You Can Have The Last Laugh | Joel Osteen

1:57 We love you. And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services. I give you a personal invitation. I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home. These are the finest people in all of Houston right here at Lakewood. So come see us sometime. I like to start each week with something funny. And I heard about this pastor. He was raising money for a new auditorium. And he told the congregation, anyone that will give $1,000, can pick out the next three hymns. Little old lady in the back stood up and said, pastor, I'll do it. He was so excited. He said, that's great. Now, which three hymns would you like? She looked over the congregation and said, I'll take him and him and him.

2:39 All right. Hold up your Bible. 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 how you can have the last laugh. We all go through situations where we're not being treated fairly. Maybe somebody's talking behind our back, trying to make us look bad, or we were overlooked for a promotion, perhaps even cheated in a business deal. I talked to a young man that was being made fun of at school, who was constantly being ridiculed and given a hard time because he wasn't in a certain group. Another lady told how she was looked down on at work and not given the credit she deserved because she wouldn't go to lunch each day and gossip and complain with the rest of the coworkers.

3:43 They thought she was too good for them. Didn't have anything to do with that. She just didn't want the poison to go on the inside. When we're being mistreated and somebody on purpose is trying to make us look bad, on purpose talking behind our back, the natural thing to do is get in there, defend ourselves, set the record straight. If you talk about me, I'm gonna talk about you. You stab me in the back, you better watch out. Two can play at that game. Your time is coming. Human nature wants to get revenge. We like to get even, but the scripture says, vengeance is mine, says the Lord. That means God will make your wrongs right. God wants to pay you back for every unfair thing that's happened. He is a God of justice. People may be making light of you, not giving you credit you deserve, treating you poorly. Bottom line is this.

4:37 God wants you to have the last laugh. Here's how it can happen. Romans 12, 19 says, never avenge yourself, but leave the way open for God. Notice you can either avenge yourself or you can let God be your avenger, but you cannot have it both ways. If you take matters into your own hands and you're always trying to get even and pay people back, prove to them that you're right and they're wrong, then God's gonna step back and say, you go ahead. You do it your way. You don't need my help. But on the other hand, if we can learn to stay on the high road and no matter how great the opportunity to make somebody look bad, No matter how much we want to pay them back, we rule over our emotions and say, no, I'm going to let God be my avenger. I'm going to trust God to bring justice into my life. When you do that, that's when God will show up and say, all right, let me go to work.

5:34 I remember one time many years ago, my father received a letter from another minister that was very mean, very critical, very hurtful. He accused my father of things that were totally false no truth to them whatsoever When my father read it, he was not only extremely hurt, but he was a little angry He thought to himself i'm going to give this guy a piece of my mind He sat down and wrote back the meanest ugliest letter he possibly could He said brother, you don't know what you're talking about. How dare you accuse me of these things? He sealed it, walked to the end of the driveway, put it in the mailbox and mailed it. In a few minutes, he heard a voice right down in here saying, you got even, didn't you? Daddy said, yeah, I got even. You feel better, don't you? Yeah, I feel better. You paid him back, didn't you? Yeah, I paid him back.

6:26 Then the voice said, you sure did. You paid him back evil for evil. My father gulped. He could feel that conviction. He knew it was God speaking to him. He realized he didn't respond the right way. He went back to the mailbox, got the letter out, tore it up. He never sent it, never said another word about it. You know what he was doing? Choosing to let God be his avenger. He was choosing to let God make his wrongs right. 16 years later, my father received a phone call from the man. He was weeping and weeping. He said, Pastor Osteen, that letter I sent you, it was so wrong. I feel so bad. Can you forgive me? Friends, God knows how to bring justice in your life. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. God knows every person that's done you wrong. He sees every time you've been hurt. He's keeping the records. If we can just learn to stay on the high road and not waste our time trying to pay people back, trying to get even, then God promises he will be our vindicator. And I don't believe we would be here today if my father had not learned how to pass those kinds of tests. God will only release favor and promotion in our lives when he knows our character can handle it. If you get upset every time somebody does you wrong and you live your life trying to vindicate yourself, then you're not going to get to where God wants you to be.

7:57 And it's interesting in the scripture, David was anointed to be king many years before he ever took the throne. He had to go through a period of testing. During this time, King Saul was trying to kill him. It was very unfair. David had done nothing but good for Saul, but Saul had turned it around. And at one point, David had an opportunity to end Saul's life. He could have put an end to his frustration and misery. But do you know, David would not do it. He said, Saul, may the Lord avenge me of the wrongs you have done, but my hands will not touch you. No wonder David was a champion. No wonder he was promoted. He knew how to let God be his avenger. And I wonder how many people just like David have been anointed to do something great in life, to be in a position of leadership, a place of honor, fulfill their God-given dreams.

