1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,519 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: How awesome, How awesome, What a wonderful, wonderful time of worship. Amen, 7 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: do me a favor real quick before you take your seat. 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: I'm kind of torn. I'm going to preach in just 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: a moment. I'm excited to preach. I'm in a little 10 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: bit of a dilemma. I have two different scriptures. One 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: is from the Old Testament and one is from the 12 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:46,279 Speaker 1: New Testament, and I kind of can't decide which one 13 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: I want to give you. So I thought we put 14 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: it up for a vote. Huh. She said both. Well, 15 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: it's a good thing because my message today is the 16 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: blessing of both. Let's do it. Let's do it. You 17 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: may be seated. God bless you, God, bless you, Choir, 18 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: God bless you, Anna, God bless you, Matt, God bless you. 19 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: Pastor Shawn see in the house from Athens Church. Let's 20 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: thank God for this great Man of God. Thanks for 21 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: stopping by. It's good to have my brother, Pastor Mike 22 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: Todd on the second row representing the Oakland Athletics. You're 23 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: not a fan at all, are you? Oh man, that's terrible. 24 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: You just watch Moneyball and bought in Oakland A's had 25 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: Is that what happened? Oh man? This feels good. So 26 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: if I'm not preaching good I can throw the mic 27 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: on the first row the second row and somebody else 28 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: can pick it up. So good to be here and 29 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: just touch somebody and say. If Pastor had time, he 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: would say thank God for you and mention your name too. 31 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: You do that if you had time, many wonderful things 32 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: to share from the Word of God. Hey, thank you 33 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: for serving this love week, whatever you did, if you 34 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: did something this week, or really what I like to 35 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: thank God for is consistency, because it's not just one 36 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: week out of the year that builds a great church. 37 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: And so while this week there are many people we 38 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: could highlight and thank for their contribution, I want to 39 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: say thank you to those of you who never make 40 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: a lot of noise, but you just contribute in meaningful 41 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: ways prayer giving service. It's a big deal, and you 42 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: lead an e group, whether it's a spectacular thing, whether 43 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: it's forty people or four people, you just do it. 44 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: That's really how you can know that you're doing it 45 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: for God and not for the approval of others or 46 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: the praises of people. It's just really beautiful and I 47 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: appreciate you. I don't know how to say it any 48 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,399 Speaker 1: more than that, but I appreciate you, and I hope 49 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: you can feel that that's sincere from my heart. Thank 50 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: you to those of you. You don't blow a trumpet 51 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: or anything like that. You don't announce it, just do it, 52 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: and that means a lot. It's not just a Nike slogan. 53 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: It's the way that a great local church is built 54 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: when people are just willing to do it and not 55 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: necessarily have to be known for it. But I thank 56 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: God for each and every one of you on every location. 57 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: I just wanted to say that, and in the spirit 58 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: of love, I wore pink. Now let's get into the Bible. 59 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: Let me read you this from Ecclesiastes, chapter eleven, verses 60 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: five and six. Now I'm gonna take my time because 61 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: I've been waiting to preach these passages since since the 62 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: beginning of June, and I couldn't figure out how God 63 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: wanted me to preach them. But today I saw it. 64 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: And I've just been pacing all day waiting for you 65 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: to put on your makeup and get here so we 66 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: could talk about it together. And now I can't find 67 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: Ecclesiastes in the Bible. Everything's falling apart. Here it is, 68 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: it's right there, I said. Verse five is you do 69 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: not know the way the spirit comes to the bones 70 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: in the womb of a woman with child. So you 71 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: do not know the work of God who makes everything. 72 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: In the morning, So your seat and at evening withhold 73 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: not your hand, for you do not know which will 74 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: prosper this or that, or whether both alike will be good. 75 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 1: There's our word both. Go over to Matthew chapter thirteen, 76 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: verse twenty four for my second scripture. You told me 77 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: you wanted both, so I'm fulfilling your request. He put 78 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: another parable before them, verse twenty four, saying, the Kingdom 79 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed 80 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, 81 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: his enemy came and sowed weeds among the weed and 82 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 1: went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, 83 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 1: then the weeds appeared. Also. By the way, by the 84 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: time something destructive appears in your life has been planted 85 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: for a little while. There's a difference between the time 86 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: when it was deposited in the soil and the time 87 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: it showed up in your life. So when they woke 88 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 1: up to the weeds, he said, the servant said, Master, 89 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: did you not sow good seed in your field? I 90 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: thought you raised your kids right, you know things like that. 91 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: I thought you went to church. I thought you prayed. 