WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.439 Welcome back to our continuing conversation on 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:08.800 Refine for a Purpose. In our last conversation, 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.460 we talked about when failure doesn't cancel purpose. 00:00:13.259 --> 00:00:16.059 We discovered that failure does not have to become 00:00:16.059 --> 00:00:20.559 the final definition of a surrendered life. Repentance 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:24.079 matters. Consequences matter. Accountability 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:28.019 matters. Transformation matters. But mercy also 00:00:28.019 --> 00:00:31.899 matters. Peter failed. but Jesus restored him. 00:00:32.259 --> 00:00:34.880 David failed, but God did not abandon his work 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:38.799 in him. John Mark walked away, but later became 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:42.520 useful again. Paul carried a painful past, yet 00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:46.219 could say, by the grace of God, I am what I am. 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:49.579 And we ended with an important truth. Sometimes 00:00:49.579 --> 00:00:52.659 God does not restore you by returning everything 00:00:52.659 --> 00:00:57.780 exactly to the way it was. Sometimes God restores 00:00:57.780 --> 00:01:01.799 you first, your character, your humility, your 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:05.480 discipline, your dependence upon Him, your ability 00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:08.819 to carry responsibility differently. And that 00:01:08.819 --> 00:01:12.219 brings us to another question. What happens when 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:15.739 the door finally opens? What happens when the 00:01:15.739 --> 00:01:19.019 prayer is answered? What happens when the opportunity 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:23.379 comes? When the promotion comes? When the relationship 00:01:23.379 --> 00:01:27.609 comes? When the resources increase? when the 00:01:27.609 --> 00:01:32.450 ministry grows, when influence expands, when 00:01:32.450 --> 00:01:36.430 the thing you spent years asking God for finally 00:01:36.430 --> 00:01:40.189 arrives. We spend a lot of time talking about 00:01:40.189 --> 00:01:43.750 how to survive difficult seasons, but perhaps 00:01:43.750 --> 00:01:46.829 we don't talk enough about how to survive successful 00:01:46.829 --> 00:01:50.969 ones, because adversity is not the only thing 00:01:50.969 --> 00:01:54.489 that tests character. Blessing tests character 00:01:54.489 --> 00:01:57.989 too. And sometimes the blessing carries weight. 00:01:58.790 --> 00:02:02.849 So today I want us to talk about the weight of 00:02:02.849 --> 00:02:06.730 what you prayed for. Because character must become 00:02:06.730 --> 00:02:10.789 strong enough to carry the blessing. Sometimes 00:02:10.789 --> 00:02:12.930 we pray for things we are still becoming ready 00:02:12.930 --> 00:02:15.729 to carry. Think about some of the things we ask 00:02:15.729 --> 00:02:21.509 God for. God, increase me. God, promote me. God, 00:02:21.770 --> 00:02:25.639 enlarge my territory. God, Give me influence. 00:02:26.060 --> 00:02:29.860 God, bless my family. God, grow the ministry. 00:02:30.379 --> 00:02:34.259 God, open the door. God, give me financial abundance. 00:02:34.860 --> 00:02:38.860 God, give me leadership. God, give me the opportunity. 00:02:39.419 --> 00:02:42.840 Those prayers are not necessarily wrong, but 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:46.280 every blessing carries responsibility. If you 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:50.620 ask for leadership, you are also asking for responsibility. 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:54.639 If you ask for influence, you are asking for 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:58.759 accountability. If you ask for resources, you 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:02.240 are asking for stewardship. If you ask for a 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:06.240 family, you are asking for sacrifice. If you 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.740 ask for ministry, you are asking to carry people. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:13.860 If you ask for promotion, you may also be asking 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:17.460 for pressure. If you ask for greater visibility, 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:22.000 you are also asking for greater scrutiny. Sometimes 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:25.539 we ask God for the blessing while imagining only 00:03:25.539 --> 00:03:28.580 the enjoyment. God may be looking at the weight, 00:03:28.740 --> 00:03:32.180 and perhaps that explains some seasons of preparation. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:36.659 Maybe God is not simply asking, do you want it? 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:40.620 Maybe the deeper question is, can you carry it? 00:03:41.699 --> 00:03:45.199 Joseph didn't just need to survive the pit. He 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:48.699 had to be ready for the palace. We have talked 00:03:48.699 --> 00:03:52.199 about Joseph throughout this season, but look 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:56.379 at his story again from another angle. Joseph 00:03:56.379 --> 00:03:59.580 received the dream when he was young, but he 00:03:59.580 --> 00:04:02.560 did not immediately receive the responsibility 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:06.080 represented by that dream. Between the dream 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:10.719 and the palace, there was a pit. There was slavery. 