Bonus Episode: Protected By God's Presence (Praise Party 2019)

0:00:02.120 --> 0:00:06.280 Welcome to the Elevation Church Podcast. Today, we wanted to 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:09.400 share a message with you that Pastor Stephen preached at 0:00:09.400 --> 0:00:13.280 our annual praise party on New Year's Eve twenty nineteen. 0:00:13.800 --> 0:00:16.439 We never could have known the hardships that would be ahead, 0:00:16.600 --> 0:00:19.959 but we believe this message will still encourage you that 0:00:20.079 --> 0:00:23.440 no matter how big our problems may seem, we serve 0:00:23.560 --> 0:00:28.880 an even bigger God. Enjoy the message. I believe that 0:00:28.920 --> 0:00:32.040 God has given you strategic influence and He's positioned you, 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:35.479 and I want to help in this new year to 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:38.040 set a trajectory for your faith that you can believe 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:39.440 that God is going to use you to make a 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:43.839 difference wherever you are. Tell somebody next to you you're 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:47.360 a big deal. Ask him, can I get a selfie 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:51.559 with you? In fact, pull out your phone right now? 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:54.800 Would you do that? Just real quick, real quick? Pull 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:59.520 out your phone, pull up your camera app, put it 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:05.880 in self and point it right at that beautiful face 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:10.520 of yours. And when I say three, I want you 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:13.160 to take a picture. Are you ready? Come on, We're 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:16.119 going to do this together, and there's a reason for it. 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:18.960 When I say three, I want you to get a 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:21.600 picture real quick. Are you ready on every location. If 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:30.080 you're ready to say ready one, two, three, cool, put 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:36.399 your phone on. I just wanted you to have proof. 0:01:38.640 --> 0:01:43.119 I just wanted you to have proof because all this year, 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:45.480 the enemy is going to try to get you to 0:01:45.520 --> 0:01:49.280 think that you can't make it, and that your faith 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.800 isn't strong enough, and that you don't have what it takes, 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:57.160 and that you can't survive the storm. And when he 0:01:57.200 --> 0:02:00.240 does that, I want you to pull that picture up 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:04.480 and remind him that he told you that same bs 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:09.760 at the beginning of twenty nineteen. I'm sorry, it's late. 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:15.480 My filter comes off at ten thirty. And I want 0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:20.440 you to have proof that the weapon may be formed, 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:25.600 but it didn't work last time and it won't work 0:02:25.680 --> 0:02:29.760 this time. And so when he comes in your face 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:33.240 trying to make you think this is the end and 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.320 you can't do it and you're not enough and you 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:39.000 are not significant, I want you to show him that 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:42.960 selfie how you were in church for the last hour 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:46.840 of twenty nineteen and all for the next ten years. 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:50.440 Just flash it at the devil and say I got proof. 0:02:57.639 --> 0:03:02.800 You know, we so easily confused use the presence of 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:08.440 God with the absence of problems, the goodness of God 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:11.760 with the absence of problems. I'm preaching already and I 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:16.720 haven't read my verse. Second Kings, chapter six, verse eight. 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:18.680 How many of you this is your first New Year's 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:23.840 Eve ever in church? How many of you? If I 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:26.040 knew what you were doing last New Year's Eve, I'd 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:30.399 be really proud of how much progress you've made. Wow, 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:37.360 You're my favorite. In Second Kings chapter six, there is 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:41.560 an illustration of what happens in these moments where we 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:45.120 must make a decision whether we are going to view 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:49.680 our life through faith or through fear. And I want 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:53.040 to share it with you from Second Kings chapter six, 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:57.120 beginning in verse eight. And please pray for me, because 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:00.640 I take these moments seriously. Not so much just to 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:02.440 