Do Not Give Up - DeVon Franklin

[Music] and I just have a testimony and I want to give you one text because you know I want to share that God is is doing so much in our lives yet we don't see it and when we don't see it there is a tendency or even the most faithful of us to want to give up the matters sometimes how much you go to church doesn't matter how can we just have an honest moment isn't matter how hard to my brain doesn't matter how long you facet isn't matter how much you read the scripture there are so moments when we are in faith over something that has not yet materialized prayer when it gets all heavy on us the burden of our believed gets so heavy we want to give up when I talking to Who am I talking to well I want to share a little bit of a testimony to encourage you that God is if he truly is doing exceedingly and abundantly above all we can ask or think so many of you you know know me in different ways and sometimes when you come here to ascend you know me through to this capacity through preaching and teaching others if you may know me as an author of you may know me as a producer so on and so forth but as it relates to this gift of preaching you know I started preaching when I was fifteen I didn't do it because I wanted to do it my my my aunt who was one of the youth leaders at the church in Oakland that I grew up in they were planning the second Youth Day at the church and they said Devon you're gonna speak you know you're the most outspoken you you're gonna speak and so I was like fine okay I'll do it so I got a pair and I did and it went well and they said oh you gotta go into ministry I said no no no no hey I'm going to Hollywood I'm not hey don't and they were I don't know you have to get Tonya said no no oh they think if I want come on y'all let's have a real moment I'm just telling you my true I'm a morning and what I'm gonna do with it and my past would say you can run but you can't hide I said well I'm running fast that was me and God don't play hide and see let me see if you can find me lower because I didn't I won't have anything to do with this right it's a long story short I get down headed to LA and go to USC to start working in the industry for Will Smith and all that what was happening is that my younger brother when I was around 22 years old as I was graduating my younger brother who is a minister and pastor in Baltimore he was in his you know early to lose in his late teens and he came out to Oakland you up to do an effort with some of his buddies from college and here they were you know 18 19 years old on stage on fire for God preaching led the whole effort for a week and I went up there to support as I'm sitting in the back I'm watching them God says one or two using your gift I said I don't want to be come on let's have an honest moment you know come on anybody got like something in you that you know people keep telling you this is what you need to do and you know God is giving you a gift but you just don't want to do it come on please let me know want to talk to do I don't want to be in here by myself all right I need a support group tonight all right so you know what I'm talking about so I said why'd you use them and so I was challenged I was challenged I was challenged and I said Lauren well I don't know how what do you want me to do long story short my what I'm 22 and I'm assistant at Will Smith's company my uncle calls me my uncle was that have survived Church in Oakland he calls me and says I want you to come up once a month to reach for me in Oakland because I'm getting older and I did not want to do it but I was being open I said fine Lord I'll do it so four years just about I will go up once a month and three from Allah sometimes 50 people sometimes 100 people sometimes 150 people while I was still making my way in the industry and as I started preaching I began to realize I have a passion for it I have a gifting for it but the gifting is also a burden because I'm saying God you had me in Hollywood at that time you're making a way for me as an executive you're opening doors i'ma making movies that play all around the world but you're still having to use this gift of ministry but I don't understand what you're doing with it and every time I want to shut it down I can't help but do it when I'm asked Jeremiah said it's like fire should have been done right so so so for years I have struggled with this game because God has not called me to start up like a church he's called me to that type of ministry he's called me to embrace the discomfort of being different I got to talk to somebody right there right because it'd be different it's uncomfortable I'm talking to somebody right now it is uncomfortable because when you don't fit in any group in any way it's very hard to find these who am I talking to right now the difference is is painful because all of us I don't care who you are me included we want to be accepted we want to fit in and when we don't we know it can they know it so this idea of trying to embrace the discomfort of my difference was something that has been very difficult so difficult that I've made my god listen I needed you a memo Lord I don't know what you're trying to do with this gift okay but you need to let me know real quick or I will stop doing it because I don't understand where it fit I don't know how they fit and Lord I'm tired of it being a burden I mean I'm like hell deep into my conversations with the heart but we family and I'm trying to help him all right so I really was like god it's a burden because I don't know what you're doing with it I don't know exactly what you want to do with it I understand that