1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,439 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: So thankful that you're here today, and I am going 7 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: to go ahead. I normally have you stand to read 8 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: the scripture. It's nineteen versus today, so go ahead and 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: sit down and we'll take us slow. God bless you. 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: My scripture from today's point of view is Acts chapter eleven. 11 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: This sermon will probably take two weeks to preach. We 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: did it last night. The Lord showed up. I thought 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: he did till nobody said that was here last night. Yeah, 14 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: to me, he showed up. And so we probably won't 15 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: get to the entire message today. But in Acts chapter eleven, 16 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: it's a very unique and pivotal story as the Gospel 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: is going forward through the ministry of the Early Church, 18 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: where it says in verse one, the apostles and the 19 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received 20 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: the Word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem. 21 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:30,119 Speaker 1: The circumcised believers criticized him and said, you went into 22 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them. Starting 23 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: from the beginning verse four, Peter told them the whole story. 24 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: Here it is. I was in the city of Japa praying, 25 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw 26 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: something like a large sheet being let down from heaven 27 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: by its four corners, and it came down to where 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: I was. I looked into it. Oh, I'll touch somebody 29 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: and say look into it. Yeah. I looked into it 30 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: and saw four footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, 31 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: and birds. Then I heard a voice telling me get up, Peter, 32 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: kill and eat. I replied, surely not, Lord. How are 33 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: you gonna say no and call him Lord in the 34 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: same sentence, that's crazy. Nothing impure or unclean has ever 35 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: entered my mouth. And the voice spoke from heaven a 36 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: second time. Oh, thank God for second chances, third chances, 37 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: fourth chances. Can I get a fifth chance? Six chance, 38 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: seven chances, eight chance? Do not call anything impure that 39 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: God has made clean. This happened three times, and then 40 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: it was all pulled up to heaven again. Right then 41 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: three men who had been sent to me from cesarea, 42 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: stopped at the house where I was staying, and the 43 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. 44 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: These six brothers also went with me, and we entered 45 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: the man's house, and he told us how he had 46 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: seen an angel appear in the house and say, send 47 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 1: a joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He will 48 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: bring you a message through which you and all your 49 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: households will be saved. Now I began to speak, the 50 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit came on them, and he had come on 51 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: us to begin in the same way. Then I remembered 52 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: what the Lord turned a page has said, John baptized 53 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 54 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: So if God gave them the same gift he gave us, 55 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I 56 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 1: to think that I could stand in God's way if 57 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: you would nudge your neighbor gently and say get out 58 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: of God's way. When they heard this, they had no 59 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: further objections your honor and praised God, saying so then, 60 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: even to gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life. 61 00:03:53,320 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: So we've gone from in verse one. We've gone from 62 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: What did I write down? I wrote it in my 63 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: nose because I was seeing it before I came out. Oh, 64 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: we went from protest to praise, from protests to praise. 65 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: But that's not the title of my message. The title 66 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: of my message hinges on verse four. Starting from the beginning, 67 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: Peter told them the whole story. Starting from the beginning, 68 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: Peter told them the whole story. Now, look at your 69 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: neighbor and give them my title. Say I'm not calling 70 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: you a liar. I promise I'm not. But there's a 71 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: hole in your story. Come on, say it like you're 72 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: on CSI and they've been in the interrogation room all 73 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: night and the coffee is cold. Look at them again 74 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: and say there's a hole in your story. Look at 75 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: your other neighbors, Say there's a hole in your story. 76 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: A story within a story, acts Chapter eleven. It's really 77 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 1: about the purpose of God, but it's told through the 78 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: perspective of Peter, through the writing of Luke. For Theophilus 79 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: to describe simultaneously both the ministry of Peter and the 80 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: purpose of God. Did you know that your story is 81 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: a story within a story. There's always a story within 82 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: the story. There's the surface story, and then there is 83 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: the story that is beneath the surface, and then there 84 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: is the story that is overarching. And sometimes we don't 85 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: even realize how how many missing pieces there are of 86 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 1: the stories that we tell ourselves. Even worse, we don't 87 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 1: even really understand the missing I would call it a 88 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: plot hole. You've been watching a show and they just 89 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: there's just a plot hole in the in the in 90 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: the story. We were watching this Christian movie called Friday 91 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: Night Lights with Saint Tim Riggins and and they had 92 