Called Into The House | Joel Osteen

Hey everyone, it's me Morgan Stewart, and I have a new podcast called the Morgan Stewart show. Join me each week as I talk about pop culture, fashion, my personal life, and just a warning I'm gonna be giving my opinion on everything. I'll also have some really fun guests to join in on the fun. The Morgan Stewart show is out now. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts or watch full video on YouTube. We gather here tonight to bring women back to their rightful place. The Testaments, a new Hulu original series from the executive producers of the Handmaid's Tale. It's easier to accept a story than believe that the people around you are monsters. The battle isn't over. There comes a time when you have to take action, when you have to choose your own destiny. Watch the new Hulu original series, The Testaments, streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. Blue Air Blue Signature Purifiers remove airborne pollutants so you can recover and sleep better. Peak performance isn't just built in the gym. It's built at home. Shop BlueAir.com, official aircare partner of the New York Knicks. Hi, this is Joel in Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend? We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. I like to start with something funny and I heard about this man. He was driving through an intersection that was monitored by cameras. If you ran the light or broke the law in any way, would take your picture and you'd receive a ticket in the mail. So he made sure to go through it extra slowly, not breaking any laws, but he noticed the camera flashed, took his picture. He thought that's not right. He turned around and drove through it again even more slowly. Once again, it took his picture. He thought this thing's messed up. They cannot give me a ticket. Out of spite, he drove through it three more times. Each time waving at the camera with a big smile. A week later, he received five tickets in the mail for not wearing his seatbelt. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I'll never be the same in Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about called into the house. Sometimes we're doing the right thing, but it doesn't seem like it's making a difference. We're being our best, honoring God, but we're not making much progress, not getting good breaks. Our dreams aren't coming to pass. It seems like we're being overlooked. It's easy to get discouraged. I think God must have forgotten about us, especially when we see other people who are being blessed, promoted, meeting the right person. Thoughts tell us it's because they're more talented. They're more attractive. They come from an influential family, just accept where you are. These thoughts try to make us feel insignificant, push us down, so we'll settle for mediocrity. This is what happened to David in the Scripture. He was the youngest son of a man named Jesse. He had seven older brothers. As a teenager, he got stuck out in the shepherd's fields taking care of his father's sheep. He spent his days feeding the animals, cleaning up their mess, protecting them from harm. It was boring, lonely. His brothers were in the military where it was exciting and prestigious. They wore a uniform each day, had respect and honor. When they passed by, people admired them. Nobody thought of David. Nobody celebrated him. In their eyes, what he was doing was insignificant. They discounted him, thought, that's just David. He's the youngest. He's small. He's not talented. He'll never do anything great. They looked on the outside. What they couldn't see was what was on the inside. David had a heart after God. He didn't complain. He didn't slack off because nobody was watching. He didn't get bitter, go around with a chip on his shoulder. He was his best right where he was. In the natural, it didn't look like he would ever get out of the shepherd's fields and do something significant. Every circumstance said he was stuck. His brothers looked down on him. His father didn't believe in him. All the odds were against him. But one day, God told the prophet Samuel to go to Jesse's house and anoint one of his sons as the next king. When Samuel showed up, the first one he saw was David's oldest brother, Eliav. He was tall, good-looking, had a great physique, very impressive. Samuel thought, it's got to be him. Look at that kid. He looks like a king. But the scripture says, God said to Samuel, do not consider his appearance or his height. He is not the one. You look on the outside, but I look on the heart. The next son came by and Samuel said, it's not him. The next one, not him. Went through all seven. Finally, Samuel asked Jesse, do you have any more sons? Jesse said, yes. I have my youngest son, David. He's out in the shepherd's fields, but I know it's not him. He's not strong and impressive like these other sons. They serve in the military. They're skillful. They're talented. David, not so much. He's okay at taking care of a few sheep, but not much more. He discounted David, saw him as insignificant, didn't even bother inviting him in. But just because people leave you out, doesn't mean God leaves you out. People may overlook you. They may judge you by the outside, your height, your weight, your skin color. God looks on the inside. The good news is, God has the final say. Promotion doesn't come from people, it comes from the Lord. People may bypass you. They may not give