1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Fernick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: and this is our podcast. Be sure to subscribe so 3 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: we can get you these new sermons every week. I 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: hope you're blessed today. With hands lifted all over this 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 1: room listening to him. God is more. Oh, God is 6 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: put on your mind? What your love? It's too hard 7 00:00:42,479 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: for him? God is mony. God who went by to 8 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:10,559 Speaker 1: the gun. What the Let the way back then through, 9 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: Let the light back on through. That's somebody's watch the 10 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: story shouts. Let them pull through. Let the way they 11 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: may come through. Why you made me knowing what they 12 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: want to. Let the way make him through shore then 13 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: Dunny the said they can't do it him. Let the 14 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: way Hager through. Let awad I got you to. That's 15 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: how you kinda know that's somebody's due. This star Chad 16 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: out come through? Who did not? When let's go. I 17 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: want to tell you right now that God is able 18 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: to do immeasurably more. Can you ask, think, or think 19 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: or imagine according to his power? Somebody sud his power. 20 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: That's what I want to preach about today. I want 21 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: to breach about his power. The title of this message 22 00:02:52,160 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: are you ready. When God goes in, Gary cor conset 23 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:12,839 Speaker 1: lead you. Jacob come heracle worker. God goes in. Thank 24 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: you Lord for your spirit. Thank you for your anointing 25 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: to break chains, liberate those who are captive, to raise 26 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: up those who are broken, to heal those who are hurting, 27 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: to save those who are lost, to free those who 28 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: are addicted. That anointing is in this house right now, 29 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: and we release you to do what you want to do. 30 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: Mighty God, miracle Worker, have your way in this place. 31 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: You are more than able. In Jesus' name. Somebody's shout, Amen, 32 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: come here. I'll start my sermon this way. I'll just 33 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: go right in. You're ready to go right in, Let's 34 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: go right in. This one of my favorite songwriting partners 35 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: in the world, Chandler More. We have an enterprise called 36 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: Morphurdic Enterprises. I kissed his sweaty cheek because he has 37 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: brought so many wonderful gifts to my life and to 38 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: our church. We have a long story. You could go 39 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: back and watch me telling those stories. They're all online. 40 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: One thing that makes us good songwriting partners is that 41 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: we both respect one another's strengths, and we have different strengths. 42 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: And I've never met anybody more intuitive than Chandler. So 43 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: what I do to get him to sing? Now, hold on, 44 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: let me tell you what I do a little trick, 45 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: Because you ever want to write a song with Chandler, 46 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: get him to think you're done writing the song, and 47 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: then he'll do something more amazing than he did while 48 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: you're writing the song, and then take that and write 49 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: the song around that little trick. The songwriting trick true Christian, 50 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: very true. One of the things that makes us good 51 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: in collaboration, I think, is at he is very strong 52 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 1: where I'm not as strong, and I'm very cool to 53 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 1: be vulnerable in the way to say, hey, that's better, 54 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 1: or he might say to me, oh that's better. And 55 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: that's very important in a creative partnership. But you are 56 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: in a partnership with God to bring about his purpose 57 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: in the earth. Even if you're a single mom, you're 58 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: in a partnership with God raising your child. You're not alone. 59 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: And just like Chandler has strengths that I don't think 60 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: about God and you, and what makes you and God 61 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: good partners is that he's really good at what you're 62 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: not good at. And that's a lot of stuff I've 63 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: been checking on y'all. That's a lot of things that 64 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: he can do that you can't do. And so today 65 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: I want to preach about that, and I want to 66 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,679 Speaker 1: share continue We've been preaching off the song that we wrote, 67 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: more than Able. It's out now, you can go download it. 68 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: How many of you have already been riding around singing 69 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: it with the windows down? It's been warm, Charlotte Weather. 70 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: I'm scared people are hearing you sing that thing loud, 71 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: and I'm scared you can't sing. And I'm scared you're 72 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: scaring them. You're right around, and you start thinking you 73 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: sound like Chandler to sounds just like him. Sounds just 74 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: like him. But I've been preaching off of a thought 75 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: in that song that said, there's so much more to 76 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,600 Speaker 1: the story. And I'm believing that in faith for everybody 77 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: who might have been tempted to give up in the 78 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: last few years, or even in the last few weeks, 79 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: for the last few days. You know. I met a 80 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: lady this weekend. She said, I was sitting in the 81 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: hospital parking lot trying to decide whether I needed to 82 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: check myself in. She was standing there with her son. 83 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: She said, I was trying to decide whether to check 84 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: myself into the hospital because lately I feel like I'm 85 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: going crazy, and I've made an appointment to see about that. 86 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 1: But she said, but I was sitting in the parking 87 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: lot listening to your sermons all day. I sat there 88 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: for two hours. When I finished, I said, God, I 89 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: need another sign that it's going to be all right. 90 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: And then she saw me in the thing, and I 91 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: was like, I think this counts as a sign, don't you? 92 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: Don't you? I don't believe God has to bring me 93 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: or any other individual in your life to give you 94 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: a sign that he's with you. The fact that you've 95 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: survived all that you've survived, and that he brought you 96 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: to this point and that you still have breath in 97 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: your lungs, he's not done with you yet. Say it. 98 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: He's not done with me yet. He's not done with 99 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: me yet. So let's go. You go dry off or something. 100 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: You got me soaking wet. Now that was disgusting, And 101 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: I'm going to give one scripture while you're standing. I'll 102 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: let you sit down in just a moment, but I 103 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: want to share one scripture from Judges, chapter six, verse fourteen, 104 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: and then out of this verse. This will be a 105 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: two week sermon. How many of you will commit to 106 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: come back next next week? If I can get fifty 107 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: percent of you to say you'll come back next week, 108 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: I won't have to keep you here till three pm. 109 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: Raise your hand. If you commit to come back next week, 110 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: that's good. And then we'll be at Easter. And then 111 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: we got to come on Easter. Even if we don't 112 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:17,679 Speaker 1: come any other time, we got to come to Easter. 