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Speaker 1: All right, we're going to get into the message very soon,

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Speaker 1: but first an important message for you. This is our

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty one year end offering. I love this time

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Speaker 1: of year, an amazing time of year, because every year

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Speaker 1: we end with appreciation for what God has done, expectation

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Speaker 1: for what He's going to do. This has been a tradition.

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Speaker 1: Like right now, they're going to put up a few

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Speaker 1: graphics of all the offerings we've had through the years.

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Speaker 1: I can't even remember them, all Game Change or Waymaker beyond.

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Speaker 1: But this year, you don't even know the word that

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Speaker 1: God gave me. I don't. This is not stage. I

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Speaker 1: should reveal it to me. Yeah, this is not scripted,

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Speaker 1: and we're doing our own camera work, So I apologize

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Speaker 1: that the angle is off. But this year the Lord

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Speaker 1: led me to the word better. Everybody say better, better,

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Speaker 1: like put it in the chat. And we don't mean

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Speaker 1: better than another person, or we don't necessarily mean that.

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Speaker 1: You know, we're never content, And what we mean by

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Speaker 1: that is Hag II two nine says that the glory

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Speaker 1: of this present house, what God is doing, will be

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Speaker 1: greater than the glory of the former house. We believe

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Speaker 1: God is always doing something greater, we just have to

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Speaker 1: see it. So I want to thank you in advance

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Speaker 1: for your gifts. Those of you who already support this ministry,

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Speaker 1: you're the reason. You're the reason we get to preach

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Speaker 1: the gospel. You're the reason that thousands of testimonies that

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Speaker 1: we hear in this ministry are made possible. And for

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Speaker 1: those of you who are beginning to give, either through

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Speaker 1: a one time year end donation to help us with

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Speaker 1: our expansion, or the best way really through recurring giving,

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Speaker 1: through putting God first with the tide, or maybe an

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Speaker 1: above and beyond offering to say thank you to Him

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Speaker 1: and believe Him for better things in faith, we want

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Speaker 1: to say thank you, and we're standing with you right

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Speaker 1: now as we begin this season of giving called Better

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Speaker 1: Now through the end of the year. Yeah, thank you

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Speaker 1: so much. Every time you give, it helps us to

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Speaker 1: spread the Gospel to the world and beyond, and we

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Speaker 1: are so thankful for your partnership with us in the gospel.

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Speaker 1: It's gonna be an amazing holiday season and I can't

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Speaker 1: wait to hear more about better. It's gonna be better

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Speaker 1: better than you ask her. Imagine just three twenty we're

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Speaker 1: believing God for you now let's go. I'm not gonna

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Speaker 1: lie to y'all. I am bugging out right now. I

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Speaker 1: am at the elevation, Sir. I can't tell you how

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Speaker 1: much this church has meant to me over my last

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Speaker 1: ten years of being a senior pastor in Maryland. I

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Speaker 1: actually the first year, and you'll sit down in like

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Speaker 1: two seconds, but we're standing because they're about the screen

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Speaker 1: for your pastors, so you can stay on your feet.

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Speaker 1: For the first year, I had a five hundred dollars

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Speaker 1: vacation budget. That's all I have for vacation. After year ministry,

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Speaker 1: I was so ready to quit. I said, I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: be one and done. Get me out of this. And

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Speaker 1: I spent my five hundred dollars on a plane ticket

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Speaker 1: to Charlotte, renting me a Camaro, got me a cheap

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Speaker 1: My priorities were in order, got a chief hotel, but

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Speaker 1: a nice car drove down to the Blakeney location, and

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Speaker 1: I didn't know how elevation rolled. So I showed up

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Speaker 1: to church five minutes before it started. Y'all know I

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Speaker 1: didn't make it into that, sir. I sat in the

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Speaker 1: parking lot in the first service, came in the second one,

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Speaker 1: and baled my eyes out. The presence of God in

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Speaker 1: this place literally kept me in the ministry. And year

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Speaker 1: after year after the year, we've been to every single

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Speaker 1: inside Elevation. We were at Lake Norman when it was

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Speaker 1: over there. Shout out to Lake Norman and all these

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Speaker 1: different places. And God has used your pastor in this

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Speaker 1: house to incite something in so many pastors around this

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Speaker 1: nation and this world to go after all that God

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Speaker 1: has called us to be. You. I don't know if

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Speaker 1: you know. You know Elevation is one of God's favorite churches, right,

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Speaker 1: I don't know if you know that. You may have

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Speaker 1: never heard this before. In the Bible, a father would

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Speaker 1: show his favorite by who he gave gifts. To remember,

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Speaker 1: he gave his favorite son a coat of many colors.

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Speaker 1: Where the Bible says and Ephesians that your pastor is

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Speaker 1: a gift from God. And based on the pastor that

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Speaker 1: God has given this church, you must speak God's favorite.

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Speaker 1: Can you honor Pastor Stephen and Pastor Ali? We are grateful, grateful, grateful,

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Speaker 1: grateful for you're yes, for your sacrifice, for all that

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Speaker 1: you believed in us. And I'm gonna say us because

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Speaker 1: I is Elevation today but I'm great. Hey, go ahead,

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Speaker 1: grab your seat, Grab your seat. We are gonna jump

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Speaker 1: into God's word today. I have a could you deal

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Speaker 1: with the word from God? I got a word from

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Speaker 1: God for you today. Before I preach, I do have

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Speaker 1: to highlight why I am blessed and highly favored. And

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Speaker 1: it is this beautiful African woman on a front row.

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Speaker 1: Can y'all honor my wife, Zi Chandler. I call her

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Speaker 1: my African Queen. She hails from sile On, West Africa,

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Speaker 1: and I actually started the church. I passed her. I

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Speaker 1: was single for two years, and it was a rough

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Speaker 1: two years because I had no favor. I had no

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Speaker 1: annoint see, because the Bible says when you find a wife,

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Speaker 1: you find favor from the Lord. It's rough, pastor and

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Speaker 1: without favor. But but I found it eventually, and I

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Speaker 1: am grateful, grateful, grateful for your love, for your support,

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Speaker 1: and we love each other. So we got children. If

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Speaker 1: you could throw up a picture and I can show

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Speaker 1: everybody why I am more blessed than they are, because

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Speaker 1: my family's just better looking than your family. I know

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Speaker 1: that's mean and ignorant, but it's the truth. In front

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Speaker 1: of me is my princess. Her name is Zoe. She's

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Speaker 1: five years old. We little hood, so we got rapper

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Speaker 1: names for all our kids, so her rapper name is Zozo.

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Speaker 1: And then standing next to my wife is my second born.

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Speaker 1: His name is Roman. His rapper name is Roro. You

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Speaker 1: can tell we are not very creative people. And then

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Speaker 1: our newest edition. We actually took this picture last week

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Speaker 1: because we didn't have any family pictures with Jade Mariah.

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Speaker 1: She is four months old. She looks like an angel,

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Speaker 1: she acts like a fallen angel. Right around three am,

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Speaker 1: she up and she's screaming in tongues and yelling and

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Speaker 1: all this other good stuff. And we are happy, happy, happy,

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Speaker 1: because we left them back in Baltimore. So we had

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Speaker 1: the best sleep we've ever had last night. So forgive

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Speaker 1: me if I preached for the next four hours. But

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Speaker 1: your brother is a Two people just ran for the

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Speaker 1: door and said, oh, you're not all right. Turn your bible.

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Speaker 1: Turn your Bible to John chapter twenty John chapter twenty,

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Speaker 1: verse nineteen. I got some of my Union Church fam

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Speaker 1: into building and watching online. Grateful, grateful, grateful for you, John,

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Speaker 1: chapter twenty nineteen. If you're ready, somebody see you. Oh,

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Speaker 1: y'all ready ready like this. Here he goes. It says this.

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Speaker 1: Then the same day, at evening, being the first day

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Speaker 1: of the week, which man name was Sunday, when the

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Speaker 1: doors were shut. Somebody said the doors were shut. The

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Speaker 1: doors were shut. The disciples were assembled, why for fear

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Speaker 1: of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst

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Speaker 1: and said to them, read that with me, peace be

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Speaker 1: with you some of all. That's the only message you

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Speaker 1: need today. Wherever you find yourself shut in, Jesus is

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Speaker 1: about to step into that place of your life and

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Speaker 1: breathe his supernatural peace in your life. He said, peace

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Speaker 1: be with you. And when he said this, he showed

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Speaker 1: them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were

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Speaker 1: glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to

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Speaker 1: them again, it was so nice. He said it twice.

