Steven Furtick - The Lord Will Lighten Your Load
I’m going right to my message. The spirit of the Lord is in this place. I’m going right to my message. The spirit of the Lord is in this place. Chain’s going to break today because the spirit of the Lord is in this place. The anointing destroys the yoke. The spirit of the Lord is in this place. I’m so glad I listened to the Lord last night. He told me to get a little extra sleep cuz y’all were going to be ready today. I’m so glad I did. I was in bed at 8:20 p.m. getting ready for y’all. And that’s an hour earlier than my normal bedtime. And now I’m stalling to catch my breath from jumping.
Tell your neighbor, «I’m glad you’re breathing». Tell them «I’m glad you brushed your teeth». We have a good time in church. I said we have a good time in church. Doesn’t mean we’re not going through rough patches in our lives, but we have a good time in church. Welcome you here today. All of our guests, all of our efam, all of our church family, welcome today. So glad you’re here. I accidentally started preaching a sermon series a few weeks ago and I’ve been talking to you about when God calls your name. I was trying to figure out what to call the series and finally in my fourth week, the Lord told me what to call it. It’s called That’s what it’s called.
Tell your neighbor, «I’m called». Called a lot of different things by a lot of different people, I’m sure. Did you enjoy last week when I was talking about Martha? Martha. And how many of you felt seen when I was showing Holly be pulled apart by the demands of life? How many of you preached the message back to yourself a little bit throughout the week when you felt yourself pulled here and pulled there and just reminded yourself that being present in the moment that God has given you is always the priority. Presence is the priority even when your plan changes even when your problems are overwhelming.
And let’s see we’ve done Moses. Moses we did Simon. Simon. These are the ones I’ve preached so far. Different people in the Bible that God called their name not once but twice. Just right there together. Moses. Moses. Simon. Simon. Martha. Martha. Today is Jacob. Jacob. Genesis chapter 45. And as many sermons as I’ve heard or that you’ve heard me preach on Jacob, JJ, I’ve never preached from this passage. Genesis chapter 45 verse 25. And then we’ll go all the way to chapter 46:E5. And you say, «That’s a lot of scripture».
Well, I’m making up for all the Bible reading days you skipped this week. Doing you a favor. Now, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord has a word for you today. Oh, I’ve been pacing back and forth waiting for you to get here. I’m so thankful for the way that he speaks. Now, a little bit of background. the children of Jacob have gone to Egypt and they found out not only is there food in Egypt while there’s a famine in Canaan where they live but that their brother Joseph who they betrayed years earlier is in command and he has promised them if you will come back and bring our father Jacob I’ll take care of you everything that you did to me is not going to be held against you I have moved past it and I’ll take care of you so with this message.
They arrived to Jacob, who remember 22 years earlier was told that his son was dead or led to believe that his son was dead when in fact it wasn’t true. He’d been pushed in a pit, but he wasn’t dead. He was sold into slavery, but he wasn’t dead. He was falsely accused years later and went to prison, but he wasn’t dead. And tell your neighbor, «Somehow I’m still here». Just tell them, «Somehow I’m still here». That’s why I’m praising him. Now we pick up the narrative in Genesis 45:2. So they, the brothers of Jacob or the brothers of Joseph, rather, the sons of Jacob. So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, «Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.» and his heart became numb. Isn’t that unexpected? He gets the greatest news that he could ever hope to receive and instead of his heart being happy, his heart goes numb.
Now, after his heart goes numb, the writer gives us a little bit of an explanation as to why he was unable to receive this good report. It said, «For he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived». And Israel said, «It is enough. Joseph, my son, is still alive. I will go and see him before I die». Now, chapter 46 verse one. So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersa and offered sacrifices to the Lord, the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, «Jacob, Jacob, Jacob, Jacob». And he said, «Here am I».
That’s presence. Here am I. And then he said, «I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again. And Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes». The one you said goodbye to is going to be the one who says goodbye to you in your dying breath. And the final verse I want to read to you before we preach. Then Jacob set out from Beerseba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. The prophetic word that I’ve been assigned to preach to you today may come across on the surface as very simple, but it is really the deepest belief that you could ever hold. And it is this. The Lord will lighten your load. The Lord will lighten your load.
I know you had a lot on your mind even coming in today, but the Lord will lighten your load. I know sometimes people take advantage of you because you’re available to them, but the Lord will lighten your load. I know you’ve done some bad things in your life and you feel kind of guilty about them. But the Lord will lighten your load. I know you’re trying to make a plan right now and stuff keeps moving and stuff just keeps shifting and people keep moving and people keep shifting. But the Lord will lighten your load. I know you’re stubborn and you don’t like to ask for a lot of help, but the Lord will lighten your load. I know your shoulders are tense. You really need a massage today. But I’m going to give you a message today instead. The Lord will lighten your load.
