1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: I wanted to remind you real quick about Elevation Nights 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:11,319 Speaker 1: starting on October twenty six, going through November fourth, We're 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: going to be in Atlanta, Nashville, Tulsa, Fort Worth, Houston, Orlando, Sunrise, 4 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: and Jacksonville. And if you know anybody that lives near there, 5 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: tell them they better get their ticket. Now. It's going 6 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 1: to be hyperactive, it's going to be ridiculous. We're going 7 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: to be ripping the roof off and expecting the glory 8 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: of God to come in a powerful way. So if 9 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: you live in any of those cities, or if you 10 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: live close enough to get an uber or a scooter, 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: whatever it takes to get to the presence of the Lord, 12 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: we would love to see you there. Go to Elevation 13 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: Nights dot com. But right now, somebody shout right now 14 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: in all caps, put it in chat, right now, right now, 15 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: right now, right now. Throw an exclamation point on there 16 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: in the chat. It doesn't cost you anything to put 17 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: an exclamation chapter right now, who's ready for a word 18 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: from God? Thank you, Jeeve. I want us to go 19 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: to Second Corinthians chapter two. Remain standing for like one 20 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: more minute out of respect for God's word. Second Corinthians, 21 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: chapter two. I've been messing with this passage for like 22 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: four months, trying to preach it. So today's the day, 23 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: So you'll help me out, because I've been looking forward 24 00:01:55,120 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: to this. You know, when how many y'all ever cooked 25 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: a big meal for people and then they just ate 26 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: it so quick and didn't even yeat, which looks like 27 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: for me when I spent a long time looking at 28 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: a passage and y'all just yawn at me, and anyway, 29 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:19,839 Speaker 1: it's gonna be good. Tewod Corinthians chapter two, Verse ten. 30 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: Anyone you forgive, I also forgive, and what I have forgiven, 31 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: if there was anything to forgive, I have forgiven in 32 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that 33 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware 34 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: of his schemes. Now verse twelve, when I went to 35 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ and found that 36 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: the Lord had opened a door for me, I want 37 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: to read that scripture again, because I've lived in the 38 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 1: door had opened or excuse use, the Lord had opened 39 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: a door for me. Tell somebody, it's not your door, 40 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: it's my door. God gave it to me. Paul said 41 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: the Lord had opened a door for me. Point to yourself, 42 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: the Lord, say it the Lord. Type this. The Lord 43 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: opened a door for me. When I found that the Lord. 44 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 1: When I went to Troas to preach the Gospel of 45 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door 46 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: for me, I still had no peace of mind because 47 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: I did not find my brother Titus there. So I 48 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. That's 49 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: the scripture. The Lord had opened a door for me, 50 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: but I still had no peace of mind. And we're 51 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: going to call this message a troubled mind and an 52 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: open and door. Last week I shared with you green 53 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: light at the Red Sea. You remember, man, y'all forget quick, 54 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: because I've been thinking about it all week, at every 55 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: traffic light. I've been thinking about God's goodness and how 56 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: he gives us the ability to overcome any obstacle, and 57 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 1: sometimes the obstacle is the opportunity. But today we'll continue 58 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: that thought from a little different angle, and we're going 59 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: to talk about a troubled mind and an open door. 60 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: Speak Lord in Jesus name, Amen, you may be seated. 61 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: Troubled mind and an open door that it feels like 62 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: in this text, we've stepped into the middle of something. 63 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: I don't know if you felt that when I was 64 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: reading it, but back around verse ten, it's kind of 65 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 1: like one of those tense arguments you sometimes got caught 66 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: in the middle of a argument that you don't know 67 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: how it started, but you know, I get I'm a 68 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: tiptoe out real quick. So we understand in the text 69 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: that we're reading. You know, like when you read Bible 70 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: verses in isolation, it doesn't really give you the integrity 71 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: of the thought. So if you just read one verse, 72 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: that's good, but it's better to read a few so 73 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: you can understand. They taught us in seminary the text 74 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 1: in context, because a text without a context is a pretext. 75 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: Whatever that means. I spent like fifty thousand dollars to 76 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: learn it in seminary. Interestingly enough, Paul is dealing with 77 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: one of the most important churches that he ever laid, 78 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 1: the foundation for, the Church at Corinth. The Church at 79 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: Corinth is responsible for a lot of Paul's pride as 80 00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: a pastor and a lot of his problems, and it 81 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: seems in this passage that we're reading right now to 82 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: the Corinthian Church, Paul finds them very important. I don't 83 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: know if Paul, that dignitaryan statesman, that gospel practitioner who 84 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: erected altars for Jesus Christ and all of the known 85 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: Roman world to the gentiles who were previously not even 86 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: considered worthy of the message. I don't know if he 87 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: had favorites, but he certainly understood that some people are 88 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: more strategic than others. Doesn't mean that somebody is more 89 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: valuable than others or And I was even out here 90 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: today before church started. I don't always do this, but 91 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: today I came out in the auditorium and sat down 92 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: in one of the seats here at this beautiful Ballentine campus. 93 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken, it was the fifth row of 94 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: this section on this side of the aisle one two 95 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: three four five seats in one two three four five. 96 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: So you in the hunter green looks like shirt. I 97 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: was in your seat, preaching, praying, praying for who I 98 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: was going to preach to today, preaching to myself to 99 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: get ready to preach this morning before you got here. 100 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: So you feel a little something extra over there today. 101 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: But I was thinking, how in each seat is somebody 102 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: whose situation is uniquely difficult and uniquely wonderful. While we 103 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: were praising the same God a minute ago, we were 104 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: praising the same God for a lot of different things. 105 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: Somebody was praising God just because you didn't get caught. 106 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: You were praising him because you memorized Colossians in your 107 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: men's Bible study. Okay, you were praising him just because 108 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: nobody found out about it. Mm hmm. But as we 109 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: preach and teach online and just go ahead and put 110 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: your name in your city in the chat, God, has 111 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: you situated? God? Has you situated? Now? Now, Corinth was 112 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: a city that was situated. It was important because it 113 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: was a cosmopolitan city that also represented a seaport, and 114 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: it was a it was it was a it was 115 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: a flourishing place in terms of culture because you kind 116 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: of had to go through Corinth. It was It was 117 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: the third largest city by population in its time. The 118 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,959 Speaker 1: only cities that were bigger than Corinth would be Roman Alexandria. 