WEBVTT - Don't Let The Attack Distract You 0:00:01.520 --> 0:00:02.800 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:02.800 --> 0:00:05.840 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:08.320 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:11.040 this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it 0:00:11.039 --> 0:00:13.560 gives your perspective to see God is moving in your life. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:24.520 Enjoy the message us, get up, give me us Sophia. 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:29.240 God, So. 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:36.800 Yes, God, our Father born in heaven. How will it 0:00:36.840 --> 0:00:40.840 be your name, your kingdom? 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:44.120 Come, Your will be done. 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:47.839 Mynarch, bless it is in heaven. 0:00:48.800 --> 0:00:52.560 Give us this say our daily bread. 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:57.920 And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who 0:00:58.080 --> 0:01:07.000 sin against us. And lead us not into temptation. 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:12.920 But deliver us. 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:26.319 Jesus is in this place. Deliver us from evil. For 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:37.160 Thine is the Kingdom, power and the glory, forever. 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:50.200 And ever, not for five minutes, forever and ever, and 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:50.760 right here. 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:55.080 I want the whole church say Amen. A men means 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:58.680 so be it. A man means I'm coming into agreement 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:01.160 with God's plan for my life. 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:00.280 Life. 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:05.800 Amen means that no word from God returns. Boy. Amen 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:10.040 means that my Father has the final Say amen means 0:02:10.080 --> 0:02:11.760 that I read to the back of the book and 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:16.839 I know how this ends. Heaven wins. Amen means I'm 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:21.000 born again. Amen means no weapon formed a guess and 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:24.959 me will prosper. Amen means I can do all things 0:02:25.000 --> 0:02:29.560 through Christ, who strengthens me. You didn't know. Amen meant 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:34.400 all that digit Say it again. Amen. If he says 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:38.280 I'm blessed, I'm blessed. Say amen. If he says my 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:41.600 family will be saved, my family will be saved. Say amen. 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.200 If he said I'm more than a conqueror, I'm more 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:46.440 than a conqueror. 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:47.080 Say amen. 0:02:48.120 --> 0:02:50.920 Come on, everybody in the comments right now, even watching 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:54.919 this on social media, putting Amen in the comments. Let 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:58.520 the devil know. I agree with God. I belong to Jesus. 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:02.160 He's the one who never let's go on every mountain. 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:05.600 I belonged to him, in every valley. I belonged to him. 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:10.639 The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want I'm guided. 0:03:10.960 --> 0:03:14.440 I got a good shepherd. I'm guarded. He's the Kate, 0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:18.280 He's the light of the world. He is my risen 0:03:18.400 --> 0:03:22.880 resurrected king. And I'm getting knocked out of this situation. 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:26.959 And I came to praise the Lord. I did not 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.520 come to feel sorry for myself. I came to praise 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:33.960 the Lord. I did not come to impress my neighbors 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:39.200 with proper church behavior. I came to raise the Lord. 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:43.840 If you knew what he brought me through, you wouldn't 0:03:43.880 --> 0:03:45.000 call me crazy. 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:47.720 You would lift your hands. 0:03:47.560 --> 0:04:03.160 And raise him too. Say man, what do we how 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:04.440 are we gonna get out of this? 0:04:06.960 --> 0:04:07.920 We can get out? 0:04:09.360 --> 0:04:25.960 And when the hollywool where, that's what burn? Massa, that's it. 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:36.280 Orry to God, Bless the name of the Lord, for 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:40.599 he is worthy to be praised. Every season of my life, 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:43.159 he's been a friend to me, and he's worthy to 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:45.480 be praised. I don't know what I would do without God. 0:04:46.640 --> 0:04:49.279 I don't know where i'd be without Jesus. I have 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:52.359 a kind of idea and it doesn't look good. But 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:55.920 look at your neighbor and say, you already look better this. 0:04:55.880 --> 0:05:00.400 Year than you did last year. Come on, tell him 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:00.960 one more thing. 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:03.960 Look at him and say look at him and say 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:08.280 repeat after me. Say I can tell you've kept your resolutions. 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:14.960 Tell them your skin is glowing, your physique is lean. 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:27.080 Happy New Year, Elevation Church. For the first time that 0:05:27.160 --> 0:05:28.839 I've been able to say that to you. 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:32.279 Our epham around the world. Let's celebrate our. 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:37.520 Brand new campus, our twentieth location elevation Somerville. Happy new Year, 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:43.440 happy new campus. 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:45.760 So many things to tell you. We've got so much 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:49.960 to catch up on. God has been so good. The 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:52.920 last time that I stood in the pulpit, we were 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:56.840 taking our year end offering, and you stepped up big 0:05:56.839 --> 0:05:59.800 this year, and I told them to wait until I 0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:04.359 got back so I could announce to you that you 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:08.160 gave to the Lord and the Gospel of Jesus Christ 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:10.719 for the building of his kingdom and helping the poor 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:15.480 and reaching the loss and serving the world. Eleven million, 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:21.720 four hundred and sixty three thousand dollars. Give a soun 0:06:21.760 --> 0:06:22.320 of praise. 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:25.119 All right, good word? 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:36.839 We miss that together. So every year, every year I 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:40.279 come before you and just say, let's do another one. 0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:44.000 Y'all want to do another one. Another year of preaching 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:48.240 God's word. Another year of releasing worship into the earth 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:52.279 that can heal broken hearts. Another year of standing beside 0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:56.279 children who don't have fathers and mentoring them. Another year 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:58.680 of showing up with coats and blankets for people who 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:02.640 are cold. Year of reaching into prisons and recovery centers 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:05.400 and telling people that their life matters and don't throw 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:07.840 it away. And God is not done with you yet 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:11.240 another year to invite people who have been told for 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:14.000 years that God will never accept you, that it's not 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:16.080 too late for him to change your life. 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:17.200 If you're not dead. 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:19.920 God's not done, and God is not done with this 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:24.440 church yet. I'm getting ready for the next twenty years. 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:28.960 God is with me with this gray hair. God is 0:07:29.000 --> 0:07:31.920 with me. And I'm just going to take a moment 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:34.800 right now, if you'd stretch your hands toward this pulpit. Lord, 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:37.240 let every word that goes forth from this church this 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:45.000 year brings salvation, deliverance, miracles, correction, comfort, everything you want 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:45.280 to do. 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:47.800 God is all about you. 0:07:49.760 --> 0:07:52.880 I pray that even today, as I preach, that you 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:56.880 would see fit to use me like a woodwind instrument, 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:02.440 something that your breath could use to produce a sound 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:06.040 that would produce a melody from Heaven that would be 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:07.360 medicine too someone's heart. 