give you a lesson where you can write a few 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:06.800 things down or a few tweetable, quotable lines, but to 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.720 really speak something over your life that will bring to 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.400 closure some of the conflict that you've been going through, 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:16.880 so that you can transform it and convert it into 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:20.880 power for what's ahead of you. That's why we came tonight, 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:25.320 and that's what we intend to do. In tewod Kings 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:28.680 chapter six, verse eight, the Bible says now the King 0:04:28.839 --> 0:04:33.240 of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with 0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:36.800 his officers, he said, I will set up my camp 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:40.880 in such and such a place. The Man of God 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:45.000 sent word to the King of Israel, beware of passing 0:04:45.040 --> 0:04:49.240 that place, because the Aramians are going down there. So 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:52.200 the King of Israel checked on the place indicated by 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:56.640 the Man of God time and again. Elisha warned the 0:04:56.720 --> 0:05:01.920 king so that he was on his guard in such places. 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:08.880 This enraged the King of Aram. He summoned his officers 0:05:09.240 --> 0:05:12.880 and demanded of them, will you not tell me which 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.239 of us is on the side of the King of Israel. 0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:18.960 Do you know how mad you made the devil just 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:23.360 by showing up tonight. I mean, he said, so many 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:27.120 traps for you this year. Tried to make you bitter, 0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:30.920 tried to make you envious of others, tried to keep 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:34.159 you in a depression. I know you've been going through things. 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:36.440 He tried. He couldn't get you to go crazy, so 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:39.120 he started messing with your kids. He thought, if he 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:41.839 could get your kids to go crazy enough, maybe you 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:44.880 would lose your hope in God. Even some people in 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.800 your life left this year that you were counting on 0:05:48.240 --> 0:05:51.320 and after all of that, here you are. The Bible 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:55.599 says it enraged the enemies of Israel because no matter 0:05:55.680 --> 0:05:58.320 what they did to try to bring down the king, 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:02.960 God had someone on the inside to warn them about it. 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:06.359 Tell the person next to you, I got somebody on 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:11.080 the inside. And it makes the devil mad, and it 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:13.920 makes them a little bit confused, And honestly, it makes 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:16.960 him nervous to see you praising God like you've been 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:20.880 praising God tonight. I mean this that some of you, 0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:25.839 just by lifting your hands tonight, you caused all kinds 0:06:25.880 --> 0:06:31.200 of confusion in hell. Not only have angels been watching 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:34.200 you this year, but the demons have been watching you too, 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:38.000 the ones that were assigned to wreak havoc in your mind. 0:06:38.440 --> 0:06:43.120 And they thought, surely by now you'd be tired. They thought, surely, 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:46.640 after all you've been through, you would skip church and 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:50.440 sleep in. But look at you in the presence of God. 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:55.960 To confuse the enemy, now we need to take nineteen 0:06:56.160 --> 0:07:01.159 seconds and embarrass the enemy to let him know him. 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:07.039 Then what he did, it didn't work. Then what he 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:13.680 did it hurt, but it didn't work. You'll still got 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:28.160 eleven seconds on the clock. Read my scripture. I'm reading 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:37.160 my scripture. This is a dignified moment. You're chaotic, church members. Well, 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:42.320 he was mad because everywhere he wanted to attack Israel, 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:49.400 God's chosen people. There was a there was a I 0:07:49.400 --> 0:07:51.040 don't want to call him a spy. He was a 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:56.520 prophet Elisha. He had an ability to see things. And 0:07:56.640 --> 0:08:05.440 you think Siri is scary. Really, Alexa scares me. How 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:08.840 stuff starts showing up on my phone And I think 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:12.240 Alexa is talking to Siri, and Siri is talking to Google, 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:15.960 and Google is talking to Instagram, and I'm terrified that 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.640 they're listening to me. Now watch this. This is interesting 0:08:19.920 --> 0:08:23.720 because the spirit of God in Elisha would give him 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:28.760 a location where the enemy was going to attack God's people. 