WEBVTT - Love Stops for Change -- Part 2 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:04.160 We're discovering the key ingredients to a faith that changes 0:00:04.160 --> 0:00:07.200 lives today. On Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:09.920 You need to find some people that have faith. You 0:00:09.920 --> 0:00:12.120 need to find some people that says, I stand in 0:00:12.119 --> 0:00:14.800 the gap, I see it, I'll believe I'll work with you. 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:19.239 God is not limited by his power. Everybody can change. 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:23.119 There's no one beyond the life transforming power of God. 0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:27.560 Sometimes you need an inner circle that really believes. 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:43.680 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.320 pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Sheppard. Yesterday, 0:00:48.320 --> 0:00:50.319 Mark began a message about the type of faith that 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:53.920 not only leads our lives, but completely transforms us. A 0:00:53.920 --> 0:00:56.400 faith that can sustain us and empower us even in 0:00:56.400 --> 0:00:59.200 our darkest seasons. To make sure you get the most 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:02.000 of this lesson, take a moment after today's program to 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:04.120 go back and catch up on any earlier message you 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:07.399 might have missed from our series Love Stops. You can 0:01:07.400 --> 0:01:11.240 do that by going to our website, Bold steps.org. But 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:13.160 now let's give our attention to Mark job as he 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:16.360 begins part two of a message. It's titled Love Stops 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:17.400 for change. 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:21.080 If I were to walk by sight and not by faith, 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:24.759 we'd have never bought this building. Half of the things 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:26.959 that we have done we would never have done. Because 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:29.720 there was always naysayers saying, oh, you can't do it. Oh, 0:01:29.720 --> 0:01:32.160 that's impossible. No one does that. No one can do that. 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:35.240 If you walk that way, you'll always stay in a 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.679 very safe place and probably not accomplish very much, because 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:45.200 faith will defy the rational mind. And sometimes we have 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.200 to ignore. The second thing I want you to write 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:50.600 down is this listen, faith is not a one time event, 0:01:50.600 --> 0:01:53.240 but an attitude of the heart that must be maintained 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:57.960 in the face of fear. Jesus said to Jairus, listen, 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.690 don't be afraid. Just believe. Why did Jesus tell him 0:02:01.690 --> 0:02:05.210 not to be afraid? Because. Listen. Fear. Fear is the 0:02:05.210 --> 0:02:08.290 enemy of faith. You know why fear is the enemy 0:02:08.290 --> 0:02:12.050 of faith? Because fear focuses on all that will go 0:02:12.050 --> 0:02:16.369 wrong and can go wrong. And fear has you dwell 0:02:16.370 --> 0:02:22.370 and camp out on the negativity. Faith is based in 0:02:22.370 --> 0:02:26.130 the character of God. God is good. God is sovereign. 0:02:26.410 --> 0:02:30.770 God can. God can overcome. Faith is built in the 0:02:30.770 --> 0:02:33.570 sovereignty and goodness of God. And God is immutable, which 0:02:33.570 --> 0:02:36.450 means he never changes. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. 