1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. Wow, 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 1: don't stop at the comma. And boy was preaching on 7 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: a punctuation mark? How about it? I was. I had 8 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: a first time thing. I was stomping the devil's head 9 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: on the stage last week. It was at the nine thirty. 10 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: I was icing my heel between the nine thirty and 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: the eleven thirty. I stomped him too hard and he 12 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: bit me or something. My heel is bruised all week. 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: Somebody said, welcome to your forties. You're gonna start getting 14 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: all kinds of stupid injuries. What a way to get injured, huh, 15 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: stomping the devil's head for the glory of God. Come on, 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: I've got hurt a lot stupider ways than that. It's hilarious. 17 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: It's hilarious to me. It was funny to me. I 18 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: used to get hurt punching walls and stuff out of anger. 19 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: I'd rather get hurt annoyed anyway. The Bible said that 20 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: he will bruise your heel, but you will crush his head. 21 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: That's a scripture verse. Y'all aren't ready for this. I 22 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: want to tell you something that happened to me last summer. 23 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: I have a friend who lives in another country, kin Costa. 24 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,479 Speaker 1: He's originally from South Africa. He resides now in London, England. 25 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: He travels the world. He comes to see me once 26 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: a year. Just turned seventy. It's a good man. He 27 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: has a book out called Joseph of Arimathea. Free Plug 28 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: for my friend, because he gave me the scripture that 29 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: I want to use to frame our message. Not necessarily 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: to preach the scripture, but to frame the message. And 31 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: I figured I owed him a book plug, So check 32 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: it out on Amazon, Kin Costa, Joseph of Arimathea. Now 33 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: that that's out the way, when he comes to see me, 34 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: he will usually bring three or four scriptures and we'll 35 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: read the scriptures together. He jot them down. This is 36 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: the paper that he brought me in July when he 37 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: came to see me after my break family break this summer, 38 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: and he brought me these scriptures. We sat on the 39 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: porch and we looked at the scriptures and the first 40 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: one was Exitus fourteen fourteen, and we read it together 41 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: and he said, that's the wrong one, and so we 42 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: moved on. He gave me Joshua three four, Isaiah forty 43 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: two sixteen, and then Leviticus twenty six ten. I probably 44 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: should admit this, but I normally skip Leviticus on the 45 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: Bible reading plans. It's not my go to book to 46 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: fight discouragement. But we looked at it and we read 47 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: it together. Put that one on the screen. Leviticus twenty 48 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: The Lord says you will still be eating last year's 49 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: harvest when you will have to move it out to 50 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: make room for the new. And we read that together 51 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: and I said, well, what does it mean? He said, 52 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. I put it in my Bible, and 53 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: a few weeks ago it fell out of my Bible. 54 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: On a Friday night, I started looking at it again 55 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: and I texted it over to Bishop td Jakes. I said, 56 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: what does it mean? He said, oh, that's a good one, 57 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: and he preached about it and that was good. Well, 58 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: the phrase that I want to use and put it 59 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: up there again is where it says, make room for 60 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: the new. And the Lord told me to tell you today, 61 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: make room for the new. This is a word from 62 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: the Lord for somebody who is in this room or 63 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: at one of our campuses. Come on, let's thank God 64 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: for all of our locations. From Lake Norman all the 65 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: all the way to Matthews. We are spanning South Charlotte 66 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and beyond Melbourne, Florida 67 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: University City. You wouldn't believe it. Raleigh, North Carolina is 68 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: even joining us. I gotta admit I didn't see that coming. 69 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: So y'all drove in for make room for the new. 70 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: This is a word for you, make room for the new. 71 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: You know I'm getting into old stuff now. I've got 72 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: about eighty records upstairs in my office at my house 73 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: in a turntable vinyl. Something about getting up and having 74 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: to only listen to three songs at a time is 75 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: preferable to having ever song in the history of the 76 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: universe on my phone at my fingertips. For some reason, 77 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: I would rather listen through a scratchy analog representation of 78 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: the music than a digital recreation of the music that 79 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: fits in my pocket. I think there's something comforting about 80 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: something that you used to touch and hold old. You know, 81 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: I used to like something and be attracted to it 82 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: if it was new, But now I like old stuff. 83 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: It's just I like I like old. I like old, 84 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: I like old songs, I like smashing pumpkins. I don't 85 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: need any of this new stuff. I don't need any 86 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: of the I like the old stuff. The hymns that 87 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: I used to yawn through in church are the ones 88 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: that I now write songs around as as a grown man. 89 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: And so a lot of things come full circle in 90 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: your life that you don't appreciate at the time. But 91 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: the the the challenge now to hold on to the 92 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: old to the exclusion of receiving the new. When I 93 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: shared with you last week, we were given a picture 94 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: of Peter who was having to fight against the traditions 95 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: and the customs of the well meaning circumcised believers. And 96 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: one thing that it is difficult for us to appreciate 97 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,679 Speaker 1: about this community is that they were receiving from God 98 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: an entirely new system by which to relate to him. 99 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: Imagine that at one point you had to atone for 100 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: your sins with the blood of bulls and goats, and 101 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 1: now instead of shedding the blood of an animal, you 102 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: were trusting in the blood of Christ. That's a very 103 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: difficult thing to apprehend when you had something tactile, something 104 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: you could touch, and now you have to believe something 105 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: by faith. The paradigm of justification. We call it justification 106 00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: by faith, but it's actually justification by grace through faith. See, 107 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: it's not how much faith you have that saves you, 108 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: it's how much grace God has that saves you. Because 109 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: if it was about how much faith I had, I 