1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: In Romans chapter one, verse twenty five. There's a scripture 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: I've been thinking about for quite a while now, and 8 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: I've been looking forward to the opportunity to preach it, 9 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: and this weekend Live as the appropriate time. And God 10 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: has really been using it this weekend. You're not the 11 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: first group that I've seen this weekend, and yet I 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: believe that God has saved the best for last and 13 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: that He desires the minister to you in a specific 14 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: way today. And I'll read this verse and this will 15 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: give you the premise for our message. And it's found 16 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: in Romans chapter one, verse twenty five. It says that 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 1: they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and 18 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who 19 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: is forever praised Amen. They exchanged the truth about God 20 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: for a lie. And as people say that the Bible 21 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: is not relevant to today's culture. But let me read 22 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: this again. It sounds like it was written on Twitter 23 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: last night. They exchanged the truth about God for a 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,639 Speaker 1: lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. 25 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: Have you ever got your priorities mixed up and started 26 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,839 Speaker 1: serving something that God gave to you and forgotten about 27 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: the God who gave it. And that's what happened. They 28 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: exchanged the truth of God for a lie and began 29 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: to serve created things rather than the Creator who is 30 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: forever praised. Amen. The subject heading I want to use 31 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: today is trading truth, and I want to talk to 32 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: you on this topic Trading truth. Lord, I thank you 33 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: that your word is truth. Illuminate it now and help 34 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: us to receive it with courage to obey it. In Jesus' name, Amen, 35 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: you may be seated, God bless you. I lie to 36 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: my kids sometimes you have to do it. Sometimes, you 37 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 1: know what we're all doing in there were taking a nap. 38 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's just for their own while it was the 39 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: door locked safety dangerous criminals. You have to do it sometimes. 40 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: Don't look at me judgmentally. If you never lied to 41 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: your kids, you haven't had them yet. But sometimes it's 42 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: really a matter of survival. And even a few days ago, 43 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 1: we were at the beach for the kid's spring break 44 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: and they had talked me out into the ocean. They 45 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: talked me out of the hot tub into the ocean. 46 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: I'm too old for this crap. It was a fifty 47 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: one degrees outside. But I'm hey, hey, I'm Dad of 48 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: the year. Don't worry about it. Already got the title. 49 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: I'm Dad of the Year. I went out in that 50 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: cold ocean with all three kids, and Abby was hanging 51 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: onto my arm the whole time, just every time. It 52 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: was really it was a really rough ocean, but it 53 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 1: made it kind of fun until until it wasn't fun anymore. 54 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: You know how it is when you're kind of playing out, 55 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: you're kind of stepping further and further out, and you 56 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: don't even know how far, how far out you've gotten, 57 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: and then you kind of get carried away, and you 58 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: don't really realize how far you've been carried away until 59 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: you're looking and kind of look at the original point 60 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: where you were, which would be a whole sermon in itself, 61 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: but that's not what I want to preach about. What 62 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: I wanted to tell you is we're kind of getting 63 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: carried away, and then the undercurrent got really strong and 64 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: started just pulling all of us, all four of us. 65 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: The only one who had good enough sense to be 66 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: in the house was Holly. She's not as committed to 67 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: parenting and making memories as I am. She was on 68 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: her phone, and I'm out there realizing in this moment, wait, 69 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: nobody else is in the ocean. It's just us. Everybody 70 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: who knows anything about safety in the water is inside. 71 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: Right now, this is dangerous. And then it really got scary. 72 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: I couldn't touch the bottom, and Abby's on my arm, 73 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: and her being on my arm and is a problem. 