119 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: So Corinth is not only populated, but it situated. Now 120 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: when you think about this from a minute, it was 121 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 1: a very important city because it was a port city 122 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: and that meant that the ships came through there, and 123 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: it was situated well enough, the distribution could happen in 124 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: trade could happen, and commerce could happen because of where 125 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: Corinth was situated. On the other hand, Corinth was a 126 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: very ungodly city because the same situation that made it 127 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: so effective for business made it susceptible to temptation. Corinth 128 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: was a city where there was a lot of sexual immorality. 129 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: You know, back in the Bible times, they had different 130 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: problems than we have today. They had sexual immorality even 131 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: in the church. Some people were messing around in the 132 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: church at Corinth. Can you believe those crazy Christians at Corinth, 133 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 1: and Paul spent eighteen months with them, and he couldn't 134 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: cast out all these sexual devils. He couldn't cast out 135 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: all of these idolatry devils. They were so greedy. They 136 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: were getting drunk off the Lord's communion wine and Corinth 137 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: a bunch of crazy Christians in Corinth. I used to 138 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: find it funny people would say, I don't go to elevation. 139 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:47,319 Speaker 1: Back when we used to start. They would say, I 140 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: don't go to elevation because some of the people that 141 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: go there. Some of the people that go there aren't 142 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: very good Christians. And I would always think that should 143 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: be your invitation to join us. I always wish I 144 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: could put a c old circuit camera in their house 145 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: when they talk like that, just a little nest cam 146 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: so I can catch you in the middle of the 147 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: night doing the crazy stuff you do. But really, no, 148 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: really to get to the core of how crazy you are. 149 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: I couldn't put the camera in a room. I'd have 150 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: to put it. And Paul is talking to a group 151 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: of people who are very important to him. He's invested 152 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: a lot in them, and they've hurt him deeply. Nobody 153 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: can really hurt you deeply if you haven't invested in 154 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: them greatly. The proof that I love you is that 155 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: I have the capacity to hate you. You can't hate 156 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: somebody you don't love. You can ignore them, you can 157 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: be annoyed by them, you can be perturbed by them. 158 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: Then you can pray for them. But you can't hate 159 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: somebody that you don't love. It's not that Paul hates 160 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: the Corinthian Church. It's that his relationship with them is 161 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: so important, not only to him personally, now it's important personally. 162 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: We find out more about Paul through his writings to 163 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: the Corinthian Church than anything else. He wrote in the Bible, 164 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: the Book of Romans. If you want to really understand 165 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: Paul's theological construct for justification by faith in Christ, not 166 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: through works of the law, you should go to the 167 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: Book of Romans. But if you want to see inside 168 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 1: of Paul's mind how he thinks not only about our 169 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: relationship with God, but his relationship with others, you should 170 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 1: read First and Second Corinthians. And it might interest you 171 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: to know that as powerful as Paul was with God, 172 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: he still had dysfunctional relationships with people through which God 173 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: worked to get the Gospel to the earth. The church 174 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: at Corinth was important for Paul. It served, as it were, 175 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: as a hinge for the Gospel to go forth into 176 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: the hitherto previously unevangelized gentile world. This important church in 177 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: a seaport city that was established by the apostle himself, 178 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: and now he's having to write them about a conflict 179 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: that should have been resolved by now. He said, I 180 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:24,719 Speaker 1: need to forgive you. I need to forgive you. It's 181 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: not that I'm saying you're not important. Fifth row, fifth seat, 182 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:36,839 Speaker 1: hunder green golf shirt. But all seats in this church 183 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: are not created equal to me, I've learned through time 184 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:42,839 Speaker 1: that this seat, and they probably aren't showing it on 185 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: the camera, the one we're Holly sitting right now, that's 186 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: the most important seat in the church to me. To 187 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: me now, early in my ministry, I thought that having 188 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: all the seats full was the whole goal. Where I'm 189 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: at in my life right now, I think that if 190 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: every seat in this church was full, but that my 191 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: wife didn't respect my life enough to want to hear 192 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: me preach what I had to say, because the way 193 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: I live at home, that I would be a hypocrite. 194 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: I think that if this seat, when Holly tells me, 195 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: she told me last week she said that spoke to me. 196 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: I said, well, good, because I've kind of put some 197 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: stuff in there for you. I know why I didn't. 198 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 1: But what I'm saying is in the eyes of God, 199 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 1: fifth seat, fifth row is just as important as this one, 200 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: but not in my eyes. In the eyes of God, 201 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: there's equal value to every human being. So if there's 202 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: a millionaire on your row and then somebody who can't 203 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: even doesn't even know where their next meal is coming from, 204 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: to God, the worth of his children is not based 205 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 1: on something called network or occupation, or any of these 206 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: opportunistic ways that we see people. But to us, to us, 207 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: we have to realize that certain things we have to 208 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: learn to prioritize what's really important in our lives, what 209 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: opportunities we give our energy to. Some of us are 210 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: praying for God to give us things that He simply 211 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: cannot give us the way we're asking them to come. 212 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: If we're asking God to give us peace in our lives, 213 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: but we have no priorities, we will never receive the 214 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: peace that God gave us through Jesus, who is our peace, 215 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: when he died on the cross. So that's the setup. 