1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 5 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 2: Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving 6 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: in your life. 7 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: Enjoy the message. 8 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 2: Let's go in our bibles for this fourth week of Unqualified, 9 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 2: which is incidentally the last week. I know, I know 10 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 2: you still feel broken, you still feel unqualified. Well, the 11 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 2: good news is that that realization is just the beginning 12 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 2: of a new reality. And I thought we would call 13 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 2: on the author of Hebrews. So find the book in 14 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 2: your Bible that's called Hebrews. It's not the name of 15 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 2: a Christian coffee shop anymore. It's just a book in 16 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 2: the Bible, and put it right there on the eleventh chapter. 17 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: When you find it, it's coming up on the screen. 18 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: We do that for the lazy people. Just kidding. 19 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 2: And together, I want to look at three verses towards 20 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 2: the conclusion of this book. It was a letter that 21 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 2: was written to a persecuted church by an anonymous author, 22 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: and he's finishing up his sermon, or really his illustration 23 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 2: in this chapter that has been referred to as the 24 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 2: Hall of Faith because he's talking about people who demonstrated 25 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 2: great faith throughout history, and he comes upon an issue 26 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: that all preachers come upon at some point in time. 27 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 2: And this is something you get real nervous when you 28 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 2: hear a preacher say this. What he says in verse 29 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 2: thirty two, he says, and what more shall I say? 30 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: That's kind of like when the preacher says, I'm closing, 31 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: and around here, you know what that means. When I 32 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: say I'm closing, it means absolutely nothing, Okay, And. 33 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: What more shall I say? 34 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 2: I don't have time to tell you about Gideon, Barack 35 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 2: Simpson and Jeffa, about David and Samuel. 36 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: And the prophets who through faith and what they. 37 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 2: Did, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained 38 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 2: what was promised. 39 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: Would you touch your neighbor one more time? This is 40 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: like like you're only gonna do it twenty times after this. 41 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: Just touch them one more time and tell them you're 42 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 2: gonna get it. You're gonna get it. Tell them twice 43 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 2: you're gonna get it. You're gonna get it. Now, you 44 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 2: might have to go through some things because to gain 45 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 2: what was promised. 46 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: Look what they had to do. They had to shut 47 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: the mouths of lions. 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 2: Is a great thing when you can go to bed 49 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: with the lions and wake up in one piece. Come on, 50 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 2: have you ever had to go to bed with something 51 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 2: that scared you but you woke up the next morning 52 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: and realized, I'm still here. This is the day the 53 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 2: Lord has made, so I might as well rejoice. And 54 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 2: they they quenched the fury of the flames, and they 55 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 2: escaped the edge of the swords. Sometimes you cut it close, 56 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: and sometimes if it feels like you're going down, but 57 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 2: they escape the edge of the sword. God will always 58 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 2: make a way of escape. Sometimes it just won't be 59 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: when you want it. 60 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: They escape the edge of the sword. 61 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: And this is the part of the verse that I 62 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 2: thought would be appropriate for our study. And I'll give 63 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 2: you this and give you my title, and we'll sit 64 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:17,839 Speaker 2: down and look at it. 65 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: But it says. 66 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 2: That these people had their weakness turned to strength, whose 67 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 2: weakness was turned to strength. So I want to give 68 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 2: you my title, but I need your help because it's 69 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: really more of an admonition or an instruction than it 70 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: is a sermon. 71 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: Title. Would you shove your neighbor and tell them, brace yourself. 72 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: You may be seated. 73 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 2: Brace yourself, Brace yourself. The weird thing to me about 74 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 2: the disciples is that when Jesus died, they were surprised, 75 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 2: Like he didn't tell them over and over again. It's 76 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 2: the whole reason he was born was to die, and 77 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 2: then he did it, and they were shocked. 78 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: I understand them being sad. 79 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 2: I understand them even feeling shame that Barabbas was chosen 80 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: over Jesus, that a criminal was chosen over the Christ. 81 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: I just don't understand the shock factor. He told you 82 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: he's going to Jerusalem. He told you. Not only did 83 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: he tell you, Isaiah told you. It's like not. 84 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 2: Only prophecy, but Jesus personally told you he's going to die. 85 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 2: And then it shook their faith so badly when he 86 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 2: did the very thing that he was destined to do. 87 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: That's kind of weird to me. Was even weirder was that. 88 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: They were even more surprised by his resurrection than they 89 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 2: were by his crucifixion. And he predicted that part too, 90 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 2: you know, he told him it's only gonna be three days. 91 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: That's why I'm borrowing this. 92 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: Tomb doesn't make sense to purchase something that you only 93 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: need a short term lease on. 94 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: And so it's weird. It's weird. 95 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 2: It's weird to me that they would be shocked when 96 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 2: his body wasn't there, and instead of assuming, well, I 97 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 2: get I guess he got up. 98 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: I guess it was for real. I guess he's legitimately 99 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: the savior of the world with all power in his hand. 100 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: I guess he is the resurrection in the life. 101 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 2: If it worked on Lazarus, I guess he could do 102 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 2: it to himself too. Instead of that conclusion, they thought, oh, 103 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 2: they must have snatched his body. They were surprised, And 104 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: I guess it's easy for me to be surprised that 105 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 2: they were surprised, because you know, I'm not them, and 106 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 2: we've had two thousand years to think about it. You know, 107 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 2: some things nobody can prepare you for. You can see 108 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 2: him better in hindsight than you can when you're going 109 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: through them, and some things just are difficult to prepare for. 110 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 2: And no matter how many books you read about it, 111 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 2: there's nothing like living it. 112 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: Can all the parents say, Amen, Now, I. 113 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 2: Don't care how many classes you took and how you 114 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,799 Speaker 2: breathed and you know what to expect when you're expecting whatever. 