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: a plot hole in it. We were talking about this 93 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: and Lilah Garrity drove her car into Buddy Garritty's car 94 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: dealership through the window. In the next episode, everything was 95 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: fine and she had her car back. And even in 96 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: our family we adopted that we call it. Can I 97 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: get a garrity? When you do something stupid in our 98 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: family and you want total immunity and forgiveness and never 99 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: bring it up again. As far as the east is 100 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: from the west, can you cast us in the sea? 101 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: You have to ask for a garrity? How many of 102 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: you have ever needed God to give you a garrity? Yeah? 103 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: I can preach on anything and the truth of the 104 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: matter is in Acts chapter eleven. You know, it's a 105 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: microcosm for what we experienced so many times in our lives, 106 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: where when there is space, a story fills it. And 107 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: then the space between what you know and what you 108 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: think you know sometimes is the story that you tell 109 00:06:55,400 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: yourself that keeps you stuck. Are y'all too sleepy for me? Preacher? 110 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: Can I do this like I want to? When the 111 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: church was first starting and I was an inexperienced pastor, 112 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: just a whipper snapper and a monarchy T shirt with 113 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: some antique denim jeans and some Martin Mason boots, I 114 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: was oblivious about certain things, and I invited this man 115 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: to come share his story with our church. The church 116 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: was only about two years old, and I had him 117 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: share with the whole church his story. The next week, 118 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: somebody called our church office and requested to have a 119 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: phone appointment with me. And the person who called was 120 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: a man of God. He had a radio ministry and 121 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: I had heard his voice on the radio so many times, 122 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: so when we finally talked on the phone, it was 123 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: surreal to hear his voice because I'd heard him on 124 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: the radio and never talked to him for didn't even 125 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: know that he knew who I was. So I felt 126 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: kind of important when they said so and so wants 127 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: to talk to you and set up a phone appointment. Ooh, 128 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: phone appointment. And so when the day came to have 129 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: the call, he said, hello, pastor. It's beautiful, rich baritone voice. 130 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: Very soon, Hello Pastor. I said, hey, it's so good 131 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: to talk to you, and he said, you might want 132 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: to hear what I have to say before you say that. Now. 133 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: What he said next was an education. He gave me 134 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: a seminary education and a five minute phone call. He said, 135 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: I watched your interview with so and so, the person 136 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: I had brought up. Let me do it in his voice. 137 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 1: I watched your interview and it was very entertaining, but 138 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: it wasn't very accurate. I said, well, all I did 139 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:51,439 Speaker 1: was let him share his story. And he said, well, 140 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: there's a few holes in that story. Then I'd like 141 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: to fill in. See the man I was talking to, 142 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: he was playing this victim role, and when he told 143 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: his story, it was everybody who didn't help him, everybody 144 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: who didn't care about him, everybody who mistreated him. He 145 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: didn't mention the people who gave him rent payments. He 146 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:17,119 Speaker 1: didn't mention the people who gave him second chances, third chances, 147 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: fourth chances. He left a lot of that out. But 148 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: I never forgot what the older, more experienced pastor said 149 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: because I've been trying to apply it to my life. 150 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: There's a few holes in your story. Now. I don't 151 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 1: mean to get all up in your macaroni at this 152 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: time of the day, because I know it's early, but 153 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: are there a few holes in the story that you've 154 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: been telling yourself about yourself, about others, about your parents, 155 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: about your kids, about God? Are there some holes in 156 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: your story? I want to take this text for a 157 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: moment and interrogate it. I want to see what Peter 158 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 1: said in verse four that took us from what did 159 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: I say again, from protests to praise. It started with 160 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: this whole group. It started with a rumor. Now, back 161 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: in the Bible days they spread rumors. Things have changed, 162 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:21,559 Speaker 1: we have evolved societally. In the Bible, they spread rumors 163 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: and they weren't always accurate. So in verse one, if 164 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: you revisit it with me for a moment, they're talking 165 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: about Peter going to eat with the gentiles. Did you 166 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: hear what Peter did. Already, he was down there eating 167 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: bacon and sausage and poor grimes with those gentiles. I 168 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: already was down there playing poker. Already, he was drinking 169 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: beer and watching cinemax and h f you know stuff. 170 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: And so by the time one author said, a lie 171 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: can make it around the world, by the time the 172 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: truth gets his shoes left stuff. And here's what's crazy. 