1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast and I wanted to 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,719 Speaker 1: thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. 4 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective 5 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: to see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: Part four is usually the best when it comes to 7 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: rocky movies, and this is part four of the Kingdom 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: Cloud series. I want to share some time today in 9 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: Matthew chapter twenty five. Please find that always look it 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: up on your phone if you can. That way you 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: can highlight what I say that matters to you, go 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: back and see it in the week, and that way 13 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: you can kind of record or bring if you want 14 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: to bring the real paper the scrolls with you to church, 15 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: You're always welcome to do that as well. I got 16 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: this big old Bible, y'all. When I preach from this one, 17 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: it's a heavy sermon. Abby calls this Bible fat cat. 18 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,639 Speaker 1: So the deal is, I'm supposed to give her this one. 19 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: She's ten. I preach through each Bible for a few years, 20 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: then give it to one of the kids. So Abby 21 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: gets this one here in a few years but I 22 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: get to put a few more miles on it, including 23 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: tonight with Matthew chapter twenty five, or this morning if 24 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: you're watching it another time at another location. So much 25 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: to consider. This passage may be familiar to you as 26 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: the parable of the Talents, It's pretty well known, pretty 27 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: well known passage. I was so excited when God gave 28 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: me permission to preach it. I have to feel a 29 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: scripture to preach it. I don't have to feel it 30 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: for it to be true, but I have to have 31 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: a personal connection to preach it with integrity. And so 32 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: when I saw this this week, I was like, Oh, 33 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: let's go. Let's go, because I love it. Being a parable, 34 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: of course, has a confluence of the practical application for 35 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: our lives as well as theological construct to help us 36 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: understand God. So it really addresses both realms. And the 37 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: Kingdom of God is always concerned not only with eternity, 38 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: but with groceries, migrains. The Kingdom of God is concerned 39 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: with grades and scholarships and the things that you really 40 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: care about. God cares about too. So we might be 41 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: surprised to see God presented in this light. For all 42 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: of us who only think of him as being a 43 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: god who focuses on peace. He speaks here in this 44 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 1: parable about prophet not profit like you know, I'm a prophet, 45 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: not that kind of prophet, not with the pH profit 46 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: like money. But he's using it for an illustration to 47 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: get us to think about something deeper. So that's how 48 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: parable works. And in this parable, I want to just 49 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: read the whole thing to you and you just relax. 50 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: I know you've probably heard it before. Let's just go 51 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: over it again to cover old ground. But when I 52 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: read it this time, I'm going to say it. I'm 53 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: going to say a little bit differently, just to help 54 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: us see what God wants to illuminate today. Again. It 55 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 1: will be verse fourteen like a man. So when he 56 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: says it will be, he's talking about the Kingdom of God. 57 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: It's a succession of parables where he's talking about the 58 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: importance of being prepared. It will be. The Kingdom of 59 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: God will be because you can't see it, so I've 60 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: got to tell you what it's like. It's like a 61 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: man who is going on a journey who called his 62 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one, he 63 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: gave five bags of gold to another two bags, and 64 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: to another one bag. So commonly in the King James 65 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: they use the word talent, which is a weight. It's 66 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: a measuring weight, a talent, not meaning like a gift 67 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: and ability. Now in the thirteenth century, our English concept 68 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: that came from the Latin concept of talent was derived 69 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: from this. But here it is a measurement of weight. 70 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: So when it says bags of gold, they're kind of 71 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: the translators here are giving us an image of what 72 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: the talent would be like. He says five bags of 73 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: gold or five talents. Two bags of gold, two talents, 74 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: one bag of gold, one talent. Now hold on to that, 75 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: and let's keep reading. The man who had received five 76 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: bags of gold Verse sixteen went at once and put 77 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 1: his money to work, and gained five bags more So 78 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: also the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 79 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: But the man who had received one bag went off, 80 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 81 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: After a long time, the master of those servants returned 82 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: and settled accounts with them. The man who had received 83 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 1: five bags of gold brought the other five. Master. He said, 84 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See I 85 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: have gained five. I have more, show off. But his 86 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: master wasn't mad about it. He was proud of him. 87 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: He did what he was supposed to do. His master replied, 88 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful with 89 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: a few things. Few things. I'll put you in charge 90 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: of many things. Come and share your master's happiness. The 91 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,119 Speaker 1: man with two bags of gold also came Master. He said, 92 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: you entrusted me with two bags of gold. See I 93 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: have gained two more. His master replied, well done, good 94 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: and faithful servant. You have been faithful with the few things. 