1 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 2: Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: new sermons every week. 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 3: I hope you're blessed today. 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 4: Earlier this fall, we had our annual Ladies event. 7 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: Here at Elevation is called reflect. 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 4: A lot of the ladies were here from all of 9 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 4: our campuses. We joined together and online and it was 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 4: incredible and I got to share a word with the 11 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 4: ladies of our church that really ministered. And as Stephen 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 4: and I were talking, we decided that I needed to 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,919 Speaker 4: share from that same passage with you today. 14 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: Are you ready for the Word? All right? I am 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: so excited. 16 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 4: God really spoke to me through this passage and I'm 17 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 4: really excited to share it with you today. Would you 18 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 4: turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter one, and we're 19 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 4: going to jump right. 20 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: In with the first verse. 21 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 4: It says this in my first book, I told you 22 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 4: Theophilus about everything Jesus began to do and teach until 23 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 4: the day he was taken up to heaven after giving 24 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 4: his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. During 25 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 4: the forty days after he suffered and died. He appeared 26 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 4: to the apostles from time to time, and he proved. 27 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: To them in many. 28 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 4: Ways that he was actually alive, and he talked to 29 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 4: them about the Kingdom of God. 30 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: Once, when he was. 31 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,839 Speaker 4: Eating with them, he commanded them, do not leave Jerusalem 32 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 4: until the Father sends you the gift. He promised, as 33 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 4: I told you before, John baptized with water, But in 34 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 4: just a few days you will be baptized with the 35 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 4: Holy Spirit. So when the apostles were with Jesus, they 36 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 4: kept asking him, Lord, has the time come for you 37 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 4: to free Israel and restore our kingdom? And he replied, 38 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 4: the Father alone has the authority to set those dates 39 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 4: in times, and they are not for you to know. 40 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,559 Speaker 4: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes 41 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 4: on you, and you will be my witnesses, telling people 42 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 4: about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Jidea, in. 43 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 44 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 4: After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud 45 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 4: while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 46 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 4: As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two 47 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 4: white robed men suddenly stood among them, men of Galilee. 48 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 1: They said, why are you standing here staring into heaven. 49 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 4: Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday 50 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 4: he will return from heaven in. 51 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: The same way you saw him go. 52 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 4: Then the Apostles return to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, 53 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 4: a distance of half a mile. 54 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,959 Speaker 1: When they arrived, they went to the upstairs. 55 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 4: Room of the house where they were staying. Let's pray 56 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 4: one more time, Lord, would you bless this word today? 57 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: Would you speak through me now? We want to hear 58 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: from you in Jesus name, we pray Amen. I'm not 59 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: sure if it's just me, but. 60 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 4: Has anyone else noticed how it is getting increasingly hard 61 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 4: to speak with a customer service representative like an actual person. 62 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: Okay, good, I'm not alone. 63 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 4: So, as many of you know, we sent our son 64 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 4: off to college this fall. We filled out the applications 65 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 4: and we submitted all the required information, and Elijah received 66 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 4: his acceptance letter. 67 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 3: Well. 68 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 4: At the beginning of June, I got an email from 69 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 4: the university saying that they had not yet received his 70 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 4: high school transcripts. 71 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: And I thought that was strange, because he got accepted 72 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: into the school. I thought I'd. 73 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 4: Taken care of everything, but I just found the transcript, 74 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 4: submitted it, and went on about our summer. 75 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 3: Well. 76 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: About a month later. 77 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 4: Beginning of July, I got another email saying the same 78 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 4: exact same thing. It was obviously an automated email, and 79 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 4: it was stating that they had not received Elijah's transcripts. 80 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 4: So I thought, well, I must have submitted it in 81 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 4: the wrong format, and so I sent it again. But 82 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 4: this time when I submitted it, I wrote a little 83 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 4: note and I said, can somebody please confirm that you 84 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 4: have received this information? And I like, I'm a busy person, 85 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 4: you know, And I'm one of those people that once 86 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 4: I send it, it's kind. 87 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: Of like done. 88 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 4: So I forgot all about it, and then August came around. Now, 89 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 4: remember we're dropping him off in two weeks, and I 90 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 4: get the email again. 