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:32.520 And when they called together all of the different high 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:35.800 ranking officials to see who is the one who is 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:40.000 spoiling our ambushes and causing our attempts to attack the 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:43.160 people of God not to work, the response came in 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:47.679 verse twelve, none of us, my lord the king, but Elisha, 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:52.040 the prophet who is in Israel, tells the King of 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:57.160 Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom. Yikes. 0:09:00.120 --> 0:09:06.600 So everywhere that Israel travel, God would send a word 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.920 through Elisha to tell them where they needed Verse tences 0:09:10.920 --> 0:09:16.880 to be on their guard in such places. Tonight, I 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:21.360 want to tell you that for this year twenty twenty, 0:09:22.240 --> 0:09:25.160 you know, like twenty twenty vision. Yeah, for this year, 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:30.400 you need to see some things with your spirit that 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:36.719 you cannot see with your senses. And the reason this 0:09:36.800 --> 0:09:41.240 is so important is because if you don't recognize where 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:44.800 the enemy is attacking you the most frequently and ask 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:48.280 God to give you insight into the places of your 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:52.559 greatest vulnerability, you will spend all of your energy this 0:09:52.679 --> 0:09:57.000 year fighting battles that you could have avoided if you 0:09:57.040 --> 0:10:03.960 would have learned the lessons of last year. Yeah. I 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:08.040 don't like this part of my sermon. I know makes 0:10:08.080 --> 0:10:10.840 you mad when you realize that a lot of the 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:16.000 battles that you fought you could have avoided if you 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:20.560 had listened to what was on the inside instead of 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:30.400 responding to what was on the outside. So I want 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:34.680 to spend this year with what Paul called open eyes 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:38.520 in my heart. It sounds grotesque when you describe it 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:41.400 like that, but he was saying that there is a 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:46.360 kind of sight that does not revolve around external stimuli, 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.959 and it is more based on internal processing. If I 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:53.360 could break it down even more for you, I would 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:57.680 use this phrase on his guard in such places to 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:00.440 describe how I think God intends to pret text you 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:04.600 as you go into this next season, this next decade 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:09.600 of your life, and that requires self awareness. There's a 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:16.120 theological term progressive revelation. It means that while God never changes, 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:22.319 our understanding of Him unfolds over time, not necessarily chronologically, 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:25.520 but as we experience different things in our life, we 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:29.480 come to see God in different ways. Even the Bible 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:33.360 is constructed with the progressive revelation in mind, so that 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:37.720 you see concepts introduced in the Book of Genesis that 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:40.400 are mirrored in the Book of Revelation. That's the first 0:11:40.480 --> 0:11:43.240 and the last, and by the time you get to Revelation, 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:46.040 you get a full picture of what was hinted at 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:50.160 in Genesis. So you see types and shadows in the 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:54.480 Old Testament which ultimately point to Jesus Christ, but they're 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:57.360 pointing to something that you have not clearly seen yet. 0:11:58.360 --> 0:12:02.439 Life is this way. It is that many of us, 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:05.480 in this season of our life are going to see 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:09.000 things that we only saw a shadow of in a 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:13.839 previous season of our life. Progressive revelation means that God 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:18.800 wants to show you some things about himself and even 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:21.800 about you that will cause you to be able to 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:27.880 avoid what I call unnecessary roughness. It's a football term, 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:31.320 but it also applies when we're going up against the devil. 