WEBVTT - No Crown (Robert Madu) 0:00:02.120 --> 0:00:04.680 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:07.160 Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:10.520 you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:12.559 it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:18.480 see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. Woo. 0:00:18.840 --> 0:00:21.040 How many thankful that you're feeling more than the air 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:24.639 conditioning this morning? Come on, do you sense the presence 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:28.360 of God in here? Y'all? To just look at your 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:31.760 neighbor that you're kind of socially distanced from, and even 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:33.880 right there on the e fam wherever you're watching us from, 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:36.280 just look at your neighbor right in their face. Say, neighbor, 0:00:37.240 --> 0:00:43.800 I'm ready to receive everything that God's got for me. 0:00:44.920 --> 0:00:47.800 Oh come on, find you another neighbor. Find you another neighbor. 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:52.320 Look at that other neighbor. Tell them I'm ready to 0:00:52.479 --> 0:01:07.160 receive everything that God's got for me. Whoo. See, you 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:09.759 have to be expected to receive what he has because 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:13.039 sometimes you don't even know what it is. That's why 0:01:13.080 --> 0:01:16.759 I like the o's in that saw, because the o's 0:01:16.880 --> 0:01:19.160 just articulate. I don't even know what you got for me, 0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:26.280 But I'm ready to receive. So whatever it is, I'm 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:31.200 ready to receive it. Father. We honor you today. They say, 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:34.960 have your way in this place. Do whatever you want 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:39.520 to do, Shake whatever you want to shake, Move whatever 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:46.400 you want to move. We do have great anticipation. Even 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:50.760 in spite of what we've been through, We're still anticipating 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:56.680 you to move because we know that you work all things, 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:01.400 all things the good of those that love you, and 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:06.480 are called according to your purpose. Speak to our hearts 0:02:07.880 --> 0:02:14.040 in Jesus' name. Everybody said, come on. Everybody said, amen, 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:17.040 you may be seated in the presence of the Lord. 0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:20.920 How you're doing elevation, Oh, come on, you can do 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:23.000 better than that. Are you glad to be in the 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:28.720 House of God this morning? I tell you what. It 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:32.560 is always a privilege to be an elevation church, but 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:36.640 it's a special privilege to be invited back, be invited. Fact, 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:39.400 this is like my sixth time here, and man, I 0:02:39.520 --> 0:02:42.200 never take it for granted. I am truly honored and 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:45.840 humbled to be here, especially to be here this week. 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:50.200 This week. You know, time is measured in minutes, but 0:02:50.240 --> 0:02:54.040 life is measured in moments. And I'll never forget this 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:57.680 time last year, we were right here in this room, 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:00.960 and the pandemic was upon us, and we didn't know 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:04.360 what the future was gonna look like. But isn't it 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:08.200 awesome to see that we're still here and we're still standing. 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:11.200 Oh come on, don't act like you weren't scared this 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:13.720 time last year. You didn't know what was gonna happen. 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:16.440 But look at you. You're still standing. Come on, you 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:19.720 still got a pulse. That's the beauty of our God. 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:22.320 You didn't know this moment was hit on a comeback then, 0:03:22.400 --> 0:03:27.080 but look at you, you're still here. So I'm just 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:30.000 thankful for God's goodness. I'm thankful for his grace, and 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:33.040 I'm excited to preach the word to you. I want to, 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:37.360 first of all, really and truly give honor to where 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:41.560 honor is due. I'm so thankful for the life and 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:46.200 really just the leadership pastor Stephen and Holly Ferdick. Come. 0:03:46.240 --> 0:03:52.000 You know, y'all are crazy blessed. See y'all know them 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:54.720 as great pastors, y'all know them as great leaders, But 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:57.080 my wife and I just know them as great friends. 