1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: Mark chapter nine, verse fourteen through twenty nine. I want 7 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: to read this whole passage to you again, and let's 8 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: look at this, this proclamation that God wants to make 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: you didn't lose it. Say that to the person next 10 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 1: to you, you didn't lose it, and put it in 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: the chat. Those of you that are on YouTube right 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: now say I didn't lose it. Amen, Mark nine fourteen. 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: When they came to the other disciples, they saw a 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: large crowd around them and the teachers of the law 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, 16 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 17 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: Y'all fighting about now. Jesus asked, I wonder if he's 18 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: still asking that question. A man in the crowd answered 19 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: verse seventeen, Teacher, I brought you my son, who is 20 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 21 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but 24 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: they could not. I listened to the phrase, Jesus uses 25 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: you unbelieving generation, How long shall I stay with you? 26 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: How long shall I put up with you? Bring the 27 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: boy to me. So they brought him, and when the 28 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:50,559 Speaker 1: spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. 29 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: So this thing that's been controlling this boy isn't going 30 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: out without a fight. Is not going to go out 31 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: just because he came to church one time. Is not 32 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: going to happen just because you watched one YouTube sermon. 33 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: It's not going to happen because you listen to worship 34 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: on the way to work for two days in a row. 35 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: And so the boy falls to the ground and rolls 36 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: around and foams at the mouth. Then we said last week, 37 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: let's don't get so caught up in the symptoms that 38 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: we missed the spirit that was at work in the situation. 39 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: It's the devil. It's the evil one. He comes to 40 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: kill and steal and destroy, and in this boy's case, 41 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: it was a physical manifestation. But in many of our 42 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: cases it doesn't manifest in this way, and manifest in 43 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: different ways. You know, we all have we all have 44 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: different ways that we experienced this. But Jesus asked the 45 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: boy's father, and I think this important question. How long 46 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: has he been like this? From childhood? He answered? It 47 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: has often thrown him in to fire or water to 48 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity 49 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: on us and help us. And this is the part 50 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: that stood out to us last week. If you can, 51 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: said Jesus, everything is possible for the one who believes. Immediately, 52 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe. Help me overcome 53 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: my unbelief. So when Jesus saw that a crowd was 54 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit, you 55 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: death and mute spirit. He said, I command you come 56 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: out of him and never enter him again. And the 57 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently, and came out. The boy 58 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: looked so much like a corpse that many said he's dead. 59 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: Many said he's dead. Many said he's dead, But Jesus. 60 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: Many said, but Jesus, many said, but Jesus. Popular opinion 61 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: never overrides God's purpose. Many said, But Jesus, y'all love 62 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: the Bible. Many said, but Jesus, they don't have the 63 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: last word. They don't have the last word. Many said, 64 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him 65 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: to his feet, and he stood up. Now here's where 66 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: we want to go today. After Jesus had gone indoors, 67 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: his disciples asked him privately, why couldn't we drive it out? 68 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: And he replied, this kind can only come out by prayer. 69 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: Why couldn't we do it? My first instinct in reading 70 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: the text was to judge the disciples for their lack 71 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: of faith to help this boy. And I even wanted 72 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: to tell them, you know, if you would have spent 73 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: less time arguing with the teachers of the law, maybe 74 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: you could have helped the boy. Now, I've got to 75 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: be honest, I'm hard on myself, so maybe I'm reading 76 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: into the text how I feel about myself. And Holly 77 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: helps me with this. Holly has helped me in so 78 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: many ways, but one of the main things she helps 79 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: me with. And I'm telling you, man, people will come 80 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: up to me all the time. It's like we like 81 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: you a lot. But we love Holly, and I'm like, 82 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: that's how I feel too. I only like me sometimes 83 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: I love her. She's amazing and however amazing she looks, 84 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: she's much more amazing up close, and not everybody's like that, 85 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: but she really is like that. And she's got better 86 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: every year, and she's taught me so much. She teaches 87 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: me things, like she'll say after she she did a 88 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,919 Speaker 1: Bible study for y'all, and we're gonna share this with 89 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: our E groups. It's called Essentials, and she's gonna break 90 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: down the essentials, just getting back to basics, fundamental training, 91 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: you know, coarse strength to put it in fitness terms, 92 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: and we're gonna share it this fall with our E groups. 