115 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: They can't put that in a book. 116 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 2: That is a horror movie that you must live through 117 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: to fully understand. 118 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: Just some things you can't touch. A neighbor say, brace yourself. 119 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: And Jesus has spent all this time preparing his disciples 120 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 2: for the very thing that he came to do to 121 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 2: redeem humanity through his death, and when he actually did 122 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 2: the thing that he was destined to do, they were surprised. 123 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 2: Now we have a group of Christians decades later who 124 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 2: are part of this same lineage that the author of 125 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 2: Hebrews is encouraging it. And he's encouraging them in a 126 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 2: specific way. He's encouraging them to endure. And sometimes you 127 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 2: need somebody to tell you to keep going. Sometimes you 128 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: need somebody to tell you you're going to make it. 129 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: Sometimes you need. 130 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 2: A coach to tell you that, I know you feel 131 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 2: out of breath, and I know you feel out of luck, 132 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 2: and I know you feel out of love, but you've 133 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 2: got more to give, and so keep pressing. And this 134 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: group really needed to hear it because they were suffering 135 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 2: the confiscation of their rights and the loss of their property, 136 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 2: and many of them had experienced the loss of their freedom, 137 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: many of them had been imprisoned, and some of them 138 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 2: had lost their lives. And he's writing back to the 139 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 2: ones who are still trying to trying. 140 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: To really find a footing for this newfound faith. 141 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 2: You understand that Christianity was a fledgling religion. 142 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: It was considered a sect of Judaism. 143 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 2: It was like almost a cult, and it was an 144 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 2: upstart organization, and it was still in question as to 145 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 2: whether or not it was really going to have any 146 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 2: true influence or was it just a bunch of maniacs. 147 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: And in the church that's addressed at Hebrews. 148 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 2: The people who grew up in the Jewish temple system, 149 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 2: they're getting accustomed. 150 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: To a new way of approaching God. 151 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 2: They'd always approached them through sacrifices and through sacrificing lambs 152 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 2: and goats. But now they're approaching God through the sacrifice 153 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 2: once for all of Jesus Christ. And he's the spotless 154 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 2: Lamb of God, and he's without blemish, and he's the 155 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 2: lamb slang from the foundation. 156 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: Of the earth. 157 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 2: But it's new to them, and anything that's new creates 158 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 2: a sense of instability. 159 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: Anything that's new. 160 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 2: That's why you know your first kid, you drive home 161 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 2: from the hospital twenty miles an hour. Now if you 162 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 2: have three, like we did, we drove home with Abbey 163 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 2: on the roof. We didn't care what's trapped her on. 164 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 2: But when something is new, you know, it takes a 165 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: little while. And Christianity was really just it wasn't even 166 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 2: called Christianity yet, it. 167 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: Was called the Way. There wasn't jewelry about it yet. 168 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 2: I mean, they didn't have their nonprofit tax except status yet, 169 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 2: and they were under immense press, sure in a time 170 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 2: of political and religious instability. And so the writer of 171 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 2: Hebrews writes from that theme, and he tells them things 172 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 2: like you're running a race, and you got to make 173 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: sure that whatever is dislocated is is strengthened, and so 174 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 2: you can keep going, so this thing can become something. 175 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 2: In order to do it, he doesn't just empty himself 176 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 2: of aphorisms that will encourage them in the general direction 177 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 2: of endurance and faithfulness, but he calls forth to the 178 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 2: witness stand some characters that have gone before them. He 179 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: refers to them as a great cloud of witnesses, and 180 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 2: he says, we're surrounded by people who made us, and 181 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 2: maybe we can find strength in the support system of 182 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 2: those who went through more and did it. Sometimes you 183 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: just need to come to church to be reminded I'm 184 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 2: not the only one. 185 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: I'm not the only one. 186 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 2: He starts listing people, and all of chapter eleven, if 187 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,599 Speaker 2: you want to look at it, has people, big headliners 188 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 2: of the faith. 189 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:55,439 Speaker 1: And now he's running out of ink, he's running out 190 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 1: of time. 191 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 2: He's got to finish this letter, and so he wants 192 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 2: to throw out a few names. He wants to call 193 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 2: forth people who exemplify this kind of perseverance that is 194 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 2: now necessary for this new church. And so he calls 195 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 2: on people that we would recognize, like David, the shepherd 196 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 2: who became a king. He uses David as an illustration 197 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 2: that God can turn weakness into strength, and David's a 198 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 2: great example of that because well he was the last 199 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 2: one in his family. They didn't even think to bring 200 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 2: him in. When Samuel was trying to identify the next king, 201 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 2: David took a slingshot and killed a giant. 202 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: Everybody always doubted David. The odds were against him. Saul 203 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: told him not to even bother fighting. 204 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 2: But now to a church that is fighting against odds, 205 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 2: he brings up the name of somebody who, against all 206 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 2: odds prevailed. He said, you know, it's like David had 207 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 2: a slingshot. Sometimes you got to go up against whatever 208 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 2: standing between you and your destiny with what you've got. 209 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 2: Sometimes you can't let the fact that you feel weak 210 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 2: stop you. 211 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: From acting strong. 212 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:08,719 Speaker 2: Sometimes you even have to fake it till you make 213 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 2: it and just stand in the face of your fear 214 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 2: and say I'm not going anywhere. And that's what David did. 215 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 2: So I get why he would mention David. I get 216 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 2: why he would connect David to Samuel, because Samuel, as 217 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 2: I just mentioned, was the prophet who anointed David, and 218 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 2: Samuel was born out of a barn situation. His mother, Hannah, 219 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 2: couldn't have a baby, and she prayed to the Lord, 220 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,199 Speaker 2: and she was provoked by her rival every day, and 221 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 2: she was. 222 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:39,559 Speaker 1: Provoked to the point that it drove her to prayer. 