Turn around and tell 12 people, «The Lord will lighten your load». Put it in the chat. The Lord will lighten your load. Put it right there in the chat. The Lord will lighten your load. And you may be seated. You can rest for the rest of the message. The Lord will lighten your load. Now, I have a lovehate relationship with simple sayings like that. The Lord will lighten your load. On one hand, I think that the highest degree of clarity in communication is simplicity. So really, for me, the art of studying the scripture is to simplify the scripture. to find one message in the scripture that we can all take whether we’re 12 or whether we’re 82 or whether like Jacob here in this passage we are 130 years old.
Did you know Jacob was 130 years old when the Lord told him get up and go to a place 300 miles away? A place you’ve never been and a place that you will not recognize. A place that you will not fit into. A place that you will be tempted to reject. But I’m sending you to Egypt because there’s a famine where you are and you have to move and Jacob is 130 years old. As we step into this moment of Jacob’s life, I gave a little bit of this away. I intended to save it so I could tell the story and keep you in suspense. But he is really on the verge of one of the greatest moments that he has ever experienced. In just a few weeks, he will be reunited with his son, the son that he mourned for 22 years. But you can’t exactly call it a happy moment for Jacob either, can you? Because as we saw in the scripture that I read, sometimes you get good news, but you can’t take it in because of what you’ve been through, right?
Sometimes you can’t receive truth because the truth has to work its way through the trauma. Sometimes you can hear something that actually is factual, but your frustration or your pain or your failure will take you into a moment where even though you hear the truth, even though you hear the word and even though it’s something that you desire to believe, unbelief does not unwind automatically. through a process of coming before the Lord and spending time with the Lord and putting yourself in environments like this. Go ahead and give yourself a hand for coming to church today. By the way, I learned to look at it different. I used to think I don’t have time to go to church, if I was busy.
Now, I’ve learned that when I’m really busy, I don’t have time to not come to church because I need to be in a place where my heart is not numb. I need to be in a place where I can be known by God and accepted by him. And so, you wouldn’t exactly call this moment in Jacob’s life happy, would you? because he’s lost two decades plus two years with his son and he’s kind of suspicious that his boys were the ones who were up to it. And he’s right. But at the same time, there is a hope for him that maybe, just maybe, I’m going to see Joseph. I’m going to see Joseph. This is better than going to Disneyland, y’all. I’m going to see Joseph. I’ve been told that Joseph has secured a spot for me in Gan and I’m going to live off the fat of the land.
As the father of Joseph, who has risen through all adversities, like a fruitful vine, he climbed over every wall. They shot their arrows at him, but Joseph’s hand remained steady. I’m going to see Joseph. At least he hopes. But here is the lesson from Jacob’s response to the news that Joseph may be alive. When you’ve been really hurt, it is hard to keep hoping. When you have been really hurt, it is hard to keep hoping. And I promise you, I won’t depress you the whole message. But I just don’t want to bring you in like this is some glorious reunion and reconciliation. Because if we oversimplify and we make it a cliche, the Lord will lighten your load. Then what happens when three hours from now you get some bad news, right? Or what happens when you get to work tomorrow and your boss did not get my sermon title that the Lord wanted to lighten your load? Didn’t you get the memo?
The man of God said the Lord would lighten my load. Well, they are not the Lord and they may put more on you. Isn’t that a dumb cliche? By the way, when we say the Lord will never put more on you than you can bear. Bible doesn’t say that. Read the Bible. Stop quoting what you heard from your grandma without checking it against the Bible. She was approximating what she heard one time. But the Bible says that no temptation has overtaken you. And God will give you a way of escape. It doesn’t say that God won’t put more on you than you can bear. He most certainly will put more on you than you can bear so you won’t get confused and think you’re him. That that’s that’s actually God’s job security to call you to do things that you can’t do without him.
So you won’t get there and be without him and think you can do it. Amen. I need the Lord in my life. I need the Lord. And I have a every six days reminder when I come preach to you. And do you know that my favorite thing to do that does not involve my family is to be up here and share the word of the Lord with you. It really is. But if you were to ask me two hours before I get up here, are you excited to preach? I would have a difficult time if you hooked me up to a lie detector just saying a straight yes. because I am excited. But, and please don’t tell all the Pharisees that want to quote a scripture verse at me when they hear this. I’m also anxious. I know the Bible says don’t be anxious. But that was Paul. He’s farther along than I am. I’m anxious. I’m anxious. Will I say it right? I’m anxious. Will you hear it right? I’m anxious. Will I leave the best part out? I’m anxious.
Will I say something that is not exactly correct and maybe lead you astray? Even when I preach about this kind of message, let me tell you what makes me anxious. I’m scared that you will hear that Jacob went to Egypt and use it as an excuse to run away from something hard in your life. Because people will even take a phrase that you preach on with a good intention, like the Lord said to Jacob, «Don’t be afraid to go to Egypt». and they will somehow translate that into the Lord saying, «Quit your accounting job even though you have four mouths to feed and open a coffee shop because you like coffee». But maybe what the Lord is really saying is drink more coffee and keep accounting cuz you got a whole family to feed and those kids need to go to college.