93 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: But when she came home from filming it, she said 94 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: something I've never said after I preached, it was really good. 95 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: Never once have I put down the mic and walked 96 00:05:54,720 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: off and gone that was really good. Never Ever, The 97 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: best it gets for me on the inside, because I'm 98 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: really hard on myself and she helps me with this. 99 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 1: The best it gets for me is I don't want 100 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: to die, right. That would be my version of really good. 101 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: I don't want to quit and go get a job 102 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: at Guitar cent I'm really hard on myself and she 103 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: helps me with that. And my instinct is and I 104 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: shouldn't be confessing all this. I always feel like I 105 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: said too much after I preach too which is part 106 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: of the reason that I never like it after I 107 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: preach it, because I open up my gaping wounds and 108 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: bleed all over you, and then I walk back to 109 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: stitch it together myself. But Holly helps me because I'm 110 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: typically thinking like I'm thinking like that my best is 111 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: behind me. So for instance, if I preach a sermon 112 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: and I feel like I didn't say it like I 113 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: was supposed to, and I saw seven people yawn when 114 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: I was in only my first point, and wow, that 115 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: guy's asleep over there. If I see all that. When 116 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: I'm preaching, my instinct is to think like I think 117 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: I've lost it. Or if I open my Bible and 118 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: I'm looking for a sermon and this Monday and I 119 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: can't find one, that's fine. If I'm looking for a 120 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: sermon and this Tuesday, I know that's fine. Wednesday, I'm okay. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Saturday, 121 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: I start repenting of every sin I committed from childhood 122 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: stuff I did when I was sixteen. I start telling 123 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: the Lord, I'm sorry for everything, just in case, because 124 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: I'm like, where did you go? Lord? I think I 125 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: lost it. Sometimes when I'm going to create, and Chris 126 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: can tell you this, but a lot of times, if 127 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: we go to write a song and we don't get 128 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: a good song that day, I'll I'll leave and I'll 129 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: be like, I don't know, maybe I'm just maybe my 130 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: season of songwriting is over. Just it only takes one 131 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: bad day, you know, I lost it. And Holly's really 132 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: good because she will She'll get in there and she 133 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: talks tough to me. She has a whole other gear, 134 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: a whole other demeanor that's not sweet. But at the 135 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: same time, she's like, you didn't lose it, and she's 136 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: really good about getting me to see like that a 137 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: bad day doesn't mean you're going backwards. In general, I'm 138 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: a catastrophizer. Right. If I walk in the room and 139 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: the church is kind of only like there's not as 140 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: many people as there were the week before, I'm like, 141 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: it's over losing relevance, We're losing ground. It's terrible. I'm 142 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: not bragging about this. I just relate to the disciples 143 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: because I think they're afraid. They go to cast out 144 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: this demon and they can't do it, and they're like, Jesus, 145 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: what happened? Did we lose it? Because they did this before, 146 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: they cast out demons before, and it isn't like they 147 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: never did it before. But they go to do it 148 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: and it doesn't work. And then Bartholomew tries and it 149 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: doesn't work, and Andrew tries and it doesn't work, and 150 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: then Julus tries, you know, it didn't work. And after 151 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: they're all finished trying because Jesus. Now, now Jesus is 152 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: up on a mountain being transfigured. The voice of the 153 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: Father is speaking over him. This is my son whom 154 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 1: I love, and I am well pleased in him. That's 155 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: what happened in Mark chapter nine, part ay. And he's 156 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,719 Speaker 1: got with him his favorite disciples, like you have your 157 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: favorite kid, and Peter, James, and John come back down 158 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: the mountain only to find that the glory that they 159 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: experienced in the radiance that they experienced on the mountain 160 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: is not exactly in full operation in the valley. And 161 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: isn't life just like that to where you have to 162 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: get from the mountains of inspiration and encouragement and to 163 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: get into the valleys of these hardships. And I'm now 164 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: more than ever, I'm kind of looking at the disciples 165 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: in a new light because I'm a middle aged man 166 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: and I know what it feels like to be like 167 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: it isn't working like it used to work. Or I 168 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: go in the gym, I have to wrap up my elbow, 169 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: my wrists, we're in headgear before I go in there. 