you. Are you tracking with me? God is looking for some people that don’t say, «God bless me, bless me, bless me.» He’s looking for people to say, «God, will you please bless through me? I know that I’m blessed already; I know that I’m loved already. God, with this breath that you placed in my body, will you please love somebody through me?»
So there are people in the sphere; we talked about this together. You got it—read it or watch it or whatever from last week. Listen to a podcast or YouTube it. There are people in the sphere. The second thing in the sphere is that there are principalities in the sphere. Here is something that is very important; it’s really noteworthy. God will never give you anything that is giantless.
I’m saying again: God will never give you any real blessing that doesn’t have a problem and or a giant connected to it. And sometimes we get shocked, man. God, you blessed me with this job; you blessed me with this, and the moment you gave this to me, opposition came in. That’s how it’s supposed to be! Every blessing has in it a giant that you have to face and destroy because there’s something about the battle with the giant that brings out the giant that is in you and proves that you’re greater than it. Are you tracking with me?
I don’t want you to be perplexed by the fact that along with the blessing came the giant. It’s supposed to be like that historically, biblically. God gave them the land, but what was in the land? Jebusites, Hittites, Girgashites—all these «-ites» were in it. But notice that He said I’m giving you the land with them in it! All you’ve got to do is drive them out, and you get to keep it.
So there are going to be principalities, there are people in your sphere, there are promises in your sphere. Hallelujah! There are people that you’re called to reach; that’s your motivation. Love’s got to motivate you. God, I want to be everything you’ve called me to be so I reach people. God, if I have to be at risk of losing my home so that I can become more compassionate than I’ve ever been in my life for people who don’t have much, then so be it! Because my mission, my assignment, is people.
And whatever You have to do to squeeze humility and to squeeze compassion out of me, let it be, because more than anything, I want to be effective. More than anything, I want to be anointed. More than anything, I want to have grace. More than anything, I want to look like Jesus because I realize the only reason that I am here, the only reason that God didn’t take me when I got saved, is because there were some people that God wanted to save through my life.
Are you tracking with me? You want to know what life is really about? Life is not about houses and cars. At the end of the day, life is about people. Life is about God being able to fill you up in such a way that you can demonstrate the love of God and the power of God and the truth of God and the healing grace of God in the lives of other people. That is the only reason why we haven’t been taken up into glory. I promise you, it’s not about getting the bag!
Are you quiet today? I wish I had some real Christians up in here. I wish that some real people would recognize and understand what this thing is all about! I’m not going to labor for that which perishes. What I’m laboring for is eternal! I want souls! God’s not going to ask me how big my house was. He’s not going to ask me how many cars I drove. He’s going to say, «What you have freely received, did you freely give it? Did you tell anybody about Me? Did you set the captives free? Did you break a yoke?»
I don’t care if you have the part or not; did you break the yoke off of somebody’s life? And look at this—he gets in like this: he gets in like this—not like those beautiful young people—we’re at a bar having fun—and some untouched guy, you say he was touched? No, he was untouched! Because if he was touched by the power of God, maybe he would have received the healing and deliverance that he needed, and so many people wouldn’t have lost their lives, and our community wouldn’t be grieving.
This untouched guy walks in here and shoots up the place and then himself. It was never about the gun; it was about how he felt about himself because he didn’t value himself; he couldn’t value anybody else! I’m talking about the brevity of life and the need for our touch everywhere we go. If faith was more than, «God, get me through this, » I understand we have rough moments—I get it! If faith is more than, «God, give me the job; give me the part; give me the boo; give me the house, » when faith becomes more than that, when faith becomes, «God, I want to dominate my sphere because there are people that only I can reach that need to be reached, and there are principalities that I’ve got the power to cast down in Your name that are standing in the way, and there are promises for me to lay hold of that not only benefit me but benefit my children and my children’s children, » when faith becomes about that, we’re going to see something break out in this city. We’re going to see something break out in this state; we’re going to see something break out in this nation that has never been seen before.
