1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: see God has moving in your life. 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 2: Enjoy the message. 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: We're continuing in a series called Savage Jesus. I planned 8 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: the conclusion of this series to align with Easter. Then 9 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: when I found out that we were learning so much 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: and having our paradigm of Jesus challenged and really starting 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 1: to see him in a fresh way, I thought we 12 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: would continue for a little while longer. So we're in 13 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: the bonus round today of this series from Mark's Gospel, 14 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: and I'll pick up at Mark chapter three, verse one, 15 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: and now that you've rested for four minutes, stand up 16 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: for the reading of God's Word. 17 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: Another time, Jesus went into the synagogue and a man 19 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: with the shriveled hand was there, and some of them 20 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they 21 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: watched him closely to see if he would heal him. 22 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: On the Sabbath, Jesus said to the man with the 23 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: shriveled hand stand up in front of everyone, and then 24 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: Jesus asked them which is lawful on the sabbath, to 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: do good or to do evil, to save life, or 26 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: to kill? But they remained silent, and he looked around 27 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: at them in anger. 28 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 2: In anger, Come on, be nice, Jesus, She say nice 29 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: for what. 30 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: He looked around in anger and deeply distressed at their 31 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: stubborn hearts, said to the man, stretch out your hand, 32 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: and he stretched it out and his hand was completely restored. 33 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: Then the fear of He's went out and began to 34 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. Now, 35 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: this is going to be a fun title to tell 36 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: the person next to you. So look at them like 37 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: you're frustrated with them and disappointed in them. If you 38 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: could do that for me, and just look at them 39 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: and say, real slow, real deliberate, this. 40 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: Isn't working. And now shake your head and sit out. 41 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 1: Have you had anything in your life lately that doesn't 42 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: seem to be working. 43 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 2: I mean, maybe it worked at once. 44 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 1: And I'm not talking about a washing machine or something 45 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: like that. I'm talking about real stuff, like a relationship 46 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: that sounded fresh. It really takes courage to admit that 47 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: a relationship isn't working, especially if it feels comfortable to you. 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: I preach one message called dysfunctional comfort and how that 49 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: sometimes it's easier to stay in familiar bondage than it 50 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: is to embrace uncomfortable freedom, and so to admit that 51 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: it's not working requires a certain amount of courage to 52 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: say it used to work, or it may appear to 53 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: others to be working, but this isn't working. Just coming 54 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: to that point alone can be difficult from time to time, 55 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: because sometimes we don't really know if it's going to 56 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: work if we keep doing it, if we just need 57 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: to give it more time and it will work, which 58 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: is typically what we preach, you know, just keep trying, 59 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: just keep moving. But I've been to the gym, and 60 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: the way that some of us work out, we can 61 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: keep working out until the rapture and it will not work. 62 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: Not the way we're working. Our form is off. We 63 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: take more breaks than we do reps. Yeah, this, this 64 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: isn't going to work. That's what my twelve year old, 65 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: my man Elijah, the one that I raised and pay for, 66 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: he was saying the other day, like he's starting to 67 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: try to lift weights. So we put him on a 68 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: little program, didn't we bucking. After two days he came 69 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: to me and said, this isn't working. He wants he 70 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: wants PEX real quick. And what he didn't understand is 71 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: process touch. Somebody say no process, no pecks or if 72 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: you don't want to tell him that, that's that's really weird. 73 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 2: What a cringey touch your neighbor. Now listen to the Bible. 74 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: Bible says another time Jesus went into the synagogue and 75 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: a man with a shriveled hand was there, and there 76 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: were some people there who were looking for a reason 77 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: to accuse Jesus. 78 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 2: Now I'll stop there, because. 79 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 3: What we have in this passage is a a let 80 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 3: me see. I want to say this a failed system 81 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 3: and a frust savior. And really what bridges the gap 82 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 3: between the failed system and the frustrated savior is a 83 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 3: man who is there that day. 84 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: The Bible calls him this, Mark calls him this. He 85 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: says he was a man verse three with a shriveled hand. 86 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: In verse one, they're announcing his presence in the synagogue. 87 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 2: It says Jesus, who is the most. 88 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: Important person in human history, was in the synagogue and 89 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: a man, and I'm expecting for it to be and 90 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: a man with one hundred million dollar net worth. I'm 91 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: expecting if we're going to take time to call this 92 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: guy out by name, it would be a man with 93 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: a Grammy, or it would be a man, you know 94 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, with a contract to play in the NBA. 95 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: But yet, when Mark gets ready to call the role 96 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: for who is in attendance that day, he does not 97 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: mention a man with a BMW, a Mercedes, or a Maserati. 