Breaking Negative Cycles | Joel Osteen
Breaking Negative Cycles
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.
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I’d like to start with something funny and my brother Paul sent me this one and it’s so corny.
I haven’t told it in 10 years. That’s how bad it is. But here he goes. I heard about Bubba.
He was outside doing yard work with his weed eater when he accidentally cut off his cat’s tail.
The cat was in the bushes. Bubba didn’t see him. He felt so badly.
He grabbed the tail, grabbed the cat said to his friend, I’m going to walmart.
His friends said walmart while walmart. Bubba said hello there. The largest retailer in the world Paul.
Cell number is 713. Come on. 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 breaking negative cycles.
Most of the things we struggle with didn’t start with us. They’ve been passed down in our family line.
You don’t get to choose your battles. You didn’t get to pick what you’ll have to deal with.
Just as you inherit your parents? D. N. A. Which determines your eye color? How tall you’ll be?
What kind of hair you’ll have. You also inherit attitudes, habits and behaviors from those that have gone before. You.
Research shows how depression can be passed down. Anger, low self esteem addictions.
It was in your bloodline and it showed up with you. The scripture caused this an iniquity.
That means a hereditary weakness. I’ve seen families that can’t get along.
Parents arguing, cousins, upset siblings bitter grandparents said at odds. That’s a spirit of strife.
A spirit of division that keeps getting passed down. I knew this young man growing up.
His father was indicted for fraud and went to prison.
This young man told me how his grandfather was the same way he was so upset with them.
Couldn’t understand why they’d make poor choices why they cheat people.
20 years later a friend called and said did you hear about so and so he’s in trouble for fraud.
He didn’t choose it. It chose him.
It will continue to go from generation to generation until someone rises up and says I’m gonna break this negative cycle.
It didn’t start with you. The good news is it can end with you.
You can be the one that affects generations to come.
You can make it easier on your Children and grandchildren and it’s good to look back at your family history and see what are we good at?
What do we excel in And what are the weaknesses?
Where do I see a pattern of mediocrity, compromise and failure.
When you understand those same spirits are coming after you, then you can be on guard.
You can be prepared say no thanks. Depression. You’re not welcome here, no thanks. I’m not giving into this addiction.
This compromise. No thanks. I’m not living inferior, insecure, angry, bitter. Don’t let that iniquity continue on.
It’s been in your family line, but the reason you’re hearing this is so that you can put an end to it.
I heard this phrase. It ran in my family until it ran into me. You’re the difference maker.
You’re called to set a new standard. You’re the exception. Everyone in your family was negative except you.
Everyone was broke. Except you. Everyone addicted. Except you. Everyone bitter except you. I am looking at exceptional people.
People that stand out. People that defy the odds. People that break barriers.
Numbers chapter 25 The Israelites had gotten off course.
This false prophet named below him encouraged the media night women to lure the Israelites into worshiping their idols.
They fell right into that trap. They begin feasting with the media nights worshiping the God bailed.
There were all kinds of immorality and compromise going on and God was very displeased.
This plague broke out and 24,000 Israelites were killed, looked like that would continue on Moses warned the people that they needed to change, but they weren’t listening.
One of the Israelites took a media night woman into his tent in defiance of what Moses said.
Everyone was standing around watching, wondering what was going to happen.
Then a young man named Phineas rose up, went into the tent and put an end to it.
The scripture says Phineas had the courage to step in and the plague was stopped. All this compromising mediocrity.
And one person stepped in and said, I’m gonna honor God, I’m gonna live with integrity, I’m gonna do the right thing and the plague ended.
You can stop the plague in your family, You can be the Phineas.
There may be negative baggage people compromising addictions mediocrity.
It just takes one Phineas, one man, one woman to break the cycle of defeat.
My prayer is God, give us Phineas is give us people who will rise up, not just accept the dysfunction.
Not just live with the defeat, but will have the courage to make a difference.
To put an end to what’s limiting us, Phineas had to kill the compromise. Kill the disrespect.
Kill the worshiping of idols was drastic. It was extreme, but what you don’t kill, will end up killing you.
There are negative things in our family line that we have to say. You cannot live in my life.
It’s symbolic. You have to kill the anger, Kill the addiction, kill the unforgiveness, you can stop the plague, but as long as you allow these things to live, it’s gonna kill your dreams?
Kill your peace? Kill your freedom. Kill your purpose. Now be a Phinnaeus, have the courage to step up.
Our attitude should be, this may have been passed down, but it’s not going to get past me.
This is where it ends. This is where the depression stops.
This is where the addiction, the low self esteem, the poverty mindset comes to an end.
Don’t live with the dysfunction. Break the dysfunction. Well, nobody in my family is successful. We just barely get by.