91 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: So now I realized I. 92 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 4: Need to speak to a customer service representative here. And 93 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 4: I don't know if you've ever tried to call an 94 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 4: admissions office to weeks before school starts, but I don't 95 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 4: recommend it, And so I waited for thirty minutes for 96 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 4: someone to answer, only to tell me. 97 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: She's, oh, hello, missus, Okay, let me look that up. 98 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 4: And she says, oh, well, what appears to have happened, 99 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:22,799 Speaker 4: is that the form that you have submitted doesn't confirm 100 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 4: that he has actually graduated from high school. And she said, 101 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 4: so you need to call his school and have them 102 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,919 Speaker 4: submit the transcript that confirms that he graduated. Now, I 103 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 4: don't know if you've ever tried to call a. 104 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: School two weeks before school starts. 105 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 4: I don't recommend it, especially if your child graduated from 106 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 4: a very large. 107 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: Virtual high school. So I knew it was going. 108 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 4: To be a few minutes, and I called, and I 109 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 4: just settled in and I put my phone on speakerphone, 110 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 4: and I'm like deleting email. 111 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: And cleaning up my office. 112 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 4: And thirty minutes went by, and the automated message that 113 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 4: was on repeat like every three minutes was really starting 114 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 4: to grade on me. So you can imagine my state 115 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 4: of mind when one hour later, I swear to you 116 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 4: every bit of this story is true, a very young 117 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 4: girl answered, and she heard me out, and she said, 118 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 4: let me transfer you to our such and such department. 119 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: Click. 120 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 4: I was like, oh god, so here comes the automated 121 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 4: message again. Twenty minutes later. I'm not sure if you're 122 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 4: adding all this up. I've been on the phone for 123 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 4: an hour and fifty minutes. I unleashed on this poor 124 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 4: young man that answered me. Today, I want to talk 125 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 4: to the person who feels like they are on hold 126 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 4: with Heaven. You need to know why, you need to 127 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 4: know when, you need to know which or how, and 128 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 4: you feel like you've emailed Heaven. You feel like you've called, 129 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 4: You feel like you've listened to the worship music while 130 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 4: you're waiting, and you have tried so hard to be patient, 131 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 4: but you've been on hold for a really long time, 132 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 4: and you need someone to answer you ever been there? 133 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 4: This summer, our pastor brought us the most incredible spontaneous series. 134 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: Do you remember it. 135 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 4: I think the first message that he taught about was 136 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 4: the God of also, and then we got the God 137 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 4: of again, and then we got the God of after, 138 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 4: and the Holy Spirit was just gushing out of him. 139 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 4: Every week he kept going, he give us the God 140 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 4: of already and the God. 141 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: Of a way. If you miss this series, you have 142 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: to go back and watch it. It was powerful for 143 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: our church. 144 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 4: And so today I was wondering if you would like 145 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 4: me be fashionably late to the sermons series, because I 146 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 4: want to talk to you about the God of answers. 147 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 4: When I was a little girl in Sunday School, I 148 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 4: remember learning that when you ask God for something, he 149 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 4: always answers one of three ways. He says yes, no, 150 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 4: or wait. Was anybody else taught this? And I get 151 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 4: the sentiment. I understand the concept, but I think I 152 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 4: took it too literally because as an adult, when I 153 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 4: started to process that, I was like, wait a minute. 154 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 4: The God of the universe, who created every language, he 155 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 4: has a very vast vocabulary and it is certainly not 156 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 4: limited to three words when we come to him with 157 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 4: a question. 158 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:46,839 Speaker 1: So I want to get practical, and. 159 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 4: I want to look at this story that we just read, 160 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:50,719 Speaker 4: and I want to show you how to evaluate your 161 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,079 Speaker 4: own situation when you feel like. 162 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: You are waiting on an answer from God. 163 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 4: In our passage that we've just read, we're coming to 164 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 4: the very end of Jesus's ministry on Earth. Jesus has 165 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 4: died on the cross, He's raised from the dead, and 166 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 4: over the past forty days or so, he's been appearing 167 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 4: to the disciples and they don't know it, but this 168 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 4: is actually their last time on earth with Jesus, and 169 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 4: Jesus is giving them some really important instructions but they 170 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 4: don't know how important it is because they've taken his 171 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 4: presence for granted, and they don't know that this is 172 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 4: their last in person conversation with him. Look at what 173 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 4: he tells them. 174 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: He says, this is verse four. 175 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 4: Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the 176 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 4: gift he promised. As I told you before, John baptized 177 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,319 Speaker 4: with water, But in just a few days you will be. 178 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: Baptized with the Holy Spirit. 