113 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: Go to hell, you go to double hell if you 114 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: don't come on Easter. You know I'm teasing. Judges Chapter six, 115 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: verse fourteen says something very powerful, and it's going to 116 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: get more and more powerful as I preach it today 117 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,319 Speaker 1: and then as I preach it again next week. And 118 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: it's just going to build momentum in your spirit. And 119 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: you're going to see a breakthrough on Easter Sunday. And 120 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: it's going to start right now. Judges, Chapter six, verse fourteen. 121 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: The Lord turned to him and said, go in the 122 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand? 123 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: Am I not sending you when God goes in and Father, 124 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: have your way in Jesus' name, Hey man, touch somebody, 125 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,839 Speaker 1: say he's coming in. He's coming in. Let the way 126 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: maker through. He's coming in. He's coming in to your home, 127 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: to your heart, to your brokenness, to your questions, to 128 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: your weeping. Right now, just make that confession online in 129 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: the chat, say he's coming in. Come through. Lord, do 130 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: what you want to do. When you think about the Bible. 131 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: I want you to think about all of the strange 132 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: elevations in the Bible. This is not the first strange 133 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: elevation in history. This church. I know we're a little weird. 134 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: I know it's a little different. How many of you 135 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: the first time you came here, we scared you a 136 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: little bit. Just raise your hand, even like they're too happy. 137 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: This can't be real. This feels culted. Why because everybody 138 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: seems really into it. Oh yeah, God forgive we be 139 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: into Jesus and this kingdom. That would be weird make 140 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: much more sense. It felt like a funeral when God 141 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 1: is alive. I digress. My point is not that. My 142 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: point is not about our church being strange. Although we 143 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: are proudly strange and getting stranger every day. We hadn't 144 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 1: even gotten weird yet. Let me tell you how weird 145 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: it's gonna get we're gonna release a whole album on 146 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 1: May nineteenth, Holly's birthday. It's called Can You Imagine? And 147 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: on that night that we released those songs, we're gonna 148 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: record eight more and I'm announcing it now because that's weird, 149 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: but that's what we're gonna do, because we got to 150 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: get the word of God out into as many hearts 151 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: as we can. And if God gives it, we can't 152 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 1: be stingy. We got to give it and release it 153 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,959 Speaker 1: so we can receive it and repeat it and do 154 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: it again. So that's how weird we are. And we're 155 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: weird in other ways too. We're not divided in ways 156 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 1: that some churches are divided, and we don't have black 157 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: songs and white songs. We just have songs songs about God. 158 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: We don't do ministry to rich people or poor people. 159 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: We just do ministry everybody needs Jesus. One thing that 160 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: encourages me in my study of God's word is all 161 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: of the people that God raised that from a human 162 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: perspective wouldn't have been recognized as likely candidates to be 163 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: vessels for the purpose of God. Clap on that. If 164 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: you're an unlikely candidate too, Yeah, that's good. I called 165 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:59,319 Speaker 1: it a strange elevation because definitely, if you want to 166 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,559 Speaker 1: see that, look at what Paul says in First Corinthians one, 167 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: verse twenty three. Check this out. Might be twenty four. 168 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: I don't remember, but whatever scripture it is, put it 169 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: up because I'm stolen. But to those whom God has 170 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: called touch your neighbors, say, that's me he's talking about. 171 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,199 Speaker 1: Paul never met me, but he's describing me right there. 172 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 1: But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, 173 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 174 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: next verse. For the foolishness of God is wiser than 175 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than 176 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:49,439 Speaker 1: human strength. More, brothers and sisters, think of what you 177 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: were when you were called. Don't flash back too far. 178 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: I might not get you back to church today. If 179 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:55,839 Speaker 1: you think about where you were, what you were, and 180 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: where you were. Think of what you were when you 181 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: were called. Many of your wives by human standards, not 182 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 1: many were influential, Not many were of noble birth. Next verse. 183 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: But God chose the foolish things of the world to 184 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: shame the wise. Don't clap too hard. They might think 185 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: you're the foolish one. I'm past the point of caring, ma'am. 186 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,959 Speaker 1: I'd rather somebody think I was foolish than actually be 187 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: a fool. And the fool has said in his heart 188 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 1: there is no God, but God shows the weak things 189 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: of the world to shame the strong. So the subject 190 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: I want to talk to you today about revolves kind 191 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,079 Speaker 1: of around this thought. The problem that you're having in 192 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:45,079 Speaker 1: your life right now, to align with what God spoke 193 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: about you, has a very discernible diagnosis from the word 194 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: of God. I'm going to give it to you upfront 195 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 1: and then we'll unpack it together. It's that sometimes you 196 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 1: get who you are confused with where you are. That's 197 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: a lot of what you've been having severe and even 198 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: crippling anxiety about is that you keep getting who you 199 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: are confused with where you are, and God knows the 200 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: difference even when you don't. I'm not going to fill 201 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: this sermon with anecdotes from people that I met, but 202 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: it just so happened going through Krispy Kreme the other night. 203 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: I wasn't eating them, I was getting them for the 204 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 1: sleepover gram. What's happened. Just want to tell you that 205 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: right now because I can't eat one of those. And 206 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: I pulled through, and I felt like it was a 207 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: good test for me against temptation to have two dozen 208 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: Krispy Kreme donuts in the car and just drive home 209 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: and not touch them. And I did it, and I 210 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: got a quest cookie and I called it even it 211 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: took me a while to get to that place, or 212 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: I could do that, So don't give up. There's hope 213 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: for all of us. Anyway, the guy said, hey, man, 214 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: I know who you are. You are? I said, cool, 215 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: what's your name? He said, I used to go to elevation. 216 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: I said, great, what's your name? He said, no, I 217 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: don't go anymore. I said, what does that have to 218 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: do with what's your name? I didn't ask where you 219 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: go to church? I asked who you are. In Judges 220 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: chapter six, we meet a man who is being raised 221 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: up by God, who is unlikely, being that he's from 222 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: the tribe of Manassa, which is looked down upon among 223 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: the nation of Israel in some ways for good reason. 224 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: They were kind of messy tribe, but also within that designation, 225 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: he saw himself as being the youngest in his family 226 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: because he was biologically but God had chosen him for greatness. 