8:54 But the problem is they never pass the test. They're always trying to pay back the saws in their life. They don't realize the saws. That is the people that on purpose do you wrong. The people that are constantly criticizing. They are simply distractions. That is a trap to try to get you to lose focus where you spend all your time and energy trying to pay them back when you should be using your time and energy to move forward into your God-given destiny. And understand, you cannot avenge yourself like God can avenge you. You may think you can, but God's ways are bigger and better than our own. God can take those people that are making fun of you right now and use them to be the people that promote you. Instead of having to work for that boss that's always putting you down, never giving you any credit, you don't know when God vindicates you, that boss may be working for you.

9:53 That person that won't give you the time of day, never listen to your opinion, when God avenges you, they'll hang on every word you say. They'll do whatever they can to spend time with you. They may be laughing now, but when God brings justice, you're going to have the last laugh. And our attitude should be, this may not be fair. They're not treating me right, but I'm not taking matters into my own hands. I'm going to let God be my avenger. And I know when God vindicates me, I'm going to come out smelling like a rose. You may look down on me now, but one day you'll look up to me. You may not give me the time of day now, but one day you'll wish you had my time. I may not have much today, but one day you'll wish you had what I have.

12:49 I love the way David put it. Psalm 23, verse 5. God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. That means God will not only avenge you, He'll not only make your wrongs right, but He will bless you in front of your enemies. He could promote you anywhere, but He'll promote you in front of the people that were trying to make you look bad. He'll give you favor, honor, recognition in front of the people that were trying to bring you down. That person that stabbed you in the back, betrayed you, tried to keep you from rising higher. Don't worry about it. One day they'll be watching you receive the credit you deserve. When people talk about me, I don't get discouraged. I know God just sent the angels to the grocery store. Somebody lies about you, no big deal. I can see Gabriel setting the table.

13:43 Somebody spreading rumors, somebody criticizing. I'm not upset. I know God just turned the oven on. I'm getting ready for my meal. Not alone, not by myself, not with just my friends. There's going to be some onlookers. There's going to be a few people that can smell the food. They can see the beautiful table. They can hear the laughter. But this time, they're not a part of the party. You're having the last laugh. They're watching you enjoy what God has prepared. In other words, they're seeing you be promoted. They said you'd never meet anyone, but they're watching you get married. They said you don't have what it takes, but they're watching you accomplish your dreams. They said you'd never get out of the hospital, but they're watching you walk out healthy and whole. They said you're too slow, too small, not talented enough, but they're watching you receive honor, stepping into that winner's circle.

14:37 You need to get ready. Many of you have done the right thing. You have overlooked offenses. You've shaken off negative words. you've blessed your enemies, you need to know today your dinner is almost ready. The food is cooked. The table is set. It's just a matter of time till you step up to the plate. What am I saying? Don't get discouraged. Just keep doing the right thing. I've learned if the enemy can't stop your dinner, he'll try to sour your party. He already knows God's going to vindicate you. He knows you're going to have the last laugh. He can see the table is set, but he'll do everything he can to try to steal your joy and convince you it's never going to work out. You're never going to be vindicated. No, just keep shaking that off. Any moment you're going to hear the dinner bell ringing. Those people that are hindering you, trying to bring you down, they're going to see you stepping into a new level. They're going to see God's favor and goodness in your life in a greater away. I was talking to a gentleman that was a mechanic at a big diesel shop. He told how for years he was treated unfairly there. It's a very negative environment. They were constantly making fun of him. They thought he was kind of stiff because he wouldn't go party with them after work. And year after year, he had to put up with this injustice, this ridicule. And he was one of the top producers, one of the best mechanics at that company. But in seven years, he had never had a promotion, a raise, a bonus, nothing because his supervisor didn't like him. He could have easily gone around with the chip on his shoulder, negative, discouraged, but no, he understood this principle. He knew God was his vindicator. He knew the food was being prepared. The table was set and any moment God was going to bring justice. One day out of the blue, the owner of the company called him. He had never met the man before. The owner wasn't involved in the day-to-day operations.

16:38 For some reason, he called this man and talked about how he wanted to get out of the business, and he offered to sell the company to this man. The man said, I don't have money to buy your company. The owner said, you don't need money. I'm going to loan it to you. Long story short, he took the offer, and today that man owns the company free and clear. What happened? His dinner was served. Now those people that used to make fun of him, they don't make fun of him anymore.