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:10.120 Lord. I bring before you every. 0:08:10.000 --> 0:08:13.160 Person that's in this room, the nineteen other rooms where 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:16.680 we physically gather, every place where somebody couldn't go to 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:17.920 church or they were just too. 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:25.080 Lazy, speak your word. One time, a man said, I 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:26.200 don't even need to have. 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:27.960 You come in my house, Jesus, if you just speak 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:30.320 your word, it's enough to heal. 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:32.120 Today. 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:34.800 Lord, we just ask for a word from you our 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:37.680 daily bread, not enough so we can come to church 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:39.160 once at the beginning of the year, check it off 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:40.839 the list, and then spend the rest of the year 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:44.200 asking God why I didn't show up. But enough word 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:46.920 to nourish us for the needs of this moment. You 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:49.000 are Jehovah Jirah, and you're. 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:53.160 In this place, and I give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen, 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:54.840 clap your hands. 0:08:54.880 --> 0:09:00.280 Everybody. I'm going to have you seated before I read 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.520 my scripture, which I don't normally do, but before I do, 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:09.920 give out about twenty six hugs divided by two. Give 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:13.280 five hugs and tell somebody I'm glad you're here today. Hey, 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.160 we're sending you a big hug online to our epam 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:19.800 all around the world. Just remember, God is speaking this 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:22.800 message exactly where you need it to be. He's not 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:26.520 limited by time, or by space or by location. May 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:30.920 this message speak to your heart today. I have prayed 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:33.040 about what to share with you. For my first sermon 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:37.719 of the year, and the Lord led and directed me. 0:09:37.679 --> 0:09:38.600 In a powerful way. 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:41.640 Let's thank our band, our worship team for leading us 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:45.680 so well in the presence of God today. 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:49.640 Make sure you get the new music from Elevation Rhythm. 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:55.320 Thank God, I'm free play it everywhere that the devil 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:57.640 has been trying to keep you bound and let him 0:09:57.640 --> 0:09:59.959 know it won't work this year. 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:02.360 I'm coming out of these chains. 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:06.760 Also, make sure that you get the opportunity to be 0:10:06.800 --> 0:10:08.360 a part of Elevation Nights. 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:09.040 Now. 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:11.120 I know that for most of you who are here locally, 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:14.040 you probably won't be getting on a plane, but we're 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:17.640 going to be visiting eight cities, and these nights are powerful, 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.479 and these nights are miraculous and these nights are unforgettable. 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:27.199 We're going to be in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Brooklyn, New York, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:31.880 Grand Rapids, Michigan, Knoxville, Tennessee, Columbus, Ohio, and Rosemont, Illinois. 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:35.080 If you have any friends or family, especially the ones 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:38.160 who really need Jesus and smell like cigarettes and other 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:40.160 stuff like that, send them over. 0:10:40.200 --> 0:10:41.600 We'll see what we can do for them. 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:44.640 Elevation Nights dot Com, where you can get your tickets 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:48.520 February twenty fourth through March the fifth. I thank you 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:50.840 for the privilege of being able to minister God's word 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:52.280 to you another year. 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:53.880 What an honor. 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:58.120 I'll be sharing today from the Parable of the Seed 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:02.160 in Matthew chapter teen, Verses twenty four through thirty. 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:12.680 Matthew Chapter fourteen, Versus twenty four through thirty. 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:15.360 Now this is not the parable that's normally called the 0:11:15.400 --> 0:11:19.880 parable of the seeds. The parable of the seeds that 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:23.400 we hear more about is actually the parable of the soils. 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:26.680 Okay, Because Jesus taught these parables. 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:28.720 He would go out and he would give a teaching, 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:31.960 and on one level it would sound simple, but you 0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:35.160 reflect on it and you pray about it, and it 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.200 really helps you to see what the Kingdom of God 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:39.439 is like, and it helps you to see. 0:11:39.240 --> 0:11:39.720 What you're like. 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:43.240 And one of those parables that has helped me so 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:45.880 much through the year, he talks about a seed that 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:49.240 was sown in four different places. One was sown on 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:54.160 rocky soil, so because the soil was too rocky, the 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:57.000 bird came and snatched it up. So that seed got snatched, 0:11:57.000 --> 0:11:58.559 so it didn't do what it was supposed to do. 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:02.040 And then there was one seed that was sown in 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:04.240 a place where it was scorched by the sun, which 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:06.760 represents the trials of life. So since it didn't have 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:09.720 a root or a foundation, the sun was too strong 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:12.000 for it, and it got cooked up before it could 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:14.760 come forth. I said, it got cooked up before it 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:18.640 could come forth. Some promises that God speaks to you, 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:22.440 the sun, the affliction, the. 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:23.199 Heat of trial. 0:12:23.800 --> 0:12:26.040 It tests that seed before it has had the chance 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:29.360 to develop, and you don't pass the test. The third 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:31.360 type of seed that he talks about is one that 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:34.440 gets choked out, or we could say, strangled by the 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:37.960 cares of this life just getting busy. And in each 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:40.840 of these instances, the seed represents the word of God, 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:44.440 and the sower is God, and the seed is good 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:47.599 in each of those instances, but it is not successful 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.320 because of the soil that it lands in. One of 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:54.840 the soils that Jesus mentions in that parable is the 0:12:54.880 --> 0:13:00.000 good soil which produces a harvest thirty sixty and one hundredfold. 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:03.839 And this always encouraged me as a preacher, because one 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:05.959 time I realized most of the people that I preach 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.240 to won't remember the sermon. Twenty four hours after I 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:11.680 preach it, and most of the people that I preach 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:14.240 to about a specific topic aren't going to really do 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:16.520 what I challenge them to do, even if I give 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:20.240 them scripture behind it, because the seed often gets snatched, scorched, 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:24.040 or strangled. But the one seed that produced the harvest, 0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:27.400 watch what it did. It produced thirty, sixty or one 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:31.400 hundred fold. So the one seed that was successful made 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:35.240 up for all the ones that weren't. God can bless 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:38.839 you with one blessing in your life that will make 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:43.240 every failure irrelevant. And I came to preach that even 0:13:43.280 --> 0:13:47.240 though most people won't receive this word, if one does, 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:51.520 it will have been worth it. That's what I believe 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:55.360 these days. That most won't fine, but if one does, 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:59.040 it could branch out and touch the world. If one does. 