WEBVTT - You Must Be Important Part 1

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted to thank you for joining us today.

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<v Speaker 2>Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope

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<v Speaker 2>it gives your perspective to see God.

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<v Speaker 1>Is moving in your life. Enjoy the message.

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<v Speaker 2>Look at the person next to give them my title.

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<v Speaker 2>Say you must be important, be seated.

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<v Speaker 1>Amen.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you noticed that, like who we think is important,

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<v Speaker 2>sometimes maybe God doesn't think is as important in culture.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, just like, have you noticed that it seems

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<v Speaker 2>like lately I'm praying more and more, God, show me

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<v Speaker 2>what's important from your perspective. I'm afraid that I'll live

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<v Speaker 2>my life wasting my energy on things that seem important

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<v Speaker 2>to me, only to find out that they weren't as

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<v Speaker 2>important as I thought they were. So I'm just praying

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<v Speaker 2>more and more in the moment, just a very short prayer. God,

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<v Speaker 2>show me what's important, and I'm praying it at the

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<v Speaker 2>start of my week.

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<v Speaker 1>More that God.

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<v Speaker 2>There's a lot I could do this week, but I

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<v Speaker 2>need you to show me the difference between what's urgent

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<v Speaker 2>and what's important, because some things that will be an

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<v Speaker 2>emergency for other people cannot become my priority just because

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<v Speaker 2>they didn't make a plan. And so this week, I

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<v Speaker 2>need you to show me the difference between what's urgent.

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<v Speaker 1>And what's important.

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<v Speaker 2>And sometimes it's urgent and important, but I need God

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<v Speaker 2>more and more.

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<v Speaker 1>To show me what's more important.

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<v Speaker 2>Lately, I find that it's not choosing between you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Netflix and Bible study. It's like which show on Netflix

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<v Speaker 2>or Bible. I'm just kidding. I just want to take

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<v Speaker 2>it there now. It's two things that are equally to me,

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<v Speaker 2>equal priorities, because I know that I need to seek

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<v Speaker 2>first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>always know what that looks like in this because my

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<v Speaker 2>role in the Kingdom consists of multiple roles. So on

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<v Speaker 2>one level, I am a pastor who needs to prepare

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<v Speaker 2>a sermon. On another level, I am a dad with

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<v Speaker 2>a kid who wants to throw the football. And I

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<v Speaker 2>know you think that you're more important than my son's

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<v Speaker 2>desire to throw a football. But the fact of the

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<v Speaker 2>matter is, you know, if I drop dead, there'd be

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<v Speaker 2>another preacher standing here this weekend, but he's only got

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<v Speaker 2>one dad.

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<v Speaker 1>It's true, is so true?

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<v Speaker 2>Some of the things that I thought were more important

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<v Speaker 2>in my twenties. Now that I'm like a wise sage

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<v Speaker 2>at the age of thirty eight, I'm realizing that I

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<v Speaker 2>need God more and more to show me what's important now,

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<v Speaker 2>what's important now? What was important to me in one

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<v Speaker 2>season may not need the same priority in this season.

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<v Speaker 1>And that even applies to people.

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<v Speaker 2>I know that everybody is equally important to somebody say,

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<v Speaker 2>I know you're important to God. But God is an

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<v Speaker 2>unlimited resource and he can love everybody equally.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not that much like God. I only have so

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<v Speaker 1>much to give.

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<v Speaker 2>Come on, There's only so many bags of chips in

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<v Speaker 2>the vending machine of my heart, and I can't just

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<v Speaker 2>have everybody grab and everything out of me all the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Eventually I will run out.

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<v Speaker 2>So I need to be led by the spirit to

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<v Speaker 2>know what's most important in this moment, in this season

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<v Speaker 2>of my life.

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<v Speaker 1>What is the priority of God for me?

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<v Speaker 2>In Mark's Gospel, we are going to study today briefly

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<v Speaker 2>a story that he thought was important to include to

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<v Speaker 2>give us a full picture of Jesus. It's been shocking

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<v Speaker 2>to us some of the priorities that Jesus had and

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<v Speaker 2>how much different those priorities are than maybe what we

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<v Speaker 2>would have exc When we see him stopping to heal

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<v Speaker 2>a woman in Mark five point twenty one, and following

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<v Speaker 2>on his way to heal a little girl, we are shocked, confounded,

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<v Speaker 2>and in some ways challenged because the one he was

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<v Speaker 2>going to heal was the daughter of someone who was important.