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Speaker 1: He said, peace to you. As the Father has sent me,

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Speaker 1: I also send you. And when he said this, he

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Speaker 1: breathes on them. Now you're gonna find out. I'm a

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Speaker 1: little ignorant, and I'm not toue culture. And I just

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Speaker 1: wonder what Jesus is breath smell like. Let me just

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Speaker 1: think about it. You can't be the King of Kings

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Speaker 1: and the Lord and lawyers that have holotosis. I mean,

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Speaker 1: it just had to be the miniest breath somebod me

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Speaker 1: just breathe them. So he breathed on them and said,

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Speaker 1: receive the Holy Spirit. Let's pray, Father God. We're grateful.

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Speaker 1: We're thankful God for this divine moment, this collision between

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Speaker 1: Evan and Earth. God, you are here. God. You're not

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Speaker 1: just here to have church. You're here to heal in

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Speaker 1: a transform and to speak and to take us one

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Speaker 1: step closer to the plan, the purpose, the destiny that

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Speaker 1: you have for us. So God, preemptively, you make a

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Speaker 1: decision in this moment that when you speak, we will

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Speaker 1: obey have your way in our hearts. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: bringing cam back to Charlotte and Jesus name. We pray.

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Speaker 1: Amen and amen and amen. Hey, before I jump into

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Speaker 1: the meat of this message, I just want to prophesy

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Speaker 1: over you for a second. Is that okay? Now? If

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Speaker 1: I do, you can't sit there with your anti propit skepticism.

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Speaker 1: You gotta lean in. You gotta say I receive it.

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Speaker 1: I want that, I believe it. If you're with me,

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Speaker 1: somebody say amen, I believe that the Global Church, the

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Speaker 1: American Church, Elevation Church, and you, somebody say, we are

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Speaker 1: the Church are getting ready to walk into a season

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Speaker 1: of open doors in our lives that we have never

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Speaker 1: seen before. I believe you're getting ready to walk into

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Speaker 1: a season of favor of creative miracles. I believe you're

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Speaker 1: getting ready to walk into season come on line where

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Speaker 1: God begins to answer prayers that you didn't even know

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Speaker 1: to pray for, prayers that are above and beyond all

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Speaker 1: that you could ever ask, sink, or imagine. There are

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Speaker 1: relationships in your life that were broken, that you've given

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Speaker 1: up on, and God is supernaturally mending them back together.

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Speaker 1: God is getting ready to expand businesses in ways that

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Speaker 1: you didn't even know possible. Someone's just gonna give you

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Speaker 1: a book of their business and you're like, how did

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Speaker 1: this happen? It's because God is opening doors in your life. Oh,

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Speaker 1: I I appreciate it. I got about seventeen percent of

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Speaker 1: the room like, oh you better appreciate that, Chris Rock,

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Speaker 1: I love it. I love It's about thirty percent of

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Speaker 1: this room. Now. She's just like, huh, I mean I

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Speaker 1: ain't impressed. I mean any makers, Hey, guy's opening doors

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Speaker 1: what's so impressive about that? How do you know God's

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Speaker 1: going to open the door. Well, I'm a little ignorant,

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Speaker 1: so can I just help you out? How I know

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Speaker 1: that God is getting ready to open doors for a

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Speaker 1: church because I read the Bible, and here's what I

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Speaker 1: find in scripture that there's this pattern where the enemy

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Speaker 1: will attack, and what God will do is say, hey,

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Speaker 1: you take your first shot, and when you're done what

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Speaker 1: you're doing, watch me work. If you remember, in the

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Speaker 1: Book of Job, Satan came to God and he said,

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Speaker 1: the only reason why Job is worshiping you is because

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Speaker 1: Job is blessed. If you took away his blessings, he

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Speaker 1: wouldn't worship you the same way anybody in here. You know,

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Speaker 1: you don't worship God just because of what he can

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Speaker 1: do for you, not just because of his blessings, but

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Speaker 1: because of who he is. So God said, hey, you

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Speaker 1: think that's right, go ahead, take everything that he has

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Speaker 1: and see what happens. And you read the book, you

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Speaker 1: see he lost his children, and his business and his

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Speaker 1: wealth and in his notoriety. And he said, hey, though

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Speaker 1: he slay me, I will not curse the Lord. I

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Speaker 1: know that my redeemer lives. So like thirty eight chapters,

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Speaker 1: Job is just going through hell, part of my French.

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Speaker 1: And when he finally passed that test, God says, Satan,

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Speaker 1: are you done? Okay, watch this, and he gives Job

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Speaker 1: back double for his trouble, everything he lost. He gives

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Speaker 1: him double everything that was stolen by the enemy. And

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Speaker 1: here's what I know over these last eighteen and twenty

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Speaker 1: four months, depending on where you live and all that,

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Speaker 1: we have been through this global panoramic where the enemy

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Speaker 1: has taken his best shot to divide racially, politically and

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Speaker 1: in every other way. And I feel like God was

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Speaker 1: just stepping back, let me know when you're done, and

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Speaker 1: when you're done, watch me step in and move in

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Speaker 1: people's lives. And if we went through eighteen and twenty

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Speaker 1: four months of the world being shut down, I think

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Speaker 1: we're getting ready to go through forty eight months of

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Speaker 1: open doors and miracles, signs and wonders in the church,

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Speaker 1: in your life, and in everything God desires to do

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Speaker 1: for us. If you believe in somebody shot amen, somebody

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Speaker 1: say open doors. That's why I want to preach a

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Speaker 1: message today called the Blessing of a closed door. Because

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Speaker 1: here's what I've discovered, until you've run into a closed door,

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Speaker 1: you won't really appreciate an open door. If all you've

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Speaker 1: experienced is favor and open doors and promotion and all

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Speaker 1: that other, you'll begin to take it for granted, and

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Speaker 1: you'll begin to look at it as if it's happenstance

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Speaker 1: and not the favor of God on your life. There's

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Speaker 1: nothing like a closed door that makes you grateful for

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Speaker 1: an open door. There's nothing like sickness that makes you

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Speaker 1: grateful that God is a healer. There's nothing like not

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Speaker 1: having that makes you grateful that He is Jehovah Jira,

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Speaker 1: our provider. There's nothing like being overlooked that makes you

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Speaker 1: appreciative that the eyes of God is not just on

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Speaker 1: the sparrow, but he is on you, and he sees

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Speaker 1: every tear that drops from your eye. Hear me, it's

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Speaker 1: closed doors that make us grateful for the open doors

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Speaker 1: of God. Growing up, my dad was a pastor longer

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Speaker 1: than I've been alive. I actually pastor to the church

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Speaker 1: that he founded back in nineteen ninety seven. But he

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Speaker 1: also owned his own business on the side. He had

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Speaker 1: a medical courier company. He had drivers all over the

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Speaker 1: state of Maryland, and they would pick up medical specimens

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Speaker 1: from doctor's offices and drop them off at labs. These

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Speaker 1: were blood samples and bow marrow samples and actually some

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Speaker 1: pretty painful tests to take, so it was a pretty

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Speaker 1: sensitive job. I remember when I turned sixteen, I got

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Speaker 1: my driver's license and my dad hired me because I

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Speaker 1: was a boss's kid. I was the youngest person on

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Speaker 1: staff by like twenty years. People didn't think I deserved

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Speaker 1: the job, and actually I did it, but my dad

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Speaker 1: was the boss. I was just like, y'all can't do

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Speaker 1: nothing with me, you can't say nothing to me. And

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Speaker 1: by the way, my dad writes your paycheck, so eh.

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Speaker 1: And I would spend about five hours of my day

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Speaker 1: every single day, from about three pm to eight pm,

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Speaker 1: driving around Maryland picking up medical specimens and dropping them

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Speaker 1: off at the lab at the end of the day,

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Speaker 1: early on when I was sixteen, and actually I did

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Speaker 1: it for seven years, and it happened almost every single year.