you the time of day, but they cannot stop what God has ordained for you. If you'll keep being faithful, honoring God, he'll take you from the background to the foreground. People may try to push you down, God will lift you up. They may try to hold you back, God will thrust you forward. People don't determine your destiny, God does. When Samuel heard that Jesse had another son, he asked him to go get him. Jesse sent a messenger out. I can imagine David sees this man way off in the distance, coming toward him full speed. David thinks there's something wrong. Is there an emergency? The messenger shows up and says, David, your father needs you immediately. Come with me. They take off running together back to the house. When David arrived, the moment Samuel saw him, he said, that's the one. He's the next king of Israel. All those years, David spent out in the shepherd's fields. He felt ignored, insignificant, looked down on. His family discounted him, didn't give him any credit. It looked like that would be his destiny, but in one moment, everything changed. What happened? He got called into the house. People ignored him. God said, I have my eye on David. People discounted him. God saw his potential. They looked on the outside. God looked at his heart. He saw David doing the right thing when the wrong thing was happening. He saw him being faithful, even when it looked like he wasn't going anywhere. You too may feel like you're being overlooked, left out. The people that should be for you, should be cheering you on, doing just the opposite, discounting you, trying to push you down. Don't worry, your time is coming. God is watching you. He sees your faithfulness, your dedication, your integrity. Like David, you're about to be called into the house. You're about to see doors open that you could never open. You're about to see vindication where God honors you in front of people who were trying to make you look bad. You're going to see new levels of influence where people that once disrespected you, didn't give you the time of day. Now they look up to you. Now they admire you, ask you for advice. David was just minding his own business this day. As far as he was concerned, it was just another day at work, nothing special, taking care of sheep, keeping them from wild animals. Suddenly his whole life changed. It happened unexpectedly. You may think it's just another ordinary day, going to work, coming home. You don't know what God is up to. You never know when that messenger is going to show up saying you're needed in the house. You didn't see it coming. You weren't expecting it. Suddenly you meet the right person. Suddenly the medical report says cancer-free. Suddenly you get that break that thrust you to the next level. You were called into the house. What's interesting is David wasn't dreaming about becoming a king. He wasn't praying that one day he would lead a nation. He never thought he would defeat that giant and become an overnight national hero. He was a shepherd boy from a low-income family. That influence, that kind of favor never entered his mind. What God has in store for you is much bigger than you've imagined. We pray for things that seem reasonable to us. We ask for healing and protection to meet the right people. That's all good, but God has blessings that you've never asked for. If he showed you all that was in your future, it would boggle your mind. If you'll do like David and be your best where you are, you won't have to chase promotion. Promotion will chase you. You won't have to go after blessings. Blessings will come after you. When you keep God first place, the Scripture says you won't be able to outrun the good things he has in store. One of the keys is to stay faithful where you are. Don't wait till you get out of the shepherd's fields, then you're going to be your best. When you get a more significant position, then you're going to give it your all. You have to be excellent on the level you're on right now. Pass the test in the small areas. If David would have slacked off, done a half-hearted job, he wouldn't have been called into the house. If you're not excellent on your level, then you won't see promotion and increase. A friend of mine started pastoring a church in the hills of West Virginia in his late teens. Many Sundays, there were only seven people in the congregation. He taught a Bible class each week with three people. Year after year went by, not too much changed. He had an incredible gift for ministry, very anointed, very powerful, but only a few dozen people really recognized his gift. Most discounted him, thought, ah, that's that young pastor. He doesn't have much to offer. He was very poor. He drove a car that had holes in the floorboard where it had rusted out. You had to keep your feet up so they wouldn't touch the ground. He was not only the pastor of the church, he was the janitor as well. He would vacuum it, clean out the restrooms. He knew he had more in him. He knew he was going to make a greater impact, but he didn't slack off because he wasn't where he wanted to be. He didn't say, when I get a bigger congregation, I'll be my best. When I get some recognition, when these people start realizing what I have to offer, then I'll give it my all. He was his best right where he was. Some people in this small town tried to discourage him, told him that he would never make it as a pastor. He was too poor, didn't have the training, the experience. They