1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Now for those of you who are watching online, just 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: so you can know what I'm up against. In a minute, listen, 8 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: how excited these people already hear God's work today. Let's 9 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: see what I'm dealing with. Right for me, it's a mess. 10 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: Not get a loud I gotta stop screaming. I still 11 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: got a freak Praise the Lord. Amen. So we're continuing 12 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: this week. Be seated. That's not a suggestion, it's command. 13 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: Be seated. Let me look at you. See if you've 14 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: been reading your Bible or not. Some of these people 15 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: hadn't seen. In a minute, see if you've been drinking 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: or you know, to see if you've been on the 17 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: cable channels late at night or in the word of God. 18 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: I gotta check y'all out it. What's the state of 19 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: the flock? I want to I want to go into 20 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: One person was saying on YouTube. It's not a laughing time, 21 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: don't you know what's going on in the world around me? 22 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: And I had to restrain myself not to comment back. 23 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: The joy of the Lord is my strength if I 24 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: don't find something to rejoice about, like Paul in that 25 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: prison cell. You know, Paul, this is not the time 26 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: to be rejoicing. This is the time to be repenting. Well, 27 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: repent means change your mind. That's what he's teaching us 28 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: how to do right in this season. Last week we 29 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: talked about take control of your mind. Take it. Somebody 30 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: say take it. And we're really looking at three questions 31 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: from Philippians, one that are so powerful that they are 32 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: pretty much running your emotions, whether you know it or not, 33 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: like how software runs your phone or whatever. I don't 34 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: know how it works, but I do know this these 35 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: three questions, and I'll give them to you again. What 36 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 1: does it matter? What shall I choose? And what does 37 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: it mean? Those are questions that your mind is always answering. 38 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: How you answer those determines whether or not you live 39 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: in a state of defeat or freedom. And that's not 40 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 1: my opinion. That's the teaching that Paul gives us in 41 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: Philippians I should warn you up front. I had to 42 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: bring two Bibles to preach the sermon today. Do not 43 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: be afraid. But I got something to say and God 44 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,679 Speaker 1: gave it to me, so I'm confident about it. One 45 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: is in the New Testament from Philippians chapter one, where 46 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: we were last week. And then I also want to 47 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: show you something in Genesis fifty in Philippians one, and 48 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: we'll just pick up right where we left off last 49 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: week where he says, but what does it matter? Remember 50 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: that how that question can eliminate a lot of the 51 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 1: things that we pray about if we get the right priorities, 52 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: and how it also can keep us from, you know, 53 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: giving our resources to things that we'll regret later. One 54 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: of the things God has been doing in this season, 55 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: whether you realize it or not, as helping you redirect 56 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: your resources. Because when He eliminates things from your life 57 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: in a way that is that is a gift, the 58 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: gift of elimination. And one author said that trials tightly 59 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: focus your life. So that's been happening, and it was 60 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: happening for Paul because he's like, well, if I focus 61 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: on the things I'm uncertain about, I'm probably going to 62 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: get I'm going to get in so much confusion that 63 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: I will start to doubt what God is doing through me. 64 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: But I'm going to choose to write off the things 65 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: I can control. And remember when he said what does 66 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: it matter? He was talking about the motives of people 67 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: who were preaching about Jesus for the wrong reasons. And 68 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: that perplexed me because I thought, well, it does matter 69 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: what people's motives are when they're preaching. And Paul said, well, 70 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter as much. Somebody say that in the 71 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: Chat as much. Their motive doesn't matter as much as 72 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: God's mission. So while my mind is constantly fighting the 73 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: battle of what matters, this matters and that matters, it 74 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: brings me back to the realization that some things matter more. 75 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: He's saying, what matters more is that in every way, 76 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: whether from false motives or true. Okay, and this is 77 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: going to be really parallel with the Genesis fifty passage, 78 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: So underline that, ob so you can rip it off 79 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: in three months, whether from false motives or true, with 80 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: my full permission, I will make it better to Christ 81 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: is preached. The important thing is what matters more? What 82 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: matters most to Paul, not to us other stuff matters 83 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: more to us, no matter what we say with our lives, 84 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: sometimes we demonstrate that other stuff matters more. But to Paul, 85 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: it was like the Gospel, the good News about Jesus, 86 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,359 Speaker 1: what he's doing his kingdom. You know all these things 87 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,559 Speaker 1: that we can say. But the substance of Paul's faith 88 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: was that the mission the purpose of God mattered more 89 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: for him than his preference or either other people's motives, 90 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 1: which he could not control. So he said, I've chosen 91 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: to focus. I have chosen watch this to rejoice. Make 92 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: the choice to rejoice. All right, it rhymes it must 93 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: be true, yes, and I will continue to rejoice. I'm 94 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: gonna keep doing it. I did it, I am doing it, 95 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: and I will continue to do it. Somebody said I 96 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: did it, I am doing it, and I will continue 97 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: to do it. Tell the devil, I did it, I 98 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: am doing it, and I will continue to do it. 99 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: I will continue to rejoice for I know that through 100 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: your prayers and God's provision resource of the Spirit of 101 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:53,559 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, what has happened to me resistance the Spirit 102 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ resource provision, you see it, the provision 103 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Resource, what has happened 104 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: to me? Prison? Sentence? Resistance? Write it down. The resource 105 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: is greater than the resistance. And I need you to 106 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: know that. Child of God, I need you to know that. 107 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: He said, I know this. I don't know what they're 108 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: gonna do with me. I'm still waiting to find out. 109 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: I don't know. In fact, it was so bad for Paul. 110 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: He wasn't like, I don't know if they were going 111 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: to keep me on furlough. He's like, I don't know 112 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: if they're going to keep me on earth. Festus handed 113 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: me over to Caesar's I'm not even in control of this, 114 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: but he sounds remarkably in command of the condition of 115 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: his soul, and I want to learn how to do that, 116 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: he said Verse twenty. No, no, I can't leave this behind. 