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:02.520 What is one's soul worth? What is one life worth? 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:07.439 What is one grandmother's prayers getting answered worth? If one does? 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:10.040 And I just want to kind of encourage you on 0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:12.240 the way to my main text today. I'm not preaching 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:14.000 about that one believe it or not. 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:16.079 I studied it, but I'm not. 0:14:16.040 --> 0:14:20.480 Going to preach it because you may be encouraging your 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:23.360 kids right now or instructing your kids right now, or 0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:26.280 working on something in your life. And most of the 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:28.240 things that you try, and most of the things that 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:31.760 you say, won't get through to them. But if one does, 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:37.240 somebody say, if one does. If one does, it can 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:40.280 change a life. If one does, it can change the generation. 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.800 If one does, it can change a bloodline. Most won't. 0:14:44.000 --> 0:14:46.600 Don't be discouraged by the ones that don't work. Don't 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:48.680 be discouraged by the ones who don't call you back. 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:51.040 Don't be discouraged by the ones who don't say yes. 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:53.360 Don't be discouraged by the ones who don't get you. 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:56.960 Because if one does. Look, I asked a lot of 0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.160 girls to be my girlfriend before Holly. Most didn't, but 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:03.960 one did. Look at me. Now, look at what the 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:08.040 Lord has done. 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:11.040 If one does well. 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:12.920 This is a scripture that I want to give you 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:18.920 today from Matthew chapter thirteen, about a parable of two 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:21.800 different types of seed, not different types of soil, which 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:24.360 represents the condition of our heart, but two different types 0:15:24.400 --> 0:15:26.200 of seed. I'm gonna read it to you and then 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:30.480 we'll talk about it for just a few moments. Jesus 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:34.440 is teaching many parables, and they're collected here for us 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:36.680 to read. And it says Jesus told them another parable. 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.280 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sewed 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:43.840 good seed in his field. If you are the underlining 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:46.400 your Bible type, just underline. 0:15:46.000 --> 0:15:48.720 The word good. It was good seed. 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:55.040 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed 0:15:55.480 --> 0:16:01.560 weeds among the wheat and went away. When the wheat 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:05.120 sprouted and formed heads, then. 0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:07.400 The weeds also appeared. 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:12.560 The owner's servants came to him and said, sir, didn't 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:16.640 you sow good seed in your field? Where then, did 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:18.720 these weeds come from? 0:16:20.240 --> 0:16:21.920 An enemy? Did this? He replied. 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:25.600 The servants asked him, do you want us to go 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:30.240 and pull them up? No, he answered, because while you 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:34.800 are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:41.800 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, 0:16:42.360 --> 0:16:45.920 I will tell the harvesters, first collect the weeds and 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.680 tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:53.720 wheat and bring it into my barn. I have a 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.800 simple message from the Lord for your heart today. And 0:16:56.880 --> 0:16:59.280 the Lord told me to tell you don't let the 0:16:59.480 --> 0:17:01.120 attack distract you. 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:06.920 That's what it is. It's a distraction. 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:09.960 And he told me to tell you, don't let the 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:14.040 attack distract you. Write it down in your notebook, type 0:17:14.040 --> 0:17:18.199 it in the comments. Don't let the attack distract you. 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:21.280 And I love preaching the second Sunday of a new 0:17:21.359 --> 0:17:25.560 year because by now your new year's resolutions have become 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:28.679 good intentions which you have modified to become more realistic. 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:36.360 The new year's energy has been sufficiently tapered and sufficiently 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:40.040 adjusted to match the realities of daily life for most people. 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:42.240 And now we can really preach about the way life 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:46.400 is new year's resolution. First Sunday of the year, I'm 0:17:46.440 --> 0:17:49.639 not cussing anymore. Second week of the year, I'm cutting 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:53.080 back on cussing. I'm only going to say these four 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:55.520 words this year. But I got to have these four Lord, 0:17:55.560 --> 0:18:00.520 and you know I do. I'm fast in this fast 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:03.320 the first twenty one days, I'm fast the first well, 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:07.120 I'm a fast from vegetables the first twenty one days. 0:18:07.880 --> 0:18:09.000 The Lord will receive it. 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:11.600 As an offering, you know, because we modify it in 0:18:11.640 --> 0:18:15.240 real life. You know, one thing that I noticed about 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:18.840 this parable that Jesus gave in the passage, and I 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:22.520 believe you noticed it too, is that wherever there is 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:28.640 wheat there will always be weeds. You know, Jesus isn't 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:31.560 just giving us a little discourse about how problems creep 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:32.160 up in our life. 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:34.480 Here, he's making a bigger point. 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:39.240 Specifically, he's letting us know that it is not your 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:47.159 job to judge others. It's not your job. It's not 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:52.040 your job because you're not God. And if I can 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:55.080 say a little more directly, you suck at judging. 0:18:57.720 --> 0:18:59.199 That's how you bought that timeshare. 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:05.080 That's how you bought that vacuum cleaner, because you suck 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:09.440 at judging. Honestly, even when it comes to the work 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:11.679 that I create, I've taught myself it's. 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:14.320 Not my job to judge it. It's just my job 0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:18.239 to make it. Especially when you write a song. You 0:19:18.280 --> 0:19:24.960 don't know Chris Brown, you'll know Chris Brown, formerly an 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:25.440 R and B. 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:28.320 Singer, but now the main worship leader at Elevation Worship. 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:31.840 Look at what the Lord has done. I always call 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:33.800 him the real Chris Brown. He's my favorite worship leader 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:35.760 in the world, always has been, always will be since 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:37.760 first time I heard him. But I'm gonna take something else. 0:19:40.320 --> 0:19:42.600 He sucks at judging whether a new song is good 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:45.399 or not. He called me. One Sunday. We had a 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:47.200 new song that we wanted to introduce, and I wasn't 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:48.720 going to be there to preach, and he was leading 0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:49.960 it and he called me after it. 