173 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: The story about what Peter did got back to Jerusalem 174 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: before Peter did. The story beat Peter back to Jerusalem, 175 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: and he's seventy miles away sharing the gospel. The gospel 176 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ has just gone beyond the borders of 177 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 1: one people group, the Jews, to the Gentiles, which was 178 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: God's original intention. When he called Abraham, he said, I'm 179 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 1: gonna bless you, but I'm not just gonna bless you 180 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: to bless you. I'm gonna bless you to be a blessing, 181 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: and through you all the nations of the earth will 182 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: be blessed. That's always what he wanted to do, and 183 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 1: now he's doing it. But sometimes we get so lost 184 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: in the story, the story that was handed to us, 185 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: that we missed the bigger story that God is telling. 186 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: And the keyword to me in verse one was it 187 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: said the apostles and the believer throughout Judea heard the 188 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: word was heard. They heard something. Do you hear about? What? 189 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 1: Do you hear what they did? Do you hear what 190 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: they did? Did you read the article? No, I've just 191 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: read the headline. You go to evolution. What's it called elevation? 192 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 1: Elevation of church? I heard they don't have a cross 193 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: on the building, or I heard they don't have I 194 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,559 Speaker 1: heard that they have a trampoline on the stage for 195 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: leap year. I heard, I heard, I heard, I heard, 196 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: I heard. You know how much trouble there is when 197 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: when you take the heart what you heard without checking 198 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: it out. So the first thing I want to say, 199 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: I want to do a sermon around this. I want 200 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,719 Speaker 1: to warn you about four types of stories that will 201 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 1: ruin your life if you let them. Four types of 202 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: stories with some hold in. And the first one I 203 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: want to show you is beware of second hand stories. Yeah, 204 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 1: beware of what you believe that you have not seen. 205 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: For yourself and for everybody over the age of twelve, 206 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 1: raise your hand. If you're over the age of twelve, 207 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: raise your hand. And wave it at me real good, Like, 208 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: just let me know that you got all your circulation left. Yeah, 209 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: wave it at me. If we are grown ups, can 210 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: we please make a quality decision to stop letting our 211 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: opinions of others be determined through the filter of the 212 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 1: opinions of others. The contrast is severe. In verse one, 213 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: it says the apostles and believers they heard about what 214 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: Peter was doing, and they criticized him out of their ignorance. 215 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: But verse five says that they heard what Peter did, 216 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: but watch what Peter has. Peter has a first person 217 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:03,079 Speaker 1: percon so he's not going off of what he heard. 218 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: He's going off of what he experienced. That's why it 219 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: doesn't It doesn't affect me what you think God is. Like. 220 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,680 Speaker 1: You can tell me God is judgmental and hateful, but 221 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: I don't believe that because I have experienced his law, 222 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: I have seen his goodness, I have felt his touch, 223 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: I have experienced his embrace. And so when you hear 224 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: something secondhand and take it as truth, it can be 225 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: worse than secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke can destroy your lungs. 226 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: Secondhand stories can destroy your life. Secondhand stories can keep 227 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: you from getting to know people that you would actually 228 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: like if you didn't just meet them through a screen. 229 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: Secondhand stories can keep you from stereotyping genders and races 230 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: and other denominations. I was riding around with a pastor 231 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: one time and we drove by a church and the 232 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: parking lot was full. The parking lot was so full 233 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: that people were parked on the side of the road 234 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: to go to that church. And we were driving past 235 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: it to go to his church. And I was speaking 236 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: for him, and we were going on the way to 237 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: his church, and he pointed at the church with the 238 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: full parking lot and said, that's a weird church. I 239 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: sat under my breath and it's full too. And see, 240 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: when something else makes you feel insecure, you shield yourself 241 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: by calling it weird. So this is what I want 242 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: you to get out of it. Some of you are 243 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: holding on to stories that are not even true about you, 244 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: that were given to you second hand about who you are. Gideon, 245 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: you know, I am the least in my tribe. This 246 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: is an Old Testament story that illustrates it. I am 247 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: the smallest, My tribe is the smallest. I'm the smallest 248 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: in the tribe, and I want to ask you what 249 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: God asked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? 250 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: Who told you that? Who told you that story? Sometimes 251 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: it's even well meaning people. I mean, these were not pagans. 252 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: These were observant Jewish Christians who just wanted to get 253 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: it right. But what happened in their day happens in ours. 254 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: Where you know, when God originally blessed his people, he 255 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: wanted them to take it beyond just these borders. But 256 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: over time, you know, tradition gets in the way of truth, 257 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: so then you start thinking that your tradition is the truth. 