117 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: We'll turn out for my deliverance. I don't want to 118 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: leave that out. Deliverance is a major theme in the scripture, 119 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: all the way from Moses and the Exodus to Jesus 120 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: on the Cross to Paul in this prison. And yet 121 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: it's not so much for Paul about God bringing him out. 122 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: It's about God's spirit getting in inward deliverance. So he said, 123 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no 124 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: way be ashamed that's internal, but will have sufficient courage 125 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: that's internal, so that now, as always, Christ will be 126 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: exalted in my body. That's internal. External can't control internal. 127 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: I will continue to rejoice. This is the distinction, he said, 128 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: whether by life or by death, yell all right if 129 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: I teach the Bible, because this weather or construct means 130 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: I'm okay either way. And so he's not talking about 131 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: I'm okay if I have to park at the front 132 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: or the back of Target's talking about I'm okay if 133 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: I go to heaven or if I stay here. I'm 134 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: not there yet. I am not there yet. I want 135 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: to stay around. But Paul's like, I'm okay either way. 136 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: Now say it by faith, I'm okay either way. This 137 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: is the spirit of Paul's faith. It wasn't manipulation. It 138 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: was acceptance. It was embracing what God is doing in 139 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: this moment, not escaping, embracing, Thank you Jesus. So I'm 140 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: counting on courage, not counting on circumstances. I'm counting on courage. 141 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: I'm counting on Christ to me, And this was the 142 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: only verses that I really meant to read, but I 143 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: got all caught up there in the other ones. For 144 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: to me, somebody say to me, For to me, to 145 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: live is Christ and to die is Gain. If I'm 146 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,839 Speaker 1: to go on living, if they don't cut my head off, 147 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: if they let me have a few more years, not sure. 148 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: But if I am to go on living in the body, 149 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: this will mean fruitful labor for me. So you saw 150 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: what does it matter? And now Paul is showing us 151 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: what does it mean? Wdim, what does it mean? He said, 152 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: If I am to go on living, this will mean 153 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 1: fruitful labor for me. If I am to go on living, 154 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,599 Speaker 1: this will mean And we'll focus there today. But I 155 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: got to put this with it. He said, Yet, what 156 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 1: shall I choose? I do not know. Now go to 157 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: Genesis fifty, Genesis fifty. Somebody say, what does it matter? 158 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: What does it mean? What shall I choose? Genesis fifty, 159 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: verse nineteen. But Joseph said to them, do not fear, 160 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: for am I in the place of God. As for 161 00:10:55,640 --> 00:11:01,719 Speaker 1: you you meant evil against me, but God meant it. 162 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:08,319 Speaker 1: You have permission to shout. You have permission to shout. 163 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: I mean, you have permission to shout, just as Joseph said, 164 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: as for you, you you meant evil against me, but God 165 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,079 Speaker 1: meant it for good to bring it about. Yeah. There 166 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: it goes when you realize that that purpose of God 167 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 1: in every situation is very powerful. He said, you meant 168 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: it for evil, but God meant it for good to 169 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 1: bring it about. That many people should be kept alive 170 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: as they are today, So do not fear. I will 171 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: provide for you and your little ones. Thus he comforted 172 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: them and spoke kindly to them. So Joseph remained in 173 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: each he and his father's house. Joseph lived one hundred 174 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,319 Speaker 1: and ten years. That's too long, Lord, I don't want 175 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: all that. How many agree that's too long, Lord, put 176 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: it in the chat. That's too long, Lord, But look 177 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: at this, and Joseph saw evil from children of the 178 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: third Generation. As for you, you meant it for evil, 179 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: but Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. I 180 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: don't know if this is a title, but this is 181 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,199 Speaker 1: what I want you to get today, and I want 182 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:18,719 Speaker 1: you to say it out loud one more time. I'll 183 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: stop making you repeat stuff, I promise, But look at 184 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,079 Speaker 1: somebody next to you, or just type it to nobody 185 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: in particular and say, what you do is up to you. 186 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: But what it means. You thought I was done. I 187 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: got you good start over. What you do is up 188 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: to you. Joseph looked at his brother and said, you 189 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: meant it for evil. What you do is up to you, 190 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 1: but what it means is up to me. What it 191 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: means is up to me. What does it mean? It's 192 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: up to me. So, like, one of the hardest things 193 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 1: about being a parent is teaching your kids what words mean, 194 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: because they honestly think you're Google when they're little, and 195 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: then they think you're an idiot when they get bigger. 196 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: But I write these things down because Levi Lusco taught 197 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: me something cool. He said, put everything that your kids 198 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: say that's kind of cute down in your phone and 199 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: then you can read it to them later and they'll 200 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: like it. And so I've been doing that for a 201 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: few years because Levi. Levi told me to. He also 202 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: told me to try sarracha and wear common projects. He's 203 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: just the ultimate salesman. But I was like, okay, Levi, 204 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: I'll do it. It's really cool. I'm glad I did it. 205 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: And I found this note because I was thinking about 206 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: how kids asked the best questions, which I think is 207 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: one of the reasons that God wants us to have 208 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: faith like a child, not to beldildish and immature, but 209 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: to be childlike and to be curious about God, to 210 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,479 Speaker 1: be curious about what He can do in the world. 211 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: And so kids have no problem with that. So we 212 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: were watching this show and one of the characters said, 213 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: the only reason I remember this Abby was poored. She's 214 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: almost ten now. The only reason I remember it is 215 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: because Levi Lusco and she said. One of the characters said, 216 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: with this plan, we can't fail, and Abby goes, what 217 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: does fail mean? So then I answered her it means 218 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: that you don't succeed. Well, then you know what she 219 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: asked next, right, what does succeed mean? And answering that 220 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: was really tough because I was like, well, it means 221 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: that you do what you set out to do. But 222 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: then I was like, well, not really. In God's kingdom, 223 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: sometimes what you set out to do was the wrong thing, 224 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: and then you end up realizing that what you set 225 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: out to do wasn't the right thing. And God was 226 00:14:58,200 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: trying to, you know, kind of lead you in Toto 227 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: one pl but you thought you were supposed to do this, 228 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: and then it turned out you're supposed to do that. 229 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: You know, I I start having an existential crisis watching 230 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: The Simpsons with my family. I'm like, I shouldn't have 231 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: told you it was the Simpsons and she was four, 232 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: But y'all pray for me. Hello, I'm sitting there going, 233 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: you know, like I'm not saying this out loud, but 234 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: I'm like, that's so deep. Well, to succeed? Mean, what 235 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: is it profit a man to gain the whole world 236 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: and lose his soul? She's asking for a little definition. 