95 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: I will put you in charge of many things. Come 96 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: and share your master's happiness. Then the man who had 97 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: received one bag of gold came Master. He said, I 98 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you 99 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,239 Speaker 1: have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 100 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 1: This is a weird way to suck up to the boss. 101 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: So I was afraid went out and hid your gold 102 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: in the ground. I wonder what gold is in the 103 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: ground because of fear in this room today, and as 104 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: I posed that question, I want us to consider the 105 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: master's reaction. He said, here is what belongs to you, 106 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: and his master replied, you wicked, lazy servant. Yikes, Jesus, 107 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: this is what God is like. So you knew that 108 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: I harvest where I have not sown, and gather where 109 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: I have not scattered seed, Well, then you should have 110 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: put my money on deposit with the bankers so that 111 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 112 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: And let's stop with these verses. Verse twenty eight. So 113 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: take the bag of gold from him and give it 114 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has 115 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: will be given more, and they will have an abundance. 116 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: Whoever does not have, even what they have will be 117 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside in 118 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: to the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing 119 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: of teeth. This seems harsh, Pastor Stephen, I'm just reading 120 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: the Bible you brought with you to church. Now, since 121 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: y'all didn't like verse thirty, let me back up to 122 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: verse twenty eight. Take the bag of gold from him 123 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: and give it to the one who has ten bags. 124 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you two titles for this message, and 125 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: you can choose the one you like better. If you 126 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: are a churchy person with a lot of religious tradition, 127 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: this sermon is called the Kingdom's Secrets of Stewardship. If 128 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: you like your sermons a little edgier, I want to 129 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: call this message flip the bag. Let's do it. I 130 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: had a dream last night that I didn't really figure 131 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: out why I had it, but it was my sermon 132 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: working its way into my subconscious. In the dream, Chunks, 133 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: we were sitting around the table at the Lavine Senior Center, 134 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: one of the first places our church met. I say 135 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: one of the first places, because the first place we 136 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: met was in me and Holly's home on Dellwood Driving, Shelby, 137 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: North Carolina, and then we meet at Chunks at Amy's 138 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: house the next week. So we were a multi site 139 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: church from the very beginning. One church, two locations, we 140 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: used to like to say, but it was only four 141 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: of us by this point. In the dream that I 142 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: was dreaming, we were sitting around the table, and you know, 143 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: dreams are weird, so it wasn't the same people at 144 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: the table and the dream, but it brought me back 145 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: to that moment in time where I called a meeting 146 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: to tell our staff. At the time, I called them staff, 147 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: even though I wasn't paying them a dime. I just 148 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: started calling them staff, but I called them all together 149 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: to say, we need to decide when we're going to 150 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: go to two services. And half the room started telling 151 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: me reasons that we shouldn't go to two services. We 152 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: need double volunteers, we'll need to have to stay there 153 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: later and tear down, and we have to be out 154 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: by this time. And there were about five reasons. So 155 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: I stopped and restarted the meeting. Now, sometimes you have 156 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,199 Speaker 1: to restart a meeting and clarify what you meant to 157 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: say as a leader, and I apologize to those in 158 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,839 Speaker 1: attendance and said I asked your forgiveness. I was a 159 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: little unclear when I started. I wasn't asking y'all, this 160 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 1: is my bad. I phrased it as a question, you know, 161 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: like take that question mark delete it. I wasn't asking 162 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 1: if we're going to to services. We are going to 163 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: to services. I'm just trying to figure out June or July. 164 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 1: That's all this meeting is for today. This ministry is 165 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: reaching not only through two services or three services at 166 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: Valentine where I preach, or two campuses or three campuses, 167 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: but twenty different physical locations. Meeting not just in the 168 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: state of North Carolina, but meeting in far flung lands 169 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: like Winston, Salem, Rono, Virginia, Toronto, Canada, Melbourne, Florida, Orlando, Florida. 170 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: And then they have this thing called the Internet that 171 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: takes the message all over the world. And we were 172 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: talking about two services. I don't know if we should 173 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 1: go to two services. That's that's crazy. Now I want 174 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: to ask you a question. What if we didn't double it? 175 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: Maybe I shouldn't ask you. Maybe I should ask somebody 176 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: who this ministry is helping them get through a very 177 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: very difficult, painful divorce or separation or custody battle. Or 178 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: maybe this ministry is helping them keep breathing while they're 179 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 1: fighting addiction, or maybe is helping them keep living a 180 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: little bit even though they have some health problems. Maybe 181 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: I should ask them. Or maybe their kids are interested 182 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: in God again because of our awesome e kids volunteers. 183 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: What if we didn't double there's a popular misconception that 184 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: you are stuck with what you start with, and so 185 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: what we typically do, if we're left to our own 186 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: natural calculative devices, is to take whatever we think we've 187 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: been given. In the text, there's three different measurements of wealth. 