What Took You So Long

1:08 You may be seated. I want to preach for a little while today using as a subject what took you so long. what took you so long turn to the person beside and say that's all i want to know yes What took you so long? Adolescents who were raised old school were tutored in the principle and merits of delayed gratification, which is essential for developing self-control.

2:05 But very few of us, present company included, We're ever introduced to delayed appreciation. That's different from delayed gratification, delayed appreciation. And that is the rare capacity to achieve without affirmation. Delayed appreciation is countercultural because it's delaying the need to feel appreciated.

2:48 For people with goals, this is hard to gulp in the throat. It's akin to writing a book but popping no cork for completing a chapter. It's launching an online boutique and just selling your first pair of earrings.

3:12 It's recording a podcast and getting your first 79 views. It's securing your first client even though they can't pay you till the back end. people like to see a baby take its first steps but nobody takes pictures when the baby first crawls People who think you are an overnight success have no idea how many nights you wanted to quit. David is sorely underrated for finding the fortitude to be able to encourage himself. appreciation is powerful just as critique can be crippling whether we are prepared to admit it or not words of affirmation are all of our love language at some point in our lives and regrettably a lot of us have learned delayed appreciation.

4:34 We learned delayed appreciation through trauma. because you were raised by an unaffectionate mother, a silent father, an unsupportive circle, or fair-weather friends. You pushed yourself across the finish line even though you had no fans in the stands. you have found the capacity to blow yourself balloons and you keep confetti in your pocket just so that you can cheer yourself on it is for this reason that I wanted to pause on Palm Sunday because at this point in antiquity Jesus has been in ministry for three and a half years and I wanted you to pay careful attention and zoom in the high power objective to note that Jesus' name and his popularity had swarmed all over Jerusalem.

5:52 And for the life of me, I can't figure out what clicked in the conscience of the crowd that said, do it now. something is about to click for people about who you are. For three and a half years, they had never thought it prudent enough to celebrate Jesus with a parade.

6:20 And on this day, Jesus didn't have a new hairstyle. He hadn't bought a new robe. He didn't slip on brand new sandals. was not wearing a new suntan, nor did he give an eloquent speech, but suddenly they have a different perspective on who he is.

6:47 And might I serve this as a warning that people are about to view you differently. The scales are getting ready to come off of their eyes. they're about to finally see that you are not average but you are extraordinary You are wife material because you've been cut from a different cloth. You can run the department while walking in your sleep. You are well put together and folk don't know you almost fell apart. God's hand on you is more powerful than the lie they put on you. they are about to see who you really are and while it is not new to you it's gonna be new to them you telling me i look nice today i knew it before i walked out the door you are not validation you are just confirmation you cannot allow your value to be determined by somebody else's view because a lot of people got poor vision jesus said to the woman if you knew who was standing before you you would never be thirsty again i'm telling you it took a long time but people are gonna finally wake up and see you are one of God's favorites.

8:25 God, don't play about me. I'm telling you, the stuff that I came through, not everybody could have been able to do it, but if I was able to come through all of that fire and I don't smell like smoke, you gotta know there is something that God has put on my life. Jesus spent three and a half years giving them the truth. For three and a half years, he trafficked in signs and wonders. For three and a half years, he pulled heaven down to the earth. And he did it with no accolades. God is about to honor you for the years that you were overlooked. For the years that you were pushed aside, for the years that people tried to ignore your talent, for the years that they willfully did not give you an opportunity.

9:30 God said for the years that the canker worm tried to devour, I am going to make it up for you in one weekend. Some of y'all don't know when to shout because the people around you only had to deal with a couple of bad weeks. But I'm talking about those of you who for years folk tried to play you small. For years they tried to act like they didn't see how beautiful, how brilliant you were. For years they tried to break your spirit, but you kept showing back up in spite of all of the hell. And you did it for years. All right. and I want to ask I gotta ask I gotta ask where were the palms when he raised Lazarus from the dead where were the cheers when he broke Bartimaeus out of being blind where were the hollers when he stopped the woman from hemorrhaging?

10:48 Where were the screams when he fed the 5,000? How come there was no parade when he told the storm to be still? I don't know how you feel about it or where you've been, but I'm telling you that there should have been a party thrown for you when you pulled a double just to get a down payment. When you stopped your dream to pull them out of their nightmare. When you loaned them the car and they returned it with no gas. When they started acting shady but you didn't treat their children any different. I'm telling you, you are overdue a party. There's some stuff you did that you would never recognize, never appreciate it, never even thanked and never even saluted and you did it anyway you kept the whole family together you did whatever it is you needed to do just so that their daddy didn't look bad you you signed the card even though they never contributed you did double duty even while they were lazy and syphilis and they never pause to say thank you don't you dare wait and cry when my body is in a casket you better thank me while I'm here where are my palms don't get it twisted I don't want you to think for one moment that Jesus became great on Palm Sunday he was great when nobody was checking on him he was great when he was lying in a manger he was great when he was getting his license for carpentry he was great when john had more