That’s what was passed down to you. That’s the way it’s been.
But you’re a Phineas, you’re putting an end to that. You called to rise higher.
You’re called to put a stop to that plague everyone in my family’s struggles with addictions. We all compromise.
We all have anger issues. That would be a good excuse to stay that way.
If not for one thing, you’re a Phineas, you have the courage to step in.
God is destined you to break the negative cycle to set your family on a new course to reach levels that you’ve never seen.
Now don’t miss your chance. This is a window of opportunity, A door that will not always be open.
It may be difficult, but God won’t ask you to do something and not give you the grace to do it.
Your Children are counting on you, your great grandchildren, their destinies hang in the balance.
Will they deal with the same things you do or will you put an end to it.
Will you be the one to break that negative cycle and stop the plague? I already know. The answer.
I’m looking at chinese is I’m looking at barrier breakers. I’m looking at people who are called equipped and anointed.
The power in you is greater than any power that’s trying to stop you.
You’re gonna feel a new sense of courage. God’s favor is going to be on you in a greater way.
Things you’ve struggled with in the past are not going to be a struggle anymore.
Chains that have held you back are being broken strongholds that have kept you captive are coming down.
God’s going to do what you can’t do on your own when you stand for righteousness.
When you refuse to compromise. When you say no, I’m not hanging around these same friends that are holding me back.
When you break out of that negative mindset and believe bigger prey, boulder dream larger, you’re going to see the hand of God turn things around.
Break addictions, bring you out of dysfunction promote you. The levels that you never thought possible.
Think about all these people living with the plague and one man rose up and did something about it.
One man broke that cycle that had killed 24,000 people.
How many people are going to live better off because you had the courage to step up.
How many of your relatives will look back and say, wow, thank God for Phineas.
Thank God for julie, thank God for uncle robert, Thank God for Marcela now we’re free now we’re blessed now we’re confident.
Now we’re successful because you’re a Phineas because you killed what could have killed you. You’re impacting generations to come.
You’re one of those heroes of faith, Joel. I don’t think you’re talking about me man.
I’m not Phineas, I still struggle with an addiction. I still have a problem with my temper.
I’m still dealing with poverty and lack. Let me encourage you, Phineas is in you.
The barrier breaker is in you.
The same power that raised christ from the dead lives on the inside of you.
And yes, there’s a battle in your bloodline. The good news is you’re going to win that.
Chinese spirit is going to rise up in a new way.
You’re going to put a stop to what’s stopping you.
Those weaknesses that have been passed down are just what they’re called. They’re weak. They’re no match for you.
A friend of mine was raised in a good family when he was a toddler.
His father in his early 20s, got a job at a large transportation company, he was at an entry level position out washing the vehicles.
He’s a hard worker. Always on time went the extra mile.
Those were the good things that had been passed down. We all have these positive attributes in our family line.
People that passed down courage, talent, good attitudes.
The key is to take the positive build on the good things and leave the negative behind This man’s parents and grandparents, there were good people but they struggled with alcohol over time they both ended up becoming alcoholics.
That was the environment he was raised in.
Well he received promotion after promotion from out washing the cars to supervising the department then head of operations 10 years later he was in senior management.
Everything was going great. His family was blessed.
But in this new position the people he worked with would go out several times a week at lunch and drink.
They called it liquid lunch. Now he never touched alcohol knowing what his parents and grandparents struggled with.
But he didn’t want to seem odd like he was too square.
So he started drinking just a few times a week, No big deal.
He didn’t realize that alcohol, Gene was lying dormant in his D. N. A. He was predisposed to alcoholism.
That was passed down to him.
He made the mistake of waking up that Gene, he started drinking more and more.
The scripture says don’t give the enemy a foothold, don’t open the door if you crack it a little he’s gonna push and push.
He’d love for all that negative baggage to go from generation to generation. Before long it started affecting this father.
He started showing up late for work, started missing appointments.
He got to where some days he wouldn’t come home from work. Wasn’t with the family anymore. Got so bad.
He lost his job, started living in shelters.
My friend told me how they were the perfect family living the american dream and then alcoholism destroyed their life.
My friend is in the entertainment industry now and he’s very successful.
He said Joel, I don’t touch alcohol, not because of religious reasons, but I know I’m predisposed to alcoholism.
When you look back in your family line and you see things that have caused heartache and pain, things that have kept people from their potential.
It’s important to recognize that those genes are passed down. You’re predisposed to that.
But here’s the beauty that doesn’t mean it’s going to automatically happen.
You get to choose whether you activate that gene or whether you leave it lying dormant.
His father activated it and it ruined his life.
His son chose to leave it dormant and he’s living a blessed free favor filled life.
Alcoholism ran in his family until it ran into him.
He was a Phineas, he had the courage to step up and put an end to it.