The Mystery and Spiritual Language
So last week, we talked about dominating your sphere, and we talked about how to deal with those principalities. This has every bit to do with the mystery that’s inside of you; I feel the Holy Spirit. There’s a mystery in you. Do me a favor—just turn to your neighbor and say, «There’s a mystery in you. There’s a mystery in you. There’s a mystery in you.»
See, you don’t have to know everything; you don’t have to know how to solve a problem. You’ve just got to know that in the mystery within, there is a strategy. And I’m going to say this, and I’m going to take you a little deeper for a minute, then I’ll come back up. You’ve got to be more spiritual than you’ve ever been before, and I’m not talking about weird spiritual. I’m not talking about «Dad, elevating, » and I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about spiritual in the way that Paul wants us to be spiritual. Paul says things like, «I would that you would not be ignorant; I would that the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened.»
And as it relates to mysteries, you’re going to need the Holy Spirit now more than you have ever had before because what you are battling against is spiritual. One manifestation of the Holy Spirit that I don’t talk about much, although I walk in the power of it, and that I want you to really understand—I want you to pray in your own prayer time about this—one manifestation of the Spirit that I think is important as it relates to releasing the mysteries is heavenly language.
Heavenly language. I will admit that heavenly language or spiritual language has been abused in churches—in some churches—where it has been more about the show and the yabba-dabba-do and hocus pocus and the econdo and you have a shondo and all that kind of stuff. I will admit. I will admit that there has been some abuse in heavenly language, spiritual language, of what you might call speaking in tongues. I’ll admit that. In fact, there are some cultures—enough people are in this room, and those who are watching me live stream; there are some cultures where you were almost forced into speaking in tongues, or you have nothing.
So, there has been spiritual abuse. But every time that you see spiritual abuse, I believe that the counterfeit only proves that there was something real or it wouldn’t be worthy of counterfeiting. And if I might just give you—this is the teaching end of itself, and I’m just going to give you a little sprinkle on this one—you’ve got to become more spiritual. You have to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit is spiritual language.
And what the Scriptures say about the spiritual language, you can find it in your homework: 1 Corinthians chapters 12 through 14. But one of the unique characteristics and gifted abilities of this heavenly language is that when you speak in this heavenly language, you speak mysteries.
So, I cannot look at myself as one with limitations. I have to look at myself and understand the limitation is only in my mind; but the Spirit that I have received when I embrace Christ is infinitely exhaustive, and it’s within me. It is a mystery to me but not a mystery to God. And sometimes you are wrestling with something that you do not have the answer for, but the Spirit in you does. And somehow, if according to Ephesians 3:8, the way that we deal with the principalities and powers is that the church has to make known to those principalities—the principalities that are my tongues right there—not that; the church, the way that the church makes known to the principalities and powers is through somehow communicating this manifold wisdom of God.
In other words, the way that you deal with the principalities in your sphere is by you opening your mouth and decreeing to those principalities something that they understand that you may not. Can we have a deeper conversation today? When I speak in a heavenly language, when I release my heavenly language, I may not even understand what I’m talking about; the only thing I need to know is that it is whooping some devil’s behind. It is breaking something off my life and out of the environment. And it’s a gift from God!
I didn’t plan on going here, but can I tell you a story? I’ll be honest with you: when I was first coming up in the faith, I used to see these guys on TV, and guys and gals on TV, and they would break out in tongues. And you didn’t tell us, I’m like, «Wow, that’s so awesome!» And so I used to want to speak in tongues because I wanted to be like them. And so, I’ll be honest with you: I did some stupid stuff! I could see myself in the bathroom trying to speak in tongues, and when I got about two words out, I’m like, «Oh, I got some!» And it was something like «yabba-dabba-doo.» I felt nothing at all when I said it, but I felt like a—I was just stupid! I was stupid! Okay.
