1 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Elevation Church podcast. Today, Paul Doherty, lead 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: pastor at Victory Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has a message 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: just for you entitled The Master Key. Thank you for 4 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: joining us. We hope you enjoyed this message. Come on, 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 1: let's give God praise this morning. Lord. We thank you. 6 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: You are so good, you are so faithful. Jesus, we 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: worship you. We praise you God, Lord. What an honor 8 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: to be here this morning, Elevation Church. It is such 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: an honor to be with you this morning. I've been 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: watching you for many years and you guys have made 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: a huge impact on Victory Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They're 12 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: watching this morning, but you guys have changed our church. 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: I discovered your church ten years ago during a very 14 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: discouraging season in my life. My father was sick with cancer. 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: I didn't know was about to lose my father and 16 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: he was about to pass away. And during that time, 17 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: I was overwhelmed with doubt, discouragement, self doubt, questioning the future. 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: And that's why I was so impacted by Demetrius's testimony 19 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: and during the baptism, was that not powerful of just 20 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: seeing the full circle in her life? I can relate 21 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: to her all the campuses out there. But I remember 22 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: going on Google during that time ten years ago, and 23 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: I typed in young pastors to follow. I'm kind of 24 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: a nerd, and I found Steven Ferdick right at the 25 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: top of that list, and I started listening. During that time, 26 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: he was doing a series called Purple People Leader, and 27 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: I remember following that series and then the Dip, and 28 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: then each of the series he did was just impacting 29 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: my life. I began preaching all of his sermons in 30 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: our church, but I was watching you. I just want 31 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: you to know, Elevation, you guys are changing the world. 32 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: I know you know that, but you're changing the world. 33 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: You're changing churches. You're impacting people far and why. And 34 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: I want you to know. We're going to partner with 35 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: you guys to help with those that have been affected 36 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: by Hurricane Dorian. Our church is going to sow Accede 37 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: into your church. Come on, you guys are so generous, 38 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,839 Speaker 1: it's so amazing at what you do, and we want 39 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: to come alongside and help those that have been affected 40 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: by the hurricane. But I told your pastor this. He 41 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 1: came and preached at our church. A couple of years ago, 42 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: and I said, you helped me find my roar, And 43 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: he said, what do you mean. I said, you know, 44 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: every lion has to eventually find the roar. The Bible 45 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: says the righteous are bold as lions. And I didn't 46 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: have my roar. And when I was listening to your pastor, 47 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: I just could hear his roar, and I was thinking, man, 48 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: he's roaring boldly at a young age. God, if you 49 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: can do it through him, maybe you can do it 50 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: for me and in our church. And I believe some 51 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: of you are here today. You haven't found your roar yet, 52 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: but the world is waiting to hear your roar. The 53 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: world is waiting to see the sons and daughters of 54 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: God revealed. You were born from You were not born 55 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: to cower back in fear or insecurity. You were born 56 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: for more. You were born to lead. You were born 57 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: to rise above the adversity. And you're in an atmosphere 58 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: where there's a roar coming in this place. Just say raw, yeah, Well, 59 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: I know you're gonna sit down here in just a second, 60 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: but I want to give you a scripture for where 61 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: this message is going. In Revelation one, verse eighteen Jesus 62 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: is speaking to John the Disciple, who called himself John 63 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: the Beloved. He was convinced that Jesus loved him. How 64 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: many are convinced that Jesus loves you? Come on, I'm 65 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: convinced he loves me. I wouldn't be preaching on this stage. 66 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: You wouldn't be here today. God loves you so much 67 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: he lets you be in Elevation Church. God loves you 68 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: so much that he gave you an incredible pastor. Pastor 69 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: Stephen and Holly Ferdick are in my opinion, they are 70 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: the example for the world today pastoring this church. But 71 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: I I want to get into this message, and I 72 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: just keep feeling like I need to tell you how 73 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: amazing your pastors and your church is. John was in 74 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: the middle of his worst test of adversity, but he 75 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: was about to experience his greatest revelation of God. Some 76 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: of you are right now in exile. He was on 77 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: the island of Patmos. He was alone, he felt forgotten. 78 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: He was wondering where God was, And in that moment 79 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: God gave him the greatest revelation of his power and 80 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: his word for the church. And he said this, Jesus 81 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: speaks to John. He says, I'm the first in the last. 82 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: I am the living one. I was dead, and now 83 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: look I am alive. We serve a God who is 84 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: alive forever and ever. And I hold the keys. If 85 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: you got your keys with you this morning, just pull 86 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: them out and just hold them up, and just jingle 87 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: them a little bit. Say I got the keys. Yeah, 88 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: Jesus said, I hold the keys to death and haities. 89 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: In other words, I've got the keys over Satan. I've 90 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: stripped him of all authority. I've stripped him of all 91 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: power in your life. Though the weapon might be formed, 92 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: it will not prosper. I hold the keys of authority. 93 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: I hold the keys of responsibility. And I love that. 94 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: Jesus doesn't keep the keys to himself. In fact, he 95 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: says in Revelation three, and I'm opening a door for you. 96 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: I'm giving you the keys. In Matthew sixteen, verse nineteen, 97 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: when he talks about building a church, this so large, 98 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: so expansive, expanding to the left and to the right, 99 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: opening its nineteenth campus. From all over the world watching online, 100 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: a church that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against. 101 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: We are that church, Jesus says in Matthew sixteen, verse nineteen, 102 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,679 Speaker 1: and I will give you the keys to the kingdom. 103 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: And that's what I want to preach to you on today, 104 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: that you've got the keys. So Lord, I pray that 105 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 1: you would speak to us today and that we would 106 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: leave encouraged, refresh and reminded that we have the keys 107 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: to victory. We have the keys to peace, we have 108 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: the keys to joy, we have the keys to freedom, 109 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: we have the keys to hope. We have the keys 110 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: to see you do what You've called us to do, 111 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: that you can move through us and in us. And God, 112 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: I thank you Lord, we have the keys God. To 113 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: give you praise this morning in Jesus' name. Amen, give 114 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: God some praise. As you're being seated, Tell two people 115 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: you've got the keys. You've got the keys. But you know, 116 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: I think about how keys don't just represent access into something. 117 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: The keys that God's given us are not just to 118 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: unlock doors of what we're called to walk into, but 119 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: to lock doors of stuff that's trying to come into 120 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: our life. Like the keys are not just meant for 121 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: you to access God's presence and to come in and 122 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: have joy, it's also to lock the devil from coming 123 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: into rek havoc on your mind and your marriage and 124 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: your heart. And I came to tell you today some 125 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: of you have keys that you're not using. Some of 126 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 1: us have keys that we've forgotten are in our pocket. 127 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: And so we're letting depression come in. We're letting anxiety 128 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: and panic and worry and fear and discouragement and self doubt, 129 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: and we're letting the enemy just come right into our house. 130 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: And God saying, come on, I've given you the keys. 131 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: So whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven. 132 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: Whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven. Somebody 133 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: say I have the keys. But when I was younger, 134 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: my dad began to teach me that the keys are 135 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: not a physical thing. They're a spiritual thing. It's not 136 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: so much the keys that we have to drive a 137 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: car to get into our house, to get into our office. 138 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: It's something on the inside. The way the keys work, 139 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: they're activated in the spirit. And so I want to 140 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: give you a few ways to start activating your keys. 141 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: Number One, it's in how you see yourself. It's in 142 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: how you see God, It's in how you see the 143 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: problems that you're facing. In the Bible from the Old 144 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,679 Speaker 1: Testament to the New Testament. God would use this word believe. Believe. 145 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: That's an internal thing to believe that anything is possible, 146 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: to believe. To see where God is about to take you, 147 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: God spoke to Joshua, and Joshua six verse two, see 148 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: I am giving you Jericho. You've got to see the 149 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: victory before you see the victory. You've got to see 150 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: the miracle before you see the miracle. When I was younger, 151 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: my dad took me, my older brother, my two older 152 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: sisters out to undeveloped land in tall So, Oklahoma, and 153 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: he would say, what do you see? I remember standing 154 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: there with my dad, Billy, Joe, my mom Sharon, and 155 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,959 Speaker 1: they were, you know, they were pastoring this large church 156 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: that was reaching all of Tall Sun and was doing 157 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: missions work all over the world. I saw him. I'm 158 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: you know, going, Dad, I don't know what I see. 159 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: I see ants, I see trash, I see grass, I 160 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: see you know dirt hills. He said, no, no no, no, 161 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: not what do you see here? What do you see 162 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: in here? What do you see in here? He said, 163 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: the problem is, Paul, your eyes are open. You have 164 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: to close your eyes to really see. And what we 165 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: learn in the Word of God is that the Kingdom 166 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: is not advanced through a matter of natural sight, but 167 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: through a matter of spiritual site to be able to 168 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: see with eyes of faith. And I remember my dad saying, 169 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: I see a church that's so large, so expansive, thousands 170 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: of people coming, thousands of people getting saved, marriage is 171 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: being restored, families being reconciled. I see us building a 172 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: dream center over here, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, 173 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: giving people the chance to dream again, changing the crime 174 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,319 Speaker 1: rates in our city. I see a Bible college and 175 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: a camp and a school, and I'm scratching my eyes. 176 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, I don't see it. I don't see it. 177 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: He said, well, I see it in here, and it's 178 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: just a matter of time before I see it out there. 179 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:45,079 Speaker 1: Every single thing that he spoke came to pass. Every 180 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: single thing today there's a dream center, a camp, a college, 181 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: a school kindergarten through twelfth grade, a church, there's missions 182 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: training centers. But he taught me that you have to 183 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: see it in here. Proverbs twenty three says, as a 184 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: man thinketh so is. Proverbs twenty nine says without a vision, 185 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: people perish. If you don't have a vision for where 186 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: your life is going. You're going to cast off restraint. 187 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: You're gonna live with no purpose. You've got to see 188 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,079 Speaker 1: where God wants to take you, see what God can 189 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: do through you. When God spoke to Gideon and Judges 190 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: chapter six, he said, hey, mighty warrior, I'm calling you 191 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: to fight for Israel. I'm calling you to win a 192 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 1: battle for Israel. And Gideon said, who are you talking to. 193 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: I'm weak. I'm the youngest. I can relate to Gideon 194 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: because I'm the youngest and I'm weak. And so when 195 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: I'm reading the scripture, Gideon sees himself one way, but 196 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: God sees him a different way. And how you see 197 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 1: yourself and how you see God is the most important 198 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,079 Speaker 1: thing about your life, because we move in the direction 199 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: of our vision. What do you see David when he 200 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: ran out towards Goliath, he saw a giant that was 201 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: too big to miss. But the other Israelite saw a 202 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 1: giant that was too big for them to conquer. And 203 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: it's all a matter of sight. How you see your life, 204 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: you see your circumstances. Some of you right now are 205 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: facing some goliaths. You're facing some giants. You're facing some 206 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: jerichos and God saying, I want you to see it 207 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 1: with eyes of faith, that anything is possible. You were 208 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: not born with limitations. You were born with possibilities. You 209 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:18,199 Speaker 1: were not born to bow down to a spirit of fear, 210 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: to run from Goliath. We were born to chase the lions, 211 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: to slay the giants. When I first started preaching, I 212 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: was so nervous. I peed my pants on stage, no 213 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: for real, and I ran off the stage into the 214 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: boy's bathroom and I cried, and I was so insecure, 215 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: so worried, and God said, go out there and do 216 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: it again. And I had to start changing the way 217 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: that I saw myself because I didn't see myself as 218 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,319 Speaker 1: a preacher. I didn't see myself very good, even though 219 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: I had a passion to do it. When I first 220 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: started preaching in our church and we put our messages online, 221 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: I was excited because people started watching our messages on YouTube. 222 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: And then I looked below the YouTube video and there's 223 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: these thumbs up and thumbs down, and I zoomed in 224 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: on the thumbs down and I was like what. And 225 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: my identity was not wrapped in how God saw me, 226 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: but in how other people saw me. And I began 227 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 1: to just feel this flood of insecurity discouragement. And then 228 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:22,679 Speaker 1: I started going on Google to type who are the 229 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: thumbs down people? You can't find them, they're anonymous. I 230 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: was gonna find them. I was like, what do you 231 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: not like about me? What's wrong with me? How do 232 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: I get you to like me? And I heard God say, 233 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 1: stop looking for other people to approve you when I've 234 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: already approved you. Stop looking for others validation when I've 235 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: already validated you. Their thoughts didn't shape you, so don't 236 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: let their thoughts break you. Their thoughts didn't create you, 237 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: so don't let their thoughts begin to form you into 238 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: who you think you should be. We've got to come 239 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: back to how God sees us. God sees you wonderfully 240 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: and fearfully made. He sees you as more than a 241 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 1: conquer God sees you as a mighty warrior. Number two, 242 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: The way that we unlock those doors, the way that 243 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: we activate our keys, is they're serving through serving. You know, 244 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: I started serving in our church because when you're a 245 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: pastor's kid, you have to serve. We were free labor 246 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 1: for my parents, so my dad was like, you're the 247 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: children's pastor, you're gonna work here. And since I was 248 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: the youngest, I didn't have a title or position. I 249 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 1: just had to serve my older siblings. And so I 250 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: started serving in the children's church, serving in the youth group, 251 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: and I started playing guitar, playing piano, and I tried 252 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: out for our youth worship band. I was so pumped 253 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: to go to auditions and people were sitting behind a 254 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 1: table judging me. And afterwards they posted the list of 255 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: who made the youth worship band and I wasn't on 256 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: the list. I said, guys, there's a problem with this. 257 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: I don't see my name, and they said, oh, you 258 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: didn't make it. My sister was the worship leader. I 259 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,199 Speaker 1: was like, come on, I'm your brother. She said you're 260 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: not good enough. What you're not good? You know? I 261 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: was getting mad. And she said there'll be another audition 262 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: here in four months. And I go home. I call 263 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: my dad. I'm like, Dad, you need to fire her 264 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: right now. Why. Well, she rejected me. Oh that's good 265 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: that you were rejected. What you need to be rejected, 266 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,200 Speaker 1: you know. But my dad was saying, Paul, you don't 267 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 1: need a title to serve. You don't need a position 268 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: to serve. Just go serve where there's a need. Find 269 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: a need and need it, see a hurt and heal it. 270 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: Just start serving in the church. If serving is beneath you, 271 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: then leading is above you. If you're too big to serve, 272 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: you're too small to lead. Some of us are waiting 273 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: on a title or a position or a platform, and 274 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: God's saying, start serving where I have you, Start serving 275 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: where I need you. So I tried out again, kept 276 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: trying out, didn't make it. Was greeting, was ushering, was 277 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: serving in other areas. Finally, the fourth time I try out, 278 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: they said, here's the problem, Paul. You got pride and 279 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: we need some humility. I said, what, I'm the humblest guy. 280 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: I know, I'm more humble than all of my friends. 281 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: They were like, just get off the stage. And they said, here, 282 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: we have an opportunity for you to lead worship for 283 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: our nine AM children's church, which was the lowest attended 284 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: children's service. And they said you can lead a connect 285 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: group and you can lead worship as the assistant worship leader. 286 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: And so I remember going into that children's church. I 287 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: was eighteen years old, and I started leading worship. They're 288 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: throwing starburst into my guitar hole and no one's listening. 289 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: It was really sad. I was just like, yes, Lord, Yes, Lord. 290 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: And so I started just serving there every week. Every week. 291 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: Went to college, was serving a children's church. Couldn't get 292 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: a job at college. I had a lawnmowing business, but 293 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: I wasn't making enough to pay for my college books 294 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: and courses. And so the only job that was available 295 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: was to be a janitor at our university. And so 296 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: I started doing the janitor job. I started cleaning up trash, 297 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: did it for three years, started cleaning up the baseball stadium, 298 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: and during that time I was writing these songs. I 299 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: remember writing this song as I was in the baseball 300 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: stadium picking up people's nachos. And no matter where you're 301 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: at right now, God sees you. God sees you when 302 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: no one else sees you, when you feel invisible, God 303 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: sees you. I said, God, this is humiliating, This is humiliating. 304 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: And I heard God say, your humiliation is preparation for 305 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: an elevation. Your humiliation is preparation for an acceleration. See, 306 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: so many people want to jump seasons because we're watching 307 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: other people's stories. We're seeing them get to do stuff, 308 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: and God saying, get your eyes off of everyone else's story. 309 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: I've got a story for you. Start owning your story. 310 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: Start being right here, and even if it feels humiliating, 311 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: this is preparation for an elevation where I'm taking you. 312 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: So I started writing this song as I'm picking up nachos, 313 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: and the song was from John chapter three. I must decrease. 314 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: You must increase, Lord, I want more of you, I 315 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: must decrease. So I'm singing this song and I ended 316 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: up recording it and put it on a CD. And 317 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: one of my friends gave it to our university's Christian University, 318 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: and they were doing a live album and they were 319 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 1: looking for songs. They found my song, and so they 320 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,640 Speaker 1: called me. They said, we want to put your song 321 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: on the new album. I said, what you want to 322 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: put on? They said yes. The only problem is we 323 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 1: don't want you to sing because your voice ain't good. 324 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: We want your friend Brad to sing. I was like 325 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: what they said, but you could sing in the choir. 326 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,400 Speaker 1: I didn't even make the choir my freshman and sophomore year. 327 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: Now they want me to sing in the choir my 328 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: junior year. So I remember that night we're recording and 329 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: there's carry job, there's a couple other worship leaders, and 330 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: there's my friend singing my song, and I'm back in 331 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: the choir in the dark. I'm just standing back there 332 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: and he's singing my song, and I'm like, he must 333 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: decrease and I must increase. And God was like, this 334 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: is so good for you. Humiliation is preparation for an elevation. 335 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 1: And so I kept serving, just kept showing up, and 336 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: finally I graduated from cemetery. I finished all my Bible 337 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: classes and there was an open job at the church, 338 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: and I applied for it. Got the job to start 339 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: working in college ministry, and I was so excited to 340 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: work for my dad. This was about ten and a 341 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 1: half years ago. I had dreamed of serving my mom 342 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: and dad and working to build the church, and so 343 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 1: I came to my dad. I said, Dad, I'm ready. 344 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: You know, I got the job, and he said that's great. 345 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: That's great because he didn't want to be the one 346 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: that hired me. He wanted to leave it up to 347 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: the supervisor. I said, Dad, I got the job. I'm 348 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,679 Speaker 1: ready for my Keys to Victory, because that's the name 349 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: of our church. I'm ready for my keys to victory. 350 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: He said, keys, you only need one key. Son. I said, Dad, 351 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,360 Speaker 1: I'm your own flesh and blood. The janitors have more 352 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: than one key. Can I get one key? I was 353 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:42,360 Speaker 1: a janitor at the college and I had a ton 354 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: of keys. He said no, you only get a key 355 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: to your office. That's the only key you get. I 356 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: was like, Dad, why don't you trust me? Why do 357 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: you need more keys? I just want access. I want access, 358 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: I want authority. He's like, no, no, no, just use 359 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: your key. Just use your key. And fast forward. Our 360 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:01,959 Speaker 1: college Minis Street started to grow. I was preaching all 361 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: the Stevens sermons and Bishop Jakes, thank you, Pastor, and 362 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:12,439 Speaker 1: I gave him credit. He actually saw me preaching a 363 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:14,639 Speaker 1: sermon online and he was like, hey, I saw you 364 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: preaching a sermon. I was like, oh, snap, it was 365 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: one of his. I butchered it. But I remember getting 366 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 1: a call from my mom. She said, hey, come to 367 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: the hospital. Your dad's up here. I said, who's he visiting? 368 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: Who's he praying for? She said no, no no, no, he's 369 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: up here. And I got up there and the doctor 370 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: told our family that my dad had stage four lymphoma. Cancer. 371 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: And when they said that, I just I lost it. Man, 372 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: I just started bawling. I said, why, he's been nothing 373 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: but good, He served you God, He's done nothing wrong, 374 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 1: he's had no failures, he's been a good man of integrity. 375 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: Why is this happening? And I didn't realize that my 376 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: faith was built on answered prayers. My faith was built 377 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: on everything going my way. You see, when you face 378 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: a crisis, you find about what your faith is made of. 379 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: Either your faith is on shifting sand, or it's on 380 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: a solid rock, on Christ, the solid rock I stand. 