237 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: You know, I'm having this midlife crisis, but it did 238 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: hit me that you know, you really can't answer the 239 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: first question what is failure? If you don't answer the 240 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: second definition? What is success? And really can make a 241 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: word mean anything you wanted to mean? Yes, you know, 242 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: short term success times is the ultimate failure. Have you 243 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: ever seen somebody that got in really good physical shape 244 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: but they did it the wrong way and then it 245 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: ended up just creating the cycle to where they just 246 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: keep losing weight and taking weight off, And it's like, well, man, 247 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: if you do if you do a good thing the 248 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: wrong way, that becomes its own problem. So you can 249 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: have a short term success in a long term failure. 250 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: You have a short term failure in long term success, right, 251 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: and many of you have experienced that in your life. 252 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: How many y'all had to break up that was a blessing? 253 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: Let me ask it like this, how many of y'all 254 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 1: would be living with somebody who would make you want 255 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: to move out if God would have answered your prayers 256 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: like Garth Brooks said, some of God's greatest gifts. I 257 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: saw Garth on the Billboard Awards last night. Did you 258 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: see him? And start making me feel like a failure? 259 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: Because sometimes I feel successful when I'm like comparing myself 260 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: because this is all relevan, you know, I'm comparing myself. 261 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, we wrote these songs that are 262 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: big songs. And then Garth Brooks is Chason Whiskey and 263 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: you know drowned diamond albums. I got a platinum album 264 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: last year. I gave it to my mom, put it 265 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: up on her wall. Platinum album Garth has they said 266 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: on the thing, I think he had ten diamond albums. 267 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 1: Now I got my little pitiful platinum album. Let me 268 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: take this down. Garth's got a diamond album, Unanswered Prayers, Lord, 269 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: what's my life even worth? You know? And all of that. 270 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:38,640 Speaker 1: I was listening to one thing the other day where 271 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: the guy was talking about he won a Grammy, and 272 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: then he wanted to win a Oscar, so he start 273 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: putting being in movies. Then he started wanting to win 274 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: on an Emmy, so he did a TV show and 275 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: he said the only thing left for him to achieve 276 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: that was driving him crazy was to win a Tony 277 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: for a Broadway play. So he said, that's called an egot. 278 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: When you get an Emmy. Not many people do it. 279 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 1: I don't know how many, because I'm not in it 280 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: for these worldly pleasures. But he said, Emmy, a Grammy, 281 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: and an Oscar. But then he said, but I don't 282 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: have a Tony. He said, right now, it's just ego. Now, 283 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:38,160 Speaker 1: how many things that the world calls success, how many 284 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 1: things that the devil uses to get you to think, 285 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: remember last week that my life doesn't matter. It's just ego. 286 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: He said, I gotta get an egot, and then I'll 287 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: start thinking about what I got. Somebody say I got 288 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: oh put it in all caps in the worldwide e 289 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: fam said. Somebody say I got mercy. I got grace, 290 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: I God, love, joy, peace, thanxious, kindness, goodness, thankfuless, gentleness, 291 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: and self control. I got the fruit of us fear. 292 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,679 Speaker 1: I got it. I got it. I didn't learn it, 293 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: but I got it, Okay. So Paul is like, I 294 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: don't yet. I got loyalty and royalty and all of that. 295 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 1: Paul said, I got it in sight of me. I 296 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: got courage to make it no matter the outcome. I 297 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: got it. I got it pressing towards the mark to 298 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: take hold of the price for which Christ Jesus has 299 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: already taken hold of me. I already got it. And 300 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,400 Speaker 1: the guy was talking about all those Grammys and Tony's 301 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: and he said, I don't know why I think the 302 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: next one is going to make me feel any better. 303 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: It didn't do what I thought it was gonna do. 304 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:11,640 Speaker 1: Have you ever had that before? I know, I mean 305 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: I don't want a Grammy or anything like that either, 306 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:20,479 Speaker 1: But have you ever got it? Have you ever got it? 307 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: And when you get it and it's empty, it's a 308 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: really weird feeling. It's almost worse than never getting it. 309 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: But Paul is showing us something here. And remember, coming 310 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:40,640 Speaker 1: back to this theme, are you in control. You are control, 311 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:45,880 Speaker 1: in control of what success means to you, and if 312 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 1: you align that with the worldly definition of success, you 313 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: can expect at some point an emptiness that comes when 314 00:20:55,480 --> 00:21:02,679 Speaker 1: we try to give our own definitions to God's concepts. 315 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: I found out you can really make anything mean anything 316 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: you want it to me. Even in the Bible. It's like, 317 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: if we're talking to Paul and we were talking about 318 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 1: what is failure and what a success, it would be 319 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: a very confusing class because right here he's saying in 320 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: Philippians one, what's happening right now, the Gospel is succeeding 321 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: even though I'm in prison, and he uses the word 322 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: I don't know if you noticed it. He said fruitful. 323 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: This means more fruitful labor. So he says it's working 324 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: in me. It's working in me, even though the work 325 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: that he could do was limited. And sometimes I say 326 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: things like this and I don't break it down because 327 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,919 Speaker 1: I know you're not in prison physically, you're watching this. 328 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: I know that you're not necessarily a preacher apostle of 329 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: the gospel like Paul would. I understand that. I know 330 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: you're not sitting there thinking maybe about oscars or Tony's 331 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,360 Speaker 1: or anything like this. But I think the dynamic applies 332 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 1: to everybody listening to me, and I want to know, well, 333 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: if I'm right, is that like how Solomon said meaningless meaningless? 