when you just be opportunities people get blessed Lord but I'm the type of person that needs to know where this thing is going man am i right anybody else been there anybody else that kind of person where you like hard I'm trying to just be okay in the moment but I want to know what's going to happen next to my school what's till the next Lord all right so it's all I'm always fighting with God and here's one thing I have to say and I'm gonna get to my story dive into the text and we'll be done I had a head beat sometimes I was fighting god oh my god wait wait Lord you making this way do you know that I like to know what's gonna happen next so let me stop you know being complaining about now you made me this way give me the grace to deal without you make me Lord and let me stop being upset about why I want to know look I don't know why you may be this way but I'm gonna accept you made me this way and give me the grace of the peace to deal with it amen and all right yeah so so this gift this gift is gift this gift of ministry and preaching teaching you know over the years the gift has just been like you know I've been sewing it you know just sewing it into however God wants it to be sewn whatever feel whatever planting this Lord I'm just gonna use the kid however you want to be used over the years right and so we got to recently where I just said to the Lord I said lord I don't know know if I'm gonna keep doing this because it has gotten so uncomfortable with not fitting in that any group right okay I'm trying to find comfort and I'm willing to sacrifice my gift to do it we're in a danger zone it's dangerous um I don't know who I'm talking to right now but thought you might be in a danger zone right now because you could be like I was contemplating sacrificing the very thing that makes you unique and different for the comfort of those then really don't understand who you want to begin with if you're in this danger zone God is called to you tonight because he wants you to get out of it and I'm sharing my little testimony to help you so I said Lord I just you know for those in the industry in Hollywood you know for some I'm too too spiritual you know and then those in the ministry world up to how they would like an end to those that ministry was like oh he's you know he's not legit you know he doesn't have you know you know people talk you know other than a minute in the ministry I mean in the industry they're like oh wait you know he's that ministry guy yeah right so I'm like lord I just want to know what you're doing and maybe God I want a little bit more comfort so as I'm dealing with this right I'm wrestling with it and again I'm telling I need an email until the two parts the testimony I get an email from a producer at Good Morning America anybody heard of Good Morning America and they say you know who came on last year and you did a segment on stress I want you to come on this year any motive they you know the people and I said well what do you want me to talk about and they gave me a list of things and I gave him ideas on all of them and they came back and they said we want you to talk about discomfort I said really oh yes we think our audience would really respond to this hmm Here I am I'm struggling with what do you want to do with my gift right because I don't fit in any particular group and God says I want you to get out of thinking so narrowly about what you think ministry is and how do you think I'm gonna use your gift I want you to know this is the message for you he is going to do an untraditional thing that has never been done in the earth with what he's put within you to stop eating at the industry standards and how it's been done how it will be done through you it has never out of the world talking to right now equal break standards you will break grief he will break barriers so that what he put in you can eat you the world in the way we need to to get to the world just because they don't get it doesn't mean he doesn't get you knows wouldn't you he knows what is gonna happen he knows what's gonna happen we just need you and I to get out of our narrow way of thinking because our thinking sometimes can block what it is that me wants to do because here I am at ministry is only going to be topes god I said listen do you realize that on any given morning how many millions of people are watching Good Morning America why don't you go on there help them raise discomfort and the result they will understand that there is more to life than just what happens on the news you may not have the opportunity to speak in front of certain people but I'm going to put you in front of millions why because you can think it was painful you've been saying you've been faithful I need you to know you have been faithful how do I know you're here you could be anywhere else in the city of Los Angeles but you are here on a Tuesday night at eight o'clock when we move the time and you did what you had to do and some of you canceled dates and some of you have not even eaten because you knew you had to be here you are saint-lo he'll reward you your Facebook your Facebook I want you to stay faithful and he sees it oh you're faithful you're faithful you're faithful your face for your sake you are faithful you're faithful you're faithful you've been showing up you're faithful come on you're faithful showing up you've been given your leader on the type you can praise you intercede your faithful come on now good faithful others have turned their back but you're still here your faithful come on now give yourself some credit you are faithful that night we do them pride yourself to sleep there have been