1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: I'm going to share one verse and then I'm gonna 7 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: let you be seated. And the verse is actually an 8 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: Ecclesiasties eleven. I have unintentionally been working my way backwards 9 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: through this passenger of scripture, and I haven't started a 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: series lately, but I've unintentionally just been using these thoughts 11 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: from Solomon, who has us enrolled in the school of wisdom, 12 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,919 Speaker 1: and he has the right to do it because some 13 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: people called him the wisest man who ever lived. He 14 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: was like Elon Musk of the Old Testament. But the 15 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: only difference between Solomon and Elon Musk is he wrote 16 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: his treatise to help us see that if you succeed 17 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: but you're not fulfilled, or if you succeed but you 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: don't have peace, or if you succeed but you're succeeding 19 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: at things that don't have real meaning, you will come 20 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: up empty in the end, and so he helps us 21 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: with that with a few principles from the Word of God. 22 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: And this one today I want to share is very, 23 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 1: very simple from the school of Solomon. Ecclesiastes, Chapter eleven, 24 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: verse four says this, whoever watches the wind will not plant, 25 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. So I 26 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: know I told you it's going to preach today, but 27 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: really this is more like an announcement of a fight. Okay, 28 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: So really we came to watch a fight today. And 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: the title of this message is called wind versus Word. 30 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: In this corner is the wind and his opponent is 31 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: the Word. And I believe this message is for someone 32 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: today who is conflicted between the wind and the Word 33 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: of God. And I believe today God is going to 34 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: speak to your heart. Do it Lord in Jesus' name, Amen, 35 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: touch somebody, say ding, ding, Amen, you may be seated. 36 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: One thing that is interesting to me, and the verse 37 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: really suggests the same reality, is how when your spirit 38 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: makes a decision to do something, your mind will find 39 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: reasons not to do it. Now, now, if you decide 40 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: to do something like go on a diet, your mind 41 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: will immediately start calculating why it's not a good idea 42 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: to go on a diet. Now, some of y'all are 43 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: already doing the math. Well, you know, Christmas is right 44 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: around the corner. It's like months till Christmas, but you 45 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: already got the countdown timer, because it's easy to find 46 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: a reason. And really, the way that our human minds 47 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: work sometimes is in opposition to our spirit, which is divine. 48 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: And that's why you could find yourself even with the 49 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: apostle Paul, who lamented one time, what I want to do, 50 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: I don't do. What I don't want to do, I do, 51 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: because often your mind will contradict your spirit. And it's 52 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: actually deeper than that, because the way this works in 53 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: daily life is that your heart reaches a verdict and 54 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: then gives evidence to support the verdict, whether or not 55 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: the verdict was true. In a court of law, this 56 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: would be a mistrial, but in our lives this is 57 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: often just standard operating procedure. Is that we come to 58 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: a conclusion, and then once we've come to that conclusion, 59 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: our mind is brilliant, like some kind of you know, 60 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: four hundred dollars an hour attorney to find evidence to 61 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: support the conclusion, and in so many areas of our 62 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: lives we find a reason. I mean, you can find 63 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: a reason. And this is what Solomon is saying. If 64 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: you look for a reason not to sew, or if 65 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: you look for a reason not to reap, you will 66 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: find one every time. It's very true, because right now, 67 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: I promise you you can find a reason. Your mind 68 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: can find a reason to complain, even though your spirit 69 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 1: knows that God has been good to me. How many 70 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: of you, in your spirit you know that God has 71 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: been good to you and better than you deserve, And 72 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: yet you could find a reason, couldn't you. I'll give 73 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: you one. You want one. If you just need a 74 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: reason to complain, I'll give you a reason right now 75 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: to complain. For some of y'all, it is too cold 76 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: in the auditorium. If you just need a reason to complain, 77 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: if the praise songs of the Most High God didn't 78 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: give you enough reason to praise, let's find something for 79 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: you to complain about. Some of y'all, This sermon is 80 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: going to be too long for you. Some of you, 81 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: it's going to be too short for you. Some of 82 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: you don't like a preacher in type briches, and some 83 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: of you, you know you can find one if you 84 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: need one, And it's really not that hard to find 85 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: a reason to complain. In fact, if we want to 86 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: go even deeper than that. And I don't mean to 87 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: take a dark turn early in the sermon, because it's 88 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:25,840 Speaker 1: really good atmosphere in here, and I don't want to 89 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: mess it up. But if you wanted to, you could 90 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: find a reason to go into a whole depression. If 91 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: you wanted to think about a certain problem in your 92 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: life right now, you could distract yourself with a problem 93 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: that is not in this room, to the point that 94 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: you don't hear another word. I say this whole sermon 95 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: because your your mind will collect evidence for a verdict 96 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: that you've already decided on. And that's why when you 97 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: wake up some mornings like I do and say is 98 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,119 Speaker 1: just going to be one of those days, you will 99 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: find every reason why it's one of those days, because 100 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: your heart reached a verdict, and now you sent your 101 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: mind in investigative search of the support. Y'all know I'm 102 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: preaching in my introduction. I'm rested for this message. And see, 103 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 1: even if you want to try to be tired, you 104 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: can try to be tired. If you want a reason 105 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: to be tired, you can have a reason to be 106 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: tired right now. I mean if you want to find 107 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: a real if you just need a reason, you can 108 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: find a reason when you need a reason. And that's 109 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: why it's a bad idea. Watch the sharp turn to 110 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: sit around watching the weather. My least favorite thing about 111 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: being a pastor is when inclement weather. And by inclement weather, 112 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: here's what I mean. For church people. I'm about to 113 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: have some group therapy. Inclement weather means it could mean 114 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: that is so beautiful outside that we can't possibly go 115 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: to church. We need to take this time to go 116 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: be outside. I'm not talking to y'all talking to the 117 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 1: people who skip church. Let me look at the camera, 118 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: because y'all are safe. Y'all are here right now. Inclement weather. 