334 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: Everything is meaningless. Everything is meaningless until you give it 335 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: a meaning. And so where we get it backwards is 336 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 1: we're searching for meaning and stuff, but everything is meaningless 337 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,639 Speaker 1: until you give it meaning. And I want to talk 338 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:31,679 Speaker 1: about that a little bit. She said, what's failure? And 339 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,919 Speaker 1: then I had to think about, well, what's success? And 340 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: then I didn't really know how to answer her. Now, 341 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: of course, certain things change meaning over time, and since 342 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: we're talking about what does it mean today, you know, 343 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: we can all agree that from generation to generation. It's 344 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: funny because when you're first raising your kids, you have 345 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 1: to tell them what words mean, and then when they 346 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: turn to teenagers, they have to tell you what words mean. Right, 347 00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,719 Speaker 1: how many got teenagers? Are you used to have them? 348 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: Or something like that. Well, they sometimes save you a 349 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 1: lot of trouble. Elijah is my sermon, really my sermon collaborator. 350 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: I don't want him to, you know, really hear this, 351 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 1: because he'll start wanting a royalty or something like that. 352 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: But he helps me on multiple levels. And one thing 353 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:18,719 Speaker 1: that he'll do sometimes is he'll say, Dad, don't say that. 354 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: One time I was telling him all I was going 355 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: to preach, and I just was going on and on 356 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: about how we don't need to waste our life and 357 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: we need to make the most of our time. And 358 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: I said, some of y'all just want to Netflix and chill. 359 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: And he said, oh, whoa, whoa, Dad, this a couple 360 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: of years ago. I just heard somebody say it Netflix 361 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,879 Speaker 1: and chill. I thought it meant be lazy sit around. 362 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: He said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa. That that doesn't 363 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: mean what you're thinking means. And I was thankful. And 364 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 1: I wonder how many times God Wow sits up there 365 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,360 Speaker 1: looking at our lives, who wishing we could hear him 366 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: say that doesn't mean what you think it means. Even 367 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: if you just go through this one letter that Paul 368 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: wrote to the Philippian Church, which highly organized beautiful Bible study. 369 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: And I hope many of our e groups I heard 370 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 1: there's tens of thousands of people enjoyed it. But if 371 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: you'll just notice some of the things he says to 372 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: the Philippian Church, see this church meant a lot to 373 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: him because he found it in the midst of persecution. 374 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: And anything that you birth in the midst of great 375 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 1: pain means more to you. He called them partners in 376 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: the Gospel, and he loved them like that. He loved 377 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: them like that. So when he told them that every 378 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 1: need will bow and every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ 379 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: is Lord. I just wonder when we say Jesus's Lord, 380 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: if Paul hears us kind of quoting that in a 381 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: cultural way eight pounds six ounce Jesus, what was he 382 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: eight pounds and six ounces, and he's like, when I 383 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: say Jesus Christ is Lord. See, that was a costly 384 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 1: confession when Paul wrote it, because it was it was saying, 385 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 1: Caesar isn't Lord. So he was rejecting the empire to 386 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: embrace the kingdom. When we say Jesus is Lord, for 387 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,120 Speaker 1: a lot of us, that means I grew up Baptist, 388 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,639 Speaker 1: but for Lord was his favorite thing to call Jesus curios. 389 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 1: He loved that title lord. It meant to him I 390 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 1: do what he says. And for a lot of us, 391 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,200 Speaker 1: when we call on the Lord is to get him 392 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: to do what we say. And That's why when Paul says, 393 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 1: whether I live or die, that's up to God. He's Lord. 394 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: That's not that's not what means. It doesn't mean what 395 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: you think think. It means Jesus is Lord. That means 396 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: that that I trust him with what I can't control. 397 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: Or here's another one. I know you know this one 398 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: because I mentioned it earlier. Rejoice in the Lord. We 399 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 1: think that means seeing I asked five people to get 400 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 1: ready for this sermon. I said, what comes to your 401 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: mind when you hear rejoice? They said, clap, singing, shall well, 402 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 1: Paul's not shaking the tambourine in his imprisonment. When Paul's 403 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: talking about rejoice, he's talking about the remembrance of the 404 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: reason that he was called for. Paul, rejoicing is far 405 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: more than just an external expression. It's an internal decision, y'all. 406 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 1: Hear me, It's a decision. Rejoice and again I say rejoice, 407 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,199 Speaker 1: he says in Philippians four. But here's the best one 408 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,199 Speaker 1: where I bet Paul. I bet when he hears US 409 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: quote this one, he's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa. 410 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,360 Speaker 1: That doesn't mean what you think. It means. I can 411 00:26:55,520 --> 00:27:01,919 Speaker 1: do This is Philippians four thirteen, All things through Christ, 412 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: who strengthens me. Paul's like, that does not mean that 413 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: you can play in the NBA. You are five to 414 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: six and uncoordinated. That doesn't you know how many people 415 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 1: tried out for American Idol because they thought Philippians four 416 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: thirteen meant something that didn't mean. You see them on 417 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: the audition. Daves is terrible. Paul's not talking about doing 418 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: something beyond your God given capacity. He's talking about living 419 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:39,880 Speaker 1: with contentment. So that's context. I want to talk about context. 420 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 1: Success requires context, so does failure. And sometimes if you 421 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 1: can see it in the right context, you can see 422 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: that what you call a failure, what you call the waste, 423 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: what you call a set back, was really the grace 424 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:06,719 Speaker 1: of God. I got it. Yeah, so so, So it 425 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 1: doesn't mean what you think it means. What does it mean? 426 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 1: It doesn't mean what you think it means. Church doesn't 427 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: mean building worship doesn't mean the slow songs, and success 428 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: doesn't mean Egot false said I got a reason to rejoice. 429 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: This dude was used to accomplishing so much. This dude 430 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: was used to being on top, and he's still saying 431 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: I will choose. What shall I choose? Now? I thought 432 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: that I was going to do three weeks on this 433 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: because I thought there's three questions. What does it matter priorities, 434 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 1: what does it mean? Interpretation? And what shall I choose? Decision? 435 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: But then the Lord showed me dummy. He didn't call 436 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: me that. I just talked to myself. Means sometimes, the 437 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: Lord said, my son, my beloved, He said, those two 438 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: go together. What does it mean? Depends on what you choose? Okay, yes, Lord, 439 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: put it back up one two Philippians one twenty two, 440 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 1: just so you can see it. If I am to 441 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: go on living in the body, that's up to you. Lord, 442 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet, what shall 443 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,720 Speaker 1: I choose that all goes together? It's really one question. 