His attitude was this alcoholism didn’t start with me, but it’s gonna stop with me. I’m the difference maker.
I know some of you think it’s too late for me. I’ve already activated that gene.
No, you can deactivate it. You have the power to turn it off.
You can be the one to break the negative cycle. Now. It may not be alcohol for you.
Maybe bitterness, low self esteem, anger. There’s a gene lying dormant. Don’t wake it up. Don’t open the door.
You’re gonna be tempted. My friend told how in the entertainment industry, practically every event, every meeting there’s alcohol.
People expect him to drink. Ask him how he dealt with it. He said, Joel, I’m bold about it.
When people pressure me. I say, listen, I come from a family of alcoholics.
I’ve seen it ruin their life and I’m not gonna let it ruin mine.
When you look back at your history, there may be things that are fine for other people, but you know, you shouldn’t do it because you’ve been predisposed to it.
You don’t want to wake up that gene be aware and be diligent. Don’t play with fire.
Don’t think you can compromise just a little be dishonest. Just a little run with the wrong crowd.
Just a little. It’s not worth the chance. What are you gonna wake up?
What genes are you going to activate?
God told Phineas because you had the courage to step up and stop this plague.
I’m gonna make a covenant a piece with you. You and your descendants will be priests for all time.
Look at how God works when you step up and put an end to the plague.
When you stop the negative baggage the addiction, the depression.
The lack God says, I’m not only going to honor you and your family, but I’m going to show favor to your descendants.
I’m going to place a lasting blessing on your family line.
I know today I’m walking in favor because of those that went before me.
I’m walking in blessings because I had people that honored God.
My father broke the negative cycle of poverty in our family. He was raised very poor during the great Depression.
Many times. They didn’t have money for food or clothing.
Looked like that poverty spirit that lack mentality that defeat mindset would be passed down to him.
But it’s 17 years old when he gave his life to Christ the first one in his family, something rose up in him.
He said, my Children will never be raised in the poverty and defeat that I’m raised in that.
Gene was there. But he deactivated it. He was a Phineas. He said, this plague is stopping with me.
He didn’t just sit back. He took steps of faith. He had to hitchhike. He didn’t have a car.
But he went out and started ministering. God opened doors. Made ways.
My father left our family, blessed sir, successful, not just with resources but with a new mindset that our God is all powerful.
That when we believe he can take you where you’ve never dreamed that when you honor him, he’ll open doors that no person can shut that will give you a compact.
Sinners that will heal you from cancer. And our Children have enough negative things to deal with.
I don’t want them predisposed to doubt, predisposed to fear addictions, compromise.
I want them predisposed to faith, predisposed to blessings, predisposed to godliness, to integrity, to generosity.
I want them to succeed because of me and not in spite of me in the scripture, Isaac was very old and about the past.
He was nearly blind. He said word for his son Esau to come in and he was going to give him the blessing that belonged to the firstborn son.
Well his wife Rebecca loved their son, Jacob more than Esau.
She told Jacob to dress up like a saw go in there and pretend to be his brother so he could get the best blessing essa was very hairy.
So she made Jacob some animal skin to put on his arms.
And Jacob went in, tricked their father and received the blessing. It wasn’t just the mother that was deceitful.
Jacob had that same spirit, he was dishonest. Remember how earlier he tricked his brother out of his birthright.
It didn’t stop there. His uncle Laban was dishonest.
He tricked Jacob said he was gonna give him one daughter in marriage.
But when Jacob woke up the morning after the wedding, he looked over in bed and it was the other sister surprise.
Now notice, notice how that same spirit traveled through the family line, deceit manipulation, dishonesty.
That’s not a coincidence, that’s a spirit that keeps getting passed down.
It just needs a Phineas for someone to rise up and say, no, we’re not living like this.
I recognize what’s happening. I’m gonna live as a person of honor. True to my word with integrity.
One time, Abraham had to travel to a new city and his wife, Sarah was very beautiful and he was afraid that the people would kill him so they could have her.
So he lied and told King Abdelmalek that Sarah was his sister, that they weren’t married.
The king later found out the truth.
Eventually, Abraham past years later, his son, Isaac was traveling through the same city. His wife, Rebecca was very beautiful.
Isaac was afraid they would get rid of him to have her.
He told King Abdelmalek the same king that Rebecca was his sister and not his wife.
And it’s interesting how these negative traits keep getting passed down. It’s the same way today.
It can be a spirit of low self esteem. Everyone in your family feels unworthy. Not good enough, not attractive.
Do yourself a favor. Be a Phinnaeus. Put an end to it.
You’re made in the image of God, you have royal blood flowing through your veins.
Turn off that unworthy, inferior gene. Let it stay dormant. Maybe it’s a spirit of mediocrity.