227 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: If you go through the Book of Judges, you'll see 228 00:15:55,800 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: all kinds of strange elevations. What I mean is God 229 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: will reach down and raise up somebody who no one 230 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: else had noticed, and do something really great through them 231 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: while nobody's looking. One of the stories is about Ehud, 232 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: who was a left handed judge, and the good thing 233 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: about him being left handed was he reached over to 234 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: his right thigh and stabbed a fat king, and the 235 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: attendants were outside thinking the king was in the bathroom, 236 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: but he actually had a blade sucked into his cellulight, 237 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: and he snuck out and saved the nation because he 238 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: was left handed. Now, the tribe that he was from Benjamin. 239 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: That means son on my right hand. So he was 240 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: a left handed dude in a right handed tribe. But 241 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: God raised him up at just the right time. Humble 242 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may 243 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: lift you up in due time. Of course, you never 244 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: heard of Ehud because it's kind of nasty scriptures, so 245 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: they don't teach it over there in Sunday school class 246 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: very much. However, you have heard of Gideon, who I 247 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: read about in Judges Chapter six. I think you have. 248 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: I think you've heard about what he did, how he 249 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: saved the nation with just three hundred men. My plan 250 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: is to attack that next week and to show you 251 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: how everything that has left your life is not needed 252 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: for the next season that God is bringing you into. 253 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: If you got him, you're going to do great things 254 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: and greater things in the future. Yeah, I see it, 255 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:44,120 Speaker 1: got you now. Gideon is the least likely. He calls 256 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: himself that in just a moment which we'll see his 257 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,440 Speaker 1: conversation with God. He calls himself the least, and he 258 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: calls himself the weakest. He calls himself the least, and 259 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 1: he calls himself the weakest. In fact, he calls the 260 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: plan that he's from within his family the least, and 261 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: he calls himself, well, he calls them the weakest, and 262 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: he calls himself the least within that family. So the 263 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:13,400 Speaker 1: weakest in the least, and he goes on to save 264 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: the nation. But before he does, before we talk about 265 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: what Gideon did, or before we even talk about who 266 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: Gideon is, I think we need to remember where he was, 267 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: because I think that's where a lot of us are. 268 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: I know it's where I've been and I spent a 269 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: lot of my time in life in this place where 270 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: Gideon was when God called him to do something amazing 271 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: and raised him up. It's a strange elevation. It's God 272 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:52,920 Speaker 1: raising up an imperfect person. As Paul said, the foolish 273 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: things of the world to shame the strong and the 274 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:02,359 Speaker 1: weak things to confound the wise. The Bible says in 275 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: Judges chapter six, verse seven, when the Israelites cried out 276 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a 277 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: prophet who said, this is what the Lord, the God 278 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: of Israel, says. I brought you up out of Egypt elevation, 279 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: out of the land of slavery. I rescued you from 280 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: the hand of the Egyptians, and I delivered you from 281 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them out 282 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 1: before you and gave you their lamb. I said to you, 283 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: I am the Lord your God. Do not worship the 284 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: gods of the emrits. Do not worship the gods of comparison. 285 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: Do not worship the gods of status. Do not worship 286 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: the worship the gods of sexual expression at the expense 287 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: of addiction and entanglement and bondage. I said to you. 288 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: You don't do it, don't become like where you are. 289 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: Don't confuse who I made you to be with what 290 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: you see in the place where I put you. The 291 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: prophet said that, he said that. We don't even know 292 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: his name, but he said that. But you have not 293 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: listened to me. Now, I promise I'm gonna raise you 294 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: up first. I got gonna start where we gotta start. Okay, 295 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: because that's true about a lot of us. How hard 296 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: you make me work is how deep I'm gonna go. 297 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: So just let's make a deal. You've been there before. 298 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: I call it predictable misery. You know it's not where 299 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: you need to go to get what you need to have, 300 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 1: But you do it. Predictable misery, predictable pleasure. You do 301 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: the thing, you get the thing, you lose the thing. 302 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: Now you got nothing, and you cry out to God. Now, 303 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: what I love about him is that he still lifts me. 304 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: That's what I love about him is that he still 305 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: lifts me. The question isn't will he lift you out 306 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: of it? The question is how long do you insist 307 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 1: on staying in it before you ask him to do 308 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:43,719 Speaker 1: what he said he would do. Now, for the Israelites, 309 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: It was a seven year cycle, this time seven years 310 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: of being oppressed by the Midianites. It would get really 311 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: bad when they tried to plant. When they tried to plant, 312 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: the Midianites would come, and the Bible says they came 313 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: on camels, and the Bible says they were like swarms 314 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: of locusts. That's how many there were. It was overwhelming, 315 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: like swarms of locusts. They would come and raid and invade. 316 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: Every time the Israelites got ready to grow and do 317 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: something forward thinking and progress and put something in the ground, 318 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: here came the Midianites. The Bible says, like swarms of locusts. 319 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: Every time they went to sew into their future, here 320 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: came a swarm of enemies to drive them back into 321 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: their past. Every time they went to sew, here came 322 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: a swarm. I'm setting this up so when I tell 323 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:48,680 Speaker 1: you where Gideon was, you won't judge him, because you 324 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: will judge him if you just meet him where he is. 325 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 1: But if you know what he's been warring against, maybe 326 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 1: you can relate to this guy a little bit. Maybe 327 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: you won't call him a whimp if you see why 328 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: he's hidden. Maybe if you realize that every time he's 329 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: tried to plant, every time he's tried to read, every 330 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: time I tried to go for a job interview, every 331 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: time I tried to move forward, every time I tried 332 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: to get my feet under me, every time I tried 333 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: to talk to him, every time I tried to apologize. 