92 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: But he said, if you sow good seeds, how then 93 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: does it have weeds in the field? And he said 94 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: to them an enemy has done this. So the servants 95 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: said to him, then do you want us to go 96 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 1: and gather them? Take care of it, sort it out. 97 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: He's like, no, you got to You got to be 98 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: careful because less gathering the weeds, you root up the 99 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: wheat along with them. Let both, everybody say both. Let 100 00:05:54,480 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: both grow together interesting until the harvest. And at harvest time, 101 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: I will tell the reapers gather the weeds first, bind 102 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: them in bundles to be burned, But gather the wheat 103 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: into my burn When Jesus was teaching about the Kingdom 104 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,239 Speaker 1: of God. It was a new phrase and an entirely 105 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: new concept for his hearers. It had never been said 106 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: that way before the Kingdom of God. Now, Israel thought 107 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: of themselves as a kingdom in a military and nationalistic sense. 108 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: But to think of the Kingdom of Heaven or the 109 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: Kingdom of God in an invisible realm required Jesus to 110 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: not only explain it, but to demonstrate it. And both 111 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: are always necessary. Everyboy say both. That's why Love Week 112 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: was so important in our church. Those one hundred thousand 113 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: hours that we served validated the message that we preach. 114 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: It is one thing to explain love, but it's another 115 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 1: thing to hand somebody some warm food or a blanket, 116 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: or to be with somebody in their time of need. 117 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: And so Jesus had to do both. And he had 118 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: quite a challenge on his hands because he would demonstrate 119 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: something by working a miracle, but then he would have 120 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: to explain it, because the people who saw the miracle 121 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: would miss the point. I told you about one last 122 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: week when he took the happy meal and fed everybody, 123 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: and they thought that the point of the miracle was 124 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: that their stomachs were full, and because they wanted him 125 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: to be their burger king, he had to shut that 126 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: whole thing down and say, eat my flesh, drink my blood. 127 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: You've missed the entire point. So he's always having to 128 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: explain it. He was always having to demonstrate so they 129 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: could see it, and then explain it so they could 130 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: understand it. He said, if you see it but don't 131 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: understand it, it'll be like a seed that was sown, 132 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: but the bird snatches it up before it has the 133 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: opportunity to hit the soil. And so if you don't 134 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: get the lesson in your heart through the power of demonstration, 135 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: then you will miss the intention of the message. But 136 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: if you only see the demonstration and don't hear the explanation, 137 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: then you'll understand the miracle on the wrong level, and 138 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: you'll always live your life thinking that the physical thing 139 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: is the real thing, and you'll not understand what's really 140 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: pointing to. So you'll engage in behavior modification to try 141 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: to fix your life, not understanding that every habit in 142 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: your life started with something in your heart. And until 143 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: God turns the soil of your heart and weeds out 144 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: the stuff that is choking the seed of his word. 145 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: Like I said, it's a lot in the text. And 146 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: Jesus must have felt overwhelmed because in the crowd he 147 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: had his disciples and he needed them to take the 148 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: message after he left. And then there were the people 149 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: who were just coming just to see the show and 150 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: just to eat the fries. And he had to separate 151 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 1: the two out, and he would often have to pull 152 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: the disciples aside and say, now, when I said this, 153 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: this is what I meant. He had to not only 154 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: teach to the crowds, but he had to teach his 155 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: disciples too. He had to do both. I relate to 156 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: that challenge because some of you in this church know 157 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: so much of the Bible. You know, I'm like, you 158 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: know Math thirteen twenty four wait in the tears, Wow. 159 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: And then others are like Matthew, who is at his 160 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: brother's name? What are we doing? And it's like all 161 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: over the place in terms of knowledge and just frame 162 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: of reference, right. But Jesus was always able to speak 163 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: to both, unless they thought he could only do one 164 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: or the other. He'd do stuff like this, He'd say 165 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:27,199 Speaker 1: to a paralytic sins, your friend, your sins are forgiven. 166 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: And then when the people doubted if he had the 167 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,079 Speaker 1: power to forgive sins, he would tell him, now get 168 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: up and take up your bed and walk. The reason 169 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: that he told him to get up and take up 170 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: his bed and walk was to give them a physical 171 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: demonstration of his spiritual authority. So it's demonstration and explanation, 172 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: and Jesus is doing both. In the context of the 173 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,199 Speaker 1: Kingdom of God. He would often have to teach this 174 00:09:54,600 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: principle of the already and not yet eschatological twenty dollars word, 175 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 1: the eschatological tension of the Kingdom of God. And so 176 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: it simply means that some things have already come, the 177 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: Kingdom of God is here, and then some things are 178 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: still coming. Isn't it that way in our life to 179 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: know that if we have trusted in Christ, we are saved, 180 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: We have been saved, and yet we are being saved, 181 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: and we will be saved. Because there are certain things 182 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: in my life right now that God has already done. 183 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: I can see the fruit of it, but there are 184 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: other changes that are still taking root in my life. 185 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: And what I've noticed about this is that as my 186 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: devotion to Christ grows, so do the things that distract me. 187 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: To try to pull me away from that pure devotion 188 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: and simple childlike faith in the grace of God. And 189 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,559 Speaker 1: Jesus is using a parable so he can use an 190 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: earthly symbol to convey a spiritual truth. He said, it's 191 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: like if a man was planting weed, weeds with the 192 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: plural Uh. Yeah, it might be legal, but it isn't 193 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: always just the best thing to do. But that's a 194 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: different sermon. But he said, it's like if he was 195 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: planning wheat and then somebody else planted weeds. He said, 196 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: I want you to know that both grow together, which 197 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: is symbolic of how as the ministry of Jesus increased, 198 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: so did the opposition. The more that his popularity grew, 199 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: the more vocal his opponents became, because both grow together. 