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:50.560 I said, how to go? 0:19:50.600 --> 0:19:53.040 He said, not too good. I don't think the song 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:57.800 is very good. The song was Graves into Gardens. 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:06.320 You remember that? Remember that, CV you suck at judging. 0:20:07.600 --> 0:20:09.800 You're great worship leader, you're handsome, you're a great man 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:10.120 of God. 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:12.119 You're wonderful of being a dad and a husband, but 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:13.119 you suck at judging. 0:20:14.880 --> 0:20:16.480 And I chose to say it that way because some 0:20:16.520 --> 0:20:18.840 of y'all are so tripping and stumbling over the fact 0:20:18.840 --> 0:20:20.200 that I said the word suck. 0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:23.680 Judging me for that, that. 0:20:23.600 --> 0:20:26.800 You just prove my point, because if you think if 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:28.680 the most important thing is whether I say the word 0:20:28.760 --> 0:20:30.720 suck or whether I say it more fancy, it's not 0:20:30.840 --> 0:20:35.960 your job to judge. If you're tripping over what I'm saying, 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:38.000 you're making the very mistake that I'm warning you about. 0:20:38.040 --> 0:20:40.640 Thereby validating the wisdom of my point and the way 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:45.879 I phraised it. Now, every once in a while, Jesus 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:49.520 would explain his parables to his disciples after everybody else 0:20:49.680 --> 0:20:52.199 was gone, almost like y'all can get it at a 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:55.240 deep level the disciples, but the crowds couldn't consume it. 0:20:55.440 --> 0:20:57.600 And that's why he taught in parables, so that he 0:20:57.640 --> 0:21:00.600 could have the privilege of pulling aside his disciple and 0:21:00.680 --> 0:21:03.399 giving them the deeper meaning. We're gonna look at the 0:21:03.400 --> 0:21:06.760 deeper meaning of this parable that Jesus shared a little 0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:10.600 bit further in Matthew chapter thirteen. Put it on the screen, please, 0:21:11.400 --> 0:21:13.400 he let the crowd went into the house. His disciples 0:21:13.440 --> 0:21:15.840 came to him and said, explained to us the parable 0:21:16.160 --> 0:21:18.960 of the weeds in the field. He answered, well, the 0:21:19.000 --> 0:21:21.680 one who sowed the good seed is the son of Man. 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:26.719 That's Jesus. The field is the world. The good seed 0:21:26.840 --> 0:21:30.479 stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are 0:21:30.520 --> 0:21:33.880 the people of the evil one, and the enemy who 0:21:34.000 --> 0:21:38.080 sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end 0:21:38.080 --> 0:21:42.680 of the age, and the harvesters are the angels. As 0:21:42.800 --> 0:21:44.879 the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, 0:21:45.080 --> 0:21:47.240 so it will be at the end of the age 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:50.320 the Son of men will send out his angels, and 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:54.040 they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin, 0:21:54.160 --> 0:21:57.160 and all who do evil, they will throw them into 0:21:57.160 --> 0:22:01.679 the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:05.520 of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun 0:22:05.560 --> 0:22:06.680 and the kingdom of their father. 0:22:07.600 --> 0:22:09.200 Whoever has ears let them hear. 0:22:09.560 --> 0:22:12.800 And we read this, and we are so quick to say, 0:22:13.200 --> 0:22:26.200 that's right. Those evil people, those sinners, those terrible democrats, Republicans, independence, 0:22:26.680 --> 0:22:29.720 whatever category that you wanted to put right there, it 0:22:29.840 --> 0:22:35.560 exposed something about your heart, whatever you wanted to see. 0:22:35.600 --> 0:22:37.840 The weeds as. 0:22:37.800 --> 0:22:40.320 Tells me something about what you see in the mirror. 0:22:41.640 --> 0:22:44.040 And let me explain that for a moment. Go back 0:22:44.080 --> 0:22:47.840 to verse forty two. It says that the evil ones 0:22:47.920 --> 0:22:49.680 will be thrown into the furnace. 0:22:50.640 --> 0:22:53.680 But watch this verse forty three. 0:22:53.520 --> 0:22:56.440 That comes right after it says the kingdom of their father. 0:22:57.640 --> 0:23:00.600 So the furnace of judgment belongs to the fo not 0:23:00.720 --> 0:23:01.240 the children. 0:23:02.640 --> 0:23:05.160 The furnace of judgment is. 0:23:05.040 --> 0:23:08.159 Not yours to put people in the. 0:23:08.040 --> 0:23:09.640 Furnace of judgment. 0:23:10.160 --> 0:23:13.720 Is not your place to have a Facebook conversation about 0:23:13.760 --> 0:23:16.320 what everybody else thinks and why they're so stupid to 0:23:16.359 --> 0:23:16.639 think it. 0:23:17.000 --> 0:23:19.080 I shouldn't be preaching like this. My first Sunday back 0:23:19.080 --> 0:23:20.920 in the year, I might run, y'all a law from 0:23:20.960 --> 0:23:21.359 the church. 0:23:22.160 --> 0:23:24.960 But notice in the parable it says that it was 0:23:25.160 --> 0:23:28.159 his field. And I'm learning more and more in my 0:23:28.240 --> 0:23:32.600 life that if it's his field, that means it's his furnace. 0:23:33.760 --> 0:23:36.399 That means God has to be the one to decide 0:23:36.440 --> 0:23:39.359 who's right and who's wrong. God has to be the 0:23:39.359 --> 0:23:42.480 one to decide who is on his side and who 0:23:42.520 --> 0:23:45.880 is not. I remember, very early in my ministry there 0:23:46.040 --> 0:23:48.919 was a pastor that I greatly admired, and he was 0:23:49.040 --> 0:23:51.959 mentoring me in many ways, and he was bringing up 0:23:52.000 --> 0:23:55.040 examples of the right kind of ministry and the wrong 0:23:55.160 --> 0:23:57.879 kind of ministry. And he brought up one minister and 0:23:57.920 --> 0:24:02.199 he said, now, this guy, he's air. This guy, he 0:24:02.280 --> 0:24:06.800 is not doctrinally sound. This guy, he is not theologically correct. 0:24:07.000 --> 0:24:09.720 In fact, you can watch him preach and you can 0:24:09.760 --> 0:24:13.639 see his pride. He's arrogant, and he's self focused, and 0:24:13.680 --> 0:24:16.600 he's fleshly. And then he brought up another gentleman, and 0:24:16.640 --> 0:24:19.880 he said, now, this man is humble. This man has 0:24:20.600 --> 0:24:23.000 the Greek New Testament practically memorized. 0:24:23.280 --> 0:24:24.520 He's a serious student. 0:24:24.840 --> 0:24:27.760 This man you can tell by watching him he is meek, 0:24:28.080 --> 0:24:31.040 he is mild, he is christ Like. That's who you 0:24:31.080 --> 0:24:33.840 want to be like. Not this guy over here, that 0:24:33.960 --> 0:24:38.200 guy right there. Five years later, the guy who knew Greek, 0:24:38.720 --> 0:24:42.000 the guy who was so humble, was discovered to have 0:24:42.080 --> 0:24:46.800 been having an affair on foreign mission trips that he 0:24:46.920 --> 0:24:51.960 was taking pretending to be spreading the Gospel for twelve years. 0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:55.600 With one woman in Russia while he looked humble. 0:24:56.480 --> 0:24:59.800 The man who was so prideful and cocky and arrogant 0:25:00.160 --> 0:25:03.439 is still doing the ministry today that he was doing 0:25:03.640 --> 0:25:06.439 twenty years ago. What am I trying to say? You 0:25:06.560 --> 0:25:10.479 suck at judging, and so do I. We don't know 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:12.520 who God is going to be used in ten years 0:25:12.520 --> 0:25:15.040 from now. We don't know who God is going to 0:25:15.119 --> 0:25:17.600 raise up. So why y'all are looking at me like 0:25:17.600 --> 0:25:20.240 you're confused about this? Let me break it down a 0:25:20.280 --> 0:25:23.160 little bit finer. Some of the people that you dated 0:25:23.440 --> 0:25:25.920 are proof of the fact that you are not very 0:25:25.920 --> 0:25:29.600 good at getting past the packaging. Let me break it 0:25:29.640 --> 0:25:31.840 down a little bit further. Some of the people that 0:25:31.920 --> 0:25:35.000 you put in your phone that you knew you needed 0:25:35.040 --> 0:25:38.720 to block, but you ignored that little instinct that told 0:25:38.800 --> 0:25:42.440 you there is something about them. You cannot trust your 0:25:42.480 --> 0:25:47.800 own judgment this year, you cannot trust your fleshly, earthly judgment. 0:25:48.240 --> 0:25:52.240 When Israel trusted her judgment, she got Saul as king. 0:25:52.880 --> 0:25:56.320 David was a man after God's own heart. But even 0:25:56.480 --> 0:26:01.240 David had weeds. Ask Bathchieba, the man after God's own 0:26:01.280 --> 0:26:02.200 heart didn't. 0:26:01.960 --> 0:26:03.560 Always do it God's way. 0:26:03.960 --> 0:26:05.919 And what I'm trying to say, and I'm kind of 0:26:05.960 --> 0:26:08.600 going all around the barn to say it, so let 0:26:08.640 --> 0:26:09.920 me just land the plane. 0:26:10.080 --> 0:26:18.840 We all got weeds. We all got We's say it 0:26:18.840 --> 0:26:21.720 out loud. I got We's put. 0:26:21.520 --> 0:26:23.360 The asse at the end of that, just making sure. 0:26:27.320 --> 0:26:33.640 Tell him about the biblical kind of weeds. It's called darnell. Darnell. 0:26:33.960 --> 0:26:35.720 It is this type of weeds seed. 0:26:36.200 --> 0:26:38.840 The Bible says, Can I preach about this for a moment. 0:26:39.600 --> 0:26:42.480 The Bible says that the man planted. 0:26:42.240 --> 0:26:45.800 A good seed in his field. Everybody say his field. 0:26:46.600 --> 0:26:48.160 I'm gonna point this out to the over and over 0:26:48.200 --> 0:26:48.760 again as. 0:26:48.600 --> 0:26:50.840 I preached today. It was his field. 0:26:51.080 --> 0:26:54.200 It belonged to the farmer, It belonged to the man. 0:26:54.560 --> 0:26:58.280 He planted the seed in his field. It was his property, 0:26:58.600 --> 0:27:01.880 it was his territory. To do with it as he wished. 0:27:02.200 --> 0:27:05.520 He planted a good seed in the field. The seed 0:27:05.680 --> 0:27:09.080 was doing what it was supposed to do. It was growing. 