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<v Speaker 1>His name was Gyrus, he was a synagogue leader.

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<v Speaker 2>The woman who came up behind Jesus isn't even given

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<v Speaker 2>a name. Nobody really cared about women like that in

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<v Speaker 2>this culture. He stops en route to the miracle that

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<v Speaker 2>is more important and more urgent, because the little girl

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<v Speaker 2>has hours to live. In fact, while he stops to

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<v Speaker 2>heal this unimportant woman, the important girl dies. Jesus isn't

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<v Speaker 2>concerned about this because he is healer. Yes, also he

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<v Speaker 2>is resurrection. His priority in this moment is to show

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<v Speaker 2>the people a deeper revelation of who he is. The

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<v Speaker 2>only way for him to give them this revelation of

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<v Speaker 2>the power of his presence is to upset their priorities

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<v Speaker 2>and stop for something that they see as less important,

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<v Speaker 2>so that when he gets to the scene, which was

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<v Speaker 2>more important, the little girl is already dead. This provides

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<v Speaker 2>an opportunity for him to do something that he couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>have done if he had gone according to their priorities.

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<v Speaker 2>Sometimes God will upset your priorities to show you his

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<v Speaker 2>power in a new way. And I know it's hard

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<v Speaker 2>to clap for that. But if God has been doing

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<v Speaker 2>some unusual things.

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<v Speaker 1>In your life lately and it seems.

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<v Speaker 2>Difficult to get Jesus to follow your agenda, maybe he.

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<v Speaker 1>Is re ordering your priorities.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe what was important to you then shouldn't be important

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<v Speaker 2>to you now, and he's trying to show you an

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<v Speaker 2>order of importance. That's how you can know when the

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<v Speaker 2>presence of God is really increasing in your day to

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<v Speaker 2>day life.

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<v Speaker 1>It will shift your priorities.

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<v Speaker 2>Goosebumps don't prove the presence of God.

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<v Speaker 1>I get goosebumps off of Bruno Mars every time.

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<v Speaker 2>Goose Bumpson sometimes I kiss Holly. Feelings don't prove the

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<v Speaker 2>presence of God.

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<v Speaker 1>What proves the presence.

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<v Speaker 2>Of God in my life is when my priorities begin

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<v Speaker 2>to align with his. And this is going to require

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<v Speaker 2>a collision because cultural priorities are much different. Now we're

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<v Speaker 2>ready for Mark Chapter five, a story that Mark thought

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<v Speaker 2>was important enough to include for us. Imagine you have

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<v Speaker 2>to write a gospel account and you have to decide

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<v Speaker 2>what's the most important teaching Jesus gave that you want

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<v Speaker 2>to put in Mark four or what stories are.

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<v Speaker 1>You going to leave out?

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<v Speaker 2>Because it's not like you could say, well, that wasn't

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<v Speaker 2>any good when he healed that line. Man, you know

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<v Speaker 2>what I'm saying, Like it'd be hard to let something

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<v Speaker 2>hit the cutting room floor, right, Yeah, Well, I mean

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<v Speaker 2>he he opened so many death fears. You got to

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<v Speaker 2>pick and choose which ones you're gonna include. Like stuff

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<v Speaker 2>that Jesus did on his way to his appointments would

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<v Speaker 2>have been our greatest accomplishment in our whole lifetime. And

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<v Speaker 2>now Mark has to decide, all right, what are the

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<v Speaker 2>most important stories?

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<v Speaker 1>And so in order to do that, he has to

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<v Speaker 1>choose one theme.

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<v Speaker 2>And he has to get this theme across because Matthew,

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<v Speaker 2>who wrote a gospel account, he's gonna have a theme.

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<v Speaker 2>Luke is John is Mark's theme, he decides is going

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<v Speaker 2>to be to show.

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<v Speaker 1>The authority of Jesus. The authority of Jesus, and authority

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<v Speaker 1>is illustrated, not explained. Can I talk about that?

