NO MORE EXCUSES - JOEL OSTEEN

"Take the hand you’ve been dealt and make the most of it. God sees every wrong. If you don’t let it become an excuse God will turn it around and pay you back."

~Pastor Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church Sat 1/17/15

Key Verse: John 5:5

NO MORE EXCUSES

It’s easy to come up with reasons why we can’t be happy,
Or accomplish our dreams.
Why we can’t overcome a problem.
The boss is rude.
The traffic is bad.
I was betrayed.
I have an excuse to settle where I am.
I lost a loved one.
As long as you’re making excuses you’ll justify staying where you are.
Excuses give us permission to settle for less than God’s best.

When nephew Matthew was about 4 years old they were hiking and Matt was going to stomp on spider.
Grandfather said don't do it, but he did it and blamed it on the devil.
It’s easy to find an excuse.
I can’t lose weight – my metabolism is slow.
Everybody in my family has this addiction.
It’s in my genes.
Maybe, but you have the power to set a new standard.
Get rid of the excuses.
If you’re blaming the past and your family you’ll get stuck.
Throw out the excuses.
It may be a valid excuse.
You have to draw the line in the sand.
Refuse to live angry, upset, with a chip on your shoulder.
If you’ll get rid of the excuses God will be your vindicator.
It’s your year to see favor in a new way.
Have the attitude no more excuses.
This day is a gift from God.
I will enjoy it despite what’s going on.
No excuses to feel inferior.
I’m God’s masterpiece.
But Joel I’m not that talented; I don’t get good breaks.
If you didn’t get it then you didn’t need it.
Quit comparing yourself and run your own race.
Nobody can beat you at being you.
Get rid of those excuses.
You have been fearfully and wonderfully made.
When John Osteen died Joel had many excuses why he couldn’t step up and pastor.
If he’d given in he wouldn’t be where he is today.
Before you break the addiction get rid of the excuse I’ve had it too long, etc.
Before you meet the person of your dreams get rid of I’m not attractive, etc.
Joel used to write out his sermons by hand.
On Saturday he tried to put them all together.
Victoria said get a computer and type and then you can cut and paste.
Joel took typing in high school but hadn’t typed in 20 years.
Excuses.

Victoria said "You’re 36, you can do it – now do it."
Sometimes you need somebody to speak the truth in love to you.
No if’s and’s or but’s it’s time to lose the excuses.
It’s time to do it.
You have potential.
Seeds of greatness.
Quit telling yourself what you can’t do.
And how you lack discipline.
Joel started typing his messages on the computer and it was like night and day.
In a couple of weeks the typing all came back.
Since then he’s typed 7 books.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but it depends on what kind of dog you have.
Are you stuck doing something the old fashioned way because you think you can’t keep up?
You have what you need to thrive in this generation.
God put in you what you need for this day.
This is your time to shine.
Stay open to new ideas.

Dodie is 81 years old and she sends her kids group texts all day.
Most of them make sense.
She’s not intimidated by new things.
When we make excuses they become a crutch.
That way we justify why we’re not where we’re supposed to be.
—Self-pity crutch.
I have a reason to be this way.
My friend is more talented so I need this inferiority crutch.
Every time you make an excuse it’s slowing you down.
Some people spend their whole life on crutches.
Trust God to make your wrongs right.

That’s what Wilma did.
She was born prematurely in the 90’s; the 20th of 22 children.
Had polio and was told she’d never walk again.
Couldn’t play with the other kids.
Spent 2 years bedridden.
Wilma had no excuses mentality.
Doctor made her a special leg brace and she learned to walk.
She took off brace and practiced walking without her parent’s knowledge.
She ran.
At 16 she qualified for the Olympics.

Wilma Rudolph.
That’s what happens when you don’t let self-pity become a crutch.

We’ve all had bad breaks.
If it was going to keep you from your destiny God would never have permitted it.
In the scripture a man was blind since birth.
Whose fault was it Jesus?
They wanted to blame somebody; excuses.
Jesus said it’s nobody’s fault.
Don’t get stuck looking for someone or something to blame.
If you’ll stay in faith it won’t work against you, it’ll work for you.
Blame the man, blame the neighbor –
All that will do is make you feel sorry for yourself.
Take the hand you’ve been dealt and make the most of it.
God sees every wrong.
If you don’t let it become an excuse God will turn it around and pay you back.
What people did wrong to you doesn’t have to affect you.
Don’t sit around thinking about it.
Let it go and let God be your vindicator.

Joseph went thru one unfair thing after another.
Betrayed, falsely accused and imprisoned.
He could’ve come up with excuse after excuse to settle where he was.
But he had no excuse mentality.
Kept shaking off the disappointments.
Came out vindicated, promoted, in a place of honor.
Don’t get stuck looking back…
—Reliving the negative.
Keep moving forward.
God will get you where you’re supposed to be.
God has the final say.
But Joel they did me wrong; they hurt me.
Everybody’s been hurt.
It’s not worth missing your destiny over.
It doesn’t have to control the rest of your life.
Don’t hobble when God created you to run.
I can’t do anything bout the past but I can do something about right now.
This day is a gift.
Once we live it we can never get another day back.
You may have had a rough start but you don’t have to have a rough finish.
It’s not always easy to get over it.
The pain of letting go is less than the pain of missing your destiny.
Scripture tells us to be imitators of Christ.
That means people will come against us.
We’ll have a garden of Gethsemane; times of abandonment.
—A Judas who betrays us.
Jesus knew he was going to betray him but He still called him friend.
I’ve already gotten over it.
In the end I’ll wear the victor’s crown.
Like Joseph you’ll come out vindicated.
In John 5 the man was lying at the pool for 38 years.
First in would be healed.
Amplified bible described condition as deep-seated, lingering disorder.
There was a certain man there who had suffered with a deep-seated and lingering disorder for thirty-eight years.
They can keep us from our destiny.
Jesus saw the obviously crippled man.
Do you want to get well?
One version says are you serious about getting well.
Yes – but I don’t have anyone to help me.
He made excuse after excuse.
He’d used the excuses so long they’d become a crutch.
Jesus said if you’re serious about getting well then pick up your bed and walk.
You can make something happen.
Man got up.
How many things would we get out of if we’d quit feeling sorry for ourselves.
Are you serious about getting well?
Are you serious about moving past that disappointment?
Get up on the inside.
In your attitude.
In your countenance.
You’re waiting on God but God is waiting on you.
Isaiah 42 the former things have come to pass…
The things you’ve been struggling with are coming to  an end
God is about to put a stop to it.
There’s one requirement.
The last part of the verse.
Sing a new song.
Can’t keep singing the same old song.
I’ve been here 38 years.
Sing a song of victory.
I may have had bad breaks but this is my due season year.
I will break this bad habit.
If you want to see the new you have to sing a new song.
No more talking about who hurt you.
God will turn your mourning into dancing.
How many of us have lingering disorders?
We started making excuses.
If you’ll get rid of the excuses the lingering disorders will leave.
Is there something you need to get over today?
A business that didn’t make it.
A friend who betrayed you.
No more excuses today.
Things that have held you back are coming to an end.
You’ll overcome the illness
And see new levels of destiny.

[Prayer]

[Altar Call]
 


DISCLAIMER: This is not a transcript of Joel Osteen's message, these are my personal notes which I share to bless others. They are not published nor endorsed by Lakewood Church or Joel Osteen Ministries.

Watch online at http://www.lakewoodchurch.com/pages/watch-online.aspx (while available).
http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/WatchOnline.aspx  for older messages.