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:14.400 There was Potiphar's house. There was temptation. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:17.949 There was false accusation. There was prison. 00:04:18.470 --> 00:04:21.810 There was waiting. And eventually, there was 00:04:21.810 --> 00:04:26.269 Pharaoh. Genesis 41 tells us Pharaoh placed Joseph 00:04:26.269 --> 00:04:30.750 over Egypt. Think about the responsibility. Joseph 00:04:30.750 --> 00:04:33.730 was no longer managing Potiphar's household. 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:37.189 He was helping manage the resources of a nation. 00:04:37.629 --> 00:04:40.949 A famine was coming. Lives would depend upon 00:04:40.949 --> 00:04:44.550 decisions made under his leadership. The dream 00:04:44.550 --> 00:04:48.639 was not merely about Joseph being elevated. The 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:51.959 dream was about Joseph becoming capable of carrying 00:04:51.959 --> 00:04:55.879 responsibility. And suddenly the years begin 00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:00.199 to look different. Potiphar's house taught stewardship. 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:04.600 Temptation tested integrity. Prison developed 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:09.079 endurance. Waiting confronted impatience. Managing 00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:12.459 prisoners developed leadership. Interpreting 00:05:12.459 --> 00:05:15.480 dreams prepared him to stand before Pharaoh. 00:05:15.790 --> 00:05:19.850 The places that looked disconnected were developing 00:05:19.850 --> 00:05:24.610 capacities he would eventually need. Maybe God 00:05:24.610 --> 00:05:28.170 was not delaying Joseph. Maybe God was developing 00:05:28.170 --> 00:05:32.110 Joseph. Because Pharaoh could give Joseph a position 00:05:32.110 --> 00:05:36.370 in one day. But position was not the only thing 00:05:36.370 --> 00:05:40.230 Joseph needed. He needed the character to survive 00:05:40.230 --> 00:05:44.910 what came with it. Sometimes God can open the 00:05:44.910 --> 00:05:47.509 door faster than your character can develop. 00:05:48.209 --> 00:05:51.829 This is why preparation matters. A door can open 00:05:51.829 --> 00:05:55.689 suddenly. A promotion can happen in one conversation. 00:05:56.209 --> 00:06:00.329 A business can grow rapidly. A ministry can become 00:06:00.329 --> 00:06:04.129 visible quickly. Money can arrive unexpectedly. 00:06:04.889 --> 00:06:07.910 Influence can expand through one viral moment. 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:12.050 But character usually develops slowly. Discipline 00:06:12.050 --> 00:06:15.829 develops through repetition. Wisdom develops 00:06:15.829 --> 00:06:19.649 through experience. Humility develops through 00:06:19.649 --> 00:06:23.490 surrender. Self -control develops through practice. 00:06:24.129 --> 00:06:27.910 Faithfulness develops over time. And if opportunity 00:06:27.910 --> 00:06:31.350 grows faster than character, the blessing can 00:06:31.350 --> 00:06:34.250 expose what preparation should have corrected. 00:06:34.649 --> 00:06:38.689 We sometimes say, God opened the door. But perhaps 00:06:38.689 --> 00:06:42.759 another prayer should be, God, prepare me before 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:46.579 you open it, because an open door without preparation 00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:51.060 can become another kind of fire. The blessing 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:53.899 can expose what the battle never could. There 00:06:53.899 --> 00:06:56.720 are things you discover about yourself when you 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.319 suffer, but there are other things you discover 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:02.779 about yourself when you succeed. Poverty can 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:06.439 test your faith. Money can test your heart. Rejection 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:09.740 can test your identity. Popularity can test your 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:13.160 humility. Weakness can test your dependence upon 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:16.459 God. Power can test whether you still believe 00:07:16.459 --> 00:07:19.959 you need Him. Waiting can test your patience. 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:23.279 Arrival can test your memory. And perhaps one 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:26.100 of the most dangerous moments in life is when 00:07:26.100 --> 00:07:29.319 you finally have enough power to do what was 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:32.980 once only a temptation. When you had no money, 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.620 some choices were impossible. When you had no 00:07:36.620 --> 00:07:40.240 influence, certain doors were closed. When nobody 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:43.620 knew your name, pride had fewer opportunities. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.060 When you had no authority, nobody had to fear 00:07:47.060 --> 00:07:49.939 your decisions. But what happens when you have 00:07:49.939 --> 00:07:53.199 options? What happens when people begin listening? 