IT ALWAYS COMES IN THREE'S - T.D. JAKES

"You can’t take flaky people into changing situations.

You have to be careful who you take with you all the way to the top."

~Bishop TD Jakes, Lakewood Church 3/8/15 

Text: Matthew 17:1-5
The Transfiguration
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

IT ALWAYS COMES IN THREE'S

We get to see a private moment with Jesus.
In His inner circle.
Three guys.
You can’t take masses of people with you.
You can minister to 5000 but you can’t take 5000 with you.
There are many associated with you that can’t go up with you.
Jesus could heal masses but only took three men with Him.
You have to be selective about who you take with you when God takes you up.
The circle must get smaller or you won’t survive.
If you invert the pyramid you will fall down.
Peter, James, & John.
His boys.
The mountain of transfiguration is Mount Hermon in the Old Testament.
How good and pleasant…
The place where God commands blessings.
It’s a mile high in the air.
It's colder at the top.
At the bottom of the mountain they were in one climate but when they got to the top they were in another climate.

You can’t take flaky people into changing situations.
You have to be careful who you take with you all the way to the top.
Peter, James, and John have a track record with Jesus.
Why do people try to take people into intimate places who haven’t earned that right?
If you value yourself and your journey you won’t take just anybody with you.
I know they call you arrogant but you’re just careful.
You’ve been thru too much to make the same mistakes.
I’m not crazy – I’m careful.
They’d faced some storms with Jesus.
I like to go with people who will hang with you in tough times and places.
Everybody wants to ride around in luxury, but I need someone who will be there on the rocks, on the bus.
Jesus said if you suffer with me you can reign with me.
Alone with Jesus on the mountain top? Who wouldn’t want to go?
But are they ready to see it?
This is the place of change, transfiguring, metamorphosis.
Where you see things from a different perspective.
Eyes but cannot see…
God will take you places where you see on a whole different level.
You have to be prepared to deal with something called loneliness.
It becomes a lonely process.

Your whole perspective changes.
You know you’ve outgrown people because of what they think.
You look at people and say “What was I thinking?”
On top of the snow-capped mountains they behold the wonder of His glory.
God cannot be explained; He must be revealed.
Jesus was discretionary about who he revealed Himself too.
There comes Moses.
All that Israel had stood for.
Whom the angels carried his body away.
That Moses.
On the other hand is Elias. [Elias is King James Version, Elijah is New International Version]
He represents everything they were expecting.
Moses, Jesus and Elias.
Yesterday, today and the future.
Peter says let’s build 3 tabernacles.
Around where I was, where I am, and where I’m going.
But faith never builds monuments around the past.
You can never be a person who walks by faith and still talks about the good old days—
Because the good old days are never behind you.
You have not seen your best days yet.
You have not achieved your greatest accomplishment yet.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
If you’re not hoping for anything than get your stuff and leave.
It’s a dangerous thing when your faith wants to build monuments in where you used to be.
And it's equally dangerous to build monuments in the future.
You can’t build monuments in where you are not – yet.
Moses and Elias disappeared and they say Jesus.
Why all the threes?
When God said "Let us make man" He meant the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Man became body, soul, & spirit.
Faith, hope and charity.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. [1 John 5:7]
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. [1 John 5:8]
Jonah is on the way to Nineveh.
Was in the fish for 3 days.
On the 3rd day the fish got indigestion.
You can only hold a man of faith but for so long.
Jonah did a 3 days journey in one.
Some have missed the turn repeatedly but God will expedite the process.
God will promote you after you suffered a while.
Jonah was down for 3 days but rose on the 3rd.
That’s why the devil made a mistake by rejoicing at the crucifixion.
Never dance on the first day devil because it’s not over yet.
The bible says early Sunday morning He got up with all power in His hands.
God is about to raise you up.
Give God praise right now!
I know your enemies are having a party
But you are on the 3rd day!
Don’t count me out yet!
Not on the first day.
Not on the second day.
The third day is the day that the stone is rolled away.
Everybody who’s ever been resurrected anytime in your life make some noise.
I’m on the third day.
Tweet it, put it on Instagram.
Tell your affliction “I’m on the third day.”
I feel a resurrected spirit in here.
Something is about to happen.
Every time I thought I couldn’t take it anymore something said don’t quit now.
You’re right on the verge.
Can I go deeper? (Quiets crowd)
While all that was going on on the mountain the church was totally failing in the valley.
Down at the bottom of the mountain 9 disciples were struggling to deliver a demon.
3 groups of 3.
Before they could celebrate the glory of the mountain here they come with bad news.
Jesus comes down lit up with the glory of God, with his 3 boys.
Having been with God.
Wow.

