Functional Faith

0:00:01.520 --> 0:00:02.800 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:05.280 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:07.760 podcast and I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 0:00:08.080 --> 0:00:10.680 Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:13.080 Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving. 0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:19.240 In your life. Enjoy the message. Let's work together today 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:19.520 on this. 0:00:19.560 --> 0:00:22.800 In Mark chapter three, verse one, and the scripture I 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:25.159 want to read kind of sets up a theme that 0:00:25.160 --> 0:00:26.479 I want to talk to you about for the next 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:28.920 few weeks. So the Bible says another time Jesus went 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:31.479 into the synagogue and a man with a shriveled hand 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:34.960 was there. Some of them were looking for a reason 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:37.839 to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:39.360 if he would heal on the Sabbath. 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:40.360 And Jesus said. 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:43.559 To the man with the shriveled hand, stand up in 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:47.599 front of everyone, and then Jesus asked them which is 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:51.440 lawful on the sabbath, to do good or to do evil, 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:53.040 to save life. 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:56.120 Or to kill? But they remained silent. 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:02.040 So he looked around at them in and deeply distressed 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:06.119 at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, stretch out 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:08.680 your hand, and he stretched it out and his hand 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:13.040 was completely restored. I want to speak to you today 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:16.160 and possibly over the next few weeks on the subject 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:23.319 of functional faith, functional faith, and so Lord, I pray 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:25.760 that your word would do its work in our hearts 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.960 and that we would respond in order in Jesus name. 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:30.639 Amen, and I may be seated. 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:32.520 On your way to your seat, Tell somebody we got some. 0:01:32.520 --> 0:01:48.080 Work to do. Mark's Gospel gives us five. 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:54.000 Different accounts within two chapters of Jesus in confrontational situations. 0:01:54.760 --> 0:01:56.200 Typically we think of jesus. 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:57.960 Ministry as being a ministry of comfort, but it was 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:03.040 also a ministry of co confrontation. Comfort and confrontation are 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:06.200 both functions of the spirit of God. The same spirit 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:08.520 of God that will comfort you and your trials will 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:12.160 also confront you in your dysfunction in order to change 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:15.200 you and conform you to the image of Christ. And 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:18.280 so the earthly ministry of Jesus was no different in 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.959 that he was a reliable source of comfort for those 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:24.639 who mourn and a source of confrontation for those who 0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:28.160 had become complacent. We see Jesus here in one of 0:02:28.280 --> 0:02:31.839 five situations with the religious ruling group of his day, 0:02:32.520 --> 0:02:37.240 and the central issue around these confrontations is jesus relationship 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:40.720 with and approach to the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:44.000 gift that was given by God to people, but as 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:45.120 people so often. 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:47.840 Do, we pervert a good gift and use it for 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:48.640 the wrong purpose. 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:50.680 And the very thing that was meant to be creative 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:54.920 and restorative in nature becomes destructive when it's abused, that is, 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:56.920 to be used for a purpose different than what it 0:02:56.960 --> 0:03:00.359 was designed to accomplish. So, as we teach a little 0:03:00.400 --> 0:03:03.200 bit today on the subject of functional faith, and we 0:03:03.240 --> 0:03:06.320 look at this one particular story, we see here an 0:03:06.360 --> 0:03:10.280 image and an illustration of a system that is not working, 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:14.280 a system that has become dysfunctional, a system that is 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:18.760 no longer fulfilling its intended purpose. Jesus arrives and the 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:22.440 temple system by which the people were approaching God has 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:26.880 become dysfunctional or if you want to say, unfit, it 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:30.639 was unfit for the purpose that it was designed to serve. 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:35.680 How many of you, as summer approaches, are setting some 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:36.680 goals to. 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:38.720 Maybe get in shape for the summer. 0:03:38.720 --> 0:03:41.640 Maybe you're gonna get a little bit fit for the summer, 0:03:43.560 --> 0:03:51.400 gonna some crunches, No, some nasty crunches. How many of 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:55.440 you bought a fit bit some Lululemon' you're gonna do 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:59.240 it this summer, Well, go for it. I wish you 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:03.240 all the best. I think fitness is something that is 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:09.000 unique to each individual, because fitness is relative, right, you 0:04:09.040 --> 0:04:12.560 can go to certain places and feel very fit in 0:04:12.600 --> 0:04:15.840 comparison to other people, then go other places and feel 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:17.320 like you've never exercised a. 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:18.080 Day in your life. 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:21.160 And me and Holly were on a cruise ship recently 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:23.599 and I told her, I said, this place makes me 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:25.960 feel better about my body image, you know, just like 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:27.280 all the buffets. 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:28.080 This is helpful. 0:04:28.400 --> 0:04:32.880 And me and Chunks come up here. 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:34.600 Chunks, we went to Planet Fitness. 