00:07:53.660 --> 00:07:56.300 What happens when people begin agreeing with 00:07:56.300 --> 00:07:59.699 you because of your position? What happens when 00:07:59.699 --> 00:08:03.180 money removes limitations? What happens when 00:08:03.180 --> 00:08:06.959 nobody around you wants to tell you no, that 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:10.839 is another test. Adversity reveals whether you 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:14.459 can endure without quitting. Abundance reveals 00:08:14.459 --> 00:08:20.240 whether you can receive without forgetting. Moses 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:24.579 warned Israel about this. Deuteronomy 8 contains 00:08:24.579 --> 00:08:28.199 one of scripture's strongest warnings about prosperity. 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:32.100 Moses tells Israel to remember God when they 00:08:32.100 --> 00:08:34.879 enter the land. He warns them that they will 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:38.659 eat and become satisfied. Their houses will become 00:08:38.659 --> 00:08:42.019 good. Their herds will multiply. Their silver 00:08:42.019 --> 00:08:45.360 and gold will increase. Everything will increase. 00:08:45.659 --> 00:08:48.980 Then Moses warns, your heart will become proud 00:08:48.980 --> 00:08:52.840 and you will forget the Lord your God. Notice 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:56.259 the danger. The wilderness made them cry to God. 00:08:56.509 --> 00:09:00.750 But prosperity could make them forget Him. Sometimes 00:09:00.750 --> 00:09:04.389 trouble keeps us praying. Need keeps us humble. 00:09:04.789 --> 00:09:08.409 Uncertainty keeps us dependent. Then God answers 00:09:08.409 --> 00:09:12.210 the prayer. The pressure changes. The income 00:09:12.210 --> 00:09:17.210 increases. The door opens. And suddenly the disciplines 00:09:17.210 --> 00:09:19.850 that carried us through the wilderness begin 00:09:19.850 --> 00:09:23.830 disappearing. Prayer becomes shorter. Scripture 00:09:23.830 --> 00:09:29.279 becomes occasional. becomes convenient, dependence 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.840 becomes confidence in ourselves, and eventually 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:35.580 we begin enjoying the blessing while drifting 00:09:35.580 --> 00:09:38.399 from the one who gave us the ability to carry 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:42.480 it. Moses says later, you may say to yourself, 00:09:42.860 --> 00:09:46.240 my power and the strength of my hands have produced 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.580 this wealth for me. Then he says, remember the 00:09:50.580 --> 00:09:53.940 Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the 00:09:53.940 --> 00:09:58.049 ability to produce wealth. The warning is simple. 00:09:58.529 --> 00:10:00.809 Don't let the blessing make you forget the God 00:10:00.809 --> 00:10:05.529 you needed before you had it. Maybe the real 00:10:05.529 --> 00:10:08.490 test is whether you will still pray after the 00:10:08.490 --> 00:10:12.909 prayer is answered. Think about that. You prayed 00:10:12.909 --> 00:10:15.789 while waiting. Will you pray after receiving? 00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:19.590 You fasted when the door was closed. Will you 00:10:19.590 --> 00:10:22.769 still seek God when it opens? You cried when 00:10:22.769 --> 00:10:26.169 nobody recognized you. Will you remain humble 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:29.980 When everybody knows you, you depended upon God 00:10:29.980 --> 00:10:33.500 when resources were limited. Will you still depend 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:37.559 upon Him when the account is full? You asked 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:40.519 everybody to pray for you when you were struggling. 00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:44.539 Will anybody still be allowed to correct you 00:10:44.539 --> 00:10:48.600 when you become successful? Sometimes we become 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:51.539 very spiritual while we need something from God. 00:10:52.259 --> 00:10:55.080 The deeper test may come after we receive it. 00:10:55.529 --> 00:10:58.610 Can the blessing enter your hands without replacing 00:10:58.610 --> 00:11:04.570 God in your heart? David survived Saul, but then 00:11:04.570 --> 00:11:08.269 he had to survive being king. David knew how 00:11:08.269 --> 00:11:12.129 to depend upon God while running from Saul. He 00:11:12.129 --> 00:11:15.610 knew caves. He knew danger. He knew rejection. 00:11:16.049 --> 00:11:19.830 He knew waiting. He knew what it meant to refuse 00:11:19.830 --> 00:11:23.330 to seize the throne through violence when opportunities 00:11:23.330 --> 00:11:27.509 appeared to kill Saul. That season revealed remarkable 00:11:27.509 --> 00:11:30.669 restraint, but eventually David became king. 00:11:31.149 --> 00:11:34.909 Now David had authority, servants, soldiers, 00:11:35.330 --> 00:11:40.789 a palace, influence, power. And in 2 Samuel 11, 00:11:41.210 --> 00:11:43.909 the man who once had to run from another king's 00:11:43.909 --> 00:11:48.230 power now possessed power himself. And he misused 00:11:48.230 --> 00:11:52.789 it. Bathsheba, Uriah, the cover up, the tragedy. 00:11:53.070 --> 00:11:56.950 David survived the wilderness. But the palace 00:11:56.950 --> 00:12:01.049 introduced another test. Listen carefully. Sometimes 00:12:01.049 --> 00:12:04.250 the place you prayed to reach contains temptations 00:12:04.250 --> 00:12:07.629 that did not exist where you started. That is 00:12:07.629 --> 00:12:10.529 why character must continue developing after 00:12:10.529 --> 00:12:14.129 promotion. You don't graduate from discipline 00:12:14.129 --> 00:12:17.509 because God blessed you. You need discipline 00:12:17.509 --> 00:12:20.870 more. You don't need less accountability because 00:12:20.870 --> 00:12:24.539 you have authority. You may need more. You don't 00:12:24.539 --> 00:12:28.179 need fewer boundaries because you have matured. 