0:27:09.320 --> 0:27:12.040 And since the seed was doing what it was supposed 0:27:12.080 --> 0:27:15.600 to do and growing, an enemy noticed the growth of 0:27:15.640 --> 0:27:18.359 the seed and said, if I don't do something about 0:27:18.359 --> 0:27:22.040 this seed, my enemy will triumph over me. So the 0:27:22.040 --> 0:27:26.680 Bible says that overnight, while men slept, and enemy came 0:27:26.960 --> 0:27:29.199 and planted weeds. 0:27:29.040 --> 0:27:34.439 Among the wheat. Say it weeds among the wheat. Notice 0:27:34.440 --> 0:27:35.199 what he couldn't do. 0:27:35.560 --> 0:27:43.560 He could not pluck up what God had planted. He 0:27:43.600 --> 0:27:48.119 could not change what had already been done. He could 0:27:48.160 --> 0:27:51.320 not cost the seed that was in the ground to 0:27:51.440 --> 0:27:53.880 stop being what it was meant to be. 0:27:56.240 --> 0:27:58.639 He could not destroy the seed. 0:27:59.520 --> 0:28:05.879 The only strategy he had was to distract the harvesters. 0:28:07.160 --> 0:28:10.360 So here's the progression of growth in our life. 0:28:10.400 --> 0:28:12.840 We advance a little bit like the seed was doing, 0:28:14.440 --> 0:28:18.400 and then we get attacked. How many of y'all almost 0:28:18.440 --> 0:28:22.440 have to laugh at how quickly the devil attacked the very. 0:28:22.280 --> 0:28:25.080 Thing you were advancing in this year already just wave 0:28:25.119 --> 0:28:25.359 at me. 0:28:26.080 --> 0:28:29.800 It's almost comical, right, It's almost like two on the nose, 0:28:29.920 --> 0:28:33.760 Like really devil, like really really like. 0:28:33.640 --> 0:28:35.720 That, you're going to be that obvious. You're you're just 0:28:35.760 --> 0:28:37.360 gonna do it right in my face like that. 0:28:37.880 --> 0:28:40.160 At least in the parable the man snuck in and 0:28:40.160 --> 0:28:42.640 did it at night. Some of us, the devil's just 0:28:42.680 --> 0:28:47.360 doing it in broad daylight, just attacking things that are advancing. 0:28:48.720 --> 0:28:53.040 So now you're advancing. The seed is growing, and you're attacked. 0:28:54.800 --> 0:28:57.280 And when the enemy attacks you and what God is 0:28:57.280 --> 0:28:59.640 doing in you, you get distracted. 0:29:01.280 --> 0:29:02.640 He can't destroy the seed. 0:29:02.720 --> 0:29:08.240 It's not his. He can't destroy the seed. It's already planted. 0:29:09.600 --> 0:29:12.520 He can't destroy the seed. What God put in the 0:29:12.520 --> 0:29:16.080 seed is still in the sea. He doesn't have permission 0:29:16.120 --> 0:29:20.600 to do that. But what he can do is distract 0:29:20.640 --> 0:29:28.160 you so that you will destroy yourself and some of 0:29:28.200 --> 0:29:30.760 the things that are attacking you in your life right now. 0:29:32.120 --> 0:29:36.760 The attack doesn't matter unless it distracts you from what 0:29:36.840 --> 0:29:40.680 God has called you. I'll break it down for you 0:29:40.720 --> 0:29:42.240 with a few pastoral examples. 0:29:42.560 --> 0:29:45.960 Thank you so much. It feels good to be wanted, feels. 0:29:45.680 --> 0:29:48.560 Good to be loved, feels good to be supported. But 0:29:48.640 --> 0:29:50.800 you know, you have to preach through all kinds of seasons, 0:29:50.800 --> 0:29:54.360 And there have been seasons in this ministry where I 0:29:54.400 --> 0:29:56.360 have had to preach what God gave me to preach 0:29:57.200 --> 0:30:00.920 even though I felt attacked. And in my earlier years 0:30:00.920 --> 0:30:04.040 of preaching, I would become hyper focused on any attack 0:30:04.080 --> 0:30:06.320 that was coming my way. I don't just mean critics, 0:30:06.520 --> 0:30:09.880 I mean any attack. Like if a staff member resigned, 0:30:10.320 --> 0:30:13.280 I would call it an attack. Well, no, maybe they 0:30:13.320 --> 0:30:14.840 just need to move to Florida to take care of 0:30:14.840 --> 0:30:15.320 their parents. 0:30:15.360 --> 0:30:18.320 No, it's an attack. I rebuke the devil. Why do 0:30:18.360 --> 0:30:23.440 you rebuke it. It's not an attack. It's an adjustment. 0:30:24.560 --> 0:30:27.960 You got to adapt. Life just happens. But there have 0:30:28.040 --> 0:30:32.560 been seasons, and I remembered one very specifically. Well, I've 0:30:32.560 --> 0:30:34.680 been looking forward to sharing this with you because it 0:30:34.760 --> 0:30:37.560 was so fresh and so vivid. What was happening in 0:30:37.600 --> 0:30:40.640 our church was explosive, and much like the seed in 0:30:40.680 --> 0:30:44.160 the Passage, it was growing, growing, growing. God planted this 0:30:44.280 --> 0:30:47.240 church in Charlotte in two thousand and six. I didn't 0:30:47.280 --> 0:30:47.719 plant it. 0:30:47.880 --> 0:30:48.280 He did. 0:30:49.520 --> 0:30:54.000 And what God plants, God protects. And God was doing 0:30:54.080 --> 0:30:56.560 all kinds of miracles for us. If we needed a building, 0:30:56.560 --> 0:31:00.320 he opened a building. If we needed a volunteer, scent 0:31:00.360 --> 0:31:03.560 a volunteer, if we needed funds. He would send people 0:31:03.560 --> 0:31:08.880 with money. God was just providing and protecting. But in 0:31:08.920 --> 0:31:11.240 one season of our ministry, and it was over ten 0:31:11.320 --> 0:31:16.280 years ago, this vicious attack began. And if anybody was 0:31:16.320 --> 0:31:19.240 here at the time, you will remember several phases of 0:31:19.280 --> 0:31:19.720 the attack. 0:31:19.800 --> 0:31:21.880 The last phase of the attack was the hardest for. 0:31:21.840 --> 0:31:25.440 Me to stomach, because they begin to imply, on news 0:31:25.480 --> 0:31:27.960 stories that were on the eleven o'clock news that at 0:31:27.960 --> 0:31:32.040 Elevation Church we fake baptisms. In other words, they were 0:31:32.080 --> 0:31:34.800 saying that we have people pretending to be baptized. 0:31:35.520 --> 0:31:37.560 I guess, just so we could put it on camera. 0:31:38.600 --> 0:31:41.160 Not only was that not true, but it was a 0:31:41.200 --> 0:31:44.960 direct assault against the most meaningful expression of faith that 0:31:45.000 --> 0:31:47.280 a person can make, to be baptized. 0:31:48.000 --> 0:31:50.960 And I felt so attacked not only. 0:31:50.800 --> 0:31:53.560 On my own behalf, but on behalf of everyone who 0:31:53.640 --> 0:31:56.040 was going to work who had been baptized at this church, 0:31:56.720 --> 0:31:59.560 hearing the lie that had been perpetuated, the attack that 0:31:59.600 --> 0:32:03.640 had been age saying your baptism was it fake? And 0:32:03.680 --> 0:32:06.360 I was praying about this one day, and I was 0:32:06.400 --> 0:32:09.560 asking God very specifically something that you may have been 0:32:09.560 --> 0:32:12.320 praying about a situation or an attack in your life 0:32:12.360 --> 0:32:12.800 as well. 0:32:13.040 --> 0:32:17.480 I prayed, God, make it stop, Make it stop. 0:32:18.440 --> 0:32:21.880 By this point, there had been several attacks against our church, 0:32:22.360 --> 0:32:24.000 and this one just felt like too much. 0:32:24.440 --> 0:32:26.600 And I said, God, make it stop. 0:32:27.240 --> 0:32:29.200 And I will never forget what the Lord said to 0:32:29.240 --> 0:32:31.640 me in my spirit, not in audible words or not 0:32:31.720 --> 0:32:34.360 in a physical impression, but in a way that he 0:32:34.400 --> 0:32:36.320 gave me a thought that I have carried with me 0:32:36.400 --> 0:32:38.760 to this moment, and I share it with you today. 0:32:39.440 --> 0:32:43.320 The Lord said, I can stop the attack, but if 0:32:43.360 --> 0:32:46.880 I stopped the attack, I have to stop the impact 0:32:47.160 --> 0:32:56.320 that created it. So now you have to decide do 0:32:56.400 --> 0:32:59.800 you want the attack to stop bad enough to give 0:32:59.840 --> 0:33:03.800 up the impact that brought it? Because if you weren't 0:33:03.840 --> 0:33:07.400 baptizing anybody, they wouldn't be making. 0:33:07.200 --> 0:33:09.280 Up stories about your baptisms. 0:33:11.120 --> 0:33:15.800 But maybe what God was doing in this church was 0:33:15.920 --> 0:33:20.880 so unbelievable that the enemy saw it and said, if 0:33:20.920 --> 0:33:25.160 they keep baptizing people like this, there's gonna be a 0:33:25.280 --> 0:33:29.240 water shortage in Charlotte and a people shortage in Hell. 0:33:30.080 --> 0:33:33.840 And so I got a plant, a little lie to 0:33:33.960 --> 0:33:38.800 try to get them to stop doing what God's started. 0:33:39.640 --> 0:33:43.920 But God said, if you want the impact, you got 0:33:44.000 --> 0:33:48.640 a man up and button your pants, and tighten your belt, 0:33:48.880 --> 0:33:52.880 and lace your boots, and open your bible, and open 0:33:52.960 --> 0:33:57.400 your mouth, and take your next breath, and lift your voice, 0:33:57.680 --> 0:34:01.440 and lift your head, and swing your sword in the 0:34:01.560 --> 0:34:05.560 name of the Lord, and realize that he who began 0:34:06.280 --> 0:34:10.440 a good work in you will be faithful to bring 0:34:10.440 --> 0:34:15.400 it full circle till the day when the angels gather, 0:34:15.880 --> 0:34:28.080 the tears shall be burned in the fire. I wanted 0:34:28.080 --> 0:34:31.360 to tell you about that. I wanted to tell you that. 0:34:31.440 --> 0:34:34.560 Now that I'm through it, I'm glad they attacked me. 0:34:36.120 --> 0:34:40.839 I am is set me free of some ego. I'm 0:34:40.920 --> 0:34:45.200 glad that happened. I want it to happen again. I'm 0:34:45.200 --> 0:34:48.120 not asking for another one. I'm not saying if I 0:34:48.160 --> 0:34:50.200 went back in time, I would have walked that path. 0:34:51.480 --> 0:34:54.600 But there is a young man on our staff who 0:34:54.680 --> 0:34:56.360 runs my scriptures every week. 0:34:57.239 --> 0:34:58.680 As a matter of fact, put a scripture up. 0:34:58.600 --> 0:35:00.279 There, just in anyone, I don't care which, and just 0:35:00.280 --> 0:35:03.280 put it up there, and just put the week appeared, 0:35:03.320 --> 0:35:09.080 We circle the word appeared. Look at that. Why did 0:35:09.080 --> 0:35:11.719 I tell him to do that? Because he started coming 0:35:11.760 --> 0:35:17.560 to the church because he heard about the baptisms on 0:35:17.680 --> 0:35:18.560 the news. 0:35:20.440 --> 0:35:23.520 From the attack. Y'all don't want to mess with me. 0:35:25.000 --> 0:35:28.440 And now he's the one helping me preach the word. 0:35:29.560 --> 0:35:33.720 So God used their words as a weapon. 0:35:33.760 --> 0:35:35.839 Oh God, And. 0:35:35.880 --> 0:35:38.239 Now let's talk about you. 0:35:38.280 --> 0:35:43.480 No weapon forved against you shall prosper. 0:35:44.760 --> 0:35:47.680 And that brings the sun rise. 0:35:47.840 --> 0:35:52.920 This against you, you shall convin this is the heretance 0:35:53.400 --> 0:35:58.799 ut the service of the Lord, and their righteousness is 0:35:58.880 --> 0:35:59.319 from me. 0:36:06.360 --> 0:36:09.120 So one thing the enemy didn't realize when he was 0:36:09.160 --> 0:36:13.160 planting those weeds is that you can plant all the 0:36:13.200 --> 0:36:15.200 weeds you want to devil. 0:36:15.320 --> 0:36:17.640 And let me just remind you this year, this year, 0:36:17.680 --> 0:36:18.800 there will be weeds. 