The Instinct to Increase

T.D.Jakes @ Lakewood Church

• "If you don't break up with fear you can miss your destiny."
• "Jesus died not to give us religion, but to give us relationship."
• Matthew 25:14-29 KJV
  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
• Consider the culture and the context of the time. 

1. This was being told in a caste society: whatever you are born into is what you are supposed to be. 
2. There was no responsibility in a caste system for anyone to uplift anyone or I interact outside of your circle.
3. Slaves were forbidden from owning anything.

• The servants had been gifted.

1. We all have things that we did not earn.
2. I'm an asset not a liability.
3. In spite of...

• God assesses your abilities.
  

1. Not equally... (people who compare themselves to others will never be happy. You should be comparing what you got to what you had.)
2. God is not fair, but he is just. He only gives you what you can handle. (All three men received an opportunity; God wouldn't give me the opportunity if I couldn't handle it)

• Most extremely gifted people are also lonely.
  

1. The gift set them apart from the other slaves.
2. The isolation is an opportunity for you to work your magic.

• Matthew 25:19 NLT...After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.

1. I don't need to give an account for what he gives me.
2. You have to be excellent on your own level. If you are excellent on your level then God will allow you to break some walls, shatter some ceilings, and step into another dimension.
3. Winners don't bury their talent and expose their fear; winners burt their fear and expose their talent.
4. All 3 servants received the same information but they processed it differently.

• The determining factor for the outcome is not the command, it's the instinct.

1. Though they were slaves, at least 2 of them weren't thinking like slaves.
2. Slaves only obey orders, masters follow their instincts.1

Let It (Unforgiveness) Go

Bishop T.D. Jakes @ Lakewood Church

If you don't give forgiveness well then you can't receive forgiveness well.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore bretheren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. And be not comformed to the ways of this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove that good acceptable and perfect will of God!

• Unforgiveness is when you get stuck in a place of pain.

• We have no provision for offense because we have developed a methodology for dealing with it.

• If you do well vertically but don't do well horizontally then are you really living a crucified life?

• If you don't think you are a good person then you won't like "me" thinking you are a good person, so you will find someone who sees you the way that you see yourself (i.e. Abusive relationships)

• Unforgiveness is not natural, it's a learned behavior (methodology) and if you can learn it then you can unlearn it. I NEED TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF MY MIND.

• When you hold yourself back people aren't meeting the real you. And you hold yourself back because of unforgiveness (i.e. remember what happened last time...)

• Unforgiveness is not attacking the other person, it's attacking you. (high blood pressure, sleepless nights, etc...) It's like drinking poison hoping the enemy dies.

• I'm commanded to forgive, I'm not commanded to trust. If someone has betrayed trust they have the responsibility to get it back.

• God is giving me time to unlearn destructive behavior.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre

Let It (The Silent Frustration) Go

T.D. Jakes @ Lakewood Church

Luke 15:11-32

25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

• Imagine looking at this family from the neighbor's perspective.

They were obviously doing well. Even though everything looks good you don't know know what's going on in the inside.

• We've lost a little of that facade and the "last frontier" is what's going on in our head.

• The prodigal son gets all the attention and no one says anything about the son who is doing good.

• v.26 You can tell there hadn't been a party in a while because the "good son" said, "what's going on."

• v.28 The older brother became angry but he was already frustrated. He probably had to work harder. The dad was probably always saying "I wonder when brother is coming home" and etc...All the while he's thinking I'm here being faithful and working hard, can you be happy that I'm here.

• Sometimes it's hard to determine the makeup from the man.

• v.28 when the brother went out, the father went after him...he same father who celebrated the one who came home. The Lord says, "Before you miss my party, I'm coming out to get you."

• God is too wise to allow my happiness be predicated on someone else's behavior.

• It's time to let go of the silent frustration.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre