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Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Furtick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church,

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Speaker 1: and this is our podcast. Be sure to subscribe so

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Speaker 1: we can get you these new sermons every week. I

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Speaker 1: hope you're blessed today. Everybody clap your hands if you

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Speaker 1: love the Lord Jesus Christ. Driving to church today thinking

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Speaker 1: about all the awesome things that God has done. on

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Speaker 1: days just like this I get kind of excited when

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Speaker 1: I think about what the Lord is going to do

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Speaker 1: what he's still going to do and from that place

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Speaker 1: of faith I want to preach a message today from

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Speaker 1: John 21 verses 13 through 25 and I invite you

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Speaker 1: to be seated as I read them because I want

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Speaker 1: to take my time no no it's not a trick

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Speaker 1: you'll think I'm trolling You think now I'm going to

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Speaker 1: fuss at you for sitting down on the word of God.

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Speaker 1: But as I thought about the scripture, I thought it

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Speaker 1: is too nutritious and rich for me to rush through it.

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Speaker 1: So if I'm worried about your feet hurting or your

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Speaker 1: back being tight while you're standing, I might rush. But

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Speaker 1: I just want to take our time today from John 21,

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Speaker 1: where we were last week. But we continue this week.

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Speaker 1: from a sermon that I preached called cooked. Did you

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Speaker 1: like that sermon? Did you get something out of it?

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Speaker 1: Did you take home leftovers? I try to preach with

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Speaker 1: that Tupperware anointing where you have something that you can

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Speaker 1: take with you to work or to school or to

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Speaker 1: the challenges in your life of the next week. And

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Speaker 1: this week we're picking up from the next verses in

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Speaker 1: this story, which I have never preached before. And I

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Speaker 1: think I've been intimidated by these verses because they feel

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Speaker 1: so personal. But today we're going to give it our

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Speaker 1: best shot. I want you to think of this not

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Speaker 1: as a presentation, but a conversation. In this conversation between

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Speaker 1: Jesus and Peter, maybe you'll hear the Lord speak to

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Speaker 1: you as well. John chapter 21, verse 13 through 25.

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Speaker 1: I could preach off these first two words. Jesus came.

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Speaker 1: How many times has he come to you? After they'd

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Speaker 1: fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus came. After he

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Speaker 1: showed them where to cast the nets for a catch,

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Speaker 1: Jesus came. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it

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Speaker 1: to them. Now, I saw that phrase, he took the

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Speaker 1: bread and gave it to them, and I was comparing

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Speaker 1: it to other times where it says Jesus took the

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Speaker 1: bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it

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Speaker 1: to them. So I was surprised that it just said

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Speaker 1: he took the bread and gave it to them. And

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Speaker 1: I was praying about that. And I realized that the

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Speaker 1: reason it doesn't say he took the bread and blessed

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Speaker 1: it and broke it and gave it to them. It

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Speaker 1: just says he took the bread and gave it to

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Speaker 1: them is because this bread was already blessed and already broken. See,

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Speaker 1: he'd already died on the cross for their sin and

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Speaker 1: he'd already risen from the grave. And so, if you

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Speaker 1: want to, touch three people and tell them, it's already blessed.

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Speaker 1: It's already blessed. Wouldn't that make a good sermon? It's

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Speaker 1: already blessed. It's already blessed. I don't have to be

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Speaker 1: broken because he was. I'm already whole. I've got some

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Speaker 1: things that are still in progress in my life, but

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Speaker 1: the bread he gives is already blessed because he's already

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Speaker 1: been broken. So anyway, that's not what I'm preaching about today.

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Speaker 1: That's what I preached about last week. So, Jesus came,

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Speaker 1: took the bread, gave it to them, and did the

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Speaker 1: same with the fish. This was now the third time

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Speaker 1: Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from

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Speaker 1: the dead. Verse 15, let's go. When they had finished eating,

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Speaker 1: Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do

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Speaker 1: you love me more than these? Do you love me

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Speaker 1: more than these? I used to think when he said these,

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Speaker 1: he was talking about the fish that they just caught. Like,

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Speaker 1: will you leave the fish to follow me? That's not

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Speaker 1: what he's saying. He's talking about the other disciples because

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Speaker 1: Peter had this competitive streak. And when Jesus was going

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Speaker 1: around the Passover meal, we call it the Last Supper,

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Speaker 1: Jesus was saying, you're gonna all fall away. And Peter said,

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Speaker 1: even if they all do, not me, because he was

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Speaker 1: comparing himself. But see, now Jesus is trying to move

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Speaker 1: him from position to purpose. Okay, how do you rank

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Speaker 1: against all of them to are you willing to follow

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Speaker 1: what I reveal to you? It's in another way of

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Speaker 1: saying it, a shift from status to service, which you're

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Speaker 1: about to see. So he said, do you love me

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Speaker 1: more than these? But notice how Peter has been humbled

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Speaker 1: in a good way by his failure. He denied Jesus

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Speaker 1: and it looked like it ruined his life. But sometimes

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Speaker 1: when you say ruined, God says ready. Because the thing

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Speaker 1: that you think would disqualify you is actually the thing

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Speaker 1: that developed you. So when Jesus says to Peter, do

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Speaker 1: you love me more than these? Peter responds back, yes, Lord,

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Speaker 1: you know that I love you. But he doesn't say

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Speaker 1: anything about these. Because he's learned that it is very

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Speaker 1: dangerous to compare yourself to anyone else. So he passes

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Speaker 1: the test. Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

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Speaker 1: And Jesus said, feed my lambs. Again, Jesus said, again,

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Speaker 1: Jesus said, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Now,

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Speaker 1: this time he leaves off the Vs, not asking you

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Speaker 1: to rank yourself on the standings of how much you

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Speaker 1: love me or who's the best. That's the disciples would

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Speaker 1: sit around and argue about stuff like that. I'm the

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Speaker 1: one he likes the best. No, he loves me more. No,

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Speaker 1: I'm going to sit at the right hand. And so

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Speaker 1: Jesus is moving him from status to service. That's a

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Speaker 1: great shift to make when you're in high school. or

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Speaker 1: you have to make it later in life. Because if

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Speaker 1: you live high school as a popularity contest, you will

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Speaker 1: carry that dysfunction into your adulthood. And then you will

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Speaker 1: make bigger messes trying to prove to people who aren't

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Speaker 1: even paying attention how valuable you are when God has

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Speaker 1: already showed you that. And so he's getting down to

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Speaker 1: the issue of your identity in your life. And your

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Speaker 1: identity is not determined by where do you stack up

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Speaker 1: against anyone else. So he said, Simon, son of John,

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Speaker 1: second time, do you love me? And he answered, verse 16, yes, Lord,

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Speaker 1: you know that I love you. A little frustrated this time.

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Speaker 1: Jesus said, take care of my sheep. The third time

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Speaker 1: he said to him, Simon, son of John, do you

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Speaker 1: love me? Now Peter was hurt on that third time.

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Speaker 1: He was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time,

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Speaker 1: do you love me? He was hurt, but watch this.

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Speaker 1: This is not the pain of punishment. This is the

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Speaker 1: pain of preparation. And sometimes we confuse the two. Sometimes

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Speaker 1: God is doing something in our life and Peter's like, man,

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Speaker 1: I know I made a mistake, but do you keep

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Speaker 1: having to ask me this? Like, Jesus sounds like an

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Speaker 1: insecure girlfriend. You know what I mean? Like, do you

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Speaker 1: love me? Like, no, no, do you really love me? Like,

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Speaker 1: do you love me, love me? But Jesus is an insecure. Jesus,

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Speaker 1: in fact, is stabilizing Peter because he knows that there

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Speaker 1: is something ahead that will require him to get his

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Speaker 1: identity down deep, not from what he does, but from

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Speaker 1: who he is. Okay, so he said, do you love

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Speaker 1: me a third time? And Peter was hurt because Jesus

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Speaker 1: asked him the third time, do you love me? And

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Speaker 1: he said, Lord, you know all things, ginosko in Greek.

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Speaker 1: It's a knowledge that's based on experience. Lord, you know everything.

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Speaker 1: Come on, I don't know what you're playing this game

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Speaker 1: about going back and forth. Do I love you? You

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Speaker 1: know all things. You know where I messed up. You

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Speaker 1: know I'm also the one who let you use his boat.

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Speaker 1: You know I'm not perfect. You know all things. You

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Speaker 1: know I love you. And Jesus said, feed my sheep.

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Speaker 1: Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you

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Speaker 1: dressed yourself and went where you wanted. But when you

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Speaker 1: are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone

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Speaker 1: else will dress you and lead you where you do

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Speaker 1: not want to go. Jesus said this to indicate the

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Speaker 1: kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then

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Speaker 1: he said to him, two very important words for you today,

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Speaker 1: follow me. Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom

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Speaker 1: Jesus loved was following them. This was the one who

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Speaker 1: had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and said, Lord,

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Speaker 1: who is going to betray you? When Peter saw him,

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Speaker 1: he asked, Lord, what about him? Jesus answered, if I

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Speaker 1: want him to remain alive until I return, what is

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Speaker 1: that to you? You must follow me. Because of this,

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Speaker 1: the rumors spread among the believers that the disciple would

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Speaker 1: not die. Now, back in these days, they had church gossip.

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Speaker 1: We progressed past the point of Bible times. They had

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Speaker 1: rumors in the Bible days. And it says this funny phrase,

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Speaker 1: but Jesus did not say that. I'm going to do

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Speaker 1: a series on that. Jesus did not say that. How

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Speaker 1: many things can we put in that category? Jesus did

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Speaker 1: not say that. Your grandmother said that. Jesus did not

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Speaker 1: say that. Your religious dogma said that. Jesus did not

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Speaker 1: say that. Your overactive imagination said that. Jesus did not

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Speaker 1: say that. Your feed said that. Jesus did not say that.

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Speaker 1: An influencer trying to sell you some protein powder said that.

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Speaker 1: Jesus did not say that. A politician said that. Jesus

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Speaker 1: did not say that. Okay. Jesus did not say that

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Speaker 1: series coming 2028. Jesus did not say that he would

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Speaker 1: not die. He only said, if I want him to

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Speaker 1: remain alive until I return, what is that to you?

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Speaker 1: Now I could have stopped at verse 19, but I

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Speaker 1: wanted to hit 24 and 25 to give you my title.

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Speaker 1: This is the disciple who testifies to these things and

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Speaker 1: who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

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Speaker 1: He's talking about himself. Y'all know I'm telling the truth.

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Speaker 1: I'm the one he loves. I'm John y'all. And then

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Speaker 1: verse 25, Jesus did many other things as well. If

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Speaker 1: every one of them were written down, I suppose even

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Speaker 1: the whole chat GPT would not have room for the

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Speaker 1: books that would be written. Beautiful scripture. Let's clap our

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Speaker 1: hands for the word of God one more time. I

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Speaker 1: got a word for you today. The Lord said to

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Speaker 1: tell you the best is not behind you. The best

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Speaker 1: is not behind you. And I need you to reach around.

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Speaker 1: This can be the last time you talk to your

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Speaker 1: neighbor today if they have bad breath. But tell at

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Speaker 1: least three people, the best is not behind you. Tell

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Speaker 1: three people. Put it in the comments. The best is

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Speaker 1: not behind you. I don't care what the medical diagnosis said.

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Speaker 1: The best is not behind you. I don't care what

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Speaker 1: class you're flunking. The best is not behind you. I

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Speaker 1: don't care who won't text you back or who blocked you.

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Speaker 1: The best is not behind you. The best is not

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Speaker 1: behind you. So it's an interesting text because Peter is

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Speaker 1: standing at the intersection of a great blessing and a

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Speaker 1: great question. And the great blessing is much more than

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Speaker 1: the catch of fish. It is the resurrected Christ. So

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Speaker 1: the resurrected Christ is standing over a griddle, cooking a

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Speaker 1: breakfast for the disciples who failed him in his moment

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Speaker 1: of need. This is great grace. And in this moment,

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Speaker 1: of blessing, Peter has questions. Not only the question that

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Speaker 1: Jesus asked him, do you love me? Do you love me?

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Speaker 1: Do you love me? Three times. Remember, not to punish Peter,

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Speaker 1: but to prepare Peter. How many times did Peter deny Jesus?

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Speaker 1: How many times did Jesus reaffirm who Peter was? God

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Speaker 1: knows that if you don't process this last thing with him,

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Speaker 1: you will drag that mistake into your next opportunity. And

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Speaker 1: like Peter dragged those fish on the shore, Jesus didn't

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Speaker 1: want Peter dragging his failures into the next season. So

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Speaker 1: he asked him three times, do you love me? Do

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Speaker 1: you love me? Do you love me? And then he

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Speaker 1: gave him something to do, feed my sheep. I would

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Speaker 1: suggest though, that it is not only Jesus who is

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Speaker 1: asking questions in this passage. I think there are questions

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Speaker 1: that Peter is asking as well What do I do next?

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Speaker 1: What do I do now? And am I still needed?

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Speaker 1: And I boiled it down to one question that I

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Speaker 1: want to give you that I think goes on in

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Speaker 1: a lot of our minds. Is the best part of

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Speaker 1: my life already over? I know that's kind of a

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Speaker 1: heavy thing to just break out on you before you've

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Speaker 1: had your bagel. But Jesus pulls up to the breakfast

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Speaker 1: table with Peter and says, I need to talk to

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Speaker 1: you about something. I've got something for you to do.

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Speaker 1: It is an insidious question. It doesn't always surface in

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Speaker 1: that same way. You may think it in a much

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Speaker 1: simpler way, like, did I already have the most fun

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Speaker 1: I'm going to have in my life? Because when I

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Speaker 1: thought about this message, the best is not behind you,

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Speaker 1: I thought, I don't want to leave everybody under the

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Speaker 1: age of 40 out of this sermon just because I'm

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Speaker 1: in midlife crisis. Do you know what I mean? And

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Speaker 1: I remembered something very funny. It made me laugh this

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Speaker 1: morning during worship. I've been asking this question, is the

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Speaker 1: best part of my life already over since I was 25.

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Speaker 1: And the reason it made me laugh, do you ever

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Speaker 1: look back and laugh at something that you thought and

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Speaker 1: you just kind of laugh at yourself that you even

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Speaker 1: thought that? I was 25 years old, we had not

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Speaker 1: even moved to Charlotte yet and I was leading worship

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Speaker 1: and recording an album and I was writing songs in Shelby,

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Speaker 1: North Carolina and I had an amazing worship team and

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Speaker 1: an amazing band that we recorded the album with. But

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Speaker 1: I remember when I left that recording that night, I

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Speaker 1: went home and I wanted to cry because I knew

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Speaker 1: we were coming to start this church. The reason I

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Speaker 1: wanted to cry is because I thought to myself, I

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Speaker 1: probably just worked with the best musicians I'm ever gonna

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Speaker 1: work with to create music. Isn't that funny? I mean,

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Speaker 1: how laughable is that? Y'all give it up for the

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Speaker 1: baddest worship team on the planet. I was laughing today.

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Speaker 1: I was watching Nick play that bass. He did something

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Speaker 1: on the bass. Sometimes you don't know if it's just

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Speaker 1: a good low E string or the Holy Ghost, because

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Speaker 1: they're so good up here. You don't know. Was that

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Speaker 1: the Lord, or was that just Nick? I don't know.

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Speaker 1: They're so good. I was watching our worship team today,

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Speaker 1: and I was laughing how I was grieving something at

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Speaker 1: age 25. Yeah, that was probably peak right there. and

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Speaker 1: then to think that the Lord would let me do

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Speaker 1: ministry with these beasts, with these assassins, with these mercenaries

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Speaker 1: of musical acuity and ability. I like to think that

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Speaker 1: the Lord was laughing at that. So when I thought

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Speaker 1: about the best is not behind you, I thought, I've

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Speaker 1: been thinking that since I was 20. I've been thinking

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Speaker 1: that since I was 15. Y'all, in many ways, my

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Speaker 1: life peaked at age 15. I was at a Green

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Speaker 1: Day concert. Billy Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day,

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Speaker 1: called me on stage to play his Fender guitar. I

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Speaker 1: was 15 years old. I went home that night and said, well,

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Speaker 1: that's it. It doesn't matter who I marry, how many

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Speaker 1: kids I have, how beautiful she is, how much money.

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Speaker 1: I will never... have a moment that cool. Do you

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Speaker 1: know how cool I was going to school the next

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Speaker 1: day when I played with Green Day? They talked about

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Speaker 1: me on the radio that morning. I was driving my

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Speaker 1: Chrysler Laser to school. I didn't know whether to smile

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Speaker 1: or cry, because I thought, this is it. It will

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Speaker 1: never … It's all downhill from here. I was 15.

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Speaker 1: November 30, 1995. I peaked. You ever wonder, have I peaked?

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Speaker 1: There are no real people in the center section of

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Speaker 1: this room. I'm bringing my message to a new audience.

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Speaker 1: Do you ever wonder, have I already achieved all I'm

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Speaker 1: going to achieve? Have I done the best I'm going

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Speaker 1: to do? Did you wonder that when you got married?

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Speaker 1: Do not make eye contact during this specific sermon point.

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Speaker 1: There can be a little bit of a reality shock,

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Speaker 1: or what do you call it? A little bit of

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Speaker 1: a A rude awakening when you start thinking, okay, all right,

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Speaker 1: being married is awesome. It's fantastic. It's going great. I

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Speaker 1: love having to consult somebody about all of my plans,

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Speaker 1: whether budgetary or entertainment related. It's going great. Maybe single

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Speaker 1: was the happiest. Now let me try this side of

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Speaker 1: the room. I can't find a real... Or you have kids,

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Speaker 1: and you're like, dang, I wonder if like … I mean,

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Speaker 1: I love them. I'm going to raise them. I'm not

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Speaker 1: going to throw them out, put them up for adoption,

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Speaker 1: send them to Compassion International or anything like that. But

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Speaker 1: I kind of wonder, was that like the best part

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Speaker 1: of our marriage before? I don't know. When we could

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Speaker 1: just go on a date without having a major global

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Speaker 1: summit planning meeting about the care of these terrorists. I mean,

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Speaker 1: blessings from the Lord. Did we peak? Was that like

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Speaker 1: the best? We were so in a hurry to get pregnant.

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Speaker 1: Did we peak before you were pregnant? And of course,

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Speaker 1: I say all this jokingly. Of course, we know that

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Speaker 1: you appreciate every season of your life equally, and you

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Speaker 1: never think these things. But hypothetically, if you had a

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Speaker 1: friend or a relative who was struggling with this issue,

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Speaker 1: is the best part of my life already over? I

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Speaker 1: walked out to Graham after he won his state championship

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Speaker 1: in wrestling, and Gavin and the Goose were out there

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Speaker 1: on our porch, and it was like 1130 in the morning.

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Speaker 1: And they had the JBL boombox Bluetooth playing something silly.

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Speaker 1: And they were all out there with their shirts off,

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Speaker 1: eight-pack abs, just looking amazing out there. Eight-pack abs and

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Speaker 1: making pancakes. And I looked at those boys and I said,

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Speaker 1: y'all don't know right now, but this is peak. When

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Speaker 1: you got an eight-pack and pancakes, that's peak. This is

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Speaker 1: probably peak. I mean, take a picture. I'm going to

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Speaker 1: take a video for y'all because this is probably about

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Speaker 1: the happiest day of your life. Fresh off a state

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Speaker 1: championship with pancakes on a grill you didn't pay for

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Speaker 1: where I'm paying the electricity and you're doing the eating

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Speaker 1: and you got the abs and this is probably peak.

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Speaker 1: And Peter has to be wondering, Is my peak behind me?

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Speaker 1: Because it was amazing when he was calling me to

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Speaker 1: walk to him on the water, and I did it.

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Speaker 1: and John's like for a minute and Peter's like but

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Speaker 1: at least I got out the boat John that was

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Speaker 1: peak Peter man walking on walking on a word one

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Speaker 1: word was enough to get him to come one word

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Speaker 1: But it's been a while since that water walking episode.

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Speaker 1: Now he's the disciple who denied the Savior by the fire.

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Speaker 1: Did I peak? And it was amazing. One day we

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Speaker 1: wanted to send the crowds away. Jesus said, feed them.

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Speaker 1: And we fed them. And it was amazing. We all

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Speaker 1: got a doggy bag. I wonder, was that peak because

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Speaker 1: he won't be here with us forever? Is the best

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Speaker 1: part of my ministry behind me? I've talked to creative

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Speaker 1: people before who say that the number one thing that

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Speaker 1: they wonder after they succeed is, is this my last one?

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Speaker 1: They can't even enjoy the success. I've talked to people

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Speaker 1: who have put out movies that you've seen, and on

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Speaker 1: the day they should have been celebrating, they were stressed because,

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Speaker 1: is that the last good one I'll ever make? Do

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Speaker 1: I have another one in me? Do I have the

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Speaker 1: energy to handle this promotion even if it comes? Is

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Speaker 1: my best behind me? You think it's just in seasons

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Speaker 1: of failure. It's not. It's in seasons of favor too.

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Speaker 1: That you look back on a previous version of yourself.

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Speaker 1: I mean, my God, do you remember when I used

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Speaker 1: to preach three times every weekend? Did I peak? Because

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Speaker 1: I'm not preaching three anymore. I'm preaching this one, but

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Speaker 1: it's three times as long as when I used to

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Speaker 1: preach three. So everybody's getting the same treatment. But there's

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Speaker 1: a part of me that has wondered how many times

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Speaker 1: in this ministry, like, was that as good? as it's

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Speaker 1: going to get. Did I peak? It must have been

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Speaker 1: a relief to Peter, and perhaps it will be a

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Speaker 1: relief to you, that after his failure, around about the

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Speaker 1: age of 30, we place Peter at this moment in

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Speaker 1: his life. Jesus tells him, purpose doesn't peak. Can we

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Speaker 1: put that as a subtitle for the message? Purpose doesn't peak. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: your bench press number might decrease, but purpose doesn't peak.

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Speaker 1: It might be a little harder to take the pounds off,

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Speaker 1: but purpose doesn't peak. College might be the time in

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Speaker 1: your life when you had the most fun, and now

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Speaker 1: you're sitting here. You know how it is? You're sitting

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Speaker 1: here now looking back on something, and you're like, why

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Speaker 1: didn't I know how blessed it was when I had it?

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Speaker 1: I didn't know it was blessed when I had it.

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Speaker 1: I was 15 years old. That was peak. All I

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Speaker 1: had to worry about was Fortnite. Now I'm working this job, man.

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Speaker 1: I got FICA, where I used to have Fortnite. Did

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Speaker 1: I peak, and I didn't even appreciate how good it was?

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Speaker 1: I didn't even know that was momentum. I didn't even

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Speaker 1: know it was just easy for me to get up

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Speaker 1: and get down and do stuff and do this and

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Speaker 1: do that and remember. I used to be able to

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Speaker 1: remember stuff. I used to be able to order off

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Speaker 1: a restaurant menu with no flashlight. Now, every time I'm

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Speaker 1: sitting down, I didn't even know that was the favor

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Speaker 1: of God when you didn't need your flashlight. So it

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Speaker 1: must have been a relief to Peter to hear Jesus say,

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Speaker 1: I still got food for you. I have three points

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Speaker 1: to this message. Let's hustle and we'll get through it.

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Speaker 1: Everybody shout the first point, say food. food. I love

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Speaker 1: verse 15 because there's a blessing and a question in

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Speaker 1: verse 15. There is a blessing and a question. Blessings

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Speaker 1: come with questions. You've got to learn that you can

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Speaker 1: be blessed and have questions. you can be blessed and

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Speaker 1: have confusion. You can be blessed and still have broken

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Speaker 1: places in your life. Peter is not yet put together,

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Speaker 1: but he is going forward in the strength of the Lord,

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Speaker 1: and so can you. Verse 15 says it this way.

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Speaker 1: When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon,

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Speaker 1: son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord,

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Speaker 1: you know that I love you. Then Jesus said, very important,

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Speaker 1: feed my lambs. Now let's make a sandwich out of

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Speaker 1: this verse since we're talking about food. He starts off

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Speaker 1: feeding Peter. So Peter eats. But then after Peter has eaten,

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Speaker 1: Jesus says, now I've got someone that I want you

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Speaker 1: to feed. God has called you to eat and to feed.

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Speaker 1: And if you are not doing both of those things

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Speaker 1: in your life, you are going to end up in

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Speaker 1: a ditch on either side of the road. Because there

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Speaker 1: comes a time where God will make breakfast for you

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Speaker 1: and God will supply for you. And I need about

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Speaker 1: 300 witnesses to wave at me if God has supplied

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Speaker 1: for you in a season of your life where your

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Speaker 1: nets were empty, but somehow he gave you your next meal.

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Speaker 1: And so the next meal is on me, God was saying,

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Speaker 1: but the mission is on you. Because I've got something

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Speaker 1: for you to do, and it's important that you are

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Speaker 1: eating and feeding. Everybody say it. Eat and feed. Eat

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Speaker 1: and feed. So Jesus says, here's the bread, already blessed,

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Speaker 1: already broken. Eat it. The bread represents him. The fish

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Speaker 1: represents provision. And after they have finished eating, Jesus starts

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Speaker 1: talking about feeding. God promises that in every season of

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Speaker 1: your life, listen to me, there will always be something

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Speaker 1: to eat and there will always be someone to feed.

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Speaker 1: When you are eating and not feeding, that's a problem.