0:03:57.600 --> 0:03:59.880 And you can try to be better friends to the 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:03.440 than they are to you. But it's impossible. It's impossible 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:07.480 because they're incredibly loyal. They're just always there. They will 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:10.000 show up when you need them. And I don't want 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:12.440 you to ever take the gift that they are for granted. 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:14.400 In fact, one more time, would you let them know 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:17.480 how much you love them, how much you appreciate them. 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:26.120 Come on, y'all, you're blessed, You're blessed. That's who I 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:29.160 listen to to feed my soul. I listened to your pastor, 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.159 Pastor Stephen Ferdick, and try not to steal his stuff 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:35.200 while I'm listening to him. And then during the pandemic, 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:38.040 I realize it's two verdicts in that house that can 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:44.559 preach because Pastor Holly have me shouting and throwing stuff 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:47.600 at the TV screen. So I thank God for her. 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:49.760 My wife and my family sends her love. I still 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:53.320 live in the great country of Texas, still married to 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:55.800 the finest woman on the planet, Taylor to do. We 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:59.560 still have three little humans and they're doing good. But 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:02.359 I guess there is one update. There is one update. 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:05.560 My wife and I we started this gathering in Dallas 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:09.520 called Social Dallas in twenty nineteen, just once a month 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:12.719 gathering and I've told God. I told God, you have 0:05:12.760 --> 0:05:15.479 to tell God something. I told him this. I'm not 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.159 a church planner, I'm not a pastor. That is just 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:21.360 the gathering that I told him, that specifically told him. 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:25.240 This is not a church plan I'm just having a gathering. 0:05:25.600 --> 0:05:29.240 Oh but surprise. I mean, you know, you can tell 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:32.080 God your plan is, but he'll laugh at him. And man, 0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:34.159 I'm excited to announce. I guess for the first time 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:36.680 on this stage that Social Dallas is now Social Church 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:44.240 and we're gonna have our opening Sunday this Easter. Come on, somebody, 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:49.200 so you're ever in the Dallas area, come check us 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:53.880 out and Social Dallas. And man, we are excited and 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:57.359 scared to death for all that God is gonna do. 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.320 But man, I'm ready to preach the Word today, all 0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:02.240 ready to hear it. I got some good back up 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:05.279 here to help me. Say Amen, So to turn with 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.360 me to the Gospel of John today. John chapter three. 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:14.600 I'm gonna look at verses twenty two through thirty. Well, 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:18.400 also look at the Book of Revelation or somebody else 0:06:18.440 --> 0:06:23.080 say Revelations, even though that's not in the Bible. And 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:27.320 we'll look at chapter four, verses nine through eleven. John 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:31.440 Chapter three. We'll start at verse number twenty two. When 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:35.719 you're ready to read it, say yeah. If you ain't 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:39.440 ready to say hold up, come on, somebody that's on 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:44.840 the screen. Look at what it says. It says. After this, 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:49.320 Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judaan countryside, 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:53.400 where he spent some time with them and baptized. Now, 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:58.080 John also was baptizing at Anne near Seline. Because there 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:01.800 was plenty of water, people were coming and being baptized. 