12:55 disciples than him i need somebody in the room to understand that you don't need a crown to be a king god i can't hear nobody it wasn't a wedding that made you a wife you were great even before other people saw your greatness you've been having to fight your whole life just to prove yourself but they knew it was something special about you in the fourth grade they they knew in the sixth grade that you wasn't like everybody else your whole family trying to figure out where you came from because you don't even match who it is that they are elbow your neighbor tell them i don't mean to sound arrogant but I've been great when I was broke I was great when I didn't have a man I was great when I was gaining weight I was great before I had a degree I was great when I had to catch a ride I was great when I was doing my own hair I was great don't you think in the aftermath that this is what made me great that's why you can tell the devil take my car take my job take my house take my coat because naked came I into the world and naked will I return I'm still great cheer for yourself if you've been on top a long time even when you were at the bottom You may be seated.

14:45 sometimes you got to remind yourself i've been great come on i can't hear nobody in here here's why they don't can't stand you you are great and you don't need designer clothes you are great and you ain't gotta live in the suburb you are great and you ain't in no sorority You ain't in no fraternity. You didn't go to no HBCU. You ain't got no Mercedes outside. With nothing, I'm still great. In 1975, you may be seated. In 1975, Muhammad Ali was invited to give the commencement address at Harvard University.

15:45 In 1975, he had been stripped of his title of being the heavyweight champion. Hear this, because he refused to go to Vietnam. And when he got to Harvard University, the students started chanting that the champ is here. God, I can't hear nobody. He didn't have his belt. They stripped it. But the students started yelling, the champ is here. The dean at Harvard University got up and took the microphone and said, don't call him a champ. He's been stripped of his belt. Muhammad Ali took the mic back and said I don't need no belt to say I'm the champ but when I came out of nothing I was still the champ I dare to give somebody a high five and say the champ is here do you know what I had to fight through just to keep my mind do you know what I had to fight through coming out of the projects do you know what I had to fight through being sabotaged and stabbed in my back the champ is here Hallelujah.

17:02 Hallelujah. You may be seated. The champ is here. Come on, be seated right where you are. The champ is here. Elbow your neighbor, tell him the champ is here. Hallelujah. Ain't nobody as fly as me on a fixed income. The champ is here. This skirt don't even go at this top. But the champ is here I bought this online And I know it's a knockoff But the champ is here Before Doge cuts all the funding at the CDC, I need you to hurry up and get tested just to make sure you are not diagnosed with Palm Sunday Syndrome.

18:02 You gotta check the people in your circle who cannot perform without a parade. they can't complete nothing unless you cheer for them they won't excel without being acknowledged they won't be nice unless they want to be noticed every now and again you got to find a way to do your work even when people try to turn a blind eye about your sacrifice if Jesus had Palm Sunday syndrome the little girl would still be dead if he was waiting for cheers the ten lepers would have lost it all if he had Palm Sunday syndrome the woman at the well would be on the pop balloon challenge but he said in the words of the old Negro spiritual I'm going to treat everybody right and I'm going to do it until I die A lot of people don't understand you because they don't understand I am self-motivated.

19:20 Hallelujah. I do it without the benefit of a life coach. I do it without motivational tapes or without, hear me, without me lighting any incense. I just got a makeup in my mind. I ain't ever going back to the way I used to be. I hate the dark and the depressed and the broken me. but now that I'm healed can't nobody stop me from going back to where God is calling me to be look at the person beside you tell them I am my self motivator nobody made me come to church this morning but I was glad when they said unto me let's go into the house of the Lord It is hard for people to figure you out. Be seated. I'm coming. It's hard for people to figure you out. I'm telling you, it's hard for people to figure you out because excellence is not intimidated by indifference. Lord, that was good right there.

20:38 I said excellence is not intimidated by indifference. Excellence is not thirsty for acceptance. Excellence does not fight to be seen because excellence sooner or later will be recognized. The target that is on your back is because you exude excellence. You are irritated by mediocrity, the mundane, and the status quo. So you end up doing stuff that ain't in your job description because you hate seeing stuff that's undone and out of order because excellence is a part of who you are. you get mad with people who don't have that same high bar because you're trying to fit you don't see what i see you don't recognize something needs to get done those of you that carry the spirit of excellence i want you to open up your mouth and give god an excellent You have to have the spirit of excellence.