0:04:34.279 --> 0:04:36.800 A while back to we were on vacation and we 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:40.239 joined this gym to get a workout for a week. 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:44.320 And Chunks is, he's a fitness snob. 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:46.000 He likes to make fun of people who don't know 0:04:46.040 --> 0:04:49.800 how to work out. He's very judgmental. It's a pharisee 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:55.680 of sorts, a fitness pharisee he is. And he likes 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:57.360 to walk around the gym and tell me how other 0:04:57.360 --> 0:05:01.160 people aren't doing the exercises right. So if you ever 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.120 see him looking at you in a gym, he is 0:05:03.200 --> 0:05:06.680 not admiring your form, Okay, he's making fun of you. 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:08.600 At Planet Fitness, that's a funny gym. 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:10.240 I liked that place they had. Have you ever been 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:13.000 to this place? They have the lunk Alarm on. 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:15.760 The wall because they call it a judgment free zone. 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:17.320 They say, we want you to be able. 0:05:17.160 --> 0:05:23.159 To come work out here without guys like this investigating 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:27.400 your movements, and and so they have it's kind of funny. 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:29.520 They have a lunk alarm on the on the wall. 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:32.680 They call it a lunk somebody who walks in, you know, 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:34.680 the guys that walk in with a gallon jug of 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:38.679 water and the belt and the gloves. You know, guys 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:41.200 like Chunks. They don't want those kind of guys in 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:44.560 Planet Fitness. Also, by the way they offer. When we 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:47.520 were joining, the girl told us she said, come back Monday. 0:05:47.600 --> 0:05:52.640 They have on Monday we serve pizza of Monday at 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:56.839 the fitness club, which is are remarkable. I told Chunks 0:05:56.880 --> 0:05:58.840 we got to start giving out cocaine at the Sunday 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:00.840 night service at. 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:06.280 Well. 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:13.200 But Chunks is great. He's really helped me understand fitness. 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:15.839 He used to be a physical therapist, and that's part 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:19.040 of why so arrogant about the human body. And him 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:20.720 and Buck. You should come to Buck. How many want 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:24.279 Chunks and Buck on stage at the same time. These 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:28.400 guys are These guys are both strong men, and they're 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:31.280 both very stubborn. So sometimes I like to watch them argue, 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:34.680 and I'll often start an argument. I'll just I'll just 0:06:35.480 --> 0:06:37.960 throw the two of them together in the cage and 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.880 watch them go. I'll sometimes instigate arguments between them. But 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:45.640 they're both very fit, but there are different philosophies to fitness, 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:47.359 you know. So sometimes I'll be doing a workout with 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:49.640 Chunks and they say, what did Buck have you do yesterday? 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:51.440 And I'll tell him and he kind of roll his eyes. Oh, 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:57.000 that sounds like Buck. Buck's fitness routine. He's more of 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:59.960 a punisher. He has more punishment, a binge and pun 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:04.279 mentality toward fitness, and Chunk says more beach muscles. 0:07:04.320 --> 0:07:05.960 God, do you know what I mean by beach muscles. 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:07.719 He's gonna bench press. 0:07:07.480 --> 0:07:09.280 And he's gonna do his triceps and all that, all 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:11.360 the stuff that you can see. Like a lot of 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:13.600 Christians we want to have knowledge to show off when 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:14.160 we pose. 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:18.520 He's a great god. 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:23.400 And so Buck, bring out those kettlebells. Have you guys 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:27.240 seen some these kettlebells? Do any of you this kettlebelt? 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:31.600 There's a trend in fitness. The term is trendy right now, 0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:35.480 called functional fitness. Notice how he gave chunks the smaller 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:36.880 one just by instinct. 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:43.240 Guy was judging you. They said that. 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:50.280 One's fifty three pounds GTA twenty four kilograms, and that 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:55.280 one's thirty five pounds or sixteen for the rest of 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:59.600 the world that uses the metric system. 0:08:00.440 --> 0:08:04.760 So Buck says that functional fitness when you say you 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:06.520 subscribe mostly to. 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:13.200 Functional fitness, and functional fitness is two things, adaptability and application. 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:17.360 So it's like, is this something that would help you 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:21.040 in real life? You know, like, is this movement that 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:24.840 you're doing in exercising something that's going to translate into 0:08:24.920 --> 0:08:27.080 real life because a lot of stuff you do exercising 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:32.360 doesn't really resemble real life. And functional fitness it's a 0:08:32.400 --> 0:08:36.559 trendy term, but the essential definition of it in the 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:40.440 spirit that is intended is like, show them a kettlebell swing, Buck, 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:42.040 just a simple kettle bell swing. You can do a 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:43.960 lot of different moves with this one piece of equipment. 0:08:44.720 --> 0:08:45.960 You can do a kettlebell swing. 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:51.360 What else can you do with the kettlebelly creases? 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:00.480 That shown the Turkish get up? 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:03.280 Now, by the way, any exercise that starts with the 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:06.920 name of an Eastern European country you should rebel against. 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:11.000 This is a Turkish get up. A Turkish get up. 