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:34.560 And let me help you with something real quick. Some 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:38.760 of the battles that you fought last year were in 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:49.160 places that you never should have been. I know it's 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:53.120 supposed to be a praise party, but before we party, 0:12:53.880 --> 0:12:57.880 can I preach for a moment? I got twenty four 0:12:57.920 --> 0:13:01.559 minutes to tell you about this. There are certain places 0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:06.079 that you need to stay away from this year, because 0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:09.560 if you go there and then ask God to protect 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:14.760 you in those places. I don't know whether to start 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:19.280 with Facebook, or whether to start with CNN, or whether 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:22.320 to start with Fox News, but we have to be 0:13:22.559 --> 0:13:26.320 very careful about where we go. Watch this not just 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:36.880 with our bodies, but with our minds, because it is 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:40.680 very possible that God is trying to warn you about 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:43.880 certain places that every time you go there you start 0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:47.920 feeling judgmental, or every time you go there you start 0:13:47.960 --> 0:13:51.320 having comparison, or every time you go there you start 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:54.360 feeling like your life is missing something. And if I 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:57.240 were you, I would put that Bible app on the 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:01.720 front screen of my iPhone this year. For those of 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:03.920 you who aren't saved yet, you might have an Android, 0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:06.359 but you could put the Bible app on there too, 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:11.960 and I would find that thing that deletes some of 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:14.520 the other apps. And can we all just make a 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:16.840 covenantal agreement in the presence of God on this the 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:22.400 last sermon of twenty nineteen. Let's all not post our 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:26.120 workouts until we have been doing them consistently for at 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:32.160 least four weeks this year. Can we do that? Now, 0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:34.920 look at somebody and say, I don't have to post 0:14:34.960 --> 0:14:38.880 it to prove it, because if I do the work, 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:43.640 you will notice the results. I won't have to screenshot 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:48.280 my sweat on the floor. Nobody wants to see your spandex. 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:52.000 Thank you very much. Do a rep in the secret place, 0:14:55.560 --> 0:15:01.800 will know, will know. And it's really interesting how certain 0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:04.920 places bring me into vulnerability. And I just want to 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:08.240 ask the question, have you lived long enough to know 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:14.200 yet where you're most vulnerable? There were certain places where 0:15:14.240 --> 0:15:17.960 the enemy intended to attack, but because the king had 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:21.440 somebody on the inside. Wouldn't it be nice to have 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:26.120 somebody on the inside that could tell you, like it 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:29.200 can tell you where there's traffic, and it can show 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:33.120 you on the GPS where there's gonna be traffic. Wouldn't 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:36.280 it be nice to have somebody on the inside like 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:40.640 Elisha was on the inside and he was feeding information 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:43.920 to the King saying, don't go there. Wouldn't it be 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:49.920 nice to have somebody on the inside. Wouldn't it be 0:15:50.000 --> 0:15:54.080 cool if you didn't have to go into this year alone, 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:59.280 but you could have somebody on the inside. Wouldn't it 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:03.560 be awesome if when Jesus Christ went to heaven he 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:08.200 sent down his spirit to live in those who would 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:12.240 believe in his name. Wouldn't it be awesome if you 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:16.720 had somebody on the inside, the spirit of truth, the 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:21.120 spirit of righteousness, the spirit of God telling you don't 