170 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: Soon my son says, Dad, you look like a robot. 171 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: You're so wrapped up because stuff herst it doesn't work 172 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: like it used to work, you know. And I think 173 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: for a split second, here their disciples, they're asking Jesus, 174 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:34,959 Speaker 1: and I want to point this out. Give me the 175 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: scripture back on the screen. It said after Jesus verse 176 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: twenty eight, had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, 177 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: why couldn't we drive it out? Everybody say privately, they 178 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: asked Jesus privately, And I wrote down a question, how 179 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: much better off would we be if we asked Jesus 180 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: some things privately instead of saying things publicly. Y'all don't 181 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: like that, because instead of blaming the teachers of the law, 182 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 1: they finally realize that we have to fix this internally privately, 183 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: and Jesus said, this kind can come out only by prayer. 184 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: So now the disciples are asking Jesus privately, why couldn't 185 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 1: we drive it out in the Father. I don't know 186 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: if you noticed this, but the Father in verse twenty four, 187 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: he says something that sounds like a contradiction on the 188 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: surface and the really spiritual over spiritual scratch and sniff. 189 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,959 Speaker 1: Christians don't like this verse because it doesn't sound so concrete. 190 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: It's a little too abstract. It's got too much tension 191 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: in it. He said, I do believe verse twenty four, 192 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: help me overcome my unbelief. The father who brought his 193 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: son to Jesus who needed healing and struggling with the 194 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: same thing that the disciples are struggling with, unbelief. He 195 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: immediately exclaimed, I do believe, help my unbelief. So the 196 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: message last week was built around the idea that there 197 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: is a difference between you and your feelings. There's a 198 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: difference between you and your thoughts. There's a difference between 199 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: you and your emotions. There's a difference between you and 200 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: your successes. There's a difference between you and your failures. 201 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 1: You are not it. This boy is possessed by a 202 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: spirit that's making him do all kinds of things to 203 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: harm him. But he's still the son of the father, 204 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: and the father still sees his son beneath the things 205 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: that he struggles with, just like your father still sees you. 206 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 1: Your heavenly father still sees you separate from the things 207 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: that you struggle with. And now he dealt with the 208 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: sin that stood against you on the cross, So he 209 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: doesn't see your sin when he looks at you. He 210 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: doesn't see your successes. When he looks at you, he 211 00:12:56,280 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: sees a son, he sees a daughter. You are not it. 212 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: You are not it. We are so addicted to it 213 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: in our culture that when we really want to compliment 214 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: somebody that they're good at something, we'll say, you're a machine. Man, 215 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: you're a machine. Wow, you're just amazing. You're a machine. 216 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: That's a downgrade. How did you take me out of 217 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:26,559 Speaker 1: the animal kingdom and make me a machine? How did 218 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: you demote me into what I just did? And so 219 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 1: the trick is, you can't let people do that to you, 220 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: positively or negatively, right, You can't let people identify you 221 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: with your gift, because you're more than your gift. You 222 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: can't let people identify you with your sin, because you're 223 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: more than your sin. You are the righteousness of God 224 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus. You are made in His image and 225 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: in his likeness. And the Father said, this is my son, 226 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: just like God. The Father said over Jesus, this is 227 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: my son. The Father in March after nine says, this 228 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: is my son. And he's got problems, but he is 229 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: not it. He is not it. And the disciples are 230 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: learning a valuable lesson, and the Father is learning a 231 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: valuable lesson that in owning your doubts, you don't disqualify 232 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: your faith. I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief. 233 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: Now there's a couple miracles in this passage. One is 234 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: that the boy gets healed of his condition, and two 235 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: is that the man asks for help. How many women 236 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: know that for a man to ask for help is 237 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: a miracle in hisself. Now, not me. I ask Colley 238 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: for help all the time. I particularly this is one 239 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: of the things in our marriage. I told you that 240 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: she helps me a lot. I am horrible about losing 241 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: things and then freaking out and thinking it's gone forever, 242 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: and Holly's more calm. So every morning we start our 243 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: day with me losing my AirPods. Every morning. I know 244 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: this is some real first world problems I'm telling you 245 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: about up here, but every morning, this is the first 246 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: thing we do. I don't seek the Lord. I look 247 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: for my AirPods because I have sleep issues, so I 248 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: always put something really boring in my AirPod to fall 249 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: asleep to. And I spend the first ten minutes of 250 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: the day looking for the AirPod, and then after five 251 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: minutes of looking for it, I ask you, I ask 252 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: you for Holly to help me, and ask her to 253 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: help me, and she does. She's been doing this our 254 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: whole marriage. Because my first instinct is it's gone. It's gone. 255 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: It'll never be back again, whether it's sunglasses, AirPods, my anointing. 