74 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: I can curl her all day long. She's very well 75 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: below my curling maximum weight ability, trust me. But when 76 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: she's on my arm and I can't touch, and then 77 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: Graham jumps on my back and we're all simultaneously being pulled, 78 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: and I realized, like, well, we're way further out than 79 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: I intended us to be. And Abbey's on my arm 80 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: and Graham's on my back, and I'm like, Graham, I 81 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: love you, dude, but you got to swim right now. 82 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: It's every verdict for himself right now. I need to 83 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: take at least two of us back in the house 84 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: for your mom. We start swimming back in. Abby's on 85 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: my arm and Graham's swimming. Now Elijah's the bravest one. 86 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: He's out way past all of us, and he's screaming 87 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: at me to come get him or something, and I 88 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: can't come get him. His sister's on my arm and 89 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: she's my favorite. And so I was kidding, I'm kidding, 90 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: but this calmness came over me, or at least I 91 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: pretended that it did. I said, Elijah, it's fine, son, 92 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: And secretly I'm looking at him, thinking this is our 93 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: last time talking together, you know, But I knew I 94 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: had to keep him swimming. It was just a leadership 95 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: instinct that came over me. I'm like, it's fine, just 96 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: swim You'll be fine. It's not that bad here where 97 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: we are, if you can just get here. Meanwhile, I'm dying, 98 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: you know. And so we made it. We made it 99 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: back to the shore, aren't you glad? Thank you for 100 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: praying me through. And then Elijah said something really funny 101 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: to me. I thought this was really really profound. He's like, 102 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: you didn't even seem scared. Were you not worried? About me. 103 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: Were you were you just gonna let me stay out there? 104 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: You know, of course I was. Your sisters only had 105 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: eight years to live, You've had thirteen. And it was 106 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: just but but I I think he was. I think 107 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: he was amazed. He was like you, you just didn't 108 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: even seem worried about it, And to which I told him, well, son, 109 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: I was lying. I was lying for your own good. 110 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: I knew if you knew how bad it was, you'd 111 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: stop swimming. And so the best thing I could do 112 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: for your survival was to lie to you. It's like 113 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,239 Speaker 1: a rahab lie. It's a lie for the purposes of God. 114 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: Don't judge me. Don't judge me. But sometimes I lie 115 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: to myself. It's a survival instinct. It's just that sometimes 116 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: my feet can't find the bottom, and life gets a 117 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: little bit turbulent, and I find myself drifting and in 118 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: the new reality that I'm trying to embrace according to 119 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: what God says, I am, sometimes what I used to 120 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: be feels more solid, more stable, and more comfortable. And 121 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: sometimes it's easier for me to lie to myself and 122 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: tell myself a story. I got good at it, even 123 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: as a little boy. It wasn't that my childhood was 124 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: bad or anything like that. But all of us experience 125 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: things in life that teach us to lie to ourselves. 126 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: When we read a scripture like Romans chapter one, verse 127 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: twenty five that says they exchange the truth about God 128 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: for a lie, a part of us says, who would 129 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: do that? Who would trade a perfectly good truth for 130 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: a lie? And yet the fact is, there are some 131 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: lies that we have learned so well that they feel 132 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: true even more than the truth does. Can I preach 133 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: like I've been out of the pulpit for three weeks 134 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: and I've got something to say. I want to show 135 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: you today an illustration from the life of Jesus, and 136 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,679 Speaker 1: I want to show you how sometimes the enemy doesn't 137 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: sabotage your life with a lie. He tells you a 138 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: truth and he twists it just enough. And I believe 139 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: that the Lord desires to set us free today. But 140 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: only by the truth can we be set free. You know, 141 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 1: Jesus knew the truth because he was the truth. He 142 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: knew the word of God because he was the word 143 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: of God. And when the enemy came to Jesus and 144 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: Matthew chapter four in the Wilderness to timptim. He made 145 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: the crucial mistake with the son of God of debating 146 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: the word of God. And it's a bad idea to 147 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: debate the word of God with the word of God. 148 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: John chapter one says, in the beginning was the Word, 149 00:08:57,880 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 150 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 1: He's not arguing with someone who knows about the Word 151 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: of God. He is arguing with the embodiment of the 152 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: Word of God. And it gives us a pure picture 153 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: of the principle that is illustrated in Romans one twenty five, 154 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: but only in reverse in Matthew chapter four, verse one. 155 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: Our perspective is immediately challenged because it says that Jesus 156 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be 157 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,239 Speaker 1: tempted by the devil. And that is a strange construct, 158 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: that Jesus was led by God to be tempted by 159 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: the devil. If you've been told that God won't lead 160 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:38,680 Speaker 1: you into difficult situations, you've been lied to. If you've 161 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: ever been told, or it's ever been implied or inferred, 162 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: that the will of God will always lead to the 163 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: path of least resistance, you've been lied to. If you've 164 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: ever been told that The proof of the favor of 165 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,599 Speaker 1: God on your life is that situations become less difficult 166 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: and more agreeable. You've been lied to because Jesus, before 167 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: his ministry was fully announced, was led into the wilderness 168 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: to be tempted by the devil. And yet I want 169 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: us to see that this passage is as much about 170 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: trust as it is about temptation. Now let me say 171 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: this real quickly. It's not the truth that you can quote, 172 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: it's not the truth that you know mentally, but it 173 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: is the truth that you do that guides your life 174 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: to its ultimate outcome. I will never forget watching y'all 175 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: when I was a kid with the Jane fond to 176 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: work Out DVDs, eating a bowl of ice cream watching 177 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: the Jane Fond to work Out DVDs. And when I asked, 178 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: why aren't you doing the DVDs? I'm only like eight 179 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 1: years old and my mom and dad are eating briars 180 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: watching Jane Fonda. They said, well, we've got to know 181 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: what to do before we can do it. But sometimes 182 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: if you would do what you knew, I might kid 183 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: at work after fasting forty days and forty nights, he 184 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: was hungry. I nominate this for most obvious verse in 185 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 1: the Bible. The Tempter came to him at his weakest moment. 186 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: The tempter came to him in the area of his appetite. 187 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 1: The tempter came to him at a place of great 188 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,319 Speaker 1: vulnerability and said, if you are the son of God, 189 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: tell these stones to become bred. And how many times 190 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: in my life have I been tempted in this exact way. 191 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: It's a good thing Jesus knew the truth. It's a 192 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,439 Speaker 1: good thing. Jesus had just been baptized by John and 193 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: the Jordan River. It's just it's a good thing that 194 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: Jesus had just heard his father say, this is my 195 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: beloved son, and whom I am well pleased. It's a 196 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: good thing he had just been told the truth, because 197 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 1: when you just encountered truth, when when you know who 198 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: you are, when you have a full understanding of who 199 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: you are in God's eyes, you don't have to prove 200 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 1: it in anybody else's how many times have I been 201 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: susceptible to the temptation to prove who I am by 202 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: what I do? But when you know that who you 203 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: are is not dependent on what you do, your value 204 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: is not assessed by others, then you don't have to 205 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: post stuff to prove stuff. You're going to set somebody 206 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:41,199 Speaker 1: free today. You don't have to post stuff to prove 207 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: stuff when you know the truth about it. And Jesus answered, 208 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: it is written men shall not live on bread alone, 209 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 210 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: One of the hardest years of my life was twenty thirteen. 211 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: My dad was dying, our church was under heavy criticism 212 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: in the media, and I was going through so many 213 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: things at once. I felt like Rocky when he said, 214 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: I don't know which one to hit. I see three 215 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: of them out there, and they said hit the one 216 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: in the middle. And there were so many things going 217 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: on around me. I didn't know what to do. But 218 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: it was really comforting to me that the things I 219 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: had preached to you I was able to live off of. 220 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: For me, the proof that something is true in your 221 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: life is not that you can understand it or say 222 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,679 Speaker 1: amen to it, but that you can live on it. 223 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: That you can live on it. Sometimes we're too impressed 224 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: with cliches, and sometimes we think something is true just 225 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: because it rhymes. You know. I found out in preaching 226 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: sometimes you can make something rhyme and it can be 227 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: totally totally opposite. You know, you can make something start 228 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:58,319 Speaker 1: with the same letter, curiosity killed the cat. That's good, 229 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: meow amen. Actually, the original saying wasn't curiosity killed the cat. 230 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: It was care killed the cat. And it was used 231 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: to mean that they fed the cat too much and 232 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: he died because he was too fat. They cared too much. 233 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,439 Speaker 1: And then they changed it from care meaning they over 234 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: fed him to care he was too worried. So now 235 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: it means that worry killed the cat. But then one 236 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: day it just became curiosity killed the cat. Now there 237 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: are no statistical evidences of dead felines based on inquisitive natures. 