0:02:36.450 --> 0:02:38.370 And so when my faith is based in God, I 0:02:38.370 --> 0:02:41.410 know that all things are possible. I know that God can. 0:02:41.410 --> 0:02:43.930 I know that it can be done. I know that 0:02:43.930 --> 0:02:46.770 there is a way. When my. When I have faith, 0:02:46.770 --> 0:02:51.330 I know that your. Your fear. Hey, you get a 0:02:51.330 --> 0:02:55.169 little cough and if you let yourself alone with your 0:02:55.169 --> 0:02:57.970 mind already, you're already in the hospital dying of lung 0:02:57.970 --> 0:03:05.410 cancer and all you had was a little cough. Isn't 0:03:05.410 --> 0:03:08.970 that the way it works, man? You hear a little 0:03:08.970 --> 0:03:11.330 noise out there? It's a squirrel in a tree. You 0:03:11.370 --> 0:03:14.650 got a mass murderer already with axes and all of 0:03:14.650 --> 0:03:17.450 his clan after you, ready to lynch you. And it 0:03:17.450 --> 0:03:20.090 was just a little squirrel out there. Why? Because fear 0:03:20.130 --> 0:03:28.610 feeds on that. You got a little mole, you know, 0:03:28.650 --> 0:03:31.250 by by the time you're you're done thinking about it. 0:03:31.250 --> 0:03:34.690 You're already in stage three of cancer, you know, in 0:03:34.690 --> 0:03:38.090 the hospital. Melanoma. But but but because you've been in 0:03:38.130 --> 0:03:47.850 fear mode. In fear mode. Faith doesn't go there. Faith 0:03:47.850 --> 0:03:50.890 is the opposite. Faith believes that God is in control. 0:03:50.890 --> 0:03:53.330 Faith that knows that God is on the throne. Faith 0:03:53.330 --> 0:03:56.050 knows that God is sovereign, and it doesn't mean that 0:03:56.050 --> 0:03:58.170 trials don't come in life, but it means that we 0:03:58.170 --> 0:04:00.330 believe that God has the power to help us through 0:04:00.330 --> 0:04:03.700 those trials and overcome any trials. Faith focuses on the 0:04:03.700 --> 0:04:08.140 character and the goodness of God. And so Jesus tells 0:04:08.140 --> 0:04:12.860 this man, hey, do not fear, just believe. Now it 0:04:12.860 --> 0:04:16.580 seems easy when Jesus says, just believe. But just believe 0:04:16.580 --> 0:04:20.940 isn't that easy to maintain. Because just believe means that 0:04:20.940 --> 0:04:24.860 you have to keep believing. It's easy to believe at 0:04:24.860 --> 0:04:27.540 a moment, but it's hard always to keep our belief right. 0:04:28.500 --> 0:04:32.700 It's easy to believe that your son can turn around 0:04:32.700 --> 0:04:35.380 when you're in the middle of a service, and people 0:04:35.380 --> 0:04:38.299 are waving their hands and worship, and the music is going, 0:04:38.339 --> 0:04:41.140 and there's people around you and you're hearing the testimonies, 0:04:41.140 --> 0:04:43.980 it's easy to believe then, but when you go back 0:04:43.980 --> 0:04:47.540 home and you smell the marijuana coming out of the 0:04:47.540 --> 0:04:50.940 room of your son that you're praying for and, and, and, 0:04:50.980 --> 0:04:53.860 and he cops an attitude and, and, and the police 0:04:53.860 --> 0:04:56.859 are calling you then then suddenly it's harder to believe 0:04:56.900 --> 0:05:02.260 because now you're facing reality. You're facing the rational reality 0:05:02.260 --> 0:05:07.060 and not the reality of faith. See, one of the 0:05:07.060 --> 0:05:11.860 greatest challenges we have is not believing, but it's keep believing. 0:05:13.700 --> 0:05:15.820 And the greatest challenge is not to have faith. The 0:05:15.820 --> 0:05:21.900 greatest challenge is to continue to have faith. God told Abraham, listen, 0:05:22.060 --> 0:05:25.020 his name was Abraham and God changed his name to Abraham. 0:05:25.020 --> 0:05:29.340 He said, you will have a son. He said, I'm 0:05:29.339 --> 0:05:34.060 going to change your name to Abraham, which means the 0:05:34.060 --> 0:05:38.380 father of a great nation, and you will have a son. 0:05:38.380 --> 0:05:41.500 And it was easy to believe the first year a 0:05:41.500 --> 0:05:44.340 little harder to believe the second year. But by the 0:05:44.339 --> 0:05:50.900 40th year, now it's almost impossible to believe. Imagine having 0:05:50.900 --> 0:05:53.339 your name being Abraham, the father of a great nation. 