256 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: I told you, my first instinct is it's gone. It's gone. 257 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: I don't feel God's presence right now. I guess it's gone. 258 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: I've been looking for my AirPods for thirty seconds. They're 259 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: not here. They're gone. And she says, do you think 260 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: they got up and walked away? You put them in 261 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: your ear seven hours ago. They are here. Somewhere. This 262 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: is what she taught me. You don't know how to look. 263 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: Y'all shut up. She said, you don't know how to look. 264 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: I said, I looked. She said you looked with your 265 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: eyes to really look. You can't just use your eyes. 266 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: She said. This was several years ago. She said, I'm 267 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: gonna teach you how to look. She started picking stuff up. 268 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: She said, See what I'm doing. I'm lifting while I'm looking. Whoa, 269 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: I'm lifting while i'm looking. See I'm looking underneath stuff. 270 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: I'm moving the pillow, I'm peeling back the cup. And 271 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: God said, some of y'all look, but you don't lived. 272 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: You don't know how to look. So in the past 273 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: six months you said stuff like this, I've lost my faith. 274 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: You didn't lose it, You just don't know how to look. 275 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: Why were y'all shouting so much when I was talking 276 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: about me and Holly. When I talk to people, I 277 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: noticed the way we phrase things. We say I lost 278 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: my joy, I lost my peace. How many of y'all 279 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:48,719 Speaker 1: have said in the last thirty days, I feel like 280 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 1: I'm losing my mind. How many of y'all didn't even 281 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: get that specific? Just I feel like I'm losing it. 282 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: You didn't lose it. You just have to learn how 283 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: to look. And sometimes looking means lifting stuff, looking under stuff, 284 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: not just walking. And it's gone. Well. I woke up 285 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:29,919 Speaker 1: in a good mood. But y'all, just the devil just 286 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: stole my joy. I guess he did. You left it 287 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: lion right out for him to take. You didn't lock 288 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: the door, roll up the window. Now I'm preaching to 289 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: me because I'll say I lost it, but I haven't 290 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: really even looked. I haven't even really looked. The man said, 291 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: I do believe. That's why I brought my boy to you. 292 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: I still have faith, But will you help me with 293 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: my unbelief? Now? What I want to teach you today. 294 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: There's the difference between having unbelief and being an unbeliever. 295 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: He did not say I'm an unbeliever. He said, I 296 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 1: have unbelief. And when you have doubts about anything in 297 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: your life, what God spoke to you, or even who 298 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: God is, sometimes many of us doubt the existence of God. 299 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: That doesn't make you an unbeliever. There's a difference between 300 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: having unbelief. Immediately, he exclaimed, Did you see that word? Immediately? 301 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:40,880 Speaker 1: He exclaimed, Immediately he exclaimed, I do believe, but help 302 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: my unbelief. And we understand that although his explanation was immediate, 303 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: his unbelief probably came over time because his boy has 304 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 1: been in this condition since childhood, and perhaps at the 305 00:19:57,440 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: first sign or symptom that his boy had something wrong 306 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: with him, he believed. But life has a way of 307 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: laying unbelief, and beneath the lairs of unbelief is still 308 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: you that trusts God. And we try to bring you 309 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: into church sometimes and remove all of the doubts from 310 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: the equation. And we do that sometimes through preaching cliches 311 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: or by making vague promises that you're going to make 312 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: it to the other side and things like that. And 313 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: I preach those things too, and sometimes they have value. 314 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: But sometimes I think we we think that God is 315 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: going to decrease our doubts. The father in this passage 316 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 1: prayed that Jesus would increase his faith, help me overcome 317 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: my unbelief, And he's shifted now. When he first started 318 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: talking to Jesus, your disciples couldn't do it, the first 319 00:20:54,880 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 1: instinct was to blame. But now he's understanding that it's 320 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: not going to get me anywhere to blame Jesus's staff. 321 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: If I want my boy healed, I'm going to have 322 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: to get beneath all the surface reasons that it didn't work, 323 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: and I'm going to have to own this for myself. 