discounted him, tried to make him feel insignificant. But one day, through a series of unusual events, part of his message ended up on television. The owner of a Christian network saw it and said, I want that man on my network all the time. Overnight, he went from an unknown small ministry in West Virginia to a platform reaching millions of people. Today, our friend, T.D. Jakes, doesn't have just a couple dozen people. He has thousands and has impacted the world. What happened? He got called into the house. People tried to hold him back. His own thoughts told him, you'll never get out of this limited environment. But he understood this principle. If you'll be faithful where you are, then when it's your time to be called, when it's your time to be promoted, to be healed, to be vindicated, all the forces of darkness cannot hold you back. And like him, many of you have been faithful. You've done the right thing when it was hard. You haven't listened to the negative voices trying to discourage you, but nothing has happened. You're still in the shepherd's fields. Doesn't look like you'll ever get the break you need, ever get well, ever meet the right person. You may feel overlooked, but God is saying, I haven't forgotten about you. Samuel is on the way. You're about to be called into the house. I'm about to do what medicine can't do. I'm about to restore what the enemy is trying to steal. I'm about to take you where you could not go on your own. Now, do your part. Keep being excellent where you are. If God can't trust you to be faithful in the wilderness, how can he trust you to be faithful in the promised land? Those things that are not changing, people dismissing you. Those times where you feel like you're doing something insignificant. Those are times of testing, times of proving, where you have to show God what you're made of. That's when your character is developed. It's easy to slack off now. This doesn't matter. It's insignificant. Nobody is watching. You have to pass small tests before God will release big things. If you're not excellent on the level you're on, you won't get to the next level. You may not like where you are. You know you have more in you. It's taken longer than you thought, but God knows what he's doing. He's closely watching you. If you'll keep passing the test, staying faithful where you are, it's just a matter of time before you see that messenger show up. Suddenly, unexpectedly. Like Bishop Jakes, seems like another ordinary day, but the right person sees you and your whole world changes. Like David, somebody he didn't even know, the prophet Samuel came looking for him. God knows how to get you to where you're supposed to be. He's already lined up your Samuels who will search you out to be good to you. Well, you said, Joe, I'd love to believe this. Sounds good, but you don't know my situation. I don't come from a prominent family, neither did David. I don't know anyone influential that can give me a good break, open a door, neither did David. I don't have a good position. I'm doing something that seems insignificant. So was David. If you see what you're doing is not important, not significant, most likely you won't do it with excellence. What makes it incredibly important is the fact that that's where God has you now. You're not thereby accident. It holds the key to you rising higher. Samuel won't come looking if there's not excellence where you are. You don't have to do it better than somebody else. Just do it to the best of your ability. No, and you're not working under people, you're working under God. I talked to a lady recently. She had been sick on and off for two years. She had to take a leave of absence from her job. She's a registered nurse. For over 30 years has been a model employee with the same company. She felt badly about having to miss so much work and not having the income was difficult on her family. She's a single parent mom raising two children. After two years, she was cleared to go back to work. But when she showed up, her supervisor told her that she didn't have a job anymore. That position had been filled. After putting all this time into this company, she was going to lose her benefits. Her seniority have to start all over. It seemed like those 30 years went down the drain. Her teenage children said to her, Mom, you've always taught us that God is in control, that he's going to take care of us. These last two years, we haven't missed a payment on the house. We haven't gone without. What makes you think that God is going to fail us now? She had spent years speaking faith and encouragement into her kids. Now those seeds of encouragement were coming back to her. Instead of being negative, thinking God's forgotten about me, never dreamed I'd be unemployed at this age, she believed that God had her in the palm of his hand, that he would open the right doors. A couple of weeks later, her boss's supervisor called the house. This lady didn't call the company, the company called her. This boss, this Samuel, so to speak, said, I'm just checking with you, wondering when you'll be able to come back to work. The lady was puzzled and said, what do you mean? When I came back, they told me I don't have a job. She said, are you kidding? Of course you do. You come see me, you can start tomorrow. What was that? She got called into the house. Samuel came looking for her. Friends, God knows how to vindicate you. Somebody's trying to hold you down. Don't