179 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 4: Have you ever tried to give someone some really important 180 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:01,839 Speaker 4: instructions but that person didn't see the importance of the instructions. 181 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,559 Speaker 1: Okay, not to compare myself to Jesus, but. 182 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 4: I did finally get everything squared away with the admissions department, 183 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 4: with the university, and in August we. 184 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: Dropped Elijah off at college and. 185 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 4: We were helping him move into his dorm room and 186 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 4: I was making his bed. You can judge me if 187 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 4: you want, but putting sheets on his bed was not one. 188 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: Of his chores at home. 189 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 4: So here I was, hours before leaving him, and I'm 190 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 4: trying to show him how to make a bed. You know, 191 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 4: I'm like, Okay, Elijah, this is the mattress cover, and 192 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 4: it goes on, goes on first, and then this is 193 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 4: the the one with the old. 194 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: This is the fitted sheet, and he doesn't care. 195 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,439 Speaker 4: He's way more engraced with an engrossed with a much 196 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 4: more important task, which is setting up his speakers. And 197 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 4: I wanted to say, hey, you're gonna need this later, 198 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 4: but I didn't want to. But you know, we're trying 199 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 4: to like keep a good vibe in the room, and 200 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 4: you know, like trying to make sure this ends well. 201 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,559 Speaker 1: And so I made the. 202 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 4: Bed and I decided to let him figure it out 203 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 4: on his own. 204 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: Should he even decide to change his sheets? I kid 205 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 1: you not. This boy face timed me two weeks later. 206 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 4: Because all the sheets and covers had fallen off of 207 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 4: his bed and he was trying to remake it and 208 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,199 Speaker 4: he couldn't remember how. 209 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: To do it. I sent him a YouTube video. 210 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 4: I wonder if the disciples would have listened more closely 211 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 4: if they had. 212 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: Known that this was their. 213 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:46,319 Speaker 4: Last time seeing Jesus face to face, Like would Peter 214 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:51,199 Speaker 4: have maybe taken notes, you know, okay, don't leave Jerusalem, 215 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 4: got it, the Holy Spirit coming, okay? 216 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: And then maybe they would have asked better questions, like. 217 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 4: Jesus, what does the Holy Spirit look like, do we 218 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 4: need to do anything to prepare? Should we get everybody together? 219 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 4: But the Disciples were caught up on this one question 220 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 4: that they have been asking Jesus for the past three years, 221 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 4: and Jesus had still not answered it the way that 222 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 4: they wanted. So they kept asking, and essentially it was this, 223 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 4: when will you restore the Kingdom of Israel? This was 224 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 4: the thing that they had been wanting to know because 225 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 4: they thought, based on ancient prophecies about Israel, that Jesus 226 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 4: was going to have a physical takeover of the Kingdom 227 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 4: of Israel, that Jesus would overthrow the Roman government and 228 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 4: he was going to establish himself as the earthly king, and. 229 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: The Disciples thought they were going to be his government leaders. 230 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:50,959 Speaker 1: That's why they were always arguing about. 231 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 4: Who would be first in the kingdom. They weren't talking 232 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 4: about the Kingdom of Heaven. They were talking about earth, 233 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 4: and they wanted to know, Hey, Jesus, when you become president, 234 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 4: who you going to pick for your vice president? 235 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: Who are you going to put in the cabinet seats? 236 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 4: And so this is their last conversation with Jesus. 237 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: And look at verse six. So when the apostles where 238 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: with Jesus. 239 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 4: They kept asking him, Lord, has the time come for 240 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 4: you to free Israel and restore our kingdom? They kept 241 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 4: asking him like little kids on a road trip. 242 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: Are we there yet, Jesus? Is it time yet? Jesus? 243 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 4: One version that I read said every time they were 244 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 4: gathered together, they asked Jesus this. And Here's the thing 245 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 4: that I've noticed in my life. God is always speaking 246 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 4: to me. But a lot of times what I equate 247 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 4: as feeling blocked is actually me not wanting to hear 248 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 4: what He is saying to me, and I miss the 249 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 4: message or I ignore the instruction because I'm so focused on 250 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 4: the answer I want him to give me. I remember 251 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 4: when I was in middle school, I wanted my mom 252 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 4: to drop me off at the mall alone with my 253 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 4: friends so we could walk around. And I asked her 254 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 4: over and over and over. I was trying to wear 255 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 4: her down, and my mom was not having it. 256 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: She was like, absolutely not. 257 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 4: She did not care that everyone else's mom's were dropping 258 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 4: them off, which probably wasn't true. She did not care 259 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 4: that I was missing out on all the fun over 260 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 4: her dead body. Was she going to drop my thirteen 261 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 4: year old self at Dadland? 