200 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 1: In the church. I grew up in Monks Corney United 201 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: Methodist Church. We used to go upstairs to the youth room. 202 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: Rick Burnett would lead us in praise and worship songs 203 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: like it only takes a spark to get a fire going. Shine, Jesus, Shine. 204 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: What was the other one he used to love so much? Oh, 205 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: I remember the other one. I'm not gonna tell you 206 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: what it was. I'll tell you know, how James Taylor 207 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: sang the Carol King song You've Got a Friend. He 208 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: would do, You've got a friend, but then he would 209 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: go into what a friend we have in Jesus, and 210 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 1: it was like a medley, and then he would stop 211 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: after he played the songs. And it was only about 212 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: ten of us in the youth group, but he would 213 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: always say, and now it's time for praise reports and 214 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 1: prayer requests. So it's a bunch of teenagers, right, So 215 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,839 Speaker 1: what you would usually happen is everybody that would raise 216 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: their hand would raise their hand and say, I have 217 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: an unspoken unspoken is code for is probably about a girl, 218 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: or it's about a guy. I have an unspoken But 219 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: you know, maybe every once in a while, somebody will 220 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: raise their hand and give a praise report about a 221 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: test that they passed, or a prayer request about a 222 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 1: test that they were taking. Here's what's weird, and I 223 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: wonder if you've experienced this in your life, is that 224 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: in our lives we will often see the cycle that 225 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: what will be our prayer request in one season of 226 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: our life will become our praise report in the next season, 227 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:42,719 Speaker 1: only to become our prayer request again. There's probably a 228 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: couple in here who right now is pregnant with child, 229 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: and you probably prayed that God would enable you to 230 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: have a child, and maybe in like five months, three months, 231 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: seven months, you will give birth to your prayer request. 232 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: You had your friends praying, probably even in a crowd 233 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: this size, somebody who had trouble conceiving, and maybe even 234 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: through the course of many different miscarriages. This may be 235 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: the third or fourth or fifth time you tried, and 236 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: now you're on the way to giving birth to what 237 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: you prayed about. Others are still waiting for that, and 238 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: we're all at different places. But let me tell what's 239 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: going to happen. Because I've had She's had three babies, 240 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: and you pray for it, and then you have it, 241 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: and you praise God for it, and then you start 242 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 1: praying about it all over again. So watch this, y'all. Pray. 243 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: We're trying to have a baby. Y'all pray. We haven't 244 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: slept in thirty four days. Y'all pray. Our toddler is 245 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: now showing some developmental delays. Y'all pray. We're trying to 246 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: get him into this school, but we can't get him 247 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: with the right teacher. Y'all pray he's got his driver's license. 248 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: Y'all better pray for yourselves. As a matter of fact, 249 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 1: y'all might want to stay off the road for the 250 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: next few years. Y'all pray. It was your prayer request 251 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: that became your praise report that turned back into your 252 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: prayer request. So here's what I'm trying to say. You 253 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: prayed for your problems, Yes you did. You prayed for 254 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: the promotion on the job, and the promotion came with people, 255 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: and people are stupid and lazy and late and tardy. 256 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: You prayed for that. Touch somebody say you prayed for it. 257 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: You asked for it. Don't get mad about it. Now. 258 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: You prayed for it. You prayed for a man. I 259 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 1: heard one girl praying for a husband one time. She 260 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: was praying for a future husband. She had a whole 261 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: list about it. She was praying. She was like, God, 262 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: I pray that he would be godly, and I pray 263 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: that he would be tall. But God, I'd rather than 264 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: be godly than tall. But God, if he could be both, 265 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: if he could be both, if he could be Oh, 266 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: it's both. You need both. You need both. It's in marriage, 267 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: Like you know, don't marry somebody you're attracted to. Marry 268 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: somebody that you know loves the Lord. You better be 269 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: attracted to him too. It better be both. Now, I'm 270 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: for real about this. Most preachers won't say these things 271 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: because they sound carnal and unspiritual, but it needs to 272 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: be both. You need to like to look at each other. 273 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: You're gonna be looking at each other all the time. 274 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: And this thing, you don't gonna be prayer partners don't 275 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: have to get married. You gotta have some chemistry and christ. 276 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: So it goes back to the idea that humans are 277 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: always wanting to categorize, and we always want to divide things. 