334 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 1: So now we have Gideon who is hidden but he's 335 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 1: a hero. But he's hidden but he's a hero. Which 336 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: one It's both, And so it is with you. I'm 337 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: preaching today to a hidden hero. I'm preaching today to 338 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: somebody who is stronger than your life has been suggesting 339 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: that you are. I'm preaching today to somebody who has 340 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: more potential than you've been given yourself credit for. And 341 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: God said, I'm coming in to show you who I am. 342 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: I am the Lord, your God. Now let's go. Here 343 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: comes the Angel. In verse number eleven, the Angel of 344 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,639 Speaker 1: the Lord came and sat down under the oak in 345 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: uh Orfra. This is before she had her talk show. 346 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: I like to point that out, she'd been doing it 347 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,160 Speaker 1: a long time. I always throw that joke in there 348 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: because that's really good, really good little preature joke. Sorry 349 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: about it. The Angel of the Lord came and sat 350 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to joe 351 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 1: Ash the abbys right, shock of shock, horrors of horrors. 352 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: Where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine 353 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 1: press to keep it from the Midian eyes. And when 354 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, 355 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 1: the Lord word is with you, mighty warrior. Now somebody's lying. 356 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:15,680 Speaker 1: These cannot coexist. You cannot be threshing wheat in a 357 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: wine press and be a warrior while you're in a 358 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: wine press threshing wheat hiding from the big bad Midianites. 359 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: Somebody's lying, somebody's wrong, somebody is not seeing something correctly. 360 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: One is an angel and one is Gideon. One is 361 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: the messenger of God, and one is Gideon, a human 362 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: from the tribe of Nnassa. So I'm asking you a question. 363 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: If it's God and Gideon saying two different things about 364 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:56,680 Speaker 1: the same situation, which one is wrong? That is not 365 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 1: a trick question. Shout this out loud. God is not wrong, 366 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: So why are you hiding? If God is not wrong? 367 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: So why are you worried about tomorrow? If God said 368 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 1: He's already there? So why have you given up on yourself? 369 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: When he didn't give up on you yet. So why 370 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:31,159 Speaker 1: do you talk to yourself like your trash when he 371 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:38,920 Speaker 1: spilt his blood for you, like your treasure. Why do 372 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: you keep going into a dark place. I'll tell you 373 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: why you are hiding, Because you've been hit hard. I 374 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,479 Speaker 1: understood the more I studied about the Midianites. They were 375 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: hit harder than any other tribe. When the Midianites, or 376 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: excuse me, the tribe of Manassa, they were hit harder 377 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: than any of the other tribes. When the Midianites would 378 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:03,200 Speaker 1: come in on their camels like locust. They hit midian 379 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 1: the hardest. And and so Gideon has this little spirit 380 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 1: on him. Why is everybody always picking on me? And 381 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: that's because the enemy only picks on what he perceives 382 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 1: to be powerful. You see why it's gonna take me 383 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: two weeks to do this the right way. But he's 384 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: in a wine press threshing weed. Nothing wrong with wine press. 385 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 1: He's not down there getting drunk. He's not down there 386 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: making making meth. Mister White, it's not that it's not 387 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: it's not exactly that he's in the wrong place. It's 388 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: that he's he's doing the thing that he's doing in 389 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: a place that is not most appropriate for who he is. 390 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: When you thresh wheat, and trust me, I've done it lot. 391 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,879 Speaker 1: Never thresh weet, but I understand from people who have 392 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 1: done these things. When you thresh weet, the goal is 393 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: to thresh it up on a hill in an elevated place, 394 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: as high as you can get. Because if you thresh 395 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: your wheat in a high place, and let's again remember 396 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: what threshing is is separating what's useful the wheat, from 397 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: what's useless, the chaff. And when you're threshing wheat, they say, 398 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,400 Speaker 1: if you throw it up and the wind is there, 399 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: then the wind will take what's invaluable and blow it away. Well, 400 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: I can appreciate this about the Holy Spirit. The wind 401 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: will take you know, the Holy Spirit is like wind 402 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: right num the breath of God. When God does what 403 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:52,080 Speaker 1: he does, it blows useless stuff away. I see chaff 404 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: flying out of your mind today. I see chaff flying 405 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:58,560 Speaker 1: out of your emotions today. But you gotta get where 406 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: the wind is is. But it's hard to be where 407 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 1: the wind is when you're in a low place. That's 408 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: what's wrong with the wine press. It's a low place. 409 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: That's what's wrong with the wine press. It's a depressed place. 410 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: That's what's wrong with the wine press. It feels like 411 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: a safe place, but the wind can't blow there. That's 412 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 1: what's wrong with pornography. It's a low place, makes you 413 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,240 Speaker 1: feel certain for a few minutes, but it really puts 414 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: you in shame's in the end. It's not a safe place. 415 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: That's what's wrong with states of anger and rage is 416 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: that when you're in that state, you're crazy and you 417 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: can't remember who you are because all you can deal 418 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 1: with is where you are. Are you confused? Have you 419 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: started conflating who you are with where you are? Because 420 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: Gideon did? And maybe you got it than Gideon. That's possible. 421 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: It is possible that you are holier being Gideon. I'm 422 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: not so I get this guy. When I say I 423 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: get him, and watch this, he doesn't even know he's 424 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: going to be. I would put Gideon as the goat 425 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: of all the judges that God raised up. I would 426 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: say he is the greatest of all time, the greatest 427 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:31,160 Speaker 1: ever to do it. He had tacked diplomacy. He could 428 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 1: talk people down who wanted to fight. But if you 429 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: wanted to fight, if you want to fight, do you 430 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: really want to do this. I'm warning you, Buck. We 431 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: went to the wrestling tournament, all the guys with their 432 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: ears all color flowered up. I was real nice to 433 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: them because I know you've been through something. Man, whatever 434 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: you did to get your ear like that, I don't 435 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 1: want you to do it to me. So how you doing? Yes, 436 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: go first, go right ahead, A hold the door for you. 437 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: So Gideon, with rough talk, is depressed, and I'll watch this. 438 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: Stop confusing yourself with your state. It's easy to do. 439 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: It's easy to do. Gideon is threshing wheat in a 440 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: wine press. He's a warrior. Come on, we just have 441 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: to stop him. Marvel at this, that he could be 442 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: a warrior in a wine press. That you could be 443 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 1: a great man trapped in a really bad habit, That 444 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: you could be a great woman going through a period 445 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: of chronic pain followed by depression, but you could still 446 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: be something and not see it in yourself because of 447 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 1: where you are where you are. I don't even think 448 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: I knew what that line meant when we wrote it. Chandler, 449 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: I know who I am, but I can't stay where 450 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: I'm at Now. I get it when I read Gideon, 451 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: because the Lord says, mighty warrior, the Lord is with you. 452 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: And Gideon look at verse number thirteen. He says, pardon me, sir, 453 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: big strong, scary looking angel. Oh, by the way, angels 454 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 1: aren't cute and comforting. You ever see what they're right 455 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,239 Speaker 1: about the angels in the Bible. The angel will make 456 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: you throw up and pee your pants. Pee your pants? 