381 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is 382 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: sinking sand. But in that moment, I was caving in. 383 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 1: I was losing my faith because my faith was wrapped 384 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: up in him being healed. But as your pastor has 385 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: said before, sometimes you get to see the miracle, and 386 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 1: sometimes you get to be the miracle. And I remember 387 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: praying for my dad and the night that he passed, 388 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 1: I was in the hospital room, couldn't go to sleep, 389 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: stayed there through the night watching the EKG monitor, praying 390 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: for resurrection life, and I watched my hero, my pastor, 391 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: my daddy pass away, and I was so overwhelmed because 392 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: I was thinking about the church, and I was thinking 393 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: about our family. I was thinking about my mom because 394 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: I had just gotten married, and I was going, God, 395 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: what's gonna happen. We need him. Our church is not 396 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: gonna make it without him. It was just built so 397 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 1: much on his voice. He just was a visionary. He 398 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: was such a great preacher, a great pastor, and a 399 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: great dad. And I heard God speak this to me 400 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: in my heart, not audibly, just this impression. And I 401 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 1: heard God say, your dad finished his race, It's time 402 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: for you to run yours. And then I felt like 403 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: it continued. It was like the voice continued, serve your mom, 404 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: serve the church. I didn't know this, but they were 405 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: about to make my mom the interim pastor for a season. 406 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: And she's my hero because she's a persevere she is 407 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 1: the definition of perseverance. But I heard God say, serve 408 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: your mom, serve the church, and get ready because you're 409 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: about to be the pastor of Victory. And I thought, no, no, no, 410 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: I'm twenty three years old, I'm the youngest of my siblings, 411 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: and there's so many other great preachers in our church. 412 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: This is not from God. But I heard God say, no, 413 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: serve your mom serve the church and ready because you're 414 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,640 Speaker 1: about to pastor victory. And I know what happens when 415 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:06,639 Speaker 1: you share a vision too soon, I heard, you know 416 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: what happened to Joseph. He got sold as a slave. 417 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: So I was like, I'm not telling nobody this vision. 418 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: Nobody needs to know this. So I told my wife. 419 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 1: She said, yeah, let's keep that between us, and a 420 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: year went by. During that next year, I remember many 421 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: nights coming up to our church with my keys while 422 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: my dad was in the hospital. He had given he'd 423 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: let me use his car, and then we had to 424 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: sell it afterwards. But I remember just questioning whether I 425 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: really had the authority, the ability to pastor. And many 426 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 1: nights I would come to our church just to go 427 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 1: and pray, just to play the piano, to sing to worship, 428 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: to practice preaching on this stage. My dad had built 429 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: this massive auditorium that honestly was intimidating. It was four 430 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: thy five hundred seats the year before he passed away. 431 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: Because we were a mobile church for thirty plus years, 432 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 1: we rented out a large building in our city, and 433 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 1: finally the dream of a debt free church auditorium and 434 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: all of this was built, and then he passed away, 435 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: and I remember many nights trying to get into the church, 436 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: but I couldn't get in because I didn't have the keys. 437 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 1: So I would have to call a security guard, college janitor. 438 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: They would come and let me in. And it wasn't 439 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: just a physical feeling of not having the keys. It 440 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,639 Speaker 1: was a mental and emotional feeling that I didn't have 441 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: the keys of confidence. I didn't have the keys to 442 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: preach like he preached. I didn't have the keys to 443 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,800 Speaker 1: cast vision like I didn't have the keys to pray 444 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: for people to get healed. People would call me and 445 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: they'd say, hey, can you come pray for my brother, 446 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: he's sick in the hospital, And I would make an excuse, 447 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: not because I didn't care. I did care, but I 448 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: felt like my prayers didn't work. I felt like I 449 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: didn't have the key to that. I was like, call 450 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 1: Pastor Steve and he can make the sun stand still. 451 00:23:55,280 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: Call Bishop Tdjakes, call someone who has the keys, because 452 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:04,199 Speaker 1: I don't. And then the board met with me a 453 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: year later and they said, you need to know something. 454 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: Your dad told us that you would be the next 455 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 1: pastor of Victory. I said, what he never told me. 456 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: They said yeah, but he said that you were really 457 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,120 Speaker 1: young and the church was so large and so many 458 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: employees that you weren't ready yet. You needed to be developed. 459 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: See a lot of people want God to elevate their platform, 460 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: but they're not willing to let God develop their character. 461 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: And we've got to go through the developmental phase. That's dark, 462 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,360 Speaker 1: that's frustrating, where you want to quit, where you don't 463 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:37,160 Speaker 1: feel like you have what it takes. And God's saying 464 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: no, no no, I'm pulling out insecurities. I'm pulling out those 465 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: feelings of fear. I'm pulling out those needs of the 466 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,360 Speaker 1: approval of man, those thumbs up that you're looking for. 467 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: I'm pulling some stuff out. There's some junk I gotta 468 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: get out to remind you who you are in Christ. 469 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: And so I remember leaving that board meeting and once 470 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: again just feeling like, man, I don't have the keys. 471 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: So week went by. I went to our church one 472 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,239 Speaker 1: night and I was outside of the building and I 473 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: called our security guard and I said, Hey, could you 474 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: let me into the church? I just want to come 475 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 1: in and pray and worship. And he said, Paul, I'm 476 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 1: locking up all the doors at the church. I'm locking 477 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,199 Speaker 1: up all the doors at the Dream Center. It's going 478 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: to be at least an hour before I could get there. 