17:06 Instead of calling him names, they call him boss. What is that? God's serving him dinner in the presence of his enemies. God promoted him right in front of the people that were doing him wrong. They used to look down on him. Now they look up to him. They used to blow him off and not give him the time of day, now they have to make an appointment if they want to see him. Friends, God knows how to avenge you. Don't take matters into your own hands. If you'll let God be your vindicator, he'll not only bring justice, but he will promote you right in front of the people that were trying to make you look bad. It says in Proverbs 16, when God approves your life, your enemies will end up shaking your hand. I met a man in the lobby not long ago. He said, Joel, I was your biggest critic. I was always talking about you, blogging against you. And I came to one of your services to find something else to criticize, but I liked it so much. I came back the next week. That's been six months. I hadn't missed a service yet. Now I'm your biggest supporter.

18:12 he reached out and shook my hand. That's God causing your enemies to shake your hand. You may have people right now that you're at odds with. Somebody at work that won't speak to you. Perhaps a family member that's gotten bitter towards you. Even though you're doing your best to be kind and respectful, they're just the opposite. The more kind you are, the more hateful they are. You have pure motives. You want to do what's right, but they're always twisting your intentions. It'd be easy for you to get bitter. Say, fine, if you want to treat me like that, I'll treat you like that. See if I'm ever nice to you again. No, don't sink down to their level. Just keep doing the right thing. God is a God of justice. He knows how to change people's hearts. It may be a week, it may be a year, it may be 25 years, but God promises one day they're going to reach out and shake your hand.

19:08 One day, they're going to give you the respect that you deserve. I know a friend that worked for this company, and he always gave it 100%. He's got a great attitude, but the owner of this company had something against him. Never treated him fairly. Even though this young man is very talented, very bright, he would never take his opinion, never give him the time of day. Just kind of dismissed him as inferior. This young man never got bitter. He didn't try to prove to everybody who he was. He just kept being his best day in and day out. And eventually this owner unjustly fired him. He let him go for no reason. The young man went out on his own and started his own real estate company and became extremely successful. He never thought much more about his former boss, how he wasn't treated right. He had totally let it go, didn't have any ill will toward anyone.

20:03 but God is a God of justice. He never forgets what you are owed. You may let it go, but God doesn't let it go. He's going to make sure you get everything you deserve. And several years later, his former boss, the one that treated him so bad, he was downsizing his company. He needed a new building to put his business in. And it just so happened he wanted to rent the building that this young man owned. When he walked in and saw his former employee, the one that he fired as the owner, he nearly passed out. This time he hung on every word he said. He treated him with respect and honor. He valued his opinion. He ended up renting that facility. And today he pays rent to the young man he unjustly fired. That's God causing your enemies to have to shake your hand. That's God giving you the last laugh.

20:58 I think about the people that didn't want us to have this facility. Some of them made fun, mocked, ridiculed. We don't want a church down there of all things on and on. They did whatever they could to stop us. But understand, no person can stand against our God. No obstacle is too big. No enemy is too powerful. What God has ordained cannot be stopped. by people, by the economy, by governments, by injustice. God always has the final say. And now when the critics and naysayers drive up and down the freeway and see our beautiful facility, you know what that is? God's serving us dinner in the presence of our enemies. God wants to promote you, not in private, not alone, not just with your supporters. God wants to promote you in front of your opponents. Part of his justice is vindicating you so the people that said you would fail see you succeed. The people that said you don't have what it takes see you accomplish in your dreams. I remember when my father died and I first started ministering, 99% of the people were totally for me, totally encouraging. But there were certain people that told me in a roundabout way, they didn't think I would make a good minister. I was too much of this, too much of that. Really, they wanted someone else to take over. And some of these people I'd known for a long, long time. I thought they were my friends. I thought they would surely support me and encourage me. After all, it was hard enough going through the loss of my father and stepping up, trying to do something new. The last thing I needed were people that I thought were on my side trying to pull me down.

22:47 From time to time, I heard reports that they were talking and trying to stir things up. But I made a decision early on that I was going to stay on the high road. I said, God, they're talking about me, but I'm not going to talk about them. I'm not going to try to defend myself. And I'm certainly not going to change and try to fit into their mold. I'm just going to be who you created me to be. And today, 10 years later, I can truly say God has brought justice into my life. I don't say this arrogantly in any sense, but God has given me the last laugh. They said that I didn't have what it takes, but God knew otherwise. They said I was too much of this or not enough of that, but I knew God didn't make a mistake when he created me. Now, I didn't have their approval, but I had God's approval, and that's all that really matters.

23:41 now practically every time they turn the television on at least on Sunday they can't help but see me some of you are watching right now I can see you they may flip it off to another station, but you don't know. I may be on that station next.