216 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: And here's the sermon. Paul said, when I went to 217 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: preach the Gospel of Christ intro ass and found that 218 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: the Lord had opened a door for me, I still 219 00:14:55,480 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: had no peace of mind. This is Paul point Guard 220 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: of the New Testament Church to the gentile, saying I 221 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: had an opportunity. Now, Paul has seen God open so 222 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: many doors, and so have you? I said, so have you? 223 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: How many of you just wave at me? Have seen 224 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: God put you and situate you and position you in 225 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: places that you could never earn or deserve. And don't 226 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: know how you got here. Yeah, how many of you 227 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: were smart enough and competent enough, and you did it 228 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: all by yourself, and you created your own oxygen that 229 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: you breathed into the lungs that you formed with your 230 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: hands in your mother's womb. Even listen, Even your success 231 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: was because of how God situated you. The reason Corinth 232 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: was was because of where it sat in relation to 233 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: the Mediterranean Sea. Some of us get very prideful about 234 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: things that we accomplished, but if God hadn't put Corinth 235 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: by the sea, it wouldn't have been a port city. 236 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: So even when God blesses me, I understand that if 237 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: he did not give the wisdom, if he did not 238 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: give the strength, if he did not give the opportunity, 239 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: I don't care. If you're a professional tennis player, if 240 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: somebody didn't give you a racket, if somebody didn't give 241 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: you a ball. You can have all the athletic ability 242 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: in the world. But without the opportunity that God gives, 243 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: all of your human ability means nothing. Even the ability 244 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: itself comes from God. This is what Paul knows, and 245 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: that's why he uses a phrase that we can use 246 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: to Sometimes we can say the Lord opened the door 247 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: for me. The Lord opened the door for me, So 248 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: don't be mad at me about the blessings that I'm 249 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: walking in. The Lord opened those doors for me. Remember, 250 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: real early when I was preaching, I invited myself to 251 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: preach out a church. I didn't like it. I didn't 252 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: like how it felt because he said yes, and once 253 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: I got there, I felt like it to me to perform. 254 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: I was seventeen years old. Spirits spoke to me, said, 255 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: don't ever invite yourself somewhere to preach again. You can 256 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:10,399 Speaker 1: put your messages out, you can put them online, you 257 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: can use all the platform blah blah blah and social 258 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: media and all that. You do everything you can do 259 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: to get the gospel out, but don't ever situate yourself 260 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: in a position through manipulation, because then you will carry 261 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: the burden of performance. It's something awesome about knowing the 262 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: Lord opened this store. It's just something freeing about knowing 263 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,920 Speaker 1: the Lord opened this store. It's something great about knowing 264 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: that God brought me into this relationship. Because see, you 265 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: can get into a relationship and really God wants you 266 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 1: in it, and then you have to spend the rest 267 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: of the relationship trying to get somebody to like a 268 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: pretend version of you that you had to put on 269 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: like a costume to get them to accept you. But 270 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: if you had to compromise yourself to gain their acceptance, 271 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: what did you really get? Something awesome about the Lord 272 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: opening doors? There's something awesome about the Lord closing doors. 273 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 1: I need both. Last week we talked about the red 274 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: light and the green light, praising God for one and 275 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: not the other kind of foolish. You know, the green 276 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: light is only as effective as the red light. You'll 277 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 1: want all green lights in the city of Charlotte, where 278 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: everybody's just smashing into each other all the time. So 279 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: why do we want all green lights from God just 280 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: to be crashing into stuff that we could have avoided 281 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: if we would have heard his voice. Pray this Lord 282 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 1: open the door. Now, pray this Lord close the door, 283 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: because either way, I want your hand on the knob. 284 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: Everybody over twenty five ought to give God a shout 285 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: of praise. You don't notice shout over that closed door 286 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: till at least twenty five. What's interesting about this text 287 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: to me is that we could argue the most important 288 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: figure in the New Testament other than Jesus, who Roughly 289 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 1: over a third of the New Testament is devoted to 290 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:22,959 Speaker 1: either his letters or his life. Paul formerly Saul of Tarsus, 291 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: the one who got knocked off of his horse on 292 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: his way to kill Christians, and God closed his eyes 293 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: and blinded him, sent him to Anonius in Acts chapter 294 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: nine to receive his sight, and he spent the rest 295 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: of his life taking the Gospel to the known world. 296 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: He started at least fourteen churches, and he started out 297 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: as a Christian killer. God used him to multiply in 298 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 1: the earth the thing that he tried to uproot in 299 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: one season. Only God could do that. Only God could 300 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: take somebody trained under Gamali and get him to let 301 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: go of all the traditions of men and call it rubbish. 302 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: He said, the things that I once counted as game, 303 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,159 Speaker 1: I now count as lost. God has completely reversed my 304 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 1: understanding of my value system. Of what's important and what 305 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 1: was once gained to me I now count as loss, 306 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: And what was once lost I now count as the 307 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,679 Speaker 1: ultimate gain. And all I want to do is no Christ. 308 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: And all I want to do is make him known 309 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: as I come to know him better. Now I know 310 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: what's important and of all churches he establishes, and he 311 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: started at least fourteen, at least fourteen that we know about. 312 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: That doesn't count all the spinoff churches. That doesn't count 313 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 1: all the churches that had baby churches, of baby churches 314 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: and the grand baby churches that Paul started, every gospel 315 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: drop that entered the gentile world, Paul had a pardon 316 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: it sometimes sowing in tears and pain. But that's Paul 317 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: who God opened a door for. And I want to 318 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: say one word thing about that before I move on 319 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: to the other that that I'm going to say after 320 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: I say this about that. The whole reason that Paul 321 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: took the Gospel to the Gentiles was because the Jewish 322 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: people rejected him. You know, sometimes rejection is one of 323 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: God's greatest doors. While Paul was preaching in Judea, they 324 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,360 Speaker 1: didn't want to give up the customs and the rights 325 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: of Judaism. So God said, that's fine, I'll open a 326 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: door for you somewhere else. When God opens a door, 327 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:49,199 Speaker 1: nobody can shut it. And if the door you're standing 328 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,159 Speaker 1: in front of right now won't open, it's not yours. 329 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: God will open a door in the desert. We found 330 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: out last week He'll put a green light at a 331 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: red sea. He will lead you through. And one of 332 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: the greatest ways that God will lead you in your 333 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: life is through people who don't like you and lead 334 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: your life to bring you to something else. I'm preaching 335 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 1: to three people. It's only three, Lord, but I'm gonna 336 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: do it. I'm a do it. So it's been some 337 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: conflict with the church at Corinth and Paul has spent 338 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 1: a lot of time trying to defend himself to the 339 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: people who honestly should have come to his defense at 340 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: certain points. He must have struggled with bitterness about that. 341 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: Have you ever struggled about bitterness for people who should 342 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: have taken up for you? Or this is just only 343 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: a preacher problem. Sometimes I don't know if you go 344 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,119 Speaker 1: through the same things somebody who should have defended you, 345 00:22:54,119 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: somebody who he spent eighteen months with these jokers. And 346 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: now he's had to write several letters. You know, we've 347 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 1: got First Corinthians and Second Corinthians. Let me give you 348 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: a little textual background because it's really good. There's a 349 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: lost letter that we don't have that Paul references and 350 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: he calls it my tearful letter. They got so crazy 351 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: in Corinth, turning up on communion, wine and things like this. 352 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: There was incest in the church at Corinth. Paul's like, 353 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 1: are y'all absolutely crazy? But then they had the audacity 354 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: to accuse Paul and say he wasn't a real apostle. 