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Speaker 1: I'd drive and I'd get to a doctor's office and

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Speaker 1: when i'd walk in, the nurse or the administrator the

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Speaker 1: doctor say hey, we're not quite ready for you. Come

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Speaker 1: back in about fifteen minutes somebody say fifteen minutes. It

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Speaker 1: wasn't seventeen, it wasn't fourteen. They were very specific, come

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Speaker 1: back in fifteen minutes and we'll be ready for you

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Speaker 1: to pick up the specimen. Well, I was sixteen, and

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Speaker 1: you know not that bright. So I said, fifteen minutes.

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Speaker 1: That's great. Sounds like enough time to go down to

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Speaker 1: the mall, get a cheese steak, eat the cheese steak,

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Speaker 1: run over the game stop. I play about three games

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Speaker 1: of Madden. I've got time, so I'd go to the

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Speaker 1: mall and I got a cheef steak. I go on

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Speaker 1: to game Stop. I'm playing Madden. I'm like in the

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Speaker 1: fourth game, and next thing I know, my phone would

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Speaker 1: ring and my dad would be calling. So hey, Steven,

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Speaker 1: I'm here at the drop are you ready to drop

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Speaker 1: off the spence? Look? Oh uh, I got one more pickup.

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Speaker 1: I'll be right there. I would hang up the phone,

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Speaker 1: run through the mall, jump in my car, speed across town,

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Speaker 1: and i'd get back to that doctor's after we're SpongeBob bags.

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Speaker 1: I'm like two hours later, and I would get there

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Speaker 1: sometimes and the office would be locked up. Now I'm

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Speaker 1: not saying like locked like the door's locked and they're

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Speaker 1: cleaning up inside. I'm talking about locked lights off, buildings

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Speaker 1: shut down. You can't get in no matter what. Remember

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Speaker 1: the first time this happened, I called my dad said, hey, uh,

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Speaker 1: the doctor's office closed, and tell them I was there earlier.

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Speaker 1: They closed and they're locked up. I'll come back tomorrow.

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Speaker 1: Let me say, Steve, what do you mean tomorrow. Specimen

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Speaker 1: that you're picking up has a three hour shelf life.

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Speaker 1: If you wait till tomorrow, it will spoil. And hear me,

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Speaker 1: if it spoils, we will lose that doctor as a client.

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Speaker 1: And he said, what you gotta understand is that that's

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Speaker 1: not just one doctor, but that doctor is connected to

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Speaker 1: seven other doctors. There is an entire practice. If we

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Speaker 1: lose that one doctor, we're losing all seven of them.

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Speaker 1: Steven get in the door, and then he'd hang up.

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Speaker 1: I figured it out. I'm just like I just told

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Speaker 1: you a lot. I remember looking at this clock, closed door,

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Speaker 1: and I'm not gonna lie to you. I talked to

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Speaker 1: a couple of police officers in Baltimore before I told

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Speaker 1: the story, just to make sure that the statue of

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Speaker 1: limitation had passed. But when I tell you that your

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Speaker 1: boy has broken into more doctor's offices that you can't

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Speaker 1: imagine in your life. I am sweet, talk more nurses.

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Speaker 1: I've given more donuts to security guards, climbed in your windows,

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Speaker 1: snack your people up. I have. It was in that

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Speaker 1: season of my life that I learned that a closed

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Speaker 1: door is not the end of the story, but the

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Speaker 1: beginning of a decision. Every time I run into a

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Speaker 1: closed door, I have a decision to make. Am I

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Speaker 1: gonna surrender to the situation. Am I gonna figure it

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Speaker 1: out and figure out a way in? Or I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: say there's no way I can get around this. And

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Speaker 1: ear me. God did not die on the cross for

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Speaker 1: his people to surrender. One of the things that breaks

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Speaker 1: my heart are there are too many believers that are

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Speaker 1: surrendering to sickness. They're surrendering to anxiety and worry and

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Speaker 1: fear and set back and lack and ear me. Just

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Speaker 1: because it's a set back, just because it's a closed

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Speaker 1: door in your life right now, does not mean that

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Speaker 1: it's a life sentence. It doesn't mean that it's over.

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Speaker 1: It's just the beginning of your story. So I want

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Speaker 1: to have about four hours of preach I just want

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Speaker 1: to give you just three quick I want to give

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Speaker 1: you just three quick thoughts, three quick thoughts of what

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Speaker 1: do I do when I run into a closed door

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Speaker 1: when I'm in that season of life where things looks

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Speaker 1: like things just aren't moving forward, like I just can't

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Speaker 1: catch or break. The first thought is this, not all

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Speaker 1: close doors are the same. When you run into a

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Speaker 1: season where life is not moving forward, where it doesn't

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Speaker 1: appear that your prayers are being answered, that you're not

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Speaker 1: making the progress that you want to make, you gotta

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Speaker 1: understand just because the door is closed doesn't mean it's

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Speaker 1: the same scenario. Here's what we do. We blame every

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Speaker 1: closed door on God. Every time something doesn't work out,

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Speaker 1: we don't get the job, the promotion, the relationship doesn't

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Speaker 1: work out, or whatever. Mavie. We get super spiritual when

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Speaker 1: we say things like it must not have been God's

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Speaker 1: will for my life. That's my su spirtual voice. I

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Speaker 1: don't know why I pray and it didn't happen, so

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Speaker 1: it must not have been what God had for me.

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Speaker 1: Hear me. Just because a door is closed doesn't mean

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Speaker 1: that God is the one that closed. In our passage

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Speaker 1: here in John chapter twenty we find the disciples locked

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Speaker 1: behind a closed door. The Bible says that they were

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Speaker 1: paralyzed in fear that they were so overcome with the

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Speaker 1: idea that they had just killed Jesus. And everybody knew

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Speaker 1: that they were followers of Jesus, so they just had

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Speaker 1: in their mind, if they killed Jesus, they must be

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Speaker 1: coming for us. Next. I guess one of my beef

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Speaker 1: for Christians. I got a lot of beef for Christians,

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Speaker 1: but but one of my beef for Christians is and

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Speaker 1: I'll fill myself under the bus with you. We read

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Speaker 1: the Bible like Christians, how much supposed to read the

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Speaker 1: Bible like a human? Here here's what I mean by

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Speaker 1: as Christians. We read the Bible knowing how the story goes.

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Speaker 1: So we see them locked in the room like all

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Speaker 1: you punks. Come on out. He rose from the third day.

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Speaker 1: He's about to walk through the wall and show you

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Speaker 1: the nail prince in his hand, don't you know. We

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Speaker 1: read it knowing the end of the story. But you

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Speaker 1: have to put yourself in their shoes. They didn't have

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Speaker 1: the Bible to read. They was the Bible, and as

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Speaker 1: far as they knew everything that they had given their

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Speaker 1: life to had just been murdered in front of them

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Speaker 1: like a criminal. You see these men and women. They

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Speaker 1: left family businesses. They looked parents in the eye and said,

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Speaker 1: I don't want the inheritance that you worked your entire

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Speaker 1: life to build. I'm gonna follow this carpenter's son because

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Speaker 1: I was told that he has the keys of life

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Speaker 1: in his hand. They left everything and followed him for

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Speaker 1: three years. He said that he was the king of

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Speaker 1: kings and the Lord of lords. And then he hung

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Speaker 1: on a cross his head and he died, and a

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Speaker 1: whole city celebrated. And here are the disciples locked in

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Speaker 1: a room after the greatest tragedy of their life, thinking,

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Speaker 1: if they just killed Jesus, they're coming for us. This

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Speaker 1: was the lowest moment of faith that they ever had.

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Speaker 1: A side note, anybody grateful that all your mistakes and

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Speaker 1: blunders are not recorded in scripture for billions of people

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Speaker 1: to read. Anybody grateful today you mess up royally. Only

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Speaker 1: you and your three roommates know about it, nobody else.

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Speaker 1: This was the worst moment in their lives. And here's

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Speaker 1: what they decided to do. Based on that tragedy and trauma.

