Touré Roberts - Barriers to Breakthrough, Giants - Part 2

So the fine print, as I begin to ask God, is, «Okay, I know that’s going to happen, and I can’t wait to excitedly preach about that in detail.» I said, «But God, what should we be doing now?» And He spoke to me and said, «Breaking barriers, breaking through barriers.» So we started this series last week called «Barriers to Break Through,» and it’s about identifying those barriers and breaking through them. There are several barriers, but the first thing that God wanted me to really deal with and talk about is the subject of giants. We started that last week; you remember that? Let me define what a giant is: a giant is anything that shows up in your life at any moment that feels bigger than you. It’s those things that show up; it’s almost like giants are a surprise because you know you’ve got these promises on your life. God has said He’s going to do these incredible things, and you’re like, «Yes, yes, yes!» And then the giant shows up in the fine print, and you’re like, «Oh my God!» Holler at me if you’re facing a giant right now in some way, shape, form, or fashion. Let me encourage you that it’s a good thing. It really is a good thing because no giant, no promised land. That’s why I want to take my time to really deal with this subject because you cannot lay hold of destiny without a giant. I’m going to be honest with you; maybe I ought to save this for later because I don’t want to discourage you, but once you kill the giants in front of you, there’s going to be another giant later. You can’t progress from level to level without, watch this, becoming a giant slayer. We think that when we look at the story of David and Goliath, David became a giant slayer when he slayed Goliath. That’s not true. David became a giant slayer when he slayed the lion and the bear in his past. As you’ll see in the text in a minute, he saw Goliath just like he saw the lion and the bear. But anyway, let’s recap the three points we touched on last week. I’m going to recap quickly, and then we’ll move into the subsequent points. So let’s put the first three points up there really quickly, and then we’ll move through the rest. We talked about these things, and I want you to keep them in mind as you deal with your giant: again, no giant, no destiny; no giant, no potential. That’s why many people live outside of their potential—because they don’t have the wherewithal or the faith to confront and face their giants. They say, «Well, let’s just coexist. You know what I mean, giant? You can stay there. I know that land belongs to me, but I don’t want to fight you. I don’t want to deal with you, so we’ll just coexist.» And you live and die outside of potential! In what way? Hello, somebody, if you have a giant, if God has promised you something, but suddenly something shows up in front of you that you cannot get around and must go through, then know that you’re on destiny’s path. That’s how it works. I want to raise up some giant slayers in here because the giant slayer is not only a mentality, but it’s also an inner development. But anyway, let’s get to it. So the first thing is, and this is a recap from last week as we talk about dealing with giants: the first thing you have to do is identify your giant. Don’t be afraid to identify it; be real about what’s going on. The thing that you’re afraid of? That’s it! The thing you fear the most? Those are giants. For some people, buying a house is a giant. Seriously, it’s like the boogeyman—you know what I mean? Because there’s a bunch of paperwork. So what? If it’s for you, it’s for you! It can be anything; it can be a sickness. But identify your giant. Number two: focus on the reward, not the obstacle. When you’re dealing with your giant, you cannot meditate on it. Hello, somebody! You can’t meditate on it. You’re not motivated by looking at the obstacle; you’re motivated by looking at the reward. Here’s what I want you to do: here’s an exercise, really quickly, for 15-20 seconds. I want you to imagine what’s on the other side of your giant—just for a second. See the giant dead and look at the reward that’s over there. Just take a minute and do it. Some of you ought to break out in tongues! The giant is dead. What’s the reward? Focus on the reward, not the obstacle. Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. He was motivated by the joy that was on the other side of the cross; He was not looking at the cross. Oh, cross, oh, cross, I love you! Oh, rugged cross! Oh, I love you so much! Cross, everybody has a cross; I love these crosses! No—