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:06.240 This was before John was put in prison. An argument 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:08.920 developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew 0:07:09.200 --> 0:07:12.640 over the matter of ceremonial washing. And came to John 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:16.800 and said to him, Rabbi, that man who was with 0:07:16.880 --> 0:07:19.280 you on the other side of the Jordan talking about Jesus, 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:23.960 the one you testified about. Look, he is baptizing and 0:07:24.080 --> 0:07:27.320 everyone is going to him. Isn't it crazy the news 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:30.480 that some people will bring to you like that. These 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:33.120 are John's disciples talking about U. John, hold on, like 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:35.560 people are actually focusing on Jesus more than you. This 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:38.560 is a problem. That's what they came to say to John. 0:07:39.200 --> 0:07:42.360 And look at what John said. A person can only 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:46.000 receive what is given to them from heaven. You yourselves 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:48.560 can testify that I said it. I told you I'm 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:51.800 not the Messiah, but I'm sent ahead of him. The 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:55.520 bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.360 bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:02.800 joy when he hears the bridegrooms voice that joy is 0:08:02.920 --> 0:08:08.600 mine and it is now complete. He must become greater, 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:15.680 and I must become less. Show that is good. Go 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:22.040 to Revelation chapter four. Just a few verses here, starting 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:25.160 in verse number nine, and it says, whenever the living 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:27.880 creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:30.640 on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:33.800 twenty four elders fall down before him who sits on 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:36.840 the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:41.640 They lay their crowns before the throne and say, you 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:45.240 are worthy, o, Lord and God, to receive glory and 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:50.560 honor and power. You created all things, and by your 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:54.720 will they were created and have their being. Can you 0:08:54.800 --> 0:09:01.199 say amen? John says he must become greater, I must 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:07.720 become less, and the elders throw down their crowns before 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:11.280 the throne. Oh God, I want to preach today, not long, 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:15.800 about six and a half hours, just using this as 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:21.120 a title, No crown, no crown. Would you help me 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:24.240 preach and look at your neighbor one last time and say, neighbor, 0:09:25.640 --> 0:09:33.400 I know you think you cute, but no crowd, father, 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:37.839 thank you for your word today speak to us a 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:44.320 bad elevation. Fam. Before the service started, we had a 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:49.440 pre service production meeting, little mini production meeting, And in 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:53.040 the production meeting, they asked me a question that I'm 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:57.480 actually often asked. Matter of fact, I've been preaching sixteen 0:09:57.559 --> 0:10:01.640 years now, and I am always asked this question before 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:06.079 I preach, either through texts, through email, through facts on person. 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:12.000 I asked this question. The question is, Pastor Robert, do 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:16.280 you have any props or illustrations that you'll be using 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:18.719 in your message today? Do you have any props or 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:21.920 illustrations that you'll be using? And I think it's my 0:10:22.040 --> 0:10:26.880 familiarity with this question that's actually made me unaware of 0:10:26.920 --> 0:10:29.760 how nuanced that is to what I'm called to do. 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:35.360 Some you know, preachers, we will use some props to 0:10:35.440 --> 0:10:37.760 prove a point. I mean, we will use some if 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:39.960 you don't believe it, just scroll down your timeline tomorrow. 