110 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: would be going to heaven one five minute period, and 111 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: I would be bound for the same hell as a 112 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: serial killer in the next five I don't always have 113 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: that much faith, sometimes high, sometimes low. And depending on 114 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: whether you catch me at nine am and I've had 115 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: my coffee, or whether you catch me after one of 116 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: my kids said something disrespectful, I might have a lot 117 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: of faith or a little bit of faith. The point 118 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: is not how much faith that I have, it's who 119 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: I have my faith in. Y'all ain't gonna help me 120 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: preach a bit today. This Bible says that it is 121 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: by grace you have been saved through faith and this 122 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not 123 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: of works. So that no one can boast and think 124 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: about this. God's people had always related to God through 125 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: a covenant that was based on works, that was based 126 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: on keeping the law. And now all of a sudden, 127 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: in the passage I shared last week, not only are 128 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: they learning to relate to God by faith, which is 129 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: the hardest thing in the world, to just take it 130 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: by faith. We talk a good game when it comes 131 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: to faith. We say we're trusting in the Lord with 132 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: all of our heart and leaning not to our own understanding. 133 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: But it still creates a tension, which is how much 134 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: should I trust God? And how much should I try myself? 135 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: This tension is written into the very script. The nascent 136 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 1: days of the church were filled with this kind of tension. 137 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: So the community God's people, they are now learning to 138 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: relate to God in a brand new way. Touch somebody say, 139 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: make room for the new. And just about the time 140 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: they're getting used to this paradigm of grace, here come 141 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: the gentiles, who are the ones they were supposed to 142 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: stay away from. And the point guard of the New 143 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: Testament all star team, Peter is going in eating with 144 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: these people who are contagious. I use that word for reason, 145 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: because when I told you that they wouldn't associate with gentiles, 146 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: you're like, well, that's wrong. You know, it's easy to 147 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: recognize a truth when you're not living in the tension 148 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: of it. It's easy for us to look back on 149 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: certain issues of racial segregation now and say why in 150 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: the world. But when you're living in the tension of it. 151 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: When you're living in the tension, you can lose sight 152 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: of the truth. And in the tension of the New 153 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: Testament Church, there's not only grace versus works, but there's 154 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: this exclusive idea that God is blessing a select group 155 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: of people. And then now get this tension with me. 156 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: They have to try to figure out how to protect 157 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,719 Speaker 1: what they've been entrusted with at the same time that 158 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: they don't hold it too tightly. Every parent can relate 159 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: to this. How do I protect my kids while not 160 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: putting my kids in some sort of bubble where they 161 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 1: won't be prepared for the real world. How do I 162 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: I'm thinking this about Abby right now. She's probably going 163 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: to be pretty. She's already pretty nine year old, probably 164 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: going to be a pretty thirteen year old. Then there's 165 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: probably going to be some thirteen year old boy that 166 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: wants to come up and talk to her about something. 167 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: And how am I supposed to let her out of 168 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: her room and trust a thirteen year old boy when 169 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: I've been one? How will I do that? I don't know. 170 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: But what I do know is this. You ready. This 171 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: is the first thing I've said that you probably will 172 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:00,120 Speaker 1: want to write down today, but hopefully not the last. Okay. 173 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: Your tolerance for tension determines your potential for growth. Your 174 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 1: tolerance for tension determines what I say, your potential for growth. 175 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: And we don't like tension when it comes to Christianity. 176 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: God said it. I believe it. That settles it. Let 177 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: me tell you right now, brother, it doesn't matter if 178 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: you believe it or not. God said it. That settles it. 179 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: You can just take the middle of it right there out. 180 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: God said it. That settles it. But wait a minute, 181 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: Wait a minute, wait minute, wait a minute, to sit 182 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: with the tension of what God actually said as opposed 183 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 1: to the tradition of what we heard God said through 184 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: the filter of personal preference and prejudice. It's the gift 185 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: of tension. If you hire a trainer at what's the 186 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: name of a gym, Planet fitness. If you hire a trainer, 187 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:12,679 Speaker 1: I don't even know if you can do that at 188 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: Planet Fitness. But if you hire a trainer at the gym, 189 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: they are going to at some point teach you about 190 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 1: the gift of tension for the building of muscle. If 191 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: you hire a trainer and they do not employ tension 192 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: in the training regimen, you should fire the trainer because 193 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: time under tension is the formula for growth. And yet 194 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: when it comes to our movies, we love tension. When 195 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: it comes to our television entertainment Netflix binging content, we 196 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: love tension. I don't want to watch a show about 197 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: somebody who had a good day. I want to watch 198 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: a show about somebody who ended up on drugs and 199 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: had to fight a whole gang single handedly and almost 200 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 1: died in the process, and got a divorce and went bankrupt. 201 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: But what makes for a good TV show is the 202 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 1: kind of stuff we try to pray away from our lives. 