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Speaker 1: They went into a room they opened the door and

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Speaker 1: they locked it behind them. The door wasn't closed because

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Speaker 1: God God closed it. The door was closed because fear

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Speaker 1: closed it. One of the things that I've discovered is

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Speaker 1: there are so many people that are locked behind a

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Speaker 1: closed door, not because God did it, but because it

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Speaker 1: was the response to that abuse from their childhood. It

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Speaker 1: was their response from that divorce ten years ago, the

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Speaker 1: response from losing that home that they had borrowed from

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Speaker 1: four different family members to be able to purchase, the

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Speaker 1: response to the closing of that business that they had

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Speaker 1: given ten years of their life to without. Even we

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Speaker 1: don't do it consciously, it's like a subconscious defense mechanism

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Speaker 1: where we still come out of our house, but our

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Speaker 1: hearts are closed, and based on the worst day of

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Speaker 1: our lives, we've made an internal vow. I'll never trust

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Speaker 1: people again. I'll never let somebody that close enough to

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Speaker 1: me again to break my heart. I'm never gonna take

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Speaker 1: a risk like that again. And one of the things

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Speaker 1: about it. We're good in church about putting our church

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Speaker 1: clothes on, in our church face on, so you'll walk

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Speaker 1: into church and you look, why, you'll sing the song

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Speaker 1: why Oh pet? Was that my note? But the truth

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Speaker 1: is we're wide closed. We walk into church with our

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Speaker 1: church faith and hey, how you doing? Oh girl, I

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Speaker 1: am too blessed to be stressed. You lion them shopping

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Speaker 1: bags under your eyelids, say you pretty stressed right now? Hey,

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Speaker 1: how you doing? Oh? God is good all the time,

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Speaker 1: and all the time. God is good. I know how

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Speaker 1: God is. How are you? And we have up this

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Speaker 1: facade that life is going great, But if we were

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Speaker 1: to be honest, our life stopped at that tragedy eight

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Speaker 1: years ago, and we've shut our hearts off. But here's

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Speaker 1: the thing God said in his word Third John, chapter one,

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Speaker 1: verse two. It said, beloved, I pray that you may prosper.

428
00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:27,040
Speaker 1: Somebody say prosper, So I pray that you may prosper

429
00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:32,960
Speaker 1: in all things and be in health, just as your soul.

430
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,360
Speaker 1: What was your soul? Your soul's your mind, your will,

431
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,919
Speaker 1: and your emotions, your heart. The word prosper means this.

432
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,240
Speaker 1: It doesn't mean what you think. Prosperity. Oh I love

433
00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,119
Speaker 1: me of prosperity. Praja. We're about to get a Bentley

434
00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:50,960
Speaker 1: a idea. Prosperity does not mean beamer Ben's and Bentley's

435
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,359
Speaker 1: not that that's a bad thing. But here's what the

436
00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:56,280
Speaker 1: word prosper in the original language. It simply means to

437
00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:01,400
Speaker 1: move forward. That's all I mean. God says, my prayer

438
00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:05,919
Speaker 1: is that you would move forward in every area of

439
00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,200
Speaker 1: your life. What does that mean. That means that your

440
00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,760
Speaker 1: marriage is better this year than it was last year.

441
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,919
Speaker 1: That means your finances are better this year than it

442
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,280
Speaker 1: was last That means your faith is stronger this year

443
00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:22,120
Speaker 1: than it was last year. And here's we're looking for

444
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,040
Speaker 1: God to move us forward. God says, you don't move

445
00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,600
Speaker 1: forward according to My will for you. You You move forward

446
00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:35,480
Speaker 1: according to the health of your heart. Here we are

447
00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,200
Speaker 1: blaming God. God. I can't get a break. There's closed

448
00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,840
Speaker 1: doors all around. And God says, there's closed doors outside

449
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,520
Speaker 1: of you because there's a closed door on the inside

450
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:49,320
Speaker 1: of you. And until you make a decision that I'm

451
00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:51,439
Speaker 1: not gonna be locked up on the inside, hear me,

452
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:53,400
Speaker 1: I know it's we're gonna laugh at the end. It's

453
00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,040
Speaker 1: gonna be great. It's gonna be a little tight right now,

454
00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,480
Speaker 1: he said, until you make a decision to unlock what's

455
00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:03,800
Speaker 1: on the inside, everything on the outside is gonna be

456
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,240
Speaker 1: locked up. Here we are complain, why can't I find

457
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,280
Speaker 1: any real friends, any people are gonna be loyal to

458
00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,800
Speaker 1: me and not just use me. Holy Spirit is saying,

459
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,000
Speaker 1: maybe it's because you won't let anybody close to you,

460
00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,440
Speaker 1: because you've put a padlock on your heart. You've made

461
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,680
Speaker 1: a decision. I'm not gonna let anybody. If you don't

462
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,040
Speaker 1: let anybody close enough to hurt you, no one will

463
00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:32,159
Speaker 1: be close enough to bless you. So here it is

464
00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:35,919
Speaker 1: the disciples, they're locked up in this room. I'm just

465
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:41,600
Speaker 1: I wonder sometimes, what were y'all thinking. Here's what I've discovered.

466
00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,320
Speaker 1: My response to fear, pain and trauma is not a

467
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:49,840
Speaker 1: long term thought process. It's immediate reaction. What were the

468
00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:54,440
Speaker 1: disciples planning on doing tomorrow? Y'all just gonna stay locked

469
00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,280
Speaker 1: up in this room for the next thirty years? Like, like,

470
00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,240
Speaker 1: what's the plan here? They are locked up in this room,

471
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,600
Speaker 1: and the Bible says that Jesus steps through the wall

472
00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:07,399
Speaker 1: and he says, peace be unto you, which tells me

473
00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,240
Speaker 1: it doesn't matter what I've been through. It doesn't matter

474
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,480
Speaker 1: where I've locked myself off from. It doesn't matter how

475
00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,160
Speaker 1: much I've given up on life. There's people right now

476
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,480
Speaker 1: that you have no vision and you have no dream

477
00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,879
Speaker 1: for your future. Hear me, there is a God that

478
00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:23,320
Speaker 1: loves you, and he doesn't even need you to open

479
00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:25,879
Speaker 1: the door for him. He'll walk through the walls of

480
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:32,200
Speaker 1: your heart and breathe on you and say peace. He would.

481
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,879
Speaker 1: Now I'm reading this passage and that's just like, Jesus,

482
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,040
Speaker 1: why do you got to be so extra like, I mean,

483
00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:40,200
Speaker 1: there's a door, Why you wanna walk through the wall

484
00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:45,720
Speaker 1: all Messiah? Like, just oh, why can't you walk through

485
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,280
Speaker 1: the door like normal people? And as I'm reading this passage,

486
00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,400
Speaker 1: and I feel like the Holy Spirit says Steven, how

487
00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:56,320
Speaker 1: do you know I didn't try? It says that I

488
00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,560
Speaker 1: walked through the wall. It doesn't say that that was

489
00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:02,400
Speaker 1: my first option. Could it be that I tried the

490
00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:06,000
Speaker 1: door and because the door was locked, I had to

491
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:08,480
Speaker 1: come in a different way? How many people you love

492
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:12,080
Speaker 1: your Bible like you love your Bible. I'm like working

493
00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,040
Speaker 1: this out. Next thing I know. The Holy Spirit brings

494
00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,200
Speaker 1: this Revelations chapter three, verse twenty. He says, Look, I

495
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:21,479
Speaker 1: have been standing at the door, he said, and I

496
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:27,960
Speaker 1: am constantly hear me, Jesus knocking on your door like that,

497
00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:32,960
Speaker 1: Like that annoying door dashed delivery person that did not

498
00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,000
Speaker 1: read the note, leave my meal at the door. I

499
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:40,240
Speaker 1: ain't come into the door, he said. I am constantly knocking.