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:13.800 He's gonna show you how many different things you can 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:21.760 do with this one piece of Equipment's amazing. Well, come on, folks, 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:26.559 us fifty three pounds. That man just lifted a weight 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:33.280 joy over his head and stood up with one arm. 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:35.840 Can you do that the same thing? 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:41.480 Give a shot, just one time? Turkish get up? No 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:42.439 Turkish get up? 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:46.199 How many believe in chunks the lump? Come on, give 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:47.000 him some love. 0:09:46.880 --> 0:09:57.839 And ye. 0:10:02.240 --> 0:10:04.640 Well done. Come on, let's give it up for both 0:10:04.640 --> 0:10:05.800 of them. Thank you, guys. 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:08.679 I remember, I remember, I remember when Buck said, yeah, yeah, 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:10.319 you're good for now. I remember when Buck first told 0:10:10.320 --> 0:10:11.920 me just leave those right there. I remember when Buck 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:13.240 first told me he said, I can give you a 0:10:13.240 --> 0:10:14.839 whole work out. He said, people think you need a 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:17.360 whole gym. All this stands the equipment he said, I 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:19.400 can make you hate your life with this one piece 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:23.320 of equipment. You just got to know what to do 0:10:23.520 --> 0:10:26.520 with it. And see, sometimes we think we need all 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:30.320 this fancy special knowledge to grow in our faith, and 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:32.920 we think we need all of this equipment and all 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:36.160 of this training and all of this background. But I 0:10:36.200 --> 0:10:38.600 got good news for you one Bible verse. 0:10:38.679 --> 0:10:41.640 If you apply it to your life, I. 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:44.680 Said, if you put it to work, touts or neighbors 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:47.760 say it's time to work, It's time to work the word. 0:10:47.880 --> 0:10:49.560 So we want to talk over the next few weeks. 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:55.480 And this is just an introductory seminar unfunctional faith. Functional faith, 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.679 the kind of faith that doesn't just give you knowledge 0:10:58.720 --> 0:11:03.120 in your head, but gives you strength in your heart. 0:11:04.320 --> 0:11:07.880 The kind of faith that resembles real life. That is 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:11.000 the greatest compliment you can ever pay me as a preacher. 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:12.160 By the way, if you ever want to make me 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:14.480 feel good and we run into each other, tell me 0:11:14.520 --> 0:11:18.520 that something I said helped you in your life, that 0:11:18.559 --> 0:11:20.240 it made a difference. 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:20.720 In your home. 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:26.320 Business owners occasionally tell me, in an apologetic way, I 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:29.320 rip your stuff off. I take what you preach, and 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:32.000 I preach it to my employees. You don't ever have 0:11:32.040 --> 0:11:35.320 to apologize to me for that. That's what I preach 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:38.360 it for, so you can use it. You don't even 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:42.040 have to cite me. Well, the first time you rip 0:11:42.120 --> 0:11:45.960 me off, quote me, say my pastor says, and then 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:48.560 the second time you do it, just say it's been said. 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.480 And then the third time you do it, say I've 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:56.960 always said. That's how you do it. Touch somebody say 0:11:57.000 --> 0:12:02.080 plagiar eyes. I love it if I can find out 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:05.319 that the sermon I preached on Sunday made it into 0:12:05.320 --> 0:12:10.160 your Monday, I love that, or that it visited you 0:12:10.240 --> 0:12:13.160 on Tuesday, that it came back to you when you 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:14.800 needed it on Wednesday. 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:16.560 And that's what I preached for. 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:18.880 And I was thinking, if we had a new mission 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:21.560 statement for our church, I'd probably make it bringing faith 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:24.760 to life, because I hear people tell me so often 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:27.680 that faith was always a part of my life, but 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:32.000 it wasn't central to my life. And now I'm learning 0:12:32.520 --> 0:12:38.160 how God's word actually applies to me. Adaptability and application. 0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:40.960 Functional faith. 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:50.120 Jesus is instigating a functional faith in a dysfunctional religious system. 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:54.120 Mark Chapter three is about much more than a man's 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:59.640 hand being healed. It is about the heart of a 0:12:59.720 --> 0:13:07.600 sissystem that has become dysfunctional. It's about a it's about 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:13.400 a people who have misappropriated faith. I've heard so many 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:16.520 different definitions of faith. It's come to mean so much 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:22.720 that maybe it's now almost meaningless because when we say faith, 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:23.240 we use. 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:25.360 It to mean everything. You know, blind faith. 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:29.559 That's almost a way of saying, you're an idiot, just 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:29.959 did it. 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:30.960 With blind faith. 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:36.000 We say that an organization is a faith based organization. 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:41.800 We might say that someone came to faith. We might 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.320 say someone. 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:46.440 Lost their faith, or we encourage somebody to keep the faith. 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:50.640 We might tell somebody to have faith, or we say 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:52.680 that somebody had. 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:54.720 Great faith or or little faith. 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:57.920 We we even call someone a person of faith, as 0:13:58.000 --> 0:13:59.160 if it's an ethnicity. 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:02.959 Are you are you black? White? Faith? Like? What are 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:04.400 your Republican Democrat? Faith? 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:08.160 But faith is meant to be more than a formality. 