mourning but you cried yourself away there'd be times you get a stoplight and you say God I don't know what you're gonna do Lord but give me the strength just make it one more day just baseball you're faithful just late for your faithful you're faithful there are times when you were about to say Lord I'm done but somehow God just sucks your mouth I said no you better hold on hold on just a little bit lumber and why because he rewards those that are faithful I need you to know those of you that are faithful your reward is on the way eat honors those that are faithful the honor each other's those that are faithful oh my goodness search you neighbors that your reward is on the way it's all the way it's on the way my sis [Applause] yeah because seriously too often too often we are so hard on each other and we're so hard on on the body of Christ in the church like like it's almost like oh you're not doing enough that's why this isn't happening no no no no I'm sorry you need to be affirm that you are faithful but you do love him that you do care and you're trying to live your life according to his plan but guess what it is I'm hard come on somebody you know come on now have a real moment it's hard it's hard I am so tired of people acting like living the Christian life is easy oh my lord when we sign up to follow Jesus and says narrow is the way okay narrow is the way when you gotta fit through something narrow that is smaller than what you know you can get through B it is hard it is difficult it is challenging but he says he will reward us so I think you should go you're visible I need you to know he sees you he sees you there because because there's some times if there there are some people that you look at and you're like God I don't see why you're rewarding them but I my reward as I come right because of the tendency in the church to try to portray it as though oh and out of here it means I'm doing something different than what you are not we're all in this together we're all in this together okay we all struggle together all right you know what I mean so it's important for you to know you're faithful and each season you will be rewarded I guarantee you I guarantee you got only talent like it's not something I'm working on that I wonder if it's gonna happen I know your reward is coming I know because then if we hadn't have time to hear your testimony because you know that success which I'm gonna reap what you sow you reap and sometimes we use that as a negative way why don't we flip it and turn the positive look at how much thank you song oh oh oh the devil better watch out oh oh this is this Biddy if you know what you planted so if you helped listen listen come on now if you gonna go ahead and plant some seeds right for a beach trip are you worried don't get bananas cuz you know what you're planting you are faithful you know what you planted so let me tell you something was getting ready to grow in your life is a tree of faith that no attack of the enemy will be able to you don't understand how the nights and the warnings and the day when you were plenty and you are so many and you were painting you had no idea how much soil God has put on those feet of it you have no idea how this Holy Spirit has fertilized the ground that you have planted it and let me tell you something with God brings something there is no attack that the enemy that can't destroy it I don't know who I'm talking to I don't know what I'm talking to I don't know who I'm talking to I don't know what I'm talking to I gotta say this I'm against my sex and finish my testimony here's the thing some of you some of you some of you um you you people have told you I gotta take a commercial break anyone told you that your standards and relationships are too high and some of you you you've been faithful in protecting your standard because you know what - like you did [Applause] [Music] under Steve each awake I'm telling you right so here's what happened here's an incident isn't it you have a standard but what is happiness in this recent season your standard others would say is make you lonely or alone Nina and so some around you who don't know what God is doing idiot would say your standards are too high you're never gonna get the body with those standards you you might need to lower than hmm so let me get this straight you want me to lower my standard of love and what I need to feel treated respectfully just so that I can fit into someone's limited I am watching somebody else change my destiny Netflix and chill you must never stay high [Applause] one super here's my boy here's my boy here's my point your standards have been seen to fail but because somebody's must be gonna get you you can get it you've been beginning to doubt if God's gonna bring you luck he knows what you planted he knows what you planted dude he knows what's in your he knows what you planned it so make man I speak the word to you that if you have planted faithfulness is the garden of love it will grow in itself do not lower your standard and let someone into your life that only has an intention for themselves at you be careful be careful be careful be careful is what I have family what I have found is when someone wants you to lower their standard that is an indicator that they put themselves before you because if you have a standard and I care about you even if I have trouble meeting the standard I respect that you got work and the last thing I want you to do is lower it if anything teach me how to meet [Applause] right now you've been faithful you've been faithful oh my lord I got a man I need to get to my work go okay Oh why do you say these things