S1: Today on Bold Steps, Mark Jobe encourages us to take
S1: the first bold step into our next season.
S2: We are people that are called out of our culture.
S2: We're called out of society. We are chosen of God.
S2: But calling means that I respond and I leave something behind.
S2: The nature of God is to call us out so
S2: that we can belong.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is senior
S1: pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago and president
S1: of Moody Bible Institute. And as we move forward in
S1: our What Now series, we're going to learn how to
S1: take the first bold step into our next season. We'll
S1: discover that sometimes the first step toward that call from
S1: God is to be called out from where we are
S1: and where we've been. If you missed any part of
S1: this study, be sure to catch up online at Bold Steps.
S1: Org and while there, feel free to explore the variety
S1: of videos and articles and other resources we've made available.
S1: But right now, let's get started with today's message. Mark
S1: Jobe calls it taking the first bold step.
S2: Some of us have lived in a certain kind of culture.
S2: All of our life. We've lived in a culture of oppression,
S2: a culture of brokenness. We've lived in a culture in
S2: which our brokenness has become our comfort. And when God
S2: calls us out, we're afraid to walk in wholeness. These
S2: people were slaves. It's like an addict that leaves his addiction,
S2: and he's afraid to leave his addiction behind, even though
S2: he knows it's a slave master. It beats him down.
S2: It oppresses him. It takes away his liberty. It drives
S2: him to his knees. It takes away his economy. But oftentimes,
S2: an addict is afraid of leaving their addiction because they're
S2: not sure how they live without it. Elijah was called
S2: out of the cave because he had embraced self-pity and
S2: God was saying, you're done with that. Zacchaeus was called
S2: out of a tree because he was anonymous in hiding.
S2: And God said, come down. You'll have to do a reckoning. Well,
S2: every time that God calls us out of hiding, every
S2: time that God calls us out of the place that
S2: we're at, he calls us unto himself, unto a different destiny.
S2: And it's always scary. There's risk involved in it. Lazarus
S2: is called out of the grave. And this bent over woman.
S2: She's called out of anonymity. The nature of God is
S2: to call his people out. The church is called the Ecclesia,
S2: the called out ones. We are people that are called
S2: out of our culture. We're called out of our we're
S2: called out of society. We are chosen of God. But
S2: calling means that I respond and I leave something behind.
S2: And it's difficult to leave that behind. The nature of
S2: God is to call us out so that we can belong.
S2: I want you to notice this about this woman is
S2: that when Jesus saw her, he called her forward. I
S2: want you to remember that Jesus was the speaker at
S2: the synagogue. He was the guest speaker. Much like a
S2: church environment. There were probably hundreds of other people that
S2: were in the synagogue, and he was at the front,
S2: and he sees the woman. I'm pretty confident that the
S2: woman was in the back. And he calls the woman forward.
S2: And there is a moment in time. There's a moment
S2: in time in which this woman, who has been living
S2: in a season for 18 years, desirous to get out
S2: of the season. So she comes to the synagogue on
S2: a regular basis, but unable to get out of that season,
S2: and maybe accepting that season. But there's a moment with
S2: the voice of Jesus calls her out of her anonymity.
S2: And at that moment, every eye in the synagogue turns
S2: and looks at that woman who is Jesus, the rabbi,
S2: the rabboni calling out. Every head turns, every eye looks,
S2: every person sees her deformity. She has a choice at
S2: that moment. She can walk out, go to the back, say,
S2: I don't want people to see my brokenness. Or she
S2: can take a first step towards Jesus. I don't know
S2: if there was hesitation. I imagine there was a pause,
S2: a thinking should I go? Eyes are looking at her.
S2: Shame fills her again as she looks at the ground,
S2: unable to walk. And as she walks forward, awkwardly struggling.
S2: Knowing that everybody is wondering what is wrong with that woman,
S2: she takes a first awkward step towards Jesus understanding, believing
S2: that I have to walk towards Jesus. To leave this
S2: season behind. You know, I believe that the voice of
S2: God calls us. I believe that God is always working,
S2: and I believe that it's up to us to respond
S2: to his voice. I believe there's a first step that
S2: has to be taken when we hear the voice of God.