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<v Speaker 2>People who always need to tell you they're in charge,

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<v Speaker 2>aren't really in control. When you really have power, you

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<v Speaker 2>don't have to shout. Just walk through my house and

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<v Speaker 2>watch Holly look at one of our kids a certain way,

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<v Speaker 2>and you will see that power doesn't have to shout.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, there is a look she can give. And

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know where the kids go after that. They

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<v Speaker 2>crawl under parts of the house I've never seen off

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<v Speaker 2>of one look. And this is a demonstration of Jesus

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<v Speaker 2>authority that I don't think you'll soon forget.

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<v Speaker 1>Married it to you. Just relax and listen, Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>They went Mark five, verse one, across the lake to

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<v Speaker 2>the region of the Garriscenes.

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<v Speaker 1>When Jesus got out.

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<v Speaker 2>Of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came

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<v Speaker 2>from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in

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<v Speaker 2>the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not

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<v Speaker 2>even with a chain, for it had often been chained

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<v Speaker 2>hand and foot. But he tore the chains apart and

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<v Speaker 2>broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong

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<v Speaker 2>enough to subdue him, and that's called foreshadowing class. No

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<v Speaker 2>one was strong enough to subdue him. Somebody shot I

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<v Speaker 2>got a great big God night and day Verse five

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<v Speaker 2>among the tombs, and in the hills he would cry

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<v Speaker 2>out and cut himself with stones. And verse six is

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<v Speaker 2>interesting when he saw Jesus from a distance. Now, this

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<v Speaker 2>is the first time he's seen Jesus, but this is

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<v Speaker 2>not jesus first vision of him. He saw Jesus from

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<v Speaker 2>a distance. Jesus did his ministry in Capernaum. This account

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<v Speaker 2>is from a Gentile region, the region.

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<v Speaker 1>Of the Garriscenes. No one knows exactly where that is.

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<v Speaker 2>By the way, there's a lot of debate about it.

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<v Speaker 2>I went over to a spot where they think this

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<v Speaker 2>story might have happened last year, and he showed me

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<v Speaker 2>how Jesus would go up in the mountains and pray

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<v Speaker 2>early in the morning and late at night, and across

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<v Speaker 2>the sea of Galilee, where Jesus has just traveled, the

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<v Speaker 2>sound would have traveled. So if this man is crying

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<v Speaker 2>out day and night, there's a good chance Jesus would

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<v Speaker 2>have been up early while the man was up late,

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<v Speaker 2>and while the man was up late crying, Jesus was

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<v Speaker 2>up late praying. And maybe one morning, after hearing the

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<v Speaker 2>man cry one more time, Jesus decided, today is the

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<v Speaker 2>day for me to make my way toward this man

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<v Speaker 2>and set him free. Could it be that God has

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<v Speaker 2>heard your cry, and he has heard.

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<v Speaker 1>The secret petitions and disappointments.

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<v Speaker 2>Of your heart, and he had you log on or

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<v Speaker 2>show up today because today is today?

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<v Speaker 1>That he came to see about you.

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<v Speaker 2>When you thought no one else was listening, and you

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<v Speaker 2>thought you were all alone.

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<v Speaker 1>Could it be that he heard you?

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<v Speaker 2>And now the man sees Jesus, possibly before Jesus even

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<v Speaker 2>lays eyes on the man, and he ran and fell

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<v Speaker 2>on his knees in front of him verse seven. He shouted,

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<v Speaker 2>at the top of his voice, what do you want

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<v Speaker 2>with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God. Oh,

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<v Speaker 2>by the way, your first response to God will often

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<v Speaker 2>be feared.

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<v Speaker 1>When he shows up in your life in real power.