98 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: He mentions a man with a situation that could have 99 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: and should have prohibited him from being there in the 100 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: first place. With this kind of deformity, it is likely 101 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: that he would have been excluded from synagogue worship. The 102 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: good thing is he only had a deformity in one hand, 103 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: and when you have a deformity in one hand, that 104 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: means you can shake hands with your good hands while 105 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: you hide your bad one. Yet, much to this man's chagrin, 106 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: it must have felt like a nightmare when Jesus called 107 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: him out in front of anyone, stood him up, and 108 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 1: used him as an object lesson Really to say that 109 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: sounds cruel, but Jesus will always use your situation to 110 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: fix the system. 111 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 2: That created it. 112 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,559 Speaker 1: This is the premise of Mark III one through six. 113 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: And we all have situations in the place today. Don't 114 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: make me guess when you look at me smug when 115 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: I say we all have situations, it makes me want 116 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: to ask God to show me what you did last week, 117 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: so I could start, say in your situation. If I 118 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: set every situation in this room, if I started throwing 119 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:13,679 Speaker 1: your real your not your Sunday situation, that's much different. 120 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: I really didn't come to preach to Sunday, and neither 121 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: did Jesus. Jesus speaks to that place that is not working. 122 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: He speaks to that place that is not functioning. He 123 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: speaks to that place that you have learned to conceal 124 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: and reveals His glory and his strength through your weakness. 125 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: One thing I'm grateful for that I learned from Paul, 126 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: who wrote a lot of the New Testament letters. He 127 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: taught me that it is a theological impossibility for my 128 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: situation to separate me from God. It's a wonderful list 129 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: that he gives us in Romans Hate. If you're ever 130 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: inclined to read it, If you're having one of those 131 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: days where you find yourself in a situation that you 132 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: don't feel God since God, or maybe even believe he's there. 133 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: Go to Romans eight thirty five, where you will find 134 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: a list of situations that cannot, will not, may not, 135 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: do not have the permission or the power to separate 136 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: you from God. So Paul makes a list, and in 137 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: his list he starts with trouble. 138 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 2: It's almost like he's picking a fight. 139 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: He says, who shall separate us from the love of God? 140 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: And then he starts naming situations. 141 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: In personifying the situations, he wants us to understand the 142 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: power of the person and the work of the Lord 143 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. 144 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: It's always greater. 145 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: That's why we say his name is above all other names. 146 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: What that means is, if you can name a situation, 147 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: there is a name that is greater, and a work 148 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: that is greater, and a behavior that is greater, and 149 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: a grace that is greater than your situation. Paul says, 150 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: who somebody say, who come on, get your owl on? 151 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: Say who shall trouble? That's a situation, Shall hardship, that's 152 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: a situation, shall persecution? 153 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 2: Who doesn't like you? 154 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 1: Who talks about you, who doesn't think well of you, 155 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: who doesn't speak kindly about you, that's a situation. Shall 156 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: famine what you don't have? Shall nakedness or exposure to 157 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,959 Speaker 1: the elements? Shall danger or trouble? Shall sword? Shall watch 158 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: this We're going to raise the stakes death or life. 159 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: That's a situation. Or angels or demons. That's a situation 160 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 1: you can't even see, or the present what I'm dealing with, 161 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: or the future, what I'm worried about that I don't 162 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: even know yet, Shall hight nor depth and watch this 163 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: clause or anything else in all creation. See there, Paul 164 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: gets it. He wants to close it all in. He says, 165 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: if you can name a situation, I can point you 166 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: to a grace that is greater than your situation. So 167 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: then I don't care what you did, what they said, 168 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: what you lost, what you don't have, where you've been 169 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: or where you're going. It is impossible for your situation 170 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: to separate you from your source. Now shove somebody and say, 171 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: it's just a situation. It's not my identity, it's just 172 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: my situation. And this man has a situation, but his 173 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: situation is not him. Somebody went through a divorce, but 174 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: a divorce is not you. Somebody is dealing with an addiction, 175 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: but the addiction is not your identity. We know this 176 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: because Mark calls him a man with a shriveled hand, 177 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: not the shrivel handed man. He's a man with an issue, 178 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: but the issue is not the man. Y'all don't want 179 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 1: to help me appreciate it all today I feel so alone. 180 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 2: Situation, But the. 181 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 1: Real situation in this text is not the man's hand. 182 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 2: It is the people's hearts. 