324 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:19,400 Speaker 1: Help my unbelief. Would you have the guts to pray 325 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: that out loud, help my unbelief. Now we pray help 326 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: my bank account, we pray, help my husband act right, 327 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: We pray all kinds of things. But when you say 328 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: help my unbelief, power happens. That's the connection right there, 329 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 1: Help my unbelief. And there are some things that we 330 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: need to unbelieve before we can believe what we need 331 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:52,160 Speaker 1: to believe. Unbelief creeps in. It doesn't come in all 332 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 1: at once. You don't wake up one day and talk 333 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: about like I just don't believe anymore. As years go by, 334 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 1: as disappointments accumulate. Here's a way of saying that faith 335 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: doesn't disappear. It deteriorates, just it. Where's the way. I 336 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: wrote a book in twenty ten in my Journey of 337 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: faith called Sun Stands Still. Two people read that book, 338 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: my mom and Israel. That's all I heard. But it's 339 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: a good book. It was about believing God for the impossible. 340 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: I watched my dad die of als a couple years later, 341 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: and I had to go back and revisit do I 342 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: still believe that God can do the impossible. My friend 343 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: Levi Lasco prayed sunstands still over his five year old 344 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: daughter and she died in his arms of an asthma 345 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: attack as he tried to resuscitate her. And I had 346 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: to go back in my life now and separate out 347 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: the events that happened that cost me to doubt from 348 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: the faith that I have to realize that sometimes we 349 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: didn't really lose our faith. We misplaced it. Is this 350 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: too deepbate. We misplaced it. It didn't get up and 351 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: walk away. You didn't lose your faith, you misplaced it. 352 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: In the Father's case, he said your disciples couldn't drive 353 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:22,880 Speaker 1: it out. Your disciples couldn't do it. The disciples weren't 354 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: the ones that you needed to believe in to begin with. 355 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: Many of us lost our faith in Jesus because we 356 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 1: put our trust in people. So we lose our faith 357 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 1: in God because somebody else let us down. Because the 358 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,719 Speaker 1: disciples couldn't do it, You're gonna walk away from what 359 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: God has for you, I don't go to church anymore. 360 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,960 Speaker 1: I got burned. Have you ever had a bad meal? 361 00:23:50,760 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: Do you still eat? My unbelief? I've watched my son 362 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: like this so long, you know, when it's been so 363 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: long like this, it just adds up over time to 364 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: where his first instinct is, I do believe it. Will 365 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: you help me overcome the part of me that doesn't. 366 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: I'll never forget. When I was in Orangeburg, South Carolina, 367 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: preaching on a Friday night, and I preached a sermon 368 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:32,440 Speaker 1: back in the day on Jonathan for Samuel fourteen Old 369 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: Testament character he's the son of Saul the King, And 370 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 1: I preached that thing for Samuel fourteen six so many times. 371 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,719 Speaker 1: I mean, I've preached it so many times. I used 372 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 1: to talk about how Jonathan said, perhaps the Lord will 373 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving. 374 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: And I talked about how that sounds kind of like he's, yeah, 375 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: I'm quite made up his mind, nothing can hinder the Lord. 376 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 1: Perhaps God will act, And I called it the perhaps paradox. Now, 377 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,439 Speaker 1: this was a little and I don't know was I 378 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 1: nineteen years old that this guy drove me back to 379 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: the host home where we were staying and the guy's 380 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: name was Rodney. That was driving me and on the 381 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: way home. You know, I'm insecure, So I said, how'd 382 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: you like the sermon? Rodney? Well, I shouldn't ask that, 383 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: he said. He said, I don't know if i'd call 384 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: that a sermon. What you did up there, I'm not 385 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: making this up. He said, there's no perhaps about it. 386 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 1: If God said he'll do it, he'll do it. That 387 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 1: stuff you're preaching up there isn't faith, it's doubt. I said, 388 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: but I got it from the Bible, Rodney. I read 389 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 1: the Bible. That's what Jonathan said in the Bible. I 390 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: was preaching the Bible verse. He said, no, no, no, 391 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 1: If God said he'll do it, he'll do it, and 392 00:25:53,240 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: there's no if about it. Hold on, if you can 393 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: do anything, take pity on us and help us. If 394 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: you can. Everything is possible for the one who believes. 