So, I’m worried about all of that. I’m worried about will it be boring? I’m worried about will I say too much, say too little. I’m just being honest. So I came up with a way to explain it and I thought it might help you. Now this is a trademarked word and this this word belongs to me but you can borrow it for the situations in your life where you feel excited but you also feel anxious from now on. We call that anxieted. You got anything in your life that you feel that way about today? So if you if you ever ask me before I preach how do you feel? I’m going to tell you, I’m anxiety. And you’ll say, «Pastor Stephen, anxiety ain’t a word». And I’ll say, «It it may not be a word, but it is a reality».
The fact is, if I focus on getting it wrong, I’m going to feel completely paralyzed. If I focus on pleasing people, I’m going to feel completely paralyzed. If I focus on not leaving anything out, I’m going to stand up here like I’m performing for you. But this ain’t Vegas. If I focus on feeding you what God gave me for what you’re going through in your life, I’m excited. So, I want you to understand that both options are always available. I can be anxious. I can be excited. I’m like Jacob. Sometimes I can’t really name how I feel. I can’t really name the season I’m in. On one hand, I’m really happy to be in front of you. I’m really I’m really thrilled with the prospect of being a vessel for God to use. On the other hand, I’m terrified. And don’t look at me judgmental cuz you don’t like to give speeches or hear your own voice either.
So, I’m excited. I’m anxious. I’m anxieted. I don’t know how to spell that, but I certainly know what it feels like. I’m anxieted. And I believe there’s somebody in the room today that feels that way about this season of your life. I’m anxiety. Tell your neighbor, «I’m anxieted». I’m kind of shaky in it, but I’m kind of looking forward to it, kind of relieved that things are changing, and I’m kind of terrified that things will never be the same. I’m I’m kind of I’m kind of feeling a sense of adventure in my life cuz I got fired. And I’m also watching my bank account and it’s running the wrong way from abundance. It’s moving in the wrong direction. So, I’m kind of excited to have free time, but I’m kind of not excited. I’m a little anxious about having less money cuz now I’m stretched and I’m stretching towards something that I didn’t expect. And in this season of my life, I’m excited.
Somebody asked me recently, «What do you and Holly feel about being empty nesters soon»? I said, «Soon»? Abby is 14. Why are you trying to run her out the house? She just started wearing makeup. Give me a few more years. I’m excited about my kids growing up. I’m excited about releasing them into the world. I’m excited about being in Charlotte. Some of you just moved here in the last month. Some of you moved here to be a part of this church. How do you feel about it? I’m excited. That’s an excited praise. That’s I’m clapping sometimes.
I’m crying sometimes. I miss my friends in Austin and I’m looking forward to meeting new ones here. I’m just trying to tell you that sometimes the cliches that we use oversimplify the depth of the human experience. And to remind you that you will always be both. Anxious and excited both look like shaking hands. Anxious and excited both feel like sweaty pal palms. Anxious and excited both put butterflies in your stomach. But whether those butterflies are a burden or a blessing depends on which one you lean into. The news reaches Jacob. Joseph is on the throne in Egypt. He is the prime minister of the most powerful nation on earth. And he has sent us with an instruction to bring you back. And he said, «We don’t even have to worry about bringing our own stuff with us because when we get there, he’s got us».
I don’t know who this is a word for, but when you get there, God’s got you. Don’t overburden the process by overplanning your steps. I said, don’t overburden the process by overplanning your steps. When you get there, he’s got you. And the process of God speaking to Jacob is a very complicated process because he’s already changed his name to Israel. In fact, if you read the account in Genesis chapter 46, you are forgiven if you are a little confused. Let’s read it together again and see why it’s confusing. Remember, Israel is Jacob’s new name. It’s not only the nation that he fathered, but it is the name he was given. It’s the name of his strength. Jacob, on the other hand, is the name of his weakness. It speaks of his tendency to deceive and manipulate and chase and compare.
So the Bible says in Genesis 46, at this pivotal moment in Jacob’s life, so Israel took his journey, we’re talking about a man whose name has been changed with all that he had and came to Beersa and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel, new name. God spoke to Israel, strength. God spoke to Israel, which means prince. God spoke to Israel, the changed Jacob. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, «Jacob, Jacob». So, if his name is Israel, why are you speaking to Jacob? And I want to give you a principle to take with you today into every situation you encounter this week. Wherever God calls your Israel, you have to take Jacob with you. Wow. It’s going to be good in a minute.
Let me work on this word for a minute. Cuz you’ve been confused lately. Cuz some habits have been sneaking back up on you that you thought you let go of. Cuz some sins have been trying to strangle the life of you, but you thought you broke the chokeold. Cuz some things you said you never would do again, you started doing them again. and you’re carrying it like a secret in your heart because somebody got up and told you that if you accepted Jesus, you would leave the old you behind. And that is true positionally. God no longer relates to you on the basis of any sin you committed. Every single one of the sins that you committed was nailed to the cross. Its effect was cancelled. Your record is clean. Your sins have been blotted out. All of that is true. You have been delivered from the penalty of sin. You have been delivered from the power of sin.
