Keith Battle - You Made It Anyhow

I want you to tell two people this, my subject is… are y’all ready? Tell somebody around you. Tell them, two people, say «You made it Anyway». You made it anyway, yeah, you made it anyway. I’ve changed the world; you made it anyhow, anyway, anyhow. I made it anyhow and anyway. See what I’m trying to say? Whether you say «anyway» or «anyhow,» I’m saying the odds were stacked against you, and you made it anyhow. See, everybody doesn’t know what you faced, what you went through to get to where you are right now, but you made it anyhow. If the stats were right, they would say you shouldn’t have made it. When you look at where you came from—your background, your reputation, your neighborhood, and the family you came from—you shouldn’t have made it, yet somebody give God praise because I made it anyhow! In fact, here’s what I came to do: I came to reintroduce you to yourself and let you know that even though somebody said you weren’t going to make it, you made it anyhow. Anyhow, you may be seated. Yeah, yeah, I made it! I made it anyhow. I’m limping, but I made it. I’m hurting, but I made it. I had to bury my mother, but I made it. I lost a child, but I made it. Who am I talking to right now? I made it! I’ve been betrayed, but I made it. Somebody here has been molested and raped, but you made it. Some of you have been backstabbed and divorced, but you made it. I know you want to look cute right now and act like that’s a small thing, but if it had not been for the Lord who was on your side—don’t play with me in here today! You made it! I made it! I made it! I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Yeah, I took the long way, but I made it. I had a child out of wedlock, but you made it. I had to go to night school, but you made it. I know you won’t stand up for this one, but you went to jail and you went to prison, but you made it. Some of y’all have disabilities and disadvantages, but look at you! Is there anybody here right now that didn’t just make it, but you made it anyhow? You made it anyhow! You had hurdles to overcome, and you made it anyhow. No weapon formed against you shall prosper! Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. His grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. I made it! Let me leave y’all alone; I’ve got to go. Let me just give you my little presentation—if you don’t leave with anything else, remember I made it anyhow against all odds! I made it! You called me names, I made it! You disrespected me, I made it! You told me I wasn’t qualified, I made it! Who am I preaching for? I don’t even know who I’m talking to! That’s what I need to know: I made it anyhow! And here’s the good news: if you made it to this point anyhow, whatever you’re facing right now, you will make it through that too. See, that’s your testimony: I’ve made it, and I’m going to make it. Who am I talking to? I made it, and I’m going to make it because he’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. It’s a new problem, but I’ve got the same God! Woo! Jabez is an example of a person who made it anyhow. How so, Pastor, how so? Think about his upbringing. First of all, his mother named him something permanent based on what she felt temporarily. You have to be careful as a parent not to transfer your dysfunction onto your child and start calling them something out of your own hurt. You’ll never be nothing; you’re just like your father; you’re going to end up in jail; you’re dumb! It’s dangerous to name someone after a moment of pain. So, all his life, he was called what she felt. All his life, he grew up being called by a name that means «pain causer.» So, when he played on the playground, they’d say, «Hey, pain causer, come on over here!» In elementary school, they messed his name up. They’d call him Pain. Fast forward to high school, they were the varsity team; they called him up as the small forward and read out the name, «Pain Causer.» I bet when his mother was at home with her girlfriend sitting in the living room, and he walked past as a little kid, she’d say, «That one right there: hurt, child, please! I asked for an epidural and Hennessy! Whatever they had in here, that one…» He was born in pain, he lived in pain, and his name was Pain, yet he still ended up, according to verse 9, «more honorable than all his brothers.» He ended up prospering, having his territory expanded, having the presence and blessing of God all over his life. God did for him everything he ended up excelling in. It’s amazing; you’d be surprised how many people with some of the most successful lives have some of the most painful stories, right? Who understands what I’m saying? See, the reason why it’s so important for you to understand that you made it anyhow is that people keep looking at how far you have to go, but they can’t appreciate how far you’ve come anyhow. You don’t understand how far I’ve come anyhow! And then people look at your success and say, «Oh, you made it. You made it.» But yes, I made it, but I made it anyhow. You’re looking at my success, but you…