183 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: Did you notice that it's one thing to have a 184 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: bad hand, especially in Vegas, but when you have a 185 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: bad heart. And so, what I saw when I was 186 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: reading this very familiar text that is simple on the surface, 187 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: was a depth of understanding of five things that Jesus 188 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: came to fix. Now he's going to fix this man's situation. 189 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 2: You saw it. Man left home with two good hands. 190 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: But before he fixes the situation, he is going to challenge. 191 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 2: The system, because that's what God does. 192 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: The reason he does it that way rather than just 193 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:18,199 Speaker 1: fix the situation without addressing the system, is because if 194 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: he fixes the situation without addressing the system that created 195 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: the situation, you will stay stuck in the same system 196 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:32,960 Speaker 1: that created that situation, and then you will have seven 197 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,079 Speaker 1: more baby situations that are worse than the first. 198 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 2: Now, many of us live our lives going. 199 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: From situation to situation to situation to situation, and we 200 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: can't even find time to pray because when we go 201 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:52,359 Speaker 1: to pray, we feel like we have to get through every. 202 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:53,559 Speaker 2: Situation that we're dealing with. 203 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: We gotta pray for our mom and she's sick, and 204 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: we got to pray for the missionaries and we never 205 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: even met him. And by the time we get done 206 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,319 Speaker 1: praying with every situation in our lives, we're asleep. 207 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 2: If you ever identify this is for leaders. 208 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: Any of you own a business or leader department, I 209 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: want to share something with you real quick. This is 210 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: a free breakout leadership John Maxwell Seminar. When you run 211 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 1: around fixing situations all day, you actually disempower the decision 212 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: making ability in your organization. Because it's one thing to 213 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: know when something isn't working. A lot of people are 214 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,719 Speaker 1: good at that. How many know that it doesn't take 215 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: a genius to see when something isn't working. All it 216 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: takes is a Facebook account and you can spend your 217 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: whole day telling everybody who doesn't care what's wrong with 218 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,719 Speaker 1: everything that you don't know how to fix either. Good thing. 219 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: I brought my own holy ghost today because you're are 220 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: giving me no love. It's one thing to know when 221 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: this isn't working. I'm pretty good at that. It's another 222 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: thing to know why this isn't working. It's one thing 223 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 1: to know that this tennis ball isn't going over the net. 224 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: It's another thing to know why it's not going over 225 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: the net. It's one thing to know I want to 226 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: kill my kids. It's another thing to know why our 227 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: communication is breaking down as they are getting older and 228 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: the approach needs to change. It's one thing to know 229 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: I feel lonely. It's another thing to know why do 230 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: I feel lonely? And maybe it's not everybody else's fault. 231 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: Maybe the system that is keeping me lonely is within 232 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: my heart. See, we always want to point fingers at situations, 233 00:14:56,400 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: but you might just find that the situation you're pointing 234 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: at is trying to alert you to a system within 235 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: yourself that God wants to deal with. Because God is 236 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: not a situational god. God is a god of systems. 237 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: God is a god who gets to root causes. So 238 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: he went to the synagogue, which was their system of worship, 239 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: and he went on the Sabbath, which was their day 240 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: of rest, and he found a situation and he stood 241 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: it up in front of everyone, and he used. 242 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 2: The situation to fix their system. 243 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: And the first thing that he has to fix is 244 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: their pessimism. There are five of these. When we get 245 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: to all five, who knows. But I'll be here next week, 246 00:15:53,880 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: she said me too. Pessimism is the result of considering 247 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: your situation before you consider your source. It's what makes 248 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: you look at your life and feel so overwhelmed by 249 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: all your situations. And I'm guilty of it, and be 250 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: honest with you, I'm guilty of I'm guilty of evaluating 251 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: my situation without considering my source, and when I do, 252 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: I always feel overwhelmed. You will notice that there were 253 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: some there that day who were actually Verse two looking 254 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: for a reason to accuse Jesus. They were looking for 255 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: something wrong. Principle of the universe. You don't have to 256 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: be a Christian to believe this. You will always find 257 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: what you're looking for. If you are looking for a 258 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: reason to be offended, you will find it every time. 259 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: If you are looking for a reason to be bitter. 260 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: You will find one at any time when you come 261 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: through you know, a church like this. 262 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 2: I am well aware that in a crowd this size, 263 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 2: there are. 264 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: Many people here today who are looking for something not 265 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: to like about our church. It's okay, I understand it. 266 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: I understand it because we have almost almost been trained 267 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: for it. We have been trained not to trust our politicians. 