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<v Speaker 2>There will be something in you that will resist that

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<v Speaker 2>authority because it goes against everything that is ingrained in

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<v Speaker 2>our humanity to be in the presence of one who

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<v Speaker 2>is greater than us, and it often causes us to

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<v Speaker 2>reevaluate our priorities. Now, in this man's case, there is

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<v Speaker 2>a specific reason that he falls on his knees and shouts,

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<v Speaker 2>what do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the

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<v Speaker 2>Most High God? In God's name, don't torture me, for

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus had said to him, here it is, come out

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<v Speaker 2>of this man, you impure spirit. And Jesus challenged the

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<v Speaker 2>spirit that was within the man, and the spirit within

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<v Speaker 2>the man resisted the challenge of Jesus because anytime the

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<v Speaker 2>enemy has occupied a territory for a while, he won't

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<v Speaker 2>let it go without a fight. Jesus asked him a question,

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<v Speaker 2>not for information, but for revelation. He doesn't need to

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<v Speaker 2>know this, he knows all things. But he asked the

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<v Speaker 2>man because the man might know who Jesus is, but

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<v Speaker 2>this man doesn't know who he is. And Jesus asked

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<v Speaker 2>the man, what is your name? And the man responded,

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<v Speaker 2>my name is region, for we are many. And he

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<v Speaker 2>begged Jesus again and again not to send them out

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<v Speaker 2>of the area. The demons beg Jesus, don't make us leave.

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<v Speaker 2>And this is where the story gets interesting verse eleven.

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<v Speaker 2>And I promise you the Bible is way more bizarre

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<v Speaker 2>than you give it credit for him exhibit.

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<v Speaker 1>A verse eleven, a large herd of pigs.

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<v Speaker 2>We know we're not in Jewish territory anymore, right, because

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<v Speaker 2>there would not be a.

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<v Speaker 1>Large herd of pigs. Jesus has let his home.

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<v Speaker 2>Turf, and he's crossed over, and now he's in Gentile territory,

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<v Speaker 2>the region of the gar Seats. And there's a large

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<v Speaker 2>herd of pigs standing nearby on the hillside feeding. And

0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:47.200
<v Speaker 2>the demons begged Jesus send us among the pigs, allow

0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:50.320
<v Speaker 2>us to go into them. He gave them permission. Okay,

0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:52.319
<v Speaker 2>you got to leave the man, but you can jump

0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:55.600
<v Speaker 2>on the pigs. And the impure spirits came out and

0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:59.559
<v Speaker 2>went into the pigs, and the herd, about two thousand

0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:03.280
<v Speaker 2>in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake,

0:13:03.400 --> 0:13:05.520
<v Speaker 2>and we're drowting. I know you're worried right now that

0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:07.040
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to find a way to preach about this

0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:09.200
<v Speaker 2>in a way that applies to your life. But trust me,

0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:10.719
<v Speaker 2>I've been doing this a long time. I got a

0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:12.959
<v Speaker 2>good track record, and I promise you there is a

0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.480
<v Speaker 2>connection between you and these pigs. And if you give

0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:17.679
<v Speaker 2>me a few minutes and pay close attention, I'll show

0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.760
<v Speaker 2>you what it is. Verse fourteen. Those tending the pigs

0:13:21.240 --> 0:13:24.760
<v Speaker 2>ran off and reported this in the town in countryside,

0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:27.440
<v Speaker 2>and the people went to see what had happened. And

0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:29.320
<v Speaker 2>when they came to Jesus, they saw the man who

0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:31.880
<v Speaker 2>had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there,

0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:35.160
<v Speaker 2>dressed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:39.200
<v Speaker 2>Those who had seen it told the people what had

0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:42.720
<v Speaker 2>happened to the demon possessed man, and told about the

0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:49.400
<v Speaker 2>pigs as well. And then then then the people began

0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:54.200
<v Speaker 2>to plead with Jesus to leave their region. Touch them

0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:56.920
<v Speaker 2>again and say, can I get your autograph? Touch them

0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:03.640
<v Speaker 2>say you must be imported. You must be important that

0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:06.960
<v Speaker 2>Jesus would go through all this trouble to keep an

0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:07.840
<v Speaker 2>appointment with you.

0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:13.200
<v Speaker 1>Oh, I'm so sorry. I messed up. I started reading

0:14:13.240 --> 0:14:14.640
<v Speaker 1>in the wrong place in the Bible.

0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:17.680
<v Speaker 2>It happens. I'm sorry. This is my third time preaching it.