258 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: And if you've ever had a family member say something 259 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: to you like, oh, well, you're getting kind of big 260 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: for your briches. Is that just a monkst corner thing, 261 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: you know, you make a move forward, Oh well, you're 262 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: getting too big for your briches. It's a way of 263 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: trying to keep you stuck in the tradition of what 264 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 1: our family has accomplished and what we do. And so 265 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: I'm so subconscious. For most of us, it's a story 266 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 1: that runs in the background and we never even know it, 267 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: but it is a story that someone else told themselves 268 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: and then they passed it on to us, and we 269 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: took it as our own, and we stay stuck in 270 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: a story for eighty years of our life that we 271 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: could have broken out of if we would have believed 272 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: the voice of God. I hear my preaching mentors saying, 273 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: slow down, verdict, So let me do that for a moment. 274 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: What stories are you holding onto that are old, that 275 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: are keeping you from what's new and what's now and 276 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: what's true and what's real. Secondhand stories, it's a dangerous thing. 277 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: If you ever played the game where you pass a 278 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: thing down the road, I could start and say milk 279 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: is on sale, and by the time it gets to Christy, 280 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: by the time it passes all the way down this road, 281 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 1: you know, it would turn into you know, Donald Trump 282 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: is the pastor of Elevation Church by the time it 283 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: got down that row. And it's never been worse than 284 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 1: it is right now in our world that we don't 285 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 1: read the whole story, just the headlines. So then it 286 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: becomes oh, well, you're not this, and you're only that, 287 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,680 Speaker 1: and you can't this, and all white people and all 288 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: black people and all men and all women and this 289 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 1: community and that community, and it is a generic way 290 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: of keeping us from peeling back the labels, because labels 291 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: always limit, and when you label yourself, you limit yourself. 292 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: So all that to say, there might be a few 293 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: holes in your story, some things that you have told 294 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: yourself that aren't necessarily he said, it was very entertaining, 295 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 1: but it wasn't very accurate. And sometimes you tell yourself 296 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 1: a story to survive, just to make it. And what's 297 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: sad to me about it is somebody might have rejected 298 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 1: you at one point in your life because of how 299 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:13,199 Speaker 1: they felt about themselves, and then you took it as 300 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: an indication of your value. Oh well, they walked out 301 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: of my life. There must have been something wrong with me. 302 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: That's their story, not yours. That's their story, not yours. 303 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:28,239 Speaker 1: That's their story, not yours, and you don't have to 304 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: own it. And I love Peter because he is so reckless. 305 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 1: And so the reckless Reverend comes in, but he's got 306 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: himself under control, and he just told them the whole story. 307 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: Don't you want God to show you the whole story 308 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 1: of your life? And when he starts the story, he 309 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: starts with everybody's favorite main character in the story. Look 310 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: at verse five. You ready for this? This is how 311 00:19:54,680 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: every story starts watches I Number two, beware of self 312 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 1: centered stories. Oh man, when you put yourself at the 313 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: center of every story, you're gonna be stressed out. There's 314 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: not enough peptobysmal in the world for you to keep 315 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: your stomach calm if you put yourself at the center 316 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: of every story. And this is for all of us 317 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: who are easily offended. All right, did you see how 318 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: they looked at me? They don't like me. They like you, fine, 319 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: they're sleepy, they don't like their husband. It's not you. Oh, 320 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 1: look at somebody and set them for you say it's 321 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: not you, it's not you. They weren't mad at Peter. 322 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: They were stuck in a structure and a system and 323 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: a way of thought. When I make myself the center 324 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: of the story, I take on unnecessary stress. Sometimes when 325 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: I'm preaching, I think I'm not doing good if everybody's 326 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: not you know, saying amen are something like that. But 327 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: what if you were up till three thirty in the 328 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: morning and you didn't get your sleep. I'm gonna take 329 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: that as a reflection of my preaching. I don't think so. 330 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 1: The devil is a liar. This is good preaching, no 331 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: matter whether you're not at it or not. And you 332 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: know what, I need to get better about that in 333 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 1: my life because I really struggle thinking that every story 334 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: starts with me how they treated me. And so I say, like, 335 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 1: you know that God has a reason for everything. And 336 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,199 Speaker 1: what I mean by that is, okay, this is my 337 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 1: dirty little secret. What I mean is God has a 338 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: reason for this that I am going to like agree 339 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,919 Speaker 1: with and understand. And that's just not the way it is. 340 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 1: How many know, that's just not the way it is 341 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: a self centered story in parenting when I make it 342 