188 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: And I even love the phrase if I can mind 189 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: this a little bit for the richness in it. It 190 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: says that the kingdom is like a and who went 191 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: for a journey. This represents Jesus no longer being physically present, 192 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: or as we called it last week, when he ghosted 193 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: his disciples, did y'all hear it? And when he left 194 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: his spirit with them? But he didn't leave them, but 195 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: he changed the way he related to them. So now 196 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God is like God has given you 197 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: the phrase here is he entrusted his wealth to them. 198 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 1: I just kept reading that over and over this week. 199 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: He entrusted his wealth to them, and I knew it 200 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: wasn't about money and k it was a parable using 201 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: a symbolic physical representation of something spiritual. And I realized 202 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: again the scandal of the thought that the Master gave 203 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: something to the servant, that the Master gave something to 204 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: the servant, and that he trusted the servant. Now you 205 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: will hear a lot of sermons about trust God. Is 206 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: it possible that God trusts you more than you trust him? 207 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: Can we say this, God trust me? Sure he does. 208 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: He trusted you with something he trusted you if you 209 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 1: live to be seventy one. I'm not sure if you 210 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: will if you keep on staying up late like you 211 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: are and running yourself ragged. But if you lift to 212 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: seventy one, you will take over the course of your 213 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: lifetime somewhere close to you ready for this seven hundred 214 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: and fifty million breadths. I googled that because I thought like, 215 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: sometimes we think we don't have much, and really, to 216 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: put this text in context brings forth the revelation of it. 217 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 1: Touch somebody sayel lift the bag. I don't mean by 218 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: that what Kwavo meant by it. I don't know what 219 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: bag he was talking about I'm talking about. I don't 220 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 1: want to clarify that I'm talking about. I'm talking about 221 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,199 Speaker 1: the bag that God gave you. Now, I tend to 222 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: think on a scale of one to ten, and it's 223 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: interesting in the passage that by the time it gets done, 224 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: one who started with five bags has ten. That's double. 225 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: One who started with two bags has four, that's double. 226 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: One who started with one bag as one that's not double. 227 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: Instead of being proud of the man who had the 228 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: wisdom to put the money somewhere safe, the master rebuked 229 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: him because it was not his to hide. I need 230 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: to preach an anointed word for somebody who has a 231 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: gift inside of you. It's not yours to hide. So 232 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: you don't get to tell God what you will or 233 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: won't do with the seven hundred and fifty million breasts 234 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: that he gave you. In fact, the scripture says, let 235 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: everything that has breadth raise the Lord, because he put 236 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: it in you. It is only right that you utilize 237 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: the breadth that he gave you to serve the gipper 238 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: who gave you the gift to begin with. He entrusted 239 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: them with his wealth, the god who speaks oceans with 240 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: a syllable of his word, they separated from the dry land. 241 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: He said, I'm gonna give you something. I'm gonna give 242 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: you five. I'm gonna give you two. I'm gonna give 243 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: you one and the one with one, the one with one. 244 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: I did a little research this week. Asked a few people, 245 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: you know the parable with the five bags, two bags 246 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: and one bag? Which one are you? Nobody said five, 247 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 1: a few said two. Almost everyone I asked, and it 248 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: was a small sample size. I only asked four people. 249 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: I made it sound like a barner research pull. It 250 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: was really informal, but they mostly said one. And I 251 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: get that because I have had people misunderstand our ministry 252 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: that did not see where we started. Can I preach 253 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: this if you did not see where I started, Please 254 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: do not judge where I'm at if you didn't see 255 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: where I started. I've always considered myself kind of a 256 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: one talent man. I can't fix anything. My mom, I 257 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: don't know what was up with this. She was texting 258 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: me pictures of my ninth grade report cards today as 259 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: if to give me sermon material for the fact that 260 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: I'm a one talent student. But the thing about it was, 261 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: I didn't go to Harvard, I didn't go to Princeton. 262 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: I didn't go to anything like that. And even in preaching, 263 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of times I will feel an 264 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: insufficient vocabulary to communicate the vast riches of the expense 265 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: of God's glory. And when I think about how to 266 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 1: put into words what I want to say, you know, 267 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: the devil will try to get me to downplay the 268 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: deposit that God gave me in order to diminish the 269 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: gift in my eyes. But I found out something, and 270 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 1: this is what we really want to unleash on insecurity today. 271 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: This is what I want to give you to help 272 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 1: you flip the bag. It's not about how many bags 273 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: you start with, is how quick you can flip it, 274 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:52,160 Speaker 1: because God is a multiplier. If God speaks to you 275 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: today through this message, the very best thing you can 276 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: do about it is to flip it quick before the 277 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: devil snatches it back when you come to church or 278 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: when you watch on YouTube. However you consume this message, 279 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:12,360 Speaker 1: the best thing you can do. See because to link 280 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 1: a few parables for you. In Matthew thirteen, Jesus said 281 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: that the Kingdom of God is like a man who 282 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: scattered seed. And some of it fell along the path. 283 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,959 Speaker 1: Some of it fell on shallow ground, some of it 284 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: got scorched by the sun, some of it got shooked 285 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 1: by the thorns. Some of it fell on good ground. 286 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 1: But it said that some of it immediately got snatched. 