24:04 What am I saying? We don't have to defend ourselves. We don't have to have everybody's approval. If you'll stay on the high road and let God be your vindicator, he'll not only give you the last laugh, but he'll put an exclamation point on it. He'll promote you in front of your critics. He'll give you honor and favor in front of the people that said you didn't have what it takes. And yes, they may continue to talk bad about you, but all they're really doing is preparing the way for God to bless you more. The more they talk, the more God sends the angels to the grocery store. The bigger meal he prepares. Somebody lies about you. Just imagine God just turned the oven on. Somebody is spreading rumors, betrays you. Gabriel just left to the grocery store. Instead of being discouraged by it, you should be encouraged, knowing that part of God's vindication is to not only bring you out, but to bring you out promoted, increased in front of your opponents.

25:05 I was talking to a minister the other day. He's an older man now. For 50 or 60 years, he went all over the world doing so much good. Everywhere he went, people received him and loved him so much. But in his own hometown, the local newspaper did not like him at all. They were always finding something wrong. He could do a hundred things right. They wouldn't report on that. They'd find the one thing he did wrong and make a big deal about it. This went on year after year. He had an interesting perspective. He said, if it had not been for that newspaper, I would not have accomplished so much. They not only kept me on my knees, They not only gave me fuel to prove them wrong, but their critical spirit, that injustice, put me in a position to receive God's favor in a greater way. He went on to build a big university in that town.

26:00 Thousands of young people have attended. It seemed like the least likely place for him to be blessed, the least likely place for him to accomplish his dreams, where he had the most opposition, the most criticism. but no, God says, that's where I prepare the table. That's where I want to increase you. That's where I want to show you unusual favor. Not necessarily just in front of all your supporters, all the people that celebrate you, but God wants to promote you in the presence of your enemies. Here's what this means practically. At work, somebody is doing you wrong. You just thank God if you'd give me another job. These people are against me. No, understand, you don't have to leave there to be blessed. God wants to bless you right where you are. He wants to promote you not only in spite of the opposition, he wants to promote you in front of the opposition.

26:56 That's the way God brings justice. That's how he vindicates us. One time in the scripture, there was a great famine in the land. No water, no food, month after month. and Isaac was about to pack up and move to another place. But God said, no, Isaac, I don't want you to leave there. I'm gonna bless you right where you are. And so Isaac went out and planted his fields. The Philistines, the people that lived there, they already didn't like Isaac. They already were jealous of him. This just added fuel to their fire. I can imagine them making fun of him, mocking him, ridiculing. Isaac, what in the world are you doing? Are you a fool planning in a time of famine? Nothing's going to grow. There's no water. I'm sure he was the laughingstock of the community. But Isaac understood this principle. He didn't get in there and try to prove his point and try to set them straight. He just stayed in peace.

27:51 In fact, his name means laughter. I can imagine the more they made fun, the more they criticized, the more he stayed full of joy. Just said, God, I thank you that you're still on the throne, that you're going to bring the promise to pass, that you're going to give me this harvest. Several months later, all the people that were mocking and criticizing, they were standing there looking at his fields, scratching their heads. They couldn't believe it. The scripture says he received 100 times more than he planted right there in the midst of the famine. His critics were dumbfounded thinking, how does this guy get a harvest with no water? Friends, God specializes in blessing you in front of your enemies. Some of you are trying to run away from a situation that's difficult. Somebody's trying to make you look bad, talking behind your back.

28:43 I want you to have a new perspective. You do not have to leave there in order to be blessed. God wants to bless you right where you are. Part of his vindication is promoting you so the opposition can see it. Our attitude should be, they may be laughing now, it may not be fair, but I'm not the least bit worried. I know their injustice is preparing the way for God to promote me. They meant it to hold me down, but God's going to use it to thrust me forward. And I should be discouraged. I should be trying to get even, but I know better. I know a secret. In fact, I can hear something in the distance. It sounds like a dinner bell is ringing. Not only that, I can smell something. I believe I can smell the pot roast, the cornbread, the enchiladas, the fajitas, the blue bell ice cream. What is that? God preparing the dinner. And know this, when you are served, there's going to be some onlookers, the critics, the naysayers, the opposition, the back biters, the backstabbers, the ones that were jealous, the ones that said you'd never make it, the ones that said you don't have what it takes. You can be assured. God will make sure they have a clear view of your table.

29:56 He'll make sure they see you being promoted, you being honored, you accomplishing your dreams. So what's my encouragement today? Let God be your avenger. Let God make your wrongs right. Either He can do it or you can do it. And if you let Him do it, you'll always come out better. He'll even cause your enemies to end up shaking your hand. They may be laughing right now, but know this. God is a faithful God. In the end, you're going to have the last laugh. God's going to bring justice into your life. Amen. Do you receive it today?

30:28 We never like to close our broadcast without giving 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. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's gonna take you places you've never dreamed of.

33:07 If you want to know what you're going to be like in five years, listen to what you're saying about yourself. You are prophesying your future.

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