203 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:14,319 Speaker 1: So I started the year praying something really weird. I said, God, 204 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: increased the quality of my problems. Lord, I want higher 205 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: quality problems in twenty twenty. The reason I prayed that 206 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: is because I tried asking him in previous years take 207 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: my problems away. That was an ineffective prayer. He did 208 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: not seem too interested in answering that prayer to take 209 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: my problems away. In fact, it seems as if some 210 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: of the things that came into my life in one 211 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: season as a problem, some of the things that came 212 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: into my life as opposition, were the things that God 213 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: used to create opportunities for me to know him and 214 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: make him known. So what's crazy? What's crazy? Everybody say 215 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 1: it's crazy. What's crazy about Leviticus twenty six ten is 216 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: it can be interpreted as either a blessing or an inconvenience, 217 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: because the scripture said that if you live in alignment 218 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: with God in an agreement with his covenant. This is 219 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: the old covenant, which was by works. Remember they had 220 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: to conditionally receive the favor of God through certain behaviors 221 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: in community. And so as Moses is giving them all 222 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: of this law, they've been out of Egypt only for 223 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: a very short time. They've constructed a tabernacle, which is 224 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: a space where they can meet with God. And he 225 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: says in verse nine, just get a running start at it. 226 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: I will look on favor with you and make you 227 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: fruitful and increase your numbers. And I will keep my 228 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: covenant with you old covenant, the covenant that was established 229 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: through obedience and works. It was still grace, but it 230 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: was grace measured out through behavior. Can I teach the 231 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: Bible on this particular worship service? So then when he 232 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: gets to verse ten, he says, if you will keep 233 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: your end of the covenant, then you will still be 234 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: eating last year's harvest when we have to move it 235 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: out to make room for the new. I'm so glad 236 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 1: that I am not under that contract anymore. I really am. 237 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: I don't want God to give me what I deserve. 238 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: I don't want God to be fair to me. I 239 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: don't want God to relate to me on the basis 240 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 1: of how much I prayed last week. I really don't. 241 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: I don't want him to I don't want him to 242 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: treat me according to what my lifestyle would merit. And 243 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: so we understand now. I think most of us in 244 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: this church understand that this is the old Covenant, but 245 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: it's the same community. They have progressed from a point 246 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: where they were wandering in the wilderness until we get 247 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: to acts chapter eleven, and now they are becoming a church. 248 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: Now in that setup, I want to go back into 249 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: Acts chapter ten, and I want to read the story 250 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: to you again, or as we said last week, the 251 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: whole story. You never really know the whole story. That's 252 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: why you got to keep living. That's why you got 253 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: to keep praying. That's why you got to keep believing. 254 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: That's why you got to keep trusting. That's why you 255 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: got to keep swinging. Because you don't know the whole story. 256 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: That's why you can't kill your kids. It might grow 257 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: up and pay for your retirement or something like that. 258 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: Because you don't know the whole story. That's why you 259 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: can't judge anything too soon. And you're going to see 260 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: this in the scripture right here, is that in the 261 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: midst of great tension, a great truth was shown make 262 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 1: room for the new Verse one says the apostles and 263 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: the believers throughout Judea heard that the gentiles had also 264 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 1: received the Word of God. The gospel is spreading, it's spreading. 265 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: I guess you could say, grace is going viral. It's 266 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: just out of control, can't stop it. It's just all 267 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: over the place. And they didn't like that because they 268 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: are in the tension of trying to protect the old, 269 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: and when you are protecting the old, what's new looks 270 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: like a threat. When I asked my dad one time, 271 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 1: are you threatening me? He said something, I'm sure you've 272 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 1: heard this before. He said, it's not a threat, it's 273 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: a prom. I was like, oh, he was six two. 274 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: I was like, got it, I'm good, No further questions. 275 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: It's not it's not a threat, it's a promise. He 276 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 1: said that it's not a threat, it's a blessing. They 277 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 1: were threatened by the blessing because they did not recognize 278 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 1: it and it did not remind them of what they 279 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: were used to in their religious routine. Are you threatened 280 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: by your very own blessings? Come on, Raleigh. They get 281 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: used to it. I know y'all love the Word of 282 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: God and Raleigh, and so they are. They are being blessed. 283 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: The church is growing. That's exactly what they want. And 284 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: sometimes God can be giving you exactly what you want, 285 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 1: but the tension that it takes to produce the growth 286 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:03,400 Speaker 1: is super uncomfortable. We don't like tension in our Christianity. 287 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:09,959 Speaker 1: Rapture me Jesus and get me out of here. In 288 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: the meantime, you need to pay your taxes and change 289 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 1: your oil and do all this stuff just in case 290 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 1: he doesn't get you out of it. You need to 291 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: learn how to bring God into it. And so as 292 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 1: the message is going to the gentiles, they're not the 293 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: Jewish people. They're the gentiles, all of us who do 294 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: not have a Jewish ancestry like these people. And they 295 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: didn't want to let him in the church. So next 296 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: time you don't want to let somebody in church because 297 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: something about them offends you, just to remember that by 298 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: that standard, you wouldn't be here either. So the circumcised 299 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: believers criticized him. Is a criticism that is birth out 300 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: of ignorance. And they said, you went into the house 301 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,880 Speaker 1: of uncircumcisedment and ate with them, And starting from the beginning, 302 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: Peter told them the whole story. He said, I was 303 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance 304 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: I saw a vision. I saw something like a large 305 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 1: sheep being let down from heaven by its four corners, 306 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: and it came down to where I was. I saw 307 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: something being let down from heaven and it came down 308 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: to where I was. When I read that the Lord 309 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: said to me, I'm going to bring it to you 310 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 1: when you are positioning yourself according to the peace and 311 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: the purpose of God, and when you are present in 312 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: the situation where He has placed you. God said all 313 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: the other things that people run after, I'm gonna bring 314 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: it to you. If you want in on this word, shout, 315 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: God's gonna bring it to me. Come on, Tell the 316 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: person next to you. I don't have to chase it, 317 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,199 Speaker 1: stress about it, cheat to get it, violate my morality 318 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:20,199 Speaker 1: or my ethics. God's gonna bring it to me. This 319 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: is the Covenant of grace. Watch this. I tried to 320 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: get to God, I couldn't. So he ripped open Heaven 321 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: step down to come inside of me so that the 322 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us. No, 323 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: I cannot achieve his holiness. But God's gonna bring it 324 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: to me. Heaven's gonna come to my house, Heaven's gonna 325 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: come to my mind, Peace is gonna come to my marriage. 