287 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: Now hold that thought of all the times that God 288 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: has spoken to you and distractions snatched it, or a 289 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 1: confrontation snatched it, or a fight in the car on 290 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:45,120 Speaker 1: the way home snatched it, or just the next thing 291 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: that you have to do snatched it. Or a text 292 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 1: message coming through while you're trying to read on your Bible, 293 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: app snatched it and got you another place. Now think 294 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: about that, and let's read again. Give them Matthew twenty five. 295 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: I'm so full tonight, y'all. I don't know how I'm 296 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 1: gonna get this all out. But it said that he's 297 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: like a man going on a journey. And it said 298 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: when he went on his journey, the man verse sixteen, 299 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: who had received five bags of gold went at once 300 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,159 Speaker 1: and put his money to work, you know. And it 301 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 1: doesn't say that about the one who got one bag, 302 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: doesn't say that he went at once. I never noticed 303 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: it said it once, But I think it's very important 304 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: for what becomes of what God speaks into our life 305 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 1: and what God does. If I preach today and before 306 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 1: you go to sleep tonight, you share with somebody, Ay siri. 307 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,640 Speaker 1: If you share that before I before I even get 308 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: done saying this message, If you are already thinking, wow, 309 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,399 Speaker 1: I could share that with someone? What that does? You 310 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: take the word that you were given, you multiply it 311 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,919 Speaker 1: so quickly before the enemy can snatch it, and it 312 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 1: begins to bear fruit in your life because you treat 313 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: it as seed. When you treat the word as seed 314 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: and you invest it back, either through sharing it with 315 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: someone else or acting on it. You know, you got 316 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: to act on what God gives you before you talk 317 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: yourself out of it. You gotta act on it. There 318 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: will be no amount of notes that you can take 319 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: from a sermon that will give you the victory in 320 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 1: your life. There will be no amount. It is. It 321 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,400 Speaker 1: is when you flip it, that is, to convert it 322 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:32,880 Speaker 1: from word form into flesh form. There are so many 323 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 1: things that God has spoken to you that got snatched 324 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: before they ever did what they were intended to do. 325 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 1: So here's the principle. It is not how many sermons 326 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: you hear that determines how much you grow. Some people 327 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: are professional sermon hearers, professional Bible highlighters. You should see 328 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: their highlight array. They got forty eight flavors of highlighter. 329 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: They got blueberries scented highlights. You know. But it is 330 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 1: not it is not the amount of bags that I get. 331 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: That's why you can see a professional athlete or a 332 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: musician and up broke after making millions. You're like, well, 333 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 1: dang man, I mean you serious right now? That guy's broke. 334 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: That guy made twenty three million dollars when he was nineteen. Yeah, 335 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: if you would have made twenty three million dollars when 336 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: you were nineteen, you'd be dead with your dumb, foolish self. 337 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: You would have killed yourself. At least that guy is alive. 338 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: So I started thinking, yell, all right, aching, okay, just 339 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: checking on you Saturday night is different. We just talk 340 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: on Saturday night. It'll be polished for the sermon tomorrow. 341 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:58,640 Speaker 1: But when I went through it, I was like, Wow, 342 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: the one with five went at once. He flipped it quick. 343 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,959 Speaker 1: He flipped it quick. He flipped it quick. He flipped 344 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: it quick. I'm gonna do it right now. I'm gonna 345 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: do it right now. I'm over my Bible right now, 346 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 1: not after I read Facebook, because after I read Facebook 347 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: for five minutes, I will lose my faith in humanity 348 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: and God. I got to read it right now. First 349 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 1: thing gonna wake up. I gotta flip it right now, 350 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,679 Speaker 1: right now, right now. And when he did it at once, 351 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: he went to work it once. But the master stayed 352 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,199 Speaker 1: away a long time, so it took time for it 353 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 1: to mature. But he acted on it immediately. And that's 354 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: what the guy with two did. Now, the beautiful symmetry 355 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: of the passage is that the man who handed his 356 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: master for talents experienced the same joy as the man 357 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: who handed him ten. Yeah, I'm really blessed by that. 358 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 1: It's not about how many bags they handed the master. 359 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: It was in the process of trusting that joy was born. 360 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: So means that regardless of what you've been given in 361 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: your life. Because you're like, I'm the one talent guy, 362 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: you haven't talked about him yet, I'm about to about 363 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: to talk to all the one bag one baggers, one 364 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: bag Billy, let's give him a name, one bag Billy. 365 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: At first, he's kind of excited, you know, he's like, ah, 366 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: cool man. Remember only three servants got any bags. This 367 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: dude is rich. He's going on trips and stuff. This guy, 368 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: this guy has much property. But he's one of the 369 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: three that got trusted. Remember when you attach your security 370 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: to stuff or your significance to status is never Now. 371 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 1: I wonder if one bag Billy was happy for a 372 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: little while. But then he runs into Tommy. Yeah, two 373 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: bag Tommy. So Billy's like, Tommy, what's up man? And 374 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: and and Billy's like, it's the best day of my life. 375 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: And Tommy's like me too. Did you get the bag? 376 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:27,640 Speaker 1: And uh, Tommy's like the bag? No, I got bags, bags, 377 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: you know bags. I got one bag. Well, here comes Freddy. 378 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 1: Now Freddy's coming up. I got five backs from the Master. 379 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 1: Five back Freddy, two bag, Tommy, one bag, Billy. See 380 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: because the reason that that billy got afraid and hid 381 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: what he had is because he went on Instagram. I'm 382 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: gonna preach like it twenty twenty. I'm gonna bring this 383 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: parable to modern times. And he went on Instagram on 384 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:17,640 Speaker 1: Tuesday and it was too talent Tuesday on Instagram, five 385 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: talent Friday on Instagram, and old one bag Billy starts thinking, 386 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 1: I wonder why. I wonder why only they got one bag. 387 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 1: I feeling pretty good about my bag to I saw 388 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: you bags. I feel pretty good about my little vacation 389 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: till you start talking about Italy. He went to Italy. 