355 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: And so rather than validate himself, he makes a decision 356 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: in Second Corinthians too, he says, I'm letting it go. 357 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: Isn't that amazing? He says, the one who said all 358 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: this about me, the one I know, I saw it, 359 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: I heard it, I heard about it. I'm forgiving and 360 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,199 Speaker 1: I'm moving forward, and y'all need to let it go too, 361 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: because I refuse to let unforgiveness in my heart block 362 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 1: the future that God has for me. He said, So 363 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: I want you to forgive because I'm forgiving. And we 364 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: got to get we got to get our mind right. 365 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: Because here's what happened. This is the part of the text. 366 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: I couldn't figure out that Paul who saw the greatest 367 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:44,440 Speaker 1: opportunities for the gospel the life that in resurrection of 368 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, that's the gospel that if you believe in 369 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: his name, you will be saved. That's the gospel that 370 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,919 Speaker 1: His blood atones for your sin, that you don't have 371 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: to have the blood of bulls and goats. Old Testament 372 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: sacrifices that by believing in His name you may have life. 373 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: Nothing could stop the Gospel from progressing through Paul, but 374 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 1: he described something very interesting, and I want us to 375 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: study it today. He says in verse twelve, Now, when 376 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,960 Speaker 1: I went to troe Ass to preach the Gospel of 377 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: Christ and found that the Lord had opened the door 378 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 1: for me, I still had no peace of mind because 379 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: I didn't find my brother Titus there. So I said 380 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 1: goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. Wow, so 381 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: we got troe Ass. That's a whole city, and we 382 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: got Titus. That's one person. Let's look at this together 383 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 1: again because I don't know if you had your Starbucks today, 384 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: and I don't want you to miss it. In verse twelve, 385 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: he said, I went to troe Ass and God gave 386 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: me an open door to share the gospel in this city. 387 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,439 Speaker 1: Troas is also a port city. Look you see this 388 00:25:57,320 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: zoom in on the camera. I don't know if this 389 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: is this a worker. I don't know if we get 390 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 1: close enough, but try to focus. You can't really see 391 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: is there another camera? I need to show you this. Focus. 392 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:19,640 Speaker 1: I'll be still you focus. That's it? What this one? 393 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: I went that page? Right there? Y'all see my tattoo 394 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 1: on my wedding ring finger? Get close? Get close? Can 395 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: we get closer? I want to show you something because 396 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: it's a picture that's close enough. I'm starting to get 397 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 1: a little freaked out. Now, yeah, you see it? Can 398 00:26:51,600 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: you see Corrinth, Corant? You know we could have done 399 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,720 Speaker 1: this professional. I gonna put it on the screen. It 400 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: could have been great. And there oh look look look 401 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 1: there's troe Ass. See troe Ass and there's emphasis in Macedonia. 402 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: So Paul's like, I came here, Corinth, and I preached 403 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: the word in this important city, this isthmus that connects 404 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: southern Greece to the mainland. It's important, Its important. But 405 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: I say it's important, and he says, you are more 406 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: important to me than being right is. I'm not going 407 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: to argue with you about this because it's stopping the 408 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: gospel from flowing. I'm not gonna argue with you about 409 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: this because there's stuff that needs to happen. There's something 410 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: important that needs to get distributed. See Paul understands if 411 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: the Church at Corinth doesn't get right with him, it's 412 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,439 Speaker 1: going to affect the rest of his ministry to the 413 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: gentile world. So he said, I'm letting go of the 414 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 1: offense to seize the opportunity. Why am I preaching about that, 415 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: because some of you are losing the opportunity because you 416 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: won't let go of the offense. Y'all went to sleep 417 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: while I was over here messing with this camera. Wake up. 418 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 1: I said, the opportunity is greater than the offense. And 419 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 1: so that's Corinth, you see Corinth. I'm so sorry y'all 420 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: about this. And then there's true ass anyway, take my 421 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 1: word for it. Between the two, this is what I 422 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:57,479 Speaker 1: want to get to. Between the two is Macedonia. And 423 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 1: now Paul has sent a letter to the church at Corinth. 424 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: Following me so far, they said, Paul's not a real apostle. 425 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: We like the Paul is better. We don't like Paul anymore. 426 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: He told us to put our pants on and stop 427 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: sleeping around and calling ourselves good Christians, and we don't 428 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 1: like that, and Paul told us to straighten up. We 429 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: don't like Paul anymore. We liked him when he was 430 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: telling us be saved and received the free, get the forgiveness. 431 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: But now he's trying to put something in place that'll 432 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: actually help us live in Christian freedom. And we don't 433 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 1: like that anymore. We're got to be slave to these mute, 434 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: deaf idols. So Paul's like, no, no no, no, no, no, 435 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: to stop that. You gotta stop that. God has given 436 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: you an open door. You are an important city. You 437 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: are an important city. I'm not preaching about them. I'm 438 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 1: preaching about you. You are an important city. You are 439 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: an important city. Bye, you got the confidence to say it, 440 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:51,239 Speaker 1: say it out loud. I am an important city. I 441 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: am an important city, even though I came from a 442 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: small town. I'm an important city. I am a shipping destination. 443 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 1: I am a port for the Hospel of Jesus Christ. 444 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: I am an opening to generational freedom. Yes, I am. 445 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: I am an important city, Oh little town of Bethlehem, 446 00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: from you shall come a ruler. I am an important city, 447 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: and I have an open door. And God has placed 448 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: opportunities in my life in this season that are amazing. 