444 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 1: He's praying, all right, Lord, what you do is up 445 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: to you. And I feel like he probably even say 446 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: that to his jailer. What you do is up to you, 447 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: But what it means is up to me. See, they 448 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: would chain a prisoner to a guard. Paul said, you 449 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: can shame me to you if you want to. But 450 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: all that means to me is I've got a captive 451 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 1: audience to preach to. Let me button up this flannel 452 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: and wait for y'all to get it. Because I hear 453 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: God saying, I'm not shame to it. It's same to me. 454 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: So what you do, it's up to you. But what 455 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: it means, somebody shouts up to me, it's up to 456 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: me what it means. It's up to me what it means. 457 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: It means, Paul said, fruitful labor. I am choosing to 458 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: work with God, labor work. I am going to work 459 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: with God, not against God. So I hear the Lord saying, 460 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 1: work with me, work with me. Do not fight against 461 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: what I am bringing into your life. Work with me. 462 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: Cooperate with the grace that I have given you in 463 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: this season of your life. And you've been confused about 464 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: what this season means, haven't you. Some of you have 465 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: felt like you were in a losing season. A losing season. 466 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: You've lost a lot, you really have. This is not 467 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: some moment for a doctor SEUs. What he means is 468 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: up to me. What you do is up to you. 469 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 1: This is a theological thing that is from the beginning 470 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: of Scripture to the end to show you what to 471 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:36,200 Speaker 1: do in a losing season. Back to Genesis fifty after 472 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: Joseph has lost a lot. First, he had to lose 473 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: his coat and it was Gucci. That coat was so colorful. 474 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 1: Listen to me when I say the coat was the 475 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: least thing that he lost. He lost his sense of 476 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: connection because we've talked about context, but now let's talk 477 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: about connection. What it means is up to me. And 478 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: now Joseph is going through this series and this series 479 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 1: of I won't even call it unfortunate events like the 480 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: book called it. I'm going to say this series of 481 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 1: events from Joseph's standpoint, were disconnected. How could the Bible 482 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,400 Speaker 1: say in Genesis thirty seven through fifty that God was 483 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 1: with Joseph when he went through so much because most 484 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 1: of us to say that we have God's presence means 485 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: that we are in situations that confirm his favor. And 486 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: usually what we mean when we say God is blessing 487 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: me is things are going like I wanted them to 488 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 1: or better. Right, So for the Bible to say, and 489 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: this is what I was thinking about, for the Bible 490 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 1: to say that the Lord was with Joseph doesn't necessarily 491 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 1: mean that that's how he felt while he was walking 492 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: through his life. That was written after the fact, and 493 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 1: it is always a mistake to try to figure out 494 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: what this season means while I'm still in it. Paul says, 495 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: this will mean fruitful labor to me. So I'm looking 496 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: forward to the future with expectation, but while I'm in it, 497 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 1: I'm having to choose to see it that way. How 498 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: do you interpret the losing season of your life? So 499 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 1: we assume, well, this went wrong, So God must be 500 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: punishing me, because the thing is, you know some secrets 501 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 1: about yourself, some things that you're not doing exactly right, 502 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 1: some things that would make you not a candidate for 503 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: God's mercy and Grayson, because we kind of live on 504 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: an egosystem of achievement, to earn it, to get it 505 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: in our own strength, we kind of go, well, God 506 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:13,320 Speaker 1: must be punishing me. But I saw something. I saw something. 507 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: I saw two things. One was in John and one 508 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 1: was in Genesis. And then I'll bring it back to 509 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:23,800 Speaker 1: Philippians where Jesus said something, I'm gonna do this backwards. 510 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 1: Go to the second verse of John fifteen first, where 511 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:29,800 Speaker 1: Jesus says, I don't know if you've heard this before, 512 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 1: but he says he cuts off every branch in me 513 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 1: that bears no fruit while every branch that does bear fruit, 514 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 1: he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 515 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,279 Speaker 1: Now I'm going to ask you something. Who is he? 516 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 1: Put it back up? Who is he? If you don't 517 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 1: know the answer to that, you will misinterpret the pain 518 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: in your life. Every time look at it again, he prunes? 519 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,360 Speaker 1: Who is he? We love to give credit to the devil. 520 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: So I'm really glad for the context of verse one 521 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: because the context of verse one lets me know the 522 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: motive of the one who is performing the task in 523 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 1: verse two. If you always think it's the devil attacking you, 524 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:32,720 Speaker 1: everything that is the devil attacking me, you will miss 525 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: the opportunity to bear fruit. But I love verse one. 526 00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 1: Put it on the screen. I Jesus said, I I 527 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,880 Speaker 1: am the true vine. I'm the one you gotta stay 528 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: connected to. I'm the one who's in control. I'm the 529 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,359 Speaker 1: one who gives you sap. I'm the one who gives 530 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: you life. I'm the one who gives you strength. I'm 531 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: the one who gives you the ability to grow. And 532 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:05,839 Speaker 1: my watch this, my father, my father, Abby said, what 533 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: does sale mean? She figured she needed to get that 534 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 1: definition from her father. I hear God saying, ask me 535 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 1: about your life. Ask me what this sea, Ask me 536 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 1: what it means. See, here's what I know. Here's what 537 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 1: I know. Even if life is cutting on me, God 538 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:33,239 Speaker 1: is holding the scissors. Even if a virus wrecked my plans. 539 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 1: God is in charge of my life. He is curios, 540 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: Lord in control, in charge, on the throne, my father. 541 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,799 Speaker 1: So you know what. I don't have a lot of answers. 542 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 1: I don't have a lot of wisdom. I don't have 543 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,319 Speaker 1: a lot of knowledge. But I got a father. Somebody say, 544 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 1: I got a father, You're ready for this? And if 545 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: I got a father, that means fruit. This means fruit. 546 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:08,879 Speaker 1: This means he is bringing something out of this situation 547 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 1: that is beyond my ability to predict or perform. Come 548 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:21,280 Speaker 1: get me off the stage, Holly, I feel too annoying. 549 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 1: I don't even know who God loves so much that 550 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,960 Speaker 1: he wanted me to say this whole message to you. 551 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:44,239 Speaker 1: The proof is in the pruning. Oh I'm hurting right now. 552 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 1: That that must mean that God is not with me. 553 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 1: Oh oh, my kids are acting up. That must mean 554 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: I'm a bad parent. You see how we do? That 555 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: must mean Oh, that must mean they didn't call me. 556 00:37:56,680 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: They must they must not love me. No, maybe they 557 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 1: have a headache. We interpret these things all the time. 558 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:12,359 Speaker 1: We interpret our seasons, we interpret silence. I know I've 559 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 1: told you all the story before about our honeymoon, not 560 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 1: the whole story, this one part. When I took Holli 561 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: on a cruise and it was a princess cruise, which 562 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 1: to me is a pretty I'm not doing an endorsement here, 563 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: but to me, it was about the best I could do, right. 