390 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: Huh hmm. Went to Myrtle Beach. I thought it was 391 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: I used to like Myrtle Beach. He went to Milan. 392 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 1: It's all right, yeah cool, No, I like Myrtle Beach. 393 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: I'm more of a local kind of guy. Now I 394 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:05,679 Speaker 1: got this bag. Now feeling bad about the bag that 395 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 1: the master gave me because it's how we count it 396 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 1: that matters. It's how we count it. And when we 397 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: hear this, we feel bad for Billy. We're like, oh man, 398 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: poor Billy, she's just walking around with this bag. Let's 399 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,439 Speaker 1: look in the bag. Can we look in the bag? 400 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: We live in a world that worships the bag. We 401 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: never even look what's in it. So what was a talent? 402 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: What was a talent? It's a weight? How much money 403 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: do you have to have of silver coins? Let's don't 404 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: even talk about gold to weigh a talent? That is 405 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: six thousand days of pay for a day laborer, one talent. 406 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:03,880 Speaker 1: Now you can't convert the economics from Palace Stein to Ballentine. 407 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: But put a note. I gotta put that in tomorrow. 408 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: That was really good. That was really good. But now 409 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 1: watch this. It would be somewhere around one point for 410 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: what we would call million, because we have words for this, 411 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 1: right million. So I was reading I feeling bad for Billy. 412 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: I was like, dang man, I probably would have hit 413 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 1: it too. I would have been ashamed to work with 414 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 1: a million. If I was friends with Tommy and and Freddie, 415 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,160 Speaker 1: I probably would be I'd probably hide in my mind too, 416 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 1: until I realized something, Look at me, it's still a million. 417 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 1: That's a lot. Oh, not to you. A million's not 418 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: a lot. To you, how many of you? A million 419 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: is a lot, and you will take it if somebody 420 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: wants to cash at it. It's still a million. But 421 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: now when we read it in contrast to two and five, 422 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: it sounds small. But put it back in context, it's 423 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: still a million. When you start thinking, you know, I 424 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: don't have anything to feel good about right now. I 425 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: don't have anything to be proud of right now. I 426 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: just want you to look at the devil some this 427 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 1: week when he's telling you you don't have anything and 428 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 1: you are not anything, and just only you and the 429 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: devil will know what this means. Say it's still a million. 430 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: It's still a million. One time, come on, y'all better 431 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: help me preach. I will preach through the Super Bowl 432 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 1: if you don't start. And I got real arrogant one 433 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: time because the church was growing and we had like 434 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: a holiday week and there were only eight thousand people 435 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: in church, only eight thousand people in church, and one 436 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: staff member showed me my million, said how many people 437 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: lived in the town you grew up in Wow. It 438 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: was six thousand, six thousand, and what I needed was 439 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:36,719 Speaker 1: to break down my blessings, to break down my bag 440 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,720 Speaker 1: and remember it's still a million. Like, here's what I mean. 441 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: If God never does anything else for me, he has 442 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: been so good to me, let me explain it to you. 443 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: He canceled my sins. He did not treat me as 444 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: my sins deserve. No, I'm serious. He gave me a 445 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 1: purpose for living. He gave me a hope. He called me, 446 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: he brought me into the kingdom. He put a crown 447 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 1: on me. He gave me seven hundred and fifty million breads, 448 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: and how to use a few to think him while 449 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: I still can't. You want to thank him right now 450 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: for your million. You ought to thank him right now 451 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: for your bag. You ought to thank him right now 452 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: for your blessing. Still a million is still a million. 453 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 1: Break it down. You got a lot once you start 454 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: counting it. Come on, let's count to a million. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, 455 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: nine ten. See when you break it down, it doesn't 456 00:30:51,720 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 1: sound so little anymore. Break down your blessings and then 457 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: invest it back. Flip the bag. Flip the bag. One 458 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: becomes two two becomes four. See I found this out. Man. 459 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: Now we don't have time to do the illustration. But 460 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 1: would you rather have a million dollars today or a 461 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: penny today? But I'm going to double it every day 462 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: for thirty days. So I asked Graham last night. You 463 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: just know that because it obviously is connected to the 464 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,479 Speaker 1: illustration because they said a penny. But Graham is twelve. 465 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: So I asked him the question. He thought for a minute. 466 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: The first thing he said is it's a real offer. 467 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: Is is hypothetical? Because how much do I need to 468 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: think about this? Put it on calculator. Put it on calculator. 469 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: So if we do it, and you can probably imagine 470 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: the first day that we double, it's still not going 471 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: to be much. It's still going to be like significantly 472 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: less than a million dollars. It's going to be two cents. 473 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: But I'll give it to give to me. I know 474 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: we don't really have time, but if you just double 475 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: it point o one times two. I did that right, Okay, 476 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: times to count for me? That's four times two times, 477 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:36,560 Speaker 1: two times two times two time, two times two times two. 478 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:39,479 Speaker 1: Now it's still only ten dollars and twenty four cents. 479 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: But what if you double it and keep doubling it. 480 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 1: All all discipleship is is doubling. All we can do 481 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: is parents, is try to double the values that we 482 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 1: think are important imperfectly as we model them before our kids, 483 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: and apologize when we think they're or wrong, and just 484 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 1: try to invest something that has been invested in us. 485 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,960 Speaker 1: All my mom did raising me was try to take 486 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 1: what she had and apply it toward what she saw. 487 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: And I'll be honest with you, you know it wasn't much. 488 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,480 Speaker 1: She would set aside like fifteen dollars every week to 489 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: send me over to Jack Cribs Garage to learn guitar. 