395 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: And Jesus did it. Even though the man said if so, 396 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: I start arguing with Rodney. I said, Rodney, there's a 397 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,159 Speaker 1: lot of people in the Bible, and I'm putting a 398 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: substitute name in there is the real name with Rodney, 399 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 1: I still remember what it was. I'm not going to 400 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: say it. I won't get sued or canceled, the man said. 401 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: The man said, well, real faith in the Bible. I said, 402 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 1: Moses had doubts. He said God couldn't use him. God 403 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 1: got so mad at Moses that the Bible said his 404 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:34,959 Speaker 1: anger burned against him, but he still used him, even 405 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: though he had to give him Aaron to speak for him. 406 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: You got more faith than Moses, I said. Abraham lied 407 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:43,719 Speaker 1: about his wife. I went through a whole list of 408 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: people who doubted, but God still used him. I said, 409 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 1: you got more faith than all of them. He said, well, 410 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,880 Speaker 1: I guess when it comes to that, I do. By 411 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: the time we got to where he was dropping me 412 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,439 Speaker 1: off in the driveway, were about we were about to 413 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: fist fight in the driveway, and the man whose home 414 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: it was, he came running out the house. He said, 415 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: what in the world's going on? And he kind of 416 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 1: broke us up, and he took us in the house, 417 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: and Rodney left and spun out the driveway and pick 418 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: up Trump. And I sat down the house and I said, man, 419 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,400 Speaker 1: we were arguing about He said, if you have any doubt, 420 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: you don't have real faith. And this is what the 421 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: man said, to me. He said, if you teach that 422 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: and preach that, you're gonna be broke, poor, and sick 423 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,679 Speaker 1: all your life, and so will all the people that 424 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: you lead and your future children, if you have any. 425 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: And I'm like, hey, man, leave my hypothetical future children 426 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: out of this, and make fun of me if you want. 427 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,640 Speaker 1: But he really thought that. He really thought that, He 428 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,159 Speaker 1: really thought that the proof of faith is the absence 429 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: of doubt. He had no room in his view of 430 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: who God is for an if. But Jesus did what 431 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,360 Speaker 1: the men needed, even though the man isn't perfectly convinced 432 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: he could do it, because the man invited Jesus into 433 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: the place where he had the greatest doubt and the 434 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 1: greatest pain. And now I think this might be my 435 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 1: favorite prayer in the Bible, because I can get with this. 436 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 1: I can get with this when I'm in a bad mood. 437 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: I can get with this when I'm in a good mood. 438 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,959 Speaker 1: I can get with this when I'm riding high. I 439 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: can get with this when when when the news is bad. 440 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 1: I can get with this any any day of the week. 441 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief. I'm not 442 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 1: asking God to just take it away. I'm asking God 443 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:39,680 Speaker 1: help me, overcome him, help me. My faith is not gone. 444 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: I just have to learn where to look. And sometimes 445 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: the greatest faith I need you to get this is 446 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: right underneath that biggest doubt. Sometimes the greatest thing that 447 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: God wants to show you. If you will start lifting 448 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 1: and looking and lifting and looking, you see what I'm saying. 449 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: Because we can't just cover over it. We can't just 450 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: come to church for a fresh coat of paint over 451 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: our problems. We can't just come to church for a 452 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: three hour scriptural sugar boost to get us feeling good 453 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: for a moment. It won't work, and we'll end up 454 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: the like the disciples saying why did I shout and 455 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: sing and listen and take notes in church? Because you 456 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: didn't invite Jesus into the real place of your pain. 457 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 1: You didn't lose your faith. You just stop looking at 458 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: the surface. It's gone. It's gone. One boy broke up 459 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 1: with you. I guess I'll never be loved. You're fourteen 460 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: years old. I guess it's gone. I guess you can't 461 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: trust anybody. See how we do it, It's gone. You 462 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: have to know where to look. Can I ap preach 463 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: something else. Sometimes you are so intimidated by it that 464 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 1: you forget about him. When Jesus saw that a crowd 465 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 1: was running to the scene, is this good, y'all? Because 466 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: this is good to me. When Jesus saw that a 467 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. 468 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: He didn't argue with the disciples. He didn't argue with 469 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: the teachers. He didn't have to. He was bigger than it. 470 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: So the disciples said, why couldn't we drive it out? 471 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: He said, because you lost your focus. This kind can 472 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 1: only come out through prayer. When we think about prayer, 473 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: we think about maybe like a list of things that 474 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: we say to God. But God is showing me lately 475 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: that prayer is more about a lens than a list, 476 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 1: and it's more about what I see than what I say. 477 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 1: So if my prayer is always just let me just 478 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: say my prayers. When Jesus said this kind can only 479 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: come out by prayer, the King James says, and fasting, 480 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: But the original manuscripts don't say by fasting. And even 481 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: the fact, look, even the fact that he said this 482 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 1: kind can only come out by prayer. He's letting you 483 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: know you can't do it alone. You can't do it alone. 