I was impressionable, so I wanted to be like them! It wasn’t that I had no idea what it was for; I just wanted to be like the people that I saw. And so I’d be in the back in the mirror, «Yabba-dabba-doo, yabba-dabba-doo, yeah! I’ll be out of here!» I’m so stupid! I’m stupid! Okay?
I was impressionable, so I wanted to be like them. I had no idea what it was for; I just wanted to be like the people that I saw. And so I’d be in the back in the mirror, trying to speak in tongues.
But one day, it dawned on me: I had a profound revelation, and that profound revelation was to read that it was stupid. So I let it go, and I said, «I’m not going to manipulate a gift. I’m not going to manipulate what God wants for me; I’m not going to do that. It’s stupid; I’m not going to do it. I’ll just pray in English until something else happens.»
Okay? So one day, I went down to pray, and I remember sitting down on my couch in my apartment. I get down to pray in English, and a language comes out that I had never heard before. And it was beautiful! And it felt like—I felt completely free! And I felt empowered. It was the most amazing feeling I’ve ever felt! I wasn’t looking for it at all!
And what I didn’t know was that while that was happening, there was a weapon being formed against me. I didn’t know that until afterwards. At that same time, a weapon was being formed against me that would have really, really troubled my life. And so even though I didn’t know what to pray, I’m praying in English; the Spirit understood what was taking place in the invisible realm, and released a mystery on my behalf to bind the principality that was trying to ruin my life.
I’m not telling you to pursue weirdness; trust me, we got enough of that in the faith. But I’m telling you, as I begin to really, really dig into what I believe God is saying in this season, I think that it’s going to take more than what we are currently used to using.
And before it’s all said and done, I’m going to pray for you—not for some weird thing; I don’t care about that. But I’m going to pray that you have the full measure of what the Spirit offers because there’s more than just feeling good! Because I’m talking about the Holy Ghost, and the jump-off from our altars—I got the Holy Ghost, so that’s fine; it could happen that way.
But the true sign of the Holy Spirit is divine resources and the ability to break some things that can’t be broken with natural resources. Are you tracking with me?
While I take time to talk about that, because you got mysteries in you, there’s more in you than you think is in you. I’m like Paul; I really want you to understand what you got when you got Christ! You got something! And what you got is more than enough! You got something! And what you have is greater than anything you think has you! Are you tracking with me?
Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! Okay?
In your sphere, there are people, there are principalities, and there are promises. The promises are all of your promises will be realized when you dominate your sphere. God doesn’t give you promises outside of your sphere. All of God’s promises, which by the way are «yes» and «amen, “ are within the confines and the context of the sphere that you’ve been assigned to.
And I feel this; somebody. There are some people in there right now, and the enemy has been trying to push you out of your sphere. He’s been trying to push you out of your lane because it’s been difficult. You’re backing up, and you’re rethinking things, and you’re going this way, and I hear God say go back, go back, go back to the hard place.
I feel the Spirit of God on that. Go back to the hard place and fight again. So God calls me, as it relates to the promises. So God calls me to North Hollywood 14 years ago. I have no idea why God is calling me to North Hollywood. In fact, it did not make sense because though the whopping 30 people that I had were all in South LA, I had a profound mega church—30 members! Whoa! On Easter Sunday, 30! They all lived in South LA, and then God says, „Go to North Hollywood.“
I don’t know why, but I know His voice and I go to North Hollywood, and I just do me. I’m preaching, and I’m preaching about the love of God, and I’m preaching about identity, and the fastest growing demographic in North Hollywood was young Hollywood—young entertainers. And people were laughing. People in the kingdom said, „Well, you can’t—you know, Hollywood! We didn’t pastor him; he’s crazy! I mean, with how inside you know Sodom and Gomorrah”—the stupid stuff that people say when they’re stupid, I’m sorry. „Why are you doing that there?“
And the young people, you know, they can’t even support the church; they’re starving! Because God called me here; right? This is my sphere. So I stay put, and it was hard, and I had to press in, and I fought the principalities in the region as I began to understand what they were. And I started fighting.