119 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: It's not too cold. We don't have to go out 120 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: in the rain. It's not too perfect. We're not missing 121 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: anything outside. It is perfect church weather. We actually have 122 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: a little joke on our staff when it's just it's 123 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: just a little too cold for you to be outside. 124 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: But it's not too cold where you have to, you know, 125 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: suffer for five seconds before your seat warmers kick in. 126 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: Is perfect church weather, and it's really hard to be 127 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: a pastor, especially when they are forecasting, you know, torrential 128 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: weather that may or may not even hit our state. 129 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: And what's really difficult about it, and I promise you 130 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: this is in the text, is that sometimes all the 131 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: milk and all the bread will be off of the 132 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: grocery store shelves and there will be no snow on 133 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: the ground. But it was the it was the threat, 134 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: or I could say like this, it was the forecast 135 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: that created fear of something that was never even in 136 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: our future. Now you went to Sam's and Costco bought 137 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: out all the batteries, and the sun was out and 138 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: it was seventy seven degrees. Now. One thing that I 139 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: love about our church is when a real tragedy happens, 140 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: we've already got supplies on the ground in the Bahamas 141 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,119 Speaker 1: because of your giving. We've already got supplies moving toward 142 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: people when there's an emergency. And that's not the part 143 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: that I struggle with as a pastor. The hard part 144 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: is knowing that so many people see my dad used 145 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 1: to wake up every morning and watch the news and 146 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: he would always I thought this was so weird. Growing up, 147 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: he would always cuss out the weathermen. And I need 148 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: to give you full the closure because this is a 149 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: very complicated part of my personal psychology. I did not 150 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: want to be a preacher when I was a little boy. 151 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: I wanted to be a weatherman. I think it was 152 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: a form of rebellion because I would stand with my 153 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: sesame street globe and an antenna that I broke off 154 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: my TV so I could point at the globe and 155 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: I would forecast the weather. This is like six years old, 156 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: seven years old, and I would forecast the weather in 157 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: places in the world that I couldn't pronounce. I liked it. 158 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: I liked the ability to predict the future. But then 159 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: my dad he would cuss out the weatherman, and I 160 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: was conflicted. And what made him so mad about the 161 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:52,359 Speaker 1: weatherman was that he understood that even though I respect meteorologists, 162 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: remember I could have been one. If it had just 163 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: gone a little bit different, just a little different path, 164 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: I could have been one. But the thing that my 165 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: dad couldn't stand about it was to watch how people 166 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: would go into a frenzy over something that was in 167 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: a forecast. And now my dad is no longer living, 168 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: but I just want to say to him, if he's 169 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: watching this on a heavenly celestial livestream broadcast channel, that 170 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: I get it now, because it's frustrating when you're trying 171 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 1: to plan church and people don't come, not because it's snowing, 172 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: not because it's raining, but because it might You know 173 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: how many things that the devil has kept you from 174 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: doing in your life that God called you to do 175 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: because of what might happen if you did. And a 176 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: lot of us, the enemy doesn't even have to fight 177 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: us with real events or circumstances. Just even the suggestion 178 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: of a disaster is enough to send some of us 179 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: into retreat. And so just even the thought that what 180 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: if they don't like you is enough to keep you 181 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: in the house, or just even a thought if what 182 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: if they break my heart is enough to keep you 183 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: from extending yourself in relationship, or just even a thought. 184 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,079 Speaker 1: You know, many of you are reluctant to get involved 185 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,199 Speaker 1: in this church because you had a previous bad church experience. 186 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: And I understand that because once you have been through 187 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 1: a storm. I lived through Hurricane Hugo. I was eight 188 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: years old when Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, South Carolina. It 189 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,839 Speaker 1: terrified me. I didn't want to spend the night away 190 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: from home for two years after that as a little boy, 191 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: because one thing. After you have survived a storm, after 192 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: you have survived bad weather, after you have survived abuse, 193 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: what people don't tell you about is that even after 194 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: the storm is over, it still rages on on the 195 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: inside of you. And the saddest thing in the world 196 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:53,839 Speaker 1: is to see a Christian who has been set free 197 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: by the love of Christ, to know that neither height, 198 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: nor depth, nor anything else in all, neither death nor life, 199 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, 200 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: nor any other power shall be able to separate me 201 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: from the love of God that is in Christ. Jesus, 202 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: my Lord. What I'm trying to say, some of us 203 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: need to fire the devil as our weather man. We 204 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: have been consulting the wrong source to find out what 205 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,239 Speaker 1: our future looks like. And so now we stay indoors, 206 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: and we stay in fear, and we stay in paranoia, 207 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: and we never plant, and we never reap. Solomon said, 208 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: because we watch the wind, what a weird image. You 209 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 1: really can't see the wind, You can only see the 210 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 1: effects of it. And he says, when you watch the wind, 211 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: you know, like, is this a good time? I'll give 212 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: you one. This one looks like to watch the wind. 213 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 1: Causing about that phrase watch the wind, and I was like, 214 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: this is not a literal message. I'm not using it 215 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: to talk about physical storms. I'm using it to talk 216 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: about when the sewer goes to sew, he wants the 217 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: wind to work with him, and when the wind is 218 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: blowing the opposite direction, all your seed smacks you in 219 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: your face. But you never feel like everything you so 220 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,839 Speaker 1: just you ever feel like stuff just backfires on you. 221 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: You're trying to be nice to somebody. That's the last 222 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: one of those I'm doing. I got appreciate this twice 223 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: tomorrow any my brain cells. But you ever just been 224 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: smacked by your own seat, Because that's what he's saying. 225 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: When the wind is blowing against you. Some of you 226 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: have had the wind against you your whole life. You 227 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: didn't have the right shoes, your parents didn't make a 228 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: lot of money. You had to learn to fit in. 229 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: You had to learn how to be tough, you had 230 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: to learn how to be hard, and you learned how 231 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: to survive a storm. But the problem with that, the 232 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: only problem with that is sometimes the wind isn't even 233 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: against you, but you still feel like it is because 234 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: your mind is collecting evidence in support of a verdict 235 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: that is no longer accurate. See watch the wind, try 236 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: to find out what's popular, it's not popular. I'm apprecious 237 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: to our students. They've got Rhythm Night coming up next 238 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: next Sunday night. And I want you to talk about 239 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: this in some form. Tim is that watching the wind 240 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: is like trying to determine what's going to gain you clout, 241 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: and then you let clout overrule character. And watching the 242 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: wind is trying to be like, oh, do they like me? 243 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: Do they like me? Is this what I need to be? 244 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: To be like that? That's watching the wind? Can I 245 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: give you another one that's watching the wind. Is needing 246 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: to be in a good mood to keep your commitments. 247 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: That's watching the wind. Because some of my weather systems 248 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: are internal, and I found out a long time ago 249 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: that usually the mood that you're in when you make 250 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: a commitment will not match the mood that you're in 251 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: when it's time to keep the commitment. And so to 252 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: watch the wind is for those of us who sometimes 253 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: need to feel it in order to fulfill it. And 254 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: Solomon says, the wisest man, the richest man, the man 255 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: who said that to do things for Vanity's sake is 256 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: like chasing after the wind. He uses this metaphor lot 257 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: in his book Ecclesiastes the Collected Teachings, which are like proverbs, 258 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: but it's written in such a way as to convince 259 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 1: the knowledge of the universe and the futility of vanity. 260 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: He uses this image of the wind. Why because it 261 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: is an invisible force. And he says, if you are 262 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 1: always checking with and con insulting how you feel, you 263 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: will always find a reason to contradict your responsibility. So 264 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: there will always be a reason watch this that you 265 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: don't feel like forgiving people. But if you want to 266 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: be free, you might have to go against your feelings. 267 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 1: In order to live in freedom. I'm saying you might 268 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 1: have to walk against the wind. You might have to 269 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: forgive against the wind, especially in marriage. I love Holly 270 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: so much because she decided a long time ago that 271 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: I was the man for her. She reached the verdict 272 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 1: on verdict before she ever took my name as her own. 273 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: And because she reached the verdict that she loves me 274 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: and I'm a good man in our marriage. She works 275 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: to collect evidence to support that I'm the man for her. 276 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: She could just as easily do the opposite. She could 277 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: find fifteen reasons. Well, he's only five foot nine, he's 278 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 1: bigger on screen, you know. She could find fifteen reasons 279 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: I'm usually moody three and a half days out of seven. 280 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: She could find fifteen reasons not to feel that way 281 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: about me. But sometimes commitment means facing resistance with resolve 282 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: in your heart. You can find a reason to leave 283 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: this church in the next three days if you want one. 284 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: Matter of fact, the law of average says that there's 285 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 1: somebody on your row right now who if you get 286 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: to know them, they will give you a reason to 287 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: leave this church in the next three days because they 288 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: will disappoint you with their lack of Christian character. But 289 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: if you move one person over on the same row, 290 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: I bet you there's somebody on that row that loves Jesus. 291 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: There's somebody on that row who is honest. There is 292 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: somebody on that row that is sincere. But you'll never sew. 293 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: We'll see. I'm gonna get my I'm gonna do I'm 294 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: gonna get my I'm gonna do the tithing thing, but 295 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it after I get my thing, because 296 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: the thing after the thing is gonna do the thing. 297 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: And then this thing happened. There was the thing, but 298 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: the economy, but the presidential election. You see how we 299 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: do it consulting the forecast instead of consulting our faith. 