564 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 1: And when we were on the second day of the 565 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:34,719 Speaker 1: cruise and she was so quiet, I got angry. I 566 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: was like, this cruise isn't good enough for you. She's like, no, 567 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 1: When I get happy and relaxed, I get quiet. I'm 568 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: the exact opposite, right, So when I get relaxed and happy, 569 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,200 Speaker 1: I'm jumping on the bed. I'm right. I mean, when 570 00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 1: I get happy, I'm annoying. I'm obnoxious, I'm ridiculous. I 571 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 1: drive everybody in the family to want to go camping 572 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:01,800 Speaker 1: without me in the backyard. And when I get relaxed. 573 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 1: But see, how I interpret silas comes from how I 574 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: understand myself when the kids were real little, when they 575 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: were quiet, let me tell you what that did not mean. 576 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:27,040 Speaker 1: That did not mean they were praying. That did not 577 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:31,919 Speaker 1: mean that they were napping. I learned with little kids, 578 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:38,360 Speaker 1: with little kids that quiet means chaos, y'all hear me, 579 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:45,440 Speaker 1: Quiet means chaos with little kids. And I had to 580 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:48,719 Speaker 1: learn about God that just because I don't hear him 581 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:59,839 Speaker 1: saying much doesn't mean he isn't doing much. So how 582 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:03,799 Speaker 1: do you you interpret silence? I told Holly, you two 583 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 1: stuck up for this. This a cruise isn't good. I 584 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:09,040 Speaker 1: wasn't mean like that, but that's what I'm thinking. First 585 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: time I've ever told her that. I was thinking all 586 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 1: that right here in this holy moment with you. But 587 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: you see this question, what does it matter? That's a 588 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: big one, But what does it mean? You're always putting 589 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 1: meaning on things and you don't even know you're doing it. 590 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:28,200 Speaker 1: So if you're in a good state of mind, you're like, oh, 591 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 1: birds showed up on my door, and that made me 592 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 1: think of Matthew six, consider the sparrows. If you're in 593 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: a bad state of mind, saying bird can show up? 594 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:41,880 Speaker 1: You know, I heard birds mean death in some cultures. 595 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 1: You know, it's just you're putting meaning on things, and 596 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:47,040 Speaker 1: I know that's kind of an extreme one or as 597 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 1: dumb or whatever. But the other day I think that 598 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 1: I don't know, I didn't tell you this. I didn't 599 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:53,360 Speaker 1: tell you this son when I took when me and 600 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 1: Jet went to eat barbecue, and Jet's father, Lashawn, was 601 00:40:58,080 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 1: a part of our church April, Jet and Lashawn moved 602 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:01,319 Speaker 1: to be a part of the church, and we lost 603 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 1: him last year. And it's been just over a year. 604 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 1: And we were talking about some of these things, and 605 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:11,360 Speaker 1: Jets a musician, and his dad was a great songwriter 606 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:15,160 Speaker 1: and a great producer. He wrote for Brandy when I 607 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:17,880 Speaker 1: heard them talking about the Boy is Mine. That was 608 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: Lashan's song on the billboards last night. And he did 609 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,640 Speaker 1: get a Grammy. And but we lost him so suddenly, 610 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 1: and it was horrible. But Jet would show me how 611 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,439 Speaker 1: he's still writing songs. And I was sitting there thinking, oh, man, 612 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 1: that's Lashawn, that's Lashan, you know, that's still living in 613 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,839 Speaker 1: Jet and and and he's gonna be even better than 614 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:40,480 Speaker 1: she has ever was. And I'm thinking all this, you know, 615 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:44,160 Speaker 1: in between eating my barbecue, and and I'm telling Jet, 616 00:41:44,200 --> 00:41:46,640 Speaker 1: I'm like, hey, you know, God's hand is on you 617 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,240 Speaker 1: this and that and the other. And he goes pastor, pastor, 618 00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:51,160 Speaker 1: and he's very respectful. So he's interrupted me. I'm like, 619 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: this is weird. He never would do that. He goes, 620 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:58,319 Speaker 1: do you hear that? And it was the song on 621 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 1: the TV and the barbecue joint that his dad had 622 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:04,480 Speaker 1: put on his album. I can't wait that He's simple. 623 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:08,080 Speaker 1: And we didn't even have to say anything. We knew 624 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 1: that she just wanted to eat barbecue with us. I said, Jed, 625 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:20,759 Speaker 1: do you think he goes Yeah, That's all we had 626 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:30,960 Speaker 1: to say. So when you're looking for loss, you'll you'll 627 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 1: find him. When you're looking for the love of God, 628 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:39,880 Speaker 1: even in the worst loss of your life. Every branch 629 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:48,319 Speaker 1: in me I have a father who prunes. What you do, 630 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:55,279 Speaker 1: Lord is up to you. I can't control. That's that's 631 00:42:55,320 --> 00:42:57,320 Speaker 1: where I do believe in the sovereignty of God. And 632 00:42:57,360 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 1: Paul did too right Philippians three twenty one. Looking up 633 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: it said He's able to bring everything under his control 634 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:06,000 Speaker 1: the phrases in the book. But I don't think that 635 00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:10,399 Speaker 1: means what we think it means. I think we think 636 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:14,040 Speaker 1: that means that things in our life come with meaning. No, 637 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:17,239 Speaker 1: they don't. One time I taught a session to the 638 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:19,800 Speaker 1: campus fastor is called BYO and bring your own meaning. 639 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:24,719 Speaker 1: And the thing I just keep confessing over my life 640 00:43:24,719 --> 00:43:27,239 Speaker 1: because you can really misunderstand things. I keep saying, this 641 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:34,279 Speaker 1: means more, This means more, even when something is going away. 642 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:38,040 Speaker 1: The proof of his love is in the pruning, every 643 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:42,280 Speaker 1: branch that bears fruit. Paul said, if I go on living, 644 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 1: this means more fruitful labor. You're looking for his love 645 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,000 Speaker 1: or you're looking for the losses. Now, whichever one you 646 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:56,040 Speaker 1: look for, you'll find a meaning to back it up. 647 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:00,440 Speaker 1: And a lot of pictures. I like to do the 648 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:03,239 Speaker 1: I love you sign when I take the picture. Y'all 649 00:44:03,239 --> 00:44:07,319 Speaker 1: should see my Instagram account. The trolls that come on there. 650 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:10,960 Speaker 1: Why are you making Illuminati signals or devil signals or 651 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,880 Speaker 1: something like that. It's the esl or I love you, 652 00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 1: that's what it means. Somebody said that's what it means. 653 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:23,440 Speaker 1: But they said I was making devil rock concert hands, 654 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:27,120 Speaker 1: and I guess when you don't use the thumb or something, 655 00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:28,759 Speaker 1: that's the devil or something. I didn't know. I thought 656 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: it meant rock on. I thought it meant Motley Crue, 657 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:33,879 Speaker 1: bon Jovi, Mega Death. I didn't know that's what it meant, 658 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 1: isn't it crazy? How I mean love? And they're on 659 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 1: there saying, why are you putting the devil on your picture? 