And what I’m getting at as I’m talking about the promises is I don’t have a background in arts in the team. My background is business; my background is marketing; it’s technology. That’s how I earned my living; that’s how I sustained myself for years.
But when I tell you that I have gotten about five unsolicited deals from the industry—I didn’t ask for them—major networks! See, what I didn’t realize is that if I would have stayed in a safe zone, I wouldn’t have realized the promises that were over my life. Television shows, come on somebody! Production deals! I didn’t look for them; they chased me down.
Major networks! I’ve gotten checks from just about every major network in the city. Didn’t look for them! Fox, BET, Discovery Channel, just closed a deal with ABC! Hey, family, I did not look for it! It was in my sphere! Me being faithful and committed when it was hard and when people laughed at me—I made it about people.
And you know what? I’m blessed now, but guess what? It’s still about people! It’s still about you! It’s still about your families! It’s still about communities! So yes, there are principalities, but your promise is also there.
Humbling Under God’s Mighty Hand
But here’s what I want to say; this is what I want to leave you with today. It’s really out of this Peter 4 text, and again, to get the whole message, you got to go back to last week.
But check out this Peter text: it says, „Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.“ I think that means two things. I think the obvious thing is humble yourself and be obedient. Humble yourself and trust God. Humble yourself and go wherever He tells you to go and walk in whatever He tells you to walk in.
Let go of whatever He tells you to let go of or whoever He tells you to let go. Do all of that! But then there’s another—I believe there’s another interpretation of humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God. And I think one of them is submitting yourself to the process.
I think that sometimes we back away from this process when it seems too hard. Sometimes God is calling us just to say, „I know it’s rough, but stop trying to squirm your way out of a process that is going to make you priceless.“ Trust Him! Look, look, look! It says humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.
In other words, if you get low, He’ll raise you high. But then it says, „Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.“ Never mistake difficult times and sufferings, and you feeling like God, „Why did You put me in this situation?“
And God knows I felt like that at many times. Never mistake your questioning for the lack—the absence of His concern. He cares for you for real! You haven’t had anybody care for you like God cares for you; you haven’t seen care.
And so it becomes this process of trusting Him. You have a spiritual father, and he’s, you know, a father-in-law as well, Bishop Jakes. Well, I love him with all my heart; he’s the greatest man I know! And there were times in our relationship where I would just have to trust him. I would have to trust that his intentions for me were good.
You know what I’m saying? Like, sometimes, I’ve got people who work for me or serve under me, and I tell you, I care more about them than I do about what they do for me. And if you don’t think that way, what I asked you to do something, and you think that I’m trying to get some gain out of it—first of all, I’m blessed; I don’t really need you like that, like not like that!
So if I’m sure, I mean it. So if I say something, it’s not because I’m trying to manipulate you or get something out of you. And you have to trust my intention in order to humble yourself and get exalted in due time.
And it’s the same way with the Lord, because sometimes He’ll call you to submit to a process that’s crazy. I feel that for somebody.
I feel like there are some Hagar’s in here. I mean Hagar’s—rather, if you study Hagar—I don’t have time to tell her whole story, but there was a point where she ran away from something. And the Lord came to her and He said, „Where are you running from, and where are you running to?“
And I believe this prophetically. I’m at a land display in a second, but I’m just with Frederick Lee: there are some people in here, and you have run away from a process that was designed to make you priceless. And you won’t humble yourself. You think you’re too big to fit into it, or you have too much pride.
And I’m hearing family; I’m hearing family real strong. There’s something that has to do with your family. And you’ve run away from it. And if you’re honest, you have not been the same since you ran away. You have not been the same since you embraced unforgiveness and walked away. And you said some mean things, and you ran away.
And I hear God saying go back. And I’m not saying that God said go back because they’re right, but go back because you’re willing to humble yourself to a process.