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:31.740 Greater access may require stronger boundaries. 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:35.620 The higher the responsibility, the more seriously 00:12:35.620 --> 00:12:40.860 integrity must be guarded. Solomon shows us that 00:12:40.860 --> 00:12:44.000 having wisdom does not remove the need for obedience. 00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:48.580 Solomon began remarkably. When God offered him 00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:52.340 what he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom. God 00:12:52.340 --> 00:12:56.639 gave him wisdom. And scripture describes extraordinary 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:00.700 prosperity, influence, and reputation. People 00:13:00.700 --> 00:13:04.460 came from distant places to hear him. But later, 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:08.399 1 Kings 11 tells us Solomon's heart turned away. 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:12.000 The issue wasn't that Solomon lacked information. 00:13:12.460 --> 00:13:17.000 He had wisdom. But wisdom known is not always 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:20.860 wisdom obeyed. And this is important. You can 00:13:20.860 --> 00:13:24.179 know what is right and still need discipline 00:13:24.179 --> 00:13:28.139 to do it. You can preach boundaries and still 00:13:28.139 --> 00:13:31.840 need boundaries. You can teach integrity and 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:35.440 still need accountability. You can understand 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:39.759 scripture and still need to obey scripture. Knowledge 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:43.940 cannot replace obedience. Anointing cannot replace 00:13:43.940 --> 00:13:47.860 discipline. Success cannot replace sanctification. 00:13:48.139 --> 00:13:51.980 And yesterday's wisdom does not guarantee tomorrow's 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:56.740 faithfulness. You must keep choosing God. The 00:13:56.740 --> 00:13:59.639 thing you prayed for can become the thing that 00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:03.259 pulls you away from God. That sounds strange, 00:14:03.700 --> 00:14:07.679 but it happens. You pray for a business. Then 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:10.860 the business becomes so demanding you no longer 00:14:10.860 --> 00:14:14.399 have time for God. You pray for a relationship. 00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:17.580 Then the relationship becomes more important 00:14:17.580 --> 00:14:22.070 than obedience. You pray for children. Then family 00:14:22.070 --> 00:14:25.470 becomes so busy that spiritual life disappears. 00:14:26.330 --> 00:14:29.750 You pray for ministry growth. Then numbers become 00:14:29.750 --> 00:14:33.330 more important than people. You pray for influence. 00:14:34.009 --> 00:14:37.509 Then approval becomes addictive. You pray for 00:14:37.509 --> 00:14:41.250 financial abundance. Then possessions begin possessing 00:14:41.250 --> 00:14:45.590 you. You pray for promotion. Then position becomes 00:14:45.590 --> 00:14:48.940 identity. The blessing was not necessarily the 00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:52.740 problem. Disordered affection was. The gift quietly 00:14:52.740 --> 00:14:55.860 occupied the place of the giver. So perhaps we 00:14:55.860 --> 00:14:59.820 need to add another prayer to our lives. God 00:14:59.820 --> 00:15:03.419 bless me, but never allow your blessing to become 00:15:03.419 --> 00:15:07.559 my idol. And this is why stewardship matters. 00:15:08.179 --> 00:15:12.500 Jesus says in Luke 16 10, whoever can be trusted 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:16.039 with very little can also be trusted with much. 00:15:16.409 --> 00:15:20.909 Notice the language. Trust it. Sometimes we think 00:15:20.909 --> 00:15:25.029 increase is primarily about desire. Jesus speaks 00:15:25.029 --> 00:15:28.549 about faithfulness. What are you doing with what 00:15:28.549 --> 00:15:31.730 is already in your hands? You are praying for 00:15:31.730 --> 00:15:35.070 more money. How are you managing what you have? 00:15:35.409 --> 00:15:38.750 You are praying for a larger ministry. How are 00:15:38.750 --> 00:15:41.620 you serving the people already there? You are 00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:44.700 praying for promotion. How are you handling your 00:15:44.700 --> 00:15:47.960 current responsibility? You are praying for greater 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:51.019 influence. How are you treating people who cannot 00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:54.879 do anything for you? You are praying for a platform. 00:15:55.179 --> 00:15:57.799 How are you behaving when nobody is watching? 00:15:58.220 --> 00:16:01.480 Maybe the small place isn't irrelevant. Maybe 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:04.679 it is training. Maybe God is watching what you 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:08.750 do with 10 before entrusting you with 100. Not 00:16:08.750 --> 00:16:11.929 because every promotion is a direct reward for 00:16:11.929 --> 00:16:15.210 spiritual performance. Life is more complicated 00:16:15.210 --> 00:16:19.470 than that. Faithful people sometimes wait. Unfaithful 00:16:19.470 --> 00:16:23.190 people sometimes prosper. But the spiritual principle 00:16:23.190 --> 00:16:27.289 remains. Whatever God places in our hands should 00:16:27.289 --> 00:16:32.629 be handled faithfully. Faithfulness. In little 00:16:32.629 --> 00:16:36.429 things builds capacity for weight. There is something 00:16:36.429 --> 00:16:40.470 about small responsibilities. They reveal habits. 