Surrender The Outcome | Joel Osteen

God bless you. It's great to be with you today And I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast or YouTube channel social media And you can come visit us in person. We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services But I'd like to start with something funny and I heard about this man He was quietly reading the newspaper when his wife snuck up behind him and hit him on the head with a frying pan He said what was that for she said that was for the piece of paper I found in your pocket with the name Mary Lou on it He said all honey, that's just one of the horses that I bet on at the racetrack last week She apologized went about her business two days later. She hit him on the head with a bigger frying pan After he woke up. He said what in the world was that for? She said your horse just called That is not good at all. Here we go. Y'all 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 will never be the same in Jesus name God bless you. I Want to talk to you today about surrender the outcome we all have goals and dreams and promises we're standing on and we have our idea of how it should work out and When it should happen this door will open and this person will show up This will start to improve but God's ways are not our ways His plans are higher and better than our plans Much of our frustration comes from trying to control the outcome If you're only going to be happy if God does it your way you're setting yourself up for disappointment God doesn't always take you the shortest route He can see dead ends that you can't see He knows the motives of people and what they're really up to We think they'd be good for us and we need their favor But God can see how they would hinder our destiny so he's keeping them away and we can be frustrated Thanking God. Where are you? But God is not ignoring you. He's protecting you He's keeping you from heartache and pain If you're going to stay in peace, you have to learn to surrender the outcome

You have to trust that God knows what's best that his plans for you are for good If it's not happening the way that you thought that means he has something better There's nothing wrong with telling God what you want what you're believing for But the key is to leave the timing and the way it happens in his hands Hold tightly to your dreams, but hold loosely to how it's going to happen And someone tell me recently Joel God let me down. I prayed I worked hard. He didn't come through for me They had their mind set on one way the way they wanted but we can't see all that God can see Sometimes it's a divine delay God's not doing it now because everything is not ready or a divine detour He calls you to take that turn you weren't expecting because it's leading to something greater Just because it hasn't happened your way Doesn't mean that God has forgotten about you. He let you down. I don't understand The problem is you're trying to be God You're trying to control things. You can't control you have to turn the outcome over to him Our part is to believe to obey to trust his part is to get us to our destinies See the scripture says God didn't lead the Israelites the shortest route to the promised land Because they weren't prepared for war They would have been defeated by their enemies What they thought was a delay was really God protecting them. They were frustrated Moses Why'd you bring us out here to die? But the whole time they were in the plan of God They couldn't see it because they had their idea of how it would work out If you're going to stay in peace, you have to learn to surrender the outcome God is going to do things in your life that you don't have planned that you didn't see coming Quit trying to control things you were never meant to control trying to force the door to open and manipulate that person to like you and Frustrated because you're not seeing the results the right approach is God. This is what I want This is what I'm believing for but God my commitment to you is not dependent on the results Whether you answer this prayer the way I want or not I'm still going to honor you whether my business takes off or not whether my health turns around Whether I get that scholarship or not God, I'm still going to praise you. I'm still gonna have a smile

I'm still gonna be my best that's real faith That's showing God that you trust him not conditional faith If God does everything I want then I'll be happy if he comes through on my timetable Then I'll serve him that's gonna keep you from your destiny God is working in ways that we don't understand What Joel I was being my best at work, but the company didn't promote me I was next in line, but I got passed over that feels like rejection But the truth is God is your doorkeeper because you're honoring him He's controlling the doors in your life what opens and what closes that's not rejection. It's Direction God is keeping you in his plan. He opens doors that no man can shut What he has in store when it's the right time no person can stop no bad break no company No government. He has all power If you want to save yourself a lot of frustration Surrender the outcome Quit trying to control how it's gonna work out when it's gonna happen and who needs to show up You're putting God in a box Telling him what to do how to do it. No offense. He doesn't need your help. He's God When you surrender the outcome you're saying God I trust you You know what's best for my life. You'll get me to where I'm supposed to be This takes the pressure off but too often. We're trying to control the outcome and force the door to open Straining manipulating the scripture says God has already written every day of your life He has things planned that you can't see but if your faith is based on what you thought would happen God didn't answer my prayers that situation didn't work out. That's gonna limit you You're disappointed, but God is working behind the scenes keeping you in his best plan He may be leading you a longer route on purpose Or you're concerned about the opposition But God is using it to do a work in you getting you prepared Or that problem you hope would be resolved by now God hasn't delivered you from it. He's going to take you through it. It's going to be a greater testimony You don't understand it now