278 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: You want us to get the you want us to 279 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: get the wheat, separate from the weeds. That's what we 280 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: always want to do. We always want to separate the 281 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: good from the bad. You know, we want to talk 282 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 1: about I'm in a season of blessing right now, or 283 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: I'm going through a really hard season right now. Let 284 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: me tell you the truth, all of us are going 285 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: through a season of blessing right now, and all of 286 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,119 Speaker 1: us are going through a really hard season right now. 287 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 1: It just depends on which angle that you catch me from. 288 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:29,880 Speaker 1: As to what season I look like I'm going through. 289 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 1: If you see me from one side, from my good side, 290 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: I might look like the most blessed men in the 291 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: United States of America, in the continental United States of America. 292 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: But on the other side, I yelled at one of 293 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,360 Speaker 1: my kids, who shall remain nameless, right before I came 294 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: to preach to you. But you didn't have to see that. 295 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: So now I'm a man full of the spirit and 296 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: wisdom up here. Give him a praise. Let it be done, 297 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: receive your reign. We're like a flood. I was coming 298 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,679 Speaker 1: through like a flood, but a different kind of flood. 299 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: Just a few minutes before I out on the stage. 300 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 1: Just both I could preach the Bible and want to 301 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,880 Speaker 1: beat your behind, both in the same two hour period, 302 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: in the same one hundred and twenty minutes. Because I'm 303 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: a pastor, but I'm also a daddy, and if you 304 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,879 Speaker 1: disrespect my wife, I will turn into something else. Because 305 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: I'm a transformer. I'm a go bart, I'm both. You 306 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: don't know how to be both? WHOA wasn't in my notes, 307 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: But he kept trying to describe the kingdom. He said, 308 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: It's like the seed was good and the weeds were bad. 309 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: But they both grow together. And that's so true. They 310 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: both grow together. The opportunities grow, and so do the responsibilities. God, 311 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: take me deeper in my walk with you. Okay, As 312 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:05,919 Speaker 1: you go deeper, you're gonna gain intimacy with Christ. And 313 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: then you are gonna also gain awareness of your ignorance, 314 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 1: because the closer to Him you get, the more you're 315 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: gonna realize how much you don't know. So it's like, 316 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: I want to know you more, but the more you 317 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 1: come to know Christ, the more you're going to know 318 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:27,199 Speaker 1: that you didn't know him at all. That's why I 319 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: like Ecclesiastes eleven. I was reading that how Solomon had 320 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:37,439 Speaker 1: chased things that he called vanity or meaningless. It was 321 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: like the sense that, in the context of having success 322 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: and fulfillment, if you have one without the other as problematic, 323 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 1: what you really want is both. See like, if you 324 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: have success but not fulfillment or wholeness, that will feel 325 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:58,239 Speaker 1: to you like the ultimate failure because to chase what 326 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,199 Speaker 1: you thought you wanted and to get it and it 327 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: didn't do what you need to done makes you feel like, well, 328 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 1: what do I do now? That's the point that he 329 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: was writing from where he said that there are certain 330 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: things that you just don't know, and he mentions two 331 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: things an Ecclesiastes eleven. Because all of us struggle from 332 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 1: time to time when we are sowing, when we are investing, 333 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: when we are living our lives and doing the things 334 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 1: that we believe that God has called us to do, 335 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: without knowing whether it's making a difference at all. There's 336 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: so much you don't know. Solomon says, if you watch 337 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: the wind to see if it's blowing right, you will 338 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: never sow. And if you watch the clouds to see 339 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: if it's dry enough, you will never read. Your mind 340 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: will always find an excuse for you. We'll always find 341 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: a reason, will always find an indication that this is 342 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: not the right time. And so Solomon is giving advice. 343 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,400 Speaker 1: He's saying, just like you don't know how the breath 344 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: enters the bones of a woman in the wound. Now, granted, 345 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: we have ultrasounds now, but it's still is still true 346 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: to be said today that there is a part of 347 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: the process of human life that we can't put on 348 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: a sonogram. There's a part of it, he says, there's 349 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: the bones, and then there's the spirit or the breath 350 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 1: Hebrew word ruha. It's the same way that God breathed. 351 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,879 Speaker 1: It's the spirit of God, the ruh of God. In 352 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: the Old Testament, he said, there's the bones, and there's 353 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 1: the breath. There's the structure, and there's the spirit. And 354 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: if you have structure but not spirit, you don't have life. 355 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: If you have spirit but you don't have structure, you 356 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 1: don't have life. In a few weeks, I'm going to 357 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: be teaching our staff on our annual staff Advance, and 358 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: I'm doing a whole session just around this verse for leadership, 359 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: because in church you can pray for the spirit of 360 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,360 Speaker 1: God to come. But if you don't have structure, if 361 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: you don't have any capacity to manage what God brings you, 362 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:20,199 Speaker 1: it will simply be irresponsibility and wishful thinking. On the 363 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: other hand, you can have organizational charts and resources and 364 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: all of the things that would tend to make people 365 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: think you are successful, but without the spirit, just without 366 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 1: that thing that only God can do. Can I tell 367 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: you something? I can get up here with an outline 368 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: and an outfit and think that I have something to say, 369 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 1: but there's a part of me that knows because I've 370 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: been doing this for fourteen years now on this stage, 371 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 1: well not this when we had different buildings, but at 372 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: this church as the pastor, and there is a certain 373 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: thing that God has to do that I can't do, 374 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:55,880 Speaker 1: and I don't always know what He's going to do. 375 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: So there's a part of me that came in today 376 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: excited to preach to you because I had a structure, 377 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: I have some scriptures. But there's a part of me 378 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: that knows that God, if you don't blow on this, 379 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 1: if you don't breathe on this, if you don't do 380 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: that thing that you do that I can't do, if 381 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: you don't tear open somebody's facade and speak down deep 382 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: in the places of their heart, then I'll just be 383 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: a clanging symbol. I'll just lose my voice, but I 384 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: won't say anything. God. I need you to breathe on 385 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: my life. I need you to breathe peace. I need 386 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: you to breathe joy because God, I can get a 387 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,199 Speaker 1: big house, a nice car, the right clothes, and a 388 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: lot of people. But if you don't breathe, I won't 389 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: be fulfilled. If you don't do it, it won't be done. 390 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: I need both. I need the bones and the breath. 391 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: I need the structure and the spirit I need. Here's 392 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 1: what I love about it. I need the friends and 393 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 1: the enemies. I need both. I was amazed how Jesus, 394 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 1: when he was putting together his Kingdom dream team, knew 395 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: that one of them was a devil and kept him anyway. John, 396 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 1: I understand the disciple that Jesus loved, at least that's 397 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 1: what he put in his own bio. Of course you 398 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 1: chose John. He's going to take care of your mama 399 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: when you're gone. And of course he chose Judas because 400 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: Judas was the one who got him to the cross 401 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: where he paid the price that he came to pay. 402 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: You need both. You need wheat and weeds, and if 403 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 1: you try to pull them up. He tried to get 404 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: the stuff out of your life that you don't like. 405 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: You'll tear out the wheat, the substance. You'll tear out 406 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: the thing that God is growing. Because see what would 407 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: happen if you planted this particular type of weed, or 408 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 1: some versions call it the tears. The wheat and the tears. 409 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:21,439 Speaker 1: It looked the same on the surface, but where it 410 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 1: was really difficult was underground, where the tears would intermingle 411 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: with the wheat and the root systems would get intertwined. 412 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: And sometimes what God is doing in your life beneath 413 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: the surface, the pain is intertwined with the purpose. You 414 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: hear me, The thing that you don't like about yourself 415 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 1: is sometimes the thing that God is using. And we 416 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: ask God to use us, and we ask God to 417 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: do as will in our lives unless we don't like it, 418 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: and then we want to root that out. And so 419 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 1: then it's like, well, God, I want you to do this, 420 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: but not that. And what Solomon said is what Jesus said. 421 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: You don't know which one is which, And so we 422 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: have to be very careful when we are trying to 423 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 1: do our own gardening. Because I don't know about you, 424 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: but I am not a horticulturist. I don't have a 425 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: lot of agriculture experience. I was preparing this message and 426 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: I had this weird memory of being a little boy 427 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: and my mom had this little flower bed outside our house. 428 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: And one day I decided to be helpful and I 429 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,479 Speaker 1: came back to the door and I was so proud. 430 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: I was like Mom, and I had my hands full, 431 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: and I said, I got all the weeds out of 432 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: your flower bed. And she looked like she wanted to 433 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 1: slap me, but she restrained herself. She said, those were 434 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: the flowers. But I didn't know the difference because I 435 00:26:55,640 --> 00:27:00,679 Speaker 1: was too immature to know the difference. And sometimes we 436 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 1: are spiritually immature, and we are running from things and 437 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: removing things and resisting things. And in the process of 438 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 1: trying to pluck out the weeds, you're removing the wheat. 439 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: If God answered every prayer you prayed right now, I'm sorry, Bruce. 440 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,199 Speaker 1: Almighty was a pretty good movie. It would screw up 441 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:30,159 Speaker 1: the universe. It would ruin your training. Look, can I 442 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 1: teach you a little bit? All right? So I used 443 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 1: to not be able to do a pull up. I'm 444 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: not gonna lie to you. I was twenty two years 445 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: old and I had never done a pull up in 446 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: my life. So I start training to do pull ups, 447 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:48,120 Speaker 1: and I could do some pull ups. One day, this 448 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: guy told me that I had to do not only 449 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: pull ups, which was a feat of accomplishment for me. 450 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,199 Speaker 1: I work my whole life tour to this point, a 451 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 1: culmination of my entire life's effort in the rum of 452 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:01,879 Speaker 1: e X. He's like, now I need you to do 453 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: a negative. I said, what's a negative? He said, well, 454 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: there's two parts to every rep. There's when you're going 455 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,199 Speaker 1: up and there's when you're coming down. But there's just 456 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: as much benefit in coming down as there is in 457 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: coming up. I'm gonna give you seven seconds, because if 458 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 1: that hits you right, you will start to see that 459 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 1: the things in your life right now that you perceive 460 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 1: as negative might be a crucial function in building your 461 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: strength and your stamina and your hope. There are some 462 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: things about God that you can only learn going down. 463 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: Ask Peter beginning to sink when he felt the grip 464 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,280 Speaker 1: of the grace of God through the hand of Jesus 465 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: of Nazareth, and he said, now I know that, your Lord. 