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:11.400 Can I preach this faith? This meant to be more 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:14.520 than a feeling faith, This meant to be more than 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:16.840 a formula. In fact, if you can reduce it to 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:19.400 a formula and make sense out of it, it ain't faith. 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:23.560 If you can explain it, it ain't faith. You don't 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:26.240 need faith for what you can explain. You need faith 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:29.240 for what your eyes can't perceive. You need faith for 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:33.720 what you don't understand. Richard Rore has a definition of faith. 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:40.600 He says that faith is patience with mystery. Faith is 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.480 the willingness to abide in a place that you don't 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:49.640 fully understand. The ramifications of faith is patience with mystery. 0:14:50.800 --> 0:14:51.640 What is faith? 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:55.480 Hebrews eleven one says that faith is the substance of 0:14:55.560 --> 0:15:01.280 things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. Faith 0:15:01.360 --> 0:15:06.120 the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:07.600 not seeing. 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:10.280 Let's play a game. What's the opposite of good? 0:15:12.360 --> 0:15:17.640 What's the opposite of light? What's the opposite of faith? 0:15:20.680 --> 0:15:25.920 I heard doubt? I heard fear. I want to suggest 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:28.880 a third option. What if faith is not. 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:32.360 What? 0:15:32.360 --> 0:15:34.200 What if faith? You know? 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:37.680 You tend to think sometimes that if you have doubts, 0:15:37.720 --> 0:15:41.560 you don't have faith, that the presence of doubt indicates 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:46.560 the absence of faith. But one priest said, the opposite 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:52.440 of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty. 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:58.320 Let that sink can that the opposite of faith is 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:01.280 when you've figured every thing out, when you put your 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:04.320 life in such a position that you don't attempt anything 0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:10.160 that requires God. You don't stretch yourself into a territory 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:14.320 that enables the faith that you need for the challenges 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.800 that you face. So that means you can have a 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:20.680 lot of doubts but still operate in faith. Because faith 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.920 is not certainty, and faith is not a feeling. I 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.880 don't have to feel faith to have faith. I don't 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:29.840 have to feel a goosebump to believe God. I don't 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:32.280 even have to feel happy to be grateful for what 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:36.120 God is doing in my life. Somebody shout, I got faith. 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:39.400 I got faith in the middle of a storm. My 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.480 faith doesn't mean it's not gonna rain. My faith means 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:45.320 I'm gonna make it to the other side through whatever 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:48.800 waves I have to crossover. I got a faith that works. 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:52.880 It works in the face of the wind and the waves. 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:55.760 It works in the face of doubt and disappointment. 0:16:56.200 --> 0:17:03.600 My faith is a faith that were So what is faith? 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:06.560 And maybe a better question is what is faith? For? 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:11.520 Faith is the substance of things hoped for? What is 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:15.000 faith for? In other words, what is the objective of faith? 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:18.000 I'll put these in four subheadings so that you can 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:21.880 take notes and remember this and review this. Faith has 0:17:21.960 --> 0:17:27.240 an objective. Faith always has an objective. If you're gonna 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:30.600 get fit, the first thing a good trainer will ask 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:32.960 you is what are your goals or what do you 0:17:33.000 --> 0:17:36.400 want to get fit for? Are you just getting fit 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:38.680 for your honeymoon so you can look good for a week, 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:44.760 or are you getting fit so that you can Is 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:46.080 this a lifestyle thing? 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:52.280 Faith is a lifestyle thing. The objective of faith. 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:54.920 Now, in the passage that we read, there are three 0:17:54.960 --> 0:18:00.680 different groups or characters represented. You've got the Pharisees, the lunks. 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.240 Bible says that they came to planet fitness that day 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:09.560 to look at everybody else's form and to see what 0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:11.919 Jesus would do. I can't understand people who come to 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:15.280 church just to find fault with the place that they 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:17.920 invested their time in. Going to stay home for God's sake, 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:24.920 wash your car, run a mile, I'm serious. The Pharisees 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.680 that says that Jesus went into the synagogue, he went 0:18:27.720 --> 0:18:31.360 to heal, the man went with a withered hand, possibly 0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:35.920 to be heal, and the Pharisees went to watch says 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:37.040 that some of. 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:40.000 Them like how Mark doesn't actually call him out. 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:45.560 He says, some of y'all, some of y'all were looking 0:18:45.600 --> 0:18:49.600 for a reason to accuse Jesus. Jesus was looking for 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:53.800 an opportunity to heal. They were looking for an offense. 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:56.720 What are you looking for when you come to church? 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:01.520 I will never understand people who come on my Instagram 0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:03.399 feed just to tell me how much they hate me. 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:09.960 Why are you on my feed? 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.439 I'm serious, you know you're a false teacher. They'll come 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:18.280 on there and say, I don't understand anything you say. 