223 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 2: Sometimes you need people not to like you by the way, 224 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 2: so that you'll go to God. And you need things 225 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: not to turn out right the first time, so you'll 226 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 2: have to depend on him. And when she prayed, got 227 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 2: hurt her and she had a baby, and she took 228 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 2: that baby to the temple, and he served under a 229 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 2: priest named Eli, and Eli had some degenerate sons, and 230 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,839 Speaker 2: so the temple system had totally fallen apart to the 231 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 2: point that it needed not only renovation, but it needed 232 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 2: restoration and renewal. And Samuel was a part of bringing 233 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 2: that to the forefront, and he served as a prophet. 234 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 2: And I understand why you'd bring him up, because he's 235 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 2: trying to say that God can bring somebody from a 236 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 2: barren situation to redeem a broken system. So it makes 237 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 2: sense that he would he would mention Samuel, the one 238 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 2: who anointed the first king. And then if you back 239 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 2: up from there, it makes sense since he's speaking to 240 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 2: a Jewish audience that he would mention some of the judges, 241 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 2: because before Israel had kings, they had judges. Judges were 242 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 2: the ones that God would raise up to deliver them 243 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 2: from their enemies. When they went into the provinsed land, 244 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 2: it didn't mean they didn't have any more problems. So 245 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 2: they would fight against these groups like the Philistines and 246 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 2: the Almonies, and God would raise up a deliver They 247 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,719 Speaker 2: called him a judge like Gideon, and I understand why 248 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 2: he would bring up Gideon, because well, Gideon was a 249 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 2: whimp who was threshing wheat in a wine press. 250 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: But God called him a warrior. 251 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 2: And see, God will contradict the way you see yourself 252 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 2: and remind you of your calling. And he did that 253 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 2: for Gideon. And so Gideon had to get up and go, 254 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 2: and he felt like the least and the littlest in 255 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:20,839 Speaker 2: his tribe try Ma Nasa. But he got up and 256 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:22,600 Speaker 2: God used him in a great way anyway. 257 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: And Gideon ended up doing a great thing for God. 258 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: So it makes sense. 259 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 2: If you want to show weakness into strength, show me Gideon, 260 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: who was in a wine press, who became a warrior. 261 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: I can get with that. I understand why you would bring. 262 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 2: Up Gideon, because Gideon started at. 263 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 1: The bottom weakness into strength. I don't just read the Bible, 264 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: you understand. 265 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 2: I even understand some of these lesser characters. The one 266 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 2: that you never heard of is probably Jephtha Jefta. He 267 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 2: was kind of weird, but he had a reason. His 268 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: mother was a prostitute and they didn't know who. 269 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: His father was. So when it says to his father was. 270 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 2: In scripture, it just names the town he was from. 271 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 2: That means it could have been anybody in town. That's 272 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 2: how much his mother got around. His brothers despised him 273 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:13,439 Speaker 2: because of his background, his half brothers. 274 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: And kicked him out of his house. 275 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 2: And the Bible says that he found himself surrounded by 276 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 2: worthless men the Bible's words, not mine. Yet from a 277 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 2: worthless surrounding. God raised him up and he was a 278 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 2: deliverer and God used to He made bad decisions you 279 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 2: usually do when you come from a difficult background, but. 280 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: God used him anyway. 281 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 2: So I get why they would mention Jefa, and I 282 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 2: get why they would mention Baraq. 283 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: I mean, from Hawaii to a senator. 284 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 2: In Chicago to the forty fourth president of the United 285 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 2: States of America. 286 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: He definitely deserves a shout out. But there's another Barack 287 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: that they're. 288 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 2: Mentioning who was raised up and he's delivered Israel. 289 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: He was a judge also, but he was paired. 290 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 2: Up with this woman named Deborah, and he kind of 291 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 2: hid behind the woman because he said, I'll go if 292 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 2: you go, and uh. But God gave him a victory anyway. 293 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 2: And so I see how somebody who was actually reluctant, 294 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 2: kind of like Moses, didn't want to deliver the children 295 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 2: that God can still use you in spite of your reluctance, 296 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 2: and so you don't have to do it all exactly right. 297 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: What I can't, what I can't quite reconcile, is why 298 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: you would bring up Samson and Samson. 299 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 2: Samson is the one that tripped me up, because, well, 300 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 2: when I say his name, what do you think of? Well, 301 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 2: that's good. Somebody said strength, and somebody said hair. And 302 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 2: it's actually it's one of those Bible stories. It's not 303 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 2: like Jeff though, where you kind of have to be 304 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 2: paid to read the Bible to know stuff like that. 305 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 2: It's like one of those stories that if you ever 306 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 2: even walked by a church, you heard of him. 307 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: He's like iconic, he's legendary. 308 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 2: He's known for he's known for strength, and he's also known. 309 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: For a trip to the barbershop. 310 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: Isn't that weird how life will define you by your 311 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 2: worst decision, By the way that Samson was very strong 312 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: and he became weak, And that's what tripped me up 313 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 2: when I was reading the words of the author who 314 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 2: is up until this point so brilliantly built the case 315 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 2: that God can take you from weak to strength. Weakness 316 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 2: to strength. Now he's telling me about somebody who didn't 317 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 2: go from weakness to strength, but went from strength to weakness. 318 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 2: He went from strength to weakness. I mean Samson was strong. 319 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 2: He was whoever said strength, He was very strong. One 320 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 2: day he was he was going somewhere and a lion 321 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 2: ran up on him. Now, think about how you react 322 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 2: when you see a mouse. Okay, Samson saw a lion. 323 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: He said, I got something for you. He tore the 324 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: lion in half with his hands. Wow. Strong. 325 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 2: He one time lost the bet, and because he lost 326 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 2: the bet, he had to give the people that he 327 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 2: lost the. 328 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,959 Speaker 1: Bet to thirty thirty outfits of clothing. That was what 329 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: the bet was. 330 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 2: But instead of going to old Navy, Samson found thirty 331 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 2: Philistines and killed them and took their breeches and their 332 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:17,120 Speaker 2: shirts and their boots and said, here's your outfits. 