0:36:19.040 --> 0:36:22.000 There will be no weed free week in your year 0:36:22.040 --> 0:36:22.600 this year. 0:36:24.239 --> 0:36:24.919 Sit back down. 0:36:26.680 --> 0:36:28.919 You know how we do these little New Year's slogans 0:36:29.600 --> 0:36:36.560 come alive in twenty five, you know it's gonna well, 0:36:36.560 --> 0:36:40.440 could be said it's gonna get fixed in twenty six. No, 0:36:40.640 --> 0:36:43.520 it's not either. It's gonna be mixed in twenty six. 0:36:44.560 --> 0:36:48.200 It's gonna be some wheat. It's gonna be some weeds. 0:36:48.480 --> 0:36:51.680 It's gonna be some joy. It's gonna be some morning. 0:36:52.200 --> 0:36:55.200 It's gonna be some weeping. It's gonna be some reeping. 0:36:55.520 --> 0:36:58.560 It's gonna be some friends. It's gonna be some enemies. 0:36:58.800 --> 0:37:01.280 It's gonna be some frenemy. You can't tell the difference 0:37:01.320 --> 0:37:04.399 till us over. But don't judge it before God's done 0:37:04.480 --> 0:37:07.280 with it, because God might use some of this stuff 0:37:07.520 --> 0:37:10.520 in your life that you were asking him to remove 0:37:10.840 --> 0:37:14.200 to reveal who He is in your life. And the 0:37:14.239 --> 0:37:18.160 only problem is if you start trying to pluck out 0:37:18.680 --> 0:37:22.200 the weeds, you might mess around and remove the wheat. 0:37:28.440 --> 0:37:34.480 Y'all got enough or keep going? One thing I noticed 0:37:34.520 --> 0:37:38.600 in the text that was really powerful is that the 0:37:38.640 --> 0:37:44.640 Master didn't panic about the attack. He was so cool 0:37:44.680 --> 0:37:45.160 about it. 0:37:45.880 --> 0:37:48.879 Read it again, sir, Now the servants are freaking out 0:37:48.920 --> 0:37:51.200 like we do. Sir, didn't you so good? See it 0:37:51.239 --> 0:37:52.680 in your field? Where's come from? Who did this? What's 0:37:52.719 --> 0:37:54.440 going on? This is the devil? Whose fault is this? 0:37:54.480 --> 0:37:55.759 Only as so many, so many did this? 0:37:57.680 --> 0:38:03.360 And the the Master because he represents God in the parable. 0:38:03.400 --> 0:38:11.239 Look at this, He's like an enemy did this because 0:38:11.239 --> 0:38:15.160 that's what an enemy does. That's what an enemy does, 0:38:17.120 --> 0:38:22.040 That's what a devil does. I read about a book 0:38:22.080 --> 0:38:25.640 that Mel Robbins wrote called the Let Them Theory. I 0:38:25.640 --> 0:38:28.719 didn't read the book, but I like the title. It's 0:38:28.719 --> 0:38:31.640 like people want to talk about you. Let them. Your 0:38:31.719 --> 0:38:34.080 kids want to leave without a coat and it's cold outside. 0:38:34.360 --> 0:38:42.640 Let them. They're not going to die of hypothermia. They 0:38:42.680 --> 0:38:44.640 will figure it out. Kids are resilient. 0:38:45.400 --> 0:38:51.760 They need a little frost bite. Let them. 0:38:51.800 --> 0:38:55.440 And I wonder if we could write one together today 0:38:55.480 --> 0:39:02.120 this year in your life called let him. Don't let 0:39:02.120 --> 0:39:04.880 the attack distract you. You give so much focus on 0:39:04.920 --> 0:39:07.239 how the devil is discouraging you, and now discouragement is 0:39:07.239 --> 0:39:08.200 all you see everywhere. 0:39:10.280 --> 0:39:12.839 You got so many things going right in your life, 0:39:12.880 --> 0:39:17.080 so much wheat, but all you see is weeds. You 0:39:17.120 --> 0:39:17.600 a little. 0:39:17.440 --> 0:39:23.080 Perfectionist, your little type a personality, your little enneagram number 0:39:23.160 --> 0:39:25.759 one just always could be better. Just oh man, I 0:39:25.760 --> 0:39:27.520 gotta get these weeds out this year. 0:39:28.000 --> 0:39:30.520 No you don't. I'll tell you why. 0:39:30.920 --> 0:39:34.080 If Jesus's field wasn't weed free, what makes you think 0:39:34.120 --> 0:39:39.560 yours is gonna be? Jesus couldn't have a weed free field, 0:39:39.600 --> 0:39:44.480 but you can. No, it's gonna be mixed in twenty six. 0:39:46.680 --> 0:39:50.040 It's gonna be mixed in twenty six. It's gonna be 0:39:50.080 --> 0:39:52.000 at eight am in the morning. This is the day 0:39:52.000 --> 0:39:55.480 that the Lord has made. It's gonna be by three 0:39:55.560 --> 0:39:57.719 pm in the afternoon. My God, My God, why hast 0:39:57.719 --> 0:40:02.680 thou forsaken me? It's gonna be wea, It's gonna be weeds. 0:40:03.880 --> 0:40:06.839 And stop judging stuff before God is done with it. 0:40:09.920 --> 0:40:13.520 Stop judging stuff before the appointed time. Stop telling me 0:40:13.600 --> 0:40:18.239 graves into gardens in a good song. Stop telling me 0:40:18.280 --> 0:40:20.600 I tried it, it didn't work. And I'll just use 0:40:20.640 --> 0:40:22.680 a physical example because we can all relate to it. 0:40:24.640 --> 0:40:28.319 When you work out and you haven't worked out in 0:40:28.360 --> 0:40:34.600 a while, not that you would know. The first thing 0:40:34.640 --> 0:40:37.520 that is going to indicate that you successfully completed the 0:40:37.520 --> 0:40:42.319 workout is a feeling of soreness. That will feel like 0:40:42.440 --> 0:40:47.720 Satan himself brought seven spirits to your body and invaded everything. 0:40:47.960 --> 0:40:52.279 But that just means you're growing. So now you're surprised 0:40:52.280 --> 0:40:56.879 that you're sore, but you wanted to grow. If there 0:40:56.920 --> 0:40:59.120 had been no wheat, there would have been no weeds. 0:41:01.120 --> 0:41:04.360 You're praying for God to use you, but you're surprised 0:41:04.400 --> 0:41:07.080 that you feel like you're empty on the inside. That's 0:41:07.080 --> 0:41:09.640 so He can fill you up again. And the promise 0:41:09.680 --> 0:41:12.760 of this year is not that it will be weed free. 0:41:13.040 --> 0:41:16.160 I am not trying to keep a weed. 0:41:15.920 --> 0:41:18.800 Free in one sense, I am, but I am not. 0:41:18.680 --> 0:41:22.200 Trying to keep a problem a weed free. I'm trying 0:41:22.200 --> 0:41:27.040 to be spirit filled this year so that whatever is 0:41:27.080 --> 0:41:30.480 planted around me. And you got to know that the 0:41:30.520 --> 0:41:35.440 Master is very, very methodical in what he plants, and 0:41:35.520 --> 0:41:39.480 he knew from the moment he planted this seed that 0:41:39.560 --> 0:41:43.480 the enemy would attack it. Now, the Master wasn't surprised. 0:41:43.520 --> 0:41:45.680 The servants were, so they said, what do you want 0:41:45.760 --> 0:41:47.719 us to do about it? Do you want us to 0:41:48.040 --> 0:41:51.600 pluck it up? Do you want us to remove it? 0:41:52.520 --> 0:41:54.799 Do you want us to do something about that? I 0:41:54.840 --> 0:41:59.520 was reading a passage in First Kings or maybe Second 0:41:59.520 --> 0:42:01.680 Samuel last week with Graham. 0:42:02.000 --> 0:42:03.160 Which scripture did I give you? 0:42:03.200 --> 0:42:07.320 Justin tewoond Samuel or First Kings, we're reading about David. Yeah, 0:42:07.480 --> 0:42:11.239 one time David was running through his city that he 0:42:11.320 --> 0:42:14.600 used to rule over from his son, Absolom, and his 0:42:14.680 --> 0:42:17.480 son was trying to take his crown from him. And 0:42:18.320 --> 0:42:20.719 the son's name was Absolom, and David actually had to 0:42:20.719 --> 0:42:23.080 go flee from his own son. And as he was 0:42:23.200 --> 0:42:27.640 leaving the city, he approached Bahiram. You couldn't pronounce it either, 0:42:27.760 --> 0:42:29.800 a man from the same clan, a Sau. His family 0:42:29.880 --> 0:42:32.120 came out from there, and so this is one of 0:42:32.120 --> 0:42:37.439 his enemies, right, And his name was Shimmy I, son 0:42:37.480 --> 0:42:41.520 of Gera. And he cursed as he came out, cursing 0:42:41.640 --> 0:42:46.239 at the king. Well, he pelted David in the king's 0:42:46.280 --> 0:42:47.640 officials with stones. 0:42:49.000 --> 0:42:52.160 Now remember David's pretty good with a stone, So this 0:42:52.280 --> 0:42:53.759 is a bad idea. 0:42:54.280 --> 0:42:56.160 Though all the troops in the Special Guard were on 0:42:56.239 --> 0:42:57.040 David's right and left. 0:42:57.040 --> 0:42:58.640 In other words, he could have done something about it. 0:42:58.760 --> 0:43:03.400 And as he cursed, Shimie said, get out, Get out. 0:43:03.239 --> 0:43:04.879 You murderer, you scoundrel. 0:43:05.880 --> 0:43:07.759 The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you 0:43:07.760 --> 0:43:10.000 shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you 0:43:10.080 --> 0:43:10.920 have reigned. 0:43:11.200 --> 0:43:12.160 God's getting you back. 0:43:12.360 --> 0:43:14.920 The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of 0:43:14.960 --> 0:43:16.359 your son Absalom. 0:43:16.440 --> 0:43:18.520 You have come to ruin because. 0:43:18.200 --> 0:43:21.400 You are a Murderer's planting all these seeds of doubt 0:43:21.600 --> 0:43:24.320 in David's mind. Then Abishai, which one of David's guys, 0:43:24.640 --> 0:43:25.520 said to the King. 0:43:25.560 --> 0:43:27.560 Why should this dead dog curse my lord? 0:43:27.640 --> 0:43:27.960 The King? 0:43:28.200 --> 0:43:30.280 Let me go over and cut off his head. 0:43:31.120 --> 0:43:34.960 But the king, David said, what does this have to 0:43:35.000 --> 0:43:38.800 do with you, sons of zahu Ayah. If he's cursing 0:43:38.880 --> 0:43:40.200 because the Lord said to him, curse. 0:43:40.120 --> 0:43:42.879 David, who can ask why do you do this? 0:43:43.760 --> 0:43:47.480 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, my son, 0:43:47.719 --> 0:43:50.600 my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. 0:43:50.719 --> 0:43:54.200 In other words, I got bigger problems. I got bigger 0:43:54.239 --> 0:43:56.799 things to deal with than this dude. And I came 0:43:56.840 --> 0:44:00.560 to remind you. You've got bigger priorities. You've got too 0:44:00.680 --> 0:44:03.480 much to do to be offended by them. You've got 0:44:03.520 --> 0:44:06.680 bigger fish to fry than this guy, whose name I 0:44:06.719 --> 0:44:11.920 can't even pronounce. You're David, how much more than this Benjamin? 0:44:12.080 --> 0:44:17.000 Leave him alone, let him curse. You want us to 0:44:17.040 --> 0:44:21.240 do something about it, now, let him. Let him curse, 0:44:21.320 --> 0:44:25.399 for the Lord has told him to. It may be, oh, 0:44:25.520 --> 0:44:29.600 this is an anointed verse. If you've been under attack 0:44:29.960 --> 0:44:33.360 and the enemy is pelting you with frocks and stones, 0:44:33.560 --> 0:44:35.799 and it may even be coming at the expense of 0:44:35.840 --> 0:44:39.359 your own dignity, and you are asking yourself, what do I. 0:44:39.360 --> 0:44:42.440 Do about this attack? David said, it may be that 0:44:42.520 --> 0:44:44.359 the Lord will look upon my. 0:44:44.400 --> 0:44:48.480 Misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of 0:44:48.560 --> 0:44:51.920 his curse today. In other words, what David is saying 0:44:52.320 --> 0:44:57.000 is that he cannot curse what God has already blessed, 0:44:57.520 --> 0:45:02.960 so let him. He cannot destroy what has God's dna. 0:45:03.440 --> 0:45:08.120 He cannot steal what God has spoke. He cannot negate 0:45:08.600 --> 0:45:13.480 what God has established. He cannot cancel out what God 0:45:13.520 --> 0:45:16.520 has called. How many different ways do you need me 0:45:16.640 --> 0:45:19.760 to say it to get you to see it won't work? 0:45:20.880 --> 0:45:24.399 Let him come, let the flood rage. God will lift 0:45:24.520 --> 0:45:28.720 up a standard. It won't work. Don't let the attack 0:45:28.840 --> 0:45:31.720 distract you. Don't let it get you out of your character. 