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: about myself. Remember these are circumcised believers. That is an 343 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: external sign of a covenant. It's something that you can see. 344 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: You wouldn't necessarily always see it, but you could see it. 345 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna leave that right there in case your kid 346 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: didn't go to the kids ministry today and you can 347 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,239 Speaker 1: do that Bible study home. But you couldn't necessarily see it, 348 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: but you could see it. And here's the temptation when 349 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,679 Speaker 1: we try to go off of what we can see 350 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: and tell ourselves a story and then we start filling 351 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: in the space. Remember Peter is seventy miles away from Jerusalem, 352 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 1: and they start telling the story. Space creates stories. Physical 353 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: space creates stories. Sometimes you don't need to text certain things. 354 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,919 Speaker 1: You need to pick up the phone and call. Sometimes 355 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: text doesn't get the tone across, and you're gonna spend 356 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: six months fixing a relational mess because you used your 357 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,159 Speaker 1: thumbs rather than your feet to walk over and have 358 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: a real conversation. And so when you have space, you 359 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: create a story. Even the space of time creates stories. 360 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: You know, a lot of time goes by and you're like, 361 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 1: you start, you start remembering things differently, don't you. Yeah, 362 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: it's hard for me right now raising kids to remember 363 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: what it's like to be a kid. So if one 364 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: of my kids acts up, my immediate thing is to 365 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: make it about me. They are disrespecting me. I am 366 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 1: the man of God. And uh, one day, the Lord, 367 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: the Lord really this was. This was like, have you 368 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: ever had one of those god bombs just go off 369 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:41,439 Speaker 1: inside of you where you just knew that what you 370 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,880 Speaker 1: were thinking was wrong. I was. I was thinking about 371 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 1: one of my kids. They are so selfish. They were 372 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 1: making certain certain decisions. I thought, this is so selfish. 373 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: The Lord said, They're not selfish, they're scared. Think about 374 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: what it's like when you start getting flooded with all 375 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: of those hormones. Think about what it's like when the 376 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 1: rules change on you all of a sudden. And y'all 377 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: don't have big kids yet, but you will remember. You 378 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: will remember certain times in your life where you were 379 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 1: acting selfish. The reason you were acting selfish is because 380 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,440 Speaker 1: you were scared. And when you get scared, you start 381 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: acting selfish because you are in protection mode. So what 382 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 1: am I doing? I'm going from God. They're so selfish, 383 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 1: and God is showing me that the whole story. See, 384 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:33,880 Speaker 1: there's a whole in your story. There's a whole story, 385 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: and then there's a whole in your story. And sometimes 386 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: we tell ourselves stories about others without realizing that they 387 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: are going through things too. Y'all don't want to say 388 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: amen to this, because it means we have to have 389 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: compassion on people, kind of like God has compassion on us. 390 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: Like we want God to forgive us, like we want 391 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:03,080 Speaker 1: God to excuse our gaps. We're gonna have to sometimes say, God, 392 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: help me to stop making it about me. God forgive 393 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: me for making this about me. I feel the Holy 394 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:16,719 Speaker 1: ghost and fire in my bones right now. It's bigger 395 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 1: than you. It's bigger than you. How could Peter have 396 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: known that what he was being criticized for in this 397 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: moment would lead to the Gospel penetrating the Roman Empire. 398 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: You have no idea what God is doing through this conflict, 399 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: this season in your life. There is a bigger story 400 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:43,880 Speaker 1: being told. And there is a hole in your story. 401 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: There's a hole in your story. Dear Holly, Dear Holly, 402 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,119 Speaker 1: there's a hole in Did you know this song as 403 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: a whole not in your bucket? There's a hole in 404 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:07,959 Speaker 1: your story. There's a hole in your story. And we 405 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 1: can't stand not to know how things are going to 406 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: turn out. So what we do? We make up a story. 407 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: I mean we make up look, sit out. I got 408 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:24,679 Speaker 1: to tell you about selective stories. Selective stories. This is 409 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: when you don't know what's going to happen next in 410 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 1: your life. Like think about the uncertainty that the early 411 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: Church was facing under great persecution and yet great purpose 412 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 1: at the same time of great persecution, and they're both 413 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 1: happening simultaneously. But what story are you going to choose? 414 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 1: Selective stories? You are always choosing your story, and some 415 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 1: of us, for some God forsaken reason, keep choosing horror 416 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 1: stories we fill in the unknown parts of our future. 