Sin is no longer your position. Sin is no longer your identity. But although you have been delivered from the power, although you have been delivered from the penalty, and although it is no longer your position, you still have some patterns called sin that go with you into your future called now. And I want to preach this because you are Israel and you are Jacob, but you are kind of Israel Jacob. I’mma preach it till you get honest. I’mma preach it till you stop polishing your halo and pretending like you didn’t cuss once this week. I’mma preach it till you stop pretending like you got the right to make comments in YouTube about other people’s faith when you know good and well you are not always on a church website. When you know good and well there’s some Jacob that came with you to church. Aren’t you just giving the people permission to sin?
Uh they’re doing pretty good without permission, ma’am. Trying to give you power, perspective. and presence that when God speaks to your Jacob, you don’t run away and hide. Okay. Something very meaningful. I always prepare three illustrations for each point and then I try to stand in the room and figure out which one makes sense for right now. And usually if you’re looking at me all stuffy, I’ll go to the safe one. But today I feel kind of free. One time I apologized to Holly because I’m not always relaxed. We were on vacation and I said, «I know you really like this version of me». It had been three works, three weeks since I had to work on a sermon. And with three weeks of not having to be anxieted puts me in a very relaxed state of mind. Relaxed and lazy. Real lazy. I get real lazy. I said, «I know you love this version of me cuz I’m so men. You should see my southern small town charm come out».
I’m speaking to everybody, holding doors for everybody, buying ice cream for skaters that I used to would have said they’re punks, but I’m I’m buying ice cream. They smell like weed. I’m buying them ice cream, telling them about Jesus. It’s a great state. I said, I know you love this version of me. She said, «Yeah, I do». She said, «But I love all of them». That was the biggest collective awe in church history. You made history today, church. And that did something for me. It did something for me because I realized that she knew that we wouldn’t be on vacation if I was never stressed. At least not staying indoors with plumbing. That meant a lot to me. That means a lot to a man. It means a lot to a woman when you appreciate the fact that the parts of me that are not that great come with the package. Not so that I can continue to be a complete schizophrenic before I preach, but it unburdened me a little bit.
And I’ll tell you what it was. I’m going to give you four things that were a part of Jacob’s journey today that you can practically apply to your wife. your life or your wife. And the first one I’ve spoken of, but I want to be really clear. I want to talk to you about the weight. Write it down, please. We ei not wait as in a period of time that lapses before you know a conclusion, which would be appropriate, too. 22 years that he has held in his heart the horror of losing his son, Joseph. So, it’s kind of hard to get happy in five minutes when I’ve held this 22 years. Have more compassion on people as they change, including you, you know how when you drive down the interstate, they have weigh stations for truckers?
I wish we could have one of those in the church, for Christians. And we wouldn’t be measuring whether you’re down three pounds or not. Wow. I would love to know if you carried too much into this room today. Wow. So that we could unbburden you before you head back out because you are dangerous with too much weight. Wow. Wow. And you’re dangerous with too little weight. Come on. Come on. There are some responsibilities that God has placed on you that are the answers to the prayers that you prayed. The Lord was telling me one time that I was complaining about prayers that I had prayed six months ago being answered. You follow me? In other words, he did it and then I got it and it was heavy. Nobody ever tells you this. Blessings are heavy. Blessings are heavy.
Everybody who’s praying God will give you a baby. Blessings are heavy. I don’t care 8 lb, 10 lb, 12 lb. Abby said the other day she had a dream that she came out weighing 130 lb. And the truth of the matter is that the weight that Jacob is carrying, I just want to talk to you a little bit about it today because he’s carrying not only his own pain and his uncertainty, but the responsibility that his name represents an entire nation. Talk about weight. Talk about heaviness. A few weeks ago, I talked about how heaviness and happiness sit at the same table.
How heaviness and happiness live in the same heart. And if we wait for the heaviness to go away to be happy, we will defer our joy and postpone it indefinitely. Waiting on a future time to praise God when all of your kids are doing well is a trap. Waiting on a future time to praise God when all your debts are paid off is a trap. Waiting on a future time to praise God when nothing in your body hurts is a trap. Waiting to praise God, waiting to enjoy your life, waiting to be thankful, waiting to smile, waiting to laugh until you know how this is going to turn out, waiting until the outcome is clear for you to make a commitment to serve Jesus is a trap. And that’s why Jacob had to set out with a heavy heart.
Sometimes you have to head there heavy. Sometimes you have to move there weigh down. Sometimes you have to take a step forward knowing that I don’t even know about the next one yet, but I will take this one. And so the process of coming to the Lord is to learn how to take the weight that he gives you. But I will remind you today that God can’t help you carry something that he never called you to. One New Testament writer said to lay aside all the sin and the weight that easily besets you. Sometimes I think we’re carrying sins that we won’t give up. But other times, I think we’re carrying weights that aren’t exactly sins, but are taking up the space in our life that could be used for trusting God, that could be used for creative solutions.