0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:19.880
<v Speaker 2>You will have to forgive me. I was supposed to

0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:22.480
<v Speaker 2>start at mark four thirty five, and I started in

0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:24.920
<v Speaker 2>mark five. And you can't understand mark five without mark

0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:27.280
<v Speaker 2>four thirty five through forty one. So if you will

0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:30.800
<v Speaker 2>forgive me for my slight oversight, I'm gonna do what

0:14:30.840 --> 0:14:33.000
<v Speaker 2>I should have done before. I want to tell you

0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:34.240
<v Speaker 2>about the storm that came.

0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:34.920
<v Speaker 1>Before the miracle.

0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:40.640
<v Speaker 2>This passage of scripture will preach all by itself, because

0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:43.040
<v Speaker 2>watch this. How many of you are going through a

0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:45.320
<v Speaker 2>storm in your life today? Just raise your hand, or

0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:47.320
<v Speaker 2>somebody close to you is going through a storm.

0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:48.000
<v Speaker 1>Raise your hand.

0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:50.680
<v Speaker 2>Now see how easy it is to preach about storms.

0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.080
<v Speaker 2>Did you see the high percentage of hands that went up?

0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:55.360
<v Speaker 2>Except at Blakeney they never raised their hands when I

0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:57.320
<v Speaker 2>ask them to. But let me try this one more time.

0:14:57.600 --> 0:15:00.240
<v Speaker 2>How many of you are going through a storm. Just

0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:02.840
<v Speaker 2>came out of a storm, or you know there's probably

0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:05.240
<v Speaker 2>a storm around the corner. Come on, be a meteorologist

0:15:05.240 --> 0:15:07.160
<v Speaker 2>and touch your neighbor and say, there's.

0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:11.360
<v Speaker 1>A storm out on the ocean.

0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:15.480
<v Speaker 2>So let me read this to you because it's important.

0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:19.160
<v Speaker 2>Somebody say it's important. That day when evening came, this

0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:22.760
<v Speaker 2>is the same day, remember the same day. Mark didn't

0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:24.000
<v Speaker 2>divide this into chapters.

0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:28.120
<v Speaker 1>We did that later. Mark's writing it all as one story.

0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:32.080
<v Speaker 2>That day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples,

0:15:32.480 --> 0:15:34.120
<v Speaker 2>let's go over to the other side.

0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:36.440
<v Speaker 1>Note he doesn't tell him why.

0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:40.400
<v Speaker 2>He doesn't say, because I've got an appointment on the

0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:44.640
<v Speaker 2>other side. He doesn't tell them why. He just tells them,

0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:47.680
<v Speaker 2>what can you obey? What God says, when you don't know,

0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:51.000
<v Speaker 2>why can you just get in and go even though

0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:54.280
<v Speaker 2>you don't know where this is going. If you believe

0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:57.160
<v Speaker 2>he has all authority, you don't need full details to

0:15:57.200 --> 0:16:00.840
<v Speaker 2>be obedient. This is just for the obedien and Christians

0:16:01.440 --> 0:16:04.000
<v Speaker 2>who are willing to cross over. Now make a note

0:16:04.000 --> 0:16:09.800
<v Speaker 2>of this. You can't cross over without conflict. Jesus is

0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:13.760
<v Speaker 2>moving the mission forward. He's leaving the comfort zone of

0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:18.880
<v Speaker 2>what do we call it? Copernaum? Ooh nahoum comfort Copernaum, Copernaum,

0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:22.000
<v Speaker 2>it's the place of the comforter. He's leaving the comfort zone,

0:16:22.360 --> 0:16:25.720
<v Speaker 2>and he's moving into enemy territory, like some of you

0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.520
<v Speaker 2>are doing right now in your life. You are beginning

0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:31.600
<v Speaker 2>to move forward in the things of God. You're changing

0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:35.520
<v Speaker 2>your circle, You're changing your values. You have begun to

0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:38.280
<v Speaker 2>prioritize the presence of God.

0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:42.440
<v Speaker 1>But let me warn you. When you make God your priority,

0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:44.600
<v Speaker 1>the enemy will send a storm.

0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:49.000
<v Speaker 2>You never cross over without conflict. Did you expect the

0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:52.120
<v Speaker 2>devil would let you go without a fight. Did you

0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:55.320
<v Speaker 2>expect that he would let you leave Egypt without sending

0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:57.080
<v Speaker 2>his chariots to chase you down.