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:42.520 Look at some preachers pages. You will see all kinds 0:10:42.559 --> 0:10:46.239 of pictures with foreign objects of them trying to illustrate 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:49.000 some point. We will use some props. Preachers might be 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:51.920 the only people that will call you up before service, 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:53.760 call you for a service, say real quick, real quick, 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:57.400 I need some dynamite, some matches, a bull horn, and 0:10:57.440 --> 0:11:01.400 a fire extinguisher, and nobody will question why in the 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:04.160 world do you need these items. They'll be like, yeah, 0:11:04.200 --> 0:11:06.120 pastor Nesa, you're probably preaching on how you need to 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.840 be a dynamite witness for Jesus. Don't let the devil 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.800 extinguish your fire. I mean, people will just go get 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:16.959 the stuff and not ask you a question. Because preachers, 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:20.800 we use props. We love to use props to illustrate 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:24.600 what God is saying to us. And it's funny the 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:27.760 props that we use to illustrate what God is saying. 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:29.280 And the reason we do it is not just to 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:31.360 be cute. It's not just to be cute. It's because 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:34.760 we have been given the task, the daunting task. If 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:39.679 I might add, to articulate the gospel, the good news 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:43.479 about Jesus, we have been given the task to express 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:48.040 that which is inexpressible, to talk about the intangible, to 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:51.960 talk about a kingdom that is so transcended, the Kingdom 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:55.280 of God, a kingdom whose ways are above your ways, 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:58.600 and whose thoughts are above your thoughts. How in the 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:03.160 world can you aulate something that really your mind can't comprehend, 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:06.760 but your spirit has to comprehend it. Oh, it is 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:10.560 a difficult task to try to articulate the ideas of 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:13.000 the Kingdom of God. Even Jesus, when he preached the 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:15.000 Bible says, every time he preached to a crowd, he 0:12:15.160 --> 0:12:19.199 told stories. He told stories. He had to use things 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:21.839 in the earth that you could understand to express a 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:27.840 kingdom that you could never understand. Jesus use parables, and 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:31.080 we use props. And so I'm just having fun with this. 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:34.080 I actually made a list of all the props that 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:37.360 I've used, like in my sixteen years of preaching. This 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:39.679 is fun. This is not a comprehensive list, but all 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:41.840 these props have been used in some shape or form. 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:46.800 A ladder, toy train, basketball, barbies, barbells, hammer, nails and 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:54.080 built sword, seeds, trolls, plants, dirt mannequins, buckspring, violin, cliometric boxes, 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:59.440 cardboard boxes, gift boxes, brooms, shovel trees, dog bull, toilet, 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:06.760 rug flowers, mirrors, magnifying glass, oversize sunglasses, candles, salt, dollar bill, dimes, 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:13.720 tiger pulls, inflatables, oils, extension cords, bunge of cords, ropes, keys, 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:18.800 Christmas tree, a cow tongue, cow tongk It's a long story. 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:20.840 I'll tell you about it later. I'll tell you about 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:23.959 it now. I was a O was school. I was school. 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:25.760 I was preaching like a junior high camp, preaching like 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:27.400 a junior high camp, and you know, you gotta do 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:29.560 whatever you can a junior high And I brought in 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:34.600 a cow tongue and I say, young people, sit up, said, 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:39.800 in this bag, I have the most lethal weapon that 0:13:39.920 --> 0:13:42.400 you have ever seen. What is it? Oh, I'm gonna 0:13:42.400 --> 0:13:44.959 tell you what it is in this bag. It's something 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:49.120 that is deadly, It is poisonous, and it will kill you. 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:55.000 This bag has destroyed lives. What is it? Oh, I'm 0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:56.560 gonna show you what it is. I pull out the 0:13:56.600 --> 0:14:00.280 cow tongue, put it everywhere, almost sudden like eh oh. 