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.640 go there, don't think that, don't complete that, cut off 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:27.960 that conversation, don't give them all that information. And here's 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:30.880 the beautiful thing about it. God will show you where 0:16:31.040 --> 0:16:33.200 to be on your guard if you will give him 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:42.680 the opportunity. Even this, God will even show you what 0:16:42.960 --> 0:16:46.360 days of the week you are more susceptible to discouragement, 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:50.560 so you can plan around it. Y'all, don't believe in God. 0:16:52.360 --> 0:16:56.000 You don't think he's in you. You don't think God 0:16:56.080 --> 0:17:00.400 can show you about yourself what he knows from the 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:03.520 inside up. You don't think the one who created you 0:17:05.840 --> 0:17:11.080 knows how to counsel you. And yet we all the 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:17.280 time we go into states of discouragement and then we 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:20.320 try to pray our way out of them. But we 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:24.280 got discouraged because of a mental game that we played, 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:32.720 and no cliches can rescue us. New Year Knew You 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:45.880 because if we told the truth, it doesn't sound as cute, right. 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:48.560 What really has to happen for you to change is 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:50.320 that Romans twelfth says you have to be transformed by 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:53.399 the renewing of your mind. Okay, So that means that 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:56.320 you have to do things a different way for a 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:58.920 long time. And so the pathways that were in your 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:02.399 mind called neuropathway, that were causing you to do the 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:04.760 things that you don't want to do anymore, whether that's 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:07.119 an addiction to pornography, or whether that's an addiction to 0:18:07.119 --> 0:18:09.440 a substance, or whether that's an addiction to food, or 0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:12.240 whether that's an addiction to gossip or whether that's an 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:16.960 addiction to judging people who struggle with pornography, food, or substances. 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:26.400 Because I can preach to everybody in the room, I'll 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:29.960 tell you, Pastor Steve, I don't struggle with these sins 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:33.159 that you mention. It's actually great because I'm starting this 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:36.280 new year with a pretty clean slate. I'll tell you 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:39.760 I've been walking with the Lord for a long time, 0:18:40.119 --> 0:18:43.160 and I don't really have any of these struggles except 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:46.920 the one with self righteousness that I am expressing by 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:50.960 saying that I don't need anything new from God this year. 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:58.320 But to really have a new year, New year, new 0:18:58.400 --> 0:19:04.200 you doesn't really work like that new year new neural pathways. See, 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:08.280 it doesn't preach's good. Who's gonna put that on Instagram? 0:19:08.680 --> 0:19:11.479 But the fact of the matter is for God to 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:14.600 do something new in your life this year. You will 0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:18.040 have to save your strength for the things that matter, 0:19:18.280 --> 0:19:20.560 and that means you are going to have to listen 0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:23.200 to the spirit of God. And the spirit of God 0:19:23.280 --> 0:19:26.959 will tell you, don't return that phone call, don't return 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:31.679 that text, don't even go there. You'll start thinking something 0:19:31.720 --> 0:19:34.120 in your mind and the Spirit of the Lord will 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:36.880 show you. You can't afford to play with that, you 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:40.240 can't play around with the devil, and then ask God 0:19:40.320 --> 0:19:42.960 to deliver you from the devil that you were playing with. 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:47.200 There are some places you cannot afford to go this year. 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:51.280 Your soul cannot afford it, your joy cannot afford it, 0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:56.119 your peace cannot afford it. And I've got somebody on 0:19:56.160 --> 0:19:59.600 the inside that can show me where the attack is. 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:03.520 Wouldn't it be cool if some of the battles that 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:09.920 you fought last year you could avoid this year, so 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:13.520 you'd be singing, this is how I fight my battles. 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:23.520 And you're just sitting there and they're expecting you to 0:20:23.560 --> 0:20:28.520 be swinging, but you're not fighting your battles by swinging. 