No one in your family can get ahead. You’re not expecting anything good. So we’re just average people.
You have to get rid of. That spirit. It’s been passed down long enough. It ran in your family.
The good news is it ran into you. You’re the Phinnaeus. Get your passion back. Start expecting to rise higher.
Start declaring God’s promises over your life. It’s good to ask yourself, Why do I struggle in this area?
Why do I feel I’m not good enough? Why am I drawn to compromise to addictions to manipulation.
Those are battles. You didn’t choose battles that didn’t start with you. They were passed down.
But they can stop with you. You can be the funniest.
It may not be easy, but if you will make a move, God will make a move.
If you’ll take a step of faith, God will give you the grace to do what you can’t do on your own.
He’s just waiting for you to rise up. That may mean to forgive, to get rid of the bitterness.
It may mean to get help with that addiction to attend our freedom class.
It may mean like my father to have a new mindset, to not accept defeat and mediocrity as your destiny.
To have a new vision, to believe that you can leave your mark.
You have to deactivate those negative traits that have been passed down. You didn’t have anything to do with it.
It’s an iniquity, something you inherited.
But God wouldn’t have allowed it if it was going to keep you from your destiny.
You can break that negative cycle and be the one to set your family on a new course in the old testament, God told Saul to go and kill all the family kites to not spare anyone or anything.
Saul went out and defeated the enemy. But he spared King a gag.
When he returned home, the prophet Samuel came to Saul. God told you to destroy the entire army.
But you’ve spared the king fast forward. Hundreds of years later, Esther was in the palace.
A man by the name of Haman was trying to get rid of her and all the jews.
It says that Haman was an A G. And A G. Was a descendant of king. A gag.
If Saul would have taken care of his enemy when God gave him the power to do it, then Esther wouldn’t have this problem 500 years later.
Could it be if you don’t rise up and put a stop to what’s hindering you then Hundreds of years from now, your family will still be struggling with it.
God is saying, this is your time. This is your moment. Your destiny is calling out.
You can either put up with it and let it conquer you or you can put your foot down and say no I’m gonna be a Phineas, I’m gonna put a stop to what’s holding us back, I’m gonna deal with this addiction, this anger, this compromise this depression.
I’m not gonna let my history keep me from my destiny. Yes.
We all have negative things in our family line.
But when you gave your life to christ, you became a new creation. He put some new genes in you.
There is strength in your genes, there is freedom in your jeans, there’s health, abundance. Victory is in your genes.
Well Joel, this is encouraging. But everybody in my family gets divorced.
We all have addictions, everyone struggles in their finances. Here’s the catch. You’re not everyone, you’re the exception.
You’re a fini asse. You have more knowledge than they had the favor on your life is stronger.
The blessing is greater. The anointing is more powerful.
They may have lived with it, but you were raised up to put an end to it.
You’re the difference maker. You can break that negative cycle, 1870 for a member of the New York Prison Board noticed that six people from the same family were serving in one of the prisons and he was intrigued by it and decided to do a study.
He traced their family line back to a man by the name of Max Jukes. He was born in 1720.
He was known in the town as the troublemaker, A heavy drinker, no integrity.
He married a woman just like him. They had six daughters. Two sons, 1200 of their descendants were studied.
Of those 310 were homeless, 180 alcoholics. 160 were drug addicts. 150 became criminals that served time in prison.
Another family was studied that lived along that same time. His name was Jonathan Edwards.
He was a famous theologian, the president of Princeton University. He married his wife Sarah. They had 11 Children.
He was a devoted family man that honored God.
1400 of their descendants were studied among them, 13 were college presidents, 65 were professors, 100 were lawyers, 66 were physicians, 85 were authors of classic books, 32 were state judges, 80 were holders of public office including three U. S.
Senators, three governors and one vice president of the United States.
It makes a difference what you’re passing down your choices will affect generations to come.
You may have things in your family line that have been there for generations, addictions, poverty, divorce, compromise.
It’s going to say there until someone rises up and puts a stop to it.
I’m saying you’re the Phineas, you’re the one God has raised up to break the negative cycle.
This is not an option. You have to kill it or it will kill your dreams.
It will kill your potential. It will kill your purpose. There’s a battle in your bloodline.
You didn’t choose it, but you can win it.
The forces that are for you are greater than forces that are against you.
If you will rise up and be a Phineas I believe and declare like God did for him, there’s gonna be a blessing on your family line.
You’re gonna see favor that you’ve never seen addictions are being broken, depression, strife, low self esteem.
You’re gonna rise higher and become all you were created to be in jesus name.
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 information on your new walk with the Lord.
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We love you, and we’ll see you next time.
- What is Faith? | Dr Bill Winston SermonTháng ba 2, 2023