500
00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,520
Speaker 1: He said. If anyone hears my calling him and opens

501
00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,400
Speaker 1: the door, he said, I don't even need you to

502
00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:53,360
Speaker 1: come out. I'm gonna come in and fellowship with him

503
00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,880
Speaker 1: and he with me. I think before Jesus walked through

504
00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,120
Speaker 1: those doors through the wall, he knocked on the door,

505
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,760
Speaker 1: and as he was knocking on the door, I don't

506
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,640
Speaker 1: think that the disciples fear decreased. I think it increased

507
00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:13,640
Speaker 1: because they mistook the knock of peace for the knock

508
00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,240
Speaker 1: of judgment. There's some of you in this room watching

509
00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:23,440
Speaker 1: online different locations. You're not here because you want to

510
00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,120
Speaker 1: be here. You're not here because like, oh, I'm you

511
00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,800
Speaker 1: like elimation. Only reason you're here is because your wife said,

512
00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:31,720
Speaker 1: if you don't come to church with me, i'ma make

513
00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:36,920
Speaker 1: you weak, miserable. Some of all teenagers, your mamma say

514
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:38,600
Speaker 1: you can come to church or you cannot eat all week,

515
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,600
Speaker 1: he said, an hour and a half, she said, Okay,

516
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,560
Speaker 1: I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come, and

517
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:45,800
Speaker 1: you're sitting in church, you're watching online. But for you,

518
00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,200
Speaker 1: to be honest, your heart is locked off to Jesus.

519
00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:53,320
Speaker 1: And it's because you misunderstood who he is. You thought

520
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,040
Speaker 1: he was knocking at the door of your heart to

521
00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,720
Speaker 1: tell you how messed up you are. You thought he

522
00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,360
Speaker 1: wanted to knock on your door to judge and say,

523
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,600
Speaker 1: ooh you ratch. How could you do that? How could

524
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:03,200
Speaker 1: you think that? How can you look at that happ

525
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:05,440
Speaker 1: No, no no, no, no no. He's not knocking on your door

526
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:07,800
Speaker 1: to judge you, or to condemn you, or to look

527
00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,480
Speaker 1: down at you. He's knocking on the door to breathe

528
00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:18,200
Speaker 1: peace into your life. Some of you have been pushing

529
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:24,080
Speaker 1: through the last years in your own strength, in your

530
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,800
Speaker 1: own willpower, and outside everybody thinks you're okay. On an inside,

531
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,840
Speaker 1: you're exhausted. I'm telling you there is a peace that

532
00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,800
Speaker 1: surpasses all understanding, that will guard your heart and guard

533
00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:41,480
Speaker 1: your mind. But you gotta let Jesus in second thoult

534
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,560
Speaker 1: is this write this down. Some closed doors are a

535
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,760
Speaker 1: set up, now hear me. There are some closed doors

536
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:51,960
Speaker 1: in our life that we have closed as our response

537
00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,680
Speaker 1: to trauma. But there are closed doors in our life

538
00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,720
Speaker 1: that God himself has closed. You can't. You've been in

539
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,520
Speaker 1: a position where nobody you call will pick up their phone.

540
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,120
Speaker 1: You just trying to find somebody, find an angle who

541
00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,960
Speaker 1: can get me forward. And it does not matter what

542
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,800
Speaker 1: you do, how many applications you put out, because sometimes

543
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,280
Speaker 1: God will close a door in our life. Here in

544
00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,520
Speaker 1: John twenty, Jesus walks into a room where the doors

545
00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:24,040
Speaker 1: closed because they closed it. After Jesus gets them out

546
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,560
Speaker 1: of that room, he puts them in an upper room,

547
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,880
Speaker 1: and he closes that door on them and acts Chapter one,

548
00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:33,360
Speaker 1: verse four, it says this, and being assembled together with them,

549
00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,520
Speaker 1: Jesus commanded them, don't you leave this room. That's not

550
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,920
Speaker 1: like yo, mama. Don't you come out of here? He said,

551
00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,480
Speaker 1: do not depart from Jerusalem. But wait, somebody say, wait

552
00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,719
Speaker 1: for the promise of the Father, which he said, you

553
00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,040
Speaker 1: have heard from me. Here's what God told the disciple.

554
00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,920
Speaker 1: He said, now arisen, I'm all powerful. All power has

555
00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,880
Speaker 1: been given to you. Go change the whole world. And

556
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:59,600
Speaker 1: Peter's your boss, by the way. But before you do that,

557
00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:04,680
Speaker 1: go in this room, close the door and wait, because

558
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:09,280
Speaker 1: you're not ready yet. I've discovered God will always call

559
00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:14,760
Speaker 1: you to something that is beyond your ability, the destiny

560
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,560
Speaker 1: that God has for you. You know, some people, they're insecure.

561
00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,480
Speaker 1: I have these big dreams, but but I just don't

562
00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,120
Speaker 1: think I can accompliy. I don't think that I'm smart

563
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:27,000
Speaker 1: enough for gifted, number educated. I can't to encourage you.

564
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:33,960
Speaker 1: You're not you feel the courage. You're not smart enough,

565
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,680
Speaker 1: You're not gifted enough. You're actually not educated enough. That's

566
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:39,320
Speaker 1: why I say God dream because if you could do

567
00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,920
Speaker 1: it without God, it wouldn't be He will always put

568
00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,040
Speaker 1: you in a position where you're in over your head,

569
00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,880
Speaker 1: and he said, hey, before you go out and do it,

570
00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:54,920
Speaker 1: stay here so that I can prepare you. There are

571
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,600
Speaker 1: seasons in our life where it's God who has closed

572
00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:00,200
Speaker 1: the door. And hear me, if God has closed the

573
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,640
Speaker 1: door in your life, it's either because you are not

574
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,960
Speaker 1: ready for your breakthrough or your breakthrough is not ready

575
00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:14,359
Speaker 1: for you. I've grown and matured, but I'm the same

576
00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,359
Speaker 1: old Stevens. I was breaking into the doctor's offices when

577
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:19,880
Speaker 1: I was sixteen, and I still have the person when

578
00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:21,719
Speaker 1: I see a closed door, I just want to kick

579
00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:23,680
Speaker 1: it in. And anyway like that. You get on the

580
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:25,920
Speaker 1: phone with customer service somebody say I can't help you,

581
00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:27,760
Speaker 1: You're like, okay, let me talk to your boss, because

582
00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:29,600
Speaker 1: clearly you ain't the person I need to talk to.

583
00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,960
Speaker 1: But somebody can help me. I just I'm just want

584
00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:36,400
Speaker 1: I don't know how to take no I should. It's

585
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,840
Speaker 1: just like not right now. I need to pray for

586
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:45,399
Speaker 1: men need help. I've just discovered that there's sometimes where

587
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:48,680
Speaker 1: it's not a moment to kick in the door, but

588
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:53,960
Speaker 1: it's a moment to wait on God's timing, because if

589
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,279
Speaker 1: I go through a door prematurely, I will not be

590
00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:02,399
Speaker 1: ready for all that God God has for me. Nop,

591
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:04,440
Speaker 1: this isn't the message, but I just want to take

592
00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:06,120
Speaker 1: a little detour. Can we have a little praise break?

593
00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,920
Speaker 1: Is there anybody watching online, in this room, watching in

594
00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,560
Speaker 1: our campuses that you are mature enough in your faith

595
00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:21,560
Speaker 1: to thank God for the nose hear me? Anybody can

596
00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:25,280
Speaker 1: thank God for his yeses, But is there anybody mature

597
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,240
Speaker 1: enough to thank God that he has closed some doors

598
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,960
Speaker 1: in your life? Anybody was dating somebody that you wanted

599
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,600
Speaker 1: to marry and it didn't work out, But now you

600
00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,120
Speaker 1: look him back and you say, thank God it didn't

601
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:40,640
Speaker 1: work out because they broke they ugly, they discussed it.

602
00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,760
Speaker 1: Anybody applied for a job that you did not get

603
00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:48,399
Speaker 1: and now you're thanking God that you didn't get it

604
00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,960
Speaker 1: because it actually sets you up for some There are

605
00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:55,720
Speaker 1: doors that God closes in our life, and the only

606
00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:58,920
Speaker 1: reason he would close a door is because he has

607
00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:03,920
Speaker 1: something better for you. I'm not I'm not talking about you.

608
00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,959
Speaker 1: I'm just talking about me. If I don't get my way,

609
00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,400
Speaker 1: I just have a session with God where I just complain.

610
00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:16,800
Speaker 1: I call it prayer. I don't know what he calls it.