S2: Number three, if you're taking notes, write this down. The word,
S2: the touch, the presence. Release his resurrection power in response
S2: to our simple steps of faith. I love this story
S2: because Jesus, the Bible, says he speaks to her. He says, woman,
S2: you are set free from your infirmity. Then he put
S2: his hands on her and immediately the Bible says, she
S2: straightened up. Now I want you to. I want you
S2: to notice it's the Since it's the word and it's
S2: the touch. She had been to the synagogue year after year,
S2: Sabbath after Sabbath, and nothing had ever happened. You know why?
S2: Because the presence wasn't there. But in this particular occasion. Yeah. Jesus,
S2: the word in the beginning was the word, and the
S2: word was with God, and the word was God, the
S2: incarnate Son of God. He showed up his presence. Was
S2: there something radically changed because the presence of God was
S2: there the presence of Jesus, the healer, the Messiah, the Resurrector?
S2: He was there. Not only was his presence there, but
S2: His word was there. He spoke. There's something about the
S2: words of Jesus. He spoke into her life. He spoken
S2: to her toxicity. He'd spoken to her brokenness and he said, woman,
S2: you are set free. Can I tell you there's something
S2: powerful about the words of Jesus? Can I tell you
S2: something that when the Word of God goes forth, the
S2: words of Jesus go forth, written in Scripture as we
S2: proclaim the Word of God? There is power in the word.
S2: The Bible says that God's word will not return void.
S2: In other words, it's sent out to accomplish what God
S2: intended it to accomplish, and it does not come back empty.
S2: It brings with it what it was called to do.
S2: The Word of God.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, pastor of
S1: New Life Community Church and president of Moody Bible Institute.
S1: We'll continue today's message in just a moment.
S2: Yeah. And I just want to say that we love
S2: to hear from our listeners and testimonies, prayer requests Bible questions.
S2: Any time you can ask one of those, or leave
S2: a testimony by going to our website at Bold steps.org.
S2: Or you can also contact us through the app. And
S2: if you have not downloaded the app, now's the time
S2: to do it. There's tons of resources there. It's available
S2: at any app store.
S1: Yes. Thanks, Mark. As a matter of fact, I'd like
S1: to share a question we recently got from a listener
S1: named Patrick. Here's what he said. What comes first? The
S1: fruit of the spirit or the armor of God? And
S1: how do we get dressed with the armor of God?
S1: I know you have to wait for the Holy Spirit
S1: to produce fruit in you that is happening to me now.
S1: Thank you very much.
S2: Yeah, well, thank you Patrick. So for those of you
S2: that maybe aren't fully aware, the Bible talks about the
S2: fruit of the spirit. And so, Patrick, fruit is what
S2: is naturally produced when we are connected to life. Uh,
S2: An apple tree will naturally produce apples if it is healthy.
S2: When a believer is full of the spirit and walking
S2: in the spirit, they're naturally going to produce the fruit
S2: of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness,
S2: temperance that has to do with our character. The influence
S2: of the Holy Spirit produces the character of Jesus in us,
S2: and the armor of God has to do with the
S2: battles that we fight, preparing us for the spiritual battle
S2: that we engage in. And Ephesians chapter six, verse 13
S2: through 17 tell us how we are to put on
S2: the armor. So if we're walking in the spirit, we're
S2: going to have the fruit of the spirit. But we
S2: also simultaneously need to make sure that we are clothing
S2: ourselves or preparing ourselves to engage in spiritual battle. So
S2: I don't think that one comes before the other. I
S2: think they come at the same time. Hopefully that answers
S2: your question.
S1: I'm sure it does. Thank you for that, Mark. And
S1: if you have a bold steps question to share with us,
S1: or maybe you just want to let us know how
S1: Bold Steps has helped you in your walk of faith.
S1: We'd like to hear from you. Reach out today by
S1: going online to Bold Steps org. You can also call
S1: us and leave your message on a recorded line by
S1: dialing 312329 2011. That's (312) 329-2011. Now let's return to our
S1: message today. Taking the first bold step.