00:16:41.370 --> 00:16:44.269 How do you handle time? How do you handle money? 00:16:44.970 --> 00:16:47.909 How do you keep your word? How do you respond 00:16:47.909 --> 00:16:51.330 when nobody praises you? How do you treat small 00:16:51.330 --> 00:16:54.610 assignments? How do you behave toward people 00:16:54.610 --> 00:16:57.870 beneath your authority? How do you work when 00:16:57.870 --> 00:17:01.389 the supervisor is not present? How do you handle 00:17:01.389 --> 00:17:05.000 somebody else's property? How do you handle confidential 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:08.319 information? How do you respond when you could 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:12.220 take a shortcut and nobody would know? These 00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:15.880 things may appear small, but character is often 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:18.619 developed in places that look insignificant. 00:17:19.579 --> 00:17:22.299 David learned faithfulness with sheep before 00:17:22.299 --> 00:17:26.619 leading Israel. Joseph managed a household and 00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:31.230 a prison before managing Egypt. Moses spent years 00:17:31.230 --> 00:17:35.190 in the wilderness before leading a nation. Sometimes 00:17:35.190 --> 00:17:37.769 the small assignment is teaching your shoulders 00:17:37.769 --> 00:17:41.549 how to carry weight. Don't despise the place 00:17:41.549 --> 00:17:47.789 where God is building your capacity. Some blessings 00:17:47.789 --> 00:17:52.029 require a stronger version of you. This is where 00:17:52.029 --> 00:17:55.269 refined for a purpose becomes deeply practical. 00:17:55.690 --> 00:17:58.569 Maybe the version of you who prayed the prayer 00:17:58.569 --> 00:18:02.009 is not yet the version of you who can responsibly 00:18:02.009 --> 00:18:05.029 carry the answer. Maybe the blessing requires 00:18:05.029 --> 00:18:09.009 greater patience, greater wisdom, greater discipline, 00:18:09.509 --> 00:18:12.430 greater emotional maturity, greater financial 00:18:12.430 --> 00:18:16.269 stewardship, greater self -control, greater humility, 00:18:16.730 --> 00:18:20.029 greater ability to forgive, greater ability to 00:18:20.029 --> 00:18:23.829 handle criticism, greater ability to manage people. 00:18:24.029 --> 00:18:27.930 greater ability to say no greater ability to 00:18:27.930 --> 00:18:31.269 walk away from temptation greater ability to 00:18:31.269 --> 00:18:35.250 remain quiet when provoked greater ability to 00:18:35.250 --> 00:18:38.769 stay grounded when praised so perhaps while you 00:18:38.769 --> 00:18:43.809 are praying God Change my circumstances. God 00:18:43.809 --> 00:18:46.329 is working on the person who will eventually 00:18:46.329 --> 00:18:49.950 live inside those changed circumstances. That 00:18:49.950 --> 00:18:53.250 does not mean every delay is God withholding 00:18:53.250 --> 00:18:55.990 something until you become perfect. We should 00:18:55.990 --> 00:18:59.509 be careful with that theology. Some things simply 00:18:59.509 --> 00:19:03.109 take time. Some doors depend upon other people. 00:19:03.470 --> 00:19:06.150 Some prayers are answered differently than we 00:19:06.150 --> 00:19:10.140 expect. Some waiting remains mysterious. But 00:19:10.140 --> 00:19:13.720 scripture repeatedly shows God forming people 00:19:13.720 --> 00:19:17.859 before entrusting them with significant responsibility. 00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:20.900 And perhaps that is happening in some areas of 00:19:20.900 --> 00:19:26.940 your life. Stop measuring preparation only by 00:19:26.940 --> 00:19:30.339 what you can see. Joseph could have looked at 00:19:30.339 --> 00:19:33.480 prison and said, this has nothing to do with 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:37.039 my dream. David could have looked at sheep and 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:40.410 said, This has nothing to do with becoming king. 00:19:41.309 --> 00:19:43.910 Moses could have looked at 40 years in Midian 00:19:43.910 --> 00:19:46.910 and said, this has nothing to do with Egypt. 00:19:47.430 --> 00:19:51.170 But later, the connections become clearer. Maybe 00:19:51.170 --> 00:19:53.769 the difficult supervisor is teaching you how 00:19:53.769 --> 00:19:56.990 to lead without becoming what hurt you. Maybe 00:19:56.990 --> 00:19:59.809 limited resources are teaching you stewardship. 00:20:00.309 --> 00:20:03.049 Maybe raising children is teaching you patience. 00:20:03.289 --> 00:20:06.789 Maybe marriage is exposing selfishness that success 00:20:06.789 --> 00:20:10.369 would magnify. Maybe serving without recognition 00:20:10.369 --> 00:20:13.470 is confronting your need for applause. Maybe 00:20:13.470 --> 00:20:16.789 waiting is developing endurance. Maybe correction 00:20:16.789 --> 00:20:20.309 is teaching humility. Maybe failure taught you 00:20:20.309 --> 00:20:23.210 boundaries. Maybe disappointment is teaching 00:20:23.210 --> 00:20:26.690 you where your identity truly rests. You may 00:20:26.690 --> 00:20:29.690 not understand everything God is producing right 00:20:29.690 --> 00:20:32.900 now. But don't assume nothing is happening simply 00:20:32.900 --> 00:20:36.099 because the blessing hasn't arrived. Preparation 00:20:36.099 --> 00:20:40.980 is also progress. The blessing should expand 00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:44.279 your purpose, not shrink your soul. When God 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:47.599 gives more, our capacity to serve should grow. 00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:50.940 More resources should create greater generosity. 00:20:51.210 --> 00:20:54.450 More influence should create greater responsibility. 