611
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,239
Speaker 1: I'm not fair. Why we get that landing when we

612
00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,200
Speaker 1: get that doty and and he's like, he don't call

613
00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:26,399
Speaker 1: me dummy, I call me dumby, Like dummy, it's because

614
00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:31,359
Speaker 1: I got something better for you. Stop crying and use

615
00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:38,480
Speaker 1: this closed door season to prepare for what I have

616
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:41,720
Speaker 1: for you. Because what I have for you is above

617
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,759
Speaker 1: and beyond anything that you can ever ask, think or

618
00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:47,560
Speaker 1: imagine and hear me. Just because the door is closed

619
00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,160
Speaker 1: doesn't mean it's not gonna open. And you gotta be

620
00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,520
Speaker 1: ready for when that door opens, because when it's open,

621
00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:59,040
Speaker 1: it's game time. There's there's there's something called chronos, which

622
00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:01,960
Speaker 1: is our physical one hour, two hour, one day, three day,

623
00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:06,440
Speaker 1: and then there's a biblical world called Cairos. It's not

624
00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:12,120
Speaker 1: physical time, it's divine time. It's when heaven and earth collides.

625
00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:15,680
Speaker 1: It's a moment that God has prepared. It's like when

626
00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:18,239
Speaker 1: that widow was coming in to beg the king for

627
00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,080
Speaker 1: her land back, and she didn't know before she got

628
00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:23,920
Speaker 1: in the room, somebody else was talking about her and

629
00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:26,200
Speaker 1: about how much of a blessing she was, and she

630
00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,560
Speaker 1: walked into a God moment. Here's why God has closed

631
00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:31,920
Speaker 1: the door in your life, because he's waiting for the

632
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:36,640
Speaker 1: God timing, and when you walk through that door, it's

633
00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:41,200
Speaker 1: the moment that He has for you. And there's nothing

634
00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:44,600
Speaker 1: worse than getting the right thing at the wrong time.

635
00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:48,040
Speaker 1: I don't know how many Caribbean folks we have in

636
00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:52,279
Speaker 1: a room, but my parents are from Barbados and I

637
00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,200
Speaker 1: grew up in the Caribbean. Thanksgiving was a little crazy.

638
00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:57,520
Speaker 1: We didn't just do mac and cheese and turkey. If

639
00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,839
Speaker 1: we do a turkey, it's gonna be a jerk turkey, y'all.

640
00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:05,880
Speaker 1: We don't fry turkey. We do oxtail and courage chicken,

641
00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:09,000
Speaker 1: and I mean, we throw down. But in the Caribbean.

642
00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,200
Speaker 1: There's a fruit called a mango. If you've never seen it,

643
00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,520
Speaker 1: I can't help you. It's like a peach. I don't

644
00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:17,200
Speaker 1: know what tell you, but it's better. Best fruit in

645
00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,480
Speaker 1: the world. I think it's actually with Eve eight in

646
00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:24,600
Speaker 1: the garden. It wasn't an apple, it was a manga.

647
00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:28,279
Speaker 1: The best fruit in the world is disgusting at the

648
00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:32,680
Speaker 1: wrong time. If it's not ripe, it's hard and it's bitter.

649
00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:37,879
Speaker 1: If it's over ripe, it's just disgusting. The right thing

650
00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,120
Speaker 1: at the wrong time is not a blessing. And here

651
00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,680
Speaker 1: I am complaining, guy, why are you open the door?

652
00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:44,759
Speaker 1: And ty, why can't I move forward? It's like, don't

653
00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:49,520
Speaker 1: you understand the timing is not right. I'm preparing you, Steven,

654
00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:53,920
Speaker 1: but I'm also preparing destiny for you. Here's what you

655
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,720
Speaker 1: have to understand. You are God's answer to a problem

656
00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,040
Speaker 1: here on earth. The Bible said that God's given you

657
00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:04,400
Speaker 1: gifts that will bring you for four people of influence.

658
00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:09,319
Speaker 1: Somebody on earth with influence has a problem. Watch this,

659
00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:13,720
Speaker 1: and you are God's answer to it. The only problem

660
00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:15,960
Speaker 1: is that person of influence. They ain't ready for you.

661
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,680
Speaker 1: Because so often when we have a problem. We look everywhere,

662
00:39:19,719 --> 00:39:22,520
Speaker 1: but God, so right now, they're trying to use money

663
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:24,279
Speaker 1: to get out of their problem. They're trying to use

664
00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,600
Speaker 1: their connections to get out of their problem. They're trying

665
00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:28,560
Speaker 1: to use their resume to get out and Gods just like,

666
00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,000
Speaker 1: just wait, just wait, just wait, because in a moment,

667
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:32,880
Speaker 1: they're gonna run out of options. And when they run

668
00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:34,680
Speaker 1: out of options, they're gonna turn to me. And when

669
00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:36,560
Speaker 1: they turn to me, I'm gonna send you. And you're

670
00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:39,160
Speaker 1: gonna walk in and watch this. When you walk in,

671
00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:42,000
Speaker 1: when the moment is ready for you, you you get jobs

672
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,879
Speaker 1: you didn't apply for, You get favor you didn't work

673
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:47,759
Speaker 1: for it. You walk into things that are above your

674
00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:56,719
Speaker 1: resume because you stepped into a Cairo's moment. I've discovered,

675
00:39:56,719 --> 00:39:59,520
Speaker 1: when the door's closed in my life, it's not my

676
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,040
Speaker 1: time to say, sit there and twiddle my thumbs and come, God,

677
00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:05,160
Speaker 1: how come I don't get any opportunities and out. No, No,

678
00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:10,200
Speaker 1: it's my time to prepare for when that door opens up.

679
00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:13,080
Speaker 1: So many of us, over the last eighteen to twenty

680
00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:16,000
Speaker 1: four months, we spent more time in our houses with

681
00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:19,640
Speaker 1: our family than we could ever imagine. And here's my

682
00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:23,000
Speaker 1: problem where we complaining that we couldn't travel, or we

683
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:27,120
Speaker 1: were preparing for when the world opens back up, God,

684
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:29,040
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna be where I was when the door closed.

685
00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:32,080
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be so much further ready for all that

686
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:34,960
Speaker 1: you have to me. Matthew. Chapter six, verse six is this.

687
00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,279
Speaker 1: It says, but when you pray, I love how God

688
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,120
Speaker 1: just assumes we pray. It was like if you pray

689
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,160
Speaker 1: as I went, well, I mean, you love me and

690
00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:46,240
Speaker 1: you talk to people that you love, so I'm assuming

691
00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:50,759
Speaker 1: that we're gonna talk. He said, when you pray, go

692
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:54,680
Speaker 1: into your room, and when somebody say, shut the door.

693
00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:59,040
Speaker 1: When you have shut your door, pray to your father

694
00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:03,600
Speaker 1: who in the secret place, and your father, who sees

695
00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:06,960
Speaker 1: in secret, will reward you. Oh, here's what God has said.

696
00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:11,600
Speaker 1: He said, what happens behind closed doors, the world will

697
00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:14,840
Speaker 1: see in one moment. Here's a mistake I made. I

698
00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,560
Speaker 1: would go and you know, opportunities aren't coming, doors aren't opening,

699
00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,960
Speaker 1: and I'm in my prayer clause I'm crying out to God,

700
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:24,239
Speaker 1: but I would never close the door behind me. Come on,

701
00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:35,320
Speaker 1: some of y'all pray like me. Lord, I'm praying for breakthrough. Breakthrough,

702
00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:41,480
Speaker 1: breck though, and that didn't work. I bring out a

703
00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:46,319
Speaker 1: Pentecostal prayer. No, no pray for bre through. I'm start

704
00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:51,800
Speaker 1: bucking and rocking. What do you say? He said close

705
00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:55,760
Speaker 1: the door. Here's why, because if I'm praying and I'm looking,

706
00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:02,680
Speaker 1: I'm not praying with faith, because faith is not God said,

707
00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:05,880
Speaker 1: you gotta learn how to close a door where you

708
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:09,600
Speaker 1: can't see the opportunities. But yet you're still crying out

709
00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:13,480
Speaker 1: to God, saying, God, I know you will do it.