0:16:57.560 --> 0:16:59.560
<v Speaker 1>You've been serving the devil forty.

0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:02.000
<v Speaker 2>Two years and now you decide to stand up and

0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:04.399
<v Speaker 2>be a godly man, and you think it's just gonna

0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:07.200
<v Speaker 2>change overnight. As a matter of fact, I want to

0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:10.840
<v Speaker 2>announce to you the reason the storm is raging might

0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:12.040
<v Speaker 2>not be because your.

0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:14.000
<v Speaker 1>Jonah headed away from the will of God.

0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:18.320
<v Speaker 2>It might be because you're crossing over into the calling.

0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:24.439
<v Speaker 1>That is on your life. That's what the conflict is

0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:24.920
<v Speaker 1>all about.

0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:25.000
<v Speaker 2>It.

0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:32.320
<v Speaker 1>I know I should just calm down and talk to you, but.

0:17:34.359 --> 0:17:36.760
<v Speaker 2>Sometimes when you're in a storm, sometimes you need somebody

0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:41.080
<v Speaker 2>to holler at you and say, hey, you're gonna make

0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:41.840
<v Speaker 2>it through this.

0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:47.800
<v Speaker 1>How do you know? Because Jesus said, We're going to

0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:51.560
<v Speaker 1>the other side, so you can't die in this.

0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:57.400
<v Speaker 2>You gotta make it to that.

0:17:57.400 --> 0:18:01.119
<v Speaker 1>That's what I came to say.

0:18:02.200 --> 0:18:05.920
<v Speaker 2>I've preached so many sermons about this storm, and I've

0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:08.640
<v Speaker 2>told so many people that they can survive what they're

0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:13.040
<v Speaker 2>going through. But there's a more important question than will

0:18:13.080 --> 0:18:20.160
<v Speaker 2>you survive. The better question to ask is why did

0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:23.720
<v Speaker 2>you survive the storm?

0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:25.440
<v Speaker 1>Have you thought about Have you ever thought.

0:18:25.280 --> 0:18:29.520
<v Speaker 2>About how many things the enemy did, even early in

0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:32.879
<v Speaker 2>your life to try to stop you from having a

0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:38.159
<v Speaker 2>relationship with God. Remember this is Mark chapter four, not

0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:41.480
<v Speaker 2>Mark chapter five. This man has not even seen Jesus

0:18:41.600 --> 0:18:44.119
<v Speaker 2>yet yet. There is a storm that is sent to

0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:46.720
<v Speaker 2>the Sea of Galilee to keep Jesus from getting to him.

0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:50.840
<v Speaker 1>I know you're like, well, how do you know the

0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:51.800
<v Speaker 1>devil started the storm.

0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:59.280
<v Speaker 2>Maybe it was just climate change because it said Jesus

0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:04.360
<v Speaker 2>rebuke the window the waves. Jesus doesn't rebuke natural elements.

0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:11.040
<v Speaker 2>He rebukes demons. The same demonic oppression that was oppressing

0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:14.640
<v Speaker 2>that man was in that sea trying to stop Jesus

0:19:14.680 --> 0:19:19.199
<v Speaker 2>from getting to the man. You were on the devil's

0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:24.480
<v Speaker 2>hit list before you were ever born. There were things

0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.400
<v Speaker 2>in your family line that were happening before you were

0:19:27.440 --> 0:19:30.840
<v Speaker 2>born that were designed to keep you from being in

0:19:30.920 --> 0:19:34.440
<v Speaker 2>church at this moment today, touch somebody say you must

0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:38.119
<v Speaker 2>be imported because in spite of all the storms that

0:19:38.160 --> 0:19:40.879
<v Speaker 2>had your name on them, in spite of all the

0:19:40.920 --> 0:19:45.159
<v Speaker 2>winds and the waves and the hurricane forces, in spite

0:19:45.200 --> 0:19:48.480
<v Speaker 2>of every attack, look at you in church. Look at

0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.600
<v Speaker 2>you clapping, Look at you taking notes, look at you

0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:54.840
<v Speaker 2>praising God, look at you believing for a brighter day.

0:19:55.200 --> 0:19:59.400
<v Speaker 1>Look how you made it. You must be important. You'll survive.