0:05:53.339 --> 0:05:55.140 Every time you meet a new person, they say, what's 0:05:55.140 --> 0:05:57.260 your name, father of a great nation. Oh, you must 0:05:57.260 --> 0:06:02.870 have a lot of kids. No. Not one. But see 0:06:02.870 --> 0:06:05.190 my wife over there? Yeah, that 90 year old woman. Yeah. 0:06:05.190 --> 0:06:11.510 I think she's going to get pregnant pretty soon. Like 0:06:11.510 --> 0:06:13.429 last month, we thought we, you know, she was popping, 0:06:13.430 --> 0:06:15.270 but no, she just gained a little weight. It wasn't 0:06:15.270 --> 0:06:21.510 pregnancy at all. Hey, we're believing, maintaining your faith, maintaining 0:06:21.510 --> 0:06:26.310 your faith, maintaining your faith. You see, God gave Abraham 0:06:26.310 --> 0:06:29.190 a couple of things to maintain his faith. And sometimes 0:06:29.190 --> 0:06:32.830 we need things. We need visuals. We need images. We 0:06:32.830 --> 0:06:36.190 need words to keep our faith strong because our faith 0:06:36.230 --> 0:06:40.630 gets beat up pretty quick. Abraham, God said to Abraham, Abraham, 0:06:40.630 --> 0:06:42.710 I want you to go to the to the sand 0:06:42.710 --> 0:06:44.550 of the sea. I want you to walk in it. 0:06:44.550 --> 0:06:47.550 I want your toes to run through it and look 0:06:47.550 --> 0:06:49.190 at the sand of the sea. You see how the 0:06:49.190 --> 0:06:51.430 sand of the sea is. Can you count them? No, 0:06:51.430 --> 0:06:53.670 I can't count them. Well, you will have sons and 0:06:53.670 --> 0:06:55.950 daughters like the sand of the sea. There'll be so 0:06:55.950 --> 0:06:58.589 many you cannot count. Hey, Abraham, I want you to 0:06:58.630 --> 0:07:00.990 look up at the stars of the heaven. Can't you 0:07:00.990 --> 0:07:03.990 see all those stars? Oh, yeah. Can you count them? No, 0:07:03.990 --> 0:07:06.710 I can't count them. Well, listen, I want your sons 0:07:06.710 --> 0:07:08.950 and daughters will be like that. You will not be 0:07:08.950 --> 0:07:12.510 able to count your descendants. So every time that Abraham 0:07:12.510 --> 0:07:15.430 went out at night, he was reminded of that word 0:07:15.430 --> 0:07:18.430 of faith. I will have sons and daughters. So many 0:07:18.470 --> 0:07:21.270 that I cannot count. And every time he walked along 0:07:21.270 --> 0:07:23.950 the beach, he will have sons and daughters that I 0:07:23.990 --> 0:07:27.350 cannot count. Why? Because in your moments of weakness and 0:07:27.350 --> 0:07:30.870 the moments when faith gets weak, you have to have something. 0:07:30.870 --> 0:07:33.110 You have to go back to the word that God 0:07:33.110 --> 0:07:35.550 gave you. You have to go back to the assurance 0:07:35.550 --> 0:07:39.710 that God gave you, because maintaining your faith is harder 0:07:39.710 --> 0:07:47.430 than just having faith. Don't be afraid. Just believe. The 0:07:47.430 --> 0:07:48.950 third thing I want you to see about this story 0:07:48.950 --> 0:07:50.870 is that the power of God is received in the 0:07:50.870 --> 0:07:58.750 spiritual realm before its manifest or released in the physical realm. 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:03.760 So finally Jesus walks down. It tells us that in 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:07.320 verse 37 that he did not let anyone follow him 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:10.600 except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. So 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:13.160 all the crowd was with him. And Jesus said, stay back. 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:16.440 I'm going to a place where you can't go. So 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:18.400 he had all the crowds stay behind. And he walked 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:20.720 to the house of Jairus. When he got to the house, 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:24.080 he heard a loud noise, a lot of commotion. It says. 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:29.280 And he says, Jesus saw a commotion, people crying and 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:33.720 wailing loudly. He went. And he said to them, why 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:38.560 all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead, 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:45.040 but asleep. And they're wailing. Turned to laughing. Verse 40 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:51.720 but they laughed at him. You see? Was the child dead? Yeah, 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:55.280 the child was dead. Then how come Jesus said she 0:08:55.280 --> 0:09:01.280 was asleep? Because Jesus was speaking what was already true 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:05.000 in the heavenly realm, but yet had not been manifest 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:08.840 in the physical realm. He was speaking that reality. He 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:13.640 already saw it in the spiritual realm, but it had 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:16.200 not yet been manifest