333 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: That's one way to do it. That's how strong he was. 334 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 2: He just handled everything with brute's strength, just overpowered it. 335 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: Just whatever. 336 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 2: The one time, his own people, the people from Judah, 337 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 2: they were frustrated with the decision that he made, and 338 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 2: they came to him and tied him up and handed 339 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 2: him over to the Philistines, and that was the people he. 340 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 1: Was called to deliver Israel from. And they handed him 341 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 1: over and they tied him up. But how many know. 342 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 2: When God is with you, nothing that people put. 343 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: On you can hold you. Yeah, because he broke free. 344 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: And when he broke free, he needed something to fight with. 345 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: He didn't have anything. 346 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 2: So he saw the jawbone of a donkey and he 347 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 2: reached out and grabbed the jawbone. I feel like this 348 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 2: microphone is my jawbone. By the way, he took that 349 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 2: jawbone of a donkey and beat Watch this a thousand Philistines. 350 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 2: Sometimes you got to use what you have, no matter how. 351 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: Many are against you. If God is for. 352 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 2: You, he could take a stick in your hand or 353 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:17,919 Speaker 2: the chop one of a donkey and give you a 354 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 2: great victory. And he was that strong. He was that strong. 355 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 2: He started strong, he was the product of a miraculous birth. 356 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 2: But he he went weak. He went weak. And I 357 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 2: want to look at a frame because the writer of 358 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 2: Hebrews mentioned him, and I got to figure out why 359 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 2: he would say weakness and to strength, about how this 360 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 2: man had so much power and so much potential. But 361 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 2: the end of his life was so pitiful, so much. 362 00:18:58,040 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: Power, so much potential. 363 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 2: Have you ever seen somebody who just could have been 364 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 2: so much, just could have done so much? Have you 365 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 2: ever been that person who didn't live up to your 366 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 2: own expectations. 367 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: It says that after twenty years of. 368 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 2: Samson having fits of rage and feats of strength, because 369 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 2: sometimes the two go hand in hand, that Samson was 370 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 2: in the lap of a philistine woman. And I don't 371 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 2: have time to do the whole story, but I do 372 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 2: have time to read you this one verse in Judge 373 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 2: of sixteen nineteen that says that after Delilah put Samson 374 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 2: to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to 375 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 2: shave off the seven braids of his hair. 376 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: This would not have been. 377 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 2: A big deal if he didn't take the Nazarite val 378 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 2: because the Nazarite vow was a way of being set 379 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 2: apart to God for a special purpose. And there's three 380 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 2: things you can't do. You can't drink any alcohol, you 381 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 2: can't touch a dead body, and you can't cut your hair. 382 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 1: He's already done the first two, and. 383 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,640 Speaker 2: So this is the last association, the last strand, if 384 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,439 Speaker 2: you will, of his connection with his identity. And when 385 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 2: he laid his head in her lap and fell asleep. 386 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 2: She began to subdue him, And the Bible says something 387 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 2: that to me is really sad that his strength left him, 388 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 2: that his strength left him, that his strength left him. 389 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 2: Maybe you're in a season of your life where you 390 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,640 Speaker 2: feel like your strength has left you too. Maybe you're 391 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 2: in a season in your life where you can't do 392 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 2: what you used to do, or you can't be who 393 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 2: you were meant to be. His strength left him, and 394 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 2: that's why I don't understand why he would be an 395 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:54,360 Speaker 2: example of weakness into strength. The other day, I went 396 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 2: to lift weights with Buck, And for the last couple 397 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,680 Speaker 2: of years, I've really been trying to improve my strength 398 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 2: and I've gotten a lot stronger. 399 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: And so I'm like, I'm. 400 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,439 Speaker 2: Like bench pressing more than I've ever been stressed in 401 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 2: my life. 402 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: And for you women, you. 403 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 2: Don't understand what a big deal that is. But for 404 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,440 Speaker 2: a man, our ego is inextricably bound to our bench 405 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 2: press number for as long as we shall. 406 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: Live, we'll be ninety seven years old. Time About what 407 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: do you bench? 408 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 2: Bro? 409 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:25,919 Speaker 1: Do you even live? And so I've been. 410 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 2: I've been working, and I've been working on my weight training, 411 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 2: and I got to the point now where I can 412 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 2: bench press now for twelve reps what I used to 413 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 2: couldn't bench one time. 414 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: When I was twenty five. I'm glad that you're proud 415 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: of me. 416 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 2: It just feels good that you celebrate my accomplishments. 417 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,479 Speaker 1: But I've been working. I've been working hard at it. 418 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 2: And the other day I went down because we do 419 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 2: Chess Day on Monday, because I work hard on. 420 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: The weekend and Monday is International Chess Day. 421 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 2: At least it is in my way workout circles, and 422 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 2: so we went in to do the bench press and 423 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 2: Buck had put the weight on the bar for me 424 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 2: to warm up, and it was weird because even as 425 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 2: I was warming up, everything felt heavy, which I attributed 426 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 2: to the fact that, you know, you guys make me 427 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 2: work on the weekend, and so I'm a little tired. 428 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 2: I had actually done quite a lot the week before, 429 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 2: more than I normally do. 430 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 1: But that didn't make sense why I would feel weak. 431 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 2: And the moment that was really almost creepy to me 432 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 2: was when he put the weight on that I could 433 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 2: normally do twelve times, and when I went to. 434 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: Do it, I couldn't get it once. 435 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 2: And I know that's not as tragic as you know 436 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 2: some situations in the world. But to me, I've been 437 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 2: spent in two years getting stronger and to lose my 438 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 2: strength just all at once like that, I was like 439 00:22:55,480 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 2: Lork Delilah, you know, yea my spinitch or something. I 440 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 2: didn't know what was going on, so I texted Chunks. Now, 441 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 2: Chunks is the CFO of our church, and Chunks used 442 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 2: to be a doctor, by which I mean he is 443 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 2: an ex physical therapist with a lapsed license. But he 444 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 2: was all I had, So I texted him. I said, 445 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 2: I don't get I said, this is crazy, and I 446 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 2: told him the weight that I was trying to do 447 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 2: twelve times. 