466 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: It's the blessing of both. And you don't know touch 467 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: Somebody say you don't know. You don't know the difference 468 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: between wheat and wheat. You can't do the angel's job. 469 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: Let God sort that out. I heard the Lord say, 470 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: keep sewing and stop sorting. Sr T I n G. 471 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: Keep sewing and stop sorting. Stop judging the experience the 472 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,719 Speaker 1: moment it happens, Give it some time to see what 473 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: it is. As a matter of fact. I don't know 474 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: if you have experienced this, but some of my successes 475 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: have been the fruit of my failures. Some of the 476 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: things that have produced the most in my life were 477 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: the things that, honestly, at the time I was the 478 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: most embarrassed about some of the things that have Actually, 479 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: I know that most of you in this church know 480 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: the song, Oh, Come to the altar, the song that 481 00:29:56,040 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 1: almost never was. There were twelve versions of that song. 482 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: All of them sucked. All right, write this down. You 483 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: want a deep revelation. Success starts with sucks, he says. 484 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: Sow it in the morning, sow it in the evening, 485 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: because you don't know. Seeds can be deceiving. Seeds can 486 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: look awfully small. Seeds can look impotent, and they may 487 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: be dormant for a while. And when you sew them, 488 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: they go away for a little while. But they didn't 489 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:39,719 Speaker 1: go to die. They went to multiply. Some of the 490 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: things in your life that you said goodbye to, you 491 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 1: need to say see you later. I'm expecting you to 492 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: come back up again. Because I believe in resurrection, the 493 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 1: blessing of both both. I need both in my life. 494 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: Paul needed both. I guess I do too. Paul had 495 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: this thing. He called it thorn, and he kept trying 496 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: to weed it out. Ask God three times, take it away. Now, 497 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: if you've ever asked God to take something away, that's fine. 498 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: But if he doesn't do it, leave it alone. And 499 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: here's why you can leave it alone, because the presence 500 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: of weeds will not cancel out the power of the weak. 501 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: What is supposed to grow will grow. Leave it alone 502 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: for a little while and see what it becomes. See 503 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: if it will be the fruit this failure that you're 504 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: processing right now. Some of you started the business, you 505 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: did the thing, you took the step, and you made 506 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: a mess out of it. See if maybe that that 507 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: might be the seed of something that becomes something that 508 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: people will celebrate in the future. And you will know, 509 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: and God will know that you almost gave up, and 510 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 1: the enemy was there telling you stop sewing it. It's 511 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: not working. But you kept sewing, and you sewed in 512 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 1: the morning, and you sewed in the evening, and you 513 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: loved any way, and you forgave any way, and you 514 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: showed up any way, and you did it anyway. And 515 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: you memorized a scripture and quoted it anyway, even though 516 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: it wasn't happening in your life, but you kept quoting it, 517 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: and you kept sewing, and you didn't try to sort 518 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 1: it out, and you didn't try to root it up, 519 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: and you didn't get impatient and immature. But you waited 520 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: for the will of God to come to pass in 521 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: your life. Once you ever stop sewing because you don't know, 522 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: Solomon said, you don't know the way that the breath 523 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 1: enters the bones, and you don't know the way God 524 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 1: works either. You don't know. We don't know which sermons 525 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: God's going to use to touch people. Then you ever 526 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: preach one you hate it, and then everybody wanted to 527 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:52,080 Speaker 1: talk about it for the next year, and you preached 528 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: one you loved and nobody ever remembered it. It'll make 529 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: you mad, but that's how the breath operates. So you'll 530 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: be reminded that you need the spirit of God, not 531 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: just structure and skill and some things in your life. 532 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: It's gonna surprise you because you don't know. He said 533 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 1: one might work and one might not, or both might 534 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: do equally well. In fact, he said in the ESV 535 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: both may be good. Now that made me think of 536 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: Joseph Naturally Old Testament Joseph with the with the coat Joseph. 537 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 1: The coat that got him beat up, the coat that 538 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: got him thrown in a pit, The coat that represented 539 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: the favor of his father. The coat that was kind 540 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: of loud and obnoxious, but he wore it anyway. The 541 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: coat that let him know he was chosen even if 542 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: people didn't like him. Remember, you need both. Everybody's not 543 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: supposed to like you. If everybody likes you, you are 544 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: doing nothing. If everybody likes you, you stand for nothing. 545 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: If everybody agrees with you, you are saying nothing. You 546 00:33:56,640 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: don't need everybody to like you. This is like a 547 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,480 Speaker 1: true prophet now, because one time I was going through 548 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: some criticism and I asked God to make it stop. 549 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 1: He said, well, if I stop that, then I got 550 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: to stop the blessing that created the criticism to begin with. 551 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: Because both grow together. Both grow together. Oh, I want 552 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: to be used by God, and I want everybody to 553 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,879 Speaker 1: agree with all of my decisions and validate my existence. 