449 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: And the Word of God says that if God opens 450 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 1: a door, nobody can shut it. That's in Revelation, chapter three, 451 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: verse seven and eight. Thank you very much. The Lord 452 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: told the church at Philadelphia through the apostle John, who 453 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: was exiled on an island, and God still showed him 454 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: a door. Exiled on an island called Patmas, and God 455 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 1: showed him a door, isolated in a terrible situation. But 456 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: God showed him a door. And listen what he prophesied 457 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: to the Church of Philadelphia. He said, these are the 458 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: words of him who is wholly and true, who holds 459 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: the key of David. That means that Jesus Christ has 460 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 1: a kingdom over which he has all authority, the key 461 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: of David. That's the God you serve. So when people 462 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: leave you out, you're not locked out because he has 463 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: the key to that room. WHOA. I'm just happy, y'all 464 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: because everybody doesn't like you. Everybody doesn't have to. If 465 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: God is for you, If God is for you, you 466 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: don't have to say anything. You don't have to defend yourself. 467 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 1: You'll have to go back and forth. Let it go. 468 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: I get through this door. The gore is yours. Okay. 469 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: So he says he holds the key of David. What 470 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,480 Speaker 1: he opens this is speaking about salvation. This is speaking 471 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: about how Jesus Christ is the door, how you come 472 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: to God through Him, through nothing else, through no other system. 473 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 1: He is the author of salvation. He is the finisher 474 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: of our faith. He holds the key of David. I'm 475 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: preaching about Jesus. Now, I'm preaching about Jesus. And he said, 476 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: what I open no one can shut, and what he 477 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 1: shuts no one can open. Next verse. Please, let's stay 478 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: on this for a second. I know your deeds. See, 479 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 1: I have placed before you an open door. The Lord said, 480 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: I've placed before you is not going to be in 481 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 1: your past. That's why Paul had to forgive. He said, 482 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: whatever happened that, whatever they did. Now, look, Paul forgave 483 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: the guy, but he didn't put him on his senior leadership. 484 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:07,840 Speaker 1: He just said, I'm going through the door, and what 485 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 1: he opens no one can shut. What he shuts someone 486 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:11,200 Speaker 1: can open. I have put before you an open door 487 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: that no one can shut. Now, listen to this what 488 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: God says to the church at Philadelphia, and I believe 489 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: he might say it to the church at Elevation too. 490 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:26,719 Speaker 1: I know you have a little strength. It's not about strength. 491 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,719 Speaker 1: Can I show you something? This is really cool? Everybody 492 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: says strength. Now everybody says scheme. Go back to Second Corinthians, 493 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: Chapter two, Verse eleven is one of those that I've 494 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: read out of context for years. I didn't even really 495 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: know what it meant. I never really read it in 496 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: the context of Paul's conflict. But now have and I 497 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 1: saw something. He said in verse eleven. We got to 498 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: forgive and get through this in order that Satan might 499 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: not outwit us, for we're not aware of his schemes. Now, 500 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: what was interesting to me is he didn't say in 501 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 1: order that Satan put the verse back up. He didn't 502 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:14,759 Speaker 1: say in order that Satan might not overpower us. He 503 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:19,880 Speaker 1: said outwit us. Because the battle is not about strength, 504 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: it's about strategy. Put this in the chat. Say it 505 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: out loud if you're with me in the room. It's 506 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 1: about the strategy. And Satan is not stronger than you. 507 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,400 Speaker 1: We just read this. If God opens the door, nobody 508 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: can shut it. No devil, no depression, no trauma, no abuse, nothing, 509 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: nothing can stop the Gospel of Jesus Christ from going 510 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 1: forth in your life, in your heart, in your marriage. 511 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:02,279 Speaker 1: We give the devil too much credit sometimes because we'll say, oh, well, 512 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: the devil is attacking my marriage. The devil is attacking 513 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: my finances. That's where you're feeling it, but that's not 514 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:14,359 Speaker 1: where the attack is happening. He didn't say in order 515 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 1: that Satan might not overpower us, because that would make 516 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,799 Speaker 1: it about your strength. And we already know from John 517 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: sixteen thirty three that Jesus said peace. I give to 518 00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:29,480 Speaker 1: you my peace I leave with you in the world. 519 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:34,320 Speaker 1: You will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome 520 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 1: the world. It's not about the trouble in front of you. 521 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 1: We can have a testimony service about your trouble. What's 522 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: the point we can all line up and blake. Can 523 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 1: I top your trouble? I have a headache, I have 524 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 1: a back ache. I don't have a back, I don't 525 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: have a head I'm decapitated. I've seen people do it, 526 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 1: and we top each other with our trouble. But that's 527 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 1: not what this is about, is it. It's not about 528 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,920 Speaker 1: what's happening in my life. Satan's not stronger than you. 529 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: He can't make you do anything. If God opens the 530 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: door to freedom, if God opens the sea, you can 531 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: go through it. I don't care who's chasten you. I 532 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:16,560 Speaker 1: don't care who said you couldn't. I don't care how 533 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: long you've struggled with it. It's not about who's stronger. 534 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: It's about who's smarter. Because you're like, well, that's Jesus. 535 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: Jesus has overcome the world. I'm not Jesus. But first, 536 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:38,000 Speaker 1: John four Ford says, greater is he that is in 537 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: you than he that is in the world. So he's 538 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: not stronger. That's not why you're stuck. He's not stronger. 539 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:51,160 Speaker 1: You have the spirit of God. He's not stronger. The 540 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:53,719 Speaker 1: condemnation that haunts you at light, in your in your 541 00:36:53,719 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 1: midnight hour has been nailed to the cross. The written 542 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 1: regulations have been nailed to the cross. That's dealt with. 543 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 1: That is not what is standing at the door. Paul said, 544 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:10,120 Speaker 1: I had an open door, but I had a troubled mind, 545 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: And so he sent Titus with a letter to the 546 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: Corinthian Church because he didn't know if things were going 547 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: to be all right. You know, your body can be 548 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: one place and your mind can be another. And Paul's 549 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: at Troas, and God's given him opportunities, and he can 550 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,799 Speaker 1: preach the gospel to a whole city. And he said, 551 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 1: but I couldn't find Titus, so I left, and it 552 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 1: didn't like he left because he wanted to. When Paul 553 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: says in verse fourteen thirteen, excuse me, I believe it 554 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 1: is he said, I said goodbye. That's the only time 555 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:47,239 Speaker 1: he uses that phrase in all of Scripture. It's a 556 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:51,000 Speaker 1: solemn farewell. He's almost embarrassed about it. He's like, I 557 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 1: couldn't get my mind right, so I couldn't seize the opportunity. 