490 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: Before that, my dad would cut Harold Staley's hair to 491 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: get him to give me a guitar lesson, because I 492 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 1: think at that point it was hard for them to 493 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: afford the lessons, so it was an exchange. And then 494 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: my mom dipped pine cones and sold them around holidays, 495 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: dipped them in scented wax, and then she would sell that, 496 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: put that money aside, drive me to Jack Cribs Jack 497 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: Cribs Garage. He would sit on the freezer for the 498 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 1: lesson and you would get the chair. It was a high, 499 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: really high class operation there. But that was a good 500 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: man who taught me, who taught me beach music. I 501 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: didn't want to learn beach music, but beach music set 502 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 1: the foundation for punk rop. I didn't learn a lot 503 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: of chords. To this day, I don't know a lot 504 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 1: of music theory. I know a little bit. But it's 505 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 1: not how many chords you know. It's not how many 506 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: bags you have. It's not how much education you have. 507 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,720 Speaker 1: It really isn't it really isn't. I mean, I promise 508 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:30,280 Speaker 1: you there are educated fools and there are brilliant idiots. 509 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 1: All Billy had to do, all Billy had to do 510 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,799 Speaker 1: because now I've written songs. Now that God his grace. 511 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 1: Because one way you flip the bag is you collaborate. 512 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: And my favorite collaborator in the world is Chris Brown. 513 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,319 Speaker 1: There's nobody creatively bet that I would rather collaborate with 514 00:34:53,360 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: than Chris. And now it's not how many chords I know. 515 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: It's whether or not that enough people can come together, 516 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:11,840 Speaker 1: put their preferences aside, and move something forward and flip 517 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: the bag. And flip the bag. It's still a million 518 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: I tell you, I don't know that many guitar chords. Well, 519 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:29,800 Speaker 1: compared to most of y'all. I'm Mozart, you understand. And 520 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: if the man with one, if Billy would have just 521 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 1: kept on. Oh man, well this is not much. You 522 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,839 Speaker 1: don't have to stay stuck with what you started with. Look, 523 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 1: I'm still going. That's ten thousand now, still not a million. 524 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: But we haven't got the thirty yet, and so the enemy. 525 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: Oh I messed it up up, but twenty two. All right, 526 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: I gotta start all over. Y'all. Hang type for a second. 527 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 1: It won't take long. Hold on if you keep doing 528 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: I did it last night with Graham. I promise you 529 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,959 Speaker 1: I practiced this. It's hard to talk at the same time. 530 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: But if he kept doubling it, if it keep doubling it, 531 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 1: if I keep doubling, if I keep doubling, if I 532 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:13,920 Speaker 1: keep showing up, if I keep showing up. Okay, I 533 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 1: didn't get much out of church this week. Honestly, I 534 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,440 Speaker 1: was distracted by pastor shirt. It was bright, hurt my eyes. 535 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: But if I keep coming, if I keep coming, if 536 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: I keep doubling, touch somebody say, flip the back, flip 537 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 1: the back, flip the back, flip the back. In thirty days, 538 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: there we are. We're back at ten. Thy now's twenty. 539 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 1: Now it's forty one. Oh. Now it's getting interesting because 540 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:35,279 Speaker 1: now I see we started two services, so we could 541 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: start two campuses. This is not a church growth seminar. 542 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get you to think about the time. 543 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:44,879 Speaker 1: You have, the talent, you have, the treasure, you have, 544 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 1: the friendships, you have, the skills, you have double double double. 545 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 1: We're almost there, We're almost there. If you would have 546 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:01,440 Speaker 1: took the penny, you could have had five million, three 547 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: hundred sixty eight thousand, seven hundred and nine dollars and 548 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,800 Speaker 1: twelve cents. And you're like, you can keep the change. No, 549 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 1: don't keep it, don't give it. What flip it? You 550 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:20,279 Speaker 1: saw what we could do with one if we take 551 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 1: twelve and do that thirty days. So now, do not 552 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:29,400 Speaker 1: allow the devil to diminish the gift God gave you. 553 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: Do not allow the devil to tell you your best 554 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:37,760 Speaker 1: years are behind you. I came to declare your blessed 555 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:43,400 Speaker 1: days are still up ahead. Flip that bag. Flip that bag. 556 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,839 Speaker 1: In the name of Jesus. It is not nothing, It 557 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,279 Speaker 1: is more than enough. There is a gift inside of you. 558 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 1: That man did not deposit it came from the master 559 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 1: y'all aren't shouting like people who just found out. I've 560 00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:09,440 Speaker 1: got something eternal down inside of me. So he said, 561 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 1: flip the bag. It starts with your belief about God. 562 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:31,840 Speaker 1: B a g belief about God. Until you flip that, 563 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:38,960 Speaker 1: you will always operate in fear like Billy instead of 564 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 1: faith like Freddy. You will always hide what God gave 565 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 1: you the way that the text ends where you were like, oh, 566 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:50,399 Speaker 1: that doesn't sound like my loving, good good Father. Throw 567 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 1: him out, gnashing of teeth. That was his experience of 568 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 1: the Master, that was based on his perception that was 569 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: not rooted in reality. Do you know how I know? 570 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,600 Speaker 1: Here's how I know. He said, I knew you were 571 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:13,840 Speaker 1: a harsh man. I knew you harvest where you didn't scatter, 572 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: and you reap where you didn't sew. See, he thought 573 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:19,719 Speaker 1: God was trying to get something out of him that 574 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,719 Speaker 1: God didn't put in him. Here's what I know about God. 575 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: Here's what I believe about God. He never makes a 576 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:36,759 Speaker 1: withdrawal where he did not make a deposit. So the 577 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 1: proof of God's power and presence and provision in your 578 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:44,759 Speaker 1: life is the demand. The demand proves the deposit. It 579 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:48,760 Speaker 1: shows you that He trusted you with something. He trusted 580 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:53,640 Speaker 1: you with something. I want to trust God, but I 581 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:58,799 Speaker 1: got to start understanding he trusted me, just like you 582 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:01,120 Speaker 1: trusted me with your time today by being here. And 583 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: I take that very seriously. God trusted you with something. 