554 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:33,880 Speaker 1: Both grow together. And so when Joseph did get pushed 555 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: in a pit, it was no surprise to me that 556 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: the Ishmaelite caravan was the one that picked him up. 557 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:44,319 Speaker 1: It didn't surprise me at all, because that's just like God. 558 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: He always uses both. Ishmael was the son that Abraham 559 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:52,359 Speaker 1: had doing it his own way. Isaac was the one 560 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,839 Speaker 1: that he had doing it God's way. But guess which 561 00:34:54,880 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 1: one God used? Guess which one God used both? You 562 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,719 Speaker 1: mean God will use my mistakes to bring about a 563 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:08,880 Speaker 1: deliverance in my future. You mean God will use the 564 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,640 Speaker 1: dumb thing I did. I'm saying absolutely, if he's sovereign, 565 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 1: he will, if it's his field, if it's his harvest, 566 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: if it's his job to superintend your life. Even the 567 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:27,240 Speaker 1: ishmaelite served a purpose. When David slept with Bathsheba after 568 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,600 Speaker 1: the child died. The next son he had was named Solomon, 569 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: who was the wisest man who ever lived, who wrote 570 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 1: Ecclesiastes eleven. His dumbest decision led to the world's greatest wisdom. 571 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try because I saw it 572 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: in my mind like this. I saw that God is 573 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: using both in your life right now. He's using both. 574 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:54,080 Speaker 1: So when Joseph gets thrown in prison, it's not good. 575 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 1: But God uses that to introduce him to somebody who 576 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,160 Speaker 1: is going to bring him before Pharaoh. When he comes 577 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: before Pha. Pharaoh was telling him about a dream that 578 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: means there's going to be a famine in the land. Well, 579 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: the femine isn't good, but God is using the famine 580 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 1: to create a position of favor for his people. Now, 581 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:15,360 Speaker 1: when they finally got there, Joseph is standing before his 582 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: brothers and he has a revelation that everything that has 583 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,240 Speaker 1: happened in his life wasn't good, But everything that happened 584 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,720 Speaker 1: in his life has been held in the hand of God. 585 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 1: So God wasn't just using the stuff that felt good 586 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 1: to you, not just the stuff that you praised him for, 587 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,760 Speaker 1: not just the stuff that you thanked him for. Paul 588 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:39,680 Speaker 1: finally came to the point where he said, I learned 589 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:43,520 Speaker 1: to thank God for my foreign I learned to thank 590 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: him for the things that he is using that I 591 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:49,759 Speaker 1: did not choose for myself, The things that he is 592 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,879 Speaker 1: using that tormented me at one time. But the tormentor 593 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: was my mentor that transformed me into who I needed 594 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,920 Speaker 1: to be so that I would rely on the grace 595 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 1: of God. It's the blessing of both. It's both. So 596 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:14,279 Speaker 1: when Joseph said, you meant it to harm me, but 597 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: God meant it for good. He's not speaking out of 598 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: both sides of his mouth. It's both. They meant it, 599 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:30,920 Speaker 1: but God used it. God is going to use both. 600 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:38,520 Speaker 1: I promise you he is. I promise you he is. 601 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: That's what the cross represents, after all, is two beams, 602 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 1: one vertical that's you and God, one horizontal that's you 603 00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:49,239 Speaker 1: and people. Is both. Love the Lord, your God with 604 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:52,720 Speaker 1: all your heart, soul, mind, strength, Love your neighbor as yourself. 605 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: It's both. It's not one or the other. It's both. 606 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,439 Speaker 1: I praise God when I feel it. I pray God. 607 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:03,200 Speaker 1: When I don't feel it. I praise God when I 608 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:06,279 Speaker 1: sense him. I praise Him when it's so distant that 609 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: I wonder sometimes as any of this even real. I 610 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:12,400 Speaker 1: praise him in the good times. I praise him in 611 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,239 Speaker 1: the bad times. I praise him when he does when 612 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:17,319 Speaker 1: I ask. I praise him when he runs a little 613 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 1: late to Lazarus funeral, because I know, even on the 614 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 1: fourth day, he can say something. And Joseph said, oh, 615 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:45,719 Speaker 1: it's both. Is pain and purpose. It's both. And we 616 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 1: keep waiting to this day when everything in our life 617 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:56,680 Speaker 1: will be stable, and all of our relationships will be 618 00:38:56,760 --> 00:39:02,359 Speaker 1: harmonious and God said, I need you to learn how 619 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:08,239 Speaker 1: to celebrate the wheat even while you're looking at the weeds. 620 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:19,640 Speaker 1: Even the enemy serves a purpose. Even the devil works 621 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:24,240 Speaker 1: for God. The devil's not in charge of what happens 622 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:27,880 Speaker 1: in my life. God doesn't do everything that happens to me, 623 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:33,399 Speaker 1: but he uses everything that happens to me. There is 624 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 1: nothing that is happening in your life that will not 625 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:39,239 Speaker 1: have to pass through the hand of God by the 626 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: time is said and done. And so I saw this 627 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:52,080 Speaker 1: picture that really moved me of how Joseph's father, Jacob, 628 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,640 Speaker 1: at the end of his life, was sitting on his deathbed. 629 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:01,240 Speaker 1: And Jacob was an interesting character because he had two names, 630 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:12,719 Speaker 1: Jacob Deceiver Israel Prince, which one was he If you'll 631 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:19,120 Speaker 1: be really honest, you're both too. So please don't judge 632 00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:25,640 Speaker 1: people just because their shortcomings are exposed. If it weren't 633 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 1: for the grace of God, who knows where you would be. 634 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:35,360 Speaker 1: Come on, how many know what you're capable of. I 635 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:39,280 Speaker 1: didn't have a problem. I didn't have a problem preaching 636 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:42,400 Speaker 1: in that prison the other day because I'm not in 637 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:47,160 Speaker 1: that same situation. But I could be. There's nothing better 638 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,319 Speaker 1: about me than anybody that I was preaching to. It 639 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,800 Speaker 1: wasn't a problem for me to preach. It's the power 640 00:40:53,840 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 1: of both, it's the blessing of both. And when Jacob 641 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:04,320 Speaker 1: was about to die, Joseph wanted to get his kids 642 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,360 Speaker 1: in front of Jacob so that they could be blessed. 