558 00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:00,840 Speaker 1: Now that hit me because I'm trying to raise these kids, 559 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 1: you see, and I know God has given me an 560 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:08,719 Speaker 1: opportunity to be a great father. But sometimes, if I'm 561 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: honest with you, I'm sitting at the table with them, 562 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:18,840 Speaker 1: and my body is there. My body is there, but 563 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:23,840 Speaker 1: my mind is on other stuff. And some of it 564 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: is real, and some of it is completely fabricated, of 565 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:35,839 Speaker 1: stuff that might happen three years from now, maybe, and 566 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,240 Speaker 1: so my mind will drift to the possibly and slip 567 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 1: away from the present. Now. When I saw Paul, I 568 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: saw us. He said, I was intro ass and so 569 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,839 Speaker 1: was the open door that God gave me, and great 570 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:56,080 Speaker 1: things could have happened intros But I had to say goodbye, 571 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,560 Speaker 1: not because of the trouble in troass, But because my 572 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: mind was trouble. The enemy wants to mess with your 573 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 1: mind so much that you can't even go through the 574 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:15,399 Speaker 1: doors that God opens for you, that you can't even 575 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:20,120 Speaker 1: enjoy the moments that God gives you. He wants to 576 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 1: mess with your mind and scramble your perspective to the 577 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:29,960 Speaker 1: point where you can't even focus long enough to sit 578 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:37,359 Speaker 1: down and pray about something. He wants to He wants 579 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,799 Speaker 1: to get you so focused on something. And I put 580 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:42,919 Speaker 1: down four things that spell the word door with each 581 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:48,439 Speaker 1: first letter. When was the disappointments in your life? When 582 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: was the outcomes that you can't control? That's the oh, 583 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 1: disappointments outcomes When we mentioned the offenses that you can't 584 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 1: get over, and one is the regret of the opportunities 585 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:08,080 Speaker 1: that you can't get back. So I realized that not 586 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:14,920 Speaker 1: only does God use open doors, so do Satan. Have 587 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,840 Speaker 1: you ever opened a door in your mind to the devil? 588 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 1: A door of just like going down a trail? And 589 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:28,040 Speaker 1: I like to imagine the Bible how different it was 590 00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:31,680 Speaker 1: from our day where look, if there would have been 591 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: technology today like there would have been in if if 592 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 1: Paul would have had the same technology as us. Rather, 593 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: none of this would have been an issue. What Paul does. 594 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 1: He sends tight Us with a letter, and remember I 595 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 1: tried to show you on the Bible. Don't worry, we 596 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 1: are not going through that again with the camera. But 597 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:52,960 Speaker 1: he sends ted Us back to Corinth over the AGAs 598 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: you see, and he goes, all right, you go to Corinth, 599 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 1: and when you get back, tell me how it's going. 600 00:40:57,719 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: Tell me if they receive my correction. He's trying to 601 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 1: direct and saw the relationship. But he sends Titus with 602 00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:04,319 Speaker 1: the letter is trustworthy a companion in the gospel, And 603 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:05,879 Speaker 1: he said, Titus, when you get there and find out. 604 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:08,920 Speaker 1: Let me know now, if this would have had a 605 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:11,720 Speaker 1: zoom call, if Paul could have got on a zoom call, 606 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 1: just imagine with me, he could have stayed in tross 607 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,720 Speaker 1: because Titus would have got on the zoom call and said, hey, Paul, 608 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:23,239 Speaker 1: it's all good. I got a quilla in Priscilla here 609 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,920 Speaker 1: and uh, we're all here on the zoom call Paul, 610 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:28,560 Speaker 1: and it's all good, Paul. We were all good. They 611 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:30,960 Speaker 1: got your letter and they love you and it's all 612 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:33,719 Speaker 1: good and whatever whatever. But see the reason I wanted 613 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 1: to show you the map is because between Corinth, where 614 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:41,600 Speaker 1: Paul's mind was, and tro As where his body was, 615 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 1: there was a seat. And to me it looked like 616 00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:50,160 Speaker 1: my mind. It looked like how sometimes my body is 617 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:54,240 Speaker 1: in one place, but my mind is in another. And Paul, 618 00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: with a note of sadness, said, I had to say 619 00:41:57,080 --> 00:42:01,400 Speaker 1: goodbye to the opportunity that God gave me because I 620 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:07,840 Speaker 1: couldn't get my mind right in the process. Has that 621 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:11,520 Speaker 1: been you? Let me give you a little test to 622 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: see if that's been you. Have you been not letting 623 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: new people love you because of how old people hurt you. 624 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:27,560 Speaker 1: Have you stopped trusting people period because you found out 625 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:31,919 Speaker 1: that people are not trustworthy totally. You never should trust 626 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 1: anyone totally other than God. Even if they want to 627 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:36,399 Speaker 1: do good for you, they're going to let you down. 628 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:40,239 Speaker 1: They can't help it. It's the human condition. But for 629 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:41,880 Speaker 1: you to sit there and go, well, I'll never trust 630 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 1: anybody with anything again. I got to do it all 631 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:45,120 Speaker 1: on my own. If you want something done right, you 632 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: got to do it yourself. And people are just Yeah, 633 00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:48,279 Speaker 1: people are just people and you want them and j 634 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:49,520 Speaker 1: just di brawl of us. So you've got to get 635 00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:51,840 Speaker 1: back in the game and do some stuff in this 636 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 1: life and not get so bitter that you don't go 637 00:42:54,120 --> 00:43:03,600 Speaker 1: through the door. Have you have you? Have you been 638 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:07,120 Speaker 1: standing at an open door, but the enemy's got your 639 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:10,879 Speaker 1: mind soul in trouble that you can't go through it. 640 00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:15,520 Speaker 1: I mean, like real opportunities God has given you to 641 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:21,000 Speaker 1: be fruitful. But you're scarred. Not only scarred. Scarred is good. 642 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:25,680 Speaker 1: It means it's healed. You're wounded, and the wound is 643 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: still open. So now the door is closing, and weeks 644 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:34,600 Speaker 1: and months of your life are slipping away, and you 645 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:39,279 Speaker 1: say goodbye to Troas and you go to Macedonia. Why 646 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:43,960 Speaker 1: was Paul so desperate to find Titus? Because Titus had 647 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:47,680 Speaker 1: the news. If Titus could have texted Paul, this could 648 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:51,680 Speaker 1: have all been over with. But they didn't have a 649 00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:56,520 Speaker 1: text message. It takes months to cross the Mediterranean Sea, 650 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,120 Speaker 1: so Paul's waiting for Titus to see is it all 651 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:02,160 Speaker 1: right in Corinth? Is it gonna be all right? Are 652 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,439 Speaker 1: they gonna accept the correction? Are they back on track? 653 00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:06,759 Speaker 1: Because he loves them and they're important, And every day 654 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:11,080 Speaker 1: that goes by the Titus doesn't show up. Paul's mind 655 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:18,680 Speaker 1: gets more and more burdened. Honestly, I can't last five 656 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:23,319 Speaker 1: minutes that somebody doesn't text me back, that I don't 657 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:27,279 Speaker 1: start making up the most screwed up scenarios in my head. 658 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 1: And so I feel for Paul. I'm serious. If Holly doesn't, 659 00:44:33,719 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: if I don't see bubbles within twenty five seconds, in 660 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:42,440 Speaker 1: my mind, she's dead. The car has flipped seven times. 661 00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 1: It's horrible. I know it's kind of funny, but it's 662 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 1: really not. In a moment, anybody like me, like you 663 00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:51,719 Speaker 1: have two minutes to respond to me, and I'm freaking out. 664 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:53,560 Speaker 1: Maybe I don't like me anymore. Maybe I don't respond 665 00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:55,440 Speaker 1: to me anymore. And when it's on green, when I 666 00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:57,920 Speaker 1: text you and it's on green instead of blue on 667 00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:00,759 Speaker 1: my iPhone, oh my god, last week got for green. 