I’m not saying submit yourself to abuse; I’m talking about a posture of the heart that says, „You hurt me, yes, you did me wrong. But you know what? My response to you was just as ungodly as your abuse. And I’m going to forgive you, and I’m going to go back, and I’m going to say I’m sorry for what I said to you. I don’t agree, yes we have a point of disagreement, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I ran away, and I didn’t run away the right way!“
If that’s you, I just want you to receive that word. He interrupted the service for you. Some of you have left processes the wrong way. There is a way to leave; there is a way to correct, and you didn’t do it right.
And that’s why you don’t feel altogether right! Who am I talking to? If I’m talking to you, stand up! I want to pray for you! I want to pray for you really quick, really quickly.
Altar Call and Prayer for Healing and Forgiveness
Father, you see all of those who are in this room right now—many, many, many—You know their life; You know what they’re going through. And God, they have been hurt, and their hurt is legitimate. Their hurt is legitimate.
You know what? Come, come, come! Just run really quick! Come on, just run! Their hurt is legitimate! Their hurt is legitimate! I’m sorry; I just got to—I love you too much! We scrap the program just for a second! Lord, their hurt is legitimate! Their hurt is legitimate!
You said don’t be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. I just want you to—I can’t reach all of you, but I want you to—if I put your hand on your heart real quick—Father, I ask right now that You would touch every heart in this room. Father, the enemy of their life hurt them through people they trusted, and as I’m looking at the cross right now, what I’m seeing on that cross is You, Jesus becoming our hurt, becoming our rejection, becoming our abuse.
God put rejection; He put abuse; He put hurt; He put being misunderstood; He put being judged—all on His body. In His body, He carried it so that we would not have to carry it. And so, Father, as we’ve got our hands on our hearts right now, right over the spot where our hurt is and where our pain is, we are transferring that hurt right now to Your body; on that cross, You carried it so that we don’t have to.
And Father, may our hands on our hearts represent Your hand on our hearts. Touch everything that’s broken; touch everything that’s been abuse. Touch everything that’s been wrong. Touch our hearts! We can’t keep snakes from biting us, but we do not have to receive its poison!
So God, this is Your hand in the spot that once the hand of the perpetrator caused us pain. In that same spot, Your hand is on us! The one who loves us, the one who’s for us, the one who affirms us, the one who redeems us, the one who restores us, the one who loves us.
We receive right now Your touch in that same spot where there was once pain; we are loved; we are healed in You. We receive Your love and Your grace. And God, because we are whole in You, we release forgiveness right now! We release forgiveness because we recognize that hurt people hurt people! That hurt people hurt people; that blind people hurt people; that fearful people hurt people; that ignorant people hurt people.
We recognize now that we’re not really the victims; they are! And so God, heal us! That somehow, the rust being healed in us exemplifying Your love, in some way, somehow they can be healed too! In Jesus’ name, Amen! Amen!
Okay, I just had to do that to be obedient. I love you very much. Do me a favor—just right here at the altar, high-five somebody, hug somebody—whatever is appropriate, whatever you’re comfortable with. Come on, you’re not by yourself! We all get hurt sometimes; we all get hurt sometimes!
All right, I got to wrap this up! I gotta wrap this up! I just love Jesus! Can we just take Him in and celebrate Jesus? I just love it; I love it because He first loved me! I love you; I love you—that’s why I’m here!
The After of Suffering: Perfect, Establish, Strengthen, Settle
So He says, „Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.“ Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you. And then I’m going to jump down to verse 10, it says, „But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after you have suffered a while …“ There’s no way around suffering, but there is an after to the suffering.