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:03.360 I'm like, oh, that's nasty. That's gross. Not as gross 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:04.679 as the things that come out of your mouth and 0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:10.960 the cafeteria every second time. Whatever it takes to get 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:16.840 them to the altar that els use props, and I'm 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:19.360 adding to my list today. I'm adding to my list 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:26.280 of props today. I haven't used this one before. Anybody 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:32.160 know what This is a smoke detector. Yeah, I'm so 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:34.120 glad you said smoke detector. It looks like it's a 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:38.760 smoke detector. Smoke detectors are good, but the reality is 0:14:39.520 --> 0:14:43.760 you can see smoke. Now, you can smell smoke. The 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:46.720 beep is a little extra. You can see a fire. 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:55.280 This is a This is a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:59.120 dioxide detectors are vital. They are critical. As matter of fact, 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:03.239 you cannot build the building without having carbon monoxide detectors. 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:07.120 Every building, by code has to have a carbon monoxide 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:13.320 detector because carbon monoxide is lethally dangerous, always a lethally dangerous. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:14.880 I don't want to start off morbid, but you have 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:20.000 to understand that almost twenty thousand people a year found 0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:24.280 themselves in the emergency room because of carbon monoxide. Four 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:29.840 hundred people a year die because of carbon monoxide. And 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:34.360 what makes carbon monoxide so lethally dangerous is because it 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:38.520 is colorless and it is odorless. So it could be 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:42.520 in the room right now and you wouldn't even know it. 0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:45.680 It could be in the room right now, seeping throughout 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:49.440 this room, and it would slowly start to affect your body. 0:15:49.680 --> 0:15:51.760 All of a sudden, you just get nauseous, and you 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:54.920 would have a headache, and you would start feeling the symptoms, 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:58.760 and before you know it, you would die from motoxin 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:04.560 that you couldn't even see. The CDC calls carbon monoxide 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:09.440 the silent killer. Obviously, I didn't come all the way 0:16:09.440 --> 0:16:12.880 to Charlotte today to talk to you about carbon monoxide, 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:16.240 but I do want to talk about a silent killer. 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:26.120 The silent killer is pride. Pride is the carbon monoxide 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:31.960 of sin. Pride is the carbon monoxide slowly and secretly 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:37.320 and subtly seeping into your spirit, suffocating the plans and 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:40.680 the purposes of God. I'm telling you, Pride is the 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:45.840 silent killer. Pride will destroy your life. Pride will stop 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:50.240 God from doing exceedingly abundantly above all you may ask, think, 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:53.720 or imagine. It is nothing like pride that will shut 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:57.080 down the plan of God for your life. Pride is 0:16:57.120 --> 0:17:02.560 what destroys marriages. Pride is what ruins relationships. Pride is 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:06.359 what tears apart families. Pride is what makes you hold 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:10.719 on to bitterness and refuse to forgive. Pride is the 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:14.639 reason why family members have been talked for years. Pride 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:20.200 destroys churches, It shuts down ministries, It kills companies. Pride 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:26.080 is the silent killer ood. There's nothing like pride that 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:28.760 will stop God from doing what he wants to do 0:17:28.880 --> 0:17:33.080 in you and through you. Pride has always been the problem. 0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:37.480 Who can I go there? But pride is America's stronghold. 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:41.160 You know, we got EFAM people watching all over the 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:44.280 world right now. But how many know different regions and 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:49.400 different nations, Sometimes different states and cities have particular strongholds. 