00:20:54.750 --> 00:20:58.029 More wisdom should create greater humility. More 00:20:58.029 --> 00:21:01.349 authority should create greater concern for justice. 00:21:01.670 --> 00:21:05.009 More opportunity should create greater stewardship. 00:21:05.329 --> 00:21:08.289 More visibility should create greater awareness 00:21:08.289 --> 00:21:12.049 that people are watching how we live. Jesus says, 00:21:12.410 --> 00:21:15.690 from everyone who has been given much, much will 00:21:15.690 --> 00:21:19.230 be demanded. The blessing is not simply, look 00:21:19.230 --> 00:21:23.559 what I have. The blessing asks, what will I do 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:27.140 with what has been entrusted to me? Joseph's 00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:30.539 elevation wasn't only for Joseph. His position 00:21:30.539 --> 00:21:34.119 helped preserve lives. Esther's position wasn't 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:38.039 only about becoming queen. It placed her where 00:21:38.039 --> 00:21:41.960 courage would eventually be required. Abraham's 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:44.599 blessing carried the promise that others would 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:48.470 be blessed through him. Biblical blessing repeatedly 00:21:48.470 --> 00:21:52.049 moves outward, so maybe what you are asking God 00:21:52.049 --> 00:21:56.029 for is bigger than your comfort. Maybe somebody 00:21:56.029 --> 00:22:01.769 else is connected to your faithfulness. Be careful 00:22:01.769 --> 00:22:05.690 when people begin celebrating you. There is another 00:22:05.690 --> 00:22:09.390 weight that comes with blessing, praise. People 00:22:09.390 --> 00:22:13.230 begin recognizing you, complimenting you, calling 00:22:13.230 --> 00:22:17.049 your name, seeking your advice. inviting you 00:22:17.049 --> 00:22:20.529 into rooms, and praise can become intoxicating. 00:22:21.109 --> 00:22:24.269 You begin believing your own publicity. You stop 00:22:24.269 --> 00:22:28.089 listening. You become offended when someone disagrees. 00:22:28.690 --> 00:22:31.990 You interpret correction as disrespect. You begin 00:22:31.990 --> 00:22:35.210 needing applause to feel significant. That is 00:22:35.210 --> 00:22:38.569 dangerous. Remember, the people celebrating you 00:22:38.569 --> 00:22:41.829 today are still people, and you are still human. 00:22:42.089 --> 00:22:45.430 Stay grounded. Stay accountable. Stay teachable. 00:22:45.480 --> 00:22:48.799 Stay prayerful. Stay close to people who knew 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:52.420 you before the title. And most importantly, stay 00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:55.859 close to God. Don't let public elevation create 00:22:55.859 --> 00:23:00.500 private distance from God. Maybe God is preparing 00:23:00.500 --> 00:23:04.299 you for the wait, not just the gift. There are 00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:09.000 prayers we ask repeatedly. God, when? When will 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:13.119 the door open? When will things change? When 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:16.579 will I finally receive what you promised? And 00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:20.200 sometimes we need faith to keep asking, but perhaps 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:24.359 another prayer belongs beside it. God, who must 00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:28.319 I become to carry what I am asking for? If I 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:31.519 am asking for more develop greater stewardship. 00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:35.640 If I am asking for leadership develop greater 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:39.720 humility. If I am asking for influence develop 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:43.140 greater integrity. If I am asking for resources, 00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:47.059 develop greater generosity. If I am asking for 00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:51.420 marriage, teach me covenant. If I am asking for 00:23:51.420 --> 00:23:56.019 family, teach me sacrifice. If I am asking for 00:23:56.019 --> 00:23:59.779 ministry, teach me to love people more than platforms. 00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:04.700 If I am asking for success, teach me how to remain 00:24:04.700 --> 00:24:08.180 faithful when success arrives, because I don't 00:24:08.180 --> 00:24:11.279 simply want to receive the blessing. I want to 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:14.680 survive it. I don't simply want to enter the 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:18.680 room. I want to remain who God called me to be 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:22.400 while I am there. I don't simply want God to 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:25.940 put something in my hands. I want my character 00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:31.319 to be strong enough to carry its weight. And 00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:33.960 perhaps that is why the fire had to touch some 00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:38.099 things. Maybe the fire exposed your pride because 00:24:38.099 --> 00:24:41.500 pride could not survive where God has taken you. 