in the physical realm. Do you 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:19.760 understand that? You see, faith first of all, starts in 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:22.480 the spiritual realm, and then it becomes manifest in the 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:27.960 physical realm. Jesus saw this girl alive. He saw that 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:31.960 that her resurrection was coming. He saw that it was 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:35.600 already on its way. He could see it because he 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:38.640 was in tune with the spiritual realm, but they could 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:42.040 not see it because all they saw was the physical realm. 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:45.480 It's like, hey, the best way I can explain it is, 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.439 is this way. Listen, I have a 73 year old 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:52.040 mother who lives in Spain. Every birthday she sends us 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:54.920 a little card with some money in it. She's been 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:58.959 doing that for years now. It's my birthday and mom 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:02.370 calls me and says, hey, I sent you a birthday card. 0:10:02.410 --> 0:10:06.090 There's 50 bucks in it for your birthday. Listen, I 0:10:06.090 --> 0:10:09.090 can already begin to think about what I'm going to 0:10:09.090 --> 0:10:11.810 spend that on. I can already think I'm going to 0:10:11.809 --> 0:10:13.329 spend it on this. I'm going to take my wife 0:10:13.330 --> 0:10:15.250 out to eat. I'm going to do this. Why? I 0:10:15.290 --> 0:10:17.650 don't have it yet, but I know it's coming. It's 0:10:17.690 --> 0:10:20.050 on its way. How do I know that? Hey, because 0:10:20.050 --> 0:10:24.570 my mom doesn't lie to me. If she said it's coming, 0:10:24.570 --> 0:10:27.890 it's coming. You say, well, it's not here yet. Oh, 0:10:27.929 --> 0:10:30.330 I know, well, where is it? I don't know, somewhere 0:10:30.330 --> 0:10:33.290 in the post office. Maybe somewhere. She lives in Spain, 0:10:33.290 --> 0:10:35.209 so it may be somewhere in the UK on its 0:10:35.250 --> 0:10:37.809 way here. It may be somewhere on the ocean. It 0:10:37.809 --> 0:10:40.530 may be somewhere in an airliner on its way. It 0:10:40.530 --> 0:10:43.250 may be somewhere downtown Chicago. But here's what I know. 0:10:43.250 --> 0:10:45.530 It is on its way. I don't know exactly where 0:10:45.530 --> 0:10:47.690 it's at. I don't know exactly what time it's going 0:10:47.730 --> 0:10:50.650 to arrive, but I have the certainty that it's going 0:10:50.690 --> 0:10:54.050 to arrive and it's going to get here. Why? Because 0:10:54.050 --> 0:10:58.210 my mom said it's coming. Listen, it's the same way 0:10:58.210 --> 0:11:02.010 with God. If God has promised it, if God has 0:11:02.010 --> 0:11:05.250 said it, if God has spoken it, then you know 0:11:05.250 --> 0:11:08.410 it is on its way. You may not see it already. 0:11:08.410 --> 0:11:10.569 You may not know when it's going to arrive, but 0:11:10.570 --> 0:11:17.570 it is on its way already. It's on its way. 0:11:18.290 --> 0:11:21.410 And that's why Jesus said, this girl is not dead. 0:11:21.410 --> 0:11:27.770 She's sleeping. Why? Because her resurrection was already on its way. Listen, 0:11:27.770 --> 0:11:29.850 some of you are praying for a prayer right now 0:11:29.850 --> 0:11:34.850 and God has already. Oh, listen, God has already sent 0:11:35.610 --> 0:11:39.850 the prayer, the answer to your prayer, the package answer 0:11:39.850 --> 0:11:43.530 to your prayer is already left before you even prayed 0:11:43.530 --> 0:11:44.250 for it. 0:11:52.970 --> 0:11:56.329 You're listening to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe. And 0:11:56.330 --> 0:11:58.770 before we continue today's message, I want to remind you 0:11:58.770 --> 0:12:02.380 that Bold Steps is available wherever you are. Download the 0:12:02.380 --> 0:12:05.980 free Bold Steps app to access hundreds of messages from Marc, 0:12:06.020 --> 0:12:10.380 plus daily devotionals and prayer resources. You can also subscribe 0:12:10.380 --> 0:12:13.939 to the Bold Steps podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, 0:12:13.940 --> 0:12:16.980 or wherever you