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Speaker 1: When you are feeding and not eating, that's a problem.

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Speaker 1: You have to eat and feed. This is the rhythm

427
00:25:48,550 --> 00:25:51,810
Speaker 1: of grace. You have to take in and give out.

428
00:25:52,410 --> 00:25:55,590
Speaker 1: You have to receive from the Lord and respond to

429
00:25:55,630 --> 00:25:58,530
Speaker 1: the Lord. If you're not doing both of those things,

430
00:25:58,570 --> 00:26:01,070
Speaker 1: you will feel like your best is behind you, but

431
00:26:01,109 --> 00:26:05,290
Speaker 1: your best isn't behind you. You just stopped eating or

432
00:26:06,100 --> 00:26:09,600
Speaker 1: stopped feeding. Which one speaks to you in this season

433
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,960
Speaker 1: of your life? There have been times in my life

434
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:19,500
Speaker 1: where my discouragement was a byproduct of my disobedience. Not always,

435
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,780
Speaker 1: but there have been times when I'm stuck in this,

436
00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:28,090
Speaker 1: I've peaked, I don't have as many friends as I

437
00:26:28,170 --> 00:26:30,030
Speaker 1: used to have. You know, a lot of times in ministry,

438
00:26:30,050 --> 00:26:32,540
Speaker 1: I'll be honest with you about pastors, we can make

439
00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:36,420
Speaker 1: ourselves martyrs sometimes. And we can be like, it's so

440
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:41,800
Speaker 1: lonely in ministry. Bro, it's lonely in life. Ministry doesn't

441
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:45,580
Speaker 1: make you lonely. Life makes you lonely. But how many

442
00:26:45,619 --> 00:26:49,680
Speaker 1: times in my life has God given me something to eat,

443
00:26:50,900 --> 00:26:55,590
Speaker 1: but because I eat and don't feed, I feel all alone.

444
00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,520
Speaker 1: Maybe it's just me, but if I'm not eating and feeding,

445
00:27:00,540 --> 00:27:03,520
Speaker 1: I run into one of two problems. I don't need

446
00:27:03,540 --> 00:27:06,240
Speaker 1: to break this down a little bit more. Say, break

447
00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,660
Speaker 1: it down if you want me to explain it. All right.

448
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,699
Speaker 1: Eat is what God gives me, and then feed is

449
00:27:12,770 --> 00:27:15,429
Speaker 1: what I give the world out of what God has

450
00:27:15,470 --> 00:27:19,629
Speaker 1: given me. Or eat is when I sit with the

451
00:27:19,670 --> 00:27:22,879
Speaker 1: Lord and let him encourage me. Feed is when I

452
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,970
Speaker 1: open my mouth and encourage somebody else. And when I

453
00:27:26,010 --> 00:27:28,689
Speaker 1: have been most discouraged in my life, I either wasn't

454
00:27:29,330 --> 00:27:34,190
Speaker 1: eating and I was trying to feed, or I wasn't

455
00:27:34,290 --> 00:27:38,090
Speaker 1: feeding and all I was doing was eating. And it's

456
00:27:38,109 --> 00:27:41,040
Speaker 1: got to be both. It's got to be both. Or

457
00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:45,200
Speaker 1: you'll start saying like, oh, my best days are behind me. No,

458
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:49,440
Speaker 1: your best days aren't behind you. You just aren't stewarding

459
00:27:49,460 --> 00:27:59,899
Speaker 1: what God put within you. So are you eating and

460
00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:04,560
Speaker 1: never feeding? That's going to make you weak because you're

461
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:10,149
Speaker 1: never exercising what God gave you. Are you eating and

462
00:28:10,190 --> 00:28:15,869
Speaker 1: not feeding? Okay, I'll say it. Come into church, and

463
00:28:15,890 --> 00:28:18,189
Speaker 1: you're the first one to leave and the last one

464
00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:26,439
Speaker 1: in your seat. Then you go all weak, and you

465
00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:31,440
Speaker 1: feel weak because you don't exercise what God gave you.

466
00:28:33,530 --> 00:28:35,469
Speaker 1: You think the best is behind you. The best is

467
00:28:35,510 --> 00:28:39,430
Speaker 1: not behind you. It's just inside of you. You can't

468
00:28:39,650 --> 00:28:42,110
Speaker 1: sit on your gift and then ask God to do

469
00:28:42,190 --> 00:28:47,670
Speaker 1: something that he gave you to do for you. Because

470
00:28:47,750 --> 00:28:51,300
Speaker 1: God will cook for me, but he will not carry me.

471
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,860
Speaker 1: He calls me to follow. I could preach a whole

472
00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,459
Speaker 1: sermon about this. because there have been times not out

473
00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:01,600
Speaker 1: of condemnation for you, but out of concern for you.

474
00:29:02,020 --> 00:29:04,900
Speaker 1: I'm concerned that you think God hasn't blessed you and

475
00:29:04,940 --> 00:29:07,380
Speaker 1: that you are not managing the blessing that he gave

476
00:29:07,420 --> 00:29:10,840
Speaker 1: you because you don't know that he gave you so much.

477
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,720
Speaker 1: God feeds you, and he gets you through something. The

478
00:29:13,820 --> 00:29:16,400
Speaker 1: first thing you need to do as you're going through

479
00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,230
Speaker 1: it is to help somebody else go through it like

480
00:29:19,290 --> 00:29:21,690
Speaker 1: God helped you go through it. That's the first thing

481
00:29:21,710 --> 00:29:26,590
Speaker 1: you have to do. After you've dried your tears, look

482
00:29:26,630 --> 00:29:32,100
Speaker 1: for your Kleenex and pass it to somebody else. God

483
00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:35,870
Speaker 1: has called all of us to eat breakfast, but he

484
00:29:35,910 --> 00:29:39,080
Speaker 1: has called all of us to feed sheep. You think

485
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,160
Speaker 1: this is a pastor's verse? This is a people verse.

486
00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:45,180
Speaker 1: This is for you in your school. This is for

487
00:29:45,260 --> 00:29:48,720
Speaker 1: you in your family. When you're always eating and never

488
00:29:48,780 --> 00:29:51,270
Speaker 1: feeding … Ah, but there's another problem too. Some of

489
00:29:51,420 --> 00:29:58,530
Speaker 1: us are always feeding but never eating. That's why I

490
00:29:58,550 --> 00:30:01,620
Speaker 1: love verse 15. He didn't tell Peter what to do

491
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:05,320
Speaker 1: next until after he had breakfast. Because you can't hear

492
00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,820
Speaker 1: God good when you're hungry. I said you can't hear

493
00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:12,360
Speaker 1: God good when you're hungry. You're making decisions on an

494
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:16,370
Speaker 1: empty stomach. You're making emotional decisions. You're running around trying

495
00:30:16,390 --> 00:30:19,030
Speaker 1: to fix stuff on an empty stomach. So Jesus says,

496
00:30:19,510 --> 00:30:22,870
Speaker 1: sit down and eat. Have breakfast with me. That's a

497
00:30:23,030 --> 00:30:26,090
Speaker 1: daily meal. That's not a one-time. Oh, I had breakfast

498
00:30:26,410 --> 00:30:33,670
Speaker 1: back in 2019. this daily dependence on the Lord. He says,

499
00:30:33,750 --> 00:30:36,930
Speaker 1: I have food for you. And ain't it crazy, Lindsay Newton,

500
00:30:37,270 --> 00:30:40,950
Speaker 1: that while Peter was thinking about his next meal, Jesus

501
00:30:41,010 --> 00:30:47,970
Speaker 1: was already thinking about his next mission. We are meal-minded people,

502
00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:54,900
Speaker 1: but we have a mission-minded God. Prove it to you

503
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,180
Speaker 1: from John chapter four. The woman at the well has

504
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:00,750
Speaker 1: left and she went to go get all of her friends.

505
00:31:01,300 --> 00:31:05,520
Speaker 1: the disciples, including John and Peter, come back and say, Jesus,

506
00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,640
Speaker 1: do you have anything to eat? And in the ultimate

507
00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,010
Speaker 1: Jesus troll, he says, I have food to eat that

508
00:31:13,070 --> 00:31:16,170
Speaker 1: you know not of. And they go, who door dashed?

509
00:31:16,610 --> 00:31:20,630
Speaker 1: Who brought him lunch? No, it's not my food, Jesus said,

510
00:31:20,970 --> 00:31:23,380
Speaker 1: is to do the will of him who sent me.