479 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: You're just gonna have to wait. I didn't want to 480 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: wait because I was I was in such a dark, 481 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,440 Speaker 1: discouraging place. I just thought, Man, I've got to get 482 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 1: in there. So I start trying to break into our church, right. 483 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: I start like hitting the door, and I don't have 484 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: muscles like pastrofredict, so I'm like hurting my hand. And 485 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: then I took my credit card out. I tried to 486 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:47,360 Speaker 1: shimmy it through the crack of the door and nothing 487 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:53,440 Speaker 1: was working. And then I thought, okay, maybe I'll take 488 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 1: this one key that I have and try to shove 489 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: it into the door and then put my shoulder against 490 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 1: it and open it. So I took the key out 491 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: and I tried to shove it, but it just fit 492 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: perfect into the door. And I thought, okay, okay, uh, 493 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 1: what's going on right now? And it dawned on me 494 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 1: I've never tried this, and I turned the key and 495 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:32,879 Speaker 1: it unlocked the door. I was like, God, did you 496 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:39,439 Speaker 1: just change my key? No? I seriously was like I 497 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: was looking up at Heaven because you know, the Bible 498 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: says that we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 499 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: and I could just picture my dad leaning over the 500 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: grand stands of heaven, and I was like, huh. So 501 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: then I walked across to the choir room and I 502 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 1: unlocked that. Then I walked over to the drum closet. 503 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: Nobody has a key to the drum closet, and it 504 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:04,199 Speaker 1: unlocked that. I walked into the main auditorium, and that 505 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: was the room that intimidated me the most. And I 506 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: stuck my key in that door and it unlocked the door, 507 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 1: and suddenly a flood of emotions came over me. I 508 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:24,159 Speaker 1: was I was weeping because I was like what. I 509 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,920 Speaker 1: was weeping for two reasons. I was like, I've had 510 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:35,400 Speaker 1: the master key this whole time. But I was also 511 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: weeping because I have the master key. I've always had it, 512 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: but I didn't know it. And suddenly I looked in 513 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: the room and what once was intimidating. I walked on 514 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,719 Speaker 1: that stage and I heard God say, you've got it, 515 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 1: You've got it. It's Christ in you Colossian's one twenty seven. 516 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: Christ in me is the hope of glory. Christ in 517 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: me is the master key. You see elevation. I came 518 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 1: to tell you this weekend. You have the master key. 519 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 1: You don't need a bunch of keys. All you need 520 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: is one key. And you have the master key that 521 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: unlocks the door to victory. You have the master key 522 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 1: that unlocks the door to be free from insecurity. You 523 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 1: have the master key that unlocks the door to healing 524 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: in your marriage. You have the key that unlocks the 525 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: door to joy in your heart. You have the key 526 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: that unlocks the door to peace in your life. And 527 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: it's not you, it's Jesus in you. It's Christ in me. 528 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: That is the master key. Suddenly something started to explode 529 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: in my mind and art I started realizing, I've got 530 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: what it takes. Come on, tell someone next to you 531 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: you've got the master key, Say you've got what it takes. Yeah. Yeah, 532 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: Because at the bottom of this message, that's the real 533 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: question is do I have what it takes. But I 534 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: started realizing that the master key doesn't work unless I 535 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: use it. It had been in my pocket the whole time, 536 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: but I wasn't using it. Some of you have had 537 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: the key to the thing that's in your heart, but 538 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: you have not been using it. You've been questioning, do 539 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,600 Speaker 1: I really have it? I've got to get pastor Steven 540 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 1: to tell me I've got it. No, No, God's telling 541 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: you right now, you've got it. You've got the key 542 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: to the dreams that are in your heart. Stop doubting yourself, 543 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: Stop questioning do I have it? God saying You've got this, 544 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:39,959 Speaker 1: You've got this. But I realized that the key is 545 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: not just vision activated, it's not just serving activated. It's 546 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: voice activated. It's in the words that I speak to 547 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: I've been talking so negative because I had been listening 548 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: to this chatterbox of negativity, of discouragement, and I didn't 549 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 1: know how to turn it off. So I just kept saying, man, 550 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: our best days are behind us. And I heard God say, Paul, 551 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: you have the master key. Change the words you speak, 552 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 1: change the words you're speaking. So I started speaking, our 553 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: best days are right in front of us. God's not 554 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: finished with us yet. It came one night when I 555 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: was getting ready to preach, and my mom gave me 556 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: a pair of my dad's shoes to remember my dad by. 557 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: I took it a step further. I started wearing his shoes, 558 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 1: and I started dressing just like he dressed because I 559 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: thought maybe if I wear his shoes and wear his clothes, 560 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: people will like me more. It didn't work. They hated 561 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 1: me more. They were like, Paul, wear your own shoes. 