listen to podcasts, which are perfect for 0:12:16.980 --> 0:12:20.579 your commute or workout. And if you enjoy video content, 0:12:20.580 --> 0:12:24.380 check out our two YouTube channels. Marc's main channel, Bold 0:12:24.380 --> 0:12:28.380 Steps with Marc Job, features short clips, behind the scenes content, 0:12:28.380 --> 0:12:31.459 and extended teaching videos. And then, if you're looking for 0:12:31.460 --> 0:12:34.620 a full radio programs, check out Bold Steps with Marc 0:12:34.620 --> 0:12:38.179 Job programs on YouTube. Both channels are great ways to 0:12:38.179 --> 0:12:41.740 stay connected and share bold steps content with others. Now, 0:12:41.740 --> 0:12:43.579 if you're looking for a simple way to stay connected 0:12:43.580 --> 0:12:46.020 to God's Word throughout the week, let me encourage you 0:12:46.020 --> 0:12:48.819 to sign up for the Bold Stepper weekly. This is 0:12:48.820 --> 0:12:51.460 a short devotional that Marc writes each week to help 0:12:51.460 --> 0:12:54.260 you pause, reflect, and hear what God may be saying 0:12:54.260 --> 0:12:56.740 right where you are. It's a great way to reset 0:12:56.740 --> 0:12:59.540 your heart and start your week grounded in truth. And 0:12:59.540 --> 0:13:01.940 you can sign up for free today by visiting bold 0:13:01.940 --> 0:13:06.340 steps.org and clicking on more. All right, now let's get 0:13:06.340 --> 0:13:08.740 back to our message here on Bold Steps. It's titled 0:13:08.740 --> 0:13:12.179 Love Stops for Change. And here again is pastor Mark Jobe. 0:13:17.540 --> 0:13:19.980 I think it was my son that pointed out we 0:13:20.020 --> 0:13:22.140 were praying for something. It was an answer to something. 0:13:22.179 --> 0:13:24.900 Some sort of prayer and a check arrived in the mail, 0:13:25.179 --> 0:13:29.699 like the very next day, the very next day. And 0:13:29.700 --> 0:13:31.940 Josiah said to me, hold on, dad, we just prayed today. 0:13:32.740 --> 0:13:36.420 They had to send it like five days ago. So 0:13:36.420 --> 0:13:40.339 God already sent the answer to our prayer before we 0:13:40.340 --> 0:13:44.660 even prayed it so that it would arrive on time. 0:13:50.940 --> 0:13:55.540 That's called sovereignty. It's a sovereignty of God that knows 0:13:55.540 --> 0:14:00.910 all things. And he declares that this woman, He declares 0:14:00.910 --> 0:14:04.390 that this girl is just sleeping. Not because he's closed 0:14:04.390 --> 0:14:07.870 his eyes to reality, but because he knows what's coming. 0:14:07.870 --> 0:14:11.350 He knows what's on his way. The fourth thing I 0:14:11.350 --> 0:14:14.950 want you to write down this is listen. Choose your 0:14:14.950 --> 0:14:19.710 inner circle carefully. When you're entering a faith venture, I 0:14:19.710 --> 0:14:22.790 want you to notice what Jesus does. It says in 0:14:22.790 --> 0:14:25.430 verse 40, but they laughed at him. And look what 0:14:25.430 --> 0:14:30.910 Jesus does. It says after he put them all out, 0:14:31.830 --> 0:14:34.950 he took the child's father and mother and the disciples 0:14:34.950 --> 0:14:37.470 who were with him, and he went in to where 0:14:37.470 --> 0:14:41.510 the child was. If you read this word, this is 0:14:41.510 --> 0:14:43.070 written in the Greek. If you read in the Greek 0:14:43.070 --> 0:14:46.110 New Testament, the word, he put them all out. It's 0:14:46.110 --> 0:14:51.630 in the emphatic, emphatic, strong language, in other words, a 0:14:51.630 --> 0:14:56.310 better translation. And he thrust them out. This isn't. Could 0:14:56.310 --> 0:15:01.240 you please exit the room, please? Jesus was. Get out 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:05.800 of here! Now, now, now! Out. You say, well, I 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:08.320 can't imagine Jesus that way. Well, Jesus didn't curl his hair, 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:12.200 believe me, you picture that. You see sometimes Jesus. Not 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:16.520 like he's curling his hair and using highlighters and, and, and, uh, 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:20.280 and blue tinted contacts that I don't know who came 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:25.360 up with that picture of Jesus. But Jesus can be 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:29.120 tough when he needs to be tough and speak with 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:33.200 authority and power when he needs to be. I think 