262 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: Mall in Miami, Florida. 263 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 4: And I was so mad. I hit her with everything. 264 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: You don't trust me, you don't think I can handle it. 265 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 4: I came at her with every angland she would not 266 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 4: mind budge and I remember saying to her. 267 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: Why won't you answer me? 268 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 4: And she replied, I have answered you. 269 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: You just don't like my answer. And listen, I don't 270 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: want to diminish anything that you're going through. 271 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 4: And I want to make it very clear to you 272 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 4: that as God's child, you can and you should ask 273 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 4: Him for everything that you want. You can, and you 274 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 4: should have the faith to believe that God can heal you. 275 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 4: God can save your marriage. God can provide for your 276 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 4: every need. God can give you the job, the man, 277 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 4: the baby. God desires to give you the desires of 278 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 4: your heart. He is a good father and he loves 279 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 4: to give good gifts to his children. And sometimes you 280 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 4: need to have the faith to keep asking, to keep 281 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 4: visual the thing that you are believing God for in 282 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 4: your life. 283 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: Be persistent. God, here's you. 284 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 4: But when you feel like he's not answering you, when 285 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 4: you feel like he's keeping you on hold, know. 286 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: That he's not ignoring you. 287 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 4: But as a good Father, he is considering so much 288 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 4: more than what you want. Sometimes he's making sure the 289 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 4: timing is right. Sometimes he has to say no or 290 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 4: not now, because as all the parents in the room 291 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 4: would agree, just like my mom, who would not drop 292 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 4: me off at the mall. 293 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: That's not the mark of a good father is not 294 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: how happy his children are. 295 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 4: The mark of a good father is that he knows 296 00:16:55,440 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 4: what is best for his child at the time. And 297 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 4: sometimes you have to wait because there's something that God. 298 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: Needs to put in you before he gives you what 299 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: you're asking for. Sometimes there's something that he needs to 300 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: work out of you first. 301 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 4: Sometimes he has something better down the road than you 302 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 4: could ever ask or imagine. And look what Jesus says 303 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 4: back to the disciples. He says, the Father alone has 304 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 4: the authority to set those dates and times. 305 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: And they are not for you to know. 306 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 4: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes 307 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 4: on you, and you will be my witnesses telling people 308 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 4: about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judean, Samaria, and to the. 309 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 1: Ends of the earth. 310 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 4: I told you that God can say a lot more 311 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 4: than yes, no, and wait. And in this case, perhaps 312 00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 4: one of the hardest answers to receive from God is 313 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 4: not for you to know. Stephen was preaching about this 314 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 4: verse one time, and he said that Jesus was inviting 315 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,479 Speaker 4: them in to the mystery of God. 316 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 1: This might not be the message that you came to 317 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 1: church to hear today. 318 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 4: But if you've been waiting on God for an answer 319 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:23,360 Speaker 4: about something, especially if your question starts with why or 320 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 4: when or how much longer, God's answer to you today 321 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 4: might be this is not for you to know. So 322 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 4: here's my question for you. If God answered all of 323 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 4: your questions, when would. 324 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: You need to have faith. I know you want to know. 325 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: I want to know too, but I'm learning that not knowing. 326 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 4: Is the faith part. If you're taking notes, write this down. 327 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 4: What if I'm not supposed to know? Earlier this year 328 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 4: in our Bible reading club, remember I got an initiated 329 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 4: into the Bible Reading club and I came in in Deuteronomy, which, 330 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 4: by the way, it is so awesome to be in 331 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 4: a Bible reading club with Stephen Verdick, and I came 332 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 4: across this verse in Deuteronomy and I have to show 333 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 4: it to you. It's Deuteronomy twenty nine, twenty nine. It 334 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 4: says this The secret things belong to the Lord, our God, 335 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 4: but the things that are revealed belong to us and 336 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 4: to our children forever that we may do all the 337 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 4: words of this law. 338 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: God has secrets. There are things about God. There are 339 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: things about this world. 