484 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 1: I looked on my message last week and somebody said 485 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: on a comment, I don't usually read the comments. Pray 486 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: for me. I'll read them more. Nasha. They said you 487 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: left out fasting. It said by prayer and fasting, they 488 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: didn't get the demon out because they didn't fast. Isn't 489 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: that just like us to think, if we'll just do 490 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 1: one more thing, if we just do one more step. 491 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 1: But it was their inability to rely on God's power 492 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: in them that got them in the predicament to begin with. 493 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: He said, it's only by prayer. I mean, it's intimidating. 494 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: How dare we judge the Disciples that they couldn't cast 495 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 1: out a demon like all the out of shape people 496 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: watching these Olympic athletes, huh talking about well that was 497 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: pretty good? I mean second place, it was all right. 498 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 1: And I want to judge the disciples. Why couldn't you 499 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: drive out the demon? You should have confessed the name 500 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: of Jesus and prayed and fasted. I can't even give 501 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: my kids to clean their room, y'all. And I'm going 502 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: to judge the disciples for not casting out a demon. 503 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 1: This is a demon that's been with this boy since childhood. 504 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: How dare we judge them for that? It was intimidating. 505 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: He said, this kind can only come out by prayer. 506 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: This isn't going to be like one of your other 507 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:51,239 Speaker 1: problems that you can fix in your own strength. I 508 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 1: wonder have you been have you been losing it because 509 00:32:55,360 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 1: you've been fighting on the wrong level. One of my 510 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: friends went into a business situation a few weeks ago, 511 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 1: and he said when he pulled up to the person's 512 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: house for the meeting, the house was so big and 513 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: so beautiful that he lost his He lost his confidence. 514 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 1: And he said, and I went in there and I thought, 515 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: I can't do this. I can't do this. When he 516 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: went in to meet with the people, after he left, 517 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: they sent him a text and said, you are amazing. 518 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,959 Speaker 1: We have not stopped talking about how your spirit and 519 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: he's a great Christian, he has an amazing Oh man, 520 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: this this guy changes the atmosphere of every room that 521 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: he walks into. And he said, afterward they were texting 522 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: me how amazing the meeting was and how they were 523 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: so impressed with me. He said, I couldn't believe it 524 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 1: because I went in so scared and you know what 525 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 1: I told him. I said, yeah, because you got so 526 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:54,720 Speaker 1: caught up in what you were walking into that you 527 00:33:54,800 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: forgot what you were walking in with. You forgot what 528 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 1: you were walking in with because you were so focused 529 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: who is this for? You were so focused on what 530 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,359 Speaker 1: you were walking into. But God says, if you will 531 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: get a focus on what you were walking in with 532 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: the spirit of God, not just your abilities, not just 533 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:25,240 Speaker 1: your education, not just your knowledge, not just your wisdom, 534 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: at some point that will fail you. But if you 535 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,799 Speaker 1: remember that you were walking in with the spirit of God, 536 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 1: and this is a guarantee of your inheritance. This is 537 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 1: not corruptible. It cannot perish, it cannot spoil, it cannot fade. 538 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,359 Speaker 1: Whatever it I'm walking into, come on, I'm walking in 539 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 1: with something that is greater. Greater is he that is 540 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,359 Speaker 1: in me, then he that is in the world. And 541 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 1: when Jesus confronted it, it had to back down, because 542 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:01,799 Speaker 1: greater is he that is in me, he that is 543 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:04,960 Speaker 1: in the world. I got a devil, I got the 544 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,359 Speaker 1: spirit of God, I got the calling of God. I've 545 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,480 Speaker 1: got the purpose of God, I've got the Word of God, 546 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 1: I've got the assurance of God. I've got the anointing 547 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: of God. I got a sling in a stone and 548 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 1: a promise and a savior, and I still got faith. 549 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 1: After all I've been through, and all it cost me, 550 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,239 Speaker 1: and all they took in roughed my speech, but it 551 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: didn't take my thing. I do believe. I still believe. 