300 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,160 Speaker 1: He who regards the wind or observes the wind will 301 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: never sow, and he who looks at the clouds will 302 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: never reap because it always looks like it could rain anytime, 303 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: and you can't get the harvest in when it's wet. 304 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 1: And Solomon didn't have a weather channel. And Solomon didn't 305 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: have a weather channel. He's dealing with people who would 306 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: consult the conditions before keeping their commitments watching the wind. 307 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,679 Speaker 1: How many people have not started what God told them 308 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: to start because they've been watching the wind, been waiting 309 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: for more spare time. I'm gonna write a book one day. 310 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: You don't even keep a journal right now. I'm gonna 311 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: write a book one day where you're gonna write it. Well, 312 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna build a cottage in Maine. It's the thing 313 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do one day. You got some family landmope. 314 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 1: It's an imaginary scenario that keeps you from an actual opportunity. 315 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: Do you see it? Watching the wind is wishing that 316 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: you had a different wife instead of loving the one 317 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: that you've got, Like Christ loves the church. This is 318 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: getting good. This message is going to be better than 319 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: your beard by the time I finished with it, my brother, 320 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: And that's saying a lot. But you know, Peter knew 321 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: something about watching the wind though, didn't he? Peter the 322 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: apostle who was always wanting to do something impulsive. Sometimes 323 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: it worked for him, sometimes it worked against him. But 324 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: one thing that you got to love about him, he 325 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: did not wait for perfect circumstances to say. He didn't 326 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: wait until he had knowledge to give his opinion. You 327 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: ever lived with somebody like that, it's terrible. And I 328 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 1: noticed something about God, and I wanted to give this 329 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 1: to you because they have these things in church. They say, well, 330 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:53,120 Speaker 1: God is an on time god. Yes he is. He's 331 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: an on time god. He's seldom early, but he's never late. 332 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: Ask Lazarus if he was ever late, Laszar, he is 333 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: about four days late. Decomposing body worms working their way 334 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: into the eye socket by the time Jesus got there 335 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: and Mary and Martha had set their watch by it. 336 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 1: Ask Peter if Jesus was ever late, Ask him, Ask 337 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: him if one time they did not get sent out 338 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:27,879 Speaker 1: into a storm by the instruction that Jesus gave to 339 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: go to the other side. Now, this has been really 340 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: exciting to me as I've studied it this week, because 341 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: the real thing of faith is do you trust God's timing? 342 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: You know that, right? And that was the test for 343 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: Mary and Martha. Jes said, I am the resurrection and 344 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: the life. And she said, well, you know, I am 345 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: the resurrection. And she said, well, I know my brother's 346 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: going to rise again at the last day. He said, no, 347 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: I am the resurrection. It wasn't that she didn't trust 348 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: what he was able to do. It was are you 349 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: able to trust when God is going to do it? 350 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:10,679 Speaker 1: You can trust somebody's intention, but not trust their timing. 351 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: And since I already talked good about hollyod the sermon, 352 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: let me just say I trust her with my life. 353 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:25,879 Speaker 1: I trust her to be faithful to our marriage vows. 354 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: I trust her if she cooks for me or orders 355 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: for me off of a menu, I trust she knows 356 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: what I want to eat more than I want to eat. 357 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: She knows me like that. I trust this woman with 358 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:44,439 Speaker 1: everything but time. When she says it's going to be 359 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: thirty minutes, I allot three hours because she taught me 360 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: that her concept of time is different than mine. One 361 00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: is correct, one is delusional. And I trust her, I 362 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: really do. I trust her. I put her in a 363 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: room full of supermodels, men calendar men and trust her 364 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: in there. But if she said we're going to leave 365 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: in an hour, I would set three alarms because I 366 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: trust her with everything but time. Some of us trust 367 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 1: that God is going to get us to heaven one day. 368 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: Some of us trust that he died on the cross 369 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: for our sin. We trust him with everything, but let 370 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: him not do something at the moment that we want 371 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: him to do it. Let him leave us in the 372 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: fiery furnace. Four seconds too long and we'll be screaming, God, 373 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: get me out of this. But God said, the real 374 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: test for a mature Christian is do you trust me 375 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 1: with my timing? Trusting him in the meantime is where 376 00:23:55,440 --> 00:24:03,160 Speaker 1: maturity is developed. And Jesus was always doing stuff at 377 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 1: a bad time. He was always going to Jerusalem at 378 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: the time when they all wanted to kill him. That's 379 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: a bad time to show up. When they're looking for 380 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 1: you to execute you. It's a bad time. Five thousand men, 381 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,679 Speaker 1: women and children show up on the other side. Now, 382 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: this is right after John the Baptist. I just want 383 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: you to know how often God does things in our 384 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: life at a bad time, because some of y'all are like, 385 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: right now in your life, like, well, this is a 386 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:36,719 Speaker 1: bad time for me. God. And I used to have 387 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 1: this friend. Every time he called me on the phone, 388 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: he was so respectful. He would say good time or 389 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: a bad time. Always wanted to know that before he 390 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: said anything else. And I believe the Holy Spirit is 391 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 1: say him to somebody today, good time or a bad time, 392 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:49,679 Speaker 1: and you're like, this is a bad time. I'm too 393 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:51,680 Speaker 1: old to be doing this now, I'm too young to 394 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: be doing this now, I'm too busy to be doing 395 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: this now. I used to have a better job, I 396 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,400 Speaker 1: used to have more money. It's a bad time. But 397 