340 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 4: There are things about the Bible that we are simply 341 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:56,880 Speaker 4: not meant to know the answers to if we understood everything, 342 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 4: that would make us God. And I'm learning to accept 343 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 4: that there are things in life that on this side 344 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 4: of Heaven I will never understand. And a huge part 345 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 4: of walking in a relationship with God is learning to 346 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 4: trust him when you don't understand. 347 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: I know that you want answers, but can you accept 348 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: an invitation to mystery? 349 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 4: Can you stand firm on the belief that our God 350 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 4: is a good God. And if he's not answering you, 351 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 4: can you trust that he has a reason. When you 352 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 4: feel like God has you on hold, you've got to 353 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 4: change your question. 354 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 1: Will you give me faithful show the verse again? 355 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 4: The secret things belong to God, but the revealed things 356 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 4: belong to us. 357 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: Yes, God has secrets. We ask him for the faith. 358 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 4: To accept the things that we don't understand, But He 359 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 4: has revealed a lot of things to us, And sometimes 360 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 4: I get so caught up in the things that He 361 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 4: hasn't revealed that I miss what is right in front 362 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 4: of me. And the revealed things are the things that 363 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 4: enable us to do They're the things that enable us 364 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 4: to live out. 365 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: The revealed things are the directions. So sometimes you got 366 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 1: to look for the butt the ladies. I reflect really 367 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: like this point. Let's go back to. 368 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 4: What Jesus said to the disciples and look for the butt. 369 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 4: He replied, the Father alone has the authority to set 370 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 4: those dates. 371 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: In times, and they are not for you to know. 372 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 4: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes 373 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 4: upon you, and you will be my witnesses telling people 374 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 4: about me everywhere Jerusalem, throughout Jadea, in Samaria, and to 375 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 4: the ends of the earth. He's giving them the answer. 376 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 4: The disciples wanted positions, but God wanted to give them 377 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 4: a different kind of power. They wanted to overthrow Rome, 378 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 4: but Jesus wanted them to change the world, literally, the 379 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 4: entire world, to the ends of the earth. The Disciples 380 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 4: today are not men that we may or may not 381 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 4: learn about in world history class if we're paying attention. 382 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: These are men that we are still talking about. 383 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 4: And learning from They're powerful, God breathed Holy Spirit writings 384 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:39,720 Speaker 4: two thousand years. 385 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 1: Later, where's your butt? I have a friend. 386 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 4: Her name is Brandy, and she thought that she would 387 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 4: be married to the same man her whole life, But 388 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 4: now she has a ministry to divorce women all over 389 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 4: the country. She's a coach of another friend who thought 390 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 4: that he would be a youth minister, but God has 391 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 4: given him a ministry in corporate America. To bankers, you 392 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 4: thought you'd be married by now. You thought you'd have 393 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 4: kids by now. You thought you'd have a certain career 394 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 4: by now. When you aren't getting the answer you hoped for, 395 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 4: can you have the faith to find your butt? 396 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: Okay, watch what happens next. 397 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 4: After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud 398 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 4: while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 399 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: And as they strained to see him rising into. 400 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 4: Heaven, two white robed men suddenly stood among them, Men 401 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 4: of Galilee, Why are you standing here staring into heaven. 402 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 4: Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday 403 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 4: he will return from heaven in the same way. 404 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: You saw him go. 405 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 4: Jesus gets taken up into heaven right before their eyes, 406 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 4: and rightfully, so let's give him a little bit of credit. 407 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 4: They stand there straining and staring, like when you were 408 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 4: a little kid, did you ever release a balloon into 409 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 4: the air. I know that's bad for the planet now, 410 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 4: but we didn't know in the eighties. And I remember 411 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 4: I have a very vivid memory of letting go of 412 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,920 Speaker 4: a balloon and telling myself, I'm gonna watch it until 413 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 4: it till it goes away. 414 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna see where it goes. And I watched. 415 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 4: It become a speck and then disappear. 416 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 1: And there's what the disciples are doing. Only it's not 417 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: a balloon. It's Jesus. 418 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 4: And I would I would do if a man went 419 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 4: up in the heaven. 420 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: I'd stand there and I'd be like, waiting, is he 421 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:30,680 Speaker 1: coming back? You know what's happening? 422 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 4: And so God sends a couple of angels and the 423 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 4: angels go snap out of it, Guys, Jesus has gone 424 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 4: in the heaven and he is gonna return someday. And 425 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 4: the disciples look around, and I can just imagine that 426 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 4: they're all. 427 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:50,919 Speaker 1: Like, what do we do next? Like what did Jesus 428 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:51,399 Speaker 1: say to us? 429 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:54,440 Speaker 4: And what if Peter had really taken notes, and he 430 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 4: pulled out his notebook and he was like, Duellie Jerusalem, guys, 431 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 4: we gotta go back to Jerusalem. 