457 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:33,480 Speaker 1: Why you're throwing up? The angels are scary, so the 458 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: first instinct sometimes when the angel came, they'd be like, 459 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 1: don't be afraid. It's like, if the angel look cuddly 460 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 1: like that little one you have up there on your 461 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,959 Speaker 1: mental piece, then why would he say don't be afraid? 462 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: Angels got cauliflower ear, angels looking rough coming up in there. 463 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 1: And Gideon it's like, hey, man, pardon me. I don't 464 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: want to start anything because you're you're a bad man. 465 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: But if the Lord is with us, why is all 466 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that 467 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: our ancestors told us about when they said, did the 468 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: Lord not bring us out of Egypt? And now the 469 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,040 Speaker 1: Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand 470 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 1: of the Midia. And you know that's not what the 471 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: prophet said when I read you verse seven, that's not 472 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: what the prophet said. The prophet said, you abandon God. 473 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 1: That is not what the prophet said. Gideon's wrong. Somebody 474 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: say he's wrong. He's a warrior but he's wrong. He's 475 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 1: gifted but he's wrong. He's anointed, but he's wrong. He's strong, 476 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: but he's wrong. He has confused where he is with 477 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: who he is, to the point when the angel calls 478 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:54,959 Speaker 1: him what he really is, He's like, who is there 479 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: somebody else in this wine press that I haven't seen? 480 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,480 Speaker 1: He just said, mighty warrior? And here I am down 481 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 1: here in a depressed place. You know, when you've been 482 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: in a situation long enough, I don't care if it 483 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: was done to you or if it was done through you. 484 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,960 Speaker 1: When you've been in it long enough, you begin to 485 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: get the negative thing so embedded into your mind that 486 00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 1: you can no longer see anything but that, am I right. 487 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:25,440 Speaker 1: When you've been in it that long, the negativity becomes embedded, 488 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: so you are no longer choosing to be negative. You 489 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:36,320 Speaker 1: now think that's normal to be negative. You have names 490 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: for it. You call it keeping it one hundred, or 491 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: when you do something really rude and out of pocket, 492 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: you go, I just gotta be me, and I've been 493 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 1: teaching you all year. That's not you anymore. God is 494 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 1: raising you up out of that. God is calling you 495 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: up out of that. God is saying, come up a 496 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 1: little higher. I got something for you to do. It 497 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 1: is not just a value. We're almost the verse fourteen. 498 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: I believe we can get there by six o'clock if 499 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 1: you pay attention. But God says to get in. You're 500 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 1: a mighty warrior. He identifies him by something that he sees, 501 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:30,200 Speaker 1: which made me wonder, is Gideon the only one who 502 00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 1: is sifting in this passage? Or is God sifting to 503 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: the first picture I saw in the passage? Was Gideon 504 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:48,040 Speaker 1: sifting right down? Sifting? That's my first point. That's only 505 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: your first point. I'm gonna go quick writing down like 506 00:35:54,560 --> 00:36:05,080 Speaker 1: this before lifting comes sifting. It better. If God raises 507 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: you up to something and he hasn't sifted from your life, 508 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: some of the attitudes you will sabotage what he brings 509 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: you into. How many witnesses do I have that you 510 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: tried to skip the sifting? You just thought, well, I'll 511 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: just go ahead and do it anyway. Mm hmmm, how 512 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: did that work for you. When you said, I know, 513 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 1: I got seventeen warning bells going off. One of my 514 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 1: buddies said, the other day, I was asking God should 515 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,359 Speaker 1: I marry this woman? He said she was so hot, 516 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: he said, I didn't want to hear what God said. 517 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: He said, we got in a fight. I reached in 518 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 1: the window tried to take the car keys so she 519 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,840 Speaker 1: wouldn't drive off. She rolled my arm up in the 520 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:47,759 Speaker 1: window and squeezed it for a good ten seconds, and 521 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:57,399 Speaker 1: I married her. Anyway, we make some weird decisions when 522 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 1: we really want something so bad and we just decide, oh, oh, 523 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 1: this is what I want. I just decided, you better 524 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: let God sift that thing. You better. I don't like 525 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:12,239 Speaker 1: being single. You better let God sift that thing. I'd 526 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 1: rather be single and sifted than married and miserable. I 527 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:25,759 Speaker 1: want God to sift them out. You better let him 528 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 1: sift it, all right, Be good, Be good. He's sifting it. 529 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:34,760 Speaker 1: He's sifting it, just like Gideon is sifting the weak. 530 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: God is sifting Gideon. He's blowing out all the worthless thoughts, 531 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: all the vile imaginations, all of the things that I 532 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 1: think I am that I'm really not, all of the 533 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:47,960 Speaker 1: things that I think I need. That God is more 534 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 1: than enough to cover for all of the ways I 535 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: used to do it when I was a child. I 536 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,359 Speaker 1: spoke as a child, but when He raised me up 537 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:59,799 Speaker 1: to become a man, I'm coming into a season now 538 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 1: where I gotta be the real thing for Jesus. I 539 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: am so passionate about that, because if your faith does 540 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 1: not survive the sifting, you will miss the best parts 541 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:25,080 Speaker 1: of being you. So I've been down before and thought 542 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:29,800 Speaker 1: about quit preaching. Sorry, but I have It's hard to 543 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 1: get the wind of the Holy Spirit to get a 544 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:33,279 Speaker 1: word to give to you when I'm in a wine 545 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:37,880 Speaker 1: press of my own weakness, and I've been there many times. 546 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:40,840 Speaker 1: Makes me want to cry when I think about all 547 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:44,160 Speaker 1: the times that I tried to quit, but He sifted 548 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:51,800 Speaker 1: me to show me I don't even need a feeling 549 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:56,000 Speaker 1: to do this, that the word of God is powerful 550 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: enough without my feelings for me to stand up and 551 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 1: preach it. Let it flow, God, I don't care. I 552 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: don't look at those notes anyway. Don't get nervous. It's 553 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 1: in my spirit. I've been sitting with this for three 554 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 1: weeks and God's been sifting it and getting there ready 555 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 1: to feed you for the fight you're in, for the 556 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 1: future that he sees. And it's not gonna look like 557 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 1: where you are. It's gonna look like what he said. 558 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: Oh so mighty water. See if you lact, that's the 559 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 1: wind that response, that's the wind blowing out all that 560 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: condemnation you've been putting on yourself. He died for you, 561 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:52,440 Speaker 1: be bled for you, be ruled against. He's a strange elevation, 562 00:39:53,120 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 1: but he will let you. He's lifting me Hi five seven. 