511
00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:27,580
Speaker 1: You see it? He said, I'm eating while I'm obeying

512
00:31:28,270 --> 00:31:31,400
Speaker 1: While I'm preaching, I'm eating, so I'm eating, and I'm feeding,

513
00:31:31,420 --> 00:31:32,880
Speaker 1: and I'm eating, and I'm feeding, and you get in

514
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:33,660
Speaker 1: trouble when.

515
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:35,959
Speaker 2: You're just eating, eating, eating, bless me, bless me, bless me,

516
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:39,580
Speaker 2: do it, do it, but you never feed. but you

517
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,850
Speaker 2: get in trouble when you're feeding, feeding, feeding, feeding, but

518
00:31:42,870 --> 00:31:43,630
Speaker 2: you never eat.

519
00:31:44,010 --> 00:31:46,470
Speaker 1: So, Jesus said, I do the will of my Father.

520
00:31:46,750 --> 00:31:48,850
Speaker 1: I don't have time for all of the agendas of men,

521
00:31:48,890 --> 00:31:52,310
Speaker 1: because I do the will of my Father. Eat something

522
00:31:52,350 --> 00:31:55,430
Speaker 1: this week. Eat something bigger than a granola bar. Eat

523
00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:59,080
Speaker 1: something more substantive than a protein shake. Eat this word.

524
00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:03,340
Speaker 1: Take it and make it yours, and then feed somebody.

525
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,480
Speaker 1: Your future is in who you are willing to feed.

526
00:32:12,830 --> 00:32:16,230
Speaker 1: Not just what I need God to do for me. Hey,

527
00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:20,880
Speaker 1: worship leader, you're burned out. Write another song. Or do

528
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:22,980
Speaker 1: like our team did and go in the hospital while

529
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,080
Speaker 1: we're on tour and sing to sick people. Because I

530
00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:31,190
Speaker 1: know you're hungry. So feed, and you can eat. And eat,

531
00:32:31,870 --> 00:32:36,330
Speaker 1: and you can feed. All eating, no feeding, you get weak.

532
00:32:36,950 --> 00:32:41,469
Speaker 1: All feeding, no eating, you get weary. Either way, you

533
00:32:41,490 --> 00:32:45,719
Speaker 1: got to learn. what to do with the food. So,

534
00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,820
Speaker 1: Peter says, I love you, Lord, and Jesus says, good.

535
00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:55,620
Speaker 1: Feed my sheep. Yeah, but they bite. Feed them anyway. Yeah,

536
00:32:55,660 --> 00:32:58,040
Speaker 1: but they're teenagers. They don't appreciate me. Feed them anyway.

537
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:00,880
Speaker 1: You're not feeding them for them. You're feeding them because

538
00:33:00,900 --> 00:33:04,979
Speaker 1: you love me. Do it for God. I don't know.

539
00:33:05,020 --> 00:33:06,800
Speaker 1: I love how this is coming out. Is it helping you?

540
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,000
Speaker 1: I just feel so absolutely conversant. I feel like I'm

541
00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,320
Speaker 1: in a bathrobe and slippers and just talking to you,

542
00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,480
Speaker 1: but it's fully closed. It's closed. It's in a double knot.

543
00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:22,620
Speaker 1: Double winds are not. He said, let's have breakfast. I

544
00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,420
Speaker 1: got something for you to do. Now, I always pictured

545
00:33:25,460 --> 00:33:27,100
Speaker 1: this like Jesus was saying all of this in front

546
00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,090
Speaker 1: of all the other disciples because, you know, Peter, wow,

547
00:33:30,790 --> 00:33:33,870
Speaker 1: he goes on to be basketball analogy point guard of

548
00:33:33,890 --> 00:33:36,530
Speaker 1: the New Testament church in Jerusalem, at least, and, and

549
00:33:36,990 --> 00:33:40,570
Speaker 1: He transcends that and takes it to the Gentiles. But

550
00:33:40,610 --> 00:33:44,210
Speaker 1: funny thing about it, the way that God used Peter

551
00:33:44,250 --> 00:33:46,030
Speaker 1: to get the gospel to the Gentiles, he was up

552
00:33:46,090 --> 00:33:48,990
Speaker 1: on a roof praying and he was hungry. True story.

553
00:33:49,670 --> 00:33:52,240
Speaker 1: Acts chapter 10. And the Lord showed him a vision

554
00:33:52,300 --> 00:33:53,700
Speaker 1: and it was a sheet and it had all of

555
00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:57,160
Speaker 1: these unclean animals on it. And Peter looks at it

556
00:33:57,500 --> 00:34:00,180
Speaker 1: and the voice from heaven says, arise, Peter, kill and eat.

557
00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:01,480
Speaker 1: And he's like, no, Lord, I don't eat that. I

558
00:34:02,460 --> 00:34:07,200
Speaker 1: eat clean. And so look what the Lord had to do.

559
00:34:07,790 --> 00:34:11,570
Speaker 1: He brought down the vision again and again, three times,

560
00:34:12,630 --> 00:34:17,670
Speaker 1: three times. He denied Jesus three times. Jesus reaffirmed the

561
00:34:17,730 --> 00:34:21,550
Speaker 1: love and the mission that he had for him three times.

562
00:34:21,969 --> 00:34:24,670
Speaker 1: And the sheep came down from heaven three times. And

563
00:34:24,770 --> 00:34:27,210
Speaker 1: Peter still thinks we're talking about a meal, not a mission.

564
00:34:28,650 --> 00:34:30,870
Speaker 1: So if we're going to talk about food, we've got

565
00:34:30,890 --> 00:34:37,800
Speaker 1: to talk number two about future. Because Jesus has something

566
00:34:37,820 --> 00:34:41,400
Speaker 1: pretty difficult for Peter to hear. And this is where

567
00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:42,800
Speaker 1: I don't know how much to make this like a

568
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:48,489
Speaker 1: seminar versus a sermon. He says, and I want somebody

569
00:34:48,530 --> 00:34:50,690
Speaker 1: watching this online, put my points in the chat, would you?

570
00:34:50,989 --> 00:34:53,430
Speaker 1: Put food and then put future. Those are the first

571
00:34:53,450 --> 00:34:56,910
Speaker 1: two points. He says, feed my sheep, verse 18, very

572
00:34:57,030 --> 00:34:59,969
Speaker 1: truly I tell you, when you were younger, you dressed yourself.

573
00:35:01,590 --> 00:35:03,690
Speaker 1: And you didn't even feel any tightness in your hamstrings

574
00:35:03,730 --> 00:35:06,610
Speaker 1: bending down to tie your shoes. And went where you wanted.

575
00:35:08,210 --> 00:35:11,569
Speaker 1: But when you are old, and see, this is where

576
00:35:11,590 --> 00:35:13,950
Speaker 1: you lose a certain part of the church. I don't

577
00:35:14,010 --> 00:35:15,830
Speaker 1: need to hear this right now. He said, when you

578
00:35:15,910 --> 00:35:18,030
Speaker 1: are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone

579
00:35:18,070 --> 00:35:19,580
Speaker 1: else will dress you and lead you where you do

580
00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:21,440
Speaker 1: not want to go. Jesus said this to indicate the

581
00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,819
Speaker 1: kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And

582
00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,100
Speaker 1: then he said to him, follow me. Now, I've got

583
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:29,680
Speaker 1: to save a little time for that passage, but let

584
00:35:29,700 --> 00:35:34,390
Speaker 1: me point out one thing. Peter's not dead yet. And

585
00:35:34,430 --> 00:35:37,509
Speaker 1: so Jesus is saying, now, when you're old, you're going

586
00:35:37,530 --> 00:35:41,040
Speaker 1: to lose control. See, we think that the older we

587
00:35:41,060 --> 00:35:43,080
Speaker 1: get and the more mature in God we get, the

588
00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,460
Speaker 1: more control of our life we have. I can't wait

589
00:35:46,500 --> 00:35:48,540
Speaker 1: till I get my driver's license. I'm going to go

590
00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:51,459
Speaker 1: wherever I want. But how are you going to pay

591
00:35:51,540 --> 00:35:56,150
Speaker 1: for the gas? We got to talk about that because

592
00:35:56,170 --> 00:35:59,009
Speaker 1: I've been paying for that gas. I've been doing a

593
00:35:59,050 --> 00:36:00,710
Speaker 1: lot for that gas, but you don't even know about

594
00:36:00,730 --> 00:36:05,130
Speaker 1: it right now because you are immature. And so the

595
00:36:05,170 --> 00:36:09,219
Speaker 1: more you mature into the mission that God has given you,

596
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,440
Speaker 1: the more that God grows you up, the more you

597
00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:18,020
Speaker 1: realize that gaining faith means losing control. And we don't

598
00:36:18,060 --> 00:36:22,760
Speaker 1: like that equation because we want more faith, but more

599
00:36:22,910 --> 00:36:28,570
Speaker 1: faith always means less control. And so Jesus starts speaking

600
00:36:28,610 --> 00:36:32,819
Speaker 1: to Peter about his future. He says, I've got some

601
00:36:32,940 --> 00:36:35,370
Speaker 1: things for you to do. You are going to feed

602
00:36:35,489 --> 00:36:41,870
Speaker 1: my sheep. Think about a guy who looked like he

603
00:36:41,890 --> 00:36:44,660
Speaker 1: was at his peak when Jesus rose from the grave.