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: God likes to bless people at a bad time. He 398 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: likes to raise people. On the Fourth Day. And when 399 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: Jesus had heard that John the Baptist had his head 400 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: cut off by heard it was a bad time, and 401 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: he wanted to get away from the crowds. So he 402 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,159 Speaker 1: went over to the other side with the disciples, and 403 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: when they got there, there was a crowd waiting to 404 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: get autographs and healing and fish and chips and all 405 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: this stuff. As a matter of fact, when he did 406 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 1: the miracle and feeds the five thousand, the first thing 407 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 1: the disciples said was, what it's late. It's a bad time. 408 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 1: It's a bad time. And Jesus when he took the bread, 409 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. He 410 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: did the miracle at a bad time. Now I'm divorced, 411 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:53,439 Speaker 1: Now I'm a single mom. Now it's a bad time 412 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: for me to be believing God. It's a bad time. 413 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: I really wasted a lot of years. It's a bad 414 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: time for me to be doing I think I made 415 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: the wrong decision. I don't even think I'm supposed to 416 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: live in Roanoke. I don't even think I'm supposed to 417 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: live in Charlotte. I even it's a bad time. It's 418 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: a bad place. That's what the disciples said. They said, 419 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: it's a remote place, and it's already late. So send 420 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:18,359 Speaker 1: the crowds away and Jesus said, no, I want to 421 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 1: bless him when it's too little and when it's too late, 422 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: because I want to bless you when you think it's 423 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: a bad time. So I can teach you how to 424 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:37,880 Speaker 1: consult your faith instead of consulting your forecast. You got 425 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,919 Speaker 1: the wrong weather man. You keep watching the weather, and 426 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: so now you live in fear of everything that could 427 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: happen and everything that has happened. And as long as 428 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: you watch the weather, as long as you you keep 429 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: that wrong weather man. This is what God showed me. 430 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 1: The weather is meant to be checked, not watched when 431 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: you sit. When you sit around and watch it all day, 432 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: it scares you. Oh everything. It's good to plan, it's 433 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: good to make provision, but don't watch the weather. If 434 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: you watch the weather, you'll get in your feelings and 435 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: you'll get out of your faith. And now the wind 436 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: watch this will work against you to contradict the word 437 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: that God spoke to you. So this is the point 438 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:31,120 Speaker 1: where Jesus, after feeding the five thousand, sends the disciples 439 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:35,159 Speaker 1: into a storm. And I want to read this to 440 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: you for everybody who's been watching the wind in your life, 441 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: worrying about uncertain situations that you cannot control. I'm not 442 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: talking about those of you that are trying to make 443 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:51,640 Speaker 1: a plan to pay off your debt. That's good, that's 444 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: not a lack of faith. That's a that's a presence 445 00:27:55,800 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: of wisdom. But watching the wind is trying to calculate 446 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:07,159 Speaker 1: something that you can't control. You are worried your kid 447 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,879 Speaker 1: is going to end up dropping out of school, and 448 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: they are three months old, and they don't like Baby 449 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,880 Speaker 1: Einstein enough yet, and you are worried that they won't 450 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: get into Harvard. You watch in the wind trying to 451 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 1: figure out stuff that's in the future. Now watch this. 452 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: This is so weird because it says immediately after Jesus 453 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 1: blessed all the multitudes and the crowds at a bad time, 454 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,479 Speaker 1: he made them go into the boat twenty two and 455 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 1: go on ahead of him to the other side. Well, 456 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: he dismissed the crowd. So at some point during his 457 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: instructions he told them, I will meet you on the 458 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: other side. He gave them his word. He gave them 459 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: his word. I will see you on the other side. 460 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: He gave them his word. Touched somebody next to you 461 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: and say he gave you his word. No, I need 462 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: you to help me preach this, not look at me 463 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: with a little church face. Tell him he gave you 464 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: his word. But the challenge is not believing that you 465 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: will see him on the other side. Is how long 466 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: is it going to be before I get there? He 467 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: gave me his word that he would never leave me 468 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: nor forsake me. He gave me his word in this corner, 469 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: weighing in at unlimited pounds, hailing from eternity made flesh 470 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: by the will of the Father to redeem humanity. Is 471 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: the living, breathing logos word of God, Jesus Christ. In 472 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: the beginning, what's the word? And the word was with God, 473 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: and the Word was God, and all things were made 474 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: by him and for him, for he was with God 475 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: in the beginning. He gave me his word. After he 476 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: had dismissed them, he went up on a mountain side 477 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: by himself to pray. And when evening came he was 478 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: there alone. But the boat was already a considerable distance 479 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:18,959 Speaker 1: from land, buffeted by the waves. Because why the wind 480 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: was against and his opponent raging on the storm tossed 481 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: sea the wind. And we came to church really today 482 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: to find out which one's gonna win the calling that 483 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: God put on your life for the circumstances that contradicted 484 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: your faith or your fear. The wind versus the Word, 485 00:30:55,960 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: the Challenger, you ever watch him in may Sometimes I 486 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: like to preach the Word and then watch people beat 487 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,720 Speaker 1: each other after death on Saturday nights. This shah a 488 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: recovery method. It's kind of my own spiritual cry of therapy. 