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:35.640 sometimes the reason that so many churches have so few 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:40.040 men is that sometimes we we've painted the wrong image 0:15:40.040 --> 0:15:44.160 of really who Jesus was. Sometimes we have an effeminate, 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:52.120 wimpy image of Jesus. If you read the story in 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:56.120 the new. In the book of revelation, Jesus comes riding 0:15:56.120 --> 0:16:00.280 a white stallion with a sword in his hand, fire 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:07.640 from his mouth. Pretty tough guy when he has to 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:12.680 be gentle when he needs to be. Hey, don't don't 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:18.160 don't you want your man to be that way? Stand 0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:21.320 up and be tough when you have to be. But 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:23.200 then listen to me with a tender heart. When you 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:28.600 need to be right. Jesus kicks them all out. Out 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:31.520 of here. The only ones that are allowed to be 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:35.400 in this room are Peter, James, John the father and 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:39.760 the mother. Everybody else out of here. Why? Why did 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:43.840 he kick everybody out? I believe that the power of 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:48.200 God is more is more, more greatly manifest in an 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:52.640 atmosphere of faith. And so sometimes when you're waiting for 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.440 God to work, you need to make sure your inner 0:16:55.440 --> 0:17:01.440 circle is a circle of people that believe. Because God 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:04.560 doesn't work very well in an atmosphere of doubt and 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:09.800 cynicism and mockery, and where people do not believe. The 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:13.960 Bible tells us in, in in Mark chapter six, when 0:17:13.960 --> 0:17:17.480 Jesus went to his own hometown, people didn't believe in 0:17:17.480 --> 0:17:20.199 him because they viewed him as little Jesse. Aren't you 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:22.640 the kid that played in the streets with us? And 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:27.000 are you went to high school with with with Joey. 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:31.320 How could you be the Messiah? How could you do anything? 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:35.080 They didn't believe him because the prophet is not a 0:17:35.080 --> 0:17:37.560 prophet in his own hometown. How many of you can 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:39.800 minister to other people when it comes to your family? 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:43.560 You feel like a little kid. I mean, you know 0:17:43.560 --> 0:17:46.520 what I'm talking about. You have faith for others when 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:48.240 it comes to your family, but it's hard to believe. 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:54.400 You know why? Because you're boxed. And you can lead 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:57.040 other people to Christ and pray and minister, and I 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:58.919 have faith. And then you go to a family gathering 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:06.730 and you're like, in the corner. Oh Lord, they'll never change. Jesus, 0:18:06.770 --> 0:18:08.690 it says, and he could do no miracles in his 0:18:08.690 --> 0:18:11.609 own hometown because of their unbelief. He could do no miracles. Why? 0:18:11.650 --> 0:18:14.050 Because the power of God is released. When people believe 0:18:14.730 --> 0:18:18.690 in an atmosphere of doubt and cynicism, the hand of 0:18:18.690 --> 0:18:23.490 God does not release its power. I think God, I 0:18:23.490 --> 0:18:25.490 think Jesus knew what was about to happen, so he 0:18:25.490 --> 0:18:27.929 didn't want any cynicism or unbelief in the room. He 0:18:27.930 --> 0:18:30.650 just wanted people of faith. He wanted people that believe. 