668 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:03,000 Speaker 1: But if the text comes back green, you've got your 669 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:05,200 Speaker 1: phone off. You don't ever want to talk to me again. 670 00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:07,880 Speaker 1: I can get so offended. I am so bad at 671 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:11,600 Speaker 1: interpreting silence and space, and so this is this is 672 00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:15,080 Speaker 1: Paul's moment, Bob, Paul's like, I sent Titus to find 673 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 1: out and I couldn't find Titus. So I left trow 674 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:22,680 Speaker 1: ask because I couldn't find Titus. I left the open 675 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:29,720 Speaker 1: door because I had no peace. I left the opportunity 676 00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:33,839 Speaker 1: because although the door was open. See that's the enemy's strategy. 677 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 1: That's why he says, you can't let the devil out 678 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:39,800 Speaker 1: with you. He is using stuff that hasn't even happened 679 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:44,160 Speaker 1: yet to run you off from opportunities that are right 680 00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:47,920 Speaker 1: in front of you. He is you see how smart 681 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:51,040 Speaker 1: he is. He's bringing movies from the past. He is 682 00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:56,400 Speaker 1: bringing classic movies back that happened twenty years ago, and 683 00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 1: it keeps you from seeing what's standing two feet in 684 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:03,520 Speaker 1: front of you. But God said, when I open the door, 685 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:09,480 Speaker 1: no devil can shut it. And the reason that the 686 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: devil is at the door to begin with is because 687 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:16,880 Speaker 1: what God has on the other side of it is 688 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:23,120 Speaker 1: so important. Oh yeah, so important. There will always be 689 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 1: a devil at the door of anything important that God 690 00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:30,879 Speaker 1: brings you into, of anything significant that God brings you into, 691 00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:36,000 Speaker 1: there will always be an enemy to anything significant. You 692 00:46:36,040 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 1: know why there's a devil at the door because what 693 00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:42,040 Speaker 1: is on the other side really matters. You are an 694 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:45,680 Speaker 1: important city, you are a chosen vessel. You might not 695 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:50,320 Speaker 1: be Paul, but God has something with your name on it. 696 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:55,000 Speaker 1: There's a devil at the door, and the bigger the 697 00:46:55,040 --> 00:46:57,839 Speaker 1: opportunity is the bigger the devil is gonna be. Don't 698 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:01,640 Speaker 1: you know that? By now? The bigger it is what's 699 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:03,879 Speaker 1: on the other side of the door. You me asking God, 700 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:08,040 Speaker 1: why am I having to go through all this? A 701 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:11,399 Speaker 1: while back. I'll know how to tell you this story 702 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:16,840 Speaker 1: because it's kind of tender to me. I was about 703 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:20,680 Speaker 1: to do something really significant in this ministry. I can't 704 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:22,480 Speaker 1: tell you what it was because it would kind of 705 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:24,759 Speaker 1: expose me too much and I'm not ready to have 706 00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:32,359 Speaker 1: a relationship with you on that level yet. And on 707 00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: the way to the thing I was going to do, 708 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:36,359 Speaker 1: I broke down crying. I don't cry a whole lot. 709 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:40,520 Speaker 1: Only Rudy and Rocky three can make me cry. Third 710 00:47:40,560 --> 00:47:45,480 Speaker 1: time in my life I ever cried, and Holly has 711 00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:47,480 Speaker 1: seen me cry so little. She thought I was playing. 712 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,279 Speaker 1: She says, stop playing. This is not funny because my 713 00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:55,920 Speaker 1: head was my head was down on the I was 714 00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:58,400 Speaker 1: laying on the bed and my head was down on 715 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:01,799 Speaker 1: the pillow. She says, stop playing. And I couldn't answer 716 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:03,520 Speaker 1: her to tell her I wasn't playing because I was crying. 717 00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:08,320 Speaker 1: I didn't know why I was crying. Nobody had just died. 718 00:48:11,239 --> 00:48:14,200 Speaker 1: I didn't have any technical reason to be sad in 719 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:18,640 Speaker 1: that moment. But what was on the other side of 720 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:24,400 Speaker 1: that evening was so important that I believe there was 721 00:48:24,440 --> 00:48:29,320 Speaker 1: a devil at the door. There is always a devil 722 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 1: at the door when God is bringing you into something important. 723 00:48:35,040 --> 00:48:37,520 Speaker 1: Why do you think kids get demon possessed as they 724 00:48:37,600 --> 00:48:49,080 Speaker 1: go through puberty? And if you don't know, if you 725 00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:52,280 Speaker 1: don't know that, you'll think the devil is at the door. 726 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:54,200 Speaker 1: This must not be God. No, no no, no, no no no. 727 00:48:55,360 --> 00:49:00,560 Speaker 1: The devil is giving you an indication that this is 728 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:06,000 Speaker 1: so big, this is so important. This might be a 729 00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 1: life saving word for somebody. If you thought about this, 730 00:49:08,280 --> 00:49:10,279 Speaker 1: somebody might be on the brink of suicide while I'm 731 00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:13,640 Speaker 1: preaching and they can't understand why am I feeling this depressed? 732 00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:17,160 Speaker 1: Why am I going through this darkness? But what you 733 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:20,360 Speaker 1: might not know is that the size of the devil 734 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:24,279 Speaker 1: that is at your door indicates the size of the 735 00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:30,120 Speaker 1: assignment that is on your life. Don't die here. This 736 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:34,800 Speaker 1: is a door. This is a door. This is a door, 737 00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:42,160 Speaker 1: and the door that God opens nobody can shut. Nobody 738 00:49:42,200 --> 00:49:44,759 Speaker 1: can shut and don't you let the devil use the 739 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:47,279 Speaker 1: door of what you don't know to fill your mind 740 00:49:47,320 --> 00:49:53,919 Speaker 1: with hypothetical scenarios that cause your heart to close. There's 741 00:49:53,960 --> 00:49:58,200 Speaker 1: always a devil at the door. There's always an insecurity 742 00:49:58,360 --> 00:50:01,360 Speaker 1: as you move deeper into your purpose and your awareness 743 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:05,320 Speaker 1: of your true condition in Christ. But he can't close 744 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:12,160 Speaker 1: the door God opens. All he can do is try 745 00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:17,520 Speaker 1: to get your mind so screwed up that, as you 746 00:50:17,600 --> 00:50:21,600 Speaker 1: wait for Titus to bring you news, you say goodbye 747 00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:25,440 Speaker 1: to Troe as. We don't see Paul walk away from 748 00:50:25,960 --> 00:50:29,400 Speaker 1: any other open doors in scripture, But he said, I 749 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:37,280 Speaker 1: had no peace of mind. You know what. Four chapters 750 00:50:37,320 --> 00:50:42,200 Speaker 1: go by, and Paul doesn't even mention what happens next. 751 00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:47,160 Speaker 1: I said goodbye to troeas I went to Macedonia, most 752 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:52,680 Speaker 1: probably Philippi, and I waited for Titus. Every day that 753 00:50:52,719 --> 00:50:56,000 Speaker 1: I didn't see Titus, I started making up stuff in 754 00:50:56,040 --> 00:51:03,680 Speaker 1: my mind. The enemy is using a story to keep 755 00:51:03,719 --> 00:51:09,279 Speaker 1: you from going through your door. They won't really like you, 756 00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:15,759 Speaker 1: they won't really accept you, nobody really cares about you. 757 00:51:15,760 --> 00:51:19,440 Speaker 1: You don't have what it takes. You're gonna fail, and 758 00:51:19,480 --> 00:51:23,000 Speaker 1: everybody's gonna laugh. So he can't close the door, but 759 00:51:23,120 --> 00:51:27,800 Speaker 1: he can tell you a story. And everyday Titus doesn't 760 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:31,400 Speaker 1: show up, Paul has a little bit harder time trusting 761 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:38,560 Speaker 1: that everything's gonna be all right. It isn't until chapter seven, 762 00:51:39,600 --> 00:51:43,279 Speaker 1: verse five of Second Corinthians that we see that what 763 00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:47,600 Speaker 1: Paul was so troubled about God had already worked out. 764 00:51:56,400 --> 00:51:59,959 Speaker 1: He said, when we got to Macedonia, we left Troe. 765 00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:06,160 Speaker 1: As we got to Macedonia, we had no rest on 766 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:08,680 Speaker 1: every side. Watch this. This is the this is the 767 00:52:08,719 --> 00:52:12,439 Speaker 1: trouble on the outside, he said, harassed at every turn. 768 00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:17,360 Speaker 1: Conflicts on the outside. But that's not what stops you. 769 00:52:18,680 --> 00:52:20,840 Speaker 1: It's never the conflicts on the outside that stop you. 770 00:52:22,160 --> 00:52:24,400 Speaker 1: Somebody else has overcome much more than you to get 771 00:52:24,440 --> 00:52:29,000 Speaker 1: where they are. But it's the fears within, Paul said. 772 00:52:32,239 --> 00:52:37,600 Speaker 1: And then after months and months of wondering, who am 773 00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:40,040 Speaker 1: I preaching to? I know, I know, it's been. It's been. 774 00:52:40,120 --> 00:52:41,680 Speaker 1: It's been. It's been about an hour. I've been up 775 00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:43,640 Speaker 1: here talking. But I've been talking to you, haven't I 776 00:52:45,080 --> 00:52:48,440 Speaker 1: it's been months. You've been wondering, it's been in a 777 00:52:48,480 --> 00:52:51,280 Speaker 1: suspended state for months, and every day you waited for Titus, 778 00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:54,520 Speaker 1: and he didn't come with news of the solution. Ye'll come. 779 00:52:56,320 --> 00:53:00,239 Speaker 1: It's your mind. It's your mind. It's your mind. Your 780 00:53:00,280 --> 00:53:04,239 Speaker 1: mind is like that Mediterranean sea where you wonder, is 781 00:53:04,280 --> 00:53:08,040 Speaker 1: everything gonna be all right? But he said in verse six, 782 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:20,200 Speaker 1: But God, but God, who comforts to downcast, comforted us 783 00:53:21,320 --> 00:53:24,919 Speaker 1: by the coming of Titus. The word of the Lord 784 00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:30,800 Speaker 1: is Titus is here. Because when Titus finally arrived verse seven, 785 00:53:33,800 --> 00:53:35,960 Speaker 1: he said, he not only comforted us by his physical 786 00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:38,839 Speaker 1: presence in his coming, but by the comfort you had 787 00:53:38,880 --> 00:53:41,200 Speaker 1: given him. He told us about your longing for him, 788 00:53:41,320 --> 00:53:43,960 Speaker 1: your deep sorrow, your art and consume for me, so 789 00:53:44,040 --> 00:53:51,160 Speaker 1: that my joy was greater than ever, so that my 790 00:53:51,440 --> 00:53:59,120 Speaker 1: joy was greater than ever. Joy is coming, Hope is coming, 791 00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:04,360 Speaker 1: Reconciliation is coming, The restoration of all things is coming. 