448 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 1: I'm not going to tell you what the weight was 449 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: because you might not think it's. 450 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 2: That much and then you hurt my feelings or I 451 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 2: might make you feel bad. I'll make you feel bad, dumb. 452 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,120 Speaker 2: But I told him to wait, and he said, well, 453 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 2: that makes no sense. It wasn't that I had done. 454 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 2: It was at the end of my workout. It was 455 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 2: the beginning of my workout, so I wasn't I wasn't tired. 456 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 1: And it wasn't like my shoulder went out. 457 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:48,439 Speaker 2: You know, sometimes you go to do something because I'm 458 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,439 Speaker 2: getting close to forty now, so I'm expecting stuff to 459 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:51,359 Speaker 2: just pop and slip. 460 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: I'm just waiting on it. 461 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 2: I'm waiting for stuff to blow up like fireworks in 462 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 2: my lower back. 463 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: And I know that's coming, but not yet. And so 464 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 1: I got it. I go to push it. I can't 465 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,120 Speaker 1: push it. And I texted him. I said I don't 466 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: get it. I said I. 467 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:05,640 Speaker 2: Should do it, so I couldn't even get it once 468 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 2: and he said that's weird. He said, you're too strong 469 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 2: for that. I said, no, that's what I'm trying to say. 470 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 2: Got me back to my nineteen ninety five weight like 471 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:18,440 Speaker 2: I'm a sophomore. 472 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 1: And then he sent another text. He said, you know 473 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 1: how your shoulder. 474 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 2: Gives you trouble because see now he knows about all 475 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 2: my aches and pains because I'm always complaining that bath 476 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 2: around my shoulder blade. I always carry a lot of 477 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 2: tension and sometimes it flares up. And he told me something, 478 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 2: because he's a doctor, he said. He said, it's not 479 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 2: a lack of strength, it's a lack of stability. When 480 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:02,439 Speaker 2: he said that, I forgot all about my bench press, 481 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 2: and I started thinking about the Bible because I started 482 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 2: thinking about Samson immediately. 483 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 1: That's the first thing I thought about. I might be 484 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: kind of weird that I make these connections. 485 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 2: But he explained to me how when you have instability 486 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 2: in one part of your body, it affects your strength 487 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 2: in other parts of your body. Have any of you 488 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 2: ever hurt yourself before in one area? Yeah, and it 489 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 2: led to pain in another. Now, the weird thing about 490 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 2: this was I didn't feel any pain. I would have 491 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 2: understood that. You know, you understand, you go to do it. Wow, 492 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 2: you practice stern them. Okay, I got that. Get this 493 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 2: weight off of me. I'm hurt, but I wasn't even 494 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,679 Speaker 2: feeling it at that point. It's just the fact that 495 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 2: something is damaged in my scapula. Did I say it right? 496 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 2: In my scapula. Something is damaged in my scapula, and 497 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 2: when I'm going to push what's unstable back here is 498 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 2: causing me to not be able to. 499 00:25:58,119 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: Do what I can do. 500 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 2: And so the message the Lord gave me out of 501 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 2: this little experience is some of you are stronger than 502 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 2: you think you are, and if you ever stabilize in 503 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 2: the areas where you're injured, you're about to see some 504 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 2: strength released in your life on a level like you've 505 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 2: never known. So my message is this, it's time for 506 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:26,640 Speaker 2: you to stabilize. Would you hit five people in your 507 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 2: general seating area and tell them stabilize, Stabilize, stabilize. Then 508 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 2: the nation of Israel was in trouble in judges because 509 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 2: they were unstable. They were strong, they had the promise, 510 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 2: they had the power, but they weren't stable. 511 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: They would serve. 512 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 2: God a little while, serve themselves a little while, they 513 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 2: follow God a little while, follow their desires and the 514 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 2: rituals of the pagans that they were surrounded with. 515 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: A little while. They never lost. 516 00:26:56,280 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 2: Their strength, they just lost their stability. And Ai'm to 517 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 2: tell you today that you're not weak. It's not that 518 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 2: you're weak. It's not that you lost your strength. I'm 519 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 2: still just as strong on that bench as I was. 520 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: But what I gotta do is regain my. 521 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:16,359 Speaker 2: Stability in this season because stuff will come along in 522 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:18,400 Speaker 2: your life and take your stability. 523 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: But when your stability is leaving. 524 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 2: And watch this, I found out they have a piece 525 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 2: of equipment in the gym called the stability ball. The 526 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,160 Speaker 2: stability ball, now, I don't understand how it can be 527 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 2: called a stability ball. If it's stability, it ought to 528 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 2: be a box, right. If it's a stability ball, how 529 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 2: can it be a stability ball? Is a ball, it's 530 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,640 Speaker 2: moving all around. What they're doing is they're creating an 531 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:52,399 Speaker 2: unstable situation so that I can stabilize the muscles, so. 532 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: That I can grow the strength. This is a. 533 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 2: Message for somebody who's in an unstable situation. God is 534 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 2: trying to strengthen your faith. God is trying to grow. 535 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: You on the inside. 536 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,199 Speaker 2: God is trying to create a faith within you that 537 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 2: is not shaken by the storms. Give you an anchor 538 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 2: so that when the winds blow, you got. 539 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: Something to stand on. 540 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 2: And the problem was that Samson was an unstable deliverer 541 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 2: sent to an unstable people, and they got him in 542 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 2: all kinds of trouble. There is a connection between your 543 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 2: strength and your stability. And some of you are much 544 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 2: stronger than life is making you look. And you, oh, 545 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 2: I'm so weak, I'm not fit to be a dad. Well, 546 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 2: of course you feel that way. You grew up in 547 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 2: an unstable environment. Now you assume you're not strong, You've 548 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 2: just never been stabilized. 549 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: State. 