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:45.119 Maybe the fire exposed your anger because greater 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:49.519 authority would magnify it. Maybe the fire exposed 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:52.579 your need for approval because greater visibility 00:24:52.579 --> 00:24:56.920 would feed it. Maybe the fire exposed weak boundaries 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:00.799 because greater access would test them. Maybe 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:04.220 the fire exposed poor discipline. because greater 00:25:04.220 --> 00:25:07.859 responsibility would overwhelm you. Maybe the 00:25:07.859 --> 00:25:11.700 fire exposed financial irresponsibility because 00:25:11.700 --> 00:25:14.900 increase without stewardship could destroy you. 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:18.880 Maybe the fire exposed your inability to receive 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:22.259 correction because leadership without accountability 00:25:22.259 --> 00:25:26.740 can become dangerous. What felt like God was 00:25:26.740 --> 00:25:30.460 taking something from you. May have been God 00:25:30.460 --> 00:25:33.539 removing something that could not safely travel 00:25:33.539 --> 00:25:38.559 with you. God doesn't waste the fire. Sometimes 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:41.359 the fire is preparing your shoulders for weight. 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:45.599 But remember, the blessing is not proof that 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:50.700 God loves you more. We need this guardrail. Prosperity 00:25:50.700 --> 00:25:54.359 is not proof that somebody has more faith. Money 00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:58.180 is not proof of spiritual maturity. Promotion 00:25:58.180 --> 00:26:02.519 is not proof that God prefers you. A large ministry 00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:06.140 is not proof of greater holiness. And difficulty 00:26:06.140 --> 00:26:10.019 is not proof that somebody has failed. Jesus 00:26:10.019 --> 00:26:13.759 loved people who suffered. The apostles experienced 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:18.359 hardship. Paul knew abundance and need. So this 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:21.059 conversation is not about creating a formula. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:24.700 Become good enough and God will make you rich 00:26:24.700 --> 00:26:29.269 or successful. No, the gospel is not a transaction. 00:26:29.829 --> 00:26:33.029 We are talking about stewardship. Whatever God 00:26:33.029 --> 00:26:36.690 allows into your hands, little or much, carry 00:26:36.690 --> 00:26:40.730 it faithfully. Whatever season you are in, remain 00:26:40.730 --> 00:26:45.269 faithful. And if increase comes, don't let increase 00:26:45.269 --> 00:26:50.529 decrease your dependence upon God. Paul learned 00:26:50.529 --> 00:26:54.230 how to carry both. Philippians 4 is often quoted 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:57.619 because Paul says, I can do all things through 00:26:57.619 --> 00:27:01.519 Christ who strengthens me. But look at the context. 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:05.099 Paul says he learned how to live with little 00:27:05.099 --> 00:27:09.099 and he learned how to live with plenty. He knew 00:27:09.099 --> 00:27:14.400 hunger and he knew abundance. He says I have 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:17.339 learned the secret of being content in any and 00:27:17.339 --> 00:27:21.460 every situation. Then I can do all this through 00:27:21.460 --> 00:27:25.200 him who gives me strength. Paul needed Christ. 00:27:25.339 --> 00:27:28.859 when he had little. Paul needed Christ when he 00:27:28.859 --> 00:27:32.460 had much. Maybe maturity is not simply learning 00:27:32.460 --> 00:27:36.319 how to survive lack. Maybe maturity is learning 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:39.519 how to remain faithful in either condition. If 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:43.160 I have little, Christ is enough. If I have much, 00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:46.880 Christ is still Lord. If the door is closed, 00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:51.819 I worship. If the door opens, I worship. If nobody 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:55.779 knows my name, I serve. If people recognize me, 00:27:55.900 --> 00:28:00.099 I serve. If I am waiting, I belong to God. If 00:28:00.099 --> 00:28:03.740 I receive what I prayed for, I still belong to 00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:08.160 God. So maybe the prayer needs to change. Instead 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:11.980 of only praying, God, give me more. Maybe pray. 00:28:12.779 --> 00:28:16.380 God, make me trustworthy with more. Instead of 00:28:16.380 --> 00:28:21.680 only, God, open the door. Pray. Prepare my character 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:24.670 for what is behind the door. Instead of only, 00:28:25.329 --> 00:28:29.150 God increase my influence, pray. Increase my 00:28:29.150 --> 00:28:33.329 integrity before you increase my influence. Instead 00:28:33.329 --> 00:28:37.930 of only, God bless me, pray. Never let the blessing 00:28:37.930 --> 00:28:40.430 become more important than the one who blessed 00:28:40.430 --> 00:28:44.710 me. And instead of asking only, when will it 00:28:44.710 --> 00:28:48.990 happen? Ask God, what are you developing in me 00:28:48.990 --> 00:28:52.339 while I wait? Because maybe the waiting room 00:28:52.339 --> 00:28:56.220 is also a training room. Maybe the small assignment 00:28:56.220 --> 00:28:59.559 is strengthening your shoulders. Maybe correction 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:02.960 is protecting your future. Maybe discipline is 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:06.920 increasing your capacity. Maybe the fire is removing 00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:12.440 what cannot carry the weight. And this brings 00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:16.460 us to our next conversation. Because if the fire 00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:20.009 is preparing us for what comes next, There is 00:29:20.009 --> 00:29:23.529 one more question we must ask. What are we still 00:29:23.529 --> 00:29:26.769 carrying that cannot come with us? What habits? 