268 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: We have been trained, and maybe for good reason. In 269 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: many cases, we have been trained, sometimes by our disappointments, 270 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: not to expect much out of life. We have been 271 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:47,679 Speaker 1: trained by by our insecurities not to expect people to 272 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: like us. And so guess what happens when we go 273 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: around all day believing secretly that nobody likes us, when 274 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: we're telling ourselves before we even go out into our day, 275 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: nobody really cares about me. Nobody ever checks on me, 276 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: nobody appreciates me, nobody talks to me, nobody notices me, 277 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: nobody texts me, and nobody friends me, and nobody likes me. 278 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: Nobody friends me, nobody likes me. Guess what's gonna happen? 279 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 1: Your situation is going to reflect your psychology. 280 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 2: As a man thinketh in his heart, So is he. 281 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: So it's just a matter of time before your situation 282 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 1: looks like yourself talk and now you said it enough 283 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: to yourself. You are looking for a reason to prove 284 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: to yourself a verdict that you arrived at before you 285 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: even collected evidence. So it causes you to look at 286 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: people and situations and think it can't get any better 287 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: because it's always been this way. But Jesus said, stretch 288 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 1: out your hand. I can't just speak a better word 289 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 1: and fix what you say within yourself. Nobody likes me, 290 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 1: nobody touched me, I mean, mpaned me no money. Then 291 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 1: why are you surprised when they fulfill your prophecy? Well, 292 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 1: they always and they never. There's the second thing that 293 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: Jesus came to fix is our prejudice. Yet there's nothing 294 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 1: in the passage about the man's skin color. There's nothing 295 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: in the passage about gender equality. There's nothing in the 296 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: passage about his sexual orientation, none of that. Yet I 297 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:54,679 Speaker 1: still see prejudice in the synagogue on the Sabbath in 298 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: Mark III. And this prejudice is not directed at the man. 299 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: They are prejudice towards Jesus. I see you, you look 300 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: like you want to believe me, but you confusing. Let's 301 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: take the word apart prejudice. The definition is in the word. 302 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 2: Pre judge. That's what prejudice is. 303 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 1: And it doesn't just happen racially or socioeconomically. Prejudice is 304 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: when you put yourself in the judge's seat or the 305 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: jury box. These men had the opportunity to witness a miracle, 306 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 1: but rather than be a witness, they wanted to be 307 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: a judge. And every day that you and I wake up, 308 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: we have an opportunity to witness direction power all around us. 309 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: We get to witness it in the lives of others, 310 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,359 Speaker 1: and we get to witness it on our own behalf. 311 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 2: We get to be a witness. 312 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,399 Speaker 1: But you can't be a witness if you insist on 313 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 1: being a judge. What I'm trying to say is this, 314 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: have you already made up your mind how God can bless? 315 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 1: And who God can bless? And when God can bless? 316 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,879 Speaker 1: Have you already made up your mind about how God 317 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: can do it to the extent that you miss that 318 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:38,199 Speaker 1: the very author of life is right in front of you, 319 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: and they are trying to kill the very thing that 320 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: God sent to save them. Why Because they've already made 321 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: up their minds. We pray for wisdom, and God trist 322 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: to send it through our wives. But we are prejudice. 323 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 1: We prejudge the people that God sends to help us. 324 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:06,199 Speaker 1: So rather than accept the wisdom, since we don't like 325 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,479 Speaker 1: the truck that it came in, we'll send back the 326 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: wisdom because well, she's always like that. Well she's the 327 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: one that God might use to show you your system. 328 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 1: He might. This whole chapter is worth preaching. I wish 329 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: we had all week. 330 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 2: All right, touch your neighbors, say fix the system. Fix 331 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:33,879 Speaker 2: the system. They were looking. 332 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: I see it sometimes I see people who look like 333 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 1: they came to church as a favor or like a 334 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: last resort, or something like will you stop asking me 335 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:52,679 Speaker 1: if I come once? And man, they are looking for something, 336 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: not to like. I just sometimes you can feel the 337 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: energy of somebody where it's just like mmm. And they 338 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 1: will miss a revelation because one of the worship leaders 339 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:07,960 Speaker 1: had to rip in his jeans. 340 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 2: I just don't know if. 341 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: And God was trying to show you how holy he is, 342 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 1: and God, you missed it. 343 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 2: Looking for a reason, looking for reason. 344 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 1: He was a threat to them, so they already made 345 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,239 Speaker 1: up their mind, they already had their verdict and now 346 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:38,719 Speaker 1: they just needed to collect the evidence. 347 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 2: It's called confirmation bias. 348 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: When you wake up believing God is for me, you 349 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 1: look for evidence to support that verdict. When you wake 350 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,640 Speaker 1: up believing that all things work together for my good 351 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: and that nothing can separate me from the love of God. 352 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 2: Here's how good it is. 353 00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: When you believe that. When you are looking for a 354 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: reason to rejoice rather than a reason to accuse, it 355 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 1: causes you to weigh things differently. So you say, like 356 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: Paul said in Corinthians, he said, on one hand, we're pressed, 357 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: but on the other hand, we're not crushed. On one hand, 358 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: we're persecuted, but on the other hand, we're not abandoned. 