okay listen listen I'm gonna say one last thing on this relationship thinking I'm gonna let it alone all right i'ma let it alone okay now listen now listen summit there's somebody in there might be more than one person in here okay now listen yeah you know you in something right you're in something right now and you know it does not interest them but she's attractive and and and and and and it baby and he's attractive right so you're like man you know when you look at her ear right whoo I really want to lose her and when you look at hitting I knew I don't know if I wanna lose him but in your spirit you know they don't meet the standard man looketh on the outward appearance on the heart God has given you to visit to see their heart can know their heart how to level your heart but you're alive what you see to dictate what you've been missing for your consideration if you know a sign the moon [Applause] right now I'm sorry I'm not sorry I really want to set you free because I would rather you do the heart they can get out of something you know it's the final take some time for yourself to heal mentally emotionally spiritually physically they didn't say in something that's not taking you to him get to where he called you to be amen again okay so so somebody don't have to just go to your phone in the car so many other system tips not only that the week but in today's it's let's unfollow all right here's the last thing I would say about this there are some people you infuse to plot that are blocking your blessing let me get back to my word your favor so they called me go on GMA I went on chairman did a segment on discomfort it was incredibly well they received that everybody thought it was great and it was like yo man divide you were preaching on GMA now here's the thing I didn't say the word God not because I had a problem with I just didn't say it wasn't a part of the segment all right I talked about faith right I talked about turn to your neighbor right that oh stood by him horns in hand here's what we're going to do we're going to claim victory all right and they said even preaching I said that's interesting that that God knows what he put in us and he will allow us to go in different environments where we can still give it to them I'm talking to you right now you don't even realize don't worry about how you get in the door sometime because this is a well thought okay Florida hug it open at the door but can I fully be me let me tell you something open the door you be able to our national TV somebody - watch this watch this segment one the live segment we would segment we're good but I still with struggling because the Lord this is good but sometimes having opportunities that are great but you don't know where is leading can still be disruptive right just like goddess is right I want to do more of this turn into something right nothing so I got to the point where I was like the Oh Lord I don't know oh no Lord maybe actually stick to producing writing books and leave this whole thing alone because this is this and I don't know so couple weeks ago I get it says you know I think it was like on Monday morning early and [Music] in my phone it was the initials of the individual because this is interesting and they were inviting me to come speak when I look at the text who it was in the invitation I said I just had to put the phone down I said no no no no suppose this is the drum tips me know he don't drink and I had to look at it again and I I literally I immediately became humble and I said because he God God knows what we've been faithful yeah and he will send us metics pulling the big stash to the world to come preach I wanted the biggest church steeple preach Emily I said lord have mercy so I said well I'm actually booked that day I said let me see what I can move around for you to us [Music] and he's like no no no you go move it you go figure it out and I figured it out in it in this weekend I'm gonna be in Houston [Applause] [Music] why do I think it's time to share that with you because of this dust come on take my money a lot of physicians this is why Galatians 6 verse 10 do not be deceived God cannot be mocked a man a woman Reeves what this verse 9 so let us not become weary in doing good for Robert does it say you might the same good does he say well what this will what you going to put that say I will I will regardless if I do not give up I will reap a harvest if I tuna why I love this text it's because this is the burden many of us fear I'm doing good I'm doing vert I'm living virtuously I'm trying I'm I'm doing the best I can and it's interesting that Paul knows the Apostle Paul knows who wrote this text he knows that there is a weight associated what's shown on the benefit and age so that weight it's so heavy that sometimes we want to but he says if we don't quit we will reap a harvest at the proper time now when you get into the Greek that I'm not giving you a lesson on the read but this is a Kairos moment to say 3:14 time where it's going to turn in your favor I need you to know that each one of us has a time that is already ordained for us to maximize our impact on the earth I need to know Stacey see God the reason why we get so burden is because God gives us a glimpse of our Kairos moment anybody can see what you believe life will look like one day come on now easy but I see that it might love that vision go on now come on it's a vision where you're operating in your purpose right anybody has that vision given these four powerful right God will give us a glimpse of our Kairos moment okay to let us know what's going to happen however he needs us to still show up every