660 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 1: What does it mean? Has God been trying to show 661 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:58,839 Speaker 1: you his love even in the things like, oh well, well, 662 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:00,879 Speaker 1: I'm not that great at this, So I guess got 663 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,680 Speaker 1: to know. Maybe that means God wants to use you 664 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:09,440 Speaker 1: a different way. I told somebody when when Elijah turned thirteen, 665 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:12,440 Speaker 1: I said, he's having some trouble in this and that, 666 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:14,480 Speaker 1: and it was a bumpy spot and I said, I 667 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: must That must mean I'm a bad dad. That must 668 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:18,960 Speaker 1: mean I'm doing it wrong, he said. And the person 669 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:22,040 Speaker 1: saying back to me was older. They said, it means 670 00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:27,600 Speaker 1: he's thirteen. You see what I'm saying. You're misinterpreting the season. 671 00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:31,839 Speaker 1: He's supposed to differ, they said. They said, listen, they said. 672 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:34,920 Speaker 1: They said, if he didn't start making you mad, you 673 00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:39,520 Speaker 1: would never let him leave the house. You gotta make 674 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:40,960 Speaker 1: you mad a little well, and then you love him 675 00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:43,759 Speaker 1: again and you make you mad again. That's what it means. 676 00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:49,520 Speaker 1: He's thirteen. It means you're growing. Paul said, it means 677 00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:54,560 Speaker 1: God wanted to do something in this prison. See how 678 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:57,359 Speaker 1: we bring meaning, we bring the meaning we make it 679 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:01,880 Speaker 1: mean what we want to make it mean. You minted 680 00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:09,960 Speaker 1: for evil, but God? How many believe we could spend 681 00:46:09,960 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: an hour talking about but God? But God? And your 682 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:22,320 Speaker 1: life is not controlled by the intention of your enemy, 683 00:46:23,239 --> 00:46:27,880 Speaker 1: and your life is not limited to the scope of 684 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:33,279 Speaker 1: your circumstances. Somebody say, I got a father, I got 685 00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:44,160 Speaker 1: faith afacaradopia, and I eagerly expect. Let me tell you something. 686 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:47,880 Speaker 1: Paul had such a great faith that he had to 687 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:51,040 Speaker 1: make up a word out of other Greek words to 688 00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:56,560 Speaker 1: explain his expectation. Somebody say, I can't explain it, but 689 00:46:56,680 --> 00:47:00,360 Speaker 1: I got it. Say it again. I can't explain it, 690 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:03,760 Speaker 1: but I got it. Paulson, I got peace in this person. 691 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,480 Speaker 1: I know I shouldn't. I can't explain it, but I 692 00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:11,560 Speaker 1: got it. You can't make me panic, you can't make 693 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:14,680 Speaker 1: me hate, you can't make me bitter. What you do 694 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:21,480 Speaker 1: is up to you. What it means, it's up to me. 695 00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:28,719 Speaker 1: It's not even up to God what it means. He 696 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:35,720 Speaker 1: has left that responsibility to you. And that's why Joseph 697 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:40,319 Speaker 1: was able to see rejection as direction. I hope you 698 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,759 Speaker 1: caught that. I hope that soft piano didn't make you 699 00:47:43,760 --> 00:47:45,799 Speaker 1: think he's closing. Let me pack up my stuff and 700 00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:49,880 Speaker 1: get ready to watch another church service. Skip over. You 701 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:57,719 Speaker 1: listen to me. Joseph said, you meant, but God meant 702 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:14,359 Speaker 1: so what the enemy meant for evil? Now I hear 703 00:48:14,440 --> 00:48:20,120 Speaker 1: him saying that all things work together for the good 704 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:27,919 Speaker 1: of those who. When love is your lens, you see 705 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:36,319 Speaker 1: God in everything. He must love me so much. When 706 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:39,120 Speaker 1: Lady was special needs child, said, I figure God loved 707 00:48:39,160 --> 00:48:42,719 Speaker 1: that child so much that he gave me the compliment 708 00:48:44,719 --> 00:48:47,680 Speaker 1: of having the opportunity to raise that child. I thought 709 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:52,120 Speaker 1: she made it mean that. She could have said, well, 710 00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:54,680 Speaker 1: God is punishing me. She could have said, well, why me. 711 00:48:56,120 --> 00:49:00,440 Speaker 1: I thought that was beautiful. I really did what it 712 00:49:00,520 --> 00:49:05,040 Speaker 1: means he said, if I get to keep if I die, 713 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:07,560 Speaker 1: I'll go be with Christ. So for Paul, death didn't 714 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:12,160 Speaker 1: mean the end. What it means is up to me. 715 00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:18,360 Speaker 1: That's why I told y'all from John twelve that before 716 00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:21,480 Speaker 1: the seed multiplies, remember verse twenty four on the Remember 717 00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:24,759 Speaker 1: it was just yesterday. I'm super vocal that before the 718 00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:30,520 Speaker 1: seed multiplies, it dies. So from the perspective of Jesus, 719 00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:33,640 Speaker 1: remember when he's dying on the cross. He says it 720 00:49:33,719 --> 00:49:39,360 Speaker 1: is finished. His enemies thought that meant it had failed. 721 00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:49,040 Speaker 1: But I hear the spirit of God saying, whoa, whoa, whoa. 722 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:56,520 Speaker 1: It doesn't mean what you think it means. I know 723 00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:58,480 Speaker 1: what's been pruning. I know they meant it for evil, 724 00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:04,560 Speaker 1: but what the enemy means for evil? This can't just 725 00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:07,000 Speaker 1: be a cliche people. We can't just make it something 726 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:10,080 Speaker 1: that we say just to feel better and to escape 727 00:50:10,080 --> 00:50:13,080 Speaker 1: our agony for a few minutes. When a preacher is preaching, 728 00:50:13,440 --> 00:50:17,520 Speaker 1: you gotta walk around your life. This we looking for food, 729 00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:21,919 Speaker 1: looking for fruit. God, show me what you're doing, Show 730 00:50:21,960 --> 00:50:27,760 Speaker 1: me what it means. God. And I almost stopped at twenty. 731 00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:30,840 Speaker 1: I almost stopped at twenty. I almost stopped at twenty. 732 00:50:31,040 --> 00:50:33,480 Speaker 1: But something told me to keep reading. Something told me 733 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:36,560 Speaker 1: to keep reading. And after Joseph said, you meant it 734 00:50:36,600 --> 00:50:39,600 Speaker 1: for evil, but God meant it for good. In verse 735 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:42,400 Speaker 1: twenty one, it says something that would be insignificant, but 736 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:45,480 Speaker 1: it has great significance in this context. Do not fear. 737 00:50:45,760 --> 00:50:48,120 Speaker 1: I will provide you for you and your little ones. 738 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:50,080 Speaker 1: And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them verse 739 00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:54,080 Speaker 1: verse fifty two. So Joseph remained in Egypt lived one 740 00:50:54,120 --> 00:50:56,839 Speaker 1: hundred and ten years, and here's twenty three. And if 741 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:58,319 Speaker 1: this is your word, I want you to grab it 742 00:50:58,480 --> 00:51:00,880 Speaker 1: and squeeze it and live on it all this week, 743 00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:03,719 Speaker 1: every single time you're walking around looking at circumstances in 744 00:51:03,760 --> 00:51:05,840 Speaker 1: your life wondering, well, why did they leave me? And 745 00:51:05,880 --> 00:51:08,120 Speaker 1: why is this happening? And why is that happening? And 746 00:51:08,160 --> 00:51:10,400 Speaker 1: why is it raining? And why is it Sonny? Watch 747 00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:18,600 Speaker 1: what it said. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children and their children. 748 00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:22,279 Speaker 1: And I know that doesn't mean much to you, but 749 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:26,160 Speaker 1: it means a lot to Joseph because he was in 750 00:51:26,200 --> 00:51:30,840 Speaker 1: Egypt suffering as a prisoner. But he says something in 751 00:51:30,880 --> 00:51:33,799 Speaker 1: Genesis forty one, before his brothers ever came and showed up, 752 00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:37,239 Speaker 1: and before he forgave them, and before he provided for them, 753 00:51:37,239 --> 00:51:40,120 Speaker 1: and before he saw the purpose that God was accomplishing 754 00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:42,200 Speaker 1: in Genesis fifty twenty. And a lot of you are 755 00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:48,319 Speaker 1: there right now with the ability to see what God 756 00:51:48,400 --> 00:51:50,440 Speaker 1: is doing and to realize that all things work together. 757 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,960 Speaker 1: Is to do what Joseph did. Look at Genesis forty one, 758 00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:59,600 Speaker 1: verse fifty. Before the year of famine came to sons 759 00:51:59,600 --> 00:52:04,440 Speaker 1: were born to Joseph as an Ath, daughter of Potipharah, 760 00:52:05,320 --> 00:52:08,960 Speaker 1: priest of an bore them to him. And now look 761 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:12,600 Speaker 1: at this verse. Joseph called the name of his firstborn Nassa, 762 00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:16,279 Speaker 1: for he said, God has made me forget all my 763 00:52:16,320 --> 00:52:20,560 Speaker 1: hardship in my father's house. You know what Manasa means forget. 