0:18:30.650 --> 0:18:33.409 So he kicked everybody out. This was a holy moment. Listen, 0:18:33.410 --> 0:18:35.170 there are times where you need to kick everybody out 0:18:35.170 --> 0:18:38.530 and just bring those that believe inside your inner circle. 0:18:38.530 --> 0:18:40.530 Stand in the gap. You need to get a. You 0:18:40.530 --> 0:18:42.530 need to get a friend that says, I'm going to 0:18:42.570 --> 0:18:45.010 believe with you. No matter what happens, you need to 0:18:45.010 --> 0:18:47.010 get 2 or 3 people that are praying for your 0:18:47.010 --> 0:18:49.090 son or daughter that needs to come back to God, 0:18:49.090 --> 0:18:51.530 not the person that says, it's too late. He'll never come. 0:18:51.530 --> 0:18:54.090 You need to find some people that still believe. You 0:18:54.090 --> 0:18:56.450 need to find some people that have faith. You need 0:18:56.450 --> 0:18:59.090 to find some people that says, I stand in the gap, 0:18:59.090 --> 0:19:02.139 I see it. I'll believe I'll work with you. God 0:19:02.140 --> 0:19:06.660 is not limited by his power. Everybody can change. There's 0:19:06.660 --> 0:19:12.340 no one beyond the life transforming power of God. Sometimes 0:19:12.340 --> 0:19:17.100 you need an inner circle that really believes. The mother, 0:19:17.140 --> 0:19:20.740 the father, Peter, James and John. They go into the room. 0:19:20.740 --> 0:19:25.140 They close the door. There's a holy hush in the room. 0:19:25.940 --> 0:19:29.700 I can imagine the father holding the mother tight. They 0:19:29.700 --> 0:19:32.739 approached this still lifeless body of a 12 year old 0:19:32.740 --> 0:19:36.260 girl that's already white and pale. Her heart has stopped 0:19:36.260 --> 0:19:39.460 beating a long time ago. Her chest hasn't moved up 0:19:39.460 --> 0:19:43.780 and down for a while. There's a quietness in the room. 0:19:44.660 --> 0:19:47.060 The father hates to see his daughter that way. He 0:19:47.060 --> 0:19:50.780 remembers her with life and cheering and smiles. But now 0:19:51.060 --> 0:19:59.700 she's dead. Jesus quietly approaches the still lifeless body of 0:19:59.700 --> 0:20:03.700 this 12 year old girl. He takes his hand, the 0:20:03.700 --> 0:20:09.300 hand of a carpenter. Rugged, rough, calloused. He puts the 0:20:09.300 --> 0:20:13.740 hand of this little girl in his hand. He leans 0:20:13.740 --> 0:20:20.659 over to her and he says, Talitha cumi. Which means 0:20:20.660 --> 0:20:29.100 little girl, get up. He doesn't wave. He doesn't shout. 0:20:30.260 --> 0:20:38.020 He doesn't scream. He doesn't shake. He doesn't jitter. He 0:20:38.020 --> 0:20:48.460 doesn't roll on the ground. Faith is powerful. And God 0:20:48.460 --> 0:21:02.100 is not deaf. Talitha. Rise, little girl. The parents watch 0:21:02.100 --> 0:21:06.419 the disciples gasp, hold their breath. Everybody's staring at the 0:21:06.420 --> 0:21:09.619 lifeless body, and it doesn't tell us exactly how it happened. 0:21:09.660 --> 0:21:12.460 This is how I envision it, I envision. Then suddenly. 0:21:16.060 --> 0:21:22.140 Breath comes into her being. Her eyes open up. She 0:21:22.140 --> 0:21:26.180 doesn't come to. Slowly she sits up quickly. It says. 0:21:26.180 --> 0:21:32.899 She stood up and. She walks around. To the astonishment 0:21:34.100 --> 0:21:37.460 of those that are in the room, you say, well, pastor, 0:21:37.460 --> 0:21:40.260 I thought they believed. Oh yeah, we believe. But you know, 0:21:40.300 --> 0:21:43.700 even when you believe, you're still astonished by the work 0:21:43.700 --> 0:21:48.780 of God. How many of you know what I'm talking about? 0:21:48.820 --> 0:21:51.900 Even when you believe, you're astonished when God's works? Oh, 0:21:51.900 --> 0:21:55.740 I believe, but when I see him come. Oh, hey. 0:21:55.780 --> 0:21:58.419 I've been praying. Some of you ladies. You've been praying 0:21:58.420 --> 0:22:00.590 for your husband for years and years and years. But 0:22:00.590 --> 0:22:06.030 still when he comes, you're still astonished. Oh, is it him? 0:22:06.070 --> 0:22:10.270 Did that really happen? Oh, man. You believe you've been faithful. 0:22:10.270 --> 0:22:12.710 You've held on. But when it happens, you're like, whoa! 0:22:14.869 --> 0:22:18.910 Because the power of God still amazes me. You see, 0:22:18.910 --> 0:22:20.750 it's the touch and the Word of God that are 0:22:20.750 --> 0:22:25.150 the turning points in this story. He touched her and 0:22:25.150 --> 0:22:32.590 he spoke. Just one touch from the King changes everything. 