562 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: And this one night, I was so discouraged to get 563 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:34,479 Speaker 1: up and preach, and even though I knew I had 564 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: the master key, I just felt like I don't have 565 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: a good word. People don't want to hear me. They 566 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: want to hear my dad. They want to hear some 567 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 1: other preacher. And God said, change the narrative. So I 568 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: wrote down on this napkin, I'm here on purpose. I'm here. 569 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: I'm here on purpose. I stopped right there. The enemy 570 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: of here is there. The enemy of here is someplace 571 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: else with someone else doing something else. You've been watching 572 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: too many other people's stories. You need to own being 573 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 1: right here. You are here on purpose. Whether you're a mom, 574 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: a dad, a chanit, or a teenager, a college student, 575 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: whether you can't pay the bills, you are here on 576 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: purpose because you have a purpose right where you are. 577 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: And I want to shout out those who are serving 578 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: in the church on any team. If you serve in 579 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: e kids, or you serve in the parking lot, or 580 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: you serve in any part. Come on, give it up 581 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: for the volunteers that make this place happen. Where you 582 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: are is right where God wants you. You're here on purpose. 583 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: And I started speaking that because the Bible says that 584 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: life and death is in the power of the tongue. 585 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 1: The Bible says that we can prophesy over our future. 586 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: When I was young, I used to be really wild 587 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: and crazy. I was add and you're like, I'm not 588 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: surprised by that. My dad used to put his hand 589 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,160 Speaker 1: on my head because I'd be like, ah, I was 590 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: like ren and stempy, like crazy. I was like, hey, 591 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: you know, and my dad would put his hand on 592 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 1: my head and he would say, peaceful, Paul, peaceful Paul. 593 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 1: And now I'm peaceful. What are you speaking over your children? 594 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 1: What are you speaking over your future? I want the 595 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: keys to come out because I'm almost done right here. 596 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: But I want you to envision that you're on a field. 597 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: What do you see? Where do you see your life going? 598 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: What do you see that's possible? Because God wants you 599 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 1: to get a big vision. He wants you to get 600 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: a big You were not born with limitations, but born 601 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,959 Speaker 1: with possibilities, and you have the master key. So start 602 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: declaring that your best days are still in front of you. See. 603 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: I started saying that. I started getting our church to 604 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: say it. They started saying it. I started telling people, Hey, 605 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 1: everyone in section. See, people woul turn around. There was 606 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:45,160 Speaker 1: no one in section. See when my dad passed, thousands 607 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 1: of people left the church, and I had to start 608 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: speaking to those empty seats. I had to start prophesying, 609 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: there's someone in that seat. There's somebody in that seat, 610 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 1: because I saw this place being filled with people who 611 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: needed Jesus. Can I tell you, Elevation, there's an empty 612 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 1: seat at some campus that's waiting for somebody's life to 613 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 1: be changed. Never stop reaching people, Never stop filling up buildings, 614 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: Never stop inviting your neighbors. Somebody's life is waiting on you. 615 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: Don't ever get comfortable with where we're at, because we 616 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: have not seen our best days yet, Elevation. We have 617 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: not seen our greatest miracles yet. You haven't heard the 618 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,480 Speaker 1: best sermons yet. You haven't seen the greatest miracles yet. 619 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:31,600 Speaker 1: The best days for Elevation Church are right in front 620 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: of her. The best sermons, the best series, the best miracles, 621 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: the best campus miracles. There's gonna be incredible things. But 622 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 1: the door doesn't open until you unlock it, and you 623 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 1: gotta start declaring. You could sit down. I promise I'll 624 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: end in just a minute, y'all? Like, is this it is? 625 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: He wrapping it up? No, Popeyes will still be open. 626 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: It may not have chicken sandwiches, but it will still 627 00:33:55,480 --> 00:34:04,719 Speaker 1: be open. Not Chick fil A. It's Sunday. But you know, 628 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 1: I one night I was walking and we just had 629 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:12,720 Speaker 1: our second baby. Our finances were in a tough spot 630 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 1: as a church. Right when I stepped in a pastor. 631 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: I began pastoring in twenty fourteen, just five years ago 632 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 1: this month, and this wealthy man who had left our church. 633 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 1: He invited me to his office and he said, hey, 634 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 1: I left whenever your dad passed, but I'm ready to 635 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 1: come back, ready to help you with finances. I said, 636 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: praise God, because I had to let go of so 637 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 1: many people when my dad passed. We couldn't afford to 638 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: pay all these people. And I thought I was gonna 639 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:40,840 Speaker 1: have to close down the college and the school and 640 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,520 Speaker 1: the camp. And I just felt so overwhelmed. I was 641 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 1: twenty eight years old, just turned twenty nine at that time. 642 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: And he said, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna help you, but 643 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:51,400 Speaker 1: I need you to do this, this, and this, and 644 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: he began to list these things, and I heard God 645 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 1: whisper in my heart. Are you going to trust in 646 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: man's money? Are you going to trust in Jehovah Jirah? 647 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,239 Speaker 1: And I thought this was a test. I thought there 648 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 1: was hidden cameras. So I looked at the man. I said, sir, 649 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:06,879 Speaker 1: thank you for being willing to help, because he could 650 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: have financed the whole thing. I mean, he was a 651 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: very wealthy person. But I said, I can't do those 652 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:15,360 Speaker 1: things unless God tells me. I'm not going to sell 653 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 1: the ministry that the pulpit is not up for prostitution. 