417 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: You know what, some of us could give Stephen King 418 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: a run for his money if we put down the 419 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 1: paper the scary stories we write about what might happen 420 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 1: in our lives. I mean, if Stephen King has nothing 421 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: on you, you create boogeymen. You create scenarios out of 422 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: the small Have you noticed how the smallest thing can 423 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: put a story? Have you? You know if your new parent, 424 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,199 Speaker 1: raise your hand, they're not sleeping through the night. How 425 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 1: many you got a baby that's not sleeping through the 426 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: night right now? And how many times have you thought, 427 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 1: what if this is a sign of things to come? 428 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: And now you got them in rehab and now you 429 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: got them on drunks, strung out on, there's got a 430 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 1: needle in their arm, and they're just collicky. Flat tire. 431 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: Oh god, it's just gonna be one of those days. 432 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: That's a story. It's just gonna be one of those days. 433 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: Flat tire. Now, the same person might have got a 434 00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,440 Speaker 1: flat tire and said, well, God must have been keeping 435 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 1: me from a wreck that was going to happen two 436 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: miles up the street. That's just a story. You ready 437 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:12,879 Speaker 1: for this? You don't get to choose every situation, but 438 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 1: you get to choose the story. Oh, the power of 439 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: God is in that truth. You choose the story that 440 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: you tell yourself. So if something's hard, you can be like, oh, man, 441 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,199 Speaker 1: this is hard. I thought God told me to do it, 442 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: But I guess the Lord isn't in. This is hard. 443 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 1: It must not be God. What if Jesus would have 444 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: thought about the cross that way? Oh, this is hard. 445 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: This must not be the will of God. I must 446 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: not have heard God on this one. But this is hard. 447 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: That's a story. Here's another story. This is so hard. 448 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: It must be God. That must be the devil must 449 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: have got a memo that I'm onto. So oh think good. 450 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: I'm on the educated. That's what these giants are here 451 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: to signify. It is dangerous when you select a certain story. 452 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 1: Nobody cares about me. Give me your phone. I will 453 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: show you people who care about you, who checked on 454 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: you this week. But you let that devil in your 455 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: editing room and gave him your typewriter. I'm an old 456 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: school preacher. You gave him the seat in the chair 457 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: to edit your story. You get to choose your story. 458 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: I didn't always believe this, I thought, well, you know, well, 459 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: certain people, they have certain stories. No, No, those are situations. 460 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: Life will give you a lot of suffering. You don't 461 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: get to choose it. But if you're gonna have to 462 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: suffer enough because of the situations that life brings, why 463 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: would you choose to suffer with a story. I don't 464 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: know who this is for. It is probably not somebody 465 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: in this room. You've suffered enough. You've suffered enough. What 466 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: you're going through is hard enough. What you're dealing with 467 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: this heavy enough without telling yourself a story about it 468 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: that reinforces the thought that God is not with you. 469 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: I'm still in Acts eleven. Peter told them the whole story. 470 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: He saw what God did. They heard it. He saw it. 471 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: They heard it. He saw it, they heard it. He 472 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 1: showed up and said, I heard what you've been saying 473 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: about me. But there's a hole in your story. You're 474 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 1: telling me what you heard. Let me tell you what 475 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: I saw. I saw the vision of the whole earth 476 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: being reached by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I saw it, 477 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 1: I experienced it. I know that God is for me. 478 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 1: How do you know, well, I was there. I was 479 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: there when He picked me up. I was there when 480 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: nobody else could give me the comfort in the bamb 481 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: in the medicine, but God helped me through that night. 482 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: I was there when I was in the middle of 483 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,080 Speaker 1: an emotional storm that I saw no way through. But 484 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: look at me on the other side, dancing on the shore. 485 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: I was there. You can't tell me God's not real. 486 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 1: You can't tell me he didn't choose me. You can't 487 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: tell me grace doesn't work. You can't tell me it's over. 488 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: You can't tell me the best is behind me. You 489 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: can't make me tell him. I know too much. I 490 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: saw it. You tell me what you heard. I'll tell 491 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: you what I saw. I feel the spirit of the Lord. 492 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 1: You choose the story. Now, if this is the most 493 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: difficult season of your life, right now, you still get 494 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: to choose the story. Did you clap because you're going 495 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: through hell? You get to choose what you tell yourself 496 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: the story of this season. Okay, because watch this. One 497 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,479 Speaker 1: person says I'm going through the valley of the shadow 498 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: of death. Somebody else says, there's a table for me 499 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: in the presence of my enemies. It's the same situation, 500 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 1: but it's a different story. Y'all forgot how to shout 501 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: while I was gone last week. Shout if you know 502 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: that the devil might take your money, he might rob 503 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 1: you up a few years. But you can't have my story, 504 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: my joy, my annoying, my authority, get under my feet, snake. Now, 505 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: one of my best friends is going through the most 506 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: horrible season of their life right now, and he and 507 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:05,680 Speaker 1: his wife lost everything last year. Lost everything. I don't 508 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 1: mean that like we say it. You know, your video 509 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: game progress got lost. I'm not talking about that. I'm 510 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: talking about stripped. I'm talking about I felt like I 511 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: was watching the Book of Job. I thought they would 512 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: lose their faith. I really did. And what would make 513 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: me mad. Every time I would call to encourage them, 514 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 1: they would start encouraging me, and I was like, stop it. 515 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 1: This is your encouraging phone call. You ever been trying 516 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:38,719 Speaker 1: to unlock the door and somebody else's unlocking it at 517 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: the same time. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, 518 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: stud it. And so she said something the wife. They 519 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,880 Speaker 1: lost their their ministry had to move to the other 520 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: side of the country, and much of it was his decision, 521 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 1: it wasn't her decision. And then at the consequence of 522 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: his decision, she ends up having to leave everything that 523 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:03,800 Speaker 1: she's known, the town they grew up in, the ministry, 524 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: all of it left, it gone, gone other side of 525 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:11,320 Speaker 1: the country. Then she gets diagnosed with cancer. So I'm like, 526 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:19,839 Speaker 1: for real right now? Her all right? So I saw 527 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:23,360 Speaker 1: her after all her hair was gone from chemo, and 528 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: after she was, you know, thirty three percent smaller than 529 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:30,080 Speaker 1: she was when I saw the all of the stuff 530 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: was in full effect. She started talking about thank God 531 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: for the insurance. No, I don't want you to clap yet, 532 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:44,800 Speaker 1: because think about this, she said, even though we lost everything, 533 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: if we hadn't moved across the country, we wouldn't have 534 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:49,400 Speaker 1: gotten put on different insurance, and our old insurance wouldn't 535 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: have covered this. Hold on, don't clap yet. So I'm 536 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 1: thinking I'm kind of an attitude about it, like, well, 537 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: if God can get you to the other side of 538 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: the country for better insurance, he's just stop the cancer. 539 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: That's how I think I know, yealler Halo's just glowing 540 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 1: right now. Y'all trust the Lord with all your heart, 541 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: leaning on your own understanding. Sometimes I lean on my 542 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: own understanding, and I'm like, this is ridiculous. I said, 543 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:15,720 Speaker 1: and I didn't say it out loud, but I'm sitting 544 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: over there thinking it, thinking like, well, did God really 545 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,919 Speaker 1: have to make you lose everything, get you across the country, 546 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,719 Speaker 1: give you insurance. If he's a healer, I'm thinking that. 547 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: I called him yesterday. I was like, I keep thinking 548 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 1: about this insurance thing y'all keep saying is bugging me. 549 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: It doesn't make any logical, tactical sense. The great I am, 550 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: who can part the red sea, can't stop you from 551 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: getting cancer. He just get you on a better insurance policy. 552 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: I said, I don't get it. She said, it's not 553 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 1: your story. Y'all better help me shout, or we're never 554 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:57,239 Speaker 1: gonna get to the eleven thirty. I want you to 555 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:01,880 Speaker 1: look at that devil and say, it's not yours. She 556 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: said if I believed, if I believed that this was 557 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: the end for me, I wouldn't survive. But if I 558 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:15,360 Speaker 1: believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord 559 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 1: in the land of a living. She said, that's my story, 560 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: and I'm sticking to it. Let the devil know come 561 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: hell her high water. I get to choose the story 562 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:44,359 Speaker 1: that I tell. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel empowerment 563 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:49,239 Speaker 1: in this word, I get to choose the story that 564 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:54,920 Speaker 1: I tell. I get to choose. Be careful about selective stories, 565 00:36:56,120 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 1: Be careful about self centered stories, be careful about second 566 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:08,919 Speaker 1: hand stories, and be careful about short stories. Just sitting 567 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:14,520 Speaker 1: down like you want me to finish now, be careful 568 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,440 Speaker 1: of short stories. This point is not for Holly. She 569 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: has never in her life. I might have to pay 570 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:29,360 Speaker 1: for this when we get home, but it's gonna be 571 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:35,160 Speaker 1: worth it to get the point across. My wife when 572 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:38,239 Speaker 1: she was growing up, her dad used to say when 573 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 1: because there were three women in the house, well, three 574 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 1: daughters and a wife, so he was just it was 575 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 1: him versus the estrogen, and the estrogen was just so powerful, 576 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: and so when they would start telling a story, he go, 577 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: he go, how long is this story going to be? 578 00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: I just need to know should I should I? Should 579 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: I get comfortable in my chair? Should I? Should I 580 00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: fluff my pillow? Should I get an MRI? How long 581 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 1: are we going to be here in the story. I 582 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: thought that was so rude that he would say that, 583 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:16,040 Speaker 1: But I'm kind of like, now I know what he 584 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:18,919 Speaker 1: was saying, because it's not I don't want to hear it. 585 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:23,480 Speaker 1: I just want to pace myself with my attentions. Man, 586 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 1: make sure I make take some notes and you know, 587 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:29,960 Speaker 1: so I can refer back to point number three A 588 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:34,359 Speaker 1: and ask you know. But it's always so eloquent, as 589 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 1: you know. I don't mind anyway. Anyway. She says something 590 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:45,400 Speaker 1: all the time to people that I've never said to anyone. 