710
00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:19,840
Speaker 1: So many people we're in a position where like, I

711
00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,719
Speaker 1: don't see how it's gonna happen. I'm single, and I

712
00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:25,239
Speaker 1: don't see any options. I have this business dream, but

713
00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:27,759
Speaker 1: I don't see a market. If you could see it,

714
00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:30,400
Speaker 1: you wouldn't need faith, And if you didn't need faith,

715
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:33,399
Speaker 1: it wouldn't be God. The fact that you can't see

716
00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:38,759
Speaker 1: it makes it more likely God than not. It's in

717
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:42,000
Speaker 1: those closed door seasons that are faith builds that we

718
00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,799
Speaker 1: learn to trust God based on the promises of his

719
00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:50,960
Speaker 1: word and not based on the circumstances of our reality. Oh,

720
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,879
Speaker 1: I'm gonna get in trouble. Some of us spend more

721
00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:57,360
Speaker 1: time watching the news than we spend watching his promises,

722
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:02,080
Speaker 1: and we're listening to people who do not have the

723
00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:05,839
Speaker 1: same hope that we have as they prophi lie over

724
00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:09,800
Speaker 1: our future. I don't care what happens to the economy

725
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:12,240
Speaker 1: of this country. I do, but not that much because

726
00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:15,520
Speaker 1: I'm not from around here. I'm just an ambassador. I'm

727
00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:19,040
Speaker 1: a king's kid, and what happens here does not apply

728
00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,560
Speaker 1: to me. Because when he opens the door, no man

729
00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:27,960
Speaker 1: can shut it. We need to spend more time behind

730
00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:32,560
Speaker 1: closed doors, looking to the hill from whence cometh our help.

731
00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:36,160
Speaker 1: Our help comes from the Lord and Maker of heaven

732
00:43:36,239 --> 00:43:40,680
Speaker 1: and earth. Last thing is this. Write this down. We're

733
00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:47,960
Speaker 1: gonna land this plane. Whatever you do, do not get

734
00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:52,560
Speaker 1: used to closed doors. There are some closed doors that

735
00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:56,080
Speaker 1: we're the ones who close it because of our response

736
00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:58,480
Speaker 1: to fear or disappointment or trauma. And we need to

737
00:43:58,560 --> 00:44:01,680
Speaker 1: let Jesus say there's some closed doors that are in

738
00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:05,000
Speaker 1: our lives because Jesus closed the door because the timing

739
00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:08,439
Speaker 1: is not right. And don't knock the door in. Use

740
00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:10,839
Speaker 1: the time to prepare for what God has for you.

741
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:14,960
Speaker 1: But whatever you do, don't get used to close the door.

742
00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:19,279
Speaker 1: What does that mean? Don't get used to losing? Come on,

743
00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:20,960
Speaker 1: this is a word for somebody. You went through a

744
00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:23,759
Speaker 1: season where you may have lost a loved one, you

745
00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:25,760
Speaker 1: you may have lost a job, you may have gotten

746
00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:29,719
Speaker 1: knocked back here. It was a season, not a life sentence.

747
00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:35,279
Speaker 1: Don't build an entire personality around losing. Don't make life

748
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:39,760
Speaker 1: decisions around losing. It was a season, not a sentence.

749
00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:44,960
Speaker 1: Because some closed doors are the enemy, and those are

750
00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:48,319
Speaker 1: the doors that our God is gonna kick it. I

751
00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:49,879
Speaker 1: don't have time to read it. Read on your own time.

752
00:44:49,920 --> 00:44:53,600
Speaker 1: But in Acts chapter twelve, the disciples found themselves behind

753
00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:56,680
Speaker 1: another closed door. Jesus had gone on to sit next

754
00:44:56,680 --> 00:44:59,400
Speaker 1: to the Father in heaven and the church was growing.

755
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:03,240
Speaker 1: And then the government at that time they arrested James,

756
00:45:03,239 --> 00:45:05,319
Speaker 1: the brother of Jesus, And when they found out that

757
00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:08,720
Speaker 1: the community was excited about persecuting the church, no figure,

758
00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:12,239
Speaker 1: they cut James head off. And when they found out

759
00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:14,719
Speaker 1: that everybody loved it, they arrested Peter. And they had

760
00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:17,560
Speaker 1: the same plan for Peter as they had for nothing

761
00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:19,279
Speaker 1: to do with the message, Just run a rabbit trail.

762
00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:22,000
Speaker 1: My children, they're in Christian school, and I didn't know

763
00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:24,440
Speaker 1: I appreciate Christian school until they started coming home and

764
00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:27,000
Speaker 1: telling us all these Bible stories. I realized, Wow, they're

765
00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:29,720
Speaker 1: learning God's word. I love this. But for some reason,

766
00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:33,239
Speaker 1: my three year old Roman only remembers the decapitations of

767
00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:36,759
Speaker 1: the Bible. He don't know nothing about Moses, he don't

768
00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:39,919
Speaker 1: remember Jonah. All he knows is Daddy did cut John

769
00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:43,520
Speaker 1: the Baptists head off. That and if Pharaoh had pride

770
00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:47,000
Speaker 1: in his heart. That's all he's learned. It's anyway, So

771
00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:50,040
Speaker 1: they cut James head off. They throw Peter in prison,

772
00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:52,839
Speaker 1: getting ready to execute him the next day. And watch this.

773
00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:56,239
Speaker 1: When they arrest Peter, the church goes in a room,

774
00:45:56,320 --> 00:46:01,000
Speaker 1: closes the door, and begins to pray. This is not Bible,

775
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:02,680
Speaker 1: this is just Stephen. So you can take it or

776
00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:04,920
Speaker 1: leave and we could figure it out in heaven. I

777
00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:07,760
Speaker 1: think James lost his head because the church wasn't praying.

778
00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:11,680
Speaker 1: I think if the church was praying the way it

779
00:46:11,719 --> 00:46:14,399
Speaker 1: was supposed to be, when James got arrested, and could

780
00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:16,759
Speaker 1: you imagine how ticked off James is in heaven right now,

781
00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:21,920
Speaker 1: just holding his head. He's like, really, y'all, y'all couldn't

782
00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:25,560
Speaker 1: pray until Peter gets arrested. I mean, who likes Peter.

783
00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:31,799
Speaker 1: So here's Peter in prison. The church is cried out,

784
00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:34,879
Speaker 1: said God. And because the church is praying, God says,

785
00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:38,000
Speaker 1: whenever two of you agree on anything, it will be

786
00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:40,960
Speaker 1: done here on earth. And God got the age and said, hey,

787
00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:44,680
Speaker 1: the churches agreed, go down and rescue Peter. So it

788
00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:46,880
Speaker 1: says the angel, he goes into the prison. And if

789
00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:49,000
Speaker 1: I had time to appreciate this, the Bible says, the

790
00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:54,640
Speaker 1: angel had to wake Peter up. What type of faith

791
00:46:54,719 --> 00:46:58,919
Speaker 1: do you have where it's the night before your execution

792
00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,040
Speaker 1: and your sleep. I'm sorry, I've got faith like that.

793
00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:06,880
Speaker 1: If they about to kill me, I'm trying to bribe

794
00:47:06,920 --> 00:47:09,279
Speaker 1: the judge. I'm trying to I'm trying to pick a lock.

795
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:12,400
Speaker 1: I'm trying to Peter's sleep because he knows to Livius

796
00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:14,719
Speaker 1: Christ and the dye is day. It doesn't matter what

797
00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:18,600
Speaker 1: happens to me. I'm blessed. So it says they wake

798
00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:20,879
Speaker 1: Peter up. It it says his shackles fall off. Peter

799
00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:23,319
Speaker 1: thought he was in a dream. The angel gods Peter

800
00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:28,320
Speaker 1: out of prison to the very door where the prayer

801
00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:32,440
Speaker 1: meeting was happening, says Peter comes to the door, he

802
00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:37,200
Speaker 1: knocks on the other side of this door. They're praying

803
00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:44,120
Speaker 1: for a miracle. The miracle is at the door. The

804
00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:49,719
Speaker 1: miracle knocks on the door. One of the attendants there,

805
00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:55,319
Speaker 1: her name was Rhoda. She opens the door. I don't

806
00:47:55,320 --> 00:48:01,680
Speaker 1: miss this. They're praying for Peter. Peter's the door. She

807
00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:12,160
Speaker 1: opens the door, Oh my gosh, it's Peter and slams

808
00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:16,560
Speaker 1: the door in his face. Then she goes back and says,

809
00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:18,919
Speaker 1: it's Peter at the door. You know what they said.