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:51.359 And you ain't got to be prophetic or have a 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:57.000 sociology degree to know that pride is America's biggest stronghold. Oh, 0:17:57.200 --> 0:17:59.320 it is our stronghold. We read the Bible and think 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:03.640 the Bible just talking about us. Pride is a stronghold. 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:07.600 Don't mess with me. I'm from Texas. You know, Texas 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:11.480 really got some pride. It's just we're our own country. 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:16.920 We think, how do you deal with pride? See, pride 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:21.280 is interesting because pride is the sin beneath the sin. 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:24.720 Can I just take my time real quick, let me 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:31.040 pause for a water break. Pride is the sin beneath 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:33.480 the sin. That's what Augustine said. In other words, there 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:35.920 can be issues in your life that on the surface 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:38.760 it looks like it's one thing, but at the bottom 0:18:38.800 --> 0:18:41.920 it's really just pride. Give us some examples, Robert, Okay, 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:45.320 I give you some examples. So like, on the surface 0:18:45.359 --> 0:18:50.480 of your life, you think the issue is anxiety or worry, 0:18:50.680 --> 0:18:55.600 but at the root, it's pride. Because you told God, 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:58.360 didn't you tell me so? God? I specifically told you 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:01.159 that I had to be married by twenty eight. I 0:19:01.280 --> 0:19:04.520 told you that he had to be six four. Did 0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:06.679 not tell you God that we had to live in 0:19:06.680 --> 0:19:10.040 the suburbs. I specifically that we prayed about this. Our 0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:12.439 house had to be mid century modern. I told you 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:14.560 the car had to be a BMW, nothing less than 0:19:14.600 --> 0:19:17.200 a five series. Didn't I tell you? That was my plan? 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:23.600 And now you anxious and you're upset cause you're thirty 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:28.760 eight and you're not married, or you are, but he's 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:33.280 five to two and you don't got the house or 0:19:33.280 --> 0:19:36.160 the career that you wanted, and you're driving the Prius 0:19:36.440 --> 0:19:38.439 and you're like, God, what is woman? You're trying to 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:41.639 understand what is not happening? And it's not anxiety, is 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:46.919 just it was fried pride trying to tell God the 0:19:46.960 --> 0:19:49.679 way you thought your life. Shit, Oh, I should have 0:19:49.680 --> 0:19:54.480 preached something that will make you shall so so on 0:19:54.520 --> 0:20:00.159 the surface, on the surface, it looks like indecisiveness. The 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:05.439 root is pride. Because if I actually take a step 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:07.680 of faith and do what God has called me to do, 0:20:08.119 --> 0:20:10.760 what if I fail? What if I mess up? What 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:13.320 are people gonna think about me? If I don't show 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:15.280 up the way I'm supposed to show up. So I'd 0:20:15.400 --> 0:20:19.440 rather stay at the bay of procrastination and never step 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:23.240 into what God has for me, because if I do, 0:20:24.280 --> 0:20:27.160 I might fall flat on my face and I got 0:20:27.160 --> 0:20:32.760 a reputation. It's always pride is always at the root 0:20:32.920 --> 0:20:35.200 of it. Oh, that's what's at the root of every 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:39.000 fride fight in your life. It's pride. That's why you're 0:20:39.040 --> 0:20:42.760 bitter because of pride, Because you're only bitter because you 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:46.920 think you're better than that person. Because it's pride. Yeah, 0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:49.760 that's why you're angry talking about I cannot believe that 0:20:49.800 --> 0:20:52.639 she would do that to me. I would never do 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:56.520 that to anybody. I would never treat anybody like that girl. 0:20:56.560 --> 0:20:59.400 I would never talk behind anybody's back as you're telling 0:20:59.400 --> 0:21:02.640 your friend. I would never ever do that. How could 0:21:02.760 --> 0:21:11.320 she do something like that? The root it is pride. 0:21:12.520 --> 0:21:18.239 Pride is the sin beneath the sin. What do we 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:23.680 do with the pride? Pride preceded the fall of man. 0:21:24.960 --> 0:21:30.080 Pride is what turned an angel into a devil. It 0:21:30.119 --> 0:21:32.800 made its way into heaven. Satan Lucifer, you know, it 0:21:32.880 --> 0:21:34.680 used to be the praise and worship leader of heaven. 