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:19.119 It's algibbraius. 0:19:19.280 --> 0:19:21.359 I got a simple solution that's going to make all 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:23.159 of our lives a little better from here on. Now 0:19:23.680 --> 0:19:26.240 get off my feed and you won't have to deal 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:27.080 with my teaching. 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:34.640 Nobody made you come on my Facebook tout. 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:40.680 Your neighbors say, get off my feed. Pharisees are all 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:41.680 up in Jesus' feed. 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:43.200 I don't understand it. 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:45.199 Why would you come if the only thing if the 0:19:45.200 --> 0:19:48.240 only thing you wanted to find was fault? But see, 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:52.040 some people have a false objective for their faith. 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:54.720 It is the objective of faith. 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:58.919 That is exclusive rather than inclusional. It is when the 0:19:59.040 --> 0:20:03.560 church becomes or about judging how God should do it 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:06.600 than being a part of what he's doing. It is 0:20:06.640 --> 0:20:11.000 a misappropriation of faith in the highest form. When a 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:13.600 church isn't working. You can tell when a church isn't 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:17.600 working because instead of reaching out, there's a man with 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:20.280 a shriveled hand. He can't reach out. But he's in 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:21.800 a synagogue full of people. 0:20:21.560 --> 0:20:22.640 Who won't reach out. 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:25.600 And I don't know which one's worse, the ones who 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:28.080 won't reach out or the one who can't. 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:30.600 And Jesus walks in and says, this isn't working. 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:36.680 He confronts the system by identifying the objective. What's your objective? 0:20:36.720 --> 0:20:40.200 What is your reason for wanting to have faith? Some 0:20:40.240 --> 0:20:42.920 of us only have faith for the things that directly 0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:43.880 benefit us. 0:20:44.280 --> 0:20:45.920 We only pray for our. 0:20:45.880 --> 0:20:49.200 Job, We only pray for our healing, We only pray 0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:52.400 for our kids, We only pray for our promotion. 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:53.960 When's the last. 0:20:53.680 --> 0:20:56.480 Time that you came before God and asked him for 0:20:56.520 --> 0:20:59.520 something that would actually make your life less convenient if 0:20:59.520 --> 0:21:11.840 he did it, I'll never forget at cheesecake factory one 0:21:11.920 --> 0:21:16.440 night when God struck me with conviction, God will confront 0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:17.120 your dysfunction. 0:21:17.440 --> 0:21:19.600 I was complaining to Holly. 0:21:19.600 --> 0:21:21.960 That we were on a date and people kept coming. 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:24.720 Up to the table. And this was years. 0:21:24.480 --> 0:21:27.360 Ago, because I have really improved my attitude since then, 0:21:27.800 --> 0:21:30.439 But at the time, I was immature in my faith, 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:34.320 and the Lord spoke to my heart. If you've ever 0:21:34.359 --> 0:21:36.440 had God speak to you, it's not a voice out loud. 0:21:36.440 --> 0:21:40.920 It's louder than that. It's louder than that. And it 0:21:40.960 --> 0:21:42.640 was as if the Lord said to me, I can 0:21:42.640 --> 0:21:45.960 fix this. You don't like people coming up to you 0:21:46.560 --> 0:21:49.360 and telling you that they enjoy your church. I can 0:21:49.400 --> 0:21:52.240 empty your church so fast. You can eat a cheesecake 0:21:52.280 --> 0:21:55.200 factory naked if you want to, and nobody will come. 0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:55.560 Up to you. 0:21:55.840 --> 0:21:59.040 I'll make you so unknown and so irrelevant, so fast 0:21:59.400 --> 0:22:00.600 you can go in where you want. 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:02.280 Nobody will bother you. I said, no, thank you, Lord. 0:22:02.560 --> 0:22:05.800 I think I'll eat my cheesecake and shake some hands. 0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:07.879 And you don't really change my perspective. 0:22:07.920 --> 0:22:10.600 And now I enjoy meaning people unless they're crazy. I mean, 0:22:10.600 --> 0:22:12.120 good God, how long you understand her? 0:22:12.160 --> 0:22:14.879 But it's you know, you know, you know what I'm saying. 0:22:14.920 --> 0:22:19.680 It Just let me see. 0:22:19.760 --> 0:22:22.160 Are you praying that your church would grow for your 0:22:22.160 --> 0:22:24.080 ego or do you really want to help people verdict. 0:22:25.320 --> 0:22:29.000 What is your objective? What is your faith for? What 0:22:29.080 --> 0:22:30.479 did you come to church for? Where are you at 0:22:30.480 --> 0:22:33.320 the synagogue? So you can judge the way that Jesus 0:22:33.320 --> 0:22:35.080 healed the hand and wasn't his best sermon. 0:22:35.080 --> 0:22:40.760 I don't know, I don't know. I was kind of 0:22:40.760 --> 0:22:44.840 hoping the other guy would be leading worship. Tall guy, 0:22:45.880 --> 0:22:49.119 what you come for? What is your objective of faith? 0:22:49.920 --> 0:22:56.080 Your objective matters a lot. Your objective and all of 0:22:56.080 --> 0:22:59.040 this controversy was around the occasion, if you write that 0:22:59.080 --> 0:23:03.520 down a case of the Sabbath, which was Saturday for 0:23:03.600 --> 0:23:07.360 the Jewish people, which was to be set aside as 0:23:07.400 --> 0:23:09.080 a day of rest, a day where you were to 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:10.480 do no work. 0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:14.000 The intention of the Sabbath was to be a blessing. 0:23:15.440 --> 0:23:20.600 But since they had objectified the Sabbath and depersonalized the 0:23:20.720 --> 0:23:26.520 nature of God, Jesus had to remind them that any 0:23:26.720 --> 0:23:32.320 occasion is a fitting occasion to be a blessing and 0:23:32.400 --> 0:23:36.879 to bring healing. Jesus asked them verse four, which is 0:23:36.960 --> 0:23:41.359 lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, 0:23:41.400 --> 0:23:42.800 to save life or to kill? 0:23:42.880 --> 0:23:45.040 But they remain silent. You know that. 0:23:45.119 --> 0:23:47.760 Jesus is picking a fight because he could have waited 0:23:47.840 --> 0:23:49.800 until the next day to perform this miracle. 0:23:51.160 --> 0:23:52.879 This was not a critical situation. 0:23:54.359 --> 0:23:57.439 A missing hand isn't a life threatening event, and the 0:23:57.480 --> 0:23:59.600 man had been in this condition for a long time. 0:24:01.480 --> 0:24:04.679 Jesus did it on this day, the day where they 0:24:04.680 --> 0:24:07.800 were supposed to do no work, because he wanted to 0:24:07.800 --> 0:24:09.080 show them that what they. 0:24:08.920 --> 0:24:10.159 Were doing wasn't working. 0:24:12.640 --> 0:24:18.800 Jesus is using this situation to confront a system. Jesus 0:24:18.880 --> 0:24:22.040 is using the isolated incident to show them a deeper 0:24:22.080 --> 0:24:26.160 issue of the heart. Since we have such a situational 0:24:26.240 --> 0:24:30.120 view of God, most of our life is spent trying 0:24:30.160 --> 0:24:31.439 to fix situations. 0:24:32.200 --> 0:24:33.920 And that's how I used to lead our church. 