238 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: But it just sounds good, And some stuff sounds good, 239 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: but it ain't true. Just because it sounds good doesn't 240 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: mean it is. Just because it rhymes, just because it 241 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: is aligned with your life experience up to this point 242 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: doesn't make it true. Just because it's the way it's 243 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: always been for you and your mom and it doesn't 244 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: make it true. And so then we get really bad 245 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: advice and we say really bad things that it sounds 246 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: good on the surface, but beneath them, they they're really 247 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: bad belief systems. I thought about calling this message. What's 248 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: your BS for belief system? What's your belief system? And 249 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: I wanted to call it that because that's what's driving 250 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: your life. They they say live your truth. I heard 251 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: that before. Live your truth. That's the important thing. Just 252 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: live your truth. And it sounds good. But what if 253 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: my truth is a trap? What if your truth isn't 254 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: the truth? Do you have to stay stuck in a 255 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: story and call it the truth. Let me go back 256 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: to Matthew four. Jesus said it is written men shall 257 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: not live on bread alone, but on every word that 258 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: comes from the mouth of God. So then the devil 259 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: he does something that I was very interested to study 260 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: this out. And if I've preached on this passage ten 261 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: times before, I apologize to the other ten that I 262 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: never pointed this out because I never saw it. We 263 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: always assume that the enemy comes to us with lies, 264 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: and then we quote the word of God, which is 265 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: the truth, and then the lies go away. Okay, fine, whatever, 266 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: But many of us love God too much to just 267 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 1: believe a lie if we see it as a lie, 268 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: and so then what the enemy does is he presents 269 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: you not with a lie, but with a truth. The 270 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: next thing the enemy does to Jesus. Remember he's hungry. 271 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: He's in a week in physical state. He's on the 272 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: verge of three years of ministry that will shake the 273 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:10,159 Speaker 1: world and overturn the Roman Empire. He's in a period 274 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: of preparation. He knows who he is. He not only 275 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: knows truth, but he is truth. And so the enemy 276 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: knows that the only way that he can fight truth 277 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: is with truth. And I promise you I'm not just 278 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: trying to be confusing. A lot of times, what the 279 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: enemy will attack you with is a truth, a truth. 280 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: And in this particular instance, the devil took him to 281 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: the Holy City verse five and had him stand on 282 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: the highest point of the temple. If you are the 283 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:48,479 Speaker 1: son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written. 284 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: The enemy doesn't attack Jesus with a lie. He attacks 285 00:17:55,119 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: him with a Bible. Verse he quotes to Jesus Psalm 286 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: ninety one, verse eleven and twelve. He quotes the Word 287 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: of God to the Word of God, for it is written. 288 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 1: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will 289 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 1: lift you up in their hands, so that you will 290 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 1: not strike your foot against a stone. That's true, That's 291 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: actually true. This is not made up. This is not imaginary. 292 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: It is it is, It is the word of God, 293 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: it is the truth. So here's what I'm realizing in 294 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: my life. A lot of times I'm not deciding between 295 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: a lie and the truth. A lot of times I'm 296 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 1: stuck between two truths. One is the truth of my 297 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 1: situation and one is the truth of my revelation. I 298 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: told you, Holly, this was gonna be the best. One 299 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 1: is the truth of what I'm going through, and the 300 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: other is the truth of who's standing with me in 301 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: the fire as I go through it. So I've got 302 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: two truths. I've got two truths. And what Jesus said 303 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,959 Speaker 1: was so powerful. When the enemy tried to get him 304 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: to turn the stones into bread, he said, it is 305 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: written because he knew the temptation to turn something into 306 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: something that it's not. A lot of times we try 307 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: to do this with relationships. We try to turn them 308 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 1: into something that they're not. We turn people into our God, 309 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: and we need their approval more than we need God's approval. 