432 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,480 Speaker 1: And I'm not an angel in a white robe. But 433 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,640 Speaker 1: I wonder if God sent me. 434 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:14,199 Speaker 5: To tell you today, stop staring, Stop waiting for the 435 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 5: pain to go away, stop waiting for an explanation. 436 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 4: Go back to the last thing he told you. What 437 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 4: was the last thing that God spoke to you. I 438 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 4: know it's complicated when we as Christians talk about God 439 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:33,239 Speaker 4: speaking to us and God doesn't speak to me in 440 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 4: an out loud voice. And I know that some of 441 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,359 Speaker 4: you are waiting on God to speak to you about 442 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 4: your specific situation. But might I suggest that while you're 443 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:51,280 Speaker 4: waiting on an answer, think back and do the last 444 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 4: thing that He told you to do. 445 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 1: Things? Remember the secret things. The secret things belong to 446 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 1: the Lord, our God. 447 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 4: But the things that are revealed belong to us and 448 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,919 Speaker 4: to our children forever that we may What do you 449 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 4: remember what it said that we may do. 450 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:26,880 Speaker 1: The words of His law? What has God revealed to you? 451 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 4: I told the ladies that reflect that Jesus had already 452 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 4: given the disciples so many answers right here. 453 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 1: In just these verses that we read. 454 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,399 Speaker 4: He gave them a place to be, right, He said, 455 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 4: in Jerusalem, Judeas, Maria, and the ends of the earth. 456 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:51,880 Speaker 4: Everything God was going to do through them had to 457 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 4: start in Jerusalem, a familiar place. So if you're wondering 458 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 4: what the next thing is you're supposed to do, what 459 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 4: is your Jerusalem? What is the place where you need 460 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 4: to go and wait? Because I believe that God does 461 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 4: want to do a new thing in your life, but 462 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,680 Speaker 4: I think he wants to do it in the same 463 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:18,439 Speaker 4: old place. He didn't send them to a new place 464 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,359 Speaker 4: because I don't think they could have handled it. It 465 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 4: would have been too much new. He sent them back 466 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:27,879 Speaker 4: to a familiar place. So maybe what you need to 467 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 4: do is go back to the place where you have 468 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 4: been assigned. 469 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: Until you receive further instructions. 470 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 4: So the job that you have now today is the 471 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 4: place where God wants you to be. Serve Him there 472 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 4: with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, 473 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 4: all your strength. Their marriage that you're in, the one 474 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 4: that you're in right now, the family are in right now, 475 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,639 Speaker 4: the neighborhood you live in right now. I know you 476 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 4: want to move, Okay, I know your house is on 477 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:00,679 Speaker 4: the market. But the neighborhood you live in right now, 478 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 4: your church. The power of the Holy Spirit is coming 479 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 4: to you. There, the last place God told you to be. 480 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 4: Everything launches from that place. So get yourself back in 481 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 4: position and serve God there with one hundred percent of 482 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 4: your heart. He gave them a place to be. He 483 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 4: also gave them a person to become. He said, you 484 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,120 Speaker 4: will be my witnesses. 485 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: Who is God calling you to become. 486 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 4: I was reading this book about anxiety and teens. 487 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: Of course I was. 488 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 4: And I don't know if you ever read parenting books. 489 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 4: To all the parents out there, I don't recommend them. 490 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 4: I hate them because every time I read them, I 491 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 4: get overwhelmed and I feel like, oh, I did I 492 00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 4: did every I have screwed up my kids. 493 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: It's too late, and I don't know. It's too late 494 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: for me. I shouldn't even be reading. 495 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 4: But this book actually had a line that really helped me. 496 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 4: It said this, the best thing that you can do 497 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,640 Speaker 4: for your child's anxiety is handle your own. 498 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: Wow. 499 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 4: And I think so many times I get everything backwards. 500 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 4: I want to focus on who God is calling them 501 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 4: to be. 502 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 1: Come. 503 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 4: Oh, I have so many ideas on who God is 504 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 4: calling Stephen ferdickt to become. I have so many thoughts 505 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 4: on who God is calling Elijah, Graham, and Abby to become, 506 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 4: because when I think about them, I don't have to 507 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 4: face me, and sometimes I get caught up on them. 508 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 4: Sometimes I get caught up on what God wants me 509 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 4: to do, the parts of me that I can see, 510 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 4: the parts of me that I can manipulate, and so 511 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 4: I focus on my position, or maybe you focus on 512 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 4: your character or your title, your appearance, and those things 513 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 4: are not bad, but they are not nearly as important 514 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 4: as who God is calling you to become. 