604
00:36:45,180 --> 00:36:47,520
Speaker 1: He hasn't even preached on the day of Pentecost yet.

605
00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:51,360
Speaker 1: He hasn't even gone to the temple gate called Beautiful.

606
00:36:52,060 --> 00:36:54,940
Speaker 1: and raised a man up who was crippled, laying there

607
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,839
Speaker 1: begging for alms when him and John walked up and said,

608
00:36:58,140 --> 00:37:00,820
Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up

609
00:37:00,890 --> 00:37:04,250
Speaker 1: and walk. All of that was in Peter's future, but

610
00:37:04,310 --> 00:37:07,489
Speaker 1: he didn't know that yet. All of that is in

611
00:37:07,570 --> 00:37:11,570
Speaker 1: Peter's future, but Jesus doesn't share that with him. Jesus

612
00:37:11,590 --> 00:37:14,109
Speaker 1: does not share with Peter, and you're going to take

613
00:37:14,150 --> 00:37:18,270
Speaker 1: the gospel to the uncircumcised. You are going to revolutionize

614
00:37:18,550 --> 00:37:21,230
Speaker 1: the way this message is seen. You are going to

615
00:37:21,290 --> 00:37:24,930
Speaker 1: break barriers. You are going to shatter boundaries. You are

616
00:37:24,969 --> 00:37:29,359
Speaker 1: going to stand before the Sanhedrin and defiantly declare with

617
00:37:29,460 --> 00:37:32,380
Speaker 1: courage that it is right for us to obey God,

618
00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:35,500
Speaker 1: not men. You are going to raise a little girl

619
00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:38,299
Speaker 1: from the dead. You are going to be one of

620
00:37:38,340 --> 00:37:42,339
Speaker 1: the chief emissaries of the gospel. He doesn't say any

621
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:46,960
Speaker 1: of that. He just says, follow me. Follow me. That's

622
00:37:47,020 --> 00:37:49,080
Speaker 1: all God's going to give you right now in your life.

623
00:37:50,140 --> 00:37:54,170
Speaker 1: That's all he's going to tell you. Two words. Follow me.

624
00:37:55,430 --> 00:37:57,190
Speaker 1: Let me tell you about your future. Let me tell

625
00:37:57,210 --> 00:38:00,009
Speaker 1: you a strategy about your future, rather. This is what

626
00:38:00,090 --> 00:38:05,170
Speaker 1: I have learned walking with God. Hold loosely to your

627
00:38:05,230 --> 00:38:10,410
Speaker 1: future and follow closely to to the one who holds

628
00:38:10,770 --> 00:38:16,739
Speaker 1: your future. Should I say it again? Back section. All right.

629
00:38:17,500 --> 00:38:22,779
Speaker 1: Hold loosely to your future and follow closely to the

630
00:38:22,900 --> 00:38:23,779
Speaker 1: one who holds.

631
00:38:23,540 --> 00:38:29,469
Speaker 3: Your future, because he's already there. Because he already knows. Lord,

632
00:38:29,730 --> 00:38:33,390
Speaker 3: you know all things. You know what's best for me.

633
00:38:33,750 --> 00:38:36,469
Speaker 3: You know who needs to leave right now. You know

634
00:38:36,510 --> 00:38:38,970
Speaker 3: who needs to reject me right now. You know who

635
00:38:39,010 --> 00:38:40,520
Speaker 3: needs to accept me right now.

636
00:38:40,860 --> 00:38:43,859
Speaker 1: You know the experiences I need right now. You know

637
00:38:43,900 --> 00:38:46,660
Speaker 1: the situation I need to be in right now, not

638
00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:49,400
Speaker 1: just for my own good but for your glory. Lord,

639
00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:54,500
Speaker 1: you know. So I'm holding loosely my future. I didn't

640
00:38:54,540 --> 00:38:58,690
Speaker 1: see myself unemployed at 34, but I'm holding loosely my future.

641
00:38:59,070 --> 00:39:01,790
Speaker 1: I didn't see myself single again at 61, but I'm

642
00:39:01,850 --> 00:39:04,469
Speaker 1: holding loosely my future. I didn't think I was going

643
00:39:04,489 --> 00:39:06,170
Speaker 1: to have another panic attack. I hadn't had one in

644
00:39:06,210 --> 00:39:09,170
Speaker 1: four years, and it came back. But I'm holding loosely

645
00:39:09,570 --> 00:39:16,500
Speaker 1: to my future and following closely behind Jesus. That's all

646
00:39:16,540 --> 00:39:20,700
Speaker 1: you get. Two words. Follow me. Well, that's better than

647
00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:22,930
Speaker 1: he had when he was walking on water. That day,

648
00:39:23,150 --> 00:39:26,379
Speaker 1: he only got one. Come. Jesus made it clear this time.

649
00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:35,600
Speaker 1: Follow me. Not your broke friends. Follow me. Not your

650
00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:41,779
Speaker 1: dysfunctional family patterns. Follow me. Not your sinful flesh that's

651
00:39:41,820 --> 00:39:44,319
Speaker 1: going to have you doing stuff that you know is

652
00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:50,090
Speaker 1: beneath your high calling. Follow me. Let me make this clear.

653
00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:54,600
Speaker 1: Not follow what somebody said about what's in the Bible.

654
00:39:55,060 --> 00:39:58,360
Speaker 1: Open your Bible and eat this food and get a

655
00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:07,900
Speaker 1: word and follow me, because I'm with you. Come here, Graham.

656
00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:11,259
Speaker 1: Come here, Abby. I want to illustrate. I have an

657
00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:13,600
Speaker 1: illustration that I think will make this so real for

658
00:40:13,660 --> 00:40:15,979
Speaker 1: us today. All right? Y'all sit down and watch my kids.

659
00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:19,509
Speaker 1: Come on all the way up on the stage. me

660
00:40:19,570 --> 00:40:24,420
Speaker 1: verse 19 is amazing, because it calls to follow me,

661
00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:27,339
Speaker 1: but the next two words in the passage to me

662
00:40:28,020 --> 00:40:31,920
Speaker 1: make verse 19 an even more stark contrast. I want

663
00:40:31,940 --> 00:40:34,000
Speaker 1: to see if I can get this across. No, we

664
00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:36,180
Speaker 1: did not work this out in advance, so this could

665
00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,310
Speaker 1: be a total disaster. I'm not preaching this three times today,

666
00:40:39,330 --> 00:40:41,730
Speaker 1: only one time, so even if this doesn't make sense,

667
00:40:41,770 --> 00:40:43,529
Speaker 1: y'all clap and say amen and write down notes like

668
00:40:43,570 --> 00:40:45,850
Speaker 1: it does, all right? Don't let my kids watch me

669
00:40:45,910 --> 00:40:54,420
Speaker 1: fail in this pulpit. All right, for this illustration, Abby

670
00:40:55,700 --> 00:40:59,500
Speaker 1: is going to be Jesus. I knew you'd like that.

671
00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:06,779
Speaker 1: Come here. Jesus and Peter take a walk away from

672
00:41:06,820 --> 00:41:08,859
Speaker 1: the other disciples, and I'll show you how I know

673
00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:11,500
Speaker 1: that in a moment, because sometimes the Lord pulls you

674
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:17,580
Speaker 1: aside to give you your purpose. You hear me? So

675
00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:18,980
Speaker 1: how are you going to hear it if your phone's

676
00:41:19,020 --> 00:41:25,380
Speaker 1: always on? If you are always reachable to people, how

677
00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:30,560
Speaker 1: will you be accessible to God? So he said, hey, Peter,

678
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:35,459
Speaker 1: you love me? You know I love you. I'm the best, Lord. Well,

679
00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:40,919
Speaker 1: I mean, there's John. But, you know, he don't really

680
00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:43,180
Speaker 1: do anything, Lord. He just leans back on your breast

681
00:41:43,260 --> 00:41:47,160
Speaker 1: at the supper. I feel like Peter was probably pretty

682
00:41:48,030 --> 00:41:50,690
Speaker 1: He probably has some feelings about John because, you know

683
00:41:50,710 --> 00:41:53,750
Speaker 1: what I mean? Like, even look at verse 21. I

684
00:41:53,790 --> 00:41:58,419
Speaker 1: saw this. It said, no, before that, please. Yeah, Peter turned,

685
00:41:58,440 --> 00:41:59,730
Speaker 1: saw the supper, and Jesus loved him and followed him.