326 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: God's gonna bring it to me. I wanna shut the 327 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: whole sermon down for a minute and give God praise 328 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: by faith that He's gonna bring it to me. What's 329 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: your need? He's got it. God's gonna bring it to me. 330 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: God's gonna bring it to me. When I praise him, 331 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 1: blessings come down. God's gonna bring it to me. I 332 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: don't have to begging. God's gonna bring it. Peter wasn't 333 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: looking for a vision for his life. God brought it 334 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 1: to him. All he did was go to Joppa. Can 335 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: we talk about Joppa for a minute. Joppa, everybody say Joppa. 336 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: I thought about calling this message the Opportunity of a Lifetime, 337 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 1: but that was corny. Yeah, I'll scratched that one out 338 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 1: real quick. You can have it. That's not a good 339 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: title for a message. But it got me that he 340 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: was in Joppa because I was like, Joppa, Joppa, Jappa, Jappa, Jappa, Choppa, Joppa, 341 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: support city. I know that they put the timber there. 342 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 1: They take the timber, and the timber came there when 343 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 1: they built Solomon's temple. I think I think they brought 344 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 1: the timber from Lebanon to Jappa because it's on the 345 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: Mediterranean coast. They brought a timber there and then they 346 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: sent it to build the temple. Oh, maybe Japa is 347 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 1: something where God takes the raw materials. Joppa. No that's 348 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: not it. Chop A Jappa, Joppa, Joppa. Why does it 349 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: say over and over again he was in Joppa. Go 350 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: to acts ten, verse one. It says it a couple 351 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:47,640 Speaker 1: of times, because remember Peter got in trouble. He didn't 352 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: have to go looking for trouble. Trouble came looking for him. Well, 353 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: y'all were shouting a minute ago, we just we just 354 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: killed the vibe. I think we killed the vibe. Peter 355 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: wasn't looking for controversy, wasn't looking for conflict, wasn't looking 356 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 1: for problems. He was in Joppa because there was a 357 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 1: woman in the church at Joppa who was very important 358 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:19,959 Speaker 1: to the believers there. And he was in Lida raising 359 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: people from the dead, you know, just the stuff you do. 360 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:30,360 Speaker 1: And when he was in the middle of this crazy 361 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 1: revival in Lida, which wasn't too far from Joppa, this 362 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: amazing e kids volunteer died. Her name was Dorcas, her 363 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: Greek name was Dorcas. Her name was also Tabitha. And 364 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:51,959 Speaker 1: they asked Peter if he would come to comfort them. 365 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: And he got there and he saw how important she 366 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: was to all of them in Joppa, and he started 367 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: looking at all the clothes that she sewed for widows, 368 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: and she had a ministry to the poor. She cared 369 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,920 Speaker 1: about people she served on the parking team, she cared 370 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: about people she worked on production at Raleigh Durham. She 371 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: was They hated to lose Dorcas. And Peter got kind 372 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 1: of bored. You know, he was a man of action. 373 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: So he's like, this is cool, like taking a tour 374 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,120 Speaker 1: of everything she did. But y'all leave the room. Check 375 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: out this scripture real quick. I know I said Axe ten, 376 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: but I want to go back to Ax nine real quick. 377 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: I want to give you the whole story because we 378 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: know what happened when he got to Joppa. How did 379 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: he get there? It's important. He went to jop A 380 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: to visit Dorcas. Give me nine forty. Peter sent them 381 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: all out of the room. She's been washed and placed 382 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: for burial in the upper room, and as they're memorializing her, 383 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: he got down on his knees and prayed, and turning 384 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: toward the dead woman, he said, Tabitha, get up. Peter's like, 385 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 1: we can have a funeral or we could have a resurrection. 386 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:17,040 Speaker 1: Peter was Peter was bold. He tried it like Jesus 387 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: one time Jesus did the same exact thing, but it 388 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: was with the little girl. This little girl was dead. 389 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: And Jesus sent everybody out of the room because he 390 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: knew that if they stayed in the room that their 391 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: doubt might make it impossible for faith to really do 392 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: what faith can do when it is unencumbered by doubt. 393 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 1: What's the title of this message, make room for the 394 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: new And when Jesus sent them all out, he said 395 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: something in Aramaic, Talitha kom It means little girl, get up, 396 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 1: Little girl, get up? Now watch Peter, imitating his master. 397 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: He sent them all out of the room and turned 398 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: towards the woman and said, Tabitha, get up. It's almost 399 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: like Talita is just one letter different. And he thought something, 400 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,400 Speaker 1: if he did it, if Jesus did it, and if 401 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:18,640 Speaker 1: his spirit lives in me, I came with a message 402 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: for somebody, Make room for resurrection, make room for things 403 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 1: in your life that you were just about ready to 404 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 1: bury to Breathe again, Tabitha, get up, and she did. 405 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 1: She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. Well, 406 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: I guess, so she sat up. And he stayed in 407 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: Japa a little while, and they liked him. He was 408 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:49,639 Speaker 1: very popular in Joppa. Peter could have run for mayor 409 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: of Joppa because he demonstrated great power in Joppa. Joppa Jappa. 