563 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:05,800 Speaker 1: People say, he's lifting me right now. He's lifting me 564 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:09,239 Speaker 1: right now. He's lifting me right now. It seems like 565 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:12,480 Speaker 1: a bad time. It seems like it's over. It's a 566 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:16,719 Speaker 1: strange elevation, but he said it's two times. You will 567 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:23,399 Speaker 1: reap that you don't say right now, right now, right now, 568 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:27,160 Speaker 1: right now, right now, right now, right now, right now. 569 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 1: I might be down right now, but I'm mighty in God. 570 00:40:31,719 --> 00:40:34,440 Speaker 1: I might be sick right now, but I'm healed by 571 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:37,800 Speaker 1: his stripes. I might be broke right now, but my 572 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,799 Speaker 1: God shalls a fly. Oh my knees. I know who 573 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,840 Speaker 1: I am, and I'm not staying in this wine pressed, 574 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 1: So take down they trust be called two men in 575 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:59,120 Speaker 1: a truck hones sit here. That's what a breakthrough feels life, 576 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 1: what the wind feels like. This is what the spirit 577 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 1: feels like. If I die in this wine press. My 578 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 1: kids don't get this word. Do you understand how important 579 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:19,040 Speaker 1: it is? What you're fighting for right now? And the 580 00:41:19,239 --> 00:41:21,840 Speaker 1: devil will send every little locust to get you in 581 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 1: that hole? How many had the locusts come in this week? 582 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: The locus the locust? I heard it called ANTS one time. 583 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 1: Ants automatic negative thinking syndrome. Ain't that good. I didn't 584 00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:37,680 Speaker 1: make that up. I read it one time on a 585 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:42,919 Speaker 1: paid subscription website to psychology today. They said ANTS, I said, 586 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 1: that is it. It's automatic negative thinking syndrome. It becomes 587 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 1: just who I think I am because my automatic response 588 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 1: to anything God wants to do a hide sifting. I'm 589 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:54,400 Speaker 1: only going to get the point one this week. But 590 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:56,399 Speaker 1: let's just do it, Lord, let's just do it. Let's 591 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:58,799 Speaker 1: just do this one so good that they go home 592 00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:03,720 Speaker 1: and realize that you are with them, sending your word 593 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:08,799 Speaker 1: into their wine press. God saw his people oppressed by 594 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:11,839 Speaker 1: the hand of Midian. He saw you oppressed by sin, 595 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:14,920 Speaker 1: he saw you oppressed by shame. And you know what 596 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,919 Speaker 1: he has to do before God can get you out. 597 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:28,279 Speaker 1: He has to get in. He's getting in, He's getting in. 598 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: You tried to keep him out. You tried to do 599 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:32,200 Speaker 1: everything you could do. You tried to push them away. 600 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:34,480 Speaker 1: You tried not answer on your phone. You tried not 601 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:37,359 Speaker 1: texting the healthy people back, you texted to other people back. 602 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,520 Speaker 1: You tried everything you could do to love the locusts. 603 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 1: But you know why it didn't work, because you got 604 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:57,160 Speaker 1: a lion inside. I'm about to up the doses. Are 605 00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:10,680 Speaker 1: you ready? Lions don't hide from locusts. Mighty warrior, miserable situation, 606 00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:16,400 Speaker 1: predictable systems of enslavement. God is not confused about you. 607 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:22,120 Speaker 1: You don't fool him with all that fake crap that 608 00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:26,319 Speaker 1: fools people at them like this is just how I am. 609 00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:31,400 Speaker 1: This is just how I'm gonna stay. You can't. I'm sorry, 610 00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:36,200 Speaker 1: but you can't because God is about to go in. 611 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:41,520 Speaker 1: And when God goes in, it's not like you know 612 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:43,359 Speaker 1: how you're getting a fight with somebody and you're like, oh, 613 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:46,680 Speaker 1: they're going in right now. This is crazy. But they 614 00:43:46,719 --> 00:43:53,919 Speaker 1: can only do so much. When God goes in, He's 615 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:57,200 Speaker 1: coming into the house that he built to remodel it. 616 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:02,759 Speaker 1: When God goes in, he's coming into something that only 617 00:44:02,920 --> 00:44:06,920 Speaker 1: he knows the blueprint for. When God comes in, he 618 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:10,720 Speaker 1: knows where every busted pipe is. He knows where every 619 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:14,680 Speaker 1: traumatic event is. He knows where every fault line lies. 620 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:19,439 Speaker 1: He knows where everything is busted. He knows where you're disgusted. 621 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:22,440 Speaker 1: He knows where you're just about to give up. And 622 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:26,480 Speaker 1: he says, good. This is going to make a great partnership. 623 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:32,800 Speaker 1: Just like me and Chandler write good songs together, you 624 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:36,400 Speaker 1: and God are about to do good work together, because 625 00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:42,680 Speaker 1: once you're not, he is, After all, that's his name. 626 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 1: Moses said, I don't have good speech. God said, I am, 627 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 1: I am. What does that have to do with good speech? 628 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:52,400 Speaker 1: That's not even good grammar? No, No, just plug in 629 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:55,680 Speaker 1: whatever you need behind the name of God, take it 630 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:58,960 Speaker 1: for yourself and walk in it for a purpose. And 631 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:03,160 Speaker 1: we are gonna get you up out of this in 632 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:13,680 Speaker 1: the name of Jesus I the career, because we've got to. 633 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:19,360 Speaker 1: We've got to. You've got to come out of that. 634 00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:23,760 Speaker 1: You've got to stop deciding stuff in your depressed state. 635 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:29,400 Speaker 1: You keep cutting off the life of God. Man. You 636 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:31,040 Speaker 1: know all the things I would have missed. If I 637 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:34,920 Speaker 1: would have made my decisions based on where I was emotionally, 638 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:42,080 Speaker 1: best things that ever happened in my life, you are 639 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:46,879 Speaker 1: more than able. I didn't feel like writing music that day, 640 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:53,560 Speaker 1: and neither did Chandler. People say sometime I love to 641 00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:56,560 Speaker 1: watch a song be written, though you wouldn't. It's the 642 00:45:56,680 --> 00:46:00,479 Speaker 1: most horribly boring, vulnerable thing of people with ego trying 643 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:02,720 Speaker 1: to eke out their idea in a room, and everybody's 644 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:05,080 Speaker 1: egos fighting everybody's ego, and until everybody shuts up and 645 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:09,000 Speaker 1: let's go and just try something. Nothing happens, But boy, Chandler, 646 00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:11,800 Speaker 1: start playing this thing. We wrote it, and you know what, 647 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:17,680 Speaker 1: Chris had to make me do it. In church, he said, 648 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:20,920 Speaker 1: more than Abele's awesome. I said, I don't know. It's 649 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:30,239 Speaker 1: kind of Broadway? Is it trendy? Chris said, come on, man, 650 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:32,320 Speaker 1: the people would need it. I write around listening to it. 651 00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:35,560 Speaker 1: I need it. Let's do it, and then we released it. 652 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:37,640 Speaker 1: Now I just use it as an example. I'm not 653 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:42,360 Speaker 1: up here doing a class on communication, songwriting, fitness, donuts 654 00:46:42,440 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 1: or anything else like that. Everything I bring you today 655 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:48,799 Speaker 1: I bring you to serve to you something that God 656 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:53,080 Speaker 1: has helped me to understand that a lot of times 657 00:46:54,239 --> 00:46:57,959 Speaker 1: in my life I let the wrong thing be sifted out, 658 00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:07,520 Speaker 1: and I kept the wrong things sitting in three weeks, 659 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,080 Speaker 1: four weeks? How long are we gonna need with this word? 660 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:14,719 Speaker 1: I'll be here in twenty twenty nine, saying there's so 661 00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:20,120 Speaker 1: much more to the story. May not done with me yet, 662 00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 1: and he's not done with you yet. He's not finished fifty. 