00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:31.890 What attitudes? What relationships? What compromises? 00:29:32.529 --> 00:29:36.109 What ways of thinking? What bitterness? What 00:29:36.109 --> 00:29:40.329 pride? What fear? What version of ourselves belongs 00:29:40.329 --> 00:29:44.329 to an old season? Because there are things God 00:29:44.329 --> 00:29:48.680 may forgive, but still tell you. Don't take that 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:52.180 with you. There are things that helped you survive 00:29:52.180 --> 00:29:55.279 one season, but cannot lead you into another. 00:29:56.180 --> 00:29:59.980 There are patterns that must end here. And perhaps 00:29:59.980 --> 00:30:03.000 the greatest tragedy would be to survive the 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:06.920 fire, and then carry the impurities the fire 00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:11.160 was meant to remove into the next season. So 00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:14.559 our next continuing conversation will be, don't 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:18.180 waste the fire. what must not follow you into 00:30:18.180 --> 00:30:21.660 the next season. Because eventually the question 00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:25.339 becomes, what was the fire supposed to remove? 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:29.519 And once God reveals it, are you willing to leave 00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:34.740 it behind? Before we close, I want to speak to 00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:37.339 the person who has been asking God for something 00:30:37.339 --> 00:30:41.579 for a long time. Keep praying, keep believing, 00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:46.720 keep trusting. But while you wait, Keep becoming. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:50.359 Don't become so focused on receiving the answer 00:30:50.359 --> 00:30:53.480 that you miss what God may be developing in you. 00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:57.400 Let him strengthen your character. Let him deepen 00:30:57.400 --> 00:31:00.700 your discipline. Let him teach you stewardship. 00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:04.700 Let him confront your pride. Let him strengthen 00:31:04.700 --> 00:31:08.579 your boundaries. Let him develop your self -control. 00:31:09.099 --> 00:31:12.400 Let him teach you how to handle little faithfully. 00:31:12.700 --> 00:31:15.920 Let Him teach you how to receive correction. 00:31:16.579 --> 00:31:20.240 Let Him teach you how to remain humble. Because 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:23.279 maybe you are not simply waiting for the blessing. 00:31:23.819 --> 00:31:26.579 Maybe you are being prepared for its weight. 00:31:26.859 --> 00:31:31.140 And when it comes, remember the wilderness. Remember 00:31:31.140 --> 00:31:35.220 the prayers. Remember the tears. Remember the 00:31:35.220 --> 00:31:38.980 lessons. Remember the people who stood with you. 00:31:39.500 --> 00:31:42.609 Remember who you were. When nobody knew your 00:31:42.609 --> 00:31:46.349 name, remember the God who carried you when you 00:31:46.349 --> 00:31:49.509 had nothing else to hold on to. And when you 00:31:49.509 --> 00:31:53.609 finally stand in the place you prayed for, don't 00:31:53.609 --> 00:31:58.130 stop praying. When you receive more, don't become 00:31:58.130 --> 00:32:01.690 less dependent. When God expands your influence, 00:32:02.369 --> 00:32:05.869 expand your humility. When God increases your 00:32:05.869 --> 00:32:10.019 resources, increase your generosity. When God 00:32:10.019 --> 00:32:13.940 gives you responsibility, increase your integrity. 00:32:15.019 --> 00:32:18.000 When God opens the door, take your character 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:21.799 with you. Because the greatest testimony is not 00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:26.299 simply, God brought me there. The greater testimony 00:32:26.299 --> 00:32:30.099 may become, God prepared me to remain faithful 00:32:30.099 --> 00:32:33.980 when I arrived. Don't just pray for the blessing, 00:32:34.839 --> 00:32:38.200 pray for the character to carry it. Don't just 00:32:38.200 --> 00:32:41.480 pray for the door. Pray for the wisdom to walk 00:32:41.480 --> 00:32:45.680 through it. Don't just pray for increase. Pray 00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:49.019 for the discipline to steward it. And don't just 00:32:49.019 --> 00:32:53.579 ask God, when will you give it to me? Sometimes 00:32:53.579 --> 00:32:58.059 ask, God, who must I become to carry what I am 00:32:58.059 --> 00:33:02.140 asking you for? Maybe that is part of what the 00:33:02.140 --> 00:33:05.700 fire has been doing all along, preparing your 00:33:05.700 --> 00:33:09.809 shoulders. strengthening your character, deepening 00:33:09.809 --> 00:33:13.970 your roots, teaching you stewardship. Because 00:33:13.970 --> 00:33:17.329 God is not only concerned with getting you somewhere, 00:33:18.470 --> 00:33:21.990 he is concerned with who you become when you 00:33:21.990 --> 00:33:27.269 arrive. And even while you wait, you are being 00:33:27.269 --> 00:33:29.410 refined for a purpose.