S2: And then the touch. The Bible says. Then he put
S2: his hands on her. I'm sure he touched her back.
S2: These hands that would in not too long in the
S2: future would be the hands that would stretch on a
S2: cross and be nailed. Blood would trickle down the hands
S2: that would be scarred. These hands, the Messiah, touch this woman.
S2: The Bible tells us that. I like this word, by
S2: the way. Immediately. Don't you like that word? Immediately. Suddenly?
S2: You know, sometimes healing is progressive. Sometimes our change is progressive.
S2: Sometimes it's a journey. But other times. Listen. Other times,
S2: the freedom to make the journey is usually immediate. Go ahead.
S2: Say it out loud. It sounds great. Say immediately. Go ahead.
S2: Say it immediately. Don't you like that? Immediately. In other words,
S2: right then and there. Jesus spoke, and this woman immediately
S2: did what she had not been able to do in
S2: 18 years. Immediately she straightened up, and that straightening up
S2: marked a new chapter, a new season, a new identity,
S2: a new way of reacting, a new praise in her lips,
S2: a new social life for her. Why? Because immediately she
S2: straightened up that which Satan had power over in her life.
S2: That which had that which had bound her for 18
S2: years was released by the power of the Word of God,
S2: by his touch and by his presence. And immediately she
S2: was able to walk in newness of life. Immediately she
S2: was able to walk into a new season as soon
S2: as that was broken and let go of. In Luke
S2: chapter four, a few chapters earlier, Luke chapter four, verse 18.
S2: It says, The Spirit of the Lord is on me
S2: because he has anointed me. Anointing means the unction of
S2: power and authority to do something. He has anointed me
S2: to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has
S2: sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners, recovery of
S2: sight to the blind, and to set the oppressed free.
S2: He said to this woman, you are free from your infirmity.
S2: By the way, this is written the way that Jesus
S2: says it is in the perfect tense. And you say, well, pastor,
S2: I don't really care what tense it was in, but
S2: it makes a difference the verbiage of it, because it
S2: was written in the perfect tense, which means it took
S2: place in the past and continues in effect. In other words,
S2: what Jesus said is you were and you are set
S2: free from your infirmity. You were, and you are continuing
S2: to be set free from your infirmity. It's in the
S2: present tense, which has an implication to it, because he's
S2: telling her that she's been set free from the effects
S2: of her past. She's not just walking in freedom in
S2: her present, but the healing that Jesus was bringing about
S2: was affecting her past as well. It had. It was
S2: reaching out into her past. It was obliterating some of
S2: the effects of her past, and it was taking into
S2: her new season as well. The power of Jesus words,
S2: you know, by the way, and I don't have time
S2: to get into it today. But the Bible says in
S2: verse 14 that people were indignant because Jesus had healed
S2: on the Sabbath. And the synagogue leaders said to the people,
S2: are there sick days for works? So come, and why
S2: have you healed on those days and not on the Sabbath?
S2: People were not happy. Some of the religious Pharisees were
S2: not happy that she was set free. They were so
S2: bound in religion that they couldn't see what God was doing.
S2: I believe that some people are more comfortable with the
S2: old you than with the new you. And I want
S2: to say this as I wrap my our time together
S2: this morning. I'm just wondering if you are here today
S2: and the presence of Jesus is here, and the Word
S2: of God is here, and the touch of God is here.
S2: I'm just wondering if you've been stuck in a season
S2: for a long time, and there is a route that
S2: the enemy has used to keep you stuck. I don't
S2: know what that route is. Maybe it's a route of shame.
S2: Maybe it's a route of guilt. Maybe it's a lie,
S2: a lie, a deception about who you are that just
S2: kept you bound. Maybe you're not physically bent over, but
S2: maybe your personality has been bent over by the weight
S2: of something that the enemy has weighed you down with
S2: for a long time. That God, the presence of Jesus,
S2: is saying, I never intended you to carry that. I
S2: believe that God is calling some to a new season.