359 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 1: On one hand, we're struck down, but on the other hand, 360 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: we're not destroyed. In other words, what I'm trying to 361 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: say is that if you would get out of the 362 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 1: judges seat and get a get a witness mentality God. 363 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,120 Speaker 1: I want to see the good in people. I want 364 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: to see the best in people. I want to believe 365 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 1: the best about people. 366 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:38,879 Speaker 2: I want to. 367 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,959 Speaker 1: See the opportunity and opposition. 368 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 2: Somebody shot I'm looking for it. 369 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: I'm not looking for a reason to be offended. 370 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 2: I'm looking for. 371 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: A way to forgive. How many are glad that God 372 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: look beyond your faults and saw your knees. He could 373 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: have accused you, He could have condemned you, He could 374 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: have cast you to but he didn't. How many are 375 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:08,360 Speaker 1: grateful for what he didn't do, for what he overlooked. 376 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 2: But they got it twisted. We get it twisted. 377 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: Instead of looking for an opportunity to meet a need, 378 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: they were looking for a reason to accuse. Sometimes God 379 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: puts you in difficult situations and you get it twisted. 380 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: He puts you there to change it, not to complain 381 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: about it, and you're out of order. You're out of order. 382 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 1: I wish I had a gabble. This isn't working. The 383 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: man can't work because his right hand. Luke tells us 384 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:55,120 Speaker 1: it's his right hand. It must mean it's his dominant hand. 385 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 1: It must mean it's the hand of blessing. And Jewish 386 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:04,160 Speaker 1: culture use the right hand to bless so he needs 387 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: a blessing to be a blessing. Sometimes we try to 388 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 1: be something that we have not received from God, and 389 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 1: it never works. Jesus stands the man up and he 390 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: picks a fight. 391 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 2: I'm sorry to disrupt your you're mister Rogers. Jesus' relationship 392 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,880 Speaker 2: with the Lord, you know, the one where Jesus wondering. 393 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,159 Speaker 1: Come on, guys, stop that. 394 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 2: We're not finding that Jesus so far in Mark. Maybe 395 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 2: he'll come later, you know, the exasperated mom. Guys, be nice. 396 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: He hasn't made an appearance so far, and we're in 397 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:47,479 Speaker 1: Mark chapter three, and he's he's still he's challenging their 398 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: whole system because number one two things I noticed. 399 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 2: He could have taken the man to the side. He didn't. 400 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 1: He could have easily been like Peter. Peter was always 401 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: ready to do something. Grab that guy with the bad hand. 402 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:11,160 Speaker 1: You gonna throw him out? 403 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 2: No, No, Peter, see distracted, you know, Peter. I want 404 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 2: to talk to him after. 405 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:17,919 Speaker 1: I'm gon fix his hand, But it's the Sabbath and 406 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: we're not supposed to work on the Sabbath, and I 407 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: don't want to offend anybody to side. I talked to 408 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: him later. I'll when I wrap it up, just make 409 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 1: sure he doesn't leave. I want to see him because 410 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: on the Sabbath, remember it's the day of rest. Six 411 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: days God created, one day, God rested it was the 412 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 1: order of creation. The sabbath is the only one of 413 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,680 Speaker 1: the ten commandments that reflects the order of creation. It's 414 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 1: like a chance for us to be like God. How 415 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: he rested. Okay, But but not this work work work, work, 416 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 1: work work. 417 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 4: Why am I sounded like Rihanna on this stage. 418 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 2: I didn't mean to rest. 419 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 1: Work work, work, work, work work rest work work, work, work, work, 420 00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 1: work rest. 421 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 2: Okay. 422 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: So for everybody who wants to just pray, not rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest. 423 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:03,680 Speaker 2: Work, that's out of order. 424 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 1: But after you have worked, rest, like God rested from 425 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 1: his labor. It's a shadow, though it's not the substance, 426 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 1: because the real sabbath. 427 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 2: Is Jesus himself. It's his work that enables us to 428 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 2: rest from ours love the Gospel. 429 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: So they are so consumed with their sabbath that they 430 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,400 Speaker 1: are missing God's sabbath. 431 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 2: It's a perversion. 432 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: I know we usually use the word prejudice for racial reasons, 433 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 1: and we use the word perversion for sexual reasons. But 434 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: this is a perversion. A perversion is anytime that a 435 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: gift is used against its intention. 436 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 2: That's the perversion. 437 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: And Jesus heels him, not only does he stand him out, 438 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: publicly and call him out publicly. But he does it 439 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: on the Sabbath, which is understandable if the guy has 440 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: a gunshot wound because the Sabbath had Okay, here's what 441 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: the teachers of the law did. God gave them this 442 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: gift called the Sabbath. He said, I want you to 443 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:22,840 Speaker 1: rest one day. When you rest like that, it is 444 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: a picture of how I rested. 