0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:36.960 When something would go wrong, I would address the situation 0:24:37.119 --> 0:24:39.760 because you can do that when the church is small. 0:24:40.520 --> 0:24:42.040 If the sound guy makes. 0:24:41.800 --> 0:24:44.879 An error and forgets to turn a microphone on at 0:24:45.119 --> 0:24:47.960 one location and you only have one location, you can 0:24:48.000 --> 0:24:50.280 walk up to the sound guy and say, hey, why 0:24:50.280 --> 0:24:52.480 didn't you change the battery. From now on, you need 0:24:52.520 --> 0:24:55.119 to change the batteries. So you could just fix it 0:24:55.440 --> 0:24:58.440 at the level of the situation when it was one location, 0:24:59.040 --> 0:25:01.280 but then when it became two and three and four, 0:25:01.760 --> 0:25:06.360 I had to stop addressing situations and start addressing systems. 0:25:07.160 --> 0:25:09.720 God is bringing you into the place in your life 0:25:09.760 --> 0:25:12.160 right now where he doesn't want you to just play 0:25:12.160 --> 0:25:15.359 whack the mole with situations anymore, where by the time 0:25:15.400 --> 0:25:18.680 you can get this situation under control, here comes another one, 0:25:18.760 --> 0:25:19.960 and here comes another one. 0:25:20.080 --> 0:25:23.280 No, he wants to fix the dysfunction. 0:25:23.119 --> 0:25:26.879 That is breaking the system that is creating the situation. 0:25:27.440 --> 0:25:30.800 So Jesus, Jesus shows up on the Sabbath and he said, 0:25:30.840 --> 0:25:33.160 I'm gonna work on the day where you're not supposed 0:25:33.160 --> 0:25:35.240 to work, so the people can see that what they're 0:25:35.280 --> 0:25:37.800 doing isn't working. And I'm gonna fix this man's hand 0:25:37.800 --> 0:25:40.160 that isn't working on the day that you're not supposed 0:25:40.200 --> 0:25:44.760 to do any work, so we can fix the system. 0:25:45.080 --> 0:25:49.879 Special occasion, this is this is not the day for healing. 0:25:50.840 --> 0:25:52.720 This is not that they had it figured out. They 0:25:52.720 --> 0:25:56.080 had their faith compartmentalized. Do you know what I mean 0:25:56.200 --> 0:25:57.600 a compartmentalized faith. 0:25:58.240 --> 0:26:01.920 Well, my faith is a private matter. My faith is private. 0:26:04.960 --> 0:26:05.919 I'm not so sure it is. 0:26:06.720 --> 0:26:10.440 I think your faith affects everything about how you treat people, even. 0:26:10.280 --> 0:26:13.000 If you don't speak of it. Your life is a 0:26:13.040 --> 0:26:19.600 reflection of it my faith. I have faith. I have faith. 0:26:19.840 --> 0:26:21.880 I have faith. I grew up in church. 0:26:23.280 --> 0:26:25.080 I'm not so sure that faith is supposed to be 0:26:25.119 --> 0:26:32.320 an heirloom, functional, functional faith. 0:26:33.280 --> 0:26:36.000 What has your faith done for you lately? 0:26:37.680 --> 0:26:39.480 Because like in our house, we have all kinds of 0:26:39.520 --> 0:26:42.639 silverware and all kinds of plates, and we had these 0:26:42.640 --> 0:26:44.800 special plates that go up in the hot in the 0:26:44.840 --> 0:26:48.560 cabinet and they're expensive china that we got. 0:26:48.440 --> 0:26:49.200 When we got married. 0:26:49.400 --> 0:26:53.280 And we've been married, We've been married almost fourteen years, 0:26:53.440 --> 0:26:56.520 and I think I've seen that those china that those 0:26:56.600 --> 0:27:02.720 china plates four times in fourteen years. They're pretty. They're 0:27:02.760 --> 0:27:08.560 in storage and we break them out for special occasions. 0:27:08.960 --> 0:27:14.159 Is your faith like that? Faith is not meant to 0:27:14.160 --> 0:27:16.359 function like find china where you break it out on 0:27:16.400 --> 0:27:25.560 Eastern Christmas. And faith is not meant only to be 0:27:25.640 --> 0:27:28.560 accessed in a crisis. Faith is in only for the 0:27:28.640 --> 0:27:31.800 time when you get a report from the doctor that 0:27:31.840 --> 0:27:34.800 we need to do more tests. I don't want that 0:27:34.920 --> 0:27:37.560 kind of faith, you know, kind of faith I want. 0:27:38.200 --> 0:27:41.240 I want a paper plate faith, do you know what 0:27:41.280 --> 0:27:44.160 I'm saying. I want a faith that has everyday use. 0:27:45.160 --> 0:27:47.359 I want a faith that makes it to Monday. I 0:27:47.400 --> 0:27:50.760 want a faith that can stand the test of Tuesday. 0:27:50.960 --> 0:27:52.760 I want to faith that goes to work with me 0:27:52.880 --> 0:27:55.639 on Wednesday. I want to faith that can get me 0:27:55.680 --> 0:27:58.440 through Thursday. I want a faith that can fight on Friday. 0:27:58.920 --> 0:28:02.199 I want a faith that can stand on Saturday. I 0:28:02.240 --> 0:28:05.879 want I want a durable faith. I want a faith 0:28:05.920 --> 0:28:09.200 I can eat off of it when when nothing's going right. 0:28:09.240 --> 0:28:11.919 A faith I can use in traffic, A faith I 0:28:11.960 --> 0:28:16.560 can use in the every day ups and downs of life. 0:28:17.160 --> 0:28:19.840 I want a faith that functions. I don't want faith 0:28:19.920 --> 0:28:22.560 to be my special occasion. I want faith to be 0:28:22.640 --> 0:28:26.359 my full time job. It's my job to believe God. 0:28:26.920 --> 0:28:31.680 It's my job to trust them. 0:28:31.800 --> 0:28:37.080 Faith that functions, a functional faith, a. 0:28:37.000 --> 0:28:40.800 Faith, a faith that you can access in the in 0:28:40.880 --> 0:28:44.320 the small things of life, and a faith that has 0:28:44.400 --> 0:28:45.920 not held hostage. 0:28:45.400 --> 0:28:46.120 To the outcome. 0:28:48.280 --> 0:28:52.280 Can we talk about the outcome, because in this story 0:28:52.280 --> 0:28:54.640 there are two outcomes. One outcome is that the man's 0:28:54.680 --> 0:28:59.320 hand got healed. The other outcome is in verse six 0:28:59.360 --> 0:29:01.920 of the passage. It says that after Jesus healed the 0:29:01.920 --> 0:29:04.760 man on the Sabbath, the pharisees went out and began 0:29:04.840 --> 0:29:09.400 to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. Now, 0:29:09.520 --> 0:29:12.440 there was one event, a healing, and there were two outcomes, 0:29:12.480 --> 0:29:16.640 one for the man, one for the Pharisees. And you know, 0:29:17.600 --> 0:29:21.640 if your faith is dependent upon an outcome, it's just 0:29:21.720 --> 0:29:26.560 a matter of time before you lose it, right. 0:29:26.600 --> 0:29:29.880 Lance, If you need a certain. 0:29:29.600 --> 0:29:33.400 Outcome to validate your faith, it's just a matter of time. 0:29:33.560 --> 0:29:36.120 When you have to go back to the hospital after 0:29:36.160 --> 0:29:38.520 you've only been home for a week, it's only a 0:29:38.520 --> 0:29:40.360 matter of time before you. 0:29:40.440 --> 0:29:43.880 Give up on your faith. Let me ask you a question, Lance. 0:29:44.400 --> 0:29:47.760 As much as you've been hurting, and as much uncertainty 0:29:47.800 --> 0:29:50.320 as you've got in your life right now, and as 0:29:50.400 --> 0:29:52.640 much as you don't know whether you're gonna get on 0:29:52.680 --> 0:29:55.160 the liver transplant list or not, and you're waiting to 0:29:55.160 --> 0:29:56.880 find out what's next for your. 0:29:56.800 --> 0:29:59.760 Life, I want to ask you a question. Why are 0:29:59.800 --> 0:30:00.560 you in church? 0:30:03.080 --> 0:30:08.320 Why would you come here when the outcome is still uncertain? 0:30:09.080 --> 0:30:12.320 Why would you have the audacity to praise God in 0:30:12.360 --> 0:30:16.360 a wheelchair and your faith hasn't given you the ability 0:30:16.400 --> 0:30:21.360 to walk. You must have a different kind of faith. 0:30:22.960 --> 0:30:28.160 You must have a functional faith, a faith that works 0:30:28.600 --> 0:30:32.240 even when your body doesn't work. A faith that works 0:30:32.840 --> 0:30:37.520 even when your situation is a cooperator. A faith that 0:30:37.640 --> 0:30:41.320 works even when you don't know what's next. That's the 0:30:41.440 --> 0:30:43.160 kind of faith Jesus is looking for. 0:30:43.840 --> 0:30:46.200 That's the kind of faith that stretched his arms on 0:30:46.280 --> 0:30:46.760 the cross. 