If the devil wants to destroy you, he will get your mind so full of stuff that does not matter anyway to get you moved off of what you are uniquely called to do. and and to realize that that Jacob in this moment is receiving good news but he is still grieving what he’s been through receiving good news but very excited about where he’s going may give you a little compassion for yourself that I have this weight it’s not that my heart is hard it’s that it’s heavy and as he is considering in this. I mean, picture it. He has to decide. Am I going to believe that this is possible? Just like you are deciding, dove’s nest, am I going to believe that my recovery is possible? Just like you are having to decide, college student, is it really worth it to live for Jesus?
Just like you are having to decide in this season of your life, am I going to call a therapist and start to work on this so that I don’t just carry this forth as my template for the rest of my life? And as he is trying to decide whether to leave what is familiar and walk in what is fearful and point himself in the direction of the unexpected pregnant possibility that God has answered his prayers that for 22 years lay dormant, not dead. The Bible says in verse 27 that as he was carrying this weight, everybody say weight. Come on, say it louder. Say weight. I want you to say it as loud as it is heavy to you. 1 2 3. Yeah. The crushing expectations that you had of yourself, the crushing disappointment of what didn’t happen. And some of you are like, I’m doing good today. Weigh in next week. We’ll check you next week.
Something could happen between, you know, something could get on. Something could get on your truck this week that could make you break down in tears and not be so arrogant. So never judge somebody because of what they are carrying. One side note, one side note. I met a man a year ago and when I met him, I said, «He is so arrogant». All he did was talk about himself. I’ve never met somebody so arrogant. I walked away and thought, «I have discernment». I saw him again a year later. He said, «I wanted to tell you something. From the first time you met me, you couldn’t have known this, but I had just received news the day before that I lost my job. I had been throwing up in a hotel room all night. So, I apologize if I came across a certain way». I’m like, «You did. You did».
And isn’t it crazy that I couldn’t even see who he really was cuz all I could see was what he carried. Tell your neighbor, «I’m really a good person. If you catch me at the right time, I’ll buy you some ice cream». But see, the Lord is speaking to Jacob while he’s trying to move forward as Israel. I said, the Lord is speaking to Jacob while he’s trying to move forward as Israel. And he’s trying to decide, do I believe? How would you believe these boys? Do you remember what they did? They brought Joseph’s coat to their dad and said, «Is this the coat you gave Joseph»? Cuz they were always jealous of him. and they dipped it in blood to make it look like he was mauled by animals. And he was they were the animals.
Now, he was on his way to Egypt and God was using all of that sovereignly. But in that moment, all Jacob felt was sadness. And he kept that coat for 22 years. It’s all he had left of his son. And now these same boys, they’ve gone down to Egypt. They found out there’s food. There’s going to be five more years of famine. And Joseph says, «Come, I got you. When you get here, I got you». So they they go back to Canaan and they say, «Dad, we got to go. Joseph’s alive. He’s going to take care of us». And there’s hope in his heart and there’s heaviness in his heart. And the weight almost, watch this. It almost keeps him from going.
I love this word in the Bible. Put up verse 27. But when they told him the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, now get ready to shout a little bit cuz this part that comes next is really important. It was one thing to hear their words cuz they’ve said a lot of things and they’ve lied about it. It is one thing to believe people. It is one thing to believe a preacher, but it is another thing when God gives you evidence of his presence that you can’t deny. And I believe I’m talking to about 225 people today somewhere in this room at Valentine that your heart has been heavy, but you’ve got evidence that God is not quite through with you yet. And now the devil would love for you to look past the evidence. But watch this. The Bible says that he was trying to believe, trying to take it in, trying to wake up his heart, trying to revive his spirit, trying to convince himself, trying to get a move on, trying to make a plan, trying, but his heart was numb and he couldn’t move.
Now give me my verse. when he heard the words of Joseph which he had said to them secondhand and when he saw the wagons. That’s the second word I want you to write down is wagons. Cuz I got weight. I’m going through some things. I’ve got weight. I’ve got unanswered questions. I’ve got weight. There are some people who have disappointed me. I’ve got weight. Somebody say, «I’ve got weight». But I’ve also got wagons. I’ve also got And this is the part where if you are Pentecostal even by 5%. I want you to look out your window today spiritually speaking and look at all the wagons that God has sent to bring you where you’re supposed to be.
Now, we’ve got a choice to make. Cuz I’m anxiety. Cuz I’m heartbroken. But I’m hopeful and the weight is trying to get me to stay depressed. But the wagons are calling me to move on. And I want to know which one is your faith in. The weight or the wagons? Cuz God sent me with a prophetic word for somebody. You got wagons waiting for you. You got transportation waiting for you. High five everybody you can reach and say here come the wagons. Here come the wagons. And there is no way. Oh feel like I testify. There is no way I’d be here. There is no way I’d be here if it had not been for the wagons. All right y’all help me get happy about the wagons. The wagons. The wagons. The wagons.