654 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,400 Speaker 1: I'm not going to let anyone buy this church or 655 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: buy the decisions of this house. But there were no 656 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: hidden cameras, and he never ended up coming. And a 657 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,720 Speaker 1: year and a half had passed. We had our second child, 658 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: and one night, I'm walking on this street. I come 659 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,719 Speaker 1: across a bridge. It was dark. I was discouraged, and 660 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 1: I just heard the enemy whispering, just jump, just jump, 661 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:45,719 Speaker 1: No one cares. Just in the pain. We're living in 662 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,360 Speaker 1: a time right now where so many pastors are dealing 663 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:53,120 Speaker 1: personally with doubt and discouragement. So many young pastors are 664 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:54,880 Speaker 1: trying to fill the shoes of parents, and it's I mean, 665 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:57,799 Speaker 1: y'all need to pray, always be praying for the church 666 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:00,920 Speaker 1: out there. So many people. I mean, our world, America 667 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 1: is on so much medication to try to deal with 668 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:09,799 Speaker 1: anxiety and depression and discouragement. And I was right there 669 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: on that bridge. And I don't know if I'm speaking 670 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 1: to someone who's watching this later on that's standing on 671 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 1: a bridge, but I could hear the enemy just whispering, 672 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: just jump, just in the pain. The church will be 673 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: better off without you. And I felt like I was 674 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: in a basement beneath a house, but I wasn't just 675 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,239 Speaker 1: one floor below. I was five basements below where I 676 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:33,800 Speaker 1: should have been. That's the only way I can describe 677 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,480 Speaker 1: depression is you're just too far below where you should 678 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:41,759 Speaker 1: be mentally and emotionally. But I felt like there was 679 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 1: a rain drop coming from heaven. It was like my 680 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: Dad was just dropping little rain drops. The Bible says, 681 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:47,840 Speaker 1: train your children up and the way they should go, 682 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,439 Speaker 1: and they will not depart from it. Never underestimate getting 683 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:53,880 Speaker 1: your family to church. Never underestimate sitting, getting your kids 684 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:57,960 Speaker 1: and eat kids, getting your youth in the youth group here. Listen. 685 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: There's something powerful about being raised in those presence of 686 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 1: God in the scriptures. And all of a sudden it 687 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 1: just started coming on my head. You're more than a 688 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,919 Speaker 1: conquer You're fearfully and wonderfully made. You've got what it takes. See, 689 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:12,560 Speaker 1: the final point of this message is surrender, because it 690 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 1: was in this moment of surrender. You can see it, 691 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 1: you can serve it, you can speak it. But the 692 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 1: final moment that you activate the keys of the kingdom 693 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,800 Speaker 1: is when you surrender and say God, I can't do it. God, 694 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 1: I don't know what to do. But my eyes are 695 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 1: on you. And on that moment, on that bridge, I 696 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,880 Speaker 1: pointed in the darkness, I said, Satan, you lose. I 697 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,479 Speaker 1: refuse to jump. I choose to live. I choose to live. 698 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,239 Speaker 1: I'm getting out of this depression. I'm getting out of 699 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,400 Speaker 1: this anxiety. And I walked away from that bridge. You 700 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 1: can stand up. I walked away from that bridge and 701 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 1: I never went back. And little did I know that 702 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: God dropped it in the heart of a man. Just 703 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 1: right after that moment. God dropped it in the heart 704 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 1: of this man who came. He said, Paul, I wasn't 705 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,359 Speaker 1: here when your dad was pastor started coming right when 706 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 1: you started pre and he said, I feel like I'm 707 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 1: supposed to bless the church. And he said, God told 708 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,399 Speaker 1: me to sow this seed. It was the largest check 709 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,720 Speaker 1: in the history of our church, over a million dollars, 710 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:16,959 Speaker 1: and then it just kept flowing. I called my mom. 711 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 1: I said, Mom, we're gonna be okay, we're gonna make it. 712 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: She said, what are you talking about, saying, mom, God 713 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: showed up. Jehovah. Jirah answered, Jehovah. Jirah answered, there's no 714 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: streams of tax, there's no agenda. We're gonna be able 715 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:33,439 Speaker 1: to keep the school and the college, and there's room 716 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: for more mission. She starts crying. She said, that's a 717 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,319 Speaker 1: harvest on your dad's seeds. That's a harvest on your 718 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 1: dad's seeds. See, some of you are about to start 719 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: walking in a harvest that your parents prayed for, that 720 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:47,759 Speaker 1: your grandma paid for, that your grandpa was on his 721 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:51,560 Speaker 1: knees for. You're about to start picking up harvest in 722 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:53,400 Speaker 1: the field that you didn't even have to labor in. 723 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,560 Speaker 1: But you gotta see it. You gotta speak it, you 724 00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 1: gotta serve, and you gotta surrender. I want you to 725 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:02,319 Speaker 1: just bow your heads and close your eyes all over 726 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 1: this place. If you're here right now and you're facing 727 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:07,360 Speaker 1: something that just seems bigger than you, and you needed 728 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 1: this message to be reminded you have the master key. 729 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,799 Speaker 1: Now it's time to start activating. If that's you'll want 730 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: you to raise your hand all over this place. Yeah, 731 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:18,400 Speaker 1: from the front to the back of every location online. Yeah. 732 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 1: I want to pray for you right now, and I 733 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:22,040 Speaker 1: want to pray for those that are here today saying 734 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 1: I want to surrender to Jesus. I need to surrender 735 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 1: my life to Jesus. If that's you, just raise your hand. 736 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:29,959 Speaker 1: Today's your day. Come on, today is your day. Say 737 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:35,400 Speaker 1: this with me, Say Jesus, I surrender. I'm all yours. 738 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 1: Help me to see what you see, help me to 739 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:44,520 Speaker 1: serve where you've called me to be, Help me to 740 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:50,640 Speaker 1: speak what you've spoken. I surrender. I believe you died 741 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:54,280 Speaker 1: on the cross for my sins. I believe you rose 742 00:39:54,360 --> 00:40:01,000 Speaker 1: from the grave, and today I declare you are my savior. 743 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: Christ in me is the master key in Jesus' name, 744 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:14,000 Speaker 1: A man I love you, Elevation thank you for joining us. 745 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,759 Speaker 1: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 746 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:20,280 Speaker 1: this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 747 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,960 Speaker 1: You can click the link in the description to give 748 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:27,200 Speaker 1: now or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more 749 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 750 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:33,359 Speaker 1: You can share it with your friends. You can click 751 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,560 Speaker 1: the share button, take a screenshot and share it on 752 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 1: your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks 753 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:44,960 Speaker 1: again for listening. God bless you.