445 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 2: It is a gift to you, and it is a. 446 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: Shadow of a rest that is to come for the 447 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: people of God, where you can cease from your works 448 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: and receive by grace what you could not attain by labor. 449 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: So I want you to rest, to get into the 450 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: rhythm of resting from your works. But they did what 451 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: we tend to do with the gifts that God gives us. 452 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: When we don't understand the intention of the gift, we 453 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: get it twisted. We get it twisted. So Jesus shows 454 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: up on the day where they're not supposed to work. 455 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 2: Little rules like this they made. 456 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 1: They had over six hundred of them. There was one 457 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: command and they made six hundred rules around it. They 458 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 1: had like a system for every possible situation that could 459 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: come up. Okay, so if you need to take a journey. 460 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: You can go ninety nine paces, but if you take 461 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: a two thousandth step, then that's technically work. 462 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 2: So you had to counter steps. 463 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: Okay, if somebody has a dislocated foot or a dislocated hand, 464 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: you can't set it back into place on the Sabbath. 465 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 1: That's from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Observant juice cill 466 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: celebrate the Sabbath in the same way today Sabbat, and 467 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: you can't set the bones back in place on the Sabbath. 468 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 2: But there's an exception. 469 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: If the person's about to die, you. 470 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 2: Can do it. 471 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: Well, that's awfully nice of the pastors to make that exception. 472 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 2: If you see someone about to die and you can 473 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 2: save their life, you can do it on Sabbath. It 474 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 2: sounds crazy to us. 475 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: That they would that they would take a gift that 476 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: God gave like a day off, like a day to 477 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: rest from their labor, and twisted to the point where 478 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: they forgot what Jesus said in Mark two twenty seven. 479 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: When his disciples were working one day on the Sabbath, 480 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 1: they were actually walking and they did something that was 481 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: considered work. They took some heads of grain and they 482 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: were hungry, so they rubbed the what do you call 483 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 1: it on the grain that membran. 484 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 2: I'm gonna call it. It's not called that, but i'm 485 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 2: gonna call it that. 486 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: They rubbed that hard part off and ate the stuff 487 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 1: they could eat. And the Pharisee said, ah, they're working 488 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: on the Sabbath. Jesus said, you missed the entire point 489 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,520 Speaker 1: of the Sabbath, which was a gift, because you were 490 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: so caught up in your system that you perverted and 491 00:31:57,160 --> 00:31:58,600 Speaker 1: twisted the gift. 492 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 2: Watch what he says. This is very, very strategic. 493 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: That the son of God would say to the people 494 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: that he came to save. 495 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 2: The Sabbath. 496 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 1: Is made for man, not man for the Sabbath. I 497 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 1: know it's a little difficult for us to get much 498 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 1: meaning out of that because we don't celebrate the Sabbath 499 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,719 Speaker 1: in the same way. So let me try this. Stuff 500 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: was made for man, not man for stuff. The essence 501 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 1: of the lesson is this, when you take a good 502 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: gift and turn it into a god, it becomes destructive. 503 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: Let me try another one. Sex was made for man, 504 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 1: not man for sex. And what the enemy loves to 505 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: do is to take a good gift that God gave 506 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:14,959 Speaker 1: you and twisted and disfigure it like this man's hand 507 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: was disfigured. That's what had happened to the people's hearts, 508 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 1: so that they had taken a gift and turned it 509 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: into a prison. They were serving something that was supposed 510 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: to be serving them. When God sees you chasing material possessions, 511 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: he says, that stuff is meant to serve you. Why 512 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 1: are you serving what I gave to serve you is 513 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: out of order. We've got one man who can't work 514 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: because he has a condition a situation. We've got a 515 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 1: system of religion that will work. Why it's the Sabbath. 516 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: We can't do it on the sapath. Jesus said, the 517 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: sap of this for you, not you for the Sappath. 518 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 1: I gave it as a gift. Why would you twist 519 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: the gift? And it causes me to wonder how many 520 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 1: gifts has God given me in my life that I 521 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:25,920 Speaker 1: have twisted. God gives you people in your life so 522 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 1: you can encourage them, and then you become so needy 523 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 1: you twist the gift and ruin the friend chef. Now 524 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: y'all are quiet, How many gifts has God given us? 525 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:45,280 Speaker 1: How many how many people will you sleep with before 526 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 1: you realize that sex is a gift. It's a wonderful gift, 527 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:55,839 Speaker 1: but it's a terrible master. Within a certain context, it's 528 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: a wonderful gift, but if you get it twisted, it 529 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:02,839 Speaker 1: begins to take over your life. You're out of order. 