Jacob’s like, «I don’t know if this is true. I don’t believe these boys. These boys are rascals. These boys are liars. Reuben’s a liar. Simeon’s a liar. Judah’s a liar. Who can I trust? All my boys are dysfunctional. All this weight is too much for me. I’ve been 22 years in this condition. I don’t know if I should believe this». And while he’s listening to them, he is stuck in the weight. But when he saw the wagons, when he saw those wagons, when when Joseph sent his brothers back, he said, «Take the best wagons that Egypt has to offer». Hold on. Let me ask my boss. Pharaoh, I got to go get my dad and bring him back. Would you let me borrow some wagons? Pharaoh said, «Yeah, I’m not even their I don’t even worship their same god, but I will send them the transportation to bring them here to eat».
God doesn’t even have to use the right thing to get you where you’re supposed to go. God, can I say it like I feel it? God’s going to use some stupid stuff to get you there. God’s going to use some ridiculous things to get you there. Some weird wagons. What are these wagons? I never seen wagons like this before. Aren’t these Pharaoh’s wagons? Yeah, but they’re under God’s jurisdiction. So, I’m explaining how God came to get him with the wagons because God knew he had a limp. And he knows where you’re weighty and he knows where you’re weak. And that’s what the wagons are for. Give me the verse again. Ain’t that anointed, Mom? I said, «Ain’t that anointed, Mom? If my mom doesn’t think it’s anointed, I need to shut it down».
But when he saw the wagons, are you back there, Justin? Can you circle when he saw the wagons? Oh, when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him. I want you to circle carry, too. Because I think that’s the key right there. For the Lord lightening your load today. I don’t think he needs to take something off of you. I think he needs to put something under you. Wow. The Lord will lighten your load. Not by decreasing the weight, but by sending the wagons. Wow. What are your wagons? And why won’t you get in them? Why you keep not joining an egroup?
Come on. You think the whole group has COVID, but you you ain’t going to catch nothing from them. Maybe. But Jesus, you might catch some joy, might catch some peace, might catch some better habits, might catch some accountability, might catch some spiritual discipline, might catch a Dave Ramsey budget makeover. You might catch something good. Keep praying about the weight of your financial burden, but you won’t get on the wagon. Get on the wagon. Limp to the wagon. This is so good. You can get on the wagon weeping. Just get on. Just get on. You can get on the wagon worried. Just get on. You can get on the wagon with all of your weight. These are good wagons. These are trustworthy wagons cuz Joseph sent them cuz God sent them. And he will help you carry what he called you to and nothing that he didn’t. Which is why it becomes so important.
I talked about the weight. I talked about the wagons. Can I talk for a moment about the worship? Okay, this is important. He sets out in the wagons. He says, «Oh, the wagons are here. That must mean it’s true». And and I use this to illustrate all the things that God is sending in your life to convince you that he’s with you in spite of all of your feelings saying that he isn’t. They are there. Sometimes you can’t see the wagons through your weeping. So he gets on, right? And I would love to read the whole chapter to you where it lists all the people he had to take because you would start to feel how weighty it is. And you would start to identify he has to take them, their children, and some grandchildren cuz he’s 130 and he has accumulated a lot.
Now they’re on there with animals. They’re on there with people. They’re on there with people that act like animals. I did not mean to describe your family vacation, but let’s make this real. Let’s make this live. Let’s just don’t don’t leave this in BC. Let’s bring it to right now. Let’s bring this to your life. He’s on the wagons, but he’s still worried. And I think this is the part that that maybe can help you Wednesday to worship God Wednesday. I don’t really I don’t really preach with the intention for you to worship God Sunday. I want you to worship Wednesday when it’s weighty, when you are on your way and you’re worried.
So, in Genesis 46:1, it looks like they’re going straight to Egypt to get the food because that’s where the food is. That’s where Joseph is. But Israel, the better part of Jacob, took his journey with all that he had, including Jacob. I’m going to say it again. Your silence does not intimidate me for making my point. You bring you with you. Amen. You bring you with you. If you get a promotion, I hope you’re a good boss because you bring you with you. If you get a partner, you bring you with you. If you have kids, you bring you with you. And all they are going to do is show you you in a fun house mirror. You bring you with you. So when it says Israel took his journey and then people say enjoy the journey. I hate that cliche.
How am I supposed to enjoy the journey with 70 jokers that I can’t trust? With a land that I’m headed to that I have never seen, that I cannot research, that I can’t even really understand what it’s going to be like. With the sadness of my past following me here. So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersa. Beersa is on the border of southern Canaan. What does that mean? It’s right there on the edge of going to Egypt. If he gets past Beersa, he’s going all the way. So, he stops there. And watch what he does when he stops. He takes some of those animals that were in that wagon that would have represented something that he accumulated in Canaan and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
Next verse. And God spoke. Verse one. He offered sacrifices and God spoke. Come on. Come on. He gave God something and God gave him something. I am not saying that this is a transaction, but it is a fact. Worship is heaven’s strategy to unbburden the human heart. Worship is heaven’s strategy to see you with your messed up mind, to see you with your jacked up habits, to see you with your cluttered state of mind, to see you in all of your burdenedness, and to say, «Let me lighten your load». Yeah. And when he offered sacrifices, God spoke and said, «Jacob, Jacob». And he said, «Here I am. I’m I’m here. I’m I’m anxieted about this journey». And verse three says, «Then the Lord said, I am God».