552 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: So let me give you a scripture. Lift before you look, 553 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: Lift before you look. Stop looking at stuff on the 554 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 1: surface and saying, oh, there's nothing there. Lift before you look. 555 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,880 Speaker 1: This is what Holly taught me, is not gone. You 556 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:02,040 Speaker 1: just haven't looked yet. You just haven't looked yet. You 557 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:04,680 Speaker 1: haven't looked, so you haven't seen the opportunity that's in 558 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:07,319 Speaker 1: this hardship. You haven't seen the blessing that's in this 559 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 1: rejection yet because you haven't looked. I will lift my 560 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:23,279 Speaker 1: eyes to the hills. What did Dismist do? He said, 561 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: I've got to lift before I look. They looked at 562 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: the boy and he looked dead, but Jesus reached down 563 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: and lifted him up. Why lifts before you look, before 564 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 1: you look, at your schedule for the day, lift your 565 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:42,040 Speaker 1: eyes to the hills. You're gonna need help today, and 566 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: you've got it on the inside. Don't look so much 567 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,239 Speaker 1: at what you're walking into that you forget what you're 568 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:52,440 Speaker 1: walking in with. Oh no, I'm a nobody with somebody 569 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: on the inside of me. I gotta decrease so he 570 00:36:56,040 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: can increase. I lift my eyes to the hills. I 571 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:07,439 Speaker 1: might be preaching for three people, but you haven't really 572 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 1: looked yet. You've been saying, there's nothing special about me. 573 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:13,319 Speaker 1: I don't really have a gift. I'm not anointed like 574 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:15,640 Speaker 1: those other people. I'm not called I don't really see 575 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:21,600 Speaker 1: any benefit in this situation. You haven't really looked until 576 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: you've lifted, and when you lift your eyes to the hills. 577 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: The turning point for the Father is when he stopped 578 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:36,880 Speaker 1: looking at the crowd, stopped looking at the disciples, stopped 579 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 1: looking at the symptoms, and he finally saw Jesus. I 580 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 1: see Jesus, come in toward your unbelief, come in toward 581 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:56,839 Speaker 1: your struggle, come in toward your issue. Will you lift 582 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 1: your eyes? Lift? Lift before you look, he said, I 583 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,439 Speaker 1: lift my eyes to the hills. From whence cometh my help. 584 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 1: It's not going to come from the disciples. It's not 585 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: going to come from my own flesh. It's not going 586 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 1: to come from my own solutions. My help comes from 587 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 1: the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. And he 588 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,360 Speaker 1: will not suffer your foot to be moll The Lord 589 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:35,360 Speaker 1: keep it thee He will not slumber nor sleep. For 590 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 1: the Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade 591 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 1: upon thy right hand. And the sun shall not smite 592 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 1: you by day, nor the moon by night. He that 593 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:57,000 Speaker 1: keepeth Israel shall preserve your soul even forever more. Will 594 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:01,520 Speaker 1: you lift your eyes for a moment. You've been looking 595 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:06,080 Speaker 1: in the wrong places. You've been looking in the wrong 596 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: places for your joy, for your peace. You didn't lose it. 597 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:17,759 Speaker 1: You didn't lose it. You just need somebody to help 598 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: you look. And that's what the spirit of God does. 599 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: He searches all things. He helps you look in the 600 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:28,839 Speaker 1: places where you haven't looked yet. You know, God has 601 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 1: put his help on the inside of you, and I 602 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 1: just want to help you look for a moment. Stand 603 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: to your feet. One time, Paul prayed that the eyes 604 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: of your heart might be open. The eyes of your 605 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:55,600 Speaker 1: heart might be open. Prayer isn't just about saying things 606 00:39:55,640 --> 00:40:04,960 Speaker 1: to God. It's about seeing things. Ask God sees them. 607 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:09,280 Speaker 1: I do believe. Would you say that I do believe 608 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 1: life has lered me with unbelief. But I'm not an unbeliever. 609 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: I do believe. That's why I came today. I still believe. 610 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,400 Speaker 1: Sometimes my faith feels very weak and my joy feels 611 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:28,719 Speaker 1: very low, but I received this prophetic word today. I 612 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 1: didn't lose it. I just need Jesus to help me 613 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:40,920 Speaker 1: look for it. I want you to pray like I 614 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,160 Speaker 1: asked Collie. I want you to ask God, say help me. 615 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:49,080 Speaker 1: Look Lord, because when I see things with my own eyes, 616 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:52,520 Speaker 1: I misjudge them. I see them from a human appearance. 617 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:58,200 Speaker 1: Show me what's really going on with my children, Show 618 00:40:58,239 --> 00:41:03,200 Speaker 1: me what's really driving that behavior. Show me what's really 619 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:06,840 Speaker 1: beneath the fear that I feel. Show me what's lurking 620 00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 1: beneath that help me overcome my unbelief. Thank you for 621 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 1: joining us special thanks to those of you who give 622 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:21,040 Speaker 1: generously to this ministry. Is because of you that this 623 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: ministry is possible. You can click the link in the 624 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,400 Speaker 1: description to give now, or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash 625 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 1: podcast for more information. And if you enjoyed the podcast, 626 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:34,760 Speaker 1: you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. 627 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,319 Speaker 1: You can click the share button. Take a screenshot and 628 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 1: share it on your social stories and tag us at 629 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:47,760 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.