810
00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:24,600
Speaker 1: You're lying. It's not Peter. It's a ghost. They were

811
00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:31,400
Speaker 1: praying for Peter, but they were praying with no expectation.

812
00:48:33,239 --> 00:48:36,200
Speaker 1: They were praying out of religion, not out of faith,

813
00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:40,440
Speaker 1: because they had got used to losing. Hear me, don't

814
00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:44,959
Speaker 1: you dare get used to losing. Don't you dare get

815
00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:48,440
Speaker 1: used to closed doors? Don't you dare get used to

816
00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:53,719
Speaker 1: a moment when His favor is not on you. It

817
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:57,120
Speaker 1: may be a season where doors are closed. It may

818
00:48:57,160 --> 00:48:59,920
Speaker 1: be a season of sickness. It may be a season

819
00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:03,400
Speaker 1: up setback. It may be a season where people are coming.

820
00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:09,560
Speaker 1: But it's a season, not a life sentence. The Bible says,

821
00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:13,239
Speaker 1: don't cast away your confidence. I know it's been a

822
00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:17,120
Speaker 1: rough season. But don't you dare stop believe in God's

823
00:49:17,320 --> 00:49:22,600
Speaker 1: best for you. I'm gonna close by five year old Zoe.

824
00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:27,360
Speaker 1: She a little turn. Actually, all our kids are they

825
00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:32,719
Speaker 1: get from the mama, and so we make them take naps. Now,

826
00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:34,960
Speaker 1: somebody are like five year old taking naps. Yes, it's

827
00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:38,160
Speaker 1: not for them, it's for us. So we say he

828
00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:39,560
Speaker 1: zoways old and she's like, I want to take it.

829
00:49:39,600 --> 00:49:41,560
Speaker 1: That was like, we don't care what you do. You

830
00:49:41,719 --> 00:49:42,800
Speaker 1: just go in your room for an hour and a

831
00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:45,520
Speaker 1: half and don't come out. And what she'll do is

832
00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:47,520
Speaker 1: she'll go in the room. She'll take her pillow on

833
00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:50,319
Speaker 1: her blanket off of the bed and she'll put it

834
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:53,560
Speaker 1: right next to the door, and she'll crack the door

835
00:49:53,719 --> 00:49:55,680
Speaker 1: and she I have found her at three in the morning,

836
00:49:55,719 --> 00:49:58,960
Speaker 1: sometimes passed out next to her door and in her

837
00:49:59,080 --> 00:50:01,279
Speaker 1: five year old nine. I don't know when they're going

838
00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:04,080
Speaker 1: to open this door and let me out, But whenever

839
00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:07,960
Speaker 1: this door opens, I don't want to waste the seven

840
00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:12,799
Speaker 1: steps from my bed to the door. I think God

841
00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:15,840
Speaker 1: is looking for some believers that you're not going to

842
00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:19,560
Speaker 1: force the issue, but you've set your faith up right

843
00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:22,040
Speaker 1: at the edge of that door, and you're like, God,

844
00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:25,200
Speaker 1: I'm not going to force it. But the second this

845
00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:29,080
Speaker 1: door opens up, I stepping through, and I'm ready for

846
00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:32,520
Speaker 1: that moment. I'm ready for that favor. I'm ready for

847
00:50:32,680 --> 00:50:41,600
Speaker 1: all that that open door is coming to you. And

848
00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:45,560
Speaker 1: when it is, don't get caught slipping, don't get caught doubting,

849
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:49,799
Speaker 1: don't get caught thinking that your best days were behind you.

850
00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:53,040
Speaker 1: But live from a position of God. I'm still breathing,

851
00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:56,279
Speaker 1: which means there's more for me that you have in

852
00:50:56,360 --> 00:50:59,600
Speaker 1: front of you you and that you have behind Hey, can

853
00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:04,839
Speaker 1: I pray for you? Father, God? We are grateful God

854
00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:07,359
Speaker 1: that if your eyes are on the sparrow, how much

855
00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:11,839
Speaker 1: more do you not know? God? The desires of our heart, God,

856
00:51:11,880 --> 00:51:16,200
Speaker 1: the dreams of our heart. You put them there. Just

857
00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:20,279
Speaker 1: because they were delayed in our timing doesn't mean it's

858
00:51:20,320 --> 00:51:24,479
Speaker 1: off schedule for you. God. I pray that you'd stir

859
00:51:24,520 --> 00:51:27,359
Speaker 1: our faith again. God, I pray that you'd put us

860
00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:32,319
Speaker 1: in a position of expectation, knowing that you're getting ready

861
00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:35,640
Speaker 1: to open doors in our lives. Just where you are

862
00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:37,360
Speaker 1: with your eyes closed and your head back, If you

863
00:51:37,360 --> 00:51:40,799
Speaker 1: could pray this pray with me, say Holy spirit, what

864
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:43,440
Speaker 1: do you say to me? And just give God a

865
00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:46,160
Speaker 1: moment to make this time to make this message personal

866
00:51:46,239 --> 00:51:51,239
Speaker 1: to you. There's so many of us without even realizing it.

867
00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:55,920
Speaker 1: There's parts of our heart that we've closed off because

868
00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:58,879
Speaker 1: of some fear, because of something that someone spoke over us,

869
00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:04,120
Speaker 1: because of some back or some failure. God is saying,

870
00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:07,400
Speaker 1: I'm not coming in to curse you, or to judge you,

871
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:11,120
Speaker 1: or to look. I'm coming to bring peace that air

872
00:52:11,120 --> 00:52:14,600
Speaker 1: of your life. There's some of you under the sun

873
00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:17,239
Speaker 1: of my voice that if you'd be honest, you've never

874
00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:20,560
Speaker 1: opened your life to Jesus before. Maybe you're like me,

875
00:52:20,719 --> 00:52:24,000
Speaker 1: you grew up in church, you just never surrendered to

876
00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:27,239
Speaker 1: the God of the Church. Maybe this is your first

877
00:52:27,239 --> 00:52:29,279
Speaker 1: time in an atmosphere like this. But if you'd be honest,

878
00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:31,480
Speaker 1: you say, Pastor, I can't say that I've opened up

879
00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:34,040
Speaker 1: the Jesus the way that you're talking about. But I'm exhausted,

880
00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:37,360
Speaker 1: I'm tired, and I need that peace that you're talking about.

881
00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:40,160
Speaker 1: If that's you, this moment right now was for you.

882
00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:43,440
Speaker 1: All you have to do is take one step towards me,

883
00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:45,400
Speaker 1: and we do that in this prayers. Here's I'm asking

884
00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:47,879
Speaker 1: you would pray this perything. A matter of fact, every

885
00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:50,200
Speaker 1: single person in every single room that we're in, can

886
00:52:50,239 --> 00:52:52,800
Speaker 1: we pray this out loud out of encouragement of those

887
00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:56,720
Speaker 1: that are making the greatest decision ever? Say Lord Jesus,

888
00:52:57,640 --> 00:53:03,840
Speaker 1: thank you for seem for wanting me, for dining on

889
00:53:03,880 --> 00:53:08,239
Speaker 1: the cross so that all my sin, all my mistakes,

890
00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:13,560
Speaker 1: can be erased. Today I open my heart to you.

891
00:53:14,400 --> 00:53:20,440
Speaker 1: I surrender be my Lord, be my savior, and use

892
00:53:20,719 --> 00:53:26,280
Speaker 1: me for your glory in Jesus' name. Amen and amen

893
00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:29,280
Speaker 1: and amen. Come on, can you celebrate for every single

894
00:53:29,320 --> 00:53:32,960
Speaker 1: person that just made the greatest decision ever? God bless

895
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:37,640
Speaker 1: you well. If you enjoyed today's podcast, there are a

896
00:53:37,680 --> 00:53:39,759
Speaker 1: couple of things I'd love for you to do. Make

897
00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:44,120
Speaker 1: sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. You can

898
00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:47,360
Speaker 1: also help us reach others by investing today at Elevationchurch

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00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:50,600
Speaker 1: dot org, slash give and thanks again for joining us

900
00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:52,080
Speaker 1: on the Elevation Podcast.