310 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: And then when they disappoint us, we lose our hope 311 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: because we tried to turn stones into bread. You know, 312 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: some of us try to turn money into security, but 313 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: Your trust was never supposed to be in resources. Your 314 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: trust was supposed to be in the one. Your help 315 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:56,439 Speaker 1: comes from the source. You were supposed to lift your 316 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,199 Speaker 1: eyes to him. Your trust was never supposed to be 317 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 1: in the stuff. Your trust was supposed to be in 318 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: the source. But when you don't know the truth of 319 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,199 Speaker 1: who you are, you will try to turn stones into bread, 320 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: and you will try to live off of people's compliments. 321 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: And then so you die by their criticism because you 322 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: tried to turn it into what it was not. And 323 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: you trade the truth for a lie, and you trade 324 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: the truth of God's assessment of you for someone else's 325 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: opinion of you, serving created things rather than the creator 326 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: who has forever blessed a man. Roman's Won twenty five. 327 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: I love what Jesus said. I never saw it before. 328 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: Did you ever see this before? I appreciate it. In 329 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: nine thirty I never saw it because first time he 330 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: said it is written, But this time he said something different. 331 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 1: He said, verse seven, it is also written. What's your 332 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: just said? It's true, but I know something truer. It's 333 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 1: true I made some mistakes in my life. But it's 334 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: also true that my greatest mistake has the potential to 335 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: become my greatest miracle. It's true, but it's also true. 336 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: Somebody's shout it's also true. Come on, shout it from 337 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: river Walk to Roanoke. It's also true, Paul said, I'm pressed. 338 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 1: It's true, but I'm not crushed. See, I know how 339 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 1: to stand between two truths. One is what I'm thinking, 340 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: One is what I'm feeling. One is what the doctor said. 341 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:00,640 Speaker 1: One is what I'm experiencing. But it is also true. Crushed, 342 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: I'm persecuted. It's true, but I'm not abandoned. It's also true. 343 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: I'm struck down for a minute, but it's also true. 344 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:15,640 Speaker 1: I'm not destroyed. I'm lonely, but I'm not alone. I'm 345 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: weak but he's strong. I'm poor but he's rich. I'm 346 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,439 Speaker 1: it is also written, I've got a better word on 347 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:41,159 Speaker 1: the situation. I did it, but I'm not it. I 348 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: got a new truth. I got a new truth. I've 349 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: got a new truth. That means I know the difference 350 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: between my truth and my story. So when Jesus was 351 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: fronted by the Jews, he had a conversation with them 352 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: about truth, and it says that many of the Jews 353 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: had believed in him because of what he did, but 354 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,479 Speaker 1: they didn't fully understand who he was, and they were 355 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: putting their faith in him, but they were still attached 356 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: to the old story. The old story. You know, the 357 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: old story, the one you tell yourself about why people 358 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:27,160 Speaker 1: reject you. And you did it as a means of survival, 359 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: because it is sometimes easier for you to reject yourself 360 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: in advance than to put yourself out there and risk 361 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: rejection again. So when you can't touch the bottom, you 362 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: tell yourself a story for survival. It's called prejection. It's 363 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,159 Speaker 1: when instead of dealing with the reality of rejection and 364 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,360 Speaker 1: healing from it, you begin to tell yourself a story 365 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: about how worthless you are. And now you stay alone, 366 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:58,160 Speaker 1: because to really be loved requires vulnerability for the sake 367 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 1: of connection. So you would rather stay stuck in an 368 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: old story then embrace a new truth. And Jesus said 369 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 1: to the Jews who believed in him, watch this In 370 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: John eight thirty two. He said, you will know the truth, 371 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: and the truth will set you free. Now see the 372 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: second part of that does not work without the first. 373 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:27,120 Speaker 1: You will know the truth. This is not a propositional statement. 374 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: This doesn't mean you will be able to quote the truth. 375 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: To know the truth is not to quote the truth. 376 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 1: It's to trust in it. It's to trust in the truth. 377 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: And what you trust in is what is true to you. 378 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: What you trust in is what is true to you. 379 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: That's why he wouldn't turn the stone to bread. It 380 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't have been a sin for him to do it. 381 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: It would have been substitute. I don't live by that. 382 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: I don't trust in that. That's not my truth. And 383 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: when you know the truth, and a lot of times 384 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 1: we think we know the truth better than we do. 385 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 1: We think we know what other people are like because 386 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:27,639 Speaker 1: we've never traded truth with them. We think we know. 387 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:29,399 Speaker 1: We think we know what we would do if we 388 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: were them. Sit down with a single mom. You know 389 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: what you would do if you were them, You would 390 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:38,679 Speaker 1: have a pill addiction. You wouldn't make it out of 391 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 1: bed in the morning. You wouldn't you wouldn't be strong 392 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:45,199 Speaker 1: enough to do it. Well, if I were them, well, 393 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: i'll tell you what, right now, if I was running 394 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: that elevation church, i'd do a few things differently. I'm 395 00:25:49,440 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: sure we'll say that right now. So this is trading truth. Oh, 396 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: it is written. It is also written Okay, I'm accepting it, 397 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 1: but it's not It's not my truth. It's just my story. 