663 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:29,960 Speaker 1: It must have felt horrible for Peter saying I failed Jesus, 664 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:34,759 Speaker 1: but Jesus told him Satan's gonna sift you, and Jesus 665 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:39,640 Speaker 1: sai I'm letting. I'm gonna let him. The only way 666 00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:42,080 Speaker 1: I can let you know that you have a lion 667 00:47:42,200 --> 00:47:49,279 Speaker 1: inside and you won't turn it into pride is if 668 00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:55,440 Speaker 1: I let the locusts come for a little while, but 669 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:58,239 Speaker 1: then comes a word from God. And it may be 670 00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:04,080 Speaker 1: for you today that the Lord said he's about to 671 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:11,480 Speaker 1: go in to your insecurities, to your inadequacy, to your incapacity. 672 00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:15,080 Speaker 1: I told the Lord one time, I'm not capable, and 673 00:48:15,160 --> 00:48:17,640 Speaker 1: he said, I'm able, and I wear the cape, So 674 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:21,239 Speaker 1: you just do it. Isn't that cool how the Lord 675 00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:23,600 Speaker 1: gives me wordplay because he knows that's my love language. 676 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:25,960 Speaker 1: I'm like, Oh, Lord, talk clean to me. I love 677 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:33,200 Speaker 1: that wordplay what's wrong with me today? Y'all? I just 678 00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:36,200 Speaker 1: decided now I'm gonna be me in this pulpit and 679 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:39,439 Speaker 1: everywhere I go. So we're just gonna have a good 680 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:43,400 Speaker 1: time in church. Y'all, can clip me, mean me, do 681 00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:45,960 Speaker 1: whatever you want to do. But I gotta be me. 682 00:48:46,360 --> 00:48:49,840 Speaker 1: I gotta go home with me. And Holly thinks it's okay. 683 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:54,719 Speaker 1: She thinks this attractive. Now I've almost got us to 684 00:48:54,800 --> 00:48:58,560 Speaker 1: the point of verse fourteen, which is really what I 685 00:48:58,600 --> 00:49:03,759 Speaker 1: stood up to tell you today. Almost there where the 686 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:10,279 Speaker 1: Lord said the Lord said, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, 687 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:15,120 Speaker 1: I gotta do this verse fourteen. Before the Lord said 688 00:49:16,800 --> 00:49:19,920 Speaker 1: anything to get in look at verse fourteen. I'll almost 689 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:22,520 Speaker 1: skip this. Oh glad I saw it. Verse fourteen. Come on, y'all, 690 00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:31,880 Speaker 1: before the Lord said it, give you a minute to 691 00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:37,000 Speaker 1: think about this. Why were they in this situation to 692 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:45,040 Speaker 1: begin with? Because they turned away from the Lord. And 693 00:49:45,160 --> 00:49:48,840 Speaker 1: so the Lord says, even if you have a will 694 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:55,719 Speaker 1: to turn away, I've got a word to turn you back. 695 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:07,120 Speaker 1: This is a turning word today it's go in the 696 00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:14,880 Speaker 1: strength you have. But before you can go in the 697 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:20,279 Speaker 1: strength that you have. You've got to stop worshiping your weaknesses. 698 00:50:22,920 --> 00:50:25,880 Speaker 1: And you have spent enough time in your life in 699 00:50:26,000 --> 00:50:29,360 Speaker 1: the form of the excuses that you made worshiping your weakness. 700 00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:32,799 Speaker 1: For every time you make an excuse about something God 701 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:39,040 Speaker 1: called you to do, you worship the weakness instead of 702 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:44,160 Speaker 1: worshiping the God who gives you strength. I love the 703 00:50:44,239 --> 00:50:50,760 Speaker 1: scripture that says I can do all things through Christ, 704 00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:56,080 Speaker 1: who strengthens me. Well, that's just the New Testament version 705 00:50:56,120 --> 00:50:59,000 Speaker 1: of what the Angel said to Gideon. He said, go 706 00:51:00,239 --> 00:51:02,920 Speaker 1: in the strength that you have, and I'll be with 707 00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:04,920 Speaker 1: you and you'll strike him down. Am I not sending 708 00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:09,600 Speaker 1: you in? Gideon is like, I'm still not really convinced 709 00:51:09,800 --> 00:51:13,120 Speaker 1: about this, but you don't have to be convinced to 710 00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:17,080 Speaker 1: commit to it. I know that sounds controversial because we 711 00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:19,680 Speaker 1: think it takes full surrender to God in order to 712 00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:22,480 Speaker 1: be used by God. It doesn't start with full surrender. 713 00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:28,040 Speaker 1: It starts with you. Watch this. It starts with you 714 00:51:28,200 --> 00:51:34,040 Speaker 1: saying if God is strong and He's in me, then 715 00:51:34,120 --> 00:51:37,440 Speaker 1: where I am is not who I am, and it 716 00:51:37,680 --> 00:51:42,200 Speaker 1: can change because God doesn't. So if God called me 717 00:51:42,280 --> 00:51:45,719 Speaker 1: a warrior, that didn't change because of decisions that I made. 718 00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:49,720 Speaker 1: If God said that I can be free and pure 719 00:51:50,080 --> 00:51:53,160 Speaker 1: and new, and God said I can be fresh, and 720 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:56,760 Speaker 1: God called me creative, and God is calling me forward. 721 00:51:58,040 --> 00:52:02,680 Speaker 1: Whatever the locusts are saying is a lie. And God 722 00:52:02,840 --> 00:52:07,480 Speaker 1: is true and God is right, and God is sovereign 723 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:11,440 Speaker 1: and God is judge. And God is still speaking to 724 00:52:11,560 --> 00:52:14,160 Speaker 1: some of you, and he's stirring something up in this 725 00:52:14,320 --> 00:52:17,920 Speaker 1: season of your life. And it hasn't been comfortable. Sifting 726 00:52:18,080 --> 00:52:21,400 Speaker 1: isn't meant to be comfortable. It's meant to be profitable, 727 00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:24,919 Speaker 1: so that when you get through this season, what's left 728 00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:31,799 Speaker 1: over is His strength, not yours. Whatever's keeping me from 729 00:52:31,880 --> 00:52:35,319 Speaker 1: seeing you, Get it out, God, whatever's keeping me from 730 00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:39,000 Speaker 1: connecting with you, Get it out, God, whatever's keeping me 731 00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:43,560 Speaker 1: from believing again, from having childlike faith, from speaking to 732 00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:48,640 Speaker 1: mountains instead of bowing to them. Get it out, Get 733 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:52,960 Speaker 1: it out. I gotta grow up. I gotta be I'm 734 00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:56,239 Speaker 1: not a kid anymore. Gideon, You're not a kid anymore. 735 00:52:56,520 --> 00:52:59,719 Speaker 1: You're not a child anymore. God is raising you up now. 736 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:03,240 Speaker 1: You're not immature anymore. You're not a slave to that anymore. 737 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:06,400 Speaker 1: You're not in the hands of Midian anymore. The hand 738 00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:09,160 Speaker 1: of God is on you, the spirit of God is 739 00:53:09,280 --> 00:53:11,920 Speaker 1: in you. You are not under the law. You are 740 00:53:12,080 --> 00:53:14,920 Speaker 1: under grace, and you can do anything he says you 741 00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:22,880 Speaker 1: can do. But you need a reminder because sometimes you 742 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:26,759 Speaker 1: lose your mind and you hide because you don't want 743 00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:29,799 Speaker 1: to fight. I don't want to fight, so I'll just hide. 744 00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:33,759 Speaker 1: I'll just shrink my life down to the level of 745 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:38,120 Speaker 1: this problem. I'll just shrink my life down into this bottle. 746 00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:44,919 Speaker 1: I'll just shrink my life down into this cynicism. I'll 747 00:53:45,040 --> 00:53:50,040 Speaker 1: just shrink my life down into this stupid iPhone, and 748 00:53:50,160 --> 00:53:55,480 Speaker 1: I will scroll my life away, hiding from real relationships 749 00:53:55,920 --> 00:54:01,960 Speaker 1: because I'm scared of rejection. But it's a strange elevation 750 00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:07,480 Speaker 1: happening today. Even as I preached this word, even as 751 00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:14,799 Speaker 1: we worshiped, God was going in. You think God has 752 00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:16,880 Speaker 1: to bring you out of prison for you to praise. 753 00:54:17,239 --> 00:54:19,840 Speaker 1: Let me tell you a little secret. When you praise 754 00:54:20,040 --> 00:54:24,680 Speaker 1: in a prison, God goes in. No, I'm saying God 755 00:54:24,840 --> 00:54:29,719 Speaker 1: goes in. And when God goes in, fear has to 756 00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:33,440 Speaker 1: go out when God goes in. Depression has to go 757 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:37,160 Speaker 1: out when God goes in. Every excuse we made, let 758 00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:39,480 Speaker 1: me give you an illustration of how much of a 759 00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:42,160 Speaker 1: warrior I can be and how much of a weakling 760 00:54:42,280 --> 00:54:44,440 Speaker 1: I can be. I'll give you an illustration from my 761 00:54:44,560 --> 00:54:47,759 Speaker 1: own life. About four or five years ago, we were 762 00:54:47,880 --> 00:54:51,480 Speaker 1: driving home from church. I was fried. Man. I preached 763 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:55,120 Speaker 1: that week. That same week in three other churches, came 764 00:54:55,160 --> 00:54:58,680 Speaker 1: home preached here. I know I'm in a wine press. 765 00:54:58,800 --> 00:55:03,520 Speaker 1: I'm whining and I'm depressed. I'm in a wine press. 766 00:55:03,680 --> 00:55:06,720 Speaker 1: Why me, Lord, because you accepted too many invitations, dummy. 767 00:55:06,960 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 1: But I don't want to take responsibility for my decisions. 768 00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:14,560 Speaker 1: I just want miraculous deliverance. Illustration resumed. I'm so fried. 