worry, God can go over them, or he can go around them, move them out of the way. Bottom line, God will get you to where you're supposed to be. David's own family didn't believe in him. His father thought he was not tall enough, not talented enough, not smart enough. The good news is, when God is ready to call you, he doesn't go check with your family. He doesn't go ask your cousin, do you think they have what it takes? He doesn't consult with your boss if it's time to promote you. God doesn't need people's approval to do what he wants to do in your life. If people don't believe in you, that's okay. The God who created the universe, the one who matters, he does. Your family may not encourage you, but you can encourage yourself. People may not celebrate you, learn to celebrate yourself. I know a man that was raised in Latin America. His parents were missionaries to Mexico, very faithful, dedicated people. At the age of three, his father was killed in an accident. His mother decided to stay in Mexico and continue on the ministry while raising four small children. One day, when they were in the States visiting relatives, they went to Washington, D.C. to take in the sights. As a young boy, he stood on the sidewalk in front of the White House in such awe, thinking about how the President of the United States lives in there. He looked through the iron fence, and he could see people in the windows of the White House going about their business. He thought about what it must be like to be on the inside, all that power, prestige, influence. It was impressive enough being on the outside. He could only imagine how important those people were on the inside. To him, it was a huge contrast from his humble missionary environment there in Mexico, where people had so little. Over the years, this young boy discovered he had a gift of music and singing. He could write incredible songs and play the piano. He became a well-known worship leader in Latin America, holding concerts with thousands of people. A while back, he was invited to the White House to sing for the President at an official state dinner. As he sat on the platform with world leaders and shared his gift, he couldn't believe he was there. He never dreamed as a little boy raised by missionaries with very little income that one day he would be inside the White House. During a break in the program, he left the dinner and went out into the hallway. He found the same windows that he had seen people through some 30 years earlier. He looked out and saw people standing behind the iron fence, where he had stood as a little boy from the outside looking in. He started waving and waving. He said, I wanted to tell them, I was where you are. You never know one day instead of being on the outside looking in, you may be on the inside looking out. When you get called into the house, you don't know where God is going to take you. But sometimes when we see a person on the inside, in other words, they're blessed, prosperous, influential, we think that will never be me. I don't have the talent like him, the connections, the good looks. None of that matters to God. When you have a heart to know him, when you're best right where you are, one touch of God's favor can take you from the outside to the inside. You may not realize it, you already have royal blood flowing through your veins. You're wearing a crown of favor. God breathed his life into you. He didn't create you to stay on the outside, to live in the shepherd's fields. Sure, there are seasons that we go through, tests we must pass, but don't let that become permanent in your thinking. God has already lined up the Samuels to come push you into your destiny. You may be on the outside, but get ready, God's going to bring you to the inside. Growing up, I used to admire my father. He was my hero, and little children, we would travel with my parents when my dad would speak at large conferences and front of several thousand people, and everybody loved my father. Afterwards, they'd want to come up and shake his hand, and I watched in the distance, was so proud. I used to think I could never do what he does. He's so smart, so talented, so creative. I came back after college and spent 17 years working behind the scenes doing the television production here at Lakewood. I did my best to make my father look good, but God doesn't want us to go through life just celebrating others. He wants you to be celebrated. I never dreamed I would do this. I never prayed that one day I would be up here. I didn't think this was in me, but when Daddy went to be with the Lord in 1999, I got called into the house. I discovered talent that I didn't know I had. Now, I'm no longer on the outside looking in. I'm on the inside looking out. Here's my point. Sometimes thoughts will tell you, you belong on the outside. You know, that blessed life, that prosperous, abundant life, that's not for you, that's for those people that are more talented, that have more beauty, that have more than you. Don't believe those lies. You didn't get left out. You weren't shortchanged. God put greatness in you. There are gifts and talents you've not yet tapped into. There are new levels in your future. Keep being faithful. Like David, your time is coming. You're going to be called into the house. My friend John here on the front row ran camera for us at Lakewood for over 20 years. He was always faithful, always had a smile, a kind word, somebody we could count