0:45:32.080 --> 0:45:34.399 Don't let it get you out of your joy. Don't 0:45:34.440 --> 0:45:36.640 let it get you out of your peace. Sit there 0:45:36.680 --> 0:45:39.319 and whistle a worship song. If you can't sing one, 0:45:39.920 --> 0:45:42.960 lift your toe. If you can't lift your hands, do 0:45:43.040 --> 0:45:45.640 a body weight squad. If you can't do a real one, 0:45:45.880 --> 0:45:49.759 do something. But whatever you do, remember that if it's 0:45:49.800 --> 0:45:54.000 started with God, it is sustained by God, and there 0:45:54.080 --> 0:45:58.279 is nothing the enemy can plant. Sheremiah said, before I 0:45:58.440 --> 0:46:02.120 was born, he called being set me apart. So that 0:46:02.239 --> 0:46:04.760 means I know the enemy has been busy in your life. 0:46:05.000 --> 0:46:08.799 He's been speaking to you. He's been sabotaging you. He's 0:46:08.840 --> 0:46:12.000 been distracting you, trying to get you off your course, 0:46:12.320 --> 0:46:14.440 trying to get you out of your flow, trying to 0:46:14.440 --> 0:46:16.560 get you out of your calling, trying to get you 0:46:16.640 --> 0:46:18.560 out of your nature, trying to get you out of 0:46:18.600 --> 0:46:21.560 your kindness, trying to bring you back to bitterness, trying 0:46:21.600 --> 0:46:22.319 to plant. 0:46:22.040 --> 0:46:23.280 Weeds where there's wheat. 0:46:23.520 --> 0:46:26.600 But there's one thing that the enemy should have realized 0:46:26.920 --> 0:46:29.560 that he didn't realize, and he would have saved his 0:46:29.800 --> 0:46:33.480 energy and realized that the weeds weren't worth planting. Because 0:46:33.520 --> 0:46:35.640 you've got to remember, no matter. 0:46:35.360 --> 0:46:41.200 What the enemy plants in your life, God got there first, 0:46:50.080 --> 0:46:51.000 and he prepares a. 0:46:50.960 --> 0:46:54.080 Table for you in the presence of your enemies. 0:46:56.239 --> 0:47:01.040 So let the devil try, because it must be that 0:47:01.120 --> 0:47:04.040 if God isn't removing those weeds, how many can picture some. 0:47:03.960 --> 0:47:05.040 Weeds that are in your life? 0:47:05.080 --> 0:47:10.160 As I speak this word, Every weed free person, run 0:47:10.239 --> 0:47:14.120 to this altar right now, because you have the weed 0:47:14.480 --> 0:47:15.640 of delusion? 0:47:20.200 --> 0:47:21.000 Am I right man? 0:47:21.080 --> 0:47:23.600 And the one thing about it, Graham, check this out. Gee, 0:47:24.360 --> 0:47:27.040 the type of weeds that were growing, you couldn't tell 0:47:27.080 --> 0:47:29.839 that they weren't wheat until they had grown a little bit. 0:47:31.080 --> 0:47:34.160 They looked exactly the same until the head came up 0:47:34.200 --> 0:47:36.400 and then they're like, oh no, this is not wheat, 0:47:36.440 --> 0:47:37.120 this is a weed. 0:47:38.480 --> 0:47:43.359 And sometimes you don't know. Sometimes you don't know. I'm 0:47:43.480 --> 0:47:47.319 never going back to the way I was. Look at 0:47:47.360 --> 0:47:51.000 what the Lord has done. I'm never going back to 0:47:51.160 --> 0:47:51.560 the way. 0:47:51.960 --> 0:47:54.480 A little the video and you know, the kids just 0:47:54.520 --> 0:47:57.440 screaming at the camera, But what if they were singing it, 0:47:57.560 --> 0:48:00.799 like like just for real though, like, look at what 0:48:00.880 --> 0:48:02.320 the Lord has done. 0:48:02.640 --> 0:48:06.080 I'm never going back, but I'm still gonna cuts. You 0:48:06.160 --> 0:48:11.600 know what I'm saying, Look here what the Lord has done. 0:48:11.840 --> 0:48:15.480 I'm never going back, But I still get drunk because 0:48:15.520 --> 0:48:19.600 what we're saying is, look here what the Lord has done. 0:48:19.800 --> 0:48:22.680 I'm never going back, but I'm still gonna lusk. 0:48:22.760 --> 0:48:26.680 You know, just whatever y'all struggle with. The fact is. 0:48:28.440 --> 0:48:32.400 What's really going on in our hearts sometimes doesn't match 0:48:32.440 --> 0:48:36.840 what's coming out of our mouths. And we really do 0:48:36.920 --> 0:48:40.000 want to grow, and we really do want to be free, 0:48:40.960 --> 0:48:42.560 and we really do want to be more loving. 0:48:43.920 --> 0:48:48.360 But the enemy isn't going to stand by and watch 0:48:48.400 --> 0:48:51.480 you grow without attempting to. 0:48:51.440 --> 0:48:55.440 Plant something alongside your destiny that will disrupt it. 0:48:57.120 --> 0:49:00.719 I just want to remind you that the attack is 0:49:00.760 --> 0:49:01.440 a distraction. 0:49:02.400 --> 0:49:06.319 And God knew when he planted you that what he 0:49:06.400 --> 0:49:12.960 gave you was stronger than what would come against you. Right, 0:49:19.800 --> 0:49:21.640 look at what the Lord has done in your life. 0:49:23.360 --> 0:49:26.560 Look how far he has already brought you. How many 0:49:26.640 --> 0:49:28.960 can say I have a testimony. God has done so 0:49:29.080 --> 0:49:29.920 much in my life. 0:49:30.080 --> 0:49:36.520 It's amazing. You would say that, but it came with weeds, 0:49:36.520 --> 0:49:37.000 didn't it. 0:49:38.680 --> 0:49:41.640 And you have been believing the lie lately that you 0:49:41.719 --> 0:49:44.240 have got to get rid of all the weeds before 0:49:44.280 --> 0:49:45.279 you can enjoy the weak. 0:49:46.040 --> 0:49:48.640 It's a lie. I come against it. 0:49:49.719 --> 0:49:52.720 I break the spirit of depression off of your soul 0:49:53.080 --> 0:49:56.560 that has been telling you that you cannot worship while 0:49:56.560 --> 0:49:57.760 you still have weeds. 0:49:58.120 --> 0:50:00.240 We all have weeds. 0:50:00.239 --> 0:50:03.759 Surprise you what the person next to you is struggling with. 0:50:04.719 --> 0:50:07.359 And just because you can't see the weeds doesn't mean 0:50:07.360 --> 0:50:11.880 they're not real. But have you come to a point 0:50:11.920 --> 0:50:14.880 in your life where all you are seeing in this 0:50:15.040 --> 0:50:19.400 season is the weeds? Have you got one kid that 0:50:19.560 --> 0:50:22.239 is in trouble and you have failed to appreciate the 0:50:22.280 --> 0:50:23.359 two that are doing good. 0:50:24.480 --> 0:50:28.279 That means you have become two weed focused. 0:50:29.960 --> 0:50:32.920 Have you got nine things in your body that are 0:50:32.920 --> 0:50:35.960 working well, but the one thing that is not working 0:50:36.040 --> 0:50:39.320 right just causes you to obsess and you are googling 0:50:39.440 --> 0:50:42.319 every possible thing that might be wrong with you and 0:50:42.360 --> 0:50:45.960 taking out every life insurance policy because you got a 0:50:46.000 --> 0:50:50.040 headache one Thursday. Are you letting one headache really make 0:50:50.120 --> 0:50:53.120 you stop believing that God is my healer and that 0:50:53.160 --> 0:50:56.480 God is my sustainer and that God is my source. 0:50:56.800 --> 0:51:00.080 I'm telling you whatever the enemy plants in your life 0:51:00.239 --> 0:51:04.239 is not more powerful than what God planted, because the 0:51:04.239 --> 0:51:06.200 Bible said he planted good seed. 0:51:06.960 --> 0:51:10.200 Somebody say I'm good seed. I'm good seed. 0:51:10.239 --> 0:51:13.040 And all things work together for the good of those 0:51:13.080 --> 0:51:16.400 who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. 0:51:16.719 --> 0:51:18.960 So this week I want you to think a little 0:51:19.000 --> 0:51:21.719 bit less about the weeds and a little. 0:51:21.440 --> 0:51:22.840 Bit more about the wheat. 0:51:23.320 --> 0:51:27.120 Because when the passage starts, we've got wheat and we've 0:51:27.160 --> 0:51:30.359 got weeds. But at the end of the passage, one 0:51:30.440 --> 0:51:32.719 is going to be burned and one is going to 0:51:32.760 --> 0:51:35.480 be in the barn. And I came to declare today 0:51:35.680 --> 0:51:39.160 the fire will not burn you. You're going to the barn, baby, 0:51:39.520 --> 0:51:43.480 you belong to God. You are God's child, You are 0:51:43.680 --> 0:51:48.920 God's planting, You are God's Oh, you are God's master Peace. 0:51:49.360 --> 0:51:53.760 I belong to God. Try your best, devil, it won't work. 0:51:54.080 --> 0:51:57.200 As a matter of fact, my God might use the 0:51:57.280 --> 0:52:00.640 thing that you are using to curse me and bless 0:52:00.800 --> 0:52:04.440 me even better. God might do something out of this. 0:52:05.040 --> 0:52:08.640 So go ahead, hit me with your best shot. But 0:52:08.840 --> 0:52:12.200 everything you do hats to go through the cross of 0:52:12.320 --> 0:52:19.040 Jesus Christ, and he began a good word, will be 0:52:19.200 --> 0:52:21.560 faithful to complete it. 0:52:22.440 --> 0:52:24.040 Stop judging stuff. 0:52:23.760 --> 0:52:27.480 Before God is done. I asked one parent the other day. 0:52:27.680 --> 0:52:30.040 They said, the kid that gave me the most trouble 0:52:30.320 --> 0:52:33.760 ended up bringing me the most blessings. You can't judge 0:52:33.800 --> 0:52:37.000 this thing while it's still growing. You can't label. 0:52:36.719 --> 0:52:38.759 This thing while it's still in process. 0:52:39.040 --> 0:52:42.239 You cannot categorize your life based on the way you 0:52:42.280 --> 0:52:45.720 feel right now. And you cannot quit eleven days into 0:52:45.800 --> 0:52:48.040 January just because it's mixed. 0:52:48.080 --> 0:52:48.920 In twenty six. 0:52:49.560 --> 0:52:52.680 Naw, baby, the Lord is at my right hand. The 0:52:52.760 --> 0:52:57.399 Lord stood by my side. Many deserted me. God never did. 0:52:57.840 --> 0:53:00.000 I got battles, I God blessed. 0:53:00.719 --> 0:53:04.879 I got weeds. I got weeds, I got goodness. I've 0:53:04.920 --> 0:53:08.960 got mercy, and they follow me all the days of 0:53:09.000 --> 0:53:13.520 my life. So all I wanted to tell you today 0:53:14.400 --> 0:53:22.480 is don't let the attack distract you. That's what it is. 0:53:22.520 --> 0:53:27.600 It's a distraction. You have been growing. You've got what 0:53:27.719 --> 0:53:30.120 it takes to grow. You've got what it takes to 0:53:30.360 --> 0:53:32.960 make this decision. You have got what it takes to 0:53:33.000 --> 0:53:35.319 do the job. You've got what it takes to learn 0:53:35.360 --> 0:53:37.640 the skills. You've got what it takes to do the 0:53:37.640 --> 0:53:39.000 inner work and get some healing. 