410 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: It's a place where where it's a place where you 411 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: don't expect anything great to happen, but something does. Jopa 412 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: Joppa is like your job Jaba Joppa. He was just 413 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: doing his job, just going to see it in a 414 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: miracle happened. He was just going to see it in 415 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 1: a miracle happened. He was just going to see it 416 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: and going to comfort them and going to do what 417 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,880 Speaker 1: he did in a miracle happened. Joppa, Joppa place where 418 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 1: God puts stuff together Joppa. While he was in Joppa Joppa, 419 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 1: it's kind of familiar. Who else went to Joppa in 420 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: the Bible? I was trying to remember. I was talking 421 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: to the interns this week, and I put him on 422 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: the spot. We had such a good time then with 423 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: I said, who else went to Japa? They went through 424 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: every character in the Bible, guessing zach Kiyas, Bartimaeus, Luke, Matthew, 425 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 1: And I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no no, 426 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: it's somebody in the Bible. I'm gonna give you a hand. 427 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: It involves a fish rhymes with corona. Jonah went to Joppa. 428 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: But watch what he did in Japa. You ready? Jonah won? 429 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 1: Three says Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed 430 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found 431 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: a ship bound for that port. God called him to Ninevah, 432 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 1: but he resisted it. He resisted going to Ninevah because 433 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 1: those were not the people he expected God to bless. 434 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: He resisted what he did not understand. He resisted what 435 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:59,120 Speaker 1: he could not conceptualize. He resisted what he had no 436 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: frame of reference. Four, He went down to Joppa and 437 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,959 Speaker 1: boarded a ship heading away from the Lord. So now 438 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: I've got a contrast, and I want to ask, what 439 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:13,040 Speaker 1: will you do in Joppa? Will you be like Peter 440 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 1: who when he got to Joppa and God send him 441 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: an opportunity to say, Peter, I want you to make 442 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: room for something new. I want you to believe that 443 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: I can break a barrier in your life. I want 444 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: you to believe that I'm about to do something that 445 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: your mind has not conceived. Will you be like Peter 446 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 1: who went with it? Or are you going to be 447 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: like Jonah who ran from it? Peter went to Joppa. 448 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 1: While he was in Japa praying, he saw something amazing 449 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: that he didn't expect. And he looked and he saw 450 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: a sheep from the four corners four corners representing the 451 00:30:57,560 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: four corners of the earth. God's like, I'm about to 452 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: break off all of your barriers. I'm about to break 453 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: through your unbelief. See, we talk about making room for 454 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 1: the new. You want to go have a yard sale 455 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 1: or something like that, or put everything on It's not 456 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: about closet space. It's not about it's not about clearing 457 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: out your closet. It's about the transformation of your mind. 458 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: Do you have room for the new in your mind? 459 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: Because they didn't. Peter didn't when God showed Peter what 460 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: he was about to do, Like, this is the way 461 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,479 Speaker 1: it always is. When God shows us something, we compare 462 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 1: it to our previous point of reference and then we 463 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 1: start consulting our resources. And God wants to bring us 464 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: new relationships. But watch this, if you're not ready for 465 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 1: new people in your life, you will bring the same 466 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: patterns to the new relationships that you brought to the 467 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 1: old relationships. And we literally keep people out of our 468 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: lives that God wants to send because we are holding 469 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 1: on to the hurts from the one who have already left. 470 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: I feel the spirit of God breaking barriers as I 471 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: preach right now, because you're like, what is this message 472 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: you have to do to me? I'm not getting on 473 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: an airplane and going to preach to somebody in cessareea 474 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 1: like Peter did. You don't have to. All you have 475 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:33,360 Speaker 1: to do is dare to believe that God is making 476 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: room for the new in your life right now. And 477 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 1: even sometimes when it was painful for me and I 478 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: thought I was losing things in my life, I wasn't 479 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:52,840 Speaker 1: losing it. God was moving it. Who is this for? 480 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 1: I just need to know, probably about twenty people, you 481 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: didn't lose it God, he said, you will still be 482 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: eating last year's harvest. When you have to move it out, 483 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: somebody shall move it out. God. Anything that is in 484 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:16,040 Speaker 1: the way of me being who I need to be 485 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: in this season, get it out of my heart, get 486 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 1: it out of my mind, get it out of my habits. 487 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: You can have it, God, I don't want it. I 488 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: want what you've got. So you can't receive new miracles 489 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: with old mindsets. Make room for the new. It looks 490 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: like this, emptying yourself, humbling yourself and asking God, what 491 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: do you want to do in my job? Or you 492 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:58,400 Speaker 1: can run from it and resist it, and you can 493 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: keep remembering when the kids were so cute. They are 494 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: forty three now they stop being cute. Quite a while 495 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 1: ago and the church was trying to figure out how 496 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: do we protect what we loved while we embrace what 497 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: is new. And I don't know, I think there are 498 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,760 Speaker 1: at least three lessons in this text. Y'all got a minute, 499 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 1: make room for the new number one. God says this, 500 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 1: don't limit yourself by labels. The first thing God told Peter, 501 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 1: he said, you've got your nice little neat categories. Because 502 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: when the sheet came down, Peter saw all kinds of animals, 503 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 1: and y'all need to know. In this culture, they respected visions. 504 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: This was not like Peter's hallucination or you know how 505 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: some people now are so weird and they're like, well, 506 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:58,239 Speaker 1: the Lord showed me a vision of us walking on 507 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:00,400 Speaker 1: the beach. It's like, bro, you need to ask her 508 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,280 Speaker 1: out and stop trying to embed it in this weird spirituality. 509 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: So Peter actually saw something. But remember there's sometimes a 510 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:15,200 Speaker 1: tension between what you thought. God showed you it's at tension, 511 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: and that tension is a real gift because that's where 512 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:21,839 Speaker 1: growth happens, where it's like God, I thought. I thought 513 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: I was going to be married to her the rest 514 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,600 Speaker 1: of my life, but I'm not. I'm not married now, 515 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 1: and that's painful. But what you do with it becomes 516 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 1: your japa, which determines do you run from God's purpose 517 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 1: for your future or do you run toward it. That's jappa. 