643 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:11,000 Speaker 1: And he brought these two sons that he had in Egypt. 644 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,440 Speaker 1: The oldest one was named Manassa, the younger one was 645 00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:20,440 Speaker 1: named Ephraim. And they sat on Jacob's knees for a minute. 646 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 1: Jacob couldn't see very well. And after all that Joseph 647 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:30,640 Speaker 1: has been through, God has blessed him. Anyway, these two 648 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:38,839 Speaker 1: sons have significant names. Manassa means to forget, because he said, 649 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:43,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to forget the shame and the pain of Egypt. 650 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:47,280 Speaker 1: God has made me forget. And then Ephraim means fruitful, 651 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:53,040 Speaker 1: not beautiful. How God can produce fruit and even the 652 00:41:53,080 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: hardest and worst situations. Well, anyway, when Jacob was sitting 653 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:06,480 Speaker 1: up to bless the boys, he did something weird. I 654 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:09,239 Speaker 1: want to show you this real quick. I don't know 655 00:42:09,239 --> 00:42:12,720 Speaker 1: who this is for, but in Genesis forty eight thirteen, 656 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:20,759 Speaker 1: you got it forty eight thirteen. Please they said in 657 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 1: Joseph took them. He took both of them, Ephraim in 658 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 1: his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manassa in 659 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 1: his left hand. God's gonna bless both, and he brought 660 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:44,719 Speaker 1: them near him next verse and Israel stretched out his 661 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:47,680 Speaker 1: right hand laid it on the head of eph who 662 00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 1: was the younger, and his left hand on the head 663 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:55,920 Speaker 1: of Manassa, crossing his hands, for Manassa was the firstborn. 664 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: Now understand when he did that, it broke every protocol 665 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:06,960 Speaker 1: and violated every expectation, because he was supposed to bless 666 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:15,239 Speaker 1: the oldest one first. But God doesn't do things the 667 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:19,440 Speaker 1: way we think that he should do things, and we 668 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:22,160 Speaker 1: don't get what we deserve from God. We get so 669 00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:29,120 Speaker 1: much more. We get his grace and his mercy. And 670 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:31,320 Speaker 1: when he crossed his hands over to bless the younger 671 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 1: one first, do any of you know that God has 672 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:36,279 Speaker 1: blessed you in ways that you don't deserve and didn't earn. 673 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:37,719 Speaker 1: And there's no way in the world you could have 674 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:44,480 Speaker 1: built a resume to afford it. So when he did it, 675 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,480 Speaker 1: Joseph got really upset. It said, when Joseph saw verse 676 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:51,279 Speaker 1: seventeen that his father laid his right hand on the 677 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:55,080 Speaker 1: head of Ephraim. It displeased him, and he took his 678 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:59,759 Speaker 1: father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manassa's head. 679 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,319 Speaker 1: Watch the next verse, and Joseph said to his father, 680 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,040 Speaker 1: not this way, my father, This one was the firstborn. 681 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:07,280 Speaker 1: You know, I know you're getting old and you can't. 682 00:44:07,719 --> 00:44:09,319 Speaker 1: You used to do this when you were a little kid. 683 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 1: You've been trying to switch things up your whole life. 684 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:13,120 Speaker 1: But put your right hand on his head. Watch the 685 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:14,920 Speaker 1: next verse. But his father refused and said, I know, 686 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 1: my son. I know he shall also become a people. 687 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: He shall also be great. In other words, he said, 688 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:28,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna bless both. You know why I don't ever 689 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:32,719 Speaker 1: have to be jealous of anybody else's life. You know 690 00:44:32,719 --> 00:44:35,840 Speaker 1: why I don't ever have to worry about comparing myself 691 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:40,440 Speaker 1: to what God does for somebody else, because God is 692 00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 1: big enough to bless both of us. And when you 693 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:52,520 Speaker 1: know that, come on, when you know that this is 694 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:57,040 Speaker 1: the blessing of both. To know that what I call 695 00:44:57,200 --> 00:45:03,200 Speaker 1: good what I call bad, God is going to bless both, 696 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 1: don't you go trying to pluck stuff yourself. That's above 697 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:12,080 Speaker 1: your pay grade. Don't you go on a self improvement 698 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 1: project without God's help, You'll mess up the masterpiece. God said, 699 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:23,680 Speaker 1: it's all working together for the good. I'm gonna bless both. 700 00:45:26,040 --> 00:45:29,200 Speaker 1: They were singing a minute ago. Come here, Tiff. 701 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:35,720 Speaker 2: She was singing, you never lost the battle, You never 702 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:36,920 Speaker 2: lost a battle. 703 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:40,320 Speaker 1: I felt that when when we were writing that song, 704 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:41,000 Speaker 1: I felt it. 705 00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:45,520 Speaker 2: Was we were just singing that you never lost a battle, 706 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:48,600 Speaker 2: never lost a. 707 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:54,319 Speaker 1: Battle, and we just started singing that. Yes, oh man. 708 00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:56,879 Speaker 1: I was like, yes, Lord, the church is gonna want 709 00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:00,880 Speaker 1: to sing this. And then I was like keep it. 710 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:03,680 Speaker 1: But then I was like, Chris, won't you uh, won't 711 00:46:03,719 --> 00:46:07,080 Speaker 1: you help her? And then she's saying it. I said, 712 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:14,640 Speaker 1: if they what if they both? If they what if 713 00:46:14,640 --> 00:46:21,000 Speaker 1: they bone? Yeah? What if they bone? What if? What if? 714 00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:28,600 Speaker 1: What if it was? What if Paul is silas start 715 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:33,360 Speaker 1: praising God together? What if we come together in his 716 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:37,279 Speaker 1: name and begin to lift him off? What if we 717 00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:49,960 Speaker 1: praise him we weren't together. Thank you for joining us. 718 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:52,719 Speaker 1: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 719 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:56,280 Speaker 1: this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 720 00:46:56,719 --> 00:46:58,920 Speaker 1: You can click the link in the description to give 721 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:03,160 Speaker 1: now or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more 722 00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:06,960 Speaker 1: information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 723 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:09,319 Speaker 1: You can share it with your friends. You can click 724 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:11,600 Speaker 1: the share button, take a screenshot and share it on 725 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:14,520 Speaker 1: your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks 726 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:20,920 Speaker 1: again for listening. God bless you