398 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: Sometimes you can live in a story so long that 399 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: you become a slave to it. Have you become a 400 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: slave to your own story to the extent that you 401 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:30,919 Speaker 1: now think it's the truth? The Jews had Jesus said, 402 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: you will know the truth, and the truth will set 403 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: you free. And the next thing they said, the response 404 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 1: that they had to that shows us just how embedded 405 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: their identity had become in their story. Because you gotta remember, 406 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: these are people who had spent four hundred and thirty 407 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: years in Egypt as slaves making bricks without straw under Pharaoh. 408 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: They had been taken captive by the Babylonians the Assyrians 409 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: multiple times before Jesus came onto the sea, and when 410 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: he said you will know the truth, and the truth 411 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,200 Speaker 1: will set you free, it offended them. So they looked 412 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: back at him in verse thirty three and said, we 413 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 1: are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. 414 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:21,400 Speaker 1: The same people who had spent centuries as slaves had 415 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: told themselves a story that had become so true to 416 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 1: them they no longer knew the difference a lot of 417 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: times in my life, I've lied to myself so much 418 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: that my lies became truer than my truth. It is 419 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: pretty good. I don't willingly exchange the truth for a lie. 420 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: It's just that certain lies I tell myself. I've learned 421 00:27:55,000 --> 00:28:04,439 Speaker 1: a love. I like self pity. It's comfortable. It's my 422 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 1: snuggie for my soul to feel sorry for myself. No 423 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 1: one's checking on me, No one cares about me. You 424 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: know why, because I don't want to check on anybody. 425 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,159 Speaker 1: So rather than face the fact of the truth that 426 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,959 Speaker 1: I'm not checking on anybody, I would rather tell myself 427 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: the story that nobody's checking on me. I've never seen 428 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: every collective head nod in the church like it just 429 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: happened at Valentine. When you become a slave to your story, 430 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: you die a death between two truths. I'm preaching to 431 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: somebody today who's standing between two truths. One is the 432 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: old story, the way you always saw yourself. You know, 433 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: if David had stayed stuck in his old story, he 434 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: never would have thrown that stone at Glide's forehead, because 435 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: the way his brothers saw him was, you're just down 436 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: here to me, trouble and you didn't even get anybody 437 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 1: to keep the sheep. There comes a time when you 438 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: have to challenge your old stories so that the truth 439 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: can set you free. They used to train us in 440 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 1: evangelism that we would ask people, how do you know 441 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: if you're going to heaven when you die? And when 442 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: they said their answer, you were to ask them the 443 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: follow up question, if you were wrong, would you want 444 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: to know? What? A powerful question if the story you've 445 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: been telling yourself about where you are and why you are, 446 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: and what you can and what you can't remember the 447 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,719 Speaker 1: Israelites stayed stuck in the wilderness, not for forty days 448 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: like Jesus was tempted forty days. They were there forty years, 449 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: all because of the story they told themselves. They're bigger 450 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: than us, They're stronger than us, they're greater than us. 451 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: None of it was true. But when it becomes true 452 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 1: to you, it will keep you stuck in you. You 453 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: are not stuck in your reality, you're stuck in your story. 454 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 1: But if the sun sets, you free. If you get 455 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: this truth, you will be free. Indeed, so I want 456 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: you to stand up on your feet right now, because 457 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: the spirit of the Lord is in this place and 458 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,959 Speaker 1: where the Spirit is, there is freedom. Where the spirit 459 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: of the Lord is, there is freedom. And the Spirit 460 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,959 Speaker 1: of the Lord is leading you today into the wilderness 461 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 1: to set you free from the story you've been telling yourself, 462 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: perhaps your whole life long. And I realize sometimes it's 463 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: easier to tell yourself a story of why you fail, 464 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 1: and tell yourself a story that you're a disappointment, because 465 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: then you don't have to actually step out and try, 466 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: because you've already told yourself a story that I'm a disappointment. 