on. I noticed through the years that John moved very slowly. I thought that was just his personality. I didn't realize that he didn't have the strength. At 10 years old, he was diagnosed with that defective heart. The left side didn't work. Got to the place he couldn't walk upstairs, drive his car, had to have medicine flowing into him. 24 hours a day intravenously. Last December, he was so weak, ended up in the hospital. The doctor told him that his heart had finally given out. His only chance of survival was a heart transplant. He was put on the waiting list. Typically, that takes up to a year. Problem is, John didn't have a year. Some of our cameraman sent him my message about how God can accelerate things, make it happen quicker than you thought. That seed took root in his spirit. Three weeks later, the doctor called, said, John, we have a heart for you. He had the transplant. Today he's here. He says he feels better than he's felt in 40 years. He can climb stairs. He can drive again, laugh again, live again. John got called into the house. The good news today, God has your number. He has the heart you need. He has the healing that belongs to you. He has the baby with your name on it. You may be on the outside, but God's about to bring you to the inside. Like John, you're going to look up and say, I feel better now than I've felt in years. Like me, you're not going to just be celebrating and admiring others. You're going to be celebrated. Friends, there are blessings in your future. You've never asked for. You've never thought about. You may not see how it can happen. You feel like you're stuck. You're in the shepherd's fields, but God has not forgotten about you. If you'll keep being your best where you are, I believe and declare you're about to be called into the house. New doors are going to open. The right people show up. Problems turn around. The fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. Can you see me today? Can you see me? I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins, come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God in first place. He's going to take you places that you've never dreamed. Life throws so much at us. Disappointments, failures, challenges. We can feel so out of touch that we no longer recognize ourselves. Life has a way of changing us. At one time we were outgoing and excited about our dreams, but when we go through disappointments and people do us wrong, it's easy to lose that positive, passionate person that we used to be. In my new book, Rediscovering the Forgotten You, I'll help you get back to who you really are. The joyful you, the competent you, the talented you. It's not too late. You haven't been through too much. You may have lost part of yourself, but you can find yourself. God is in the business of restoring what was lost, healing what was broken. You haven't seen the best version of you yet. It's still in front of you. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount, we would like to send you a copy of Joel's brand new book, Rediscovering the Forgotten You. Take back your passion, reignite your dreams, and embrace the life you were created to live. This book shares uplifting scripture and personal stories that will help you release bitterness, silence self-defeating thoughts, and embrace, by faith, the vision of the life God designed for you. Life's challenges might have distorted the true you, but now you can reclaim, revitalize, and restore the version of yourself that you once knew, or the version that you know God has made you to be. Filled with hopes and dreams, optimism, and confidence, request your copy today and discover the best version of you yet. God is about to breathe new life, new passion, new dreams into your heart. When he started, he's going to finish. Thanks so much for being with us today. Victoria and I are praying for you and your family, for God's very best. Thank you so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity helps people all over the world. A special thank you to our champion of hope partners for all you do to make the ministry possible. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider the coming one. Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of Rediscovering the Forgotten You, available this month by simply visiting us at www.joelosteen.com or call 888-567-JOEL. You can also receive the God's Got You Rediscovery Duo. You'll receive Rediscovering the Forgotten You and God's Got You promises for overcoming fear. It's the perfect combination to help you rekindle your purpose while standing firm in God's promises. In addition to these two inspiration books, you can also receive the beautifully crafted CSB Thinline Study Bible in camel suede soft leather touch, an elegant Bible that offers a rich, immersive study experience and brings God's Word beautifully into your everyday life. This collection is more than encouragement. It is a foundation for lasting renewal, rooted in God's Word, strengthened by faith, and anchored in His promises. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to joelosteen.com today. You can also have some really fun guests to join in on the fun. The Morgan Stewart Show is out now. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts or watch full video on YouTube. There are so many ways to get your podcasts and videos. You can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube, or you can get them on YouTube,