And He says He’s going to do these four things—I’m going to say these really quickly! And you can go to the 9 o’clock service where I spent more time talking about them. He says, „I’m going to perfect you, I’m going to establish you, I’m going to strengthen you, and I’m going to settle you.“
Now here’s what He’s saying: He’s going to perfect you—not make you flawless; make you perfect! We’re not talking about perfection, but He is talking about maturity! He says, „I’m going to mature you, and for you to be mature is you to become perfectly the one that God knew before He put you in your mother’s womb.“
In other words, all of us have to grow up at some point! Growing up is not an option! Maturing to our full potential is not an option! So when He says, „I’m going to perfect you, “ He’s saying, „I’m going to mature you!“
How does maturation take place? It takes place through stretching! That’s a season that many of you are in right now. You’re in a season where God is stretching you. And you know, I’m not a trainer, and God knows I don’t work out nearly as much as I should, but I do know that stretching is extremely important to the process. Are you tracking with me?
To work out and to not stretch is to miss the full benefit of the workout! I need to be stretched so that what can happen? I can’t become—I need to be stretched so that what happened in my workout can become my norm! Are you tracking with me?
So some of you are in a season where God is maturing you by stretching you! And you don’t like it, and it doesn’t feel good, and I understand it entirely! But stretching will not kill you! You’ve never heard of somebody saying, „Man, I stretched to death!“ He died! How’d he die? They was stretching him, and he died!
No! Don’t think you feel like you’re going to die! If it’s a good stretch, you won’t die! It’s good for you! It’s good for you; it gives you the mobility that you need to give those muscles a chance to become all that they’re supposed to become! Right? That’s the maturation process! That’s what He means!
He says, „I’m not going to perfect you; I’m going to stretch you.“ It doesn’t feel good, but hang in there!
Two—He says, „I’m going to establish you.“ What does that mean? I’m going to establish you. I’m going to establish you! It means that once I’ve stretched you, if you don’t quit, if you don’t give up, if you don’t break the stretch early because you don’t like how it feels, I’m going to cause growth that will establish you in your new position!
Are you hearing what I’m saying? I want to establish you! I hear God saying don’t break the stretch! Don’t quit in the middle of the stretch! Hang in there! Let Him do what He’s going to do because He’s creating something.
There’s a passage in Isaiah which says, „Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch it out.“ Let Him do it! Why? Because you don’t know the size of the blessing that God has for you! And the only reason why He would stretch you is to create more capacity for what He has ordained for you! Are you tracking with me?
Let Him stretch you, and I will establish you! Then He says, „I’ll strengthen you.“ I’ll stretch you; I’ll establish you in the stretching, and then next thing you know, you’re going to start getting stronger. You thought that you were dying, but you were really developing muscles for the season that I’m bringing you in.
I’m going to strengthen you, and you’re going to look at that season that you once thought was killing you, and you can say, „Oh, I can take this! I see my muscles starting to form; I see a new form being established in this season!“
And on this level, it says, „I’m going to strengthen you.“ And then He says, „I’m going to settle you.“ Being stretched at first glance is unsettling. Oh God, man, we checked into a hotel Thursday night, and they only had room for two nights for our family of eight! So we had to check out and check into another hotel, and they only have room for us for two nights!
So we’ve got to check out in the morning and drive down to Orange County in the morning and check into another hotel for three nights, praying and believing that our home will be spared, and I believe by faith that it will. You know what I mean?
But what I’m getting at is that we’re unsettled. We’re unsettled, and it’s a stretch! And we just say, „God, we trust You! We trust You in this stretch!“
And right now, I guess the phase that we’re in is, you know, we’ve been stretched, and now we’re starting to feel established. We’re just—you know, I think about last night, this morning! We said, „God, you know what? Let it be—not our will, but Your will be done.“ So we’re starting to feel established, and I got up this morning and came to church.
And I’m moving from established to strengthening, and I believe that in about five minutes, a suddenly—I feel God! A settling is going to come in, and not just for me, but for you and for you and for you and for you, concerning everything that you’re going through!
God is going to strengthen you; He’s going to settle you! It’s going to be wonderful! But here’s the beautiful thing: He’s not settling you in where you were! He’s going to settle you on the next level! Trust the process! Trust the process!