518 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 1: And the word God gave me was don't limit it 519 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,759 Speaker 1: with the label. Because the first thing he told Peter, 520 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 1: he said. Peter said, in verse six, acts eleven, I 521 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 1: looked into it and saw four footed animals of the earth, 522 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:54,839 Speaker 1: wild beasts, reptiles, and birds. And then after he saw 523 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:58,480 Speaker 1: the pigs in a blanket, he said, I try to 524 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,800 Speaker 1: keep y'all awake. Then I heard of voice telling me 525 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 1: get up, Peter, kill and eat. Now when I read that, 526 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 1: I said, God was trying to get Peter to go hunting. No, 527 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: it wasn't about the animals. He was about to sind Cornelius, 528 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: whom Peter saw as an unclean gentile, so he was 529 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 1: using this. It wasn't about bacon. It was about barriers, 530 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: mental barriers. So when he said get up, Peter, kill 531 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:26,160 Speaker 1: and eat, it wasn't that God wanted Peter to kill 532 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: a pig. It was that he was trying to kill 533 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: Peter's categories. In this season of your life, God is 534 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 1: trying to kill your categories. He's going to use people 535 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: you did not even like to grow you up and 536 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 1: mature you. There was one person the other day that 537 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:51,160 Speaker 1: shared a Bible Verse with one of my kids, and 538 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:54,360 Speaker 1: they left our church years ago. They didn't even like 539 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,960 Speaker 1: me when they left. But when they gave a Bible 540 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:58,960 Speaker 1: Verse to my kids, I said, God, I don't care 541 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: who hands them the script. I'll take a cold cup 542 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: of water in the pit of hell from anybody. I 543 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: don't care who hands it to him. Use who you 544 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: want to use. God, do what you want to do, 545 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 1: kill my categories. As a matter of fact, when we 546 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:14,960 Speaker 1: say all things work together for the good, what we 547 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,360 Speaker 1: mean when we quote Romans eight twenty eight out of 548 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:20,760 Speaker 1: context because Romans eight twenty eight is connected and conjoined 549 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,920 Speaker 1: incidentally to Romans eight twenty nine, which says according to 550 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 1: his purpose, So what it means by good is this 551 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:30,400 Speaker 1: going to fulfill his purpose, not my preference. Y'all can 552 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:36,320 Speaker 1: shout right now. What it means is, I can't categorize. 553 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:39,879 Speaker 1: That's God's job. It is God's job to know what's 554 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: best for me. It is God's job to know what 555 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,480 Speaker 1: needs to happen. It is God's job to know what 556 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:50,040 Speaker 1: experiences I need to get. So God says, stop limiting 557 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:57,520 Speaker 1: it by labels. Labels. Labels can apply to a group 558 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,440 Speaker 1: of people. He said, look what the Lord said when 559 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: he said, arise, Peter killing it. Peter says, surely not, Lord, 560 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,600 Speaker 1: Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth. Now 561 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,400 Speaker 1: watch what God said in verse nine. Those are your categories, 562 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:14,759 Speaker 1: not mine. The voice spoke from heaven a second time, saying, 563 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 1: do not call anything impure that God has made clean. 564 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: Stop limiting God with your labels. Most people that live 565 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:33,640 Speaker 1: in Charlotte weren't born in Charlotte. So you come here 566 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:37,600 Speaker 1: and it's like, I don't really like Southerners. Well, you 567 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 1: stuck with us for this season, So do not overgeneralize 568 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 1: the people that you have to live with. Now, the 569 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:47,319 Speaker 1: same thing can be said of any group of people, 570 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: a northern or southern, or anything. We want to mention, 571 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 1: this is the problem. We are all so prejudiced. We 572 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 1: stopped realizing it a long time ago. You're like, I'm 573 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:58,359 Speaker 1: not prejudiced. I'm not prejudiced. Prejudge. You do it all 574 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:03,000 Speaker 1: the time. I do it all the time. We think 575 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 1: we know what is and what isn't going to be 576 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:08,000 Speaker 1: good all the time. We even think we know who 577 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:10,279 Speaker 1: is holy and who is not holy by what they wear. 578 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: You know, even with people, we think we know who 579 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,320 Speaker 1: is important and who is not. You have no idea. 580 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:22,280 Speaker 1: You have no idea. And then we size up opportunities 581 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 1: by how public they are to see how significant they are. 582 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: But Peter was in Joppa doing something that was off 583 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:33,440 Speaker 1: the radar when God led him to Cornelius's house to 584 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: take the Gospel to the gentiles, and I just wanted 585 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 1: to say, don't limit your life by labels. Don't limit 586 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:45,120 Speaker 1: what God can do through you through labels. Somebody say 587 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:48,919 Speaker 1: you single, Say, well, first of all, i'm saved, sanctified, 588 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:54,759 Speaker 1: and then i'm single, But don't put that as my 589 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,640 Speaker 1: first label. There's a whole lot more to me than 590 00:39:57,680 --> 00:39:59,960 Speaker 1: what's going on on one finger on my left hand, 591 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: So please do not limit me. Preach Pastor Stephen Ferdeck, 592 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:13,800 Speaker 1: I am one guy said to me. He was like, 593 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:18,719 Speaker 1: you're preaching has gotten more Pentecostal these days. All he 594 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 1: meant was I yell more. And the only reason I 595 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:25,279 Speaker 1: yell more now than I used to is because when 596 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: the church was small, I needed people and I was 597 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 1: didn't want to scare them off. Now we got enough. 598 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 1: If we scare a few off, a few more will 599 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 1: come and I can holler like I want to, I 600 00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: can break It's like I feel it, not theological stylistic. 601 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:51,279 Speaker 1: So don't be limited by labels. I'm white, but I'm 602 00:40:51,320 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 1: not only white. I'm black, but I'm not only black. 603 00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:00,640 Speaker 1: Please do not prejudge me based on something I had 604 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:03,400 Speaker 1: no control over. I want you to get to know 605 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,200 Speaker 1: my character. I want you to get to see the 606 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:13,600 Speaker 1: God in me rather than labeling me. So don't judge 607 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: me by mine. Ask little nas X ask him about labels. 608 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:21,320 Speaker 1: Is it country? Is it wrap? I'll tell you what 609 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,920 Speaker 1: it is. It's a billion streams, it's a Grammy, and 610 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:27,360 Speaker 1: it's multimillion dollars. You could take me, write out this 611 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: box and drive me to the bank. And God wants 612 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:32,840 Speaker 1: to do something bigger, but you will limit yourself with 613 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,960 Speaker 1: the label, and you limit others the label. Who you 614 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:39,000 Speaker 1: can and can't receive from, who God can and can't 615 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: use in your life, What God can and can't use 616 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:44,160 Speaker 1: in your life. Oh well, they're insulting me, are they? 617 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 1: Or is God using them to instruct you? I don't 618 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:54,160 Speaker 1: like it, doesn't feel good, So don't limit yourself with labels. 