489 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: But the challenger and then you got the undefeated, undisputed 490 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 1: heavyweight champion. Anyway, I'm gonna get back to the text 491 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: because it said the wind was against the boat, and 492 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: the boat did not represent disobedience like it did for 493 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 1: Jonah who was going away from God. They were going 494 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: into their assignment, which led them into a storm, which 495 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:53,239 Speaker 1: meant that they had to keep moving forward against the wind. Now, 496 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: if you watch the wind, you'll never set out. If 497 00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: they would have had a weather channel app they would 498 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: have never gotten in the boat. Sometimes we know too much, 499 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: Sometimes we overthink things. Who's this message for? If you 500 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 1: are a chronic overthinker, you are a wind watcher. Well, 501 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: and Mike did a flat tier. They've been doing a 502 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: lot of construction. I don't know if I should take 503 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 1: this job or not so? Verse twenty five. The fourth watch. 504 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: The Romans divided it up into four quarters all right 505 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 1: six pm to six am, four watches, three hours each 506 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,479 Speaker 1: six pm to nine pm. First watch nine pm to midnight, 507 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 1: Second watch midnight to three am. Third watch. And when 508 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: does Jesus show up? I mean, this dude, is that 509 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: disrespectful to call him that he was fully God and 510 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: fully man? And he shows up not the first watch 511 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 1: of the night, second watch, third watch. What I like 512 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 1: about the text is even the term watch has significance 513 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: because if you remember what I just read you, it 514 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: said that he went up on a mountain side to prey. Now, 515 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 1: the sea was situated well below the mountain, which means 516 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: that as they went through the storm, even though he 517 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: didn't stop it, he saw them in it. I want 518 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: you to be encouraged today, my sister, my brother, my 519 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: fellow child of God. Just because the storm is raging 520 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: doesn't mean God has left the scene. And just because 521 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: he hasn't stopped it doesn't mean he doesn't see it. 522 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: And just because the devil started it doesn't mean he 523 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 1: won't use it. And just because I don't know how 524 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:50,400 Speaker 1: long until we get there, doesn't make me doubt his 525 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 1: presence in the middle of it. He was watching the 526 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: whole time. He knew just when he wanted to step 527 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: in so they could see him as he had never 528 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 1: been seen. And I believe God is speaking over somebody's 529 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: situation today, that his eye is on you. I believe 530 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: that He has numbered the hairs on your head. I 531 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,880 Speaker 1: believe that even the bad things that have happened in 532 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: your life, he kept every tear in a jar. And 533 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: I don't believe that one of them is beyond redemption. Now. 534 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,720 Speaker 1: The Bible says that when it got to the last 535 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: watch of the night, after they have rowed four to 536 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: five miles in their own strength, Jesus went out to 537 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:31,399 Speaker 1: them walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him 538 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 1: walking on the lake, they were at peace. Nope, First, 539 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,840 Speaker 1: when you see God, your first response is fear. Why 540 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: you don't know if this is really him. That's the problem. 541 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 1: I don't know if this is God, or I don't 542 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 1: know if this is the devil, or I don't know 543 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: if I'm supposed to do this, or I don't know 544 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 1: if I'm supposed to do that. And the challenge is 545 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 1: trusting God in uncertainty, and you got to believe that 546 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: the disciples were wondering, did we hear him right? Did 547 00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: he really take it in the boat? Surely he wouldn't 548 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: have sent usen to a storm like this. And now 549 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,960 Speaker 1: enters the mythology that the Jewish people would have believed 550 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: at this point that underneath the sea was controlled by 551 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: an evil spirit. So when Jesus comes walking to them 552 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:14,720 Speaker 1: and they can't fully trace his silhouette because it's still dark, 553 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 1: and because it's foggy and the wind is against them, 554 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:22,360 Speaker 1: their first instinct is it must be a ghost. See, 555 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 1: you keep thinking, when God shows up in the situation, 556 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 1: it's gonna feel better all of a sudden. But this 557 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 1: will blow your mind. The Bible doesn't say they were 558 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:39,319 Speaker 1: scared at all until Jesus shows up. Now you see 559 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: why you can't go by your feelings. Sometimes the moment 560 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:50,960 Speaker 1: when he's closest is the same moment when the wind 561 00:35:51,040 --> 00:36:00,280 Speaker 1: is blowing the strongest. So they were terrified. It's a ghost, 562 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: they said, and they cried out in fear. Now Jesus, 563 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 1: instead of rebuking them for their fear, responds to their initiative, 564 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:19,759 Speaker 1: and he said, remember, this is a significant term. Yahweh, 565 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 1: I am the name of God. It's a name that 566 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: Jesus embodied in flesh. God is that in spirit. But 567 00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:29,120 Speaker 1: Jesus shows us that in flesh. And when he says 568 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: take courage, it is I. It's more than him just 569 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:39,920 Speaker 1: saying it's me. Boys. He's identifying his presence and connecting 570 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:44,839 Speaker 1: it to the eternal God and the eternal Word. When 571 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 1: he speaks it is I don't be afraid. Peter, in 572 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 1: equal parts doubt and equal parts curiosity because he just 573 00:36:56,080 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: got to participate in a miracle of feeding five thousand, 574 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,399 Speaker 1: is like, I want to get in on this one too, 575 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 1: And I'm tired of being in this boat with John. 576 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 1: He gets on my nerves. He doesn't row, you know. 577 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 1: John was laid back, and Peter's like, if it's you, 578 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: get me out of this boat, tell me to come. 579 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,200 Speaker 1: I preached this for a long time the wrong way, 580 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,440 Speaker 1: and I've corrected it since. I used to say that 581 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,439 Speaker 1: Peter walked on water. But if you look at verse 582 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: twenty nine, Jesus said come, and then Peter got down 583 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:37,080 Speaker 1: out of the boat and walked on the water, but 584 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: he was really walking on the word. I'm gonna just 585 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 1: ask you something. This is not a preachery question. Have 586 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: you ever had to just walk through something just on 587 00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 1: sheer faith that if God brought me out here, he 588 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: will not leave me? Now, that's what it means to 589 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: walk on the word. Have you ever had to move 590 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:09,879 Speaker 1: towards something in your life that scared you to death 591 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 1: and you don't have any experience for it, and your 592 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:17,759 Speaker 1: nautical knowledge did not prepare you for this incident, But 593 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:23,400 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, the sea became a hardwood floor 594 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:28,399 Speaker 1: underneath your feet with each step. That's what I mean 595 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:32,480 Speaker 1: by walking on the word. Have you ever had to 596 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 1: take a promise from God's word and just hold on 597 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:39,359 Speaker 1: to it for dear life? A promise for someone that 598 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 1: you love who's sick, A promise for provision when you 599 00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:45,719 Speaker 1: don't see where it's coming from, a promise that God 600 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,319 Speaker 1: is going to fulfill his purpose for your kids, and 601 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: even if you don't know how it's going to. Have 602 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,440 Speaker 1: you ever had to hold on so tight to something 603 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,279 Speaker 1: in the fourth watch of the night, That's what I 604 00:38:55,320 --> 00:39:00,799 Speaker 1: mean by walking on the word. And Peters walked on 605 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:05,440 Speaker 1: the word. But he's walking against the wind, and so 606 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 1: are we see Jesus didn't stop the wind. He gave 607 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:29,319 Speaker 1: the word come. He said, that's no more instruction than 608 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: you give your golden retriever. Come. And maybe a golden 609 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:38,920 Speaker 1: retriever is smarter than some of us, because a golden 610 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:43,239 Speaker 1: retriever doesn't question the Master. But yet some of us 611 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:49,480 Speaker 1: the first trace of wind the first trace of disappointment. 612 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:55,000 Speaker 1: And I always thought Peter fell down walking to Jesus, 613 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,760 Speaker 1: because you know, he gets out there a little waves, 614 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:01,360 Speaker 1: and most of us do. We get out there a 615 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:04,560 Speaker 1: little ways, and we ingrain to have it for a 616 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,799 Speaker 1: little while, and we go in and do direction by 617 00:40:07,880 --> 00:40:12,000 Speaker 1: faith and trust God for a time. But at somewhere 618 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:16,359 Speaker 1: during the process, the Bible says that after Peter had 619 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:20,640 Speaker 1: walked on the water and came toward Jesus verse thirty, 620 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: he made a critical mistake. He saw the wind. Which 621 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:32,879 Speaker 1: one is stronger, the Word or the wind? I want 622 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 1: to say, it depends which one you watch. I want 623 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: to say that the wind did not have the strength 624 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:46,240 Speaker 1: to knock Peter off of his feet. The only reason 625 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: he went down is because he took his eyes off 626 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:55,960 Speaker 1: of the Word and started watching the wind. See, faith 627 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:59,120 Speaker 1: is not an imaginary state where I get myself worked 628 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,799 Speaker 1: up into a deluge like nothing's ever going to go 629 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:05,160 Speaker 1: bad again, and then I'm surprised when bad stuff happens. 630 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 1: Faith is a focus. Faith is the ability to say, 631 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:13,840 Speaker 1: I'm putting my eyes on the goodness of God in 632 00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:16,880 Speaker 1: this moment, and I'm not looking back, and I'm not 633 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 1: looking forward, and I'm not looking around. My mind has 634 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:24,640 Speaker 1: already reached a conclusion. God is for me. God is 635 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 1: with me. If the wind be against me, if the 636 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: world be against me, if all hell power nails him 637 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:39,640 Speaker 1: to a cross, in three days, he will rise because 638 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:45,239 Speaker 1: my faith is focused on the Word of God that 639 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:49,520 Speaker 1: I'm walking toward. And I want to prophesy over somebody 640 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:53,040 Speaker 1: today and declare over your life. The wind doesn't have 641 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:56,840 Speaker 1: to stop for you to keep walking toward Jesus, and 642 00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,719 Speaker 1: the situation doesn't have to get better for you to 643 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:02,600 Speaker 1: see the glory of God. I'm telling you what I know. 644 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:07,280 Speaker 1: If everything goes worse, if everything gets crazy, if everything 645 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:10,719 Speaker 1: rises up against you, God is an army. God is 646 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 1: a second circle. God is an ever present help in 647 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:21,400 Speaker 1: the time of trouble. And if your life is built 648 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: on the foundation of His word, there is no wind 649 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:28,359 Speaker 1: that can rage against you. That can shake it off 650 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:35,960 Speaker 1: because I'm not walking on water and I'm not watching 651 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:42,240 Speaker 1: the wind. I love how the Old Testament prophet Elijah 652 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:44,960 Speaker 1: he went up on this mountain and there had been 653 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:48,120 Speaker 1: a drought in the land for like three and a 654 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:53,880 Speaker 1: half years, and he heard something. He heard the sound 655 00:42:54,719 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 1: of the abundance of rain. He heard a prophetic indication 656 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:03,320 Speaker 1: that God was about to sin blessing on the land again. 657 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 1: So he did something that looked weird, is that he 658 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:13,240 Speaker 1: put his head in a prayer posture by his knees, 659 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:17,600 Speaker 1: and he sent his servant to go look to check 660 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:19,640 Speaker 1: and see if there was anything at the sky. Now, 661 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:25,360 Speaker 1: when I read that passage, I thought, how at that point, 662 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 1: if Elijah had looked at the weather, if he would 663 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:35,440 Speaker 1: have looked at the surface of his situation, or if 664 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:38,960 Speaker 1: he would have consulted what he felt or what he saw, 665 00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:43,280 Speaker 1: he would have lost his faith. And that's why he knew. 666 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:47,920 Speaker 1: You can't watch the weather. You can't spend all this 667 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:50,919 Speaker 1: time in your life. Look, man, the reason that you're 668 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 1: stressed out might be over stuff. That is a hypothetical 669 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:58,759 Speaker 1: scenario that the enemy suggested to try to get you 670 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:03,000 Speaker 1: off track, because he knows if you walk on this word, 671 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 1: no wind is strong enough to knock you off your balance. 