0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:06.760
<v Speaker 1>You know how I know you're important.

0:20:07.680 --> 0:20:10.480
<v Speaker 2>It takes boldness to call your sermon you must be important.

0:20:10.720 --> 0:20:12.640
<v Speaker 2>It takes boldness to call your sermon that.

0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:13.760
<v Speaker 1>But I know it.

0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:18.159
<v Speaker 2>Not because of the car you drive, not because of

0:20:18.200 --> 0:20:21.760
<v Speaker 2>the house you live in, not because I looked up

0:20:21.800 --> 0:20:22.400
<v Speaker 2>how many.

0:20:22.160 --> 0:20:23.639
<v Speaker 1>Instagram followers you have.

0:20:25.119 --> 0:20:31.800
<v Speaker 2>I know you're important because of your storm.

0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:33.400
<v Speaker 1>See the size of.

0:20:33.400 --> 0:20:39.480
<v Speaker 2>Your storm tells me something about your importance. The size

0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:44.440
<v Speaker 2>of your storm lets me know the importance of your assignment.

0:20:44.760 --> 0:20:47.480
<v Speaker 2>The devil doesn't start a storm for somebody who is

0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:48.560
<v Speaker 2>not threatened by.

0:20:48.920 --> 0:20:51.680
<v Speaker 1>If you're going through a storm, there's.

0:20:51.400 --> 0:20:55.080
<v Speaker 2>Something so big on the other side, And if you

0:20:55.440 --> 0:21:03.359
<v Speaker 2>know high five to three people say you must be

0:21:03.440 --> 0:21:08.080
<v Speaker 2>important because that big, bad devil's been huffing and puffing,

0:21:08.480 --> 0:21:09.520
<v Speaker 2>and he thought he would.

0:21:09.359 --> 0:21:13.080
<v Speaker 1>Blow your house down. But the trial to serve, to

0:21:13.280 --> 0:21:18.000
<v Speaker 1>prove your foundation. Come on, my house is on the rock.

0:21:18.119 --> 0:21:30.520
<v Speaker 1>I can't. I was so confused for so long.

0:21:33.200 --> 0:21:36.199
<v Speaker 2>I thought the storm meant that God had left me,

0:21:37.320 --> 0:21:42.000
<v Speaker 2>you know, But in this passage, the storm means He's

0:21:42.040 --> 0:21:44.280
<v Speaker 2>on the way.

0:21:45.160 --> 0:21:46.520
<v Speaker 1>Did you hear what I said?

0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:50.720
<v Speaker 2>If you're going through a storm right now, or if

0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:54.439
<v Speaker 2>one happens to hit on Thursday morning. I want you

0:21:54.520 --> 0:21:58.640
<v Speaker 2>to know that the storm is a sign that grace

0:21:59.400 --> 0:22:02.920
<v Speaker 2>is on the way. The Bible says the storm came

0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:07.119
<v Speaker 2>up suddenly the moment Jesus started in the direction of

0:22:07.200 --> 0:22:11.280
<v Speaker 2>the man, here came a storm, not because God wasn't

0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:13.879
<v Speaker 2>with him, but precisely.

0:22:13.160 --> 0:22:15.640
<v Speaker 1>Because he was headed in his direction.

0:22:21.800 --> 0:22:26.359
<v Speaker 3>All right, So if that's true, if what I just

0:22:26.400 --> 0:22:31.640
<v Speaker 3>said is true, that there is a storm that proves

0:22:32.280 --> 0:22:41.159
<v Speaker 3>nobody attacks what isn't valuable, I promise you if I

0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:45.639
<v Speaker 3>went to play Game seven today, Lebron wouldn't guard me.

0:22:46.320 --> 0:22:47.080
<v Speaker 1>I promise you.

0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:50.840
<v Speaker 2>They would let me run all around that court and

0:22:50.920 --> 0:22:53.520
<v Speaker 2>do whatever I wanted to do. They would hand me

0:22:53.640 --> 0:23:08.679
<v Speaker 2>the ball gladly. You only guard. Why would you guard

0:23:08.760 --> 0:23:10.760
<v Speaker 2>someone who wasn't in a position to score.

0:23:14.960 --> 0:23:15.960
<v Speaker 1>I know you're important.