619 00:41:55,880 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 1: And number two, don't be loyal to a lie. I 620 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:08,279 Speaker 1: don't have time to show you. But the passage and 621 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:15,360 Speaker 1: acts ends with Peter and the counsel there the deacon 622 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 1: board that called him in as a Baptist flashback I 623 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:26,879 Speaker 1: was having right there when they called him in. By 624 00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:28,920 Speaker 1: the end of it, I said this on Sunday. I 625 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:31,440 Speaker 1: didn't say it on Saturday last week. It said that 626 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:35,960 Speaker 1: it started with protest and ended in praise. When they 627 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 1: brought him in, they were protesting like we always do 628 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:40,000 Speaker 1: when God is doing something new in our lives. God, 629 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 1: I don't like it. I don't like it. I don't 630 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,600 Speaker 1: like it. Now everybody that hears new will hear something 631 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:48,000 Speaker 1: different when I preach. People will quit their jobs over 632 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:51,560 Speaker 1: this marriage. People are over this message. People will put 633 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: their marriage over this message. Some will quit their job 634 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:58,040 Speaker 1: and their marriage over this message, and they're missing the point, 635 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:01,680 Speaker 1: because what I mean is make room for the new 636 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:07,399 Speaker 1: in you, so you don't have to find out after 637 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:12,360 Speaker 1: you move to five different cities running from yourself, that 638 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 1: sometimes the environment is not the issue. And what we 639 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:22,319 Speaker 1: will do a lot of times is we will hold 640 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:27,120 Speaker 1: on so tightly to a lie because it's familiar, that 641 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 1: we will miss what God is bringing to us by 642 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 1: faith because we don't like how it feels. Don't be 643 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: loyal to a lie. And my third one is don't 644 00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 1: be late. Don't be late. One thing the Spirit told 645 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:50,719 Speaker 1: Peter that I wanted to say to you through the 646 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,320 Speaker 1: power of the Holy Spirit today. Yeah, you got it. 647 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:55,959 Speaker 1: They're so good in the back they anticipated my verse 648 00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:59,520 Speaker 1: I love them Acts eleven twelve says that the Spirit 649 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:02,520 Speaker 1: told me to have no hesitation about going with them. 650 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:09,359 Speaker 1: Don't be late, because if you hold on to what's old, 651 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 1: the way you thought and what you wanted and how 652 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:19,279 Speaker 1: it was, you might miss today's miracle trying to hold 653 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:26,200 Speaker 1: onto yesterday's blessing. What am I holding that's old? It's 654 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:30,239 Speaker 1: keeping me from receiving what's new, what's now, what's your 655 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:33,280 Speaker 1: I don't mean that we don't value tradition and experience 656 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:37,919 Speaker 1: and continuity. That's not my message, but the scripture said 657 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:41,200 Speaker 1: in Leviticus twenty six ' ten you will still be 658 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:45,839 Speaker 1: eating last year's harvest, that's the old, when you will 659 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:48,759 Speaker 1: have to move it out to make room for the new. 660 00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:53,960 Speaker 1: It's not that the old was bad, It's just that 661 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:59,520 Speaker 1: the new is here, a new covenant, a new day, 662 00:44:59,600 --> 00:45:05,200 Speaker 1: a new season. Some of you are really destabilized right now. 663 00:45:05,239 --> 00:45:09,919 Speaker 1: In life, we all go through these seasons of instability 664 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:13,160 Speaker 1: that really test our faith. And God gives us this 665 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:15,480 Speaker 1: tension in these moments to see what will we do 666 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:22,719 Speaker 1: in Joppa? Run from God or run toward God? And 667 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:25,920 Speaker 1: if that's where you are today in Joppa, I mean 668 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 1: in a psychological sense, obviously, not a geographical sense or 669 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:33,680 Speaker 1: a spiritual sense, an emotional sense, trying to figure out, God, 670 00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:35,200 Speaker 1: what are you doing in my life. I've never seen 671 00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:38,879 Speaker 1: this before, I've never felt this before. I've never been 672 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:44,920 Speaker 1: in my forties before. I wonder what you will do 673 00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:50,480 Speaker 1: in Joppa. The thing about God's blessing is it rarely 674 00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:52,560 Speaker 1: checks your schedule to see if this would be a 675 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:58,759 Speaker 1: convenient time. In fact, Leviticus said as they were giving 676 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:01,799 Speaker 1: all the instructions for worship and the covenant to set 677 00:46:01,920 --> 00:46:04,600 Speaker 1: up the community, and how to deal with diseases and poverty, 678 00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:07,680 Speaker 1: and how to deal with indebtedness and how to be 679 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 1: a people, And as they were adjusting and acclimating to 680 00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:12,920 Speaker 1: be out of Egyptian slavery and coming into a new place, 681 00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:15,880 Speaker 1: before God made them the promise, he said, you need 682 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:17,959 Speaker 1: to know that you're still going to be eating last 683 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: year's harvest when you have to move it out to 684 00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:24,160 Speaker 1: make room for the new. This is how it works. 685 00:46:26,239 --> 00:46:28,960 Speaker 1: You're not even used to it yet, and here comes 686 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:33,520 Speaker 1: something new, and you have to learn to multitask your miracles. 687 00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:40,600 Speaker 1: You have to learn to multitask your miracles. You have 688 00:46:40,719 --> 00:46:43,080 Speaker 1: to learn to move between things and to trust God 689 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:49,120 Speaker 1: and keep giving, keep going, keep trusting, and keep believing 690 00:46:49,239 --> 00:46:53,840 Speaker 1: by faith, or else you're going to find yourself missing 691 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:58,520 Speaker 1: today's opportunity because you are too attached to yesterday's blessing. 692 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,160 Speaker 1: I wonder what new mindset God is creating in me 693 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:07,880 Speaker 1: in this season. I want to know. I wonder what 694 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:10,359 Speaker 1: barriers He's going to break through your life. I want 695 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:13,520 Speaker 1: to know. He said, you will still be eating last 696 00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:15,799 Speaker 1: year's harvest when you will have to move it out 697 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:22,000 Speaker 1: to make room for the new. That's what repentance is. 698 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:27,719 Speaker 1: It's a change of mind. It makes room for the new, 699 00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:31,319 Speaker 1: new way of thinking. You're doing it the old way. 700 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:34,640 Speaker 1: You keep manipulating, keep forcing, and keep getting angry. That's 701 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:36,840 Speaker 1: the old way. That's not how you do it anymore. 