Touré Roberts - How Bad Do You Want It?

I want to talk today about the theme of holding steady and keeping your head. I want us to look at Luke, chapter 8, beginning at verses 22-26. This is not an unfamiliar passage, but I want to draw some insights from it and give you five thoughts related to what you must have in order to make it to the other side. The reason I emphasize the importance of holding steady is that often a word or directive from God has a life cycle, and we are usually inspired when we receive the word, while starting our journey. However, when difficulties arise because of that word, we can sometimes be shaken off course. Every word that God gives you is significant. You see, God is an intentional God, so let me talk about Him for a moment. He calls the end from the beginning, right? He will declare something to be true in a moment that speaks to a future reality. By giving you a glimpse of the end, He seeks to inspire you in your present moment and urge you to move toward the future. You understand what I’m saying? The truth is, we wouldn’t reach the end if God didn’t show us what it looks like in our present moment. This means that every word God gives you, every directive, has a life cycle, and you must hold fast and steady while that word matures and becomes evident in your life. Are you tracking with me?

Wouldn’t it be amazing if God gave you a word, and immediately, the manifestation of that word appeared right before your eyes? There would be no time or space between His speaking it and its manifestation. But it doesn’t work like that. The reason is that we live, for the most part, within the constraints of time and space. When God speaks, He does so from outside of time and space, where everything already exists. The origin of that word is not bound by time; it resides in the realm of being, where everything—past, present, and future—exists as one. That is all He knows how to deal with. We may struggle with this, but He does not. God does not become anxious if it takes seven years for what He spoke to come to pass. For Him, seven years means nothing; for us, however, it can feel like an eternity. We become anxious after seven hours, wondering, «When will it manifest?» One of the disciplines that those destined for greatness must develop is learning how to hold steady and keep our heads, regardless of circumstances. So, let’s look at this together.

You may know this passage well: «Now it happened on a certain day that He,» referring to Jesus, «got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'» Can you say, «the other side»? They launched out, and everything seemed to be going well, right? Isn’t that often where we find ourselves? God speaks to us, saying, «Let us cross over to the other side.» We’re excited: «Yes, I’m going to the other side! Boom! I’m going to the next level!» We launch out, and everything is cool. Have you ever been there? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that was the whole story? He speaks, we launch out, we hear Him clearly, and we understand that He has given us a vision of where we’re headed. He assures us that He is going with us. However, how many know that destiny doesn’t stop at verse 22? It always continues.

Verse 23 says, «But as they sailed, He fell asleep.» There’s so much to unpack here! As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep, and a windstorm came down on the lake. They began to fill with water and were in jeopardy. Now, you know this story. I love how religious people approach it; they often get frustrated. But let me skip to the next verse quickly. «They came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Master, Master, we are perishing! '» Then, Jesus rebuked the wind. Now, hold on. Check this out: religious folks often get mad at the disciples. They ask, «How come you didn’t have faith? Jesus was in the bottom of the boat sleeping. Why wouldn’t you be at peace? Why didn’t you have any faith? What’s wrong with you?»