Come on, high-five somebody and say, „Trust the process!“ He cares for you! He cares for you! He cares for you! He cares for you! He cares for your sorrow! He cares for your hurt! He cares for you confused! He cares for you! He’s got you! He’s going to stretch you; He’s going to establish you; He’s going to strengthen you, and He’s going to settle you!
And herein lies the mind of God: before I allowed you to suffer, I already had your settling in my sights! Are you tracking with me? I wouldn’t allow you to go through anything if I didn’t already see you settled on the next level!
Can we just take a minute and celebrate Him? He is a wonderful Savior! A wonderful Savior!
Final Prayer and Declaration
Now I want to pray for you! You feel like God was just talking to you—straight up, no denying it! The Holy Spirit just spoke your life to you!
If you’re not already standing, I want you to stand because I want to pray for you, particularly the fact—just lift your hands for a second so I can acknowledge. He knows! I don’t know your life, but He does! And He’s got you! And I’m telling you, with a generation with divine mysteries, what is in us is going to come out!
It’s going to come out, and we’re going to speak to principalities that are standing in our way! And not just always, because it’s bigger than us! We will not tolerate anybody being broken—anybody being oppressed—come on! We will not tolerate it! That’s not Jesus’ style; we will not tolerate it!
We are in the nations inside of you! Mysteries that will unlock nations on the inside of you! Well, that’s what’s in you and I wish I could just like, just rub your belly until all the mysteries come out! I wish I could just midwife you! I wish I could just come in your house and just look at your stomach, all the mysteries coming forth!
And in prayer—that’s what my wife and I are doing. We pray for you every single day, and if we have to go through sufferings to produce a greater anointing that will help you, then so be it! Bring them on! Bring them on!
Father, I thank You for everyone who’s here, thank You God for everyone You’re just speaking to! Thank You for the love that You have; God, for Your people! It is rich; it is high-level love! I thank You that You are raising us up; You’re elevating us!
Thank You, God, that You’re showing us what real love looks like! Man, that this world needs You! The outcast needs You! The broken needs You! We all need You, Jesus! I just pray, Lord, that You would touch everyone here.
Lord, help us to make sense out of the craziness that we’re living in! And help us to see our part! God, we’re soldiers in Your army; we are Your answer! It is not in the White House; it is not in the military!
We thank God for law enforcement and the first responders; we thank God for that! And we thank God for what they do! But the higher remedy does not lie there; it’s in us! Partakers of the fellowship of the mystery! Partakers of the manifold wisdom of God!
We’re carrying on the inside of us! But Father, help us to not be so broken and distracted that we fail to realize that the answer to everything that this world needs is in us!
Now unto You, who are able to do exceedingly abundantly far above what we can ask for or imagine, according to the power that works in us. Lord, will You show us how to release and manifest what is in us that this world might be blessed?
And Father, part of our inheritance spiritually is heavenly language. Father, I pray that You would unlock that opportunity that is on the inside of everyone who calls on Your name in truth, that when we pray, we will not pray simply according to our understanding, but that we will pray and speak decrees that come from a deep, mysterious well of living water.
That has procured victory from before the beginning of time to everything that is in time and beyond! Lord, you said that wells of living water would flow from our bellies that will saturate everything around us!
And so Father, as we receive Your Spirit afresh, may that be our portion, our reality. Please repeat after me: Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your love! I receive it! God, You spoke to me today; I felt it in my heart! I receive it!
I thank You for Jesus! Thank You for making Him, who had no sin, no limitations, no weakness. You made Him all of my weakness, all of my limitations, all of my imperfections. You took all those things, put those things in His body, nailed it to the cross, and put it to death!
And just as He was raised up, free and victorious and with power, because I’m in Him, I’m raised up to be free and victorious! And now I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Holy Spirit, I receive You, and I want more of You! I receive the full measure of the Holy Spirit and all of His manifestations, that I might dominate my sphere and be a blessing to all I encounter! In Jesus' name, Amen! Amen!