0:21:34.920 --> 0:21:38.080 But pride was found in his heart. And not only 0:21:38.080 --> 0:21:41.520 did he fall, two thirds of the angels, sixty six 0:21:41.600 --> 0:21:46.560 percent of the angels fail because of pride. I came 0:21:46.600 --> 0:21:49.240 to tell you that pride, hear me, is the dead 0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:54.720 bolt that will block your access into the presence of God. 0:21:55.680 --> 0:22:02.800 But humility. Humility is the hinge upon which the heavens 0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:06.760 open up in your life. Humility is the hinge upon 0:22:06.800 --> 0:22:09.879 which the heavens open up in your life. If you 0:22:09.920 --> 0:22:12.159 ever want to see the heavens open up in your life. 0:22:12.240 --> 0:22:15.640 You gotta start saying, God, let me be humble, let 0:22:15.680 --> 0:22:19.080 me have humility. That's how the heavens will open up 0:22:19.119 --> 0:22:21.160 in your life. If you really want to see a 0:22:21.240 --> 0:22:24.640 miracle and a move of God, you start with humility. 0:22:24.960 --> 0:22:27.840 Begin your day, every single day, getting down on your 0:22:27.920 --> 0:22:31.399 knees and saying, God, I cannot do life without you. God. 0:22:31.440 --> 0:22:33.720 I need you. God. I don't know how to run 0:22:33.760 --> 0:22:35.920 this company without you. God. I don't know how to 0:22:36.000 --> 0:22:38.439 raise these kids without you. God. I don't know how 0:22:38.480 --> 0:22:40.280 to be a father. I don't know how to be 0:22:40.359 --> 0:22:44.280 a mom. God, you gotta help me. I need you. 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:47.600 You're not in addition to my life, you are my life. 0:22:47.720 --> 0:22:52.240 I need you. Oh. When you begin your life like that, 0:22:52.480 --> 0:22:55.479 your day like that, That's what gets God's attention. He 0:22:55.560 --> 0:22:58.800 is attracted to humility. He has to show up when 0:22:58.800 --> 0:23:03.440 you get humble, because humility is the hinge upon which 0:23:03.480 --> 0:23:07.879 the heavens open up. God is attracted to the fragrance 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:10.720 of humility. Who come here, James? Chapter four? What does 0:23:10.760 --> 0:23:14.840 it say? It says that God resists the proud, but 0:23:14.960 --> 0:23:18.440 he gives grace to the humble. He resists the proud, 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:22.360 but gives grace to the humble. Later John James will 0:23:22.359 --> 0:23:27.360 also say that who resists the devil and he will flee. 0:23:27.520 --> 0:23:30.600 So wait a minute. I gotta resist the devil for 0:23:30.720 --> 0:23:34.160 him to flee. But if I got pride, God will 0:23:34.200 --> 0:23:39.680 resist me. I gotta resist the devil for him to flee. 0:23:39.840 --> 0:23:43.560 But if I have pride, God will resist me. So 0:23:43.600 --> 0:23:46.240 I wonder what the enemy is gonna constantly hit me 0:23:46.320 --> 0:23:54.360 with pride? Pride? I think that's what the enemy will 0:23:54.359 --> 0:24:01.080 always tell you. Do you boo? Do you Pride is 0:24:01.480 --> 0:24:05.720 the silent killer? God told me to preach this message. 0:24:05.760 --> 0:24:08.320 I don't know who this is for today. Because I 0:24:08.320 --> 0:24:11.000 love the core value, I love the ethos of Elevation Church, 0:24:11.680 --> 0:24:16.640 and see what God can do through you, See what 0:24:16.680 --> 0:24:20.080 God can do through you. I just came to tell 0:24:20.119 --> 0:24:23.879 you the thing that will stop what God can do 0:24:23.960 --> 0:24:31.159 through you. It's pride. So quick question, it's just us 0:24:31.160 --> 0:24:35.280 stopping and y'all at home etham, quick question and be honest. 0:24:35.800 --> 0:24:40.359 How many would just say by showing up hands that 0:24:40.560 --> 0:24:43.160 like you're super prideful. See your hand up, You're like prideful. 0:24:43.880 --> 0:24:45.640 Come on, you be honest, like raise your hand said 0:24:45.640 --> 0:24:49.480 like I'm I'm prideful, raising real high ephan raising high. Okay, 0:24:50.720 --> 0:24:55.200 let me see. Okay, if you didn't lift up your hand, 0:24:55.880 --> 0:24:59.600 I'm worried about you. I'm worried about you. I got 0:24:59.600 --> 0:25:07.760 some serious questions because the problem with pride is it hides. See, 0:25:08.119 --> 0:25:11.399 the people that struggle with pride the most will be 0:25:11.440 --> 0:25:15.000 the last one to lift up the hand because the 0:25:15.080 --> 0:25:19.320 pride stops them from saying that they have it. See, 0:25:19.400 --> 0:25:24.320 pride is like bad breath. You're generally the last one 0:25:24.359 --> 0:25:28.760 to know that you have it, but yet it's affecting everybody. 0:25:29.760 --> 0:25:32.320 Oh so you didn't lift up the hand. I'm worried 0:25:32.320 --> 0:25:36.600 about you because because because pride hides. Okay, I'm trying 0:25:36.760 --> 0:25:39.960 another question. How many of you say that like you're 0:25:40.040 --> 0:25:43.040 super humble? Like you're humble? I mean, come on, lift 0:25:43.119 --> 0:25:44.879 up your hand. Come on, like you're really, really humble. 0:25:45.800 --> 0:25:47.240 Now you don't lift up your hand. Come on, y'all 0:25:47.240 --> 0:25:48.760 don't want how many need to write the book on 0:25:48.840 --> 0:25:52.280 how I became humble? Come on, start your website. I'm 0:25:52.320 --> 0:25:56.639 the epitome of humility dot com. You see the challenge? 0:25:57.280 --> 0:26:02.080 What does humility look like? See, pride hides and humility 0:26:02.119 --> 0:26:06.600 is hidden. Generally when you come across a person that 0:26:06.680 --> 0:26:09.560 is humble, you don't walk away going, oh, they were 0:26:09.560 --> 0:26:12.600 really humble. You actually don't walk away thinking about them 0:26:12.600 --> 0:26:14.920 at all. You think about yourself going, man, they really 0:26:14.920 --> 0:26:18.800