0:20:30.359 --> 0:20:35.400 You're fighting your battles by staying away from the places. 0:20:36.400 --> 0:20:38.800 I know this is heavy for a party, but I 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:43.640 got to preach it because God will not strengthen you 0:20:43.680 --> 0:20:49.080 for a battle that He did not call you to fight. 0:20:52.320 --> 0:20:56.520 So you've got to let go this year of the 0:20:56.640 --> 0:21:00.240 need to prove things to people because that it is 0:21:00.280 --> 0:21:03.200 not a battle God has called you to fight. You've 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:06.040 got to let go this year of trying to of 0:21:06.080 --> 0:21:08.520 trying to make up for things that are in the 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:11.199 past and that God has already forgiven. That is not 0:21:11.280 --> 0:21:14.040 a battle God has called you to fight. It is over. 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:17.840 It is gone, the oldest gone, the newest come. You 0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:21.639 have got to ask the spirit of God what areas 0:21:21.920 --> 0:21:27.600 to avoid in this year? Okay? So Elisha is giving 0:21:28.000 --> 0:21:33.480 the information for the military attack, and I wonder if 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:36.879 the spirit of God is trying to give you information 0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:41.080 for the spiritual attacks that you're under, but you keep 0:21:41.119 --> 0:21:46.240 going two old places. And when he found out about it, 0:21:46.320 --> 0:21:50.399 not only was he mad, but he was determined to 0:21:50.400 --> 0:21:54.200 get rid of this guy because Elisha was a problem. 0:21:55.800 --> 0:22:00.040 Elisha was a it was a problem. Are you a 0:22:00.160 --> 0:22:08.359 problem for the enemy? I'm gonna tell you how you 0:22:08.400 --> 0:22:13.800 can know if you are. If nothing ever goes wrong 0:22:13.840 --> 0:22:22.880 in your life and you never burned the toast, if 0:22:22.920 --> 0:22:26.720 everything is so nice and neat and orderly, and you 0:22:26.840 --> 0:22:30.560 never face any kind of resistance, it means that the 0:22:30.560 --> 0:22:42.200 devil isn't threatened by you at all. And here's how 0:22:42.200 --> 0:22:45.719 I know that from the text, because again we often 0:22:45.800 --> 0:22:49.240 perceive that the presence of God is proven by the 0:22:49.280 --> 0:22:55.800 absence of problems. Right. Wrong couldn't be more untrue, because 0:22:55.840 --> 0:22:59.520 when Elisha was giving the word of the Lord to 0:22:59.600 --> 0:23:02.879 prevent the attack. For the people of God, watch what 0:23:02.920 --> 0:23:05.760 the king did in verse thirteen. Go find out where 0:23:05.760 --> 0:23:10.840 he is. The moment that you begin to fulfill the 0:23:10.840 --> 0:23:16.959 purpose God created you for, the enemy will dispatch special forces. 0:23:20.760 --> 0:23:24.320 Raise your hand. If you had some things happened this 0:23:24.400 --> 0:23:27.320 year that made you question if God even loved you, 0:23:27.400 --> 0:23:30.919 raise your hand. Be honest enough to raise it. I 0:23:31.119 --> 0:23:35.640 suggest to you keep it up. I suggest to you 0:23:36.280 --> 0:23:39.919 that the reason you had some of your problems is 0:23:40.000 --> 0:23:47.479 because you are such a problem for the darkness, because 0:23:47.520 --> 0:23:57.360 of the light that you carry. Somebody shout, I'm a problem. 0:23:58.680 --> 0:24:00.159 So let me tell you how you can prove that 0:24:00.240 --> 0:24:02.440 God is with you. Okay, the way that you can 0:24:02.560 --> 0:24:05.280 prove that God is with you is not by the 0:24:05.320 --> 0:24:09.560 fact that nothing bad ever happens to you. The proof, 0:24:09.720 --> 0:24:13.359 my mom used to say, the proof is in the pudding. 0:24:14.840 --> 0:24:16.879 Well I found out when it comes to the things 0:24:16.880 --> 0:24:21.320 of God, the proof is in the problem. How do 0:24:21.440 --> 0:24:23.800 I know that God is using me and that He 0:24:23.880 --> 0:24:27.000 has great plans for me? How do I know that 0:24:27.040 --> 0:24:30.280 God has put a big calling on my life? How 0:24:30.320 --> 0:24:34.480 do I know that God has something outstanding for my future. 0:24:35.160 --> 0:24:39.640 I know the size of my calling by the size 0:24:39.840 --> 0:24:43.200 of my problem. Y'all shout if you've been through something 0:24:43.240 --> 0:24:51.639 this year. When Elsa started telling the king where to 0:24:51.680 --> 0:24:54.639 look for the attack, the King of Arab said, you 0:24:54.760 --> 0:24:58.840 gotta find him. He's a problem. The enemy set special 0:24:58.960 --> 0:25:02.840 forces for you because you are right on the verge 0:25:03.280 --> 0:25:07.760 of breaking a generational curse and changing a plot line. 0:25:08.000 --> 0:25:16.399 You're a problem for the darkness. You're a problem, he said, 0:25:16.440 --> 0:25:20.119 Go find out where he is so I can send 0:25:20.160 --> 0:25:23.600 men and capture him. And the report came back, he's 0:25:23.640 --> 0:25:26.639 in Dothan. Then he sent horses and chariots and a 0:25:26.720 --> 0:25:30.159 strong force there, and they went by night and surrounded 0:25:30.160 --> 0:25:32.280 the city. Now verse fifteen is really what I want 0:25:32.280 --> 0:25:34.960 to preach. You'll get ready. You're ready? Are you ready? 0:25:35.560 --> 0:25:38.200 Are you ready? Because I only got twelve minutes to 0:25:38.240 --> 0:25:39.920 preach this, and I'm gonna need a little bit of help. 0:25:40.000 --> 0:25:44.959 Are you ready for verse fifteen? No, you're not. You 0:25:45.000 --> 0:25:47.159 can't be, because when the servant of the men of 0:25:47.200 --> 0:25:48.879 God got up and went out early the next morning 0:25:48.920 --> 0:25:52.359 an army with horses and chariots that surrounded the city. 0:25:53.480 --> 0:26:02.640 Oh no, my lord, what shall we do? Asked, Now, 0:26:02.680 --> 0:26:05.879 this is this is something that I need to illustrate. 