550 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 2: Our nation is a strong nation, but a strong nation 551 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 2: that is not a stable nation is a dangerous nation. 552 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 2: Samson didn't lose his strength, and it didn't happen. 553 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: All at once. 554 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 2: Little by little he made some decisions. I'm gonna show 555 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 2: him to you real quick, and I won't take along 556 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 2: with this. But God gave me five pillars to check 557 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 2: in your life, to see if you're stable. And as 558 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 2: I give you these, I asked that you will write 559 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 2: them down so you can use them against your husband. 560 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 2: Ask your neighbors, say are you stable? Come on, we're 561 00:29:58,120 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 2: gonna check your stability. 562 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:00,280 Speaker 1: You know how you go. 563 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 2: Buying the mall and they have those people in the 564 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 2: middle of the mall with the magnet bracelets and they 565 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 2: put the magnet on and they push down on you, 566 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 2: and then they push down on you again. Well, the 567 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 2: reason that they didn't push me over the second time 568 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 2: is because. 569 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: I braced myself. 570 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 2: Now, see, when you know what to look for, when 571 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 2: you know where your instabilities are, you can work around 572 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 2: them and strengthen them. 573 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: That's what Trump says had me doing the last couple 574 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: of weeks. 575 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 2: He's had me doing all these weird exercises to stabilize. 576 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 2: So I want to I want to check your stability today. Okay, 577 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 2: I want to check your emotional stability. Are your emotion stable? 578 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 2: I should probably ask your kids, I should probably ask 579 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 2: your boss. Oh man, Samson was a drama queen operated 580 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 2: not just by emotion, but he operated for emotions. 581 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: There is the difference. You need to have emotions. 582 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 2: I mean, come on, what kind of preacher would I 583 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 2: be if I didn't have emotions? Can you imagine, like, 584 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 2: you know, the band's finishing a song and I walk 585 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 2: up with no emotion? 586 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: How we just killed the whole thing? 587 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 2: Oh? 588 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: Praise the Lord if you want to. I mean, you 589 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: don't have to. You don't feel like it's all right. 590 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 2: I'm glad God gave me my emotions, but he gave 591 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 2: them to me. That means I get to use them 592 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 2: for his purpose. And some of you, you don't have emotions. 593 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 1: They have you. I'm gonna scan the room real quick. Yeah, yes, 594 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: about fifty to fifty men and women. See when I 595 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: say emotions, you think I'm talking about her. I think 596 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: men are ten times more emotional than women. 597 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, Governor Hockey, Oh yeah, yeah 598 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 2: you are too, because look, Samson's wives would cry, but 599 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 2: Samson would kill Who's more emotional. I mean, I need 600 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 2: my emotions and you need your emotions to do what 601 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 2: we're called to do. If you're going to preach, you 602 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 2: need to feel it when you preach. I don't care 603 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 2: what any of y'all say. You need me to holler 604 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 2: every once in a while when I'm preaching you do 605 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 2: you need me to hunt you one time, nothing more 606 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:43,479 Speaker 2: than to wake you up? 607 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 3: And you need me every once in a while when 608 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 3: I'm preaching. Bring it down to that level of intensity 609 00:32:52,160 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 3: with a hushed, forced devotional whisper designed to communicate intensity 610 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 3: with intimacy. 611 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: The emotions. Isn't it crazy? Though? 612 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 2: The same emotions that could make me a good preacher 613 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 2: could make me a crazy driver because I could get 614 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 2: just as loud behind the wheel as I can behind 615 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 2: the mic. 616 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: It's what you do with them. And I believe God 617 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: gave Samson. 618 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 2: If you want to read his story this week from 619 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 2: Judges thirteen to sixteen, that would be your homework and 620 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 2: read how God called him to deliver the Philistines, and 621 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 2: he gave him the emotional passion to do it. But 622 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 2: Samson took his passion and spent it on his preference 623 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:47,719 Speaker 2: instead of applying it to his purpose, so instead of 624 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 2: delivering his people from the Philistines, he reacted out of 625 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 2: rage and married the Philistines. Are you stable in your emotions? 626 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 2: And are you stable in your commitment? Because if you 627 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 2: consult your emotions to determine whether or not to keep 628 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 2: your commitment, you'll. 629 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: Never be stable. 630 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 2: Three things Samson was told not to do, and he 631 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:13,479 Speaker 2: did all three of. 632 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: Them because he wasn't committed. 633 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 2: And I'm gonna take something I didn't tell any of 634 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 2: the other worship experiences. If you want to hear it, say, 635 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:22,320 Speaker 2: oh yeah, say I totally want to hear this's Pastor Stevenna. 636 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 2: When the angel came to tell Samson's mom that he 637 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 2: was supposed to be a deliver of Israel, she never 638 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 2: told his dad that, And I wonder did anybody ever 639 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 2: tell him or did he just grow up knowing that 640 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:40,839 Speaker 2: he was strong and not know what he was strong for. 641 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 2: Because when you have a strength that you don't give 642 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:49,800 Speaker 2: an assignment to, it turns into apathy and you spend 643 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 2: it in all kinds of crazy ways. So I want 644 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:55,080 Speaker 2: you to check your ambition. That's the third thing, your ambition. 645 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 2: Are you stable in your ambition? Because if what you 646 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 2: want isn't what God wants. Even if you get it, 647 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 2: it'll destroy you. And all I can find in the 648 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 2: Bible that Samson ever wanted bad enough to do something 649 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 2: to get it was revenge and women. So he had 650 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:17,680 Speaker 2: the strength to accomplish it, but he didn't have the 651 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 2: ambition to point the strength in the right direction. 652 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 1: Elijah asked me regularly. 653 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 2: If I think he's going to be a great musician, 654 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 2: and I tell him honestly, because I'm a dad, mom 655 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 2: can tell him, yeah. 656 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 1: Baby, you're gonna be the best. Uh huh. That's not 657 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: my job. My job is to say it depends. 