0:22:34.070 --> 0:22:47.390 One touch, one word, one release power. Yeah. I hope 0:22:47.390 --> 0:22:51.350 God has spoken to you through this message today. Maybe 0:22:51.350 --> 0:22:56.390 you're like those parents in a room with something that 0:22:56.390 --> 0:23:01.070 you think is gone and can never be resurrected. I'm 0:23:01.070 --> 0:23:06.430 speaking to someone who maybe believes that your faith and 0:23:06.430 --> 0:23:11.070 the childlike passion that you had can never be resurrected. 0:23:11.070 --> 0:23:13.790 Maybe I'm talking to someone that you are ready to 0:23:13.790 --> 0:23:16.150 give up on your marriage because you think it can 0:23:16.150 --> 0:23:20.389 never be resurrected. Or maybe someone that had a fervent 0:23:20.390 --> 0:23:23.110 calling at one time and you think it's dead. But 0:23:23.109 --> 0:23:25.790 I believe that the touch and the Word of God 0:23:25.790 --> 0:23:31.830 can resurrect anything. I believe that God moves in resurrection power. 0:23:31.830 --> 0:23:33.229 And so I want to pray for you as we 0:23:33.270 --> 0:23:37.270 close this series. Father, I pray in Jesus name for 0:23:37.310 --> 0:23:42.270 that which needs to be brought back to life. I 0:23:42.270 --> 0:23:47.830 pray for that which is dead dormant that some look 0:23:47.869 --> 0:23:51.030 at hopeless. I pray in Jesus name that you would 0:23:51.030 --> 0:23:54.909 resurrect by your power and in your name that which 0:23:54.910 --> 0:23:57.910 you know needs to come back to life. I ask 0:23:57.910 --> 0:24:00.640 this in the powerful name of Jesus. In whose name 0:24:00.640 --> 0:24:02.080 I pray. Amen. 0:24:02.680 --> 0:24:05.439 Amen. Thank you. Mark. We heard the final part of 0:24:05.440 --> 0:24:08.520 Mark's message titled Love Stops for change. It's part of 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:11.840 our current series on the transformative power of God's love, 0:24:11.840 --> 0:24:14.640 and you'll find all of these messages online by going 0:24:14.680 --> 0:24:18.240 to bold steps.org. While you're there, be sure to check 0:24:18.280 --> 0:24:21.199 out our brand new Bold Step gift. Because at the 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:24.360 heart of every man is a desire to master what matters. 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:27.280 And few things matter more than the health of his marriage. 0:24:27.600 --> 0:24:29.840 That's why we're so excited to offer the Five Love 0:24:29.840 --> 0:24:33.199 Languages for men as this month's bold Step gift. Doctor 0:24:33.200 --> 0:24:36.600 Gary Chapman breaks it all down simply and practically so 0:24:36.600 --> 0:24:39.880 any husband can stop guessing and start winning in love. 0:24:40.280 --> 0:24:43.200 Whether your relationship is strong or could use some work, 0:24:43.240 --> 0:24:45.000 this book will give you the tools to make a 0:24:45.000 --> 0:24:47.440 good marriage great, and we want to get a copy 0:24:47.440 --> 0:24:50.879 into your hands today to make your donation and request 0:24:50.880 --> 0:24:53.840 this bold step gift, just visit us online at bold 0:24:53.840 --> 0:25:02.960 steps.org or call us at 800 D.L. Moody. that's (800) 035-6663 nine. 0:25:03.280 --> 0:25:05.439 You can also send your gift in the mail. Write 0:25:05.440 --> 0:25:10.359 to us at Bold Steps, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois. 0:25:10.400 --> 0:25:14.440 606 ten. And before we close today's program, we want 0:25:14.440 --> 0:25:17.000 to remind you to connect with us on social media 0:25:17.000 --> 0:25:20.360 by searching for Bold Steps Radio. And then be sure 0:25:20.359 --> 0:25:23.080 to tune in this weekend for Bold Steps Weekend airing 0:25:23.080 --> 0:25:26.800 Saturday and Sunday on your local station. Check Bold steps.org 0:25:26.840 --> 0:25:30.000 for your local listing. On behalf of Mark Jobe and 0:25:30.000 --> 0:25:32.920 the entire Bold Steps team, I'm Wayne Sheppard. Wishing you 0:25:32.920 --> 0:25:35.920 a wonderful weekend. Make plans to join us next week 0:25:35.920 --> 0:25:38.840 as we begin the final message of our Love Stop series. 0:25:39.080 --> 0:25:41.840 It's a lesson about freedom, and it's coming up Monday 0:25:42.040 --> 0:25:46.399 on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold steps is a 0:25:46.400 --> 0:25:50.280 production of Moody Radio, a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.