0:30:47.320 --> 0:30:49.360 That's the kind of faith that turns the darkness of 0:30:49.440 --> 0:30:53.400 Friday into the resurrection of Sunday. That kind of faith, 0:30:53.680 --> 0:30:57.400 that kind of faith, A faith that works, a faith 0:30:57.640 --> 0:31:01.200 that wages war, a faith that won't, a faith that 0:31:01.360 --> 0:31:04.520 just won't quit, a faith that presses on. A faith 0:31:04.600 --> 0:31:08.600 in prison that will not be confined. Does anybody have faith? 0:31:09.840 --> 0:31:15.719 Real faith, silent faith, stable faith, unshakable faith. 0:31:16.000 --> 0:31:17.640 The outcome is in faith. 0:31:20.760 --> 0:31:24.680 My faith doesn't wait on an outcome. My faith is 0:31:24.760 --> 0:31:29.680 not based in outcome. My faith is an outlook. Watch 0:31:29.760 --> 0:31:34.040 me preach. My faith can look at a situation a 0:31:34.160 --> 0:31:37.880 different way than I would look at it without my faith. Now, 0:31:37.960 --> 0:31:42.000 my faith doesn't guarantee the outcome. Sometimes I have faith 0:31:42.200 --> 0:31:45.720 and I still stay sick. Sometimes I have faith and 0:31:45.800 --> 0:31:46.520 the job. 0:31:46.400 --> 0:31:48.800 Still doesn't go. My way doesn't come to me. 0:31:49.240 --> 0:31:52.840 Sometimes I have faith and my daughter still doesn't. 0:31:52.560 --> 0:31:53.640 Act more respectful. 0:31:53.960 --> 0:31:56.800 Sometimes I have faith and my marriage still looks the 0:31:56.840 --> 0:32:00.160 same as it did before I exercise my faith. But 0:32:00.320 --> 0:32:04.000 my faith is not hostage to the outcome. My faith 0:32:04.160 --> 0:32:08.440 enables me to see any outcome, whatever it is, come 0:32:08.520 --> 0:32:09.520 hell or high water. 0:32:09.920 --> 0:32:14.360 I'm convinced that neither tent nor life, nor angels, nor demons, 0:32:14.520 --> 0:32:19.520 nor principalities, nor any other thing because. 0:32:19.280 --> 0:32:24.440 I got faith. Because I got faith, my faith is 0:32:24.480 --> 0:32:28.520 an outlook. My faith enables me to see an opportunity 0:32:28.560 --> 0:32:32.440 for forgiveness where others only see offense. Because my faith 0:32:32.920 --> 0:32:35.560 is a way of seeing the world, so I can 0:32:35.640 --> 0:32:38.040 look at what I was looking at, but look at 0:32:38.040 --> 0:32:39.240 it differently. 0:32:38.960 --> 0:32:43.360 Because I don't walk by sight. I walk by faith. 0:32:43.920 --> 0:32:46.720 And no matter how this turns out, I just want 0:32:46.720 --> 0:32:48.280 to make an announcement in advance. 0:32:48.720 --> 0:32:51.840 God, I praise you, no matter what the outcome is. 0:32:52.280 --> 0:32:55.560 God, I give you glory. No matter how it turns out. 0:32:56.520 --> 0:32:59.560 I lift my eyes to the hills. 0:33:01.440 --> 0:33:03.640 My health comes from the Lord. 0:33:04.480 --> 0:33:06.400 When you touch seven people and tell them look out, 0:33:06.440 --> 0:33:09.680 look out, look out, look out, Get out your tent, Abraham, 0:33:10.040 --> 0:33:13.480 and count the stars. If indeeds are able to number them. 0:33:13.720 --> 0:33:16.560 You've been so busy looking at this tent, you've. 0:33:16.360 --> 0:33:19.040 Missed the stars. You've missed the potential. 0:33:19.320 --> 0:33:22.040 You've been so busy looking at your pain. You've been 0:33:22.080 --> 0:33:24.680 so busy looking at your problem. But faith is going 0:33:24.760 --> 0:33:25.880 to enable you to see. 0:33:26.200 --> 0:33:29.120 There's a cloud the size of a man's hand. 0:33:29.120 --> 0:33:33.320 And it's rising and it's heavy with rain. Come on, 0:33:33.440 --> 0:33:41.760 get God a south, getther the phrase by faith faith, 0:33:42.600 --> 0:33:45.240 I got faith. Some of your neighbors say, where's your faith? 0:33:45.240 --> 0:33:52.280 Where's your faith? Because faith is the substance. Faith isn't 0:33:52.280 --> 0:33:53.240 a frame of mind. 0:33:54.000 --> 0:33:55.440 Frame is faith? Faith. 0:33:55.440 --> 0:33:58.680 There's a course of action that changes your frame of mind. 0:34:00.080 --> 0:34:02.800 Finished preaching, I want to talk about the order. Because 0:34:02.920 --> 0:34:05.400 Jesus gives the man a command. It seems strange, It 0:34:05.440 --> 0:34:08.239 seems bizarre in some senses, it even sounds cruel. Touch 0:34:08.239 --> 0:34:12.120 somebody say faith, faith, faith functional faith, Faith that works, 0:34:12.320 --> 0:34:14.680 Faith that works, Faith that affects my life. Not just 0:34:14.719 --> 0:34:16.720 fate that I think about and gives me a cozy feeling. 0:34:16.920 --> 0:34:17.279 Not faith. 0:34:17.320 --> 0:34:19.160 Its like a warm glass of milk, not faith. This 0:34:19.320 --> 0:34:20.440 like a chocolate chip cookie. 0:34:20.560 --> 0:34:20.959 Not faith. 0:34:20.960 --> 0:34:22.400 It's like too tail and all I can take to 0:34:22.400 --> 0:34:24.640 make the pain go away. Know the kind of faith 0:34:24.640 --> 0:34:27.319 that will enable me to do the impossible and to 0:34:27.440 --> 0:34:31.440 believe God in ways that are irrational. The Bible says 0:34:31.480 --> 0:34:33.120 that the man got up in front of the people. 0:34:33.160 --> 0:34:35.560 That was his first step. His first step was to 0:34:35.560 --> 0:34:37.520 take a stand in front of the people who were 0:34:37.640 --> 0:34:40.080 judging him. He had to be willing to stand out 0:34:40.120 --> 0:34:42.960 in the midst of a synagogue of people who didn't 0:34:43.000 --> 0:34:44.920 get it. He had to be willing to stand up 0:34:44.960 --> 0:34:47.200 in front of people that misunderstood him. 0:34:47.360 --> 0:34:49.360 Do you have enough faith to take a stand? 0:34:49.680 --> 0:34:51.360 Do you have enough faith to come out in the 0:34:51.400 --> 0:34:54.120 open and say, I'm a person of faith. I'm not 0:34:54.200 --> 0:34:57.279 ashamed to be identified with God. I'm not ashamed to 0:34:57.320 --> 0:35:00.279 be optimistic. I'm not ashamed to have an outlook. It's 0:35:00.320 --> 0:35:03.200 not ruled and regulated by the affairs of this life. 0:35:03.200 --> 0:35:05.760 Were the systems of this world. I got the faith 0:35:05.760 --> 0:35:08.080 to stand up. I think it's time for the people 0:35:08.120 --> 0:35:10.719 of God in America to take the stand and say 0:35:10.719 --> 0:35:13.080 our faith is really don't relegate. 0:35:12.719 --> 0:35:15.560 Us, draw a voting book. We are the people of faith. 0:35:18.719 --> 0:35:21.920 Faith. So he stood up in front of him and 0:35:21.920 --> 0:35:25.279 then watched Jesus. Jesus was looking around, tell somebody, say 0:35:25.280 --> 0:35:28.640 look around, look around, look around, And Jesus found this 0:35:28.680 --> 0:35:30.880 one man, and he stood this one man up, and 0:35:30.920 --> 0:35:33.600 the Bible says that there were two conditions in the synagogue. 0:35:33.680 --> 0:35:36.200 There was one condition. It said that the man had 0:35:36.239 --> 0:35:37.040 a shriveled hand. 0:35:37.280 --> 0:35:37.800 But watch this. 0:35:37.920 --> 0:35:40.040 It says that when he stood up the man, he 0:35:40.239 --> 0:35:44.200 was deeply distressed verse five at their stubborn hearts. Which 0:35:44.239 --> 0:35:48.279 one is worse, a shriveled hand or a stubborn heart. 0:35:52.760 --> 0:35:56.120 The condition of the man's hand was an image of 0:35:56.120 --> 0:36:06.200 the people's heart. The symptom was reflective of the system. 0:36:06.600 --> 0:36:11.640 And Jesus came to confront both. So he tells the man. 0:36:14.239 --> 0:36:17.960 He tells the man stand up, and then he tells 0:36:18.000 --> 0:36:24.040 him to stretch out his hand. Imaginatively speaking, perhaps the 0:36:24.080 --> 0:36:27.839 man kept his bad hand in his pocket. See, because 0:36:27.880 --> 0:36:31.040 the Bible says he had a shriveled hand. That means 0:36:31.080 --> 0:36:34.879 the other one was working just fine. And Jesus didn't 0:36:34.920 --> 0:36:37.239 specify which hand. So you know how we like to do. 0:36:37.480 --> 0:36:39.200 We always like to stick out our good hand. 0:36:39.239 --> 0:36:45.239 First. Hi, nice to meet you. I made cookies. 0:36:46.360 --> 0:36:50.120 The good hand, And Jesus said, no, not that one, 0:36:50.800 --> 0:36:54.800 not the one that's working, the one that wasn't working. 0:36:56.960 --> 0:36:59.439 God didn't bring you here today so you could show 0:36:59.480 --> 0:37:01.200 off the parts of your life that are working. 