but when it's all said and done you're gonna come out with greater influence greater honor greater resources as an example of God's goodness That wouldn't have happened if God would have done it your way Why don't you surrender the outcome? All those things you could be worried about why isn't this happening turn it over to him do your best and then rest God, I don't have to have my way to be happy. I trust you. I know your way is better This is what the three Hebrew teenagers did They lived in Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar had created this idol and ordered them all to bow down and worship Well, these teenagers only worshiped Jehovah. They wouldn't bow Some of the people were upset and they ran told the king we got these troublemakers these teenagers that won't bow Well, the king flew into a rage He was so angry. He called them together Said I'm gonna give you one more chance If you don't bow down, I'm gonna have you thrown into a fiery furnace They said in verse 17 King We're not going to bow if you throw us into the furnace We know our God is able to deliver us. He will rescue us from your power. I love their faith I love how they declared it. We know God is able to deliver us. We know he's all-powerful We're not afraid of you. They were bold and confident But the next verse is the key, but even if he doesn't deliver us, we're still not going to bow down Their Commitment wasn't based on getting the results. They were hoping for they didn't say God We'll serve you as long as we don't get thrown into that furnace We won't bow as long as you change the king's mind That's conditional faith as long as you answer my prayers Change my spouse and open this door turn my health around then I'll give you praise But true faith is when you surrender the outcome God I know you can deliver me. But even if you don't I'm still not gonna bow. I know you can heal me That's what I'm believing for. But even if you don't I'm still going to honor you. I Know you can bring my child back home. You can increase my business, but even if it doesn't happen

I'm not gonna live bitter God. I trust you I know your plans for me are for good whether you take me through it or don't Deliver me from it. I'm gonna stay in peace with a good attitude knowing that it's all working together for my good What am I saying? Don't be a fair-weathered believer if God does what you want You get the results you were counting on then you'll be happy then you'll pursue your dreams. Then you'll put God first God is looking for people like these teenagers that will surrender the outcome That are committed to him whether he delivers you from the fire or you get thrown into the fire People that aren't swayed by what they thought what they had planned what they hoped for you don't get bitter You don't give up on your dreams Think about Job in the middle of all of his troubles his whole world fell apart Yet he looked up to the heavens and said though. He slayed me yet. Will I trust him? I would rather die in faith trusting Believing thanking God for his goodness than to die bitter Complaining about the results God. Why didn't you keep me out of the fire? Why didn't my prayer get answered? Why is it taking so long if you don't learn to surrender the outcome life's going to be frustrating You'll end up discouraged because God's ways are not our ways There are doors you may want open but God is keeping them closed because what you want is too small It will limit your destiny. There are situations you won't change right now You're uncomfortable You're having to stretch and deal with difficult people. You can't see it, but God is using that to do a work in you He's getting you stronger more confident because he's about to do something you haven't seen Now trust him with the outcome Quit being disappointed because things haven't gone your way The King didn't change his mind. You didn't get delivered from the difficulty Let's be like these teenagers this bad break this delay this sickness didn't weaken my faith I know God is still on the throne. I know my life is still in his hands He wouldn't have allowed it if it was going to stop your purpose Leave the results in God's hands leave the way he's going to do it and when he's going to do it up to him I'm sure these teenagers prayed God, please keep us out of the fire. God, please change the King's mind