Now, aren’t you glad that both of those are true? You’re still Jacob, but he’s still God. Wow. I told you I had a word for you today. And the word is you need to worship when you feel the weight. Pull the wagon over and worship. Uh, what do you mean, Pastor Steve? I’m driving right now. Should I lift my hands? Put your hands on 10 and two and worship and worship and rehearse the greatness of God until you forget the frustrations of you. Jacob Jacob Martha Martha Simon Simon Moses Moses I am God. I don’t care who you think you are or who you’re not. You’re not bound by any of that. I am God, the God of your father. By the way, Isaac made an offering in Beerseba, too.
So did Abraham. This was a significant place for Jacob. But he was having to do something his fathers never did. And when you come to a place where you’ve never seen a model for it, when you come to a place where you’ve never seen an example for it, when you’ve come to a place where you didn’t have anybody to show you the way, when you come to a place and you don’t know how, worship, worship, and the Lord will lighten your load. I’m not talking about sing. He didn’t sing. He sacrificed. Yeah. True worship is you giving up something that you weren’t meant to carry. Come on. The Lord will lighten your load before you go forward into this next thing. I see you giving up what people think about it. That’s worship.
When you give up what people think about it and you get serious about what God has said about it, that’s worship. Some of us cannot move forward in strength because we are too stuck in status. When you give up on what people say about it, people think about it, whether you’re going to be embarrassed about it, when you worship and you say, «God, you’re so sovereign. Look at all these wagons you sent». I’m telling you, if you want to get from weakness to strength in your spirit this week, start counting wagons. Instead of telling him how much it weighs, start thanking him for wagons. Look at what you’ve done for me, God. Look at what you’ve brought to me, God. Look at how you’ve helped me. And the Lord said, «Jacob, Jacob, I am God. I know this isn’t the same way that your fathers went. I know this isn’t the same strategy that they had, but I’m the same God. So, do not be afraid to go down to Egypt».
Now, I don’t know what you need to put in that sentence, but leave it up there. Do not be afraid to. There are two specific times in scripture that God says specifically what not to be afraid of. He tells Joseph, «Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is in her is of me». And he tells Jacob, «Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, even though it seems dangerous, even though it seems risky».
Remember, I’m not telling you to start a hair salon. Egypt does not represent just whatever thing you want to do. It is what God has called you to do, that you are afraid to do, that you are unfamiliar with. Do not be afraid to do it. Watch this. For there, in the unfamiliar place, there in the place nobody in your family has lived in before. There in the place where you thought Joseph was dead, but he’s actually waiting for you. There, I will make you into a great nation. Verse four, I myself will go down with you to Egypt, to the hospital, into your senior years, into the ninth grade. I myself, God says, will go down with you. In other words, I’m going to lighten your load because not only do you have weight and not only do you have wagons and not only do you have worship, but when you worship me, the weight lifts and your wagons have wings.
And I’m carrying you cuz I got wings. I put wings on your wagon. I put strength in your weakness. I put a step in your limb. I put power in your spirit. I put wings on your wagons. Come on. My wagons have wings, y’all. I’m going to get there cuz he’s with me. My wagons have wings. Yeah, I’ve got weight on me. Yeah, I’ve got burdens about the future. Yeah, I’m excited about it. Yeah, I’m still Jacob, but I’m not traveling alone. Cuz they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles.
I’m going to Egypt on eagle’s wings. I’m going on wings. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint. I’m going in the strength of the glory of God. My wagons have wings. My wagons have wings. I got angels all around my family. My wagons. Don’t be surprised when I rise above it. The Lord has lightened my load. My wagons have wings. My tears have intention. My worship has purpose. I know you’re carrying a lot, but you’re carried, too. Your wagons have wings. He’s going with you. I don’t know where you’re going. You don’t either. But I know one thing. He’s going with you. Get my camera. I speak to your burden soul today. He’s going with you.
A while back, I was doing ministry with somebody. It was tag team. I looked over at them before we went up. I could see he was so nervous. I put my arm around him. I said, «You doing all right»? He said, «No». I said, «Why not»? He said, «I don’t know what to do up there». I said, «I’m not good at much, but I’m good at this. The Lord’s prepared me. So, when we go up there, I don’t want you to worry about anything. I’m going up there with you. And if you stop talking mid syllable, I’ll pick it up and say the next syllable like we meant to do it». cuz I could tell he was he was carrying weight. So I told him, «I’ll be your wings».