467 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: But that's why Jesus went into the wildlderness, not only 468 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 1: to be tempted by the devil, but to rewrite a story. 469 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: What Moses couldn't do in forty years, Jesus did in 470 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: forty days. He wasn't just fasting, he was directing a 471 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:26,240 Speaker 1: new story. The Gospel is a new story. The Cross 472 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: is a new ending. And you don't have to turn 473 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 1: stones into bread, and you don't have to trade truth 474 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 1: for lies, and you don't have to own the story 475 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:39,920 Speaker 1: that you were handed if it does not match the 476 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: reality of what God has spoken. Not another day, and 477 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: we say things that locate us and let us know 478 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 1: that we've embraced our story and turned it into truth. 479 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: And something happens and we say us the story of 480 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: my life. This is the story of my life. This 481 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: is the story of my life. You need a new editor. 482 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: You've been letting the enemy edit the story of your life. 483 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: But it is also written. It is also written, this 484 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 1: tension between two truths. What I feel in, what I know, 485 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 1: what I was, and what I'm becoming. This tension between 486 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 1: two truths is exactly how faith grows. I've been waiting 487 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: to preach this message for a year and a half, 488 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: and today was the day that God wanted me to 489 00:32:54,880 --> 00:33:03,600 Speaker 1: preach it, perhaps so that you could hear it and 490 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:11,840 Speaker 1: be set free from your old story. Are you trapped 491 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: in an old truth when God has given you a 492 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 1: new one, a higher one, a greater one. You know 493 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: the Law was true, all of sin and fall in 494 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: short of the glory of God. But in Jesus was 495 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: given grace and truth. Both are true. I don't deserve 496 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: the blessings of God. Nothing I could do could earn it. 497 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 1: But it is also written that I am the righteousness 498 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 1: of God in Christ, through faith and helm. God brought 499 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: you here today to give you a new truth and 500 00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: to receive your new truth, You're going to have to 501 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 1: let go of your old story. You let go of 502 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 1: that old story, you will know the truth, and the 503 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:09,840 Speaker 1: truth will set you free. With your head bowt and 504 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: your eyes closed at every location, no one moving and 505 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:16,959 Speaker 1: disturbing this moment. What is the story that God needs 506 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,879 Speaker 1: to set you free from today? The key is your 507 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 1: belief that it is also written and that the blood 508 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: of Jesus has spoken a better word. There's a new covenant, 509 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 1: a new baptism, a new reality. Father. I thank you 510 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 1: for each person who you brought here today, whether they're 511 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: physically in a church building or watching on their phone, 512 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 1: whether tears are streaming down the face because they're facing 513 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,920 Speaker 1: a situation right now that's too great for them, or 514 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 1: whether they're in a place in their life where they've 515 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 1: actually accepted the lie and no longer even feels like 516 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 1: a lie anymore. I pray that you would disturb those 517 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 1: places of disbelief and dysfunction in our lives so that 518 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: we can know the truth and be set free. We 519 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,640 Speaker 1: choose the unpredictability of freedom over the comfort and the 520 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:14,240 Speaker 1: certainty of slavery. Today we want to be set free. 521 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 1: Thank you for telling us the truth. Thank you for 522 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 1: speaking over our lives a true identity. I ask now 523 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: Lord that in this moment, that you will speak your 524 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 1: word in that personal way, whether it's an area of 525 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:39,320 Speaker 1: bitterness or resentment, or maybe it's something much more subtle 526 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: than that, that we've been telling ourselves to keep ourselves 527 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: in a cycle of failure. We believe that you have 528 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: called us overcomers, and we will only overcome as we 529 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 1: embrace that truth. Thank you for joining us. Special thanks 530 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 1: to those of you who give generously to this ministry. 531 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 1: Is because of you that this ministry is possible. You 532 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 1: can click the link in the description to give now 533 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 1: or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more information 534 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You 535 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 1: can share it with your friends. You can click the 536 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 1: share button, take a screenshot and share it on your 537 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 1: social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again 538 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:25,279 Speaker 1: for listening. God bless you.