0:26:07.400 --> 0:26:11.120 Give me, like Wade, give me like a six men 0:26:11.520 --> 0:26:13.840 on the stage, real quick, and six men that are 0:26:13.840 --> 0:26:20.920 not very big. The team captain. Yeah, he's too big, 0:26:21.200 --> 0:26:23.960 he's too big. I need six men that are not 0:26:24.080 --> 0:26:27.399 very big. Six men that are not very big, and 0:26:27.480 --> 0:26:31.800 don't be insulted if he chooses you. Six men that 0:26:31.840 --> 0:26:34.440 are not very big. Six men they are not very big. 0:26:34.480 --> 0:26:36.400 Come on up, six men that are not very big, 0:26:36.480 --> 0:26:39.760 Six men that are not very big, Six men that 0:26:39.800 --> 0:26:41.880 are not very big. I want you all to form 0:26:41.920 --> 0:26:44.879 a circle around me and look intimidating. All right, not 0:26:44.960 --> 0:26:48.640 too close, just like how the servant woke up. Get 0:26:48.640 --> 0:26:51.120 around me. Six men that are not too big. Six 0:26:51.200 --> 0:26:52.840 men that are not too big. We need we may 0:26:52.880 --> 0:26:54.439 need two more. Give me eight men that are not 0:26:54.480 --> 0:26:57.639 too big. One, two, three, four, y'all get all around me, 0:26:57.720 --> 0:27:02.520 Get all around me and look ferocious, look at me like, oh, 0:27:02.680 --> 0:27:06.399 we're gonna kill you. He're that prophet, that's man you know, 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:19.439 messing up? Aul. Come on, it's a problem. Come on, 0:27:19.480 --> 0:27:20.919 give me all the way around, all the way around. 0:27:21.119 --> 0:27:23.119 Six men that are not too big. Eight men that 0:27:23.160 --> 0:27:25.600 are not too big, and the servant, I want to 0:27:25.600 --> 0:27:28.879 show you something. This is gonna be so helpful for 0:27:28.960 --> 0:27:33.639 you to understand what you go through in the next 0:27:33.680 --> 0:27:36.800 twelve months and in the next ten years, and for 0:27:36.880 --> 0:27:39.679 as long as God's hand will be on you. The 0:27:39.760 --> 0:27:42.840 servant woke up right, and the first thing he saw 0:27:42.840 --> 0:27:47.280 that morning when he got up, he saw something that 0:27:47.359 --> 0:27:57.439 he didn't know how to handle. Hm hmm. And I 0:27:57.480 --> 0:28:02.399 think everybody here, personally speaking, has something that they're looking 0:28:02.440 --> 0:28:06.959 at that they don't know how to handle. It's usually 0:28:06.960 --> 0:28:11.920 not a military thing, it's a mental thing. So I've 0:28:11.960 --> 0:28:15.919 got I've got maybe like, I got a decision I 0:28:15.920 --> 0:28:18.000 don't know how to make. I got bills, I got this, 0:28:18.119 --> 0:28:21.560 I got that, I got transitioned. So he's looking around 0:28:22.960 --> 0:28:27.479 and he's like, oh no, my lord, what shall we 0:28:27.480 --> 0:28:32.920 do now? Elisha is the prophet that would tell the 0:28:33.040 --> 0:28:36.639 king where the enemy was going to attack. And here's 0:28:36.640 --> 0:28:40.040 my question. If he knew where the king was going 0:28:40.120 --> 0:28:46.840 to be attacked, why did he get attacked? Wow? If 0:28:46.880 --> 0:28:51.640 you have the ability to know when other people are 0:28:51.680 --> 0:28:54.440 going to be attacked, how can you not see it 0:28:54.640 --> 0:28:58.840 when you're going to be attacked. Have you ever noticed 0:28:58.840 --> 0:29:01.640 how easy it is to give other people advice for 0:29:01.840 --> 0:29:07.560 their marriage, for raising their children. All but mess around 0:29:07.600 --> 0:29:10.480 and have one of your own, and you will shut 0:29:10.520 --> 0:29:17.120 your stupid mouth when it happens to you. And the 0:29:17.160 --> 0:29:20.720 servant goes, oh no, my lord, what shall we do? Now? 0:29:20.720 --> 0:29:23.480 Watch what Elisha says. Give me next verse put on 0:29:23.520 --> 0:29:27.640 the screen. Please don't be afraid. The prophet answer, oh man, 0:29:27.720 --> 0:29:30.880 this sounds like great advice. Don't be afraid. Now. These 0:29:30.920 --> 0:29:35.640 are chariots and horses. These are not you know, no offense. 0:29:35.960 --> 0:29:39.800 But this is not you. This is trained Syrian soldiers. 0:29:40.360 --> 0:29:43.200 And the prophet says, don't be afraid. Those who are 0:29:43.240 --> 0:29:51.080 with us are more than those who are with them. James, 0:29:51.280 --> 0:29:55.920 get me twelve men who are real big, twelve men 0:29:56.040 --> 0:29:58.440 who are as big as you. Come on right now. 0:29:58.560 --> 0:30:05.480 I need twelve big men, twelve really fierce men, twelve 0:30:05.560 --> 0:30:11.000 men that are on CrossFit and creating and protein and 0:30:11.120 --> 0:30:17.920 TRT and AH and steroids. Come on, I need twelve 0:30:18.320 --> 0:30:21.040 big men, and I need you to come here because 0:30:21.040 --> 0:30:23.280 I'm gonna be Elisha. I'm gonna be Elisha, and I'm 0:30:23.280 --> 0:30:24.880 gonna stand here in the middle, and I need you 0:30:24.920 --> 0:30:27.800 all to come surround. Me, because the Bible says that 0:30:27.840 --> 0:30:30.040 when Elishah praid, come on, get real close, get real close. 0:30:30.200 --> 0:30:32.400 Come on, I don't have any proximity issues, not that close. 0:30:32.440 --> 0:30:34.680 Back up a little bit, come in, Come in close 0:30:34.720 --> 0:30:36.240 as we can get and I can still you have 0:30:36.280 --> 0:30:40.640 function functionality. Come on, getting close, getting close, because Elisha said. 0:30:40.760 --> 0:30:43.760 Elisha said, don't be afraid those who are with us, 0:30:43.760 --> 0:30:45.800 come on, surround me all the way. Those who are 0:30:45.800 --> 0:30:49.000 with us are more than those who are with them. 0:30:49.240 --> 0:30:51.880 Those who are with us are more than those who 0:30:51.880 --> 0:30:54.320 are with them. It not only means we've got more 0:30:54.360 --> 0:30:58.200 in quantity, but they are greater in strength because those 0:30:58.200 --> 0:31:00.920 who are with us are more than those who are 0:31:00.960 --> 0:31:03.160 with them. So I'm gonna show you something real quick. 