658 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:38,479 Speaker 2: Because one coach that I had said there's three things 659 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 2: you need to be great in sports, and I believe 660 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 2: it applies to anything in life. He said, you need talent, 661 00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 2: and Elijah's got talent. He's always been beaten on something 662 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 2: in rhythm since he was like he's beaten on Holly 663 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 2: when he was inside of her. 664 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:51,600 Speaker 1: Feel him kicking and stuff. 665 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,160 Speaker 2: And he's got the second thing you need, which is opportunity, 666 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 2: because I bought. 667 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,320 Speaker 1: Him the instruments and I put him in the classes. 668 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 2: But he said the third thing you need is drive, 669 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 2: and nobody can put the desire in you. Nobody can 670 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:09,799 Speaker 2: can can put it in you to want it? 671 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: Can? 672 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 2: I tell you the problem with a lot of us. 673 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 2: We don't want enough. We don't want enough. We just 674 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:18,799 Speaker 2: want a job. We don't want to make a difference there. 675 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:24,279 Speaker 2: We just want enough for us. We don't ever ask God, God, 676 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 2: would you give me more than enough? And I'm not 677 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:29,400 Speaker 2: just talking about money. I'm talking about other resources as well. 678 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:32,439 Speaker 2: I need more opportunity to be a blessing. I don't 679 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 2: just want to be blessed. I want to be a blessing. 680 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 2: Samson was only strong enough to get what he wanted, 681 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 2: nothing more, and he underperformed his potential because he didn't 682 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,840 Speaker 2: have a stable ambition. 683 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 1: He saw a woman he wanted, or he took her. 684 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 1: He took what he wanted. 685 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 2: But if your ambition is not aligned with your assignment, 686 00:36:55,080 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 2: even your achievements will be empty. 687 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 1: And he lost his strength. 688 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,760 Speaker 2: He lost it in stages, with every compromise, and eventually 689 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 2: he came to the point where he felt weak. 690 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:08,919 Speaker 1: But he wasn't weak. 691 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:12,879 Speaker 2: He was unstable, an unstable man in an unstable nation. 692 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 1: And you know what I think Sampson's big deal was. 693 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:18,040 Speaker 1: And maybe this is just a. 694 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 2: Breakout session for the students in the church is are 695 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 2: you stable in your relationships? Sampson got into all of 696 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 2: his trouble listening to the wrong people, wanting to be 697 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:33,800 Speaker 2: around the wrong people. He was hooking up with the 698 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 2: Philistines that he was supposed to kill. 699 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: I'm not telling you to kill anybody, but I am saying. 700 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:44,319 Speaker 2: That in this season of your life, if God is 701 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:48,759 Speaker 2: to stabilize you so that you can be stronger, you 702 00:37:48,800 --> 00:38:00,560 Speaker 2: can't keep leaning on weak people. Thank you, thanks for 703 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:03,840 Speaker 2: the applause. I feel the love. There's very little of it, 704 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:11,200 Speaker 2: but what little there is I feel it. Because if 705 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,120 Speaker 2: you get around the wrong group of friends, anythink I'm 706 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:14,880 Speaker 2: just talking to teenagers. I'm talking about some of us 707 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 2: that live in isolation. It's not that we have the 708 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:20,799 Speaker 2: wrong people, we have nobody. Samson wouldn't listen to his 709 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,320 Speaker 2: parents who told him, don't marry that philistine woman. He 710 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 2: wouldn't listen to the ones who really loved him. He 711 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 2: fell in love with the ones who hated him. 712 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: So if you keep. 713 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,480 Speaker 2: Leaning on weak people, don't be surprised when they let 714 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 2: you down. If you put your head in Delilah's laugh 715 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 2: don't be surprised when you wake up. 716 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 1: Ball Come on. 717 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:42,319 Speaker 2: In this season, you might need some new people. You 718 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,080 Speaker 2: might have to join a new group. You might need 719 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 2: a new squad. Touch somebody say I got goals. I 720 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 2: got squad goals. And in this season of my life, 721 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 2: I need somebody who's stable. I can't just bear around 722 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,439 Speaker 2: people who are this way one day and another way 723 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 2: the next. I need to be around some people who 724 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 2: have faith. Check your neighbor and say, are you stable? 725 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 2: Come on, check them out, push on them a little bit. 726 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 2: Can Can you take a storm and stay with me? 727 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 2: Can you put up with the trials of life and persevere? 728 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:20,080 Speaker 2: I need some stable people. Stable stable, stable, stable. It 729 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 2: means that you know, it can't just be pushed around. 730 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 2: See this camera is on a tripod. You can't see it. 731 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 2: But the reason that it's able to hold steady is 732 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:36,360 Speaker 2: because of what's under it. God said, it's not what's 733 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:40,759 Speaker 2: happening at the surface that's causing your life to go. 734 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:41,560 Speaker 1: Up and down. 735 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:48,320 Speaker 2: You'll just leave a stable foundation. Are you stable? 736 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 1: And so He's gonna stabilize. 737 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 2: It's the fifth thing, my belief. How many believers do 738 00:39:57,560 --> 00:39:57,920 Speaker 2: I have. 739 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: Belief? Belief belief in what you can't see. 740 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 2: They cut Sampson's hair, and after they cut his hair, 741 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:09,799 Speaker 2: he had forfeited his strength because he had lost his stability. 742 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,160 Speaker 2: And then so once they took his stability, they took 743 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,279 Speaker 2: his sight. They gouged out his eyes. But when they 744 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:18,320 Speaker 2: took out his eyes physically, it was only an external 745 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:22,680 Speaker 2: indication of what had already happened internally, because Sampson hadn't 746 00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:31,720 Speaker 2: had vision for twenty years, and he became a slave. 747 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:35,840 Speaker 2: A strong man became a slave. His strength was turned 748 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 2: into weakness. And they let him out one day to 749 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 2: the temple of Dagon, that was their grain god, the Philistines, 750 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,040 Speaker 2: the suppressive people. They brought him out and they had 751 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:51,200 Speaker 2: three thousand people watching him, and the one who had 752 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:53,520 Speaker 2: made a laughing stock of them, they were now laughing at. 753 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:59,839 Speaker 1: And I want to show it to you real quick. 754 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:03,640 Speaker 2: It says, while they were in high spirits twenty five 755 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 2: they said, let's bring out Samson to entertain us. So 756 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:11,240 Speaker 2: they called Samson out of the prison and he performed 757 00:41:11,239 --> 00:41:14,200 Speaker 2: for them. But then they made a mistake. 758 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 1: What they did next was their downfall, because. 759 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,080 Speaker 2: The Bible says that they stood him among the pillars. 