792 00:54:05,120 --> 00:54:07,600 Speaker 1: And I declare it by faith, not by sight. My 793 00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:10,719 Speaker 1: eyes haven't seen it yet, but I know it in 794 00:54:10,760 --> 00:54:17,600 Speaker 1: my heart. Ty does this coming? And he said, I 795 00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:22,239 Speaker 1: spent all those months worried about something that God had 796 00:54:22,239 --> 00:54:29,040 Speaker 1: already worked out. So you're standing before an open door. 797 00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:32,400 Speaker 1: You don't always see it, you don't always feel it. 798 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:35,440 Speaker 1: You can't identify it because you've got a troubled mind. 799 00:54:36,840 --> 00:54:40,120 Speaker 1: But let's just take a moment. Stand up, Let's just 800 00:54:40,160 --> 00:54:44,040 Speaker 1: take a moment and be still in the presence of God. 801 00:54:45,560 --> 00:54:50,320 Speaker 1: Because all the conflict on the outside, that's nothing compared 802 00:54:50,320 --> 00:54:59,080 Speaker 1: to the fears of the inside. God, we came today 803 00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:04,640 Speaker 1: with troubled minds. I pray for the one who is 804 00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:08,120 Speaker 1: worried about their job. I pray for the one who 805 00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:11,359 Speaker 1: is worried about their kids. I pray for the one 806 00:55:11,360 --> 00:55:14,319 Speaker 1: who is worried about a report in their body from 807 00:55:14,320 --> 00:55:17,560 Speaker 1: the doctors or someone that they love. I pray for 808 00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:22,120 Speaker 1: the one who is worried about an event that is 809 00:55:22,160 --> 00:55:23,759 Speaker 1: in front of them that they do not believe they 810 00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:29,120 Speaker 1: have the resource to fulfill. But God, today I think 811 00:55:29,160 --> 00:55:32,680 Speaker 1: you wanted to use me, just like Titus, just to 812 00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:37,240 Speaker 1: carry the message to them that the door is still open, 813 00:55:38,640 --> 00:55:43,719 Speaker 1: Thank you Jesus, that the door is still open, that 814 00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:50,160 Speaker 1: it's not too late, that you're not too little, that 815 00:55:50,200 --> 00:55:54,200 Speaker 1: you're not too lost, he said, he comforted us by 816 00:55:54,200 --> 00:55:58,840 Speaker 1: the coming of Titus. God, let me be like Titus today, 817 00:55:59,120 --> 00:56:02,480 Speaker 1: bringing a message that God is not counting their sins 818 00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:05,480 Speaker 1: against them, that you are not angry with them, that 819 00:56:05,600 --> 00:56:09,160 Speaker 1: the season of your favor is upon them. Almighty God, 820 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:13,480 Speaker 1: opener of doors, way maker, miracle worker, all that that 821 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:19,839 Speaker 1: you are. But we need our minds right, We need 822 00:56:19,880 --> 00:56:26,799 Speaker 1: our minds right. We thank you, Lord that you hold 823 00:56:26,800 --> 00:56:30,440 Speaker 1: the key of David. It's important to us to know 824 00:56:32,560 --> 00:56:40,719 Speaker 1: that you are our door. You are our door. We 825 00:56:40,760 --> 00:56:43,479 Speaker 1: came into your presence today because you are our door. 826 00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:48,960 Speaker 1: And God right now, for everything that we can't forgive 827 00:56:49,080 --> 00:56:52,440 Speaker 1: others for, and we can't forgive ourselves for, we just 828 00:56:52,480 --> 00:56:54,680 Speaker 1: want to take a moment before we leave this place 829 00:56:55,120 --> 00:56:58,439 Speaker 1: and slam the door in the face of Satan and say, 830 00:56:58,440 --> 00:57:04,120 Speaker 1: you've cost us enough, and you've taken enough, You've robbed enough, 831 00:57:04,160 --> 00:57:10,560 Speaker 1: you've destroyed enough. No more. That door is closed. I'm 832 00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:13,520 Speaker 1: not going back there. That door is closed. I'm not 833 00:57:13,560 --> 00:57:16,000 Speaker 1: playing that out anymore. That door is closed. I'm not 834 00:57:16,120 --> 00:57:19,360 Speaker 1: entertaining that anymore. I'm going forward. There is an open 835 00:57:19,440 --> 00:57:22,960 Speaker 1: door set before me in heaven. I'm not waving goodbye 836 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:25,720 Speaker 1: to this open door. I'm going through it. In the 837 00:57:25,800 --> 00:57:29,800 Speaker 1: name of Jesus. I will live and not die. I 838 00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:32,960 Speaker 1: will declare the works of the Lord. I've got more 839 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:36,600 Speaker 1: to do. I'm planning. I'm blessed, I'm flourishing in the 840 00:57:36,720 --> 00:57:41,520 Speaker 1: courts of the Lord. Lord. This is an open door moment. 841 00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:44,440 Speaker 1: Right now, with your head's bowed and your eyes closed, 842 00:57:44,640 --> 00:57:47,800 Speaker 1: the door of salvation is open. There's somebody today. You 843 00:57:47,840 --> 00:57:49,560 Speaker 1: thought it was too late for you to have a 844 00:57:49,640 --> 00:57:52,640 Speaker 1: relationship with God. You thought you'd done too much, run 845 00:57:52,680 --> 00:57:55,320 Speaker 1: too far, lost too much. You thought there were things 846 00:57:55,320 --> 00:57:57,480 Speaker 1: that God couldn't forgive. You thought you were one of 847 00:57:57,520 --> 00:58:00,560 Speaker 1: those ones who just missed God. It's not true. Today 848 00:58:00,640 --> 00:58:03,240 Speaker 1: is the day of salvation. This is the moment, this 849 00:58:03,320 --> 00:58:06,000 Speaker 1: is the hour, This is your time. God brought you 850 00:58:06,120 --> 00:58:09,560 Speaker 1: here for this. The door is open. He stands at 851 00:58:09,600 --> 00:58:12,160 Speaker 1: the door and knocks it. He wants to come in. 852 00:58:13,760 --> 00:58:16,240 Speaker 1: So I want to lead you in a prayer right now. 853 00:58:16,400 --> 00:58:19,920 Speaker 1: You've been far away from God, and this is your 854 00:58:19,960 --> 00:58:22,960 Speaker 1: moment to receive his grace. We don't come to God 855 00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:26,720 Speaker 1: through our effort. We don't come to God by improving 856 00:58:26,760 --> 00:58:30,360 Speaker 1: our behavior. We don't come to God with our knowledge. 857 00:58:30,920 --> 00:58:34,680 Speaker 1: We come to Him with our faith. The Bible says 858 00:58:34,720 --> 00:58:36,880 Speaker 1: that if you will believe in Jesus Christ, his son 859 00:58:36,960 --> 00:58:39,840 Speaker 1: whom he has sent, you will have life. If you 860 00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:42,120 Speaker 1: confess with your mouth Jesus's Lord and believe in your 861 00:58:42,120 --> 00:58:44,400 Speaker 1: heart God raised him from the dead. You will be saved. 862 00:58:44,440 --> 00:58:48,920 Speaker 1: There is no more important decision than this. This is 863 00:58:48,960 --> 00:58:53,160 Speaker 1: the door. This is the door, so for you who 864 00:58:53,200 --> 00:58:56,040 Speaker 1: want to come through and receive Jesus Christ for the 865 00:58:56,080 --> 00:58:59,480 Speaker 1: forgiveness of your sins, who purchased you with his blood, 866 00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:02,400 Speaker 1: who knows you by name, who has walked with you 867 00:59:02,400 --> 00:59:04,560 Speaker 1: through every season of your life. You've been far away 868 00:59:04,560 --> 00:59:06,680 Speaker 1: from him. I'm inviting you home right now. This is 869 00:59:06,720 --> 00:59:11,320 Speaker 1: your door. Now you pray after me out loud. We're 870 00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:14,120 Speaker 1: gonna slam the door in Satan's face today to let 871 00:59:14,200 --> 00:59:20,440 Speaker 1: him know he's lost. He's lost another one. We're gonna 872 00:59:20,440 --> 00:59:22,680 Speaker 1: pray this as a church family, out loud, for all 873 00:59:22,720 --> 00:59:24,280 Speaker 1: of those all over the world who are coming to 874 00:59:24,320 --> 00:59:27,560 Speaker 1: Christ today to place their faith in him. Repeat after me, Church, 875 00:59:27,560 --> 00:59:32,000 Speaker 1: Heavenly Father. I am a sinner in need of a savior, 876 00:59:32,880 --> 00:59:37,160 Speaker 1: and I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of 877 00:59:37,200 --> 00:59:42,240 Speaker 1: God and the Savior of the world. And today I 878 00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:46,240 Speaker 1: make Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe he 879 00:59:46,360 --> 00:59:51,320 Speaker 1: died that I would be forgiven and rose again to 880 00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:56,400 Speaker 1: give me life. I receive this new life. This is 881 00:59:57,280 --> 00:59:59,960 Speaker 1: my new beginning. On the count of three, shooter, hand up. 882 01:00:00,040 --> 01:00:02,560 Speaker 1: If you prayed that one, two three, shoot him up. 883 01:00:03,000 --> 01:00:07,960 Speaker 1: God bless her, God bless her. I'm amazing o. Who else? 884 01:00:07,960 --> 01:00:10,400 Speaker 1: Who else? Who else? Come on? Slam that door in 885 01:00:10,440 --> 01:00:13,520 Speaker 1: the devil's faith. Let him know I came home with 886 01:00:13,720 --> 01:00:16,960 Speaker 1: my father. Stop coming home. Let the ring on their 887 01:00:17,040 --> 01:00:20,560 Speaker 1: fingers dark. Come on, let's kill up at a tap, 888 01:00:21,040 --> 01:00:25,800 Speaker 1: Let's tell him, pray what let's sad? Let's again, holle 889 01:00:29,000 --> 01:00:31,920 Speaker 1: come on, lift up a break shout A pray my 890 01:00:32,120 --> 01:00:35,560 Speaker 1: break out, a pray well. If you enjoyed today's podcast, 891 01:00:35,600 --> 01:00:37,360 Speaker 1: there are a couple of things I'd love for you 892 01:00:37,440 --> 01:00:41,760 Speaker 1: to do. Make sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. 893 01:00:42,080 --> 01:00:44,440 Speaker 1: You can also help us reach others by investing today 894 01:00:44,480 --> 01:00:48,120 Speaker 1: at Elevation Church dot org, slash give and thanks again 895 01:00:48,160 --> 01:00:50,280 Speaker 1: for joining us on the Elevation Podcast.