702 00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:40,400 Speaker 1: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 703 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:43,960 Speaker 1: The old has gone, the new has come. There's a 704 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:47,640 Speaker 1: new way to do this, a new way to live, 705 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:51,160 Speaker 1: a new way to love, a new way to serve, 706 00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:53,839 Speaker 1: a way that seems upside down but is actually right 707 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:56,960 Speaker 1: side up. And God said, if you'll make room for 708 00:47:57,080 --> 00:48:00,600 Speaker 1: the new, you will still be eating last year's harvest 709 00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:04,640 Speaker 1: when you will have to move it out. Father, I 710 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:07,640 Speaker 1: thank you for your word today, the power of it, 711 00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:12,840 Speaker 1: the precision of it. You are so on time. I 712 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:17,200 Speaker 1: trust you. I trust you that it will not return void. 713 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:21,680 Speaker 1: What you spoke in this place today is not just 714 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:26,440 Speaker 1: about Peter. This is not a history lesson or an 715 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:32,000 Speaker 1: agricultural lesson. This is a word from Heaven for someone's life. 716 00:48:32,640 --> 00:48:37,239 Speaker 1: Make room for the new. I pray for your people, Lord, 717 00:48:38,920 --> 00:48:42,239 Speaker 1: whatever they're holding on to that is old, that needs 718 00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:45,000 Speaker 1: to be moved out to make room for the new. 719 00:48:45,080 --> 00:48:49,200 Speaker 1: Maybe all their life they thought they had to earn acceptance, 720 00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:52,680 Speaker 1: so they're stuck in performance and they think you are 721 00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:56,319 Speaker 1: like that too. I pray that today that grace would 722 00:48:57,640 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 1: clear the way to make boom for the new. I 723 00:49:03,760 --> 00:49:07,640 Speaker 1: thank you today that strongholds in our minds are being 724 00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:12,160 Speaker 1: broken by the power of the Spirit of God. We 725 00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:14,640 Speaker 1: thought we had to We thought we had to run 726 00:49:14,719 --> 00:49:17,759 Speaker 1: to something else to get our needs met. That's the 727 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:19,879 Speaker 1: old way of thinking, that's the old way of living, 728 00:49:20,160 --> 00:49:23,279 Speaker 1: that's the old way of coping. But we came into 729 00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:28,640 Speaker 1: your presence today to make room for the new. We 730 00:49:28,760 --> 00:49:31,040 Speaker 1: thank you that you're doing something in our life right now. 731 00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:35,719 Speaker 1: We never truly know the power of this moment until 732 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:40,960 Speaker 1: it's over. We never fully understand the reason for this 733 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:44,879 Speaker 1: season until we're in the next one. But I asked 734 00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:47,080 Speaker 1: that you would grant unto us the gift of faith, 735 00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 1: so we can trust you for what's next. Everyone's standing, 736 00:49:52,239 --> 00:49:56,480 Speaker 1: no one moving. If God brought you here today and 737 00:49:56,560 --> 00:49:59,759 Speaker 1: you've been holding on to something old, maybe it's an 738 00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:05,920 Speaker 1: a fe or regret, could be a pattern of habits, 739 00:50:06,120 --> 00:50:09,359 Speaker 1: or just a way that you get your own way. 740 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:15,160 Speaker 1: God knows I have plenty, and you want to release that. 741 00:50:15,400 --> 00:50:18,800 Speaker 1: Right now, in the presence of the Lord, I invite 742 00:50:18,800 --> 00:50:20,440 Speaker 1: you to just lift your hands to Heaven like you're 743 00:50:20,520 --> 00:50:24,000 Speaker 1: letting something go, and just keep your hands up, Just 744 00:50:24,120 --> 00:50:29,480 Speaker 1: keep them up, because I don't want to miss it. God, 745 00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:33,080 Speaker 1: I don't want to miss what you have for me. 746 00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:35,799 Speaker 1: We don't want to miss what you have for us 747 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:41,160 Speaker 1: because we were afraid, because we thought we were smarter 748 00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:45,560 Speaker 1: than you. You are the potter, we are the clay. 749 00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:49,759 Speaker 1: We ask you to mold us and fill us and 750 00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:57,439 Speaker 1: make us. Oh Lord, touch each heart, each mind, lift 751 00:50:57,480 --> 00:51:00,880 Speaker 1: the burden, break the barrier. Whatever they think you can't do, 752 00:51:01,719 --> 00:51:04,520 Speaker 1: do it. Show them what kind of God you are. 753 00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:09,040 Speaker 1: Show them how you can raise the dead. Show them 754 00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:12,520 Speaker 1: how you kill categories and make ways, and do stuff 755 00:51:12,560 --> 00:51:15,680 Speaker 1: that human minds cannot innovate or imagine. Do it in 756 00:51:15,760 --> 00:51:18,400 Speaker 1: our lives. God, do it through our children. Do it 757 00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:20,480 Speaker 1: in our generation, do it in our world, Do it 758 00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:23,239 Speaker 1: in our church. Do it in this movement. Create in 759 00:51:23,360 --> 00:51:26,520 Speaker 1: us a clean heart, make room for the new. We're 760 00:51:26,560 --> 00:51:29,040 Speaker 1: letting go of what it was. We're letting go of 761 00:51:29,120 --> 00:51:32,640 Speaker 1: what we thought. We are embracing your ways, for your 762 00:51:32,760 --> 00:51:36,560 Speaker 1: ways are higher than our ways, and your thoughts are 763 00:51:36,719 --> 00:51:41,760 Speaker 1: higher than our thoughts. And we came in this place 764 00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:45,920 Speaker 1: today as your tabernacle to make room in our hearts 765 00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:52,239 Speaker 1: for you. Lord. If there's someone here today who needs 766 00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:56,919 Speaker 1: a new beginning, who needs to be saved, who needs 767 00:51:56,960 --> 00:52:01,279 Speaker 1: to be brought into the family of God, right now, 768 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:05,960 Speaker 1: in this moment, would you touch their heart and bring 769 00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:09,239 Speaker 1: them to faith in Jesus Christ so that they can 770 00:52:09,360 --> 00:52:15,239 Speaker 1: be saved and forgiven and set free. Right now, at 771 00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:17,240 Speaker 1: all of our locations, I'm going to give an invitation 772 00:52:18,840 --> 00:52:22,120 Speaker 1: for someone who wants to receive the grace of Jesus 773 00:52:22,239 --> 00:52:26,879 Speaker 1: Christ for your life, who wants to say, God, I'm 774 00:52:26,920 --> 00:52:30,640 Speaker 1: giving up my life to you and I'm embracing your 775 00:52:30,680 --> 00:52:34,080 Speaker 1: life and your plan for me. The Bible says that 776 00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:37,360 Speaker 1: it is by grace you are saved, not of works. 777 00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:41,480 Speaker 1: No one can boast about it. It is the gift 778 00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:44,600 Speaker 1: of God. So for everyone who wants to receive this gift. 779 00:52:45,160 --> 00:52:47,280 Speaker 1: The scripture says that we were dead in our sins, 780 00:52:47,320 --> 00:52:50,920 Speaker 1: and Christ died for us. He didn't just die for 781 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:53,840 Speaker 1: us to be good people. He died to give us life. 782 00:52:54,400 --> 00:52:57,120 Speaker 1: He died to give us a new beginning. He died 783 00:52:57,200 --> 00:52:59,440 Speaker 1: to make us brand new. So right now, if this 784 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:01,920 Speaker 1: is your day, and you have felt God speaking to 785 00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:04,200 Speaker 1: you while I've been preaching, and you have felt God 786 00:53:04,320 --> 00:53:06,759 Speaker 1: calling you home, and you are ready to make room 787 00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:08,640 Speaker 1: for the new in your life, I want you to 788 00:53:08,719 --> 00:53:11,480 Speaker 1: repeat this prayer after me. We pray together as a 789 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:16,239 Speaker 1: church family. Repeat after me, Heavenly Father, today is my day. 790 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:21,959 Speaker 1: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God 791 00:53:22,719 --> 00:53:26,719 Speaker 1: and the Savior of the world. And today I make 792 00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:30,680 Speaker 1: Jesus the lord of my life. I believe he died 793 00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:35,399 Speaker 1: that I would be forgiven and rose again to give 794 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:41,040 Speaker 1: me life. I receive this new life. This is my 795 00:53:41,239 --> 00:53:45,480 Speaker 1: new beginning. I am a child of God. On the 796 00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:47,560 Speaker 1: count of three, shoots your hand up. If you prayed 797 00:53:47,600 --> 00:53:51,000 Speaker 1: that one, two, three, shoot him up, Shoot him up. God, 798 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:56,280 Speaker 1: Bless you, God, bless you. Come on. Let's celebrate new life. 799 00:53:57,480 --> 00:54:02,839 Speaker 1: Let's celebrate new beginnings. Let's celebrate new stories. Come on, Church. 800 00:54:04,120 --> 00:54:06,640 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 801 00:54:06,719 --> 00:54:09,680 Speaker 1: you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 802 00:54:09,760 --> 00:54:12,640 Speaker 1: you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 803 00:54:12,719 --> 00:54:16,400 Speaker 1: link in the description to give now or visit Elevationchurch 804 00:54:16,600 --> 00:54:19,840 Speaker 1: dot org. Slash podcast for more information and if you 805 00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:23,160 Speaker 1: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 806 00:54:23,200 --> 00:54:25,520 Speaker 1: with your friends. You can click the share button, take 807 00:54:25,520 --> 00:54:27,840 Speaker 1: a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 808 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:30,799 Speaker 1: tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 809 00:54:30,840 --> 00:54:31,160 Speaker 1: bless you.