530 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 1: You put the Sabbath before people. God puts people before 531 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: the Sabbath. Religion always gets it twisted, though, and we 532 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: always tell you ten things you got to do to 533 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 1: be a good Christian. But God taught me that I 534 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:27,280 Speaker 1: don't change, so he will love me. I change because 535 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: He has loved me. This is the revelation of the Cross. 536 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 1: We love him because he first loved us. And when 537 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 1: you get that out of order, you will twist great 538 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: gifts that God gives you in your life. And Jesus 539 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 1: looked around and said this isn't working. So he calls 540 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 1: the man as an object lesson. Are you ready for this? 541 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: He doesn't give us speech. He gives a lesson. He 542 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: gives a demonstration. Faith is a demonstration, not an explanation. 543 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:01,880 Speaker 1: So stand up. He could have called him back tomorrow. 544 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:06,279 Speaker 1: By the way, I mean, the guy's not dying. He 545 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 1: lived this long with a bad hand, he could live 546 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: with another one. 547 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 2: Oh. 548 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: By the way, when life deals you a bad hand, let. 549 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 2: Me tell you what to do. Don't fold. 550 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 1: I know some of you are holding a bad hand 551 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: today and it's a terrible situation you're in. And I 552 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: understand all of that, and Christ has. 553 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:27,920 Speaker 2: Compassion for you. 554 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: But whatever you do, touch somebody say, don't fold. Because 555 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 1: God is about to change the entire system through the 556 00:36:36,239 --> 00:36:40,280 Speaker 1: most desperate situations. This is how hope works, he says, 557 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 1: stand up and stretch out. Stand up and stretch out, 558 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: because if you keep procrastinating, this is the fourth Procrastination 559 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 1: will always keep you from experiencing the power of God, 560 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:02,319 Speaker 1: always when you wait, until when you put it off. 561 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: I did it the other day. I'm almost forty now, 562 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:08,800 Speaker 1: I got some gray coming in. I'm not worried about that. 563 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:10,800 Speaker 1: That makes me feel like I've been a good pastor. 564 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 1: If I could pastor this church twelve years, it's not 565 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 1: a little gray on the beard. Jerry, I'm sleeping. But 566 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: I said the other day, there are about three things 567 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:21,879 Speaker 1: in my life I really want to change. 568 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 2: You got it. 569 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: You got at least three things you want to change. 570 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:25,319 Speaker 1: Let me see if you've arrived and I'm just up 571 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:26,560 Speaker 1: here by myself trying to improve. 572 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, So by the time I'm forty, 573 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:32,839 Speaker 2: it was the first thing. I thought, it's a nice 574 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:33,480 Speaker 2: round number. 575 00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: By the time I'm. 576 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 4: Forty, God said, why not now, because it would require action, 577 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 4: not theory, you know. 578 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: So they do it all the time the way I 579 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:55,840 Speaker 1: want the verse to work. The moment that the miracle happens, 580 00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:59,759 Speaker 1: I wanted to work like this. It looked around at 581 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 1: them in anger, deeply distress, their stubborn hearts. Remember what 582 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:09,360 Speaker 1: this man's heart looks like externally, or his hand looks 583 00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: like externally, their hearts look like inwardly. 584 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 2: He's using the visible the situation. That's what he does. 585 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: Trouble, hardship, persecution, sword, the things that come against you. 586 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 1: He uses those situations to show you a system to 587 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:33,680 Speaker 1: fix the system. And he looked around in frustration at 588 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 1: the field system. And he had asked them a question 589 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: because he's so savage. He answered a question that they 590 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 1: didn't ask, with a question they couldn't answer. 591 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 2: He's such a savage, such a savage. 592 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 1: And deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 593 00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 1: stretch out your hand. The way I want the verse 594 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:58,839 Speaker 1: to work is it up on the screens. I wanted 595 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 1: to say his hand was completely restored, and he stretched 596 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:08,920 Speaker 1: it out. In my mind, that's the way it should work. 597 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:14,160 Speaker 1: When God changes my situation, is that he fixed the 598 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 1: man's hand. It was restored and there, because the man's hand. 599 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 2: Was restored, he stretched it out. 600 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 1: What we find instead in the syntax is this, in 601 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:27,960 Speaker 1: the order it happens, there is a revelation of the 602 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:35,920 Speaker 1: way God works. The man stretched his hand and then 603 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: it was restored. He did what he couldn't do. And 604 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: in doing what he could not do, and in loving 605 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:52,719 Speaker 1: who you cannot love and who in forgiving who you 606 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: can't forgive, and in trusting and believing what your eyes 607 00:39:57,719 --> 00:40:01,000 Speaker 1: cannot see, he did not st wretch out his hand 608 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: because it was healed. His hand was healed because he 609 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 1: stretched it out. And we keep waiting for feelings, but 610 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:22,719 Speaker 1: feelings follow faith. You don't have to feel it to 611 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:26,680 Speaker 1: believe it. If you believe it, you will see it 612 00:40:27,239 --> 00:40:30,880 Speaker 1: the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 613 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:35,960 Speaker 1: So God says to everybody with a bad hand, because 614 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: I know you come to church sometimes with your good 615 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 1: hand out and I know you go through life sometimes 616 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,760 Speaker 1: with your good hand out. And we have all these 617 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: profiles and all these images and all these fursonas and 618 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:54,000 Speaker 1: all these one sentence bios on our social media accounts. 