672 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:16,319 Speaker 1: You're in a situation right now and it's wind versus word, 673 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:20,319 Speaker 1: and the one that is going to win is going 674 00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 1: to be the one that you focus on. Agree, And 675 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:26,480 Speaker 1: you can't afford to be doing like this to see 676 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:29,480 Speaker 1: if it's okay to serve God. Look, I can give you, 677 00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:32,279 Speaker 1: I can give you ten reasons right now why you 678 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:34,920 Speaker 1: could question if God even exists. We could all do it. 679 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:38,200 Speaker 1: We see horrible things happen all the time. I could 680 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:42,080 Speaker 1: give you ten reasons. But see, I know that He 681 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:47,640 Speaker 1: is with me, and so I'm not collecting evidence to 682 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 1: see if he's with me. I already know he's with me, 683 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:55,399 Speaker 1: because how would I have made it this far if 684 00:44:55,440 --> 00:45:00,520 Speaker 1: he wasn't. How would I have life or breadth or grace. 685 00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:11,520 Speaker 1: I know he is, and I just want us in 686 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:16,120 Speaker 1: this moment to be very sure that if he has 687 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:20,520 Speaker 1: spoken at that nothing you can see in your situation 688 00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 1: or nothing that you can see. Look, your eyes are tricky, 689 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:26,920 Speaker 1: your ears are tricky, Your senses are tricky. When he 690 00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:31,360 Speaker 1: saw the wind, when he trusted his senses, he slip. 691 00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:37,840 Speaker 1: Your faith will always slip. When you start consulting your feelings, 692 00:45:39,719 --> 00:45:44,720 Speaker 1: it'll always slip. We just want to take a moment 693 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:46,759 Speaker 1: and do what the disciples did when they got back 694 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:53,000 Speaker 1: in the boat. Really interesting little phrase that Matthew puts 695 00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:56,359 Speaker 1: in the gospel that he says that after Peter sank 696 00:45:56,400 --> 00:46:01,640 Speaker 1: and Jesus helped him back up. You know, Jesus is 697 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:05,800 Speaker 1: so gracious. He doesn't hold him underwater for fifteen seconds, 698 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:09,480 Speaker 1: so he'll learn the lesson real good. You know that 699 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:11,359 Speaker 1: view of God that you grew up with that said 700 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:15,279 Speaker 1: that he was just looking for an opportunity to punish you. 701 00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:20,799 Speaker 1: And nah, he was right there to catch him. Go 702 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:24,560 Speaker 1: go gadget arms or something like that. He could do anything. 703 00:46:26,600 --> 00:46:28,600 Speaker 1: And when he asked him the question why did you doubt? 704 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:32,320 Speaker 1: Verse thirty one, the answer was the wind. He doubted 705 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:36,600 Speaker 1: because he lost focus. And focus is about what you 706 00:46:36,719 --> 00:46:40,280 Speaker 1: choose to look at. It doesn't make anything go away. 707 00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:44,319 Speaker 1: It just redirects your attention to what you need to 708 00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:46,319 Speaker 1: be thinking about, what you need to be looking at, 709 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:49,880 Speaker 1: what you need to be considering. So when they climbed 710 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:56,120 Speaker 1: into the boat, the wind died down. The wind die 711 00:46:56,200 --> 00:47:01,120 Speaker 1: down so that the miracle could happen. In fact, the 712 00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:04,680 Speaker 1: wind was against them to prove that God's word was 713 00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:09,920 Speaker 1: greater than the wind. So let's just take a moment 714 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:14,040 Speaker 1: right now and clap our hands that the wind may 715 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 1: be against me. Come on, I'm gonna need you to 716 00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:21,040 Speaker 1: stand up and worship for a moment, to get back 717 00:47:21,040 --> 00:47:24,600 Speaker 1: in the boat and worship him that he is God 718 00:47:24,680 --> 00:47:38,440 Speaker 1: in this storm. By your strives, I am here with 719 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:46,240 Speaker 1: one sets. I am made. You have. That's the word 720 00:47:46,560 --> 00:47:54,400 Speaker 1: in the honor. You've been in a storm. Lift your hands, 721 00:47:55,440 --> 00:48:12,560 Speaker 1: this cky in your you ha spoke Hona bad is so. 722 00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:26,879 Speaker 1: By your starts, fi we wanted, I am made all 723 00:48:28,560 --> 00:48:39,279 Speaker 1: you have spoke in the honor bady is so. And 724 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:49,160 Speaker 1: in this you have and you're all let me go. 725 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:58,560 Speaker 1: You have spoke Insera bad is so. I want to 726 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:00,680 Speaker 1: pray in this moment with your head by and your 727 00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:03,960 Speaker 1: eyes closed, for those of you who have been working 728 00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:08,280 Speaker 1: against the wind. I understand that the nature of life 729 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:10,919 Speaker 1: is that all of us will face challenges in any 730 00:49:10,960 --> 00:49:13,080 Speaker 1: twenty four hour period, and so it kind of depends 731 00:49:13,080 --> 00:49:15,799 Speaker 1: on when we catch you. But what I mean is 732 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:18,120 Speaker 1: that you've been in a season where, like Solomon says, 733 00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:22,120 Speaker 1: you've been watching the wind instead of remembering the word 734 00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:25,280 Speaker 1: of God and focusing on the things that He's placed 735 00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:27,440 Speaker 1: in your life to help you. You've been thinking about 736 00:49:27,440 --> 00:49:31,360 Speaker 1: things that didn't happen or might happen, and it's just 737 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:33,239 Speaker 1: got you watching the wind. I want to pray for 738 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:36,879 Speaker 1: you right now, fathering the name of Jesus. I lift 739 00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:40,400 Speaker 1: up every wind watcher to you, because we're meant to 740 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:43,759 Speaker 1: be word walkers, not wind watchers, and we are meant 741 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:46,439 Speaker 1: to believe something deeper than what our eyes can see. 742 00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:49,400 Speaker 1: And so I pray today that as this word that 743 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:51,799 Speaker 1: you gave me in my own personal time with you 744 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:55,040 Speaker 1: has gone forth to them, that they received it on 745 00:49:55,080 --> 00:49:58,239 Speaker 1: the level that they needed it, that they received the 746 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 1: word that they needed to walk on in the coming week, 747 00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:03,359 Speaker 1: and they might just have to walk on it, one 748 00:50:03,400 --> 00:50:05,560 Speaker 1: moment at a time, one step at a time, one 749 00:50:05,560 --> 00:50:08,640 Speaker 1: moment at a time, because I can't see and because 750 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:11,880 Speaker 1: I can't feel. But I'm walking on the word of God. 751 00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:15,840 Speaker 1: And so I will survive because he gave me his word. 752 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:19,640 Speaker 1: And I will make it because he gave me his word. 753 00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:22,920 Speaker 1: And I will do it because God is not a liar, 754 00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:26,560 Speaker 1: and I will see it on the other side, because 755 00:50:26,600 --> 00:50:30,319 Speaker 1: the God I served has never failed. Come on, let's 756 00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:35,520 Speaker 1: lift our voices in praise and worship and thanksgiving that 757 00:50:35,600 --> 00:50:40,319 Speaker 1: he is God, that he is lord over every storm. 758 00:50:40,320 --> 00:50:43,840 Speaker 1: Come on, Let's give him worship. Give him worship about 759 00:50:43,920 --> 00:50:48,160 Speaker 1: the wind, give him worship about the warfare, give him worship. 760 00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:54,799 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 761 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:57,840 Speaker 1: you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 762 00:50:57,880 --> 00:51:00,799 Speaker 1: you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 763 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:04,560 Speaker 1: link in the description to give now, or visit Elevationchurch 764 00:51:04,719 --> 00:51:08,000 Speaker 1: dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 765 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:11,319 Speaker 1: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 766 00:51:11,360 --> 00:51:13,640 Speaker 1: with your friends. You can click the share button, take 767 00:51:13,640 --> 00:51:16,000 Speaker 1: a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 768 00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:18,920 Speaker 1: tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 769 00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:24,360 Speaker 1: bless you.