22:00 Even when it is not acknowledged, it will always be remembered. I want to remind you that on the first day of creation, nobody was there but God. On the first day of creation, nobody's there but God. And God said, let there be. no angel started singing y'all ain't saying nothing no angel started hollering and so watch what God does after he says let there be the next thing he says and it's good if I do say so myself, it's good. I don't know how you are sitting here and containing yourself, but God said, whatever you working on, when it's finished, that thing gonna be good when you read my book when you see my design when you witness what God does in my business it's gonna be good so I don't need you to cheer for me watch me celebrate what I'm working on it's good it's better than good to me it's good Oh my God!

23:18 All the other days, all the other days they followed him around. But on this day, they started throwing their coats on the road. Started cutting down palms on the trees. And just like that, things changed. when they figured out who he was. They couldn't put a limit on what they could do for him. Oh my God. Do you know what's getting ready to happen for you in the next six weeks? God is going to have people go out of their way to do whatever they can to accommodate the presence of your greatness. God is gonna force people who don't like you to open doors for you because God said they're gonna finally see God is not, I better say it another way.

24:28 I want you to lift up that hand. I just feel like I need to say this to somebody. Lift that hand. I'm telling you, this is a download from heaven. I need to say this to somebody. This isn't even where I was going, but I speak over every lifted hand. God wanted me to tell you, you are not going to spend the rest of your life overlooked.

24:58 You're not going to spend the rest of your life ignored. You're not going to spend the rest of your life unloved. You're not going to spend the rest of your life untouched. You're not going to spend the rest of your life underappreciated. You're not going to spend the rest of your life underestimated. God said for those of you who have lifted hands, the tables are about to turn. And the first is about to be the last. And the last is about to be first. And you ain't got a thirst trap in order to get it done. God said all you got to do is shout, show up. and God is gonna let you get recognized. You may be seated. Well, I got two more times to tell you that. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

25:50 Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season you will reap if you faint not. For unsaved people, there are only four seasons. Winter, spring, summer, fall. That don't apply to anointed people. for unleaded regular people all they got is winter spring summer fall but that ain't for holy ghost filled people the people on your job all they got is winter spring summer fall but those of you that know you got anointing on your life there's a fifth season there's winter spring summer fall here's the fifth one and due season and God said this is your due season you finally gonna be recognized for the work you've done for the sacrifices you made for the price that you pay God said this is your due season you may be seated and this is my last time It's my last time asking you to do it is to be seated.

27:29 It's the last time. In prayer this week, God says, I need you to change your perspective on how it is that you respond and how it is that you react. The story is told that there was a Continental Airline flight that was in trouble. It's thunder and lightning all around the plane, and people begin crying out, thinking that this is the last moments of their life on the plane. People, I don't know how it is that they did it, they unbuckled their seatbelts and started walking up and down the aisles, frantic and panicking and losing their minds and screaming, trying to figure out what they were going to do in order to survive this precarious predicament, except for one little girl who's sitting in the emergency row.

28:30 Now, the problem is she's under 18 and she's under 140, so she got no business in the emergency row. And while everybody else is screaming and running and yelling around, somebody stopped to ask her why you ain't yelling why you ain't crying and she said because my daddy is the pilot God some of y'all miss your shop and I know he's gonna get me there safely see a whole lot of people don't understand how you cool as a fan while the whole world is burning down how you able to keep it together they don't understand my daddy is the pilot I ain't got no reason to lose my mind and it is amazing that the plane landed the plane landed safely just as the little girl predicted but everybody who was on the plane started making one fatal mistake getting off the plane they kept thanking the stewardess who brought peanuts and pretzels and coca-cola with light ice but nobody thanked the one who navigated them through the storm my time is almost up musicians I walk home from here God is saying after I brought you through a pandemic and you was walking around with no mask on and you didn't do social distancing what's taking you so long after I brought you out of a dysfunctional family but you still got your right mind but you're sitting here with your arms folded and your legs crossed what's taking you so long when I stopped you from getting evicted three times and you got a roof over your head

30:36 but you're still ain't opening up your mouth he wants to know what's taking you so long when the car skirted in front of you and you almost had a car accident but God had you get out of it in the nick of time what's taking you so long? And I needed you to see something.

31:05 The people are cheering and they don't even pay attention that while they are cheering, Jesus is weeping. It is nestled right in this chapter that we discover that Jesus wept. So two different emotions are taking place in one celebration. he's crying but they cheering because he's trying to figure out why did they wait till the end of my life to give me glory they should have been giving me glory the whole time they didn't even know that I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly I'm giving that going a different direction but God is saying Why you keep looking at your watch, looking at your phone, trying to figure out when you're going to get out of here? Can I not just get two minutes where you just thank me for every mountain I brought you over?

32:07 For every valley you brought me through. Oh, y'all still ain't shouting good. What's taking you so long? Somebody should be jumping. Somebody should be yelling. somebody ought to be running