day and stay faithful because here is what I have learned I share with you all the years that I was preaching before anybody knew who I was flying up once a month preaches the fifty people right now God's getting ready to put me in front of probably thirty thousand within 24 hours but if I had been faithful over the 50 for ten years I wouldn't know how to maximize the thirty in 24 hours I don't know what talking to right now now your be prepared to manage harvest I need you to understand the reason why he says be faithful over a few things I make you ruler over many the reason why he says do not get weary and doing good rightly says don't get weary why because right now if you're doing good you're being prepared to handle what is all the way if God were to drop on you something that you have not prepared to receive the blessing would crush you oh we just say oh you know what I just want to have more money come on now y'all know this whole mobility what all right but now you have the experience with money prior to having more money you know how to handle the problems that deal with it blessings here and with them wait harvest carries with it world it was the last time you do me a favor go on YouTube tonight in type in harvest farmer and if you see how much work goes into harvesting a crop when it is right it is difficult or it is grueling work okay you thought you were to bless the seed as a matter of fact the blending of the seed was that she's easier than reaping the harvest because it takes strategy it takes to beat work it takes energy it takes money it takes resources I need you to know that who you are going to be goddess repair it in you right now so please I know you may want to be but Cody but why because God is training you because when you are able to maximize your harvest you know exactly what you're going to do with it right now if I said you know what I'm not gonna break forget about it you know if I told my uncle ten years ago I'm not gonna do this I'm only gonna focus on what I want to focus on do you realize the gift within me with a blade dormant and I would not have been ready to do what He has called me to do I need you to understand one of the reasons why he doesn't want to see if we're in well just doing what is because we're all connected what I have come to learn is the 50 put in need is this really as much about me as it is about those that are designing it blessed by sometimes I'm too focused on me and what I want to do instead of saying Lord what do you want to do how do you want to use what you put in me I didn't ask to speak I didn't ask to be a preacher I asked you have these I have these desires or so Lord what do you want to do with them and let me just be the vessel and he rewards the faithfulness he says what you will really harness at the proper time at your Kairos moment at the beginning of your life written into your script there was the time where you will thrive there is the time that you will maximize your butt is this a time when you will operate at the height of what you were created to do it's already ready Pilate receiving not give up you're doing good what does it mean if you're good it means to live virtuously it needs to do right by our brother and sister and the textbook on the same right by those in the body price why are you so hard on each other we the hardest people on meet one another you know say seriously we see something we don't like you just talked about about me random like why I'm trying to get to the point where listen I may see something right that I don't like but I don't want to just cut people down in public amen I'm like you know what Lord let me do good if I can't do that I'm not gonna say nothing I'm just going to go ahead practice the gospel of shutting up come on now come on go we talk too much come on we talk too much we say too many negative things about too many negative people I'm trying to get to the place of my life or listen or maybe you have not or dicky to speak on this situation or this person lord bless them give them wisdom but I gotta focus on what's going on in my field there's so much harm assist any ready to be read I can't focus on nobody else in spirit who am I talking to right now who am I talking to right now even baseball he sees it he will do he will reward you but he's asking you and I do not quit the reward is guaranteed if we hang in there who turn to give up so you gotta hang in there no no no it's wrong everything you gotta hang in there and here's what I have noticed in order to do good we must be around good [Music] - I say we will be done in order to do good we must be around good everybody that surrounds you is this committed to doing the good that God has put with you but there's got to be obedient I'm just trying to be obedient there are some that you have great relationships with people that you're comfortable with but you know they bring the worst out of you not the best what you're building for a long time you okay always blocking a driveway urgent I don't know who that is either somebody get toe blue hobo go get your car please in the name of Jesus get your car you know once you get to move old blue hobo there we go amen amen security there we go thank you so much Thank You officer appreciate you god bless you give it up for our offices thank you all right okay we go don't forget about getting your business so watch this okay watch this watch this watch this watch this is that there are some see see the old Jew right the old Jew okay who used to hang around some of the people you still hang around with be all you in the new you likes with the old people around you used