They had feelings they had emotions. They didn't want to go into the fire, but they understood this principle We can't control the outcome. We can't make things go away Make this situation work out. One thing we can control is our attitude I'm not gonna live worried Upset striving God, you know, what's best for me? I believe you're working behind the scenes what you have purpose for my life will come to pass That takes the pressure off That's how you stay in faith Not basing your commitment on whether God comes through for you on your timetable the way you had planned Our plans are limited, but God is unlimited Our ways are natural, but God is supernatural He has things planned for you that you haven't seen heard or imagined So that door closed that you wanted so badly to open What if you knew God was about to open something better than you've ever dreamed? That's why it did not work out Or you got thrown into the fire so to speak God could have delivered you he's done it before This time it didn't happen You don't know what God is up to you may be in the fire. The good news is God controls the thermostat He won't let you face too much heat. He knows what you can handle The King was so upset he had them heat the fire seven times hotter than normal They threw the teenagers in hands and feet were bound a few minutes The King came over to check on them look through the furnace door He was puzzled. He said didn't we throw three men inbound? I see four men loosed and one looks like the Son of God Those teenagers came out without the smell of smoke the King said from now on we're all going to worship the God of Shadrach Meshach Abednego Sometimes God will deliver you from the fire other times. He will make you fireproof and take you through the fire You have to leave how he does it in his hands if God would have kept them from the fire Just changed the King's mind they wouldn't have had the influence the favor We probably wouldn't be talking about them

None of us like to go through difficulties Things we don't understand that are not fair It's tempting to thank god. Where are you? We know you can deliver us We know you can heal free promote This is what separates the people that get stuck and the people that see god show out in their life One group is trying to control the outcome The other has learned to surrender the outcome One is only going to be happy if god does it their way God if you keep me out of the fire If you meet my demands the other says god, I trust you You're my doorkeeper. You're my defender. You're my way maker I'm, not moved by the delays the detours the disappointments. I know it's all serving your plan A few years after I began pastoring the church was growing and we needed a larger auditorium We couldn't build where we were because the streets weren't big enough. They couldn't handle that many people So we found this 100 acre tract of land Right off the freeway just a few miles from the other location I talked to the owner and he said the property had been on the market for over 20 years And he had never had one offer I knew god had saved that for us He told us we didn't need to draw up the contract right then we could do the preliminary drawings and the Soil samples while we were waiting for the legal work to be done. I was so excited We had this perfect piece of property a couple of months later We went to close on it. His secretary walked out and said i'm sorry. The owner sold the property last night I couldn't believe it. The man gave us his word Changed his mind I went home so discouraged told victoria how unfair that was and how there was no more property We had looked everywhere now. We were stuck. She said joel. Listen to me. God is still in control The reason he closed that door is because he has something better We're not going to complain

Be sour we're going to stay in faith knowing that he's up to something that we can't see right now She started preaching one of my sermons back to me I didn't want to hear that. I wanted to be depressed But when we try to control the outcome We're going to be frustrated Because god's ways are not our ways My way was to find property and build that's what i'd seen My father do time after time build sanctuary after sanctuary, but god is going to do something new in your life Things that your family has never seen Now do your part and stay open Don't put god in a box God closed that door because my thinking was too small What god had planned was much bigger Something I couldn't fathom and I grew up watching the rockets play basketball here I had season tickets right over there. This was the premier facility in our city I had to let go of what I had in mind and trust that god's ways are better About a year later The compact center became available by the grace of god things fell into place and here we are today something more than I ever imagined But i've learned now to surrender the outcome when the door closes When there are delays and detours things. I don't understand. I know now that god is up to something that I can't see And yes, I was aggravated at that man. He sold that out from under us. He didn't keep his word He betrayed us The fact is it wasn't his fault. He was a pawn in the hands of god God caused him to shut the door If he'd sold us the property we'd been too far down the road to get the compact center Some of the things that you're disappointed over Wondering why they didn't work out and why is there such a delay? Why won't my business grow? If you'll stay in faith one day you will see what god was up to it will be better than what you had in mind