515 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: It's not about what God's calling you, is about who 516 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,239 Speaker 1: God's calling you to become. Because if you don't have 517 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: the who, when you get to the what, you won't 518 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:25,480 Speaker 1: be able to keep it up. 519 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:32,719 Speaker 4: The parts inside of me that are unseen, you change 520 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 4: what you see by giving attention to. 521 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: What you don't see. 522 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 4: And Jesus was moving the disciples from a seene relationship 523 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 4: with him to an unseen relationship, and that was. 524 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 1: Going to require a different level of faith. It was 525 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: one thing for the. 526 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 4: Disciples to believe in Jesus when he was multiplying bread 527 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 4: and calming storms. But now they're moving into another level 528 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 4: where they're going to see the whole spirit do miracles 529 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 4: with their own hands. 530 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 1: So they're moving from observation. Look at what. 531 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 4: Jesus did to experience. Look at what the Holy Spirit 532 00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 4: did through me. So who is God calling you to become? 533 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 4: He also gave them partners to believe with. God never 534 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 4: intended for you to walk out your faith alone. Let 535 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 4: me say that again one more time. God never intended 536 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 4: for you to walk out your faith alone. He took 537 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 4: the disciples, he gathered them together, He spent three years 538 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 4: with them, developing a community among them because he knew 539 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 4: he was gonna leave and they were gonna. 540 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: Need each other. 541 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 4: And I want to tell you today he has a 542 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 4: community for you as well. Now, you do need to 543 00:31:56,480 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 4: find ones that are headed in the same direction that 544 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 4: you're headed in. 545 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: And I'll give you a hint. They might be in 546 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: this room. 547 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 4: So the more you come back to this room, the 548 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 4: more you're going to find those people. 549 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: And then when you have. 550 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 4: Those people in your life, you've got to be patient 551 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 4: because they. 552 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 1: Have their own stuff, they have their. 553 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 4: Own people, and their own drama and their own questions. 554 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 4: But when you allow others in your life into your questions, 555 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 4: you will find a strength that you didn't realize that. 556 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 1: You were missing out on all along. I don't care 557 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 1: how old you are. 558 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 4: I mean, we all know that our teenagers need positive influences. 559 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 4: You need positive influences too. Jesus never intended for you 560 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 4: to give. 561 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 1: Up on having partners to believe with. Can I show 562 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: you one more Bible passage? I want to back up 563 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: all the way to Matthew eleven. 564 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 4: Here in Acts one we've been talking about we're seeing 565 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 4: the final days of Jesus's ministry on Earth. But in 566 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 4: Matthew eleven, Jesus was in the thick of his ministry. 567 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 4: John the Baptist, his cousin, had baptized him, and he 568 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 4: prepared the way, and he introduced Jesus to the world. 569 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 4: And now Jesus' ministry is in full effect. He's healing people, 570 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 4: he's preaching in the synagogues, he's calming the storms. 571 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: And meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of all of. 572 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 4: This, John the Baptist has been thrown into jail and 573 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 4: he's waiting. 574 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: He's waiting to see what's next. 575 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 4: For him, while everyone else it seems like he's experiencing 576 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 4: the full effect of Jesus's ministry. John is rotting away 577 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 4: in a prison cell, and he doesn't know how long 578 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:59,480 Speaker 4: he's going to be there, and he is having major fomo. 579 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 4: He sends his disciples to ask Jesus a question, and 580 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 4: I want to show you what John. What John the 581 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 4: Baptist asked of Jesus. It says this and verse two. 582 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,320 Speaker 4: When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds 583 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 4: of the Messiah, he heard what. 584 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 1: Jesus was doing. 585 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 4: He sent his disciples to ask him, are you the 586 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 4: one who is to come? Or should we expect someone else? 587 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 4: Can't you just you can feel the question coming out 588 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 4: of his soul, And Jesus replied, go back and report 589 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 4: to John what you hear and what you see? The 590 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,280 Speaker 4: blind receives sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy 591 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 4: are cleansed, the deaf here the dead are raised, and 592 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 4: the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is 593 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 4: anyone who does not stumble on account of me. And 594 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 4: while John's disciples leave and go back to him with 595 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,240 Speaker 4: the message, Jesus keeps talking to the crowd, and he says, truly, 596 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,920 Speaker 4: I tell you among those born of women, there has 597 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:08,360 Speaker 4: not risen anyone greater than John. He's saying, John is 598 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 4: as good as they come. Yet even John still had questions. 