0:31:03.480 --> 0:31:06.640 So he said, he said, don't be afraid. Those who 0:31:06.680 --> 0:31:08.920 are with us are more than those who are with them. 0:31:09.000 --> 0:31:13.200 And then the next verse, verse seventeen, says and Elisha prayed, 0:31:13.920 --> 0:31:20.720 Oh Lord, open his eyes so that he may see. Okay, now, 0:31:22.200 --> 0:31:24.240 if I'm the servant, I'll be right back. Stay right there, 0:31:24.240 --> 0:31:26.680 stay right there, stay right there. If I'm the servant, 0:31:27.840 --> 0:31:31.760 I'm thinking that God is about to do something so awesome, 0:31:33.160 --> 0:31:36.640 and he's gonna make all the enemies, the first ones 0:31:36.680 --> 0:31:40.959 that came to attack. I'm gonna close my eyes and 0:31:41.000 --> 0:31:45.280 he's gonna pray. And when I open my eyes, all 0:31:45.440 --> 0:31:50.080 the enemies are gonna be gone. So you'll leave real quick, 0:31:50.160 --> 0:31:52.320 just leave, just go somewhere. Not the good ones, the 0:31:52.360 --> 0:32:00.280 bad ones. So yeah, yeah, that's what I'm expecting. Open 0:32:00.320 --> 0:32:04.680 my eyes. Wow, it's a miracle. But come back, come back, 0:32:04.680 --> 0:32:05.959 come back, come back, come back, come back, come back, 0:32:05.960 --> 0:32:09.479 come back. Instead, get back in position quickly, quickly. It's 0:32:09.480 --> 0:32:14.880 almost midnight. Am I gonna show you something? So Elisha's praying, right, 0:32:15.280 --> 0:32:20.600 He's like, oh, Lord, open his eyes that he may see. 0:32:20.720 --> 0:32:23.880 And he opens his eyes, and what does he see? 0:32:24.120 --> 0:32:30.320 The same enemy that he saw before the prayer. In fact, 0:32:31.120 --> 0:32:34.200 go to the next verse, verse eighteen. As the enemy 0:32:34.320 --> 0:32:41.720 came toward him, Now stop. How did Elisha pray and 0:32:41.840 --> 0:32:47.160 the enemy still came toward him? How did Elisha, the 0:32:47.400 --> 0:32:51.520 powerful man of God? How did Elisha who had the word? 0:32:51.680 --> 0:32:55.280 How did Elisha the prophet that struck the water? How 0:32:55.320 --> 0:33:00.280 did Elisha the successor to Elijah? How did Elisha who 0:33:00.400 --> 0:33:03.920 let an entire nation into a time of revival? Who 0:33:03.920 --> 0:33:08.040 could purify the waters of the Jericho. How could Elisha 0:33:08.240 --> 0:33:12.800 keep praying but the attack kept coming. Well, the proof 0:33:12.840 --> 0:33:16.680 of the presence of God is not the absence of problems. 0:33:17.000 --> 0:33:19.760 The proof of the presence of God is not that 0:33:19.840 --> 0:33:23.440 the problems disappeared. The proof of the presence of God 0:33:23.840 --> 0:33:27.760 is that He kept me surrounded and the enemy came, 0:33:28.200 --> 0:33:32.520 but he couldn't kill me. The enemy came, de presant came, 0:33:32.920 --> 0:33:37.000 the panic attack came. I could barely catch my breath, 0:33:37.320 --> 0:33:42.080 but somehow the word of God sustained me through every 0:33:42.240 --> 0:33:46.680 season of my life. I almost lost my mind, I 0:33:46.880 --> 0:33:51.400 almost gave up, I almost let go, But there were 0:33:51.520 --> 0:33:56.120 more for me than against me. And I declare into 0:33:56.240 --> 0:34:01.440 the darkness of your life, greater is he that is 0:34:01.560 --> 0:34:16.480 in me. And the proof is in the problem. If 0:34:16.520 --> 0:34:21.200 God sent you a really big problem, he's about to 0:34:21.239 --> 0:34:25.520 demonstrate that he's a really big God. I got a 0:34:25.640 --> 0:34:29.640 really big God, I got a really good God. I 0:34:29.880 --> 0:34:38.440 got a really faithful Savior. So I got a really 0:34:39.360 --> 0:34:47.560 great praise, not because of the absence of problems, but 0:34:47.680 --> 0:34:58.400 because of the presence of God. Hey, hey, stand up 0:34:58.400 --> 0:35:00.759 as two minutes and forty three second until the next 0:35:00.800 --> 0:35:04.560 decade of your life it's two minutes and thirty eight 0:35:04.640 --> 0:35:09.040 seconds until the next decade of your life. And tomorrow 0:35:09.040 --> 0:35:13.080 morning when you open your eyes, guess what's still going 0:35:13.160 --> 0:35:24.120 to be there? Your problems, but guess what's within you. Wow, 0:35:27.000 --> 0:35:31.760 y'all got my back when I say this. Get ready 0:35:31.800 --> 0:35:38.480 to rejoice. Get ready to rejoice. The bigger the problem, 0:35:38.719 --> 0:35:45.080 the greater the opportunity for the presence of God. Y'all 0:35:45.080 --> 0:35:48.359 don't even need me to finish the sentence. You know 0:35:48.400 --> 0:35:52.600 what I'm saying. The devil's in everything. He could detrack 0:35:52.680 --> 0:35:55.839 you down. He put a target on your back. He 0:35:55.880 --> 0:35:59.160 ain't right in your head. But look at your praise. 0:36:00.080 --> 0:36:04.720 It's your purpose. Look at your praise, look at your God. 0:36:09.880 --> 0:36:13.440 And I say, I'm gonna put it up to a vote. 0:36:13.719 --> 0:36:18.399 What say ye, elevation. Let's stop telling God how big 0:36:18.440 --> 0:36:23.160 our problem is and start telling our problem. I got 0:36:23.200 --> 0:36:28.000 it even bigger. God greater as He greater is he? 0:36:29.640 --> 0:36:35.840 If God mean for you, look, get there guess him. 0:36:35.920 --> 0:36:38.440 Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 0:36:38.480 --> 0:36:41.480 you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 0:36:41.520 --> 0:36:44.440 you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 0:36:44.480 --> 0:36:47.760 link in the description to give now or visit Elevation 0:36:47.920 --> 0:36:51.560 Church dot org slash podcast for more information and if 0:36:51.560 --> 0:36:54.879 you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share 0:36:54.880 --> 0:36:57.080 it with your friends. You can click the share button, 0:36:57.120 --> 0:36:59.520 take a screenshot and share it on your social stories 0:36:59.560 --> 0:37:02.560 and tag at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 0:37:02.600 --> 0:37:02.960 bless you.