619 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: But God doesn't bless your bio. He blesses your brokenness 620 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,880 Speaker 1: and in his own when you lay down, here's the 621 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:02,399 Speaker 1: fifth one. 622 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:03,440 Speaker 2: Your pride. 623 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,400 Speaker 1: To stand up in the middle of controversy, to stand 624 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,600 Speaker 1: up in the middle of a hopeless, desperate, naked situation, 625 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,720 Speaker 1: to stand up in the middle of famine, to stand 626 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:17,000 Speaker 1: up in the middle of lack, to stand up in 627 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,520 Speaker 1: the middle of weakness, to stand up in the middle 628 00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 1: of discouragement, to stand up in the middle of failure, 629 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 1: and stretch out your hand, and stretch out your faith 630 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:29,840 Speaker 1: and open your heart and believe that He is here 631 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 1: and all things are possible. You're not gonna get this 632 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:42,959 Speaker 1: blessing with your arms crossed, waiting to see if God 633 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:46,960 Speaker 1: will do it, and pretending like you don't need it. 634 00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 2: He stretched his hand. 635 00:41:53,040 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 1: Jesus healed him in an unusual way, at an unusual time, 636 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 1: on an unusual day, on the day they weren't supposed 637 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:09,439 Speaker 1: to do any work. 638 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,200 Speaker 2: The men's hands started working again. You know when God's 639 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:16,279 Speaker 2: gonna do it when you least expect it. 640 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:20,480 Speaker 1: You know who God's gonna do it through the ones 641 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:24,279 Speaker 1: who least deserve it. You know who's not gonna get it, 642 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:26,080 Speaker 1: the one who's just sit there waiting. 643 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:27,239 Speaker 2: Man, I don't know. 644 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:32,160 Speaker 1: But if you don't mind praising him right now, I 645 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:36,440 Speaker 1: would love to see you stretch your hands, clap your hands. 646 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:41,400 Speaker 1: Come on, Blakeney, come on rock Hill, and lift your voice. 647 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:46,040 Speaker 1: Don't praise him because you've got the blessing, praise him 648 00:42:46,080 --> 00:43:02,759 Speaker 1: because he is the blessing. Jesus did what he shouldn't do, 649 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 1: so the man could do what he couldn't do right there, 650 00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:12,480 Speaker 1: with all the critics watching, and all the people who 651 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 1: didn't like it didn't matter. 652 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,640 Speaker 2: Because they were out of order. You keep going to 653 00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:23,400 Speaker 2: people you're out of order. But if you do what 654 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 2: he told you to do, I promise you this. Look, 655 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:26,760 Speaker 2: it's simple. 656 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:31,840 Speaker 1: Stretch your hand, don't you know he was tempted to 657 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: show him the good one. So then it's on the 658 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:44,480 Speaker 1: other hand, right hand, the hand that you need to 659 00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:46,080 Speaker 1: be a good husband, the hand that you need to 660 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:48,719 Speaker 1: be a good father, the hand that you need to 661 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:52,120 Speaker 1: get the disciplines working in your life because you got 662 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:53,919 Speaker 1: some things that aren't working. 663 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:57,120 Speaker 2: But you didn't know why. You keep running from. 664 00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,400 Speaker 5: Situation and you're so stressed out from situation a situation, 665 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:04,279 Speaker 5: situation to relationship to relationship to relationship, to think to 666 00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:07,640 Speaker 5: thing to job, to drop the job, from. 667 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:11,600 Speaker 2: High to high to high. It's the system. So he said, 668 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:15,920 Speaker 2: he said, I'm gonna do this. Jesus found a loophole 669 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:17,000 Speaker 2: because he's a savage. 670 00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 1: He said, I can't set the man's hand back in 671 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:28,160 Speaker 1: place today because it's the Sabbath, and I didn't come 672 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 1: to break the law, but to fulfill it. 673 00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:35,480 Speaker 2: So watch what he does. Jesus tells the man stretch. 674 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 1: Everybody says stretch, and he doesn't touch him. 675 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:47,960 Speaker 2: The Pharisees are watching. You can do that. It's the sabbath. 676 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:50,360 Speaker 2: No working on the sabbath. 677 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:57,600 Speaker 1: Jesus said, oh this, this isn't working. 678 00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:00,440 Speaker 2: A word. 679 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:11,200 Speaker 1: I didn't stretch my hand. He stretched his. So that's why. 680 00:45:11,239 --> 00:45:14,600 Speaker 1: Now I know why he went to the cross, so 681 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:18,120 Speaker 1: it wouldn't be from my words. Now I know why 682 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:21,799 Speaker 1: he stretched his arms. Now I know why he did 683 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:26,280 Speaker 1: it cause I couldn't. Now I know it's my grace, 684 00:45:26,719 --> 00:45:29,000 Speaker 1: thorough fame, not of works. 685 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 2: So I did both. 686 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:35,560 Speaker 1: They all they think I can do is live by 687 00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:40,279 Speaker 1: see Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those 688 00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:43,320 Speaker 1: of you who give generously to this ministry. Is because 689 00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:46,279 Speaker 1: of you that this ministry is possible. You can click 690 00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:49,280 Speaker 1: the link in the description to give now, or visit 691 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:53,319 Speaker 1: Elevation Church dot org slash podcast for more information and 692 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:56,560 Speaker 1: if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can 693 00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: share it with your friends. You can click the share button, 694 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:01,520 Speaker 1: take a screenshot and share it on your social stories 695 00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:03,200 Speaker 1: and tag us at Elevation Church. 696 00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:04,280 Speaker 2: Thanks again for listening. 697 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:04,920 Speaker 1: God bless you.