599 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 4: And I told you earlier that if God answered all 600 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 4: your questions, there wouldn't be a need for faith. But 601 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 4: I want to close by letting you know that having 602 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 4: questions doesn't mean that you don't have faith. If you 603 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,040 Speaker 4: read in the New Testament, you constantly find people coming 604 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 4: up to Jesus with questions and faith at the same time. 605 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:43,400 Speaker 1: Right they're asking him for something with faith. 606 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 4: Sometimes he immediately responds to their request. 607 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: Sometimes he says no. 608 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 4: Sometimes he gave them more than what they were asking for. 609 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 4: He forgives them of their sins, and then he heals them. 610 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:57,279 Speaker 4: Sometimes he answers them with a parable that didn't really 611 00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 4: seem to answer their question at all. 612 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,040 Speaker 1: And I love what Jesus. 613 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 4: Replies to John through his disciples, because he wanted to 614 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 4: turn John's attention to what he had already revealed. He said, 615 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 4: report back to him the blind, see the lame, walk 616 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 4: the death here. Don't stumble because you feel like you've 617 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:19,240 Speaker 4: been put on hold. 618 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 1: Look around you. 619 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 4: God is alive and present in your situation, and He 620 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:31,239 Speaker 4: has been so good to you. Don't allow yourself to 621 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,320 Speaker 4: be imprisoned by your unanswered questions. 622 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 1: Focus your attention on what He's already revealed to you. 623 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 4: For the past several months, we've been singing a song 624 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:48,840 Speaker 4: here at church called Trust in God. How many of 625 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 4: you love that song? I love that song. Aren't you 626 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:54,359 Speaker 4: grateful to be a part of a church where our 627 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:56,560 Speaker 4: pastor works so closely with. 628 00:36:56,480 --> 00:37:00,760 Speaker 1: Our worship team to write songs that are biblical and relevant. 629 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,560 Speaker 1: I mean, the scripture is just right there. 630 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 4: In this song, and every time that we get to 631 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 4: the part where we say it comes from Psalm thirty four. 632 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 4: I sought the Lord and he heard, and he answered. 633 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 4: I don't know about you, but the Holy Spirit just 634 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:24,480 Speaker 4: takes over whenever that part, and in my mind just 635 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 4: gets flooded with the memories of how many times in 636 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:34,759 Speaker 4: my life that God has answered me. I stand right 637 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,879 Speaker 4: down there in my seat and I think about all 638 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 4: the times that I've come to church feeling weight down, 639 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:47,000 Speaker 4: feeling burdened, and all the times over the years that 640 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:50,279 Speaker 4: God has answered whatever it was that I came in 641 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 4: here worried about. 642 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,399 Speaker 6: And I think about how far I've come. I think 643 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,520 Speaker 6: about the ways that He's provided for me. I think 644 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 6: about the ways that he's protected me, think about the 645 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 6: things that I was so worried about that he was 646 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 6: taken care of. 647 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 4: And when I focus on those things, I find that 648 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:18,120 Speaker 4: my faith is renewed and refreshed, and I remember that 649 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:23,280 Speaker 4: even though I still have questions, I'm worshiping the God 650 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:24,680 Speaker 4: of answers. 651 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 1: So as we. 652 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:30,879 Speaker 4: Close, we're going to stand and we're going to sing 653 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:32,280 Speaker 4: this song as. 654 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:36,319 Speaker 1: A declaration of faith for the questions that we are 655 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 1: still waiting on answers for. 656 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:41,040 Speaker 4: I want you to sing this song with all of 657 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 4: your heart and let God remind. 658 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:48,120 Speaker 1: You of his faithfulness. So, God, we come to you 659 00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:50,279 Speaker 1: right now. I thank you that. 660 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:54,120 Speaker 4: You are the God of answers, that you have proof 661 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 4: in yourself time and time again. 662 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:03,920 Speaker 1: God, you are worth the wait. We love you, and 663 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 1: Jesus the name we pray. 664 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:06,080 Speaker 3: Amen. 665 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 2: Hey, I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, 666 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 2: make sure to share it and subscribe so we can 667 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 2: get you all of these new messages as soon as 668 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 2: they're available. I also want to take a moment and 669 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,640 Speaker 2: thank all of you who are a part of Elevation, 670 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 2: whether you support us financially, or serve with us, or 671 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 2: just share these messages. It's because of you that we're 672 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:30,560 Speaker 2: able to reach people all around the world. And if 673 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,080 Speaker 2: you want more information on how to be a part 674 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:37,000 Speaker 2: of Elevation, click the link in the description. Thanks again 675 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 2: for listening. Make sure to leave a review, share the message, 676 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:40,839 Speaker 2: and subscribe. 677 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:50,600 Speaker 3: God bless you.