584 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:10,480 Speaker 1: How seriously do you take it? God trusted us with 585 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:13,840 Speaker 1: the church. And it could have stayed one service, It 586 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:17,439 Speaker 1: wouldn't have bothered me much. When I had that dream 587 00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:19,480 Speaker 1: and I was seeing the church small again, I was like, Oh, 588 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:27,279 Speaker 1: that was fun. Wasn't complicated. I mean, honestly, like, if 589 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:30,359 Speaker 1: we didn't double the church, what bothers me about it 590 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 1: is you wouldn't be here. And I don't know what 591 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 1: you've received through this ministry, but I know it started 592 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:43,520 Speaker 1: with a bag. It started with a belief about God. 593 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 1: It starts with a belief about your gift. You know. 594 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:50,120 Speaker 1: The biggest flip in the passage is just to see 595 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:55,319 Speaker 1: like that all three of them received something, to see 596 00:40:55,320 --> 00:41:00,879 Speaker 1: it as a gift. So where the enemy comes and goes, hey, man, 597 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:03,799 Speaker 1: that's that's not enough time to do that. A lot 598 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 1: of us we don't spend time with God because we 599 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:09,680 Speaker 1: keep waiting on a week. You might have to catch 600 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:15,200 Speaker 1: some time with God in the car. Okay, you might 601 00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:17,440 Speaker 1: have to turn off I'm gonna personalize this message to 602 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: me serious XM satellite radio channel thirty four Lithium where 603 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:24,080 Speaker 1: they play the nineties music that God likes, but turn 604 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:28,440 Speaker 1: off the worship music. And sometimes you'd be like, this 605 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:30,240 Speaker 1: is all the time I'm gonna have to day to breathe. 606 00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,839 Speaker 1: When I was in college, I remember I used to 607 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:38,080 Speaker 1: go in the bathroom sometimes between classes and just go 608 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:40,759 Speaker 1: in like a stall and just try to take three 609 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 1: to five minutes because I was in a morning person, 610 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:45,120 Speaker 1: so I'll sleep right up to class. And I didn't 611 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,080 Speaker 1: get my time with God then, so then the devil 612 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,280 Speaker 1: will be like, oh, you didn't spend time with God, 613 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:51,080 Speaker 1: He's not gonna bless you today. I'd be like, I 614 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:53,080 Speaker 1: meet God in the bathroom. God will meet me right 615 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:59,560 Speaker 1: in there in that stall. And so to stay in 616 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 1: a scae city mindset is the enemy's objective to get 617 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:06,360 Speaker 1: you to think about all the things that other people 618 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,440 Speaker 1: have and and to be honest with you, it's going 619 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:12,560 Speaker 1: to go psychological as well. You're going to start to 620 00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 1: feel like, well, I'm just a messed up person. That's 621 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:18,920 Speaker 1: the problem. I'm just not one of these good people. 622 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 1: I'm just not one of these stable people. I'm crazy. 623 00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: I was raised by crazy. I was raised by third 624 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:29,160 Speaker 1: generation crazy. Crazy came before crazy, be got crazy, be 625 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:33,920 Speaker 1: got crazy, begot me. And if that's going on in 626 00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:39,520 Speaker 1: your mind too, you will hide what is his. You 627 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:43,400 Speaker 1: will hide what is his. So what I mean is 628 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:46,200 Speaker 1: when we live afraid and when we don't double what 629 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:49,920 Speaker 1: we've been given, not only do others miss out, but 630 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:52,480 Speaker 1: we end up in a place of darkness and isolation, 631 00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 1: wondering what we could have done with one bag. So 632 00:42:57,120 --> 00:42:59,239 Speaker 1: I want to say to you that as I look 633 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:05,960 Speaker 1: over my life, I think I've done a lot with 634 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:10,640 Speaker 1: what God gave me. And yet there comes a point 635 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 1: where all of us must decide do we want to 636 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 1: double it again? Or should we stay in a scared 637 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:21,719 Speaker 1: place or a scarce place? And I just want to 638 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:25,440 Speaker 1: pray with you about that before we dismissing the enemy 639 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:29,480 Speaker 1: tries to snatch what was said? Would you stand up 640 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,680 Speaker 1: with no one moving at any location? Matthews, Lake Norman, 641 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: Who else is with me right now? Elevation University City, Melbourne. 642 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:46,440 Speaker 1: Remember it was one campus, one service, double double. God 643 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 1: is doing that in your life right now, and some 644 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,680 Speaker 1: of it you won't see. Some of the things God 645 00:43:52,719 --> 00:43:57,040 Speaker 1: will do through you will happen after you're done. But 646 00:43:57,120 --> 00:44:02,240 Speaker 1: at least double the deposit we're moving in this series 647 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:07,480 Speaker 1: from the first half was really about our identity, and 648 00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:11,160 Speaker 1: this is really going to be about our stewardship. I'm 649 00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:12,919 Speaker 1: gonna pick it up again next week and I'm gonna 650 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 1: continue along these lines. How many of you are going 651 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:23,960 Speaker 1: to be here for next week's message? Yeah, but can 652 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:29,400 Speaker 1: we make a deal before you come back? Double something 653 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:33,560 Speaker 1: that you got, even if you just take some time 654 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,040 Speaker 1: this week, Like, hey man, I'm gonna send that sermon link. 655 00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:38,359 Speaker 1: When does it come up again? Oh? On Monday? Okay, 656 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 1: I'm gonna send it. I'm gonna send it to so 657 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:44,399 Speaker 1: and so or or I'm actually gonna take one line 658 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:46,080 Speaker 1: from that sermon put it on my mirror. I'm gonna 659 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:48,799 Speaker 1: put it still a million on my mirror, and I'm 660 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:50,759 Speaker 1: gonna start counting things that God has given me in 661 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:54,080 Speaker 1: my life and counting people. I did a thing at 662 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:56,080 Speaker 1: the beginning of the year where I just wrote down 663 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:59,320 Speaker 1: a few starters. I will I can. I have a 664 00:44:59,600 --> 00:45:03,160 Speaker 1: flipped it. I wrote down all the people in my 665 00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:05,400 Speaker 1: life and how much they love me. I'm filled in 666 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:08,279 Speaker 1: the blanket, said Holly will And I wrote down all 667 00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 1: the things that Holly will do. You know. She will 668 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 1: cook for me, she will walk with me, she will 669 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:17,000 Speaker 1: listen to me, she will encourage me. And by the 670 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,280 Speaker 1: time I got them breaking down the bag, I realized 671 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:21,959 Speaker 1: how much was really in it. Some of us don't 672 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:25,279 Speaker 1: really tap the resources that were put in our life 673 00:45:25,719 --> 00:45:27,359 Speaker 1: because we just stare at me. We We go, oh, it's 674 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:30,480 Speaker 1: just a wife. No, no, no, there's treasure in that relationship. 