Matthew 17:14-20
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Here someone comes running saying "your disciples couldn’t deliver my son".
That’s how it is in ministry.
I brought my son to your disciples and they couldn’t help him.
The oxymorons of life: things can be great over here and terrible over here.
This part can mock that part.
If you had all that glory at the church then why all the trouble over here?
Some will try to make a mockery out of your life.
It’s not just that he casts himself into the water and fire, but that he does it so often.
I love this boy but I can’t help this boy.
You could walk away from something you don’t love.
A father’s love: I cannot pull my love out of you just because I don’t like what you do.
I just pulled him out then he’s back in the water again.
My kids are in the water/fire.
I tried your church.
I didn’t feel nothing.
I brought him to your preachers and they couldn’t do anything.
And he went right back home and fell in the fire again.
If you can do anything – desperation.
Specific requests are when it’s not that bad.
When you get in trouble it’s please give me something.
If you could just make it better.
Better Jesus.
The first thing wrong with the man is the “if”.
Why come to a man that you’re not sure of.
He’s the god that can do exceedingly above.
The if is on the man.
Lord I believe but help my unbelief.
You want God to bless you and you don’t even serve him.
Trying to get Prudential to cover your car and you don’t even have a policy.
There’s a miracle in the mess.
Anybody else would’ve drowned or burned as many times as he’d been in the fire.
You owe God a praise right now.
Jesus does not speak to the boy.
The boy is writhing on the floor.
Jesus talks to the father.
The boy is on the floor but Jesus is talking to the father.
The other day there was a leak in the ceiling.
The plumber said we don’t have to cut where the leak is.
It showed up over there, but it’s coming from over here.
The real leak was coming from the father.
This thing started way over here.
No need dealing with the symptoms if you don’t get to the root cause.
The boy is acting out the father’s pain.
Jesus deals with the father’s unbelief.
You cannot heal the son if the father remains broken.
One Jesus steps past all the threes and says Be healed.
The man in you will not be healed until the boy in you recovers.
Stand back disciples.
What you see happening in that boy’s life is coming from the man.
We have grown men with little boy problems.
This is why I serve the Lord.
Moses, Jesus, Elias.
Yesterday, today, forever more.
God dwells in eternity.
That’s why He said I AM the same yesterday, today and
Nobody else can heal you but God.
Because nobody else can go back to where the hurt began.
Heal the angry child.
Set the man free.
And enable you to have a great tomorrow because of what you did today.
This is my 3rd service and it always comes in threes.
Saturday night he preached the power of the one.
This morning he preached about pairs.
1, 2, 3.
That’s how close you are to a miracle.
—To a change.
—To a resurrection.
—To a touch from God.
Will you come this close, just to watch and evaluate?
Or will you use this opportunity so that thing can be healed?
Are you man enough to admit that the real leak is coming from over there?
I wonder if some of the stains in your life are symptoms from the leaking in your soul.
I wonder will you keep patching the stain or will you fix the leak.
You could keep pulling that stuff out of the fire and water-
Or come to God for change.
All that falling in the fire/water of people around you are symptoms.
Keep on putting out fires.
Or surrender and throw your hands up and say Lord I believe You have a better plan for me.
Would you allow the HS to speak to your heart?
God is really talking to you about something deep inside of you.
Why do you keep going places like that?
Doing things like that?
Put your hand up if you know God is talking to you.
Stand to your feet.
Prayer to stop the pathology and blaming everybody for something that’s coming out of you.
Move out into the aisle.
I need to change.
The move is indicative that you are willing to make a change.
I’m not asking you to become religious, I’m asking you to have relationship Jesus.
Stop blaming the disciples Daddy when it’s really you.

[Prayer]

[Altar Call]

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

Watch online at http://www.lakewoodchurch.com/pages/watch-online.aspx (while available).