S2: That new season will never happen. Never happen unless you're
S2: willing to take the first step. And I'm just wondering,
S2: is God calling it out? Is he saying, come out,
S2: come out of the shadows, come out of the shadows.
S2: Let my presence invade your brokenness. Let my word speak.
S2: Healing into the lie. Let my touch liberate you. Because
S2: this next chapter, this new season, this next season, you
S2: cannot enter it. As the old person. I'm calling you
S2: to a new season. And I'm just wondering, as I
S2: close our time together, is there a bold step? God
S2: is asking you to take? Is there a step that
S2: he's saying it's time to deal with this? It may
S2: be painful. It may be ugly, it may be difficult.
S2: But I'm going to take my greatest faith and tackle
S2: my deepest fear so that I can enter in to
S2: the new season that God has called me to in
S2: your living room, in your car, in your kitchen, wherever
S2: you're at listening to this, the Spirit of God is present.
S2: I want you to come into his presence right now.
S2: Do you hear his voice calling you? Calling you out?
S2: I want you to listen to the voice of the
S2: Holy Spirit. As you walk to the towards the presence
S2: of Jesus. You will be acutely aware of that which
S2: doesn't belong in his Presence as you walk to the
S2: presence of Jesus. It may be difficult to walk down
S2: that aisle. Feel the shame. Feel the pain. Feel unworthy.
S2: But I want you to walk to the presence of Jesus,
S2: even with the unworthiness. As you enter into his presence,
S2: let the power of the Word of God penetrate the lie. Daughter.
S2: You're forgiven. There is no condemnation to those that are
S2: in Christ Jesus. You are a new creation. Nothing can
S2: separate you from the love of God. I have thrown
S2: your sins as far as the east is from the west.
S2: I have bought you with a price. You are mine.
S2: And as you come into the presence of God today,
S2: and you've heard the Word of God spoken over you,
S2: some of you need to simply say, Lord Jesus, I
S2: need your touch. That will give me courage to take
S2: the bold step I need to take to walk into
S2: a new season of my life. So I pray, Lord Jesus,
S2: even now that you would touch that darkest area of
S2: my life that's holding me back, the area that the
S2: enemy has stepped into and is used as leverage to
S2: keep me bound. And today I pray in Jesus name
S2: that that area would be broken by the Power of
S2: the blood of Jesus, and that I would begin to
S2: walk in freedom. As I follow you in obedience. I
S2: ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
S1: An empowering prayer for our next season. You're listening to
S1: Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. A message titled Taking the
S1: First Bold Step. Now that completes our series. What? Now
S1: how to move into your next season. But you're going
S1: to want to stay tuned this week because, Mark, starting tomorrow,
S1: we're carrying on with these powerful themes with our next
S1: series called Step Up Living Higher. So tell us about
S1: this next study.
S2: You know, Wayne, so many people struggle with bad attitudes
S2: these days. And so this series is about how do
S2: you step up above the bad attitudes and not get
S2: sucked into that vortex of just Negativity and learn what
S2: the Bible has to say about living at a higher level,
S2: especially when it comes to our attitudes.
S1: Well, that all begins tomorrow, so make plans to listen
S1: again at the same time on Tuesday. And if you
S1: ever have trouble joining us for these daily messages, there
S1: are plenty of ways for you to catch up on
S1: your own time. Wherever you are with your phone or
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S1: You can hear Mark's program directly from our website when
S1: you visit Bold Steps. Org. And while you're online, you
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S1: This month, we're featuring a book that complements today's study
S1: on how to move into your next season by addressing
S1: the challenging, modern changes we face as Christians in today's age,
S1: leading through change is challenging enough. Leading through chaos can
S1: feel impossible, and for many believers today, our world seems
S1: full of chaos. But in the book titled A Non-anxious Presence,
S1: author Mark Sayers reveals how periods of disruption often prepare
S1: the way for spiritual breakthrough. He helps us recognize the
S1: signs of renewal that are popping up all around us,
S1: and the opportunities we have today to not only navigate
S1: the changing landscape of our culture, but to take the
S1: lead in our own local communities. So request your copy
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