675 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:33,880 Speaker 1: There's gold in that relationship. There is gold in some 676 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:42,319 Speaker 1: of your friendships. It's like being at Elevation Church and 677 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:44,640 Speaker 1: just kind of like you come in, you go and 678 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:47,440 Speaker 1: you bury it in the ground, Like what do you 679 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:53,320 Speaker 1: preach about again? I know something he was saying, Tommy, Timmy, 680 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:58,000 Speaker 1: what God said was flip the bag. Father, We thank 681 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:01,080 Speaker 1: you for what you put in our lives, divine treasure 682 00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:02,880 Speaker 1: in each vessel. We thank you for the oil that 683 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:08,000 Speaker 1: flows from heaven. Would you just turn your palms up 684 00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:09,399 Speaker 1: to Heaven. You don't have to lift your hands all 685 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:11,560 Speaker 1: the way, just like you're receiving something from God. There 686 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:17,400 Speaker 1: you go, Lord, You've already given so much. We're all 687 00:46:17,640 --> 00:46:21,280 Speaker 1: standing here holding at least a million least a million 688 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:25,160 Speaker 1: reasons to be grateful. It means so much to us, 689 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:29,200 Speaker 1: Lord that you chose us to be born, that you 690 00:46:29,239 --> 00:46:32,080 Speaker 1: gave us the gift of life, that you gave us 691 00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:36,560 Speaker 1: almost a billion breaths. With every one of those, God, 692 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 1: we have an opportunity to rely on you, to trust you, 693 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:43,359 Speaker 1: to take inventory of what you've entrusted to us. We 694 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:45,000 Speaker 1: want to ask you to help us because we'll get 695 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:47,399 Speaker 1: so focused on what's on the bag that we never 696 00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:50,719 Speaker 1: get to what's in it. We look at labels and 697 00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:54,520 Speaker 1: things like that. We need your help to sort through 698 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:57,840 Speaker 1: it and just really start from a place of what 699 00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:01,319 Speaker 1: we've been given. So I just want to bless your 700 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:05,080 Speaker 1: people tonight by reminding them Lord that they are the 701 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:08,600 Speaker 1: head and not the tail, above only and never beneath God. 702 00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:12,120 Speaker 1: Even if situations come to steal their faith, their faith 703 00:47:12,200 --> 00:47:14,960 Speaker 1: is not rooted in situations. So I just ask right 704 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:17,960 Speaker 1: now that in this moment of holy ground and quiet 705 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:21,400 Speaker 1: from the world, that we would receive what we need 706 00:47:22,120 --> 00:47:25,240 Speaker 1: from you. We thank you that the Kingdom of Heaven 707 00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:29,800 Speaker 1: is within us, never far from us. We want to 708 00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:32,640 Speaker 1: take what we've been given in not live in fear 709 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:39,440 Speaker 1: or frustration, but to really turn it into faith. If 710 00:47:39,440 --> 00:47:42,399 Speaker 1: you gave it to us, you put it in us. 711 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:48,759 Speaker 1: Thank you Jesus. If you put your hands down and 712 00:47:48,840 --> 00:47:50,880 Speaker 1: keep your heads about and your eyes closed, there's someone 713 00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:53,600 Speaker 1: in here. It may be one, and it may not 714 00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:58,000 Speaker 1: even be in this room. But I want to give 715 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:02,600 Speaker 1: you the opportunity to give your life to God, to 716 00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:06,520 Speaker 1: trust your life to God. You never really did that 717 00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 1: before you went to church and things like that, but 718 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:15,600 Speaker 1: you never really gave God your life. You tried to 719 00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: be a better person, but you never really had that 720 00:48:17,719 --> 00:48:21,200 Speaker 1: surrender moment of salvation. And I want to offer that 721 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:24,359 Speaker 1: to you right now while the spirit of the Lord 722 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:28,480 Speaker 1: is heavy in this place. So what we do we 723 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 1: pray a prayer because the Bible says that if you 724 00:48:30,760 --> 00:48:34,720 Speaker 1: confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe 725 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:36,919 Speaker 1: in your heart that God raised him from the day, 726 00:48:37,160 --> 00:48:42,040 Speaker 1: you will be saved. It's by grace. We're saved through faith. 727 00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:45,680 Speaker 1: All we have to do is trust in the work 728 00:48:45,719 --> 00:48:49,160 Speaker 1: that Christ already did on the cross. So if you 729 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,520 Speaker 1: want that relationship with God a new beginning today to 730 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:55,080 Speaker 1: really give him your life, turn it over to him. 731 00:48:55,480 --> 00:48:57,640 Speaker 1: It'd be my privilege to pray with you right now, 732 00:48:57,640 --> 00:48:59,680 Speaker 1: and we're going to pray out loud as a church family. 733 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:02,200 Speaker 1: If you repeat this after me, God will hear your heart. 734 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:08,879 Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son 735 00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:13,080 Speaker 1: of God and the Savior of the world. And today 736 00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:18,240 Speaker 1: I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe 737 00:49:18,239 --> 00:49:23,399 Speaker 1: you died for my forgiveness and rose again to give 738 00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:28,360 Speaker 1: me life. I receive this new life. I am a 739 00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:32,520 Speaker 1: child of God. This is my new beginning. On the 740 00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:34,400 Speaker 1: count of three, shoot your hand up if you prayed 741 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:41,120 Speaker 1: that one, two, three. Celebration A celebration, A celebrate, A celebrate. 742 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:47,439 Speaker 1: Come on, let's celebrate them across every location. Put those 743 00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:53,799 Speaker 1: hands together and thank God for the one. Thank you 744 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:56,359 Speaker 1: for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who 745 00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:59,360 Speaker 1: give generously to this ministry. Is because of you that 746 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:02,360 Speaker 1: this ministry is possible. You can click the link in 747 00:50:02,400 --> 00:50:06,480 Speaker 1: the description to give now or visit Elevationchurch dot org 748 00:50:06,520 --> 00:50:10,239 Speaker 1: slash podcast for more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, 749 00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:13,240 Speaker 1: you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. 750 00:50:13,520 --> 00:50:15,799 Speaker 1: You can click the share button. Take a screenshot and 751 00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:17,960 Speaker 1: share it on your social stories and tag us at 752 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:25,560 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.