686
00:42:00,020 --> 00:42:01,840
Speaker 1: This is the one who leaned back against Jesus at

687
00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:05,489
Speaker 1: the supper and said, Lord. And so Peter has to

688
00:42:05,530 --> 00:42:07,230
Speaker 1: be a leader, and John gets to be a leaner.

689
00:42:10,410 --> 00:42:13,779
Speaker 1: It is the pressure of being called. Sometimes you make mistakes,

690
00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:17,180
Speaker 1: and you're like, yeah, but the reason I'm yelling at

691
00:42:17,219 --> 00:42:24,109
Speaker 1: my kids all the time is because I'm with them. So,

692
00:42:24,150 --> 00:42:26,810
Speaker 1: if I could just lean back like you, and then

693
00:42:26,850 --> 00:42:29,450
Speaker 1: the fun uncle gets to come over for Christmas, I

694
00:42:29,469 --> 00:42:31,260
Speaker 1: could be the fun uncle too if I only had

695
00:42:31,300 --> 00:42:36,220
Speaker 1: to see you once a year. I bet I could

696
00:42:36,260 --> 00:42:38,690
Speaker 1: be loyal too if I could just lean on Jesus.

697
00:42:38,750 --> 00:42:41,270
Speaker 1: But Peter was called to be a leader. And so

698
00:42:41,570 --> 00:42:44,060
Speaker 1: he pulls him aside and he says, do you love me?

699
00:42:44,090 --> 00:42:45,150
Speaker 1: Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you

700
00:42:45,210 --> 00:42:48,790
Speaker 1: love me? It's going to be rough. There's going to

701
00:42:48,830 --> 00:42:51,370
Speaker 1: be different seasons of your life. And man, there's going

702
00:42:51,390 --> 00:42:55,890
Speaker 1: to be seasons to this. There's going to be, there

703
00:42:55,950 --> 00:42:58,430
Speaker 1: are going to be seasons. When I said my title,

704
00:42:59,630 --> 00:43:02,089
Speaker 1: the best is not behind you. If you think that

705
00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:06,469
Speaker 1: means it's going to be easy, You've been watching too

706
00:43:06,510 --> 00:43:13,069
Speaker 1: much TikTok and reading too little truth. I did not

707
00:43:13,219 --> 00:43:16,100
Speaker 1: say it would be easy. I said he would be

708
00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:23,439
Speaker 1: with me. This is the picture. Please get this. Please

709
00:43:23,460 --> 00:43:28,620
Speaker 1: get this. So you're Jesus, right? I'm Peter, right? Okay,

710
00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:32,640
Speaker 1: I'm just making sure. All right. So he says, follow me.

711
00:43:35,930 --> 00:43:40,950
Speaker 1: And then Jesus is walking. Okay. And then verse 20,

712
00:43:40,950 --> 00:43:51,219
Speaker 1: Peter turned. So now we've got a problem. Let me

713
00:43:51,260 --> 00:43:56,779
Speaker 1: do this again. Peter, I got something for your future.

714
00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:58,400
Speaker 1: I got a new thing for you to do. I

715
00:43:58,420 --> 00:43:59,739
Speaker 1: got a new season. I got a new anointing. I

716
00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,080
Speaker 1: got a fresh wind. I'm not done with you yet.

717
00:44:02,100 --> 00:44:04,859
Speaker 1: The Lord is speaking to you. Okay. Yes, I love you, Lord. Yes,

718
00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:06,779
Speaker 1: I love you, Lord. This is a reversal of Peter's

719
00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:09,130
Speaker 1: regret where God is turning his mistake into a mission.

720
00:44:09,850 --> 00:44:12,210
Speaker 1: God is turning your mistake into a mission. I got

721
00:44:12,250 --> 00:44:13,529
Speaker 1: something for you to do. It's not going to be easy,

722
00:44:13,570 --> 00:44:14,529
Speaker 1: but I'm going to be with you. I'm going to

723
00:44:14,550 --> 00:44:15,989
Speaker 1: be leading you. You just got to stretch your hands

724
00:44:16,030 --> 00:44:17,730
Speaker 1: and go where I send you. And by the way,

725
00:44:18,290 --> 00:44:21,450
Speaker 1: when you're old, this is going to happen. There are

726
00:44:21,450 --> 00:44:25,530
Speaker 1: 30 years of beautiful ministry Peter has that Jesus doesn't

727
00:44:25,590 --> 00:44:28,779
Speaker 1: even mention. You have no idea what God is planning

728
00:44:28,820 --> 00:44:36,259
Speaker 1: for you, but the entire thing hinges on verse 19,

729
00:44:36,260 --> 00:44:40,520
Speaker 1: where the last two words Jesus says is, follow me,

730
00:44:41,020 --> 00:44:43,620
Speaker 1: which is why I was surprised by the first two

731
00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:52,030
Speaker 1: words of 20. Peter turned Is this why you feel lost?

732
00:44:54,290 --> 00:44:58,410
Speaker 1: Is this why you feel stressed? Is this why you

733
00:44:58,469 --> 00:45:02,330
Speaker 1: have stomach ulcers worrying about things that are beyond your control?

734
00:45:04,030 --> 00:45:06,799
Speaker 1: Is this why you are now looking at your future saying,

735
00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:08,739
Speaker 1: I don't know if there's anything good left in me.

736
00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:10,860
Speaker 1: I don't know if I can do it again. I

737
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:11,219
Speaker 1: don't know.

738
00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:18,469
Speaker 4: It's impossible for you to follow Jesus when you're facing John.

739
00:45:24,540 --> 00:45:31,580
Speaker 4: Because the moment that Peter turned and faced John, verse 20,

740
00:45:31,580 --> 00:45:37,600
Speaker 4: he put Jesus behind him. So, now he's looking at John,

741
00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:39,419
Speaker 4: and John is like, and I'm the one who leaned

742
00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:41,430
Speaker 4: my head on his own and suffered.

743
00:45:41,469 --> 00:45:45,410
Speaker 1: Verse 21, Peter is like, Lord, what about him? Is

744
00:45:45,469 --> 00:45:48,310
Speaker 1: he the best? Am I the best? Is he the best?

745
00:45:48,350 --> 00:45:51,970
Speaker 1: I mean, Peter is walking with Jesus, the author of life,

746
00:45:52,590 --> 00:45:56,630
Speaker 1: the shepherd of the stars, the guardian of planets in space,

747
00:45:56,930 --> 00:45:59,230
Speaker 1: the speaker of the constellations.

748
00:45:59,550 --> 00:46:01,210
Speaker 2: The one who was in the beginning. In the beginning

749
00:46:01,230 --> 00:46:02,910
Speaker 2: was the Word, and the Word was with God, and.

750
00:46:02,830 --> 00:46:04,770
Speaker 1: The Word was God, and he's taking a walk with

751
00:46:04,810 --> 00:46:07,339
Speaker 1: the Word, who knows all things, who upholds all things,

752
00:46:08,010 --> 00:46:10,920
Speaker 1: from whom and through whom and by whom and for

753
00:46:10,980 --> 00:46:15,160
Speaker 1: whom all things are created. He is walking with the best,

754
00:46:15,719 --> 00:46:27,779
Speaker 1: and he turns his back and puts the best behind him. So,

755
00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:34,469
Speaker 1: I came to say today, turn around the best is

756
00:46:34,550 --> 00:46:36,770
Speaker 1: not behind you.

757
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:44,410
Speaker 5: I said the best is not behind you, fixing our

758
00:46:44,690 --> 00:46:49,799
Speaker 5: eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith,

759
00:46:50,340 --> 00:46:54,400
Speaker 5: who for the joy set before him endured the cross,

760
00:46:54,820 --> 00:46:58,840
Speaker 5: despising his shame, and sat down at the right hand

761
00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:03,280
Speaker 5: of God. High-five 12 people and say,' I' ve got the best.

762
00:47:03,860 --> 00:47:12,930
Speaker 1: I've got the best. I've got the best.' So, why

763
00:47:12,969 --> 00:47:17,340
Speaker 1: would I be stressed about what's next when I'm walking

764
00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:22,060
Speaker 1: into tomorrow with the one who's already in it? He's

765
00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:26,240
Speaker 1: already in it. He's already got it. He's already cooking.