to do watch this so here the new you but there's still a little the old you in the new year so what God has operated you you have not upgraded your circle of friends so there's some people around you that keep tapping into the old you and it Louis when you're weak you find yourself falling back into old patterns and habits you want to bring God is asking me to ask you in order to do good you may have to upgrade those around you if you only have one good friend that's committed to doing good with you do you have more than enough and then because there are some people that don't like the fact that you turned her life around and the easily is working through them to try to get you back to who you used to be do you gotta fight your own self turn neighbors that you gotta fight that on you come on now so you gotta fight that all you the new you turn them to the new you is the real you come on now these matter receipt that that new you is the real deal come on now we have to be mindful of who's around us we also have to be consistent do not do not weary in well-doing because you will leave for harvest is you do not quit that miss consistency okay we gotta keep showing them we have to keep doing it alright so we're in August but almost almost you know it's right mercy okay some of y'all said hey alright okay now how many things has the gypsy you come on when I see you still paying put in the membership right ain't going you got you know you got with what shanties doing insanity abs all my Twitter at home alright i'ma do it on the phone alright why do I highlight this consistency in order to reap the harvest and be prepared for the harvest that's coming we have any consistent that means we have to build a habit of doing what we know God is calling us to do dependent a minute look what works against our consistency procrastination we think we have more time than we do all right am i right I'll do it tomorrow oh no no no no I gotta do it tomorrow I gotta see what happen when a lyric I'll do it tomorrow the oh no tell the truth right wait wait what happened one insecure wait wait season three just started wait a minute hold on a minute right like then I'll do it tomorrow man slip your consideration if we keep delaying the work we're supposed to do then if your harvest comes and we're not ready we will miss it be consistent tarns names to be consistent the other key to doing good and preparing ourselves to reap what we have sown is to manage frustration frustration is like it's it's literally like for our harvest it is it is like a what's that thing that is stuff you spray on a grass and a kid yes okay right right so it's like a harvest dealing frustration it's like a harvest till what because after bouts of frustration we have nothing positive to show for it Wow can anyone point me to after a period that you are I were frustrated where it was like yeah here's what I can show you for that time it's lost time it's lost energy it's lost emotion yeah if I went it's not you to not be frustrated I would be asking you to do something that you you are I can't do which did not be human we're going to get frustrated life is pretty good right but we have to manage it this is why the beginning of this message I heard who you are and you confirm the facts because the facts will help manage frustration you know what I'm frustrated right now but I'm alive I'm frustrated right now but gobble me up frustrated right now but you know about Huson me I'm frustrated right now but you know what I actually just ate this morning I'm frustrated right now I may not have a full take again but I got enough gas to get me where I'm going come on now I'm frustrated right now I think the Lord I had a car to get in I'm frustrated right now I'm so thankful I can afford the bus pass I'm frustrated right now put on something I've enough money for the uber I'm so frustrated right now but I'm so grateful that I have a place to stay I'm frustrated right now but I got a couch to sleep on I know who I'm talking to you are me this is what your God is saying he says let me let you know how many time the enemy wanted to take you up but I said supersection [Applause] frustration with the fact that God is in control he may sit hi he looks low he loves you he loves me all this time I don't know what I'm talking to right now give a hand for the facts the facts the facts the facts the facts the facts the facts the facts the facts you will reap a harvest if you do not win no quitters in here I'll turn you nervous you ain't quittin tonight come on down to the other everything you are not quitting tonight as a matter of fact I want you to grab your favorite hand and stand up up right now say no you got to stand up right now good morning see you are not a quitter turn the other missing neighbor God did not believe you this wrong to leave you your harvest is all the way be plenty busy keep your standards and the last thing I want you to know and the last thing I want you to affirm I'm in love I am love God needs me so much he sent his very best for me I'm talking to somebody right now I'm talking to somebody right now if I could just give you a glimpse if I could give you a glimpse of how this year is for you what I was gonna do in October be running around this place you never see nothing which in Viki did last year is not compare to what you do and then like usual 28 feet is a boutique event but you go ahead and give you a tail payment of praise [Music]

Channel: Ascend! Bible Movement

Views: 45,749

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Length: 46min 19sec (2779 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 05 2018