760 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:32,400 Speaker 2: What do pillars do to a building? They stabilized the building, 761 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:39,279 Speaker 2: so they put him among the pillars. And when they 762 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 2: put him among the pillars, see, he can't see. He 763 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:44,160 Speaker 2: doesn't have his eyes anymore. And I want you to 764 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:47,759 Speaker 2: watch with me how it was in his most vulnerable 765 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:53,880 Speaker 2: state that Samson accomplished his greatest victory. I came to 766 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 2: preach this message today for somebody who needs a second chance. 767 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,800 Speaker 2: Maybe your strength has seemed very lately, maybe you've collapsed 768 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 2: under the pressure of an unstable life. But Samson, now 769 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:11,839 Speaker 2: Samson is standing there and he doesn't have his sight. 770 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 2: And they shaved his hair. But another mistake that they 771 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:21,880 Speaker 2: made when they shaved his head is when they shaved 772 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 2: his head, they should have taken his scalp. Because one 773 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:35,719 Speaker 2: thing about hair is see that's when Holly sometimes she'll say, 774 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 2: I'm thinking about getting a hair cut. 775 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,440 Speaker 1: What do you think? And I say try it. If 776 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,719 Speaker 1: you don't like it, it'll always what. 777 00:42:45,239 --> 00:42:48,120 Speaker 2: And so Samson now has been a while and they 778 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 2: cut his hair, and he gave up his strength. But 779 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 2: guess what, it's growing back. I came with an announcement 780 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:57,120 Speaker 2: for somebody who's been living under oppression. 781 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:01,320 Speaker 1: Your strength is coming back. 782 00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:05,120 Speaker 2: That's three people tell him he'scrolling back. 783 00:43:06,239 --> 00:43:07,600 Speaker 1: It's going back. I see it. 784 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:08,439 Speaker 2: It's gone back. 785 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:14,360 Speaker 1: And he said to the servant, why this sermon is 786 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:15,279 Speaker 1: a blessing to me. 787 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:19,720 Speaker 2: Thank you Lord for second chances, thank you for new strength, 788 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:20,600 Speaker 2: thank you. 789 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:22,120 Speaker 1: For renewing my mind. 790 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 2: Thank you for placing me about the pillar. He said, 791 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:33,440 Speaker 2: put me where I can feel the pillars. So they 792 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:35,440 Speaker 2: put him where he could feel the pillars. Everybody say, 793 00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:39,320 Speaker 2: dumb move. They put him where he could feel the pillars, 794 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:42,479 Speaker 2: and he's with his with his eyes scooched out. He said, 795 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:44,359 Speaker 2: I want to feel the pillars that I may lean 796 00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:48,279 Speaker 2: against them. And then I want to go to verse 797 00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:52,680 Speaker 2: twenty nine because I think it brings full circle what 798 00:43:52,800 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 2: I've been trying to say to you today. Then Samson reached. Okay, 799 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:05,600 Speaker 2: he can't see, but he can reach. 800 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:09,920 Speaker 1: He's reaching. 801 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:14,920 Speaker 2: Just say, I'm saying, reached towards the two central pillars 802 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:18,479 Speaker 2: on which the temple stood. Now the next two words 803 00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:21,320 Speaker 2: I'm gonna need your help with because I can't see. 804 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,400 Speaker 2: But the Bible says that Sampson did something in this 805 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:28,719 Speaker 2: moment that created his greatest victory. And when I say three, 806 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 2: I want you to shout out what he did next? 807 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 1: What did he do? One? Two? 808 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:32,000 Speaker 2: Three? 809 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 1: He did? Why he did? What? What you're gonna do 810 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:40,799 Speaker 1: in this next season? What you're gonna do when the 811 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 1: storms rage, What you're. 812 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 2: Gonna do when it seems like hope is lost. 813 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:48,399 Speaker 1: What you're gonna do when friends forsake you. What you're 814 00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:50,200 Speaker 1: gonna do when you don't know what to do? 815 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:55,520 Speaker 2: I'm grace myself, brace yourself. 816 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:57,160 Speaker 1: Why has not seen? 817 00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:01,439 Speaker 2: There, has not hurt either, hasn't into the hearts of man? 818 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:07,960 Speaker 1: What God has prepared? I revealed it by a spirit. 819 00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:13,359 Speaker 2: It was when he couldn't see that he believed, and 820 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 2: Samson prayed to the Lord in his weak state. 821 00:45:16,239 --> 00:45:21,239 Speaker 1: Now I understand it. He turned weakness into. 822 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:28,680 Speaker 2: Strength because he believed when he couldn't see, and he 823 00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:29,360 Speaker 2: he did. 824 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:34,400 Speaker 1: In his death what he was never able to do 825 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:40,560 Speaker 1: in his life. He braced himself. And when he braced himself, 826 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 1: he pushed the pillars. 827 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:44,520 Speaker 2: And when he pushed the pillars with all of his might, 828 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:49,640 Speaker 2: because he braced himself, he found out his strength never 829 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:55,040 Speaker 2: left him. It was there all along. And you're about 830 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:58,359 Speaker 2: to discover today. This is a stabilizing word. God sent 831 00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:02,680 Speaker 2: me with a message to stabilize you today. You've been 832 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,480 Speaker 2: tossed and driven. Like James says, you've been like a 833 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:07,600 Speaker 2: wave of the sea, tossed and driven with the wind. 834 00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:11,960 Speaker 2: A double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. 835 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: And you hadn't been strong because you hadn't been stable. 836 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:28,280 Speaker 2: But if you brace yourself, well, look there's my sermon, points. 837 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:25,680 Speaker 1: Fork, how that turned out. 838 00:46:29,840 --> 00:46:32,280 Speaker 2: Would you do me the proud honor of locating twelve 839 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:35,280 Speaker 2: people and repreaching my sermon and tell embrace yourself? 840 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:37,359 Speaker 1: Would you? Would you find him right now and tell 841 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:40,640 Speaker 1: embrace yourself for what God's about to do in your life. 842 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:44,960 Speaker 1: You can't be shaky. You can't believe it one day 843 00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:47,319 Speaker 1: and not believe it. You can't be emotional. You can't 844 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:50,920 Speaker 1: be overly emotional. You can't kind of have bathed. You 845 00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:53,600 Speaker 1: can't think so, you can't hope, so you can't wish 846 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:54,040 Speaker 1: it to be. 847 00:46:54,160 --> 00:46:57,120 Speaker 2: So come on, you're about to get your strength back. 848 00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:02,000 Speaker 2: You're stronger then you think you are. You're stronger than 849 00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:06,160 Speaker 2: you've been before. Your hair is growing back. You're standing 850 00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 2: among stillers, and this is your moment to stay alive 851 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:17,040 Speaker 2: and bus with all your mind stop. 852 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:23,040 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. 853 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:25,799 Speaker 2: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 854 00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:29,360 Speaker 2: this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 855 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 2: You can click the link in the description to give 856 00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:36,000 Speaker 2: now or visit Elevation Church dot org slash podcast for 857 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:40,040 Speaker 2: more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 858 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:41,640 Speaker 1: You can share it with your friends. 859 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:44,239 Speaker 2: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 860 00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:46,399 Speaker 2: share it on your social stories and tag us at 861 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:47,279 Speaker 2: Elevation Church. 862 00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:49,000 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. God bless you