591 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,919 Speaker 1: She'll say, somebody been telling a story. This happened last week. 592 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,040 Speaker 1: True story. Okay, because I said this last night. She 593 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 1: knows what i'nna saying. She said last week to somebody 594 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,400 Speaker 1: they were starting to tell a story. I'm yawning. I 595 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: look into did but I gotta enter yng. I'm a 596 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 1: I'm thinking the more I know, the faster they'll do this. 597 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: And she goes, she goes, oh, this is a great story. 598 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:21,840 Speaker 1: Please tell me everything and don't leave out any details. 599 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:35,520 Speaker 1: Shop And when it said Peter told the whole story, 600 00:39:36,719 --> 00:39:42,200 Speaker 1: I thought about Holly. I thought about the whole story, 601 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:48,960 Speaker 1: all the details. And sometimes you let doubt cut you 602 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: off in the middle of a sentence. That God is 603 00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:55,760 Speaker 1: speaking in your life, So be careful about the short story. 604 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 1: Be careful when people try to summarize your life into 605 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 1: a neat little care category. Be careful when you tell 606 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: yourself a story like that's all there is. That's not 607 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:11,040 Speaker 1: all there is. There's more to the story. There's a 608 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:13,960 Speaker 1: hole in your story right now, and I wonder what 609 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,680 Speaker 1: you're going to fill it with. When Peter went down 610 00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,759 Speaker 1: to preach to Cornelius, he went down to tell him 611 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:23,480 Speaker 1: the good news about Jesus Christ. When he recounted it 612 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: to the circumcised believers in Jerusalem, he left one part out. 613 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,320 Speaker 1: Let me show you what he left out of his story. 614 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,279 Speaker 1: He left out the sermon that he preached while he 615 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:36,000 Speaker 1: was there. I want to show you just one thing 616 00:40:36,080 --> 00:40:38,719 Speaker 1: before I sit down and put this mic up and 617 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:41,640 Speaker 1: send you home happy. I want to show you why 618 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 1: some of you are stuck in a part of your 619 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:46,920 Speaker 1: story that was never intended to be the end. Because 620 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:50,040 Speaker 1: when Peter got up to preach to Cornelius in Acts, 621 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:53,840 Speaker 1: chapter ten, verse thirty nine, he said something about Jesus 622 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:57,239 Speaker 1: that we are all witnesses. I saw it. I know 623 00:40:57,280 --> 00:41:00,200 Speaker 1: what you heard. I saw it. I was there. I 624 00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:03,200 Speaker 1: saw him save me. I saw him pay the price 625 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 1: for my sins. I saw him shed his blood. I 626 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,279 Speaker 1: saw him with the lashes on his black back. I 627 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 1: saw him as a sheep before the sheer, and he 628 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 1: didn't say a word. I saw it for myself, and 629 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 1: we are witnesses of everything that he did. In the 630 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 1: country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, they killed him. 631 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:26,359 Speaker 1: They hung him on a cross. Comma. They hung him 632 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:31,480 Speaker 1: on a cross. Comma. They hung him on a cross Comma. 633 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 1: The word of the Lord for you today, my brother, 634 00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 1: my sister, don't stop at the comma. Don't stop at 635 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:46,440 Speaker 1: the comma, because the next verse says, but God, I 636 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:49,520 Speaker 1: love those two words like I love the breath in 637 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 1: my lungs. But God, we were trespassers. We had broken 638 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 1: his law. We did not deserve mercy. Somebody shout, but God. 639 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:02,759 Speaker 1: Seeing if you stop at the comma, you never get 640 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:05,880 Speaker 1: to see the button. God was raising him from the 641 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:10,319 Speaker 1: dead by the time the story started to spread. Resurrection 642 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:14,760 Speaker 1: is possible when you realize he didn't stay on the cross. 643 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 1: When they nailed him on the tree, they put a 644 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:22,719 Speaker 1: nail in his hands. But early one Sunday he shaw 645 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 1: Thomas something. Put your finger where the nails were. There's 646 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: a hole in your story. This is the gospel of 647 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:38,360 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. There's a hole in your story. Follow me 648 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:42,000 Speaker 1: down to the guarded tomb where they laid his body 649 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:46,320 Speaker 1: in a cave. His body is not there. He has risen. 650 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:51,160 Speaker 1: There's a hole in your story and the best is 651 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:55,120 Speaker 1: yet to come. And he who began a good work 652 00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:59,600 Speaker 1: in you will be faithful to complete it if you'll 653 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:04,280 Speaker 1: believe He get us sound right now, gep of us sound. 654 00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:09,239 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 655 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,279 Speaker 1: you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 656 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:15,239 Speaker 1: you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 657 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:19,000 Speaker 1: link in the description to give now or visit Elevationchurch 658 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 659 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:25,759 Speaker 1: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 660 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 1: with your friends. You can click the share button, take 661 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,440 Speaker 1: a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 662 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:33,359 Speaker 1: tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 663 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:33,759 Speaker 1: bless you.