I could see a tear come in his eye because he was carrying so much. I’ll be your wing man. That’s what I was telling him. And then I looked him in his eye and I said something to him. And I believe that the Lord would say this to each of his children today, too. Hey. Hey. I won’t let you fail. And I know every skeptical in your bone is every bone in your body that’s skeptical is screaming right now. Then then why then why did my best friend die of cancer? Then why did the business fail? Then why did the marriage fail? Maybe it wasn’t a failure. Maybe even maybe even when they died, their purpose on earth was just getting started. Maybe the business that failed wasn’t the one that you were called to run.
Did you think about that? Maybe God’s failures are foundations. And I want you to let him lighten your load today. Because I’m going to tell you something, Jacob. If you try to ride in that wagon and you let Jacob steer, you won’t make it where you’re supposed to be. The word of the Lord came to Israel in the night to speak to the part of you that knows that worship gives me wings. And it can be just the smallest transition in your life. I’m telling you, I know there are people in here today who are carrying weight, unimaginable weight. But stand on your feet right now. And in the presence of your God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, Jacob, Jacob, the God of Simon, Simon, the God of Martha, Martha, the God of Abraham, Abraham, the God of Moses, Moses. That God knows your name, knows your needs. He knows your limp. He knows your loss and he wants to give you wings on your wagon today.
The truth is if you’re here, it’s because you were carried. Somebody say, «I’m carried». I’m carried. That verse really spoke to me, man. In verse five, where it says, «Jacob set out from Beersa. The sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him». You know how I know you can? Because you’re carried. Say that out loud as a confession. I can I can. Cuz I’m carried. Thank you, God. I can make it through this. I can find a solution. I can forgive them. I can continue to work through this. I can recover. I can say it. I can. I can. Because I’m carried. Cuz I’m carried. And some people will see that and they’ll think that your confidence is cockiness. I’m not cocky. I’m carried. I’m carried.
My confidence is in the fact that God is carrying me. Don’t you see how his hand has carried you this far? Then why wouldn’t you let him lighten your load? I imagine Jacob getting back on the wagons and they felt a little lighter because he took a few of those animals and sacrificed them. I imagine him getting back on the wagon and feeling a little bit lighter because he was reminded who he really was. I see him getting on the wagon. this a little bit lighter cuz you can’t see it but my wagon has wings. Be prepared this week. Somebody is going to tell you you look different. Have you lost weight? Tell them yeah. Tell them two things happened. Come on, look at your neighbor and say two things happened today. Tell them I lost weight. I lost weight. And I got wings.
Now, let’s take 20 seconds and worship the Lord for what he did in this place. Y’all sing a little bit. Come on, worshippers. Worshippers. Where are the worippers? The Lord is in this place. Get your hands up. Get your hands up. The Lord is in this place. Get your wings back. Get your wings back. Holy Spirit travels awaken. The Lord is in this place. The Lord is in this place. I’m carrying. I’m caring. Not for a minute. I’m carrying. I’m carrying for the Lord is in this place. The Lord is in this place. Come Holy Spirit. Trlesw. rising. Come on, get these wings. So you can rise above and make it. He won’t let you fail. He won’t forsake you. He will not leave you. He’s right here. The Lord is right now. He is God. His travels away. The Lord is in this place. The Lord is in this place.
Heads bowed, eyes closed. God is here. He’s here to forgive sin. He’s here to heal hearts. He’s here to make new. Right now, there are hundreds, if not thousands of people under the sound of my voice who desperately need to give your life to Jesus today. You cannot carry it any longer. You cannot do it by yourself any longer. You were not meant to. He died for you. He rose again to give you life. It is by grace you are saved through faith. This not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works so that no one can boast.
And today, God brought you to this place so that you could be saved. So, right now, I’m going to lead you in a prayer, whether you’re online or in the room. And if you’ll repeat this prayer after me and believe it in your heart, the Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved right now. The hand of heaven is stretching to you in the person of Jesus Christ. Will you receive this gift? This is a new beginning for you. This is a defining moment for you. God is calling your name right now. And I want to lead you in this prayer. Whether you’re coming to him for the first time or you’ve wandered and you’re coming back, this is your day. This is your moment. He’s calling your name. Call on his name and you will be saved. Repeat after me as a church family out loud.
Heavenly Father, today is my day of salvation. I am a sinner in need of a savior. And I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And the Savior of the world. And today I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe he died. That I would be forgiven. I will be and rose again to give me life. I receive this new life. This is my new beginning. I am a child of God.
On the count of three, shoot your hand up if you prayed that. 1 2 3 all over the room. That’s right. That’s right. That’s right. Devil, you lost another one and another one and another one and another one into the family of God. Born again by the spirit of grace. Let’s give Jesus a great shout of praise. Glory to God. Praise the Lord for all the new lives. Thank you for staying till the very end. Thank you for coming to church today. Thank you for showing up in the presence of God. Campus pastors, you can take it. Did you receive a word from God today? If you received a word from God, let me hear you make some noise. Shout hallelujah if you received it. I know I preached long, but you won’t even have to fight traffic today cuz you you got wings. I lost weight and I got wings so I can make it. Cuz now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask, think or imagine to him be glory through Christ Jesus in the church now and forever. You’re dismissed. I love you.