764 00:52:25,239 --> 00:52:29,040 Speaker 1: And yet he didn't forget. When his brothers came to 765 00:52:29,120 --> 00:52:32,400 Speaker 1: him a few chapters later, he was weeping, he was hurting. 766 00:52:33,880 --> 00:52:35,560 Speaker 1: He didn't forget that. They put him in a pity. 767 00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:39,920 Speaker 1: He didn't forget. It wasn't gone from his memory. So 768 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:41,880 Speaker 1: I thought, well, how can he name his son forget? 769 00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:44,640 Speaker 1: Even the fact that he mentions it means he hadn't 770 00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:47,920 Speaker 1: really forgotten it. God didn't called me to forget what 771 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:53,879 Speaker 1: I've been through. Some things you never forget. But here 772 00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:57,000 Speaker 1: was the thing in verse fifty two, the name of 773 00:52:57,040 --> 00:53:01,840 Speaker 1: the second he called Ephraim. That's the one we just 774 00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:05,879 Speaker 1: read about that he saw Ephraim, for God has made 775 00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:15,200 Speaker 1: me fruitful. Manassa means forgetphram means fruitful. For God has 776 00:53:15,239 --> 00:53:22,640 Speaker 1: made me fruitful in the land of my affliction, fruitful 777 00:53:22,640 --> 00:53:28,960 Speaker 1: in my failure. What does failure mean? It's only over 778 00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:35,280 Speaker 1: if you quit In fact, Ephraim doesn't just mean fruitful, 779 00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:44,319 Speaker 1: it means twice fruitful. So then I realized that it 780 00:53:44,360 --> 00:53:47,960 Speaker 1: wasn't Joseph forgetting what he had been through. It was 781 00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:52,560 Speaker 1: that God gave him so much fruit that what he 782 00:53:52,640 --> 00:54:03,799 Speaker 1: went through what's worth it. Now I considered, thank you, lady, 783 00:54:04,239 --> 00:54:10,239 Speaker 1: because I know it's been a pruning season. But those 784 00:54:10,360 --> 00:54:18,040 Speaker 1: he loves he prunes. God must really love me. Look 785 00:54:18,080 --> 00:54:22,320 Speaker 1: at all that he helped me to overcome. God must 786 00:54:22,400 --> 00:54:26,520 Speaker 1: really have a great plan for me. You say that 787 00:54:26,560 --> 00:54:29,600 Speaker 1: the enemy's attack is the proof that God has left me. 788 00:54:30,960 --> 00:54:35,360 Speaker 1: I say, the enemies attack, it's the proof of how 789 00:54:35,640 --> 00:54:47,800 Speaker 1: much God has put it inside me. What is it matter? 790 00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:56,439 Speaker 1: What does it mean? What shall I choose? You know, Lord, 791 00:54:57,480 --> 00:54:59,239 Speaker 1: come on, lift your hands with your palm's face, and 792 00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:02,920 Speaker 1: like you received from your father, not only are you 793 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:06,680 Speaker 1: my father, you're my Lord. Now. I believe that sometimes 794 00:55:06,760 --> 00:55:09,359 Speaker 1: I rebel, and sometimes I like to be my own God. 795 00:55:10,840 --> 00:55:13,240 Speaker 1: But like Joseph said, am I in the place of God. 796 00:55:15,480 --> 00:55:18,440 Speaker 1: I thank you that any tree that stays planted by 797 00:55:18,520 --> 00:55:21,160 Speaker 1: living water will yield fruit in season. And I declare 798 00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:23,880 Speaker 1: that over the lives of those that you've called me 799 00:55:23,960 --> 00:55:28,760 Speaker 1: to lead. You've given me and Holly the wonderful privilege 800 00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:32,000 Speaker 1: to be the pastors of Elevation Church. When we started, 801 00:55:32,040 --> 00:55:36,359 Speaker 1: that was just a group of one group of people meeting, 802 00:55:36,400 --> 00:55:39,040 Speaker 1: and now it's a ministry that spans the globe and 803 00:55:39,040 --> 00:55:41,840 Speaker 1: there's so much fruit in it. We never imagined that 804 00:55:43,320 --> 00:55:47,160 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands, whatever it is, numbers of people that 805 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:50,400 Speaker 1: would be so impacted. Never imagine that people wake up 806 00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:53,120 Speaker 1: in the middle of the night to watch and to 807 00:55:53,239 --> 00:55:57,400 Speaker 1: stream just to get the word. We just never imagine. 808 00:55:57,400 --> 00:55:59,400 Speaker 1: We never imagined that we'd have to close our buildings 809 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:02,680 Speaker 1: for a little while. But all through this season, Lord, 810 00:56:02,719 --> 00:56:10,279 Speaker 1: I've seen you bringing forth fruit. Lord. When I heard 811 00:56:10,280 --> 00:56:13,640 Speaker 1: that we would have to not meet for a little while, 812 00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:17,960 Speaker 1: I thought that we couldn't minister, And now I realized 813 00:56:17,960 --> 00:56:23,000 Speaker 1: that it really meant you wanted to do more ministry. 814 00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:26,120 Speaker 1: That there were people who never would have heard the gospel, 815 00:56:27,120 --> 00:56:30,279 Speaker 1: never would have heard this word if you hadn't shut 816 00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:34,160 Speaker 1: it down. And what has been true of this ministry 817 00:56:34,719 --> 00:56:37,720 Speaker 1: over these last few months. I just want to speak 818 00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:46,000 Speaker 1: it over the lives of each teenager, everybody who's walking 819 00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:49,840 Speaker 1: through a pruning, losing season in their marriage or their business, 820 00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:55,839 Speaker 1: or or it's been emotionally weird, whatever, whatever, whatever, to 821 00:56:55,880 --> 00:57:01,880 Speaker 1: know that I got a father, to know that what 822 00:57:01,920 --> 00:57:05,759 Speaker 1: you choose to allow in our lives, that's what makes 823 00:57:05,760 --> 00:57:11,200 Speaker 1: you Lord. But how we choose to use it as 824 00:57:11,239 --> 00:57:16,200 Speaker 1: your children is what moves us forward. And now, God, 825 00:57:16,240 --> 00:57:20,720 Speaker 1: I declare more fruit, more fruit, more fruit over their lives. 826 00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:26,560 Speaker 1: If it's a season of cutting back, if it's a 827 00:57:26,560 --> 00:57:29,560 Speaker 1: season that seems like a setback, if it's a season 828 00:57:29,600 --> 00:57:32,560 Speaker 1: that seems silent, I thank you that you're up to 829 00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:37,240 Speaker 1: something right now upstairs. I thank you that just because 830 00:57:37,240 --> 00:57:42,040 Speaker 1: you're quiet doesn't mean you're not close. And so, Lord, 831 00:57:44,200 --> 00:57:48,720 Speaker 1: would you do it? Would you make them fruitful in 832 00:57:48,760 --> 00:57:54,160 Speaker 1: that frustrating place? Bring forth fruit? Only you can do that. 833 00:57:55,360 --> 00:57:57,400 Speaker 1: We plan our lives and the soul of your purpose. 834 00:57:58,920 --> 00:58:02,080 Speaker 1: What you do is up to you. You You are in control. 835 00:58:03,960 --> 00:58:08,479 Speaker 1: But what it means, it's up to me. The Lord says, 836 00:58:08,520 --> 00:58:13,760 Speaker 1: I set before you life and death. This day, choose 837 00:58:15,200 --> 00:58:20,360 Speaker 1: life in Jesus' name. All of you who received this 838 00:58:20,400 --> 00:58:25,440 Speaker 1: word with a glad heart, put your hands together and 839 00:58:25,560 --> 00:58:30,840 Speaker 1: give God the praise. Come on, if he's still God 840 00:58:30,920 --> 00:58:36,200 Speaker 1: in the brunic, give him the phrase. Paul said, He's 841 00:58:36,240 --> 00:58:40,919 Speaker 1: still God in this prison. He's still God in this thing. 842 00:58:42,440 --> 00:58:48,600 Speaker 1: Give it the prise. Come on, omit no now, omitten 843 00:58:48,600 --> 00:58:53,760 Speaker 1: on now, prid the wont open your now, Valentine, abt 844 00:58:53,800 --> 00:59:00,760 Speaker 1: no now and give in the prise, the prise. You're 845 00:59:00,840 --> 00:59:07,720 Speaker 1: proud of that. I come, not decide that they on Jesus, 846 00:59:08,840 --> 00:59:15,080 Speaker 1: everreaday dobou and everreath not come ess, Come on getting 847 00:59:15,320 --> 00:59:24,560 Speaker 1: Christ that Jesus chris es glory, get glory to the Father. 848 00:59:25,760 --> 00:59:30,520 Speaker 1: You've got a father. You've gotta You've got a father. 849 00:59:33,360 --> 00:59:37,560 Speaker 1: More fruit, more fruit, more fruit. That's what God is 850 00:59:37,600 --> 00:59:42,880 Speaker 1: doing in your life, bringing forth the fruit of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 851 00:59:42,880 --> 00:59:47,640 Speaker 1: faithfulness is genderness. Self control isn't that crazy? Self control? 852 00:59:47,720 --> 00:59:50,600 Speaker 1: God is in control, but he's given us self control. 853 00:59:50,640 --> 00:59:53,960 Speaker 1: Are you in control? You're in control of your focus. 854 00:59:54,000 --> 00:59:56,800 Speaker 1: So I want you to focus on the goodness of God, 855 00:59:57,080 --> 00:59:59,560 Speaker 1: all the ways he's blessed you, all the things he's 856 00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:01,960 Speaker 1: given you. I want you to really put this to 857 01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:04,480 Speaker 1: work in your life, Paul said, fruitful labor. That means 858 01:00:04,520 --> 01:00:07,560 Speaker 1: you've got to put it to work. All things work 859 01:00:07,600 --> 01:00:09,400 Speaker 1: together for good. You don't need to hear me repreach 860 01:00:09,440 --> 01:00:12,120 Speaker 1: the sermon. You heard it, but I just can't stop 861 01:00:12,160 --> 01:00:14,560 Speaker 1: by it. I feel like God gave me that message 862 01:00:14,560 --> 01:00:18,840 Speaker 1: for people who feel forgotten and yet got made Joseph fruitful. 863 01:00:19,640 --> 01:00:21,680 Speaker 1: So what's the fruit that God is bared in your life? 864 01:00:21,680 --> 01:00:23,680 Speaker 1: What's He doing in your life? I'd just like to 865 01:00:23,840 --> 01:00:25,480 Speaker 1: talk to you a little bit after each message and 866 01:00:25,520 --> 01:00:28,800 Speaker 1: thank you. But also I want to thank you for giving. 867 01:00:29,240 --> 01:00:30,840 Speaker 1: I want to thank all the people who are part 868 01:00:30,840 --> 01:00:34,160 Speaker 1: of our local church for making this global ministry possible. 869 01:00:34,600 --> 01:00:36,400 Speaker 1: And for those of you who are part of our Etham, 870 01:00:36,960 --> 01:00:39,920 Speaker 1: thank you for being connected to us through the power 871 01:00:39,960 --> 01:00:43,040 Speaker 1: of God's Word, the Gospels going forth bearing fruit all 872 01:00:43,080 --> 01:00:46,120 Speaker 1: over the world. So share it with somebody. Share it 873 01:00:46,160 --> 01:00:48,840 Speaker 1: with somebody. Don't just eat, plant the seed of God's 874 01:00:48,840 --> 01:00:52,400 Speaker 1: word in somebody else's life. So hit, share, hit subscribe. 875 01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:56,240 Speaker 1: Thank you forgiving, Thank you for being connected to this ministry. 876 01:00:56,480 --> 01:01:00,520 Speaker 1: You will bear much fruit. I love you. Just see 877 01:01:00,520 --> 01:01:00,640 Speaker 1: su