0:53:39.239 --> 0:53:41.400 You've got what it takes because you've got God. 0:53:43.880 --> 0:53:46.200 You're in the field He wanted you to be in, 0:53:49.800 --> 0:53:51.839 and God knew there was going to be a fight 0:53:51.920 --> 0:53:53.280 when he puts you in that field. 0:53:55.000 --> 0:54:00.000 Don't tell me he didn't. He's God. I'm built for it. 0:54:01.960 --> 0:54:04.239 High five three. People say you're built for it, too, 0:54:06.000 --> 0:54:10.560 built for it, Yeah, man, built for it. 0:54:12.320 --> 0:54:15.400 You know what I almost called the message, bro, I 0:54:15.440 --> 0:54:23.879 almost called it, don't burn your bread. Don't burn your bread. 0:54:25.239 --> 0:54:28.600 The wheat has the potential in it to be bread 0:54:32.200 --> 0:54:35.239 if you don't pluck it up and throw it into 0:54:35.280 --> 0:54:38.200 the fire, if you don't give up on what it 0:54:38.239 --> 0:54:40.000 can be. Because of what it is right now and 0:54:40.040 --> 0:54:44.879 what's against it. Don't burn your bread. I didn't call 0:54:44.920 --> 0:54:47.960 it that. I almost called the message this is my 0:54:48.000 --> 0:54:51.200 other almost called the message. Look at your neighbors, say 0:54:51.520 --> 0:54:52.319 don't pluck it up. 0:54:59.080 --> 0:55:03.279 But I decided that I would just tell you stand 0:55:03.320 --> 0:55:09.800 to your feet. Don't let the attack. 0:55:10.880 --> 0:55:14.680 Distract you, because if you don't let it distract you, 0:55:14.760 --> 0:55:15.680 it can't destroy you. 0:55:16.400 --> 0:55:19.160 The word of God is incorruptible. See you've been born 0:55:19.200 --> 0:55:20.520 again by imperishable sea. 0:55:21.360 --> 0:55:27.279 Don't let it distract you. You make an advance, you 0:55:27.320 --> 0:55:31.400 get attacked, You get attacked, you get distracted, You get distracted, 0:55:31.400 --> 0:55:34.839 you get destroyed. But if you can focus on where 0:55:34.880 --> 0:55:38.280 God is growing you put your hand over your heart. 0:55:40.520 --> 0:55:44.600 Say this is good soil. Say this is God's soil. 0:55:46.120 --> 0:55:48.120 There's something that God spoke to you that you haven't 0:55:48.120 --> 0:55:50.000 really been able to get in touch with lately because 0:55:50.000 --> 0:55:51.120 you've been so distracted. 0:55:52.040 --> 0:55:53.239 You have been so distracted. 0:55:53.280 --> 0:55:56.440 It has been a long long time since you've been 0:55:56.440 --> 0:55:58.719 able to have clarity about what God spoke to you. 0:55:59.000 --> 0:56:01.200 And you found your broken focus leading to a lack 0:56:01.239 --> 0:56:04.080 of peace now, as it always happens. But if we 0:56:04.120 --> 0:56:05.759 can get back to the God who put it in 0:56:05.800 --> 0:56:08.600 you to begin with, you are going to survive whatever 0:56:08.640 --> 0:56:11.960 attack the enemy sins against it. It can't be stronger 0:56:12.000 --> 0:56:15.319 than God. It can't be stronger than his word. It 0:56:15.400 --> 0:56:18.359 can't be better than him. It can't be bigger than him. 0:56:18.520 --> 0:56:24.799 It's not possible. But you've been distracted. So now, Lord, 0:56:26.800 --> 0:56:36.040 our hearts are turn to you. Yes, Lord, our hearts 0:56:36.120 --> 0:56:38.040 are yours. 0:56:39.719 --> 0:56:44.400 Our lives are yours, our dreams are yours, our plans 0:56:44.400 --> 0:56:44.920 are yours. 0:56:45.960 --> 0:56:49.600 Our future is yours. I thank you for where you 0:56:49.680 --> 0:56:53.640 planted me as a seed. God. I thank you for 0:56:53.680 --> 0:56:56.040 where you planted each and every one of these people. 0:56:56.840 --> 0:56:58.480 I think for the gifts you gave them, the abilities 0:56:58.480 --> 0:57:00.000 you gave them, the talent you gave them, the person 0:57:00.400 --> 0:57:02.920 that you gave them, the unique struggles and challenges that 0:57:02.960 --> 0:57:04.719 have formed them and forged them in the fire of 0:57:04.800 --> 0:57:06.239 trials to make them strong. 0:57:06.080 --> 0:57:08.239 And ready for what they're going through. 0:57:08.280 --> 0:57:08.560 Now. 0:57:09.160 --> 0:57:13.160 They will not burn. They'll be light those Hebrew boys 0:57:13.840 --> 0:57:14.360 who went. 0:57:14.239 --> 0:57:16.200 Into the fire and said, even if God doesn't get 0:57:16.280 --> 0:57:17.960 us out, he'll join us right up in it. 0:57:19.120 --> 0:57:24.240 Because I'm good seed. I'm good seed. Lord. 0:57:24.280 --> 0:57:26.760 I want to pray today for the person who has 0:57:26.800 --> 0:57:30.960 never placed their faith in you. Would you just join 0:57:31.000 --> 0:57:32.520 me in this prayer as a church, I'm going to 0:57:32.560 --> 0:57:34.280 pray for someone who needs to give their life to 0:57:34.360 --> 0:57:37.680 Jesus Christ. And right now it is very possible that 0:57:37.720 --> 0:57:40.000 the reason God brought you here today, or the reason 0:57:40.000 --> 0:57:43.520 that you joined us online, is for this moment. If 0:57:43.520 --> 0:57:46.720 you see, it's not by might nor by power that 0:57:46.800 --> 0:57:48.160 we become strong in the Lord. 0:57:48.240 --> 0:57:52.360 No, the seed was good because of who planted it. 0:57:54.360 --> 0:57:56.680 And it's time for you to stop playing around with 0:57:56.800 --> 0:58:00.240 your life and waiting on one day when it's more 0:58:00.320 --> 0:58:01.680 convenient to live for God. 0:58:01.800 --> 0:58:06.640 No, now is your moment of salvation. Today is your 0:58:06.680 --> 0:58:10.400 moment of change. And I don't want you to face 0:58:10.440 --> 0:58:12.439 the fire of judgment. I don't want you to live 0:58:12.480 --> 0:58:15.000 your life apart from God, and neither does God. 0:58:15.040 --> 0:58:18.680 And that's why He sent Jesus, the perfect seed, the 0:58:18.680 --> 0:58:21.760 one who gave his life on the cross and rose 0:58:21.800 --> 0:58:23.600 again that you could have life. 0:58:23.680 --> 0:58:26.440 And now, in this moment, I want to pray with you. 0:58:26.440 --> 0:58:28.040 You know, the Bible says that if you confess with 0:58:28.080 --> 0:58:30.600 your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your 0:58:30.600 --> 0:58:32.240 heart that God raised him from the dead. 0:58:32.080 --> 0:58:37.240 You will be saved. It's not by works it's by grace. 0:58:37.280 --> 0:58:40.520 You are saved through faith. And right now, if you'll 0:58:40.560 --> 0:58:43.080 pray this prayer and mean it with your heart, God 0:58:43.120 --> 0:58:43.720 will hear you. 0:58:44.720 --> 0:58:47.720 God will save you, and you will be born again, 0:58:48.440 --> 0:58:50.560 and this can be your new beginning. We're going to 0:58:50.560 --> 0:58:54.080 pray out loud, repeating after me as a church for 0:58:54.160 --> 0:58:56.320 the benefit of those who are coming to Christ in 0:58:56.360 --> 0:59:02.160 this moment. Repeat after me, Heavenly Father, today is my 0:59:02.400 --> 0:59:07.800 day of salvation. I am a sinner in need of 0:59:07.840 --> 0:59:13.600 a savior. And I believe that Jesus Christ is the 0:59:13.640 --> 0:59:17.840 Son of God and the savior of the world. And 0:59:17.920 --> 0:59:23.360 today I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I 0:59:23.440 --> 0:59:28.160 believe he died that I would be forgiven and rose 0:59:28.200 --> 0:59:30.800 again to give me life. 0:59:31.240 --> 0:59:36.920 I receive this new life. This is my new beginning. 0:59:37.880 --> 0:59:40.120 I am a child of God. 0:59:40.920 --> 0:59:42.880 On the count of three, shoot your hand up. If 0:59:42.920 --> 0:59:46.160 you prayed that one, two, three, I want to celebrate 0:59:46.200 --> 0:59:46.480 with you. 0:59:47.200 --> 0:59:53.640 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. That's beautiful, Praise the Lord. 0:59:53.680 --> 0:59:54.360 Online. 0:59:54.880 --> 0:59:55.720 You could just put. 0:59:55.600 --> 0:59:58.880 It in the comments I received. Jesus. 1:00:00.000 --> 1:00:02.200 Come on, let's clap our hands all over the room. 1:00:02.280 --> 1:00:06.840 Everybody, everybody, everybody, come on, Let's thank God. 1:00:06.920 --> 1:00:10.200 For all the decisions that were made today. 1:00:10.880 --> 1:00:12.160 God is so good. 1:00:13.760 --> 1:00:17.480 Well, campus, pastors, you can have it. Grab hands with 1:00:17.560 --> 1:00:20.360 the person next to you here, Valentine, look at him 1:00:20.400 --> 1:00:24.720 and tell them don't pluck it up, because God is 1:00:24.760 --> 1:00:29.520 not through with you yet another day to be in 1:00:29.560 --> 1:00:31.800 the presence of God. Come on, Holly, I ain't got 1:00:31.800 --> 1:00:36.640 no hand to hold. It's gonna be an amazing year 1:00:36.680 --> 1:00:45.880 in your life. Ben Yeah, God's gonna give you wisdom, strength, encouragement, stamina. 1:00:47.080 --> 1:00:48.840 God's gonna do that for each and every one of 1:00:48.840 --> 1:00:50.280 these people that we pastor. 1:00:50.080 --> 1:00:53.560 To look at your neighbor, Look at your neighbor and say, 1:00:53.600 --> 1:00:58.600 God's gonna do that for you too. Tell him he's 1:00:58.640 --> 1:01:04.760 gonna meet you, he's gonna fill you, he's gonna carry you, 1:01:06.680 --> 1:01:10.880 he's going to keep you. Tell him you're gonna grow. 1:01:11.960 --> 1:01:14.320 Come on, Tell him like a trainer, you're gonna grow. 1:01:15.720 --> 1:01:17.960 Tell them like they need to do two more reps. 1:01:17.960 --> 1:01:21.480 Tell them you're gonna grow. Look at them and shall say, 1:01:21.600 --> 1:01:28.680 don't pluck it. Oh, don't let the attack distract you. 1:01:29.080 --> 1:01:33.240 It's a sign you're on course. It's a sign you're significant. 1:01:33.400 --> 1:01:37.000 It's a sign God's got you. And now unto him, 1:01:37.160 --> 1:01:41.120 lift your hands, who is able to do immeasurably more 1:01:41.480 --> 1:01:46.160 than you ask, think or imagine, according to his power, 1:01:46.320 --> 1:01:50.840 Whose power, his power that works mightily in us. To 1:01:51.040 --> 1:01:56.439 him be gloried through Christ Jesus in the Church. Now 1:01:56.560 --> 1:02:04.440 and forever, Say amen, same man again, goodbye, see you 1:02:04.520 --> 1:02:07.120 next week. Don't fuck it up. 1:02:10.800 --> 1:02:11.920 Thank you for joining us. 1:02:12.240 --> 1:02:14.680 Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 1:02:14.760 --> 1:02:18.240 this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 1:02:18.680 --> 1:02:20.880 You can click the link in the description to give 1:02:20.960 --> 1:02:25.120 now or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more 1:02:25.120 --> 1:02:28.960 information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 1:02:29.240 --> 1:02:30.560 You can share it with your friends. 1:02:30.840 --> 1:02:33.120 You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 1:02:33.160 --> 1:02:35.280 share it on your social stories and tag us at 1:02:35.320 --> 1:02:36.160 Elevation Church. 1:02:36.240 --> 1:02:37.240 Thanks again for listening. 1:02:37.280 --> 1:02:42.880 God bless you.