JOEL OSTEEN SERMON PRUNED FOR PROMOTION : Here is another wonderful and life changing sermon by the popular televangelist, lead pastor of Lakewood church and the husband of Victoria Osteen in the person of Pastor Joel Osteen. In this sermon, Joel Osteen talks to us today about pruned for promotion, we all go through times where it feels like we’re going backwards, we were doing so good, business was strong, our family was happy, we knew we had God’s favour but then, things turned we lost a major client, our child didn’t get the scholarship, a friend walked away, we wonder what happened what did we do wrong but just because you’re having difficulties and things you don’t understand doesn’t mean you’re not in God’s will, God is ordering our steps, sometimes he will order a cut back just as there are seasons of growth, there are seasons of pruning without the pruning, we won’t become all we were created to be, God won’t allow a cut back if it’s not going to eventually work for your good.
It may be uncomfortable, you don’t understand it, you lost a contract, you lost a relationship, lost an opportunity, God wouldn’t have let you lose that if he wasn’t going to give you something better. He may have pruned a friend out of your life, there’s a better friend coming. You may have lost a job, there’s a better job on the way, you suffered a setback in your health, better health is in your future, don’t be discouraged by the cutback it’s a sign new growth is coming.
Jesus said in john 15 I am the vine you are the branches my father is the gardener, every branch that doesn’t produce fruit he cuts away. This makes sense when we have things in life that are not productive a friend pulling us down, a job not leading anywhere, he’ll cut those things away so we can put our attention and focus on the things that are moving us forward.
We can understand losing something that’s not adding value but he goes on to say every branch that does bear fruit the gardener cuts back so it will bear more fruit the only way to go from fruit to more fruit is to be cut back, there are times in life where we will lose something that doesn’t make sense, you’re going to work with a good attitude, helping others, faithfully raising your children, you’re doing the right thing but the wrong thing happens instead of being discouraged, slacking off, having no passion, recognize it’s a pruning season, without that cut back you won’t see new growth.
You may be satisfied to stay where you are, not be uncomfortable not rock the boat, but God is not satisfied, he loves you too much to let you miss your destiny, he has new levels in front of you, will you trust him in the cutback seasons? Will you keep doing the right thing in the times of pruning, when things have gone backwards, when you could be discouraged?
Pastor Joel Osteen says, Jesus said, if you abide in me you will bear much fruit, he talks in this passage about fruit more fruit and much fruit the way to increase is simply by abiding.