There's a man in the scripture named saul He was highly educated in jewish law and greatly respected had a brilliant mind Fluid in several languages. He was passionate About keeping the jewish tradition so much so that he led the charge to persecute followers of christ He was the biggest enemy of the church He was standing by giving his approval when stephen was stoned to death for his faith But on the road to damascus He had this dramatic conversion the light shined down the voice spoke to him. He became a believer His name was changed to paul Well, he had this same passion this same fire to share the message of jesus The problem was the disciples wouldn't accept him They knew how he was so against the church. They weren't convinced that he had changed they were still skeptical I'm sure Paul thought God, you know my heart You're the one that changed me my intentions are to help believers to be an asset, but they won't let me in Didn't seem fair Why would God have him go through this supernatural conversion and then be rejected by the people? He's trying to help Well since the Jewish believers wouldn't accept him Paul started going to the Gentiles to spread the message of Christ without the disciples Rejecting Paul Christianity wouldn't have come to the Gentiles Paul saw it as rejection, but really it was direction It was God closing the door to push him into the purpose that he had planned Jesus said in Acts 9 Saul is a chosen vessel to bear my name before the Gentiles Saul had all this Jewish education Influence, but God's ways are not our ways God said I'm gonna use you to reach the Gentiles If the Jewish believers would have accepted Paul that would have been easier for him more comfortable But Paul wouldn't have had the impact we wouldn't have half the books in the New Testament if Paul would have gotten discouraged God these people won't accept me. I don't understand it. No Paul knew how to surrender the outcome Maybe like him you could be upset because the door closed

The problem hasn't turned around people misunderstand you or stay in peace The outcome is not your job. That's God's job Our job is to trust him to obey To do the right thing when we're not seeing the results we want God's ways are not our ways Sometimes he uses rejection delays Storms to move us into our purpose Quit fighting everything that doesn't go your way When you surrender the outcome this takes the pressure off Because God has not forgotten about you He has seen everything you've been through What's taking longer than you thought what didn't work out like Paul? You're gonna come into opportunity Favor influence that will only happen because God took you that way it was all necessary Everything is serving his plan Years later Paul was on a boat headed toward Rome He was a prisoner on his way to see Caesar on this three-month journey They encountered a huge storm for 14 days. They didn't see the Sun nor the stars Got so bad the waves so high they started throwing things overboard Trying to stay afloat the scripture says that all hope was gone that they would be saved They got to where they couldn't steer the ship anymore the winds too strong Verse 15 says they took down the sails and let the wind blow the ship Wherever the storm wanted it to go Instead of fighting it trying to force it somewhere. They surrendered the outcome Well an angel had told Paul that he would stand before Caesar Paul could have thought God what's going on? I'm supposed to be going to Rome But I'm on this boat with no sails Being blown by the wind Seemed like he was out of control But God was ordering his steps. He caused the winds to blow that boat to a small island Ran aground and broke apart. They all jumped overboard and swam to land

Well, there was a small group of natives that lived there The main leader was very sick Paul prayed for him and he was healed Everyone gathered around Paul shared the message of Christ many on the island became believers The storm looked like a bad break, but really it was a divine detour It was God taking Paul to those people in need Paul wasn't bitter. He wasn't complaining God. Why am I in this storm? Why am I shipwrecked? It's not what he had planned, but he learned this principle to surrender the outcome His faith wasn't dependent on getting the results. He was hoping for he realized God's ways are better There are times in life. The winds are blowing. The waves are high. We're trying to steer our ship Force this to happen make this work out Manipulate these people but at some point you need to do like the captain take down yourselves Let that storm take you Wherever the winds blow God will never take you somewhere and not sustain you Quit fighting everything upset over who left discouraged over the delay Frustrated because of the setback come back to a place of peace. The outcome is not up to you Our job is to stay in faith to believe to do the right thing God is the one who controls the winds He wouldn't have allowed that storm if it wasn't going to move you into your purpose Let's have an attitude like these teenagers God I know you can deliver me, but even if you don't I'm still gonna trust you. I'm still gonna be happy I'm still gonna pursue my dreams This takes the pressure off. This can save you a lot of frustration Trying to control things. You can't control will wear you out do yourself a favor Surrender the outcome let go and let God if you'll do this I believe and declare like these teenagers. You're gonna see the fourth man in the fire supernatural breakthroughs healing provision like Paul the rejection leading to direction the storms blowing you into Purpose promotion favor the fullness of your destiny in Jesus name

And if you receive it, can you say amen? 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 If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again We'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord You can text the number on the screen or go to the website But I hope you'll get into a good Bible based church and keep God first place