769 00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:17,520 Speaker 1: I'm going home and I have no voice. I've been 770 00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:20,879 Speaker 1: screaming at y'all for an hour, like I do. Why 771 00:55:20,920 --> 00:55:23,759 Speaker 1: do you scream? The microphone works perfectly fine, Pastor, Let's 772 00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:25,400 Speaker 1: take a microphone off frings so you don't have to 773 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:27,960 Speaker 1: holler so much. I know the microphone is fine, but 774 00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:30,520 Speaker 1: there's something in me, like a fire, some up in 775 00:55:30,640 --> 00:55:34,919 Speaker 1: my bones. I gotta get it out. But then, after 776 00:55:34,960 --> 00:55:37,320 Speaker 1: all that mighty fire in the pulpit, all these different places, 777 00:55:37,600 --> 00:55:40,040 Speaker 1: I'm riding home, I'm like, Holly, you gotta drive normally 778 00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:41,960 Speaker 1: she drives home because I'm still so in my head 779 00:55:41,960 --> 00:55:44,040 Speaker 1: about the message and what did I say that. I 780 00:55:44,080 --> 00:55:45,640 Speaker 1: don't want to get in a wreck, so I let 781 00:55:45,680 --> 00:55:48,680 Speaker 1: her drive. I'm smart enough to have discernment. And then 782 00:55:48,920 --> 00:55:51,360 Speaker 1: and then I tell her to go faster and slower, 783 00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:53,680 Speaker 1: which is really annoying. And then I try to She's like, 784 00:55:53,760 --> 00:55:55,160 Speaker 1: do you want to drive? I'm like, no, no, no, 785 00:55:55,640 --> 00:55:57,600 Speaker 1: just thank you so much. And so we're driving home 786 00:55:57,760 --> 00:56:00,040 Speaker 1: and I'm tired, right and the kids, the boys, I 787 00:56:00,080 --> 00:56:01,960 Speaker 1: don't remember if Abbey was in the car, if she 788 00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:04,080 Speaker 1: was just being angelic, or if she wasn't there. Probably 789 00:56:04,080 --> 00:56:06,319 Speaker 1: she just wasn't there. But the boys are fighting back 790 00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:08,520 Speaker 1: and forth bum boao bom, and I'm like, y'all shut up. 791 00:56:08,560 --> 00:56:10,200 Speaker 1: I can't take it right now. I can't take it 792 00:56:10,320 --> 00:56:14,640 Speaker 1: right now. My last nerve is still in Toledo from 793 00:56:14,680 --> 00:56:17,640 Speaker 1: Thursday night preaching. I don't have my last nerve. It's 794 00:56:17,680 --> 00:56:20,040 Speaker 1: in Toledo. Y'all got to shut up. I'm telling you, 795 00:56:20,120 --> 00:56:22,279 Speaker 1: please shut up. Please, in the name of Jesus, please 796 00:56:22,360 --> 00:56:25,920 Speaker 1: be quiet, peace, be still. I'm speaking to the storm. 797 00:56:26,160 --> 00:56:29,680 Speaker 1: Nothing's working. So finally, you ever just get so overcome 798 00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:33,000 Speaker 1: you do something that you're watching yourself do. You're not 799 00:56:33,080 --> 00:56:36,440 Speaker 1: doing it anymore, You're watching yourself do it. I tell 800 00:56:36,520 --> 00:56:44,680 Speaker 1: Holly on Providence Road, let me out where to stop? Like, 801 00:56:44,800 --> 00:56:48,920 Speaker 1: I said, let me out? She said, babe. Now let's 802 00:56:48,920 --> 00:56:51,160 Speaker 1: say we're only a couple miles mile half from home. 803 00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:53,160 Speaker 1: I said, let me out. I said, I'm telling you, 804 00:56:53,440 --> 00:56:55,800 Speaker 1: if you don't let me out of this car, someone's 805 00:56:55,800 --> 00:56:58,000 Speaker 1: about to come out of me. And I don't know 806 00:56:58,120 --> 00:57:00,200 Speaker 1: what it is, and I don't want to know, and 807 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:02,239 Speaker 1: I don't want anybody to know. I just want us 808 00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:04,239 Speaker 1: to guess the rest of our life. What would have 809 00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:09,200 Speaker 1: happened if I stayed in this car? Let out? And 810 00:57:09,320 --> 00:57:11,120 Speaker 1: see I don't even have my voice, so I can't 811 00:57:11,160 --> 00:57:14,440 Speaker 1: scream at the kids. I can't scream. I feel just trapped. 812 00:57:14,480 --> 00:57:24,480 Speaker 1: They won't stop. I get out. She drives off. I'm walking, 813 00:57:26,640 --> 00:57:31,000 Speaker 1: but I'm walking like I have a right to be 814 00:57:31,080 --> 00:57:35,160 Speaker 1: walking on this road. I'm a taxpayer. And then I 815 00:57:35,240 --> 00:57:37,520 Speaker 1: start thinking, well, if somebody from the church sees me, 816 00:57:37,840 --> 00:57:40,200 Speaker 1: what are they gonna think? And then I think they'll 817 00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:44,240 Speaker 1: probably think. Man. He is he is, he is NonStop. 818 00:57:44,600 --> 00:57:47,600 Speaker 1: He preaches the word and walks home praying for us. 819 00:57:47,880 --> 00:57:51,600 Speaker 1: What a man of God. God don't know any better. 820 00:57:53,520 --> 00:57:56,240 Speaker 1: Just use the illusion, you know what I'm saying. I'm 821 00:57:56,280 --> 00:57:58,920 Speaker 1: walking and that mid didn't take me about thirty seconds 822 00:57:58,960 --> 00:58:04,440 Speaker 1: a minute until I'm regrets and the whole decision and 823 00:58:04,560 --> 00:58:09,480 Speaker 1: what should come back my way. But Holly s Denali 824 00:58:12,360 --> 00:58:17,080 Speaker 1: came back down toward me on Providence and I'm thinking, woman, 825 00:58:17,160 --> 00:58:19,680 Speaker 1: I'm telling you, I can't do this right now. I 826 00:58:19,960 --> 00:58:22,960 Speaker 1: don't want to be a bad role model and me 827 00:58:23,120 --> 00:58:25,520 Speaker 1: and that chlorinym is not a good thing. And so 828 00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:29,560 Speaker 1: she comes, she pulls up, she pulls around, and I'm 829 00:58:29,640 --> 00:58:32,000 Speaker 1: opening the door to tell her I can't right now. 830 00:58:32,120 --> 00:58:36,640 Speaker 1: I'm walking it off, which isn't a bad strategy, could 831 00:58:36,680 --> 00:58:40,040 Speaker 1: be worse. But when I opened the door, I noticed 832 00:58:40,080 --> 00:58:43,360 Speaker 1: something different than when she left. It was only her 833 00:58:43,400 --> 00:58:50,800 Speaker 1: in the car. Hell yeah, hell yeah, hell yeah, hell ya. 834 00:58:54,200 --> 00:59:05,880 Speaker 1: I said, where are the kids? She said, they're walking. Well, oh, revelation. 835 00:59:08,920 --> 00:59:12,000 Speaker 1: Look what she said. I'm gonna release it in the spirit. 836 00:59:12,480 --> 00:59:19,280 Speaker 1: She said, you don't get out, they do. I came 837 00:59:19,440 --> 00:59:23,920 Speaker 1: to tell every devil that's been forcing you out of 838 00:59:24,000 --> 00:59:33,560 Speaker 1: your right mind, you don't get out. Say zoom Henry there, 839 00:59:35,440 --> 00:59:45,960 Speaker 1: Camry Henry trade, henry trade. I'm not getting out of 840 00:59:46,040 --> 00:59:50,280 Speaker 1: the well. You don't get out, get out, get out, 841 00:59:50,320 --> 00:59:52,760 Speaker 1: get out, get out, get out, get out, get out, 842 00:59:53,080 --> 00:59:56,840 Speaker 1: mark come somewhere to don't. I got some funny to see. 843 00:59:57,280 --> 01:00:00,480 Speaker 1: I've got some finding out out. I got I fear 844 01:00:00,680 --> 01:00:12,760 Speaker 1: saying you don't get out. Fear does you don't get out? 845 01:00:13,120 --> 01:00:17,360 Speaker 1: Panic attack dolls. You don't kill yourself. You run that 846 01:00:17,520 --> 01:00:20,080 Speaker 1: devil out of your life in the power of God, 847 01:00:20,440 --> 01:00:24,520 Speaker 1: and you live to declare his goodness, and you build 848 01:00:24,560 --> 01:00:29,080 Speaker 1: a testimonious and you sing a song. He's not done 849 01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:35,960 Speaker 1: with me yet. There's more than my story. I'm just 850 01:00:36,200 --> 01:00:42,040 Speaker 1: getting started. I'm not staying in this wide Christ telling 851 01:00:42,160 --> 01:00:49,520 Speaker 1: me locus, what got a lion inside? And lions don't 852 01:00:49,640 --> 01:00:55,200 Speaker 1: hide from locusts? And the lion of the tribe of 853 01:00:55,440 --> 01:01:00,200 Speaker 1: Suda is just about ready to roar, to break your 854 01:01:00,360 --> 01:01:05,400 Speaker 1: seven year cycle, to break every cycle that has kept 855 01:01:05,520 --> 01:01:09,439 Speaker 1: you stuck in sin and stuck in same and stuck 856 01:01:09,520 --> 01:01:14,800 Speaker 1: in a situation, a predictable misery. But God is about 857 01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:19,440 Speaker 1: to go in, and all you gotta do, I'm telling you, 858 01:01:19,800 --> 01:01:23,040 Speaker 1: by grace, we are saying all you gotta do get 859 01:01:23,120 --> 01:01:33,120 Speaker 1: in is let the wind blow and let the waymaker through. Yeah, 860 01:01:34,240 --> 01:01:40,120 Speaker 1: because I know who I am. I know who you are. 861 01:01:42,280 --> 01:01:49,360 Speaker 1: You are Jehovah chiro. So my needs are provided. You 862 01:01:49,480 --> 01:01:57,480 Speaker 1: don't get out, God limitation gets out. You are Jehovah shalom. 863 01:01:58,200 --> 01:02:02,560 Speaker 1: You are my peace. Your peace is not going out 864 01:02:02,600 --> 01:02:06,080 Speaker 1: of my life this week. My thought patterns that keep 865 01:02:06,160 --> 01:02:10,520 Speaker 1: me in a place of panic. R you don't get out, 866 01:02:12,520 --> 01:02:19,800 Speaker 1: they do as I've come a long way. I've seen 867 01:02:20,000 --> 01:02:27,200 Speaker 1: how you were. There's so much should it's a great 868 01:02:29,400 --> 01:02:33,120 Speaker 1: much more than jesuz if it has no meaning here 869 01:02:33,720 --> 01:02:37,560 Speaker 1: because I know who the Lord is turning towards you 870 01:02:37,720 --> 01:02:42,360 Speaker 1: right now, and I can't say where I see you 871 01:02:42,440 --> 01:02:49,040 Speaker 1: walking forward. We've come this far laughing. Let's go. And 872 01:02:49,720 --> 01:02:52,760 Speaker 1: Good is looking for a partner. He's looking for you. 873 01:02:53,520 --> 01:02:59,400 Speaker 1: Should not done with me? Believes that you're not done 874 01:02:59,520 --> 01:03:03,160 Speaker 1: with me. Here comes your second win, Man of God. 875 01:03:03,960 --> 01:03:08,120 Speaker 1: There's so much more to the store. Declare it over 876 01:03:08,200 --> 01:03:12,720 Speaker 1: your life. You're not turn with Sing it to your neighbor, somebody, 877 01:03:13,280 --> 01:03:17,200 Speaker 1: he's not up with you. I'll sing it till the 878 01:03:17,240 --> 01:03:20,680 Speaker 1: person next to you he's not turn with you. Sing 879 01:03:20,800 --> 01:03:23,960 Speaker 1: it to the person next to your co pay so 880 01:03:24,240 --> 01:03:30,680 Speaker 1: much more to your so he's not talk with that. 881 01:03:30,960 --> 01:03:33,600 Speaker 1: You're in the way they go, so that a way 882 01:03:34,000 --> 01:03:43,560 Speaker 1: I could do, God, go back up, come on, they're 883 01:03:43,720 --> 01:03:53,960 Speaker 1: so much. Shall let the law shall say that back 884 01:03:54,080 --> 01:03:58,320 Speaker 1: up through he's covered in your white horse left away? 885 01:03:59,320 --> 01:04:22,520 Speaker 1: Please coming up, in, coming in, please coming, please come in, 886 01:04:23,680 --> 01:04:31,440 Speaker 1: Come in, Please come in. Hey. I hope you enjoyed 887 01:04:31,480 --> 01:04:34,360 Speaker 1: the podcast, and if you did, make sure to share 888 01:04:34,440 --> 01:04:36,920 Speaker 1: it and subscribe so we can get you all of 889 01:04:37,040 --> 01:04:40,280 Speaker 1: these new messages as soon as they're available. I also 890 01:04:40,320 --> 01:04:42,280 Speaker 1: want to take a moment and thank all of you 891 01:04:42,320 --> 01:04:45,720 Speaker 1: who are a part of Elevation. Whether you support us financially, 892 01:04:46,000 --> 01:04:49,400 Speaker 1: or serve with us, or just share these messages, it's 893 01:04:49,480 --> 01:04:52,000 Speaker 1: because of you that we're able to reach people all 894 01:04:52,080 --> 01:04:55,160 Speaker 1: around the world. And if you want more information on 895 01:04:55,280 --> 01:04:57,880 Speaker 1: how to be a part of Elevation, click the link 896 01:04:58,040 --> 01:05:00,720 Speaker 1: in the description. Thanks again for listening. Make sure to 897 01:05:00,800 --> 01:05:04,560 Speaker 1: leave a review, share the message, and subscribe. God bless you.