766
00:47:26,640 --> 00:47:36,430
Speaker 1: He's already coming. He's already crucified. He's already resurrected. So,

767
00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:43,630
Speaker 1: I'm already blessed. Just like that bread, I'm already blessed.

768
00:47:44,489 --> 00:47:51,150
Speaker 1: I'm already blessed. I can face my future, because number three,

769
00:47:51,170 --> 00:47:57,020
Speaker 1: I have to focus. I have food. Don't sit down.

770
00:47:58,120 --> 00:48:03,960
Speaker 1: I'm closing this bad boy, because right now I want

771
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:09,770
Speaker 1: the best worship team on the planet to come up

772
00:48:09,870 --> 00:48:14,989
Speaker 1: on this stage. In just a moment, when I minister

773
00:48:15,030 --> 00:48:21,820
Speaker 1: this sermon, they're going to sing, Because He Lives. I

774
00:48:21,860 --> 00:48:33,960
Speaker 1: can face tomorrow. See, I can follow Jesus if I

775
00:48:34,020 --> 00:48:39,799
Speaker 1: face him, but if I'm facing John, people. Now I

776
00:48:39,860 --> 00:48:41,600
Speaker 1: had it in my mind to teach all of the

777
00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:45,620
Speaker 1: ways that we turn our backs on God's purpose for

778
00:48:45,719 --> 00:48:49,140
Speaker 1: us in order to compare ourselves to others. I had

779
00:48:49,180 --> 00:48:51,219
Speaker 1: a whole list that I was going to give you.

780
00:48:52,219 --> 00:48:53,830
Speaker 1: But the Lord said when I got to that point,

781
00:48:54,310 --> 00:48:59,390
Speaker 1: they don't need the list. They got the picture. And

782
00:48:59,430 --> 00:49:02,770
Speaker 1: they know exactly what it is. Come back, baby. You're

783
00:49:02,790 --> 00:49:09,580
Speaker 1: doing so good. You should be Jesus more often. You

784
00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:12,439
Speaker 1: know this is going to be bragging rights. He loves

785
00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:15,390
Speaker 1: me the most. He let me be Jesus. You know,

786
00:49:15,410 --> 00:49:17,660
Speaker 1: Graham's getting a lot of attention in ministry right now.

787
00:49:18,040 --> 00:49:20,240
Speaker 1: I got to let Abby be Jesus for a minute.

788
00:49:26,140 --> 00:49:28,620
Speaker 1: Because Jesus said to John something so important, or he

789
00:49:28,660 --> 00:49:31,390
Speaker 1: said to Peter something so important. He said, John is

790
00:49:31,430 --> 00:49:40,470
Speaker 1: my job. The people you compare yourself to, That's my kitchen.

791
00:49:42,510 --> 00:49:44,590
Speaker 1: You get out of my kitchen, you stop scrolling to

792
00:49:44,630 --> 00:49:47,790
Speaker 1: see where they went on vacation and pop a tent

793
00:49:47,810 --> 00:49:50,250
Speaker 1: in your living room and have a Capri Sun and

794
00:49:50,290 --> 00:49:53,350
Speaker 1: drink it until you get juice drunk and stagger around

795
00:49:53,390 --> 00:49:59,330
Speaker 1: the room saying, I'm blessed in this staycation. Stop trying

796
00:49:59,370 --> 00:50:01,529
Speaker 1: to follow Jesus' face in John. Do you know how

797
00:50:01,570 --> 00:50:04,180
Speaker 1: many times I almost wrecked my ministry looking in my

798
00:50:04,219 --> 00:50:10,190
Speaker 1: rearview mirror? Oh, you've got to do this now in ministry.

799
00:50:10,230 --> 00:50:12,130
Speaker 1: You've got to do that in ministry now. You've got

800
00:50:12,170 --> 00:50:15,600
Speaker 1: to do that in ministry now. I don't have to

801
00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:20,960
Speaker 1: do anything but get my hair cut, study my Bible,

802
00:50:22,140 --> 00:50:26,600
Speaker 1: drink my coffee. Three cups today. Can you tell? Three cups.

803
00:50:27,469 --> 00:50:30,230
Speaker 1: The third one was big too. Can you feel it?

804
00:50:30,230 --> 00:50:35,010
Speaker 1: I don't have to do anything but two things. Follow me.

805
00:50:35,390 --> 00:50:39,830
Speaker 1: That's all I have to do. If I follow him,

806
00:50:39,850 --> 00:50:42,670
Speaker 1: he'll feed me. If I follow him, he'll take care

807
00:50:42,730 --> 00:50:47,370
Speaker 1: of me. If I follow him, I can preach on Pentecost.

808
00:50:47,860 --> 00:50:50,420
Speaker 1: If I follow him, I can raise to 10. If

809
00:50:50,500 --> 00:50:52,520
Speaker 1: I follow him, I can cast out devils.

810
00:50:52,980 --> 00:50:54,239
Speaker 6: If I follow him ….

811
00:50:59,800 --> 00:51:08,680
Speaker 1: I can face tomorrow. God sent his son. God sent

812
00:51:08,719 --> 00:51:09,640
Speaker 1: his son.

813
00:51:11,739 --> 00:51:16,529
Speaker 6: And they called him Jesus.

814
00:51:18,350 --> 00:51:26,850
Speaker 1: He came to love. Receive it. Heal and forgive. If

815
00:51:26,930 --> 00:51:29,800
Speaker 1: everything he did was written, the world couldn't contain the books.

816
00:51:29,840 --> 00:51:34,180
Speaker 1: Do you think your best is behind you? This is

817
00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:48,680
Speaker 1: what he did. That's the evidence. Come on. Let me

818
00:51:48,719 --> 00:51:51,410
Speaker 1: preach the hymn to you. An empty grave is there

819
00:51:51,430 --> 00:51:55,610
Speaker 1: to prove that he's not through with you.

820
00:51:55,930 --> 00:51:59,810
Speaker 5: He's not through with you.

821
00:52:01,790 --> 00:52:06,819
Speaker 6: The best is not behind you.

822
00:52:06,900 --> 00:52:16,640
Speaker 1: Hey, hey, hey. I probably already worked with the best

823
00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:20,370
Speaker 1: musicians I'm going to work with God was laughing watching

824
00:52:20,390 --> 00:52:24,720
Speaker 1: Zeke up here singing like that. Do that again. Do

825
00:52:24,760 --> 00:52:29,920
Speaker 1: something crazy. Do something crazy. Do you see what I'm saying?

826
00:52:46,620 --> 00:52:48,140
Speaker 1: The best is not behind you.

827
00:52:49,219 --> 00:52:51,540
Speaker 2: How do I know it? Sing the chorus.

828
00:52:52,300 --> 00:52:56,610
Speaker 1: That's how I know my best is ahead.

829
00:53:01,190 --> 00:53:07,469
Speaker 5: That wrong stone told me my best is ahead. And

830
00:53:07,530 --> 00:53:08,900
Speaker 5: heaven is my home.

831
00:53:09,780 --> 00:53:23,779
Speaker 1: And Jesus is my reward. Because I know, I know.

832
00:53:23,820 --> 00:53:29,400
Speaker 6: I know He holds my future And life is worth

833
00:53:29,420 --> 00:53:43,230
Speaker 6: the living church My life is worth the living church

834
00:53:47,180 --> 00:54:01,270
Speaker 6: I've got a reason to live. I've got a reason.

835
00:54:05,110 --> 00:54:19,620
Speaker 1: To live. Hey, I hope you enjoyed the podcast. And

836
00:54:19,660 --> 00:54:22,879
Speaker 1: if you did, make sure to share it and subscribe

837
00:54:22,920 --> 00:54:25,290
Speaker 1: so we can get you all of these new messages

838
00:54:25,489 --> 00:54:27,910
Speaker 1: as soon as they're available. I also want to take

839
00:54:27,950 --> 00:54:29,790
Speaker 1: a moment and thank all of you who are a

840
00:54:29,850 --> 00:54:33,750
Speaker 1: part of Elevation. Whether you support us financially or serve

841
00:54:33,790 --> 00:54:37,090
Speaker 1: with us or just share these messages, it's because of

842
00:54:37,150 --> 00:54:39,990
Speaker 1: you that we're able to reach people all around the world.

843
00:54:40,350 --> 00:54:42,830
Speaker 1: And if you want more information on how to be

844
00:54:42,850 --> 00:54:46,060
Speaker 1: a part of Elevation, click the link in the description.

845
00:54:46,570 --> 00:54:48,630
Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. Make sure to leave a review,

846
00:54:49,170 --> 00:54:51,750
Speaker 1: share the message, and subscribe. God bless you.