0:37:03.840 --> 0:37:05.680 He brought you here today to heal the parts of 0:37:05.719 --> 0:37:08.560 your life that aren't. 0:37:13.880 --> 0:37:17.280 So Look at five, Look at five, he says. He says, 0:37:17.640 --> 0:37:23.280 he was deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, their shriveled 0:37:23.320 --> 0:37:26.120 hearts that had lost the ability to feel compassion, so 0:37:26.160 --> 0:37:29.480 that their only thought was not of this man. Their 0:37:29.480 --> 0:37:32.719 only thought was of their man made laws. Their only 0:37:32.760 --> 0:37:36.960 thought was of the religious requirements. Their only thought was 0:37:37.000 --> 0:37:39.759 of what was wrong. Their only thought of was what 0:37:39.800 --> 0:37:42.080 they would could correct. And he looked around at all 0:37:42.080 --> 0:37:44.839 of that, and the Bible says he was deeply distressed, 0:37:46.120 --> 0:37:50.279 And so he restored the man's hand, and then the 0:37:50.320 --> 0:37:57.080 man stretched it out. Would be the logical reading of 0:37:57.120 --> 0:38:04.080 the text. That's not how faith works. Faith has a 0:38:04.080 --> 0:38:10.920 different order. Notice how Jesus, first of all, commands him 0:38:10.960 --> 0:38:15.480 to do what he cannot do. Faith will command you 0:38:15.560 --> 0:38:16.960 to do what you've never been. 0:38:16.840 --> 0:38:17.400 Able to do. 0:38:19.560 --> 0:38:23.040 Faith will command you to do what you've convinced yourself 0:38:23.280 --> 0:38:24.360 that you're unable to do. 0:38:24.920 --> 0:38:28.880 Faith will Faith will fly counter to the narrative that 0:38:28.960 --> 0:38:31.080 has guided your entire life up to this point. 0:38:32.280 --> 0:38:35.040 Faith will call you a conqueror when all you've ever 0:38:35.080 --> 0:38:37.560 known is to feed and then see what you're going 0:38:37.600 --> 0:38:38.279 to do about it. 0:38:39.280 --> 0:38:41.600 Faith will tell you to stretch out a hand. 0:38:41.360 --> 0:38:45.880 That you had hidden in your pocket, hoping nobody would notice. 0:38:45.400 --> 0:38:46.240 See. 0:38:46.280 --> 0:38:48.840 It's significant that he healed a man with a shriveled hand, 0:38:49.120 --> 0:38:51.839 because if the man's feet had been lame, everybody would 0:38:51.880 --> 0:38:54.120 have been able to see that from the moment that 0:38:54.160 --> 0:38:55.760 they carried him in the door on a mat. 0:38:58.000 --> 0:38:59.239 If the man had been blind, he. 0:38:59.200 --> 0:39:03.560 Would have had to feel his way into the room. 0:39:03.719 --> 0:39:07.000 But the thing about some dysfunctions is that they're easy 0:39:07.040 --> 0:39:12.000 to hide, and you can get by with one hand. 0:39:13.000 --> 0:39:16.640 And nobody even knows that. Nobody even knows. Nobody even 0:39:16.760 --> 0:39:23.520 knows about your temper except your wife. Nobody even knows 0:39:23.680 --> 0:39:26.840 about your spending habits except your husband, and is tearing 0:39:26.880 --> 0:39:31.040 your marriage apart. Nobody even knows about your eating disorder. 0:39:31.200 --> 0:39:35.239 Nobody even knows. It's fine, it's fine. And Jesus says, 0:39:35.600 --> 0:39:41.560 that hand, that hand, that hand. No, No, not your 0:39:41.560 --> 0:39:42.680 good hand, not your good hand. 0:39:42.960 --> 0:39:49.160 I saw your good hand, your other hand. I want 0:39:49.160 --> 0:39:49.600 to heal you. 0:39:51.080 --> 0:39:59.840 On the other hand, So he he had his hand hidden, 0:40:00.000 --> 0:40:03.200 and then he took a stand before the people, and 0:40:03.239 --> 0:40:03.520 when he. 0:40:05.520 --> 0:40:07.440 When he stretched, see. 0:40:07.680 --> 0:40:14.080 I always want God to restore before I respond. But 0:40:14.200 --> 0:40:17.359 the Order of Faith says that it's only when you 0:40:17.520 --> 0:40:19.480 respond that. 0:40:19.360 --> 0:40:20.600 You can be restored. 0:40:22.680 --> 0:40:27.040 It said, when the man stretched his hand, his hand 0:40:27.160 --> 0:40:32.280 got stronger. As he's stretched. God is stretching somebody today. 0:40:32.800 --> 0:40:36.000 He's stretching your faith. He's trying to get you to 0:40:36.040 --> 0:40:38.560 see that it's only when you reach out. 0:40:38.840 --> 0:40:41.880 It's only when you make the effort. It's only when. 0:40:41.719 --> 0:40:44.200 You'll do what you thought you couldn't do. It's only 0:40:44.239 --> 0:40:46.760 when you're willing to stand and even look like a fool. 0:40:47.040 --> 0:40:49.239 Come on, is there anybody who wants God in your 0:40:49.280 --> 0:40:51.840 life bad enough to stretch forward today? 0:40:52.040 --> 0:40:54.800 If that's you'll do it, The man said, stand on your. 0:40:54.680 --> 0:40:59.000 Feet and stretch your hand. Come on, stretch your hand. 0:41:00.080 --> 0:41:02.920 Stretch that hand that you weren't able to stretch before. 0:41:03.600 --> 0:41:06.520 Stretch that part of you that wasn't able to believe before. 0:41:08.960 --> 0:41:16.000 And I see respond he was restored. God wants to 0:41:16.040 --> 0:41:18.440 restore some things in your life. 0:41:18.239 --> 0:41:21.520 One gospel writer said, when he stretched. 0:41:21.080 --> 0:41:23.759 His hand, it was just as good as the other one. 0:41:24.280 --> 0:41:26.560 In other words, God took the part of his life 0:41:26.560 --> 0:41:29.680 that was dysfunctional. That was affecting all the other parts 0:41:29.719 --> 0:41:32.360 of his life that were functional. And there are certain 0:41:32.400 --> 0:41:34.600 ways in which you can have one part of. 0:41:34.520 --> 0:41:36.680 Your life a hand can. 0:41:36.560 --> 0:41:40.520 Affect everything, your ability to produce, your ability to get 0:41:40.560 --> 0:41:42.160 a good job, your ability to. 0:41:42.080 --> 0:41:43.200 Get along with people. 0:41:43.480 --> 0:41:45.800 But God said, I didn't bring you here to partially 0:41:45.880 --> 0:41:46.399 heal you. 0:41:46.840 --> 0:41:50.800 I want you to stretch out to me today by faith. 0:41:55.040 --> 0:42:00.560 The presence of the Lord is in this place. Restorative 0:42:00.640 --> 0:42:02.759 presence of the Lord is in this place. This is 0:42:02.800 --> 0:42:08.680 a restorative atmosphere. This is a restorative environment. There's no 0:42:08.800 --> 0:42:12.120 Pharisees around here looking to see what you came in with. 0:42:12.320 --> 0:42:14.560 We're not that kind of church. We got a lunk 0:42:14.600 --> 0:42:17.560 alarm in this church. Those people don't make it very law. 0:42:17.840 --> 0:42:20.000 This is a place where you can stretch it out. 0:42:20.680 --> 0:42:23.319 Come on, you can stretch it out here. You can 0:42:23.480 --> 0:42:24.239 stretch it out. 0:42:24.520 --> 0:42:24.800 Listen. 0:42:29.760 --> 0:42:31.799 I preach this word with all of my heart. But 0:42:31.880 --> 0:42:38.120 this word cannot change you without your response. This word 0:42:38.160 --> 0:42:41.839 cannot heal your hand if you don't stretch your hand out. 0:42:44.239 --> 0:42:46.799 So the application to what I'm preaching today, and I 0:42:46.840 --> 0:42:48.759 hope that next week you'll come back because I want 0:42:48.800 --> 0:42:52.160 to pick up right here and move forward with this thought. 0:42:53.400 --> 0:42:55.960 And I hope you'll join me for it. And I'm 0:42:55.960 --> 0:42:57.879 waiting for you to applaud as a sign that you're 0:42:57.880 --> 0:43:01.040 excited about that I want you to do while we're 0:43:01.160 --> 0:43:04.960 while we're waiting to get back together, Lusch, you don't 0:43:04.960 --> 0:43:07.120 need a special occasion for faiths. You don't have to 0:43:07.120 --> 0:43:09.799 wait till next week to build your faith more. What 0:43:09.880 --> 0:43:13.120 I want you to do this week is do something 0:43:14.239 --> 0:43:19.560 that you couldn't do without faith. Do something that you've 0:43:19.600 --> 0:43:22.440 been putting on. And it could be very small. Jesus 0:43:22.480 --> 0:43:25.160 didn't tell the man to do a cart will. Jesus 0:43:25.160 --> 0:43:28.880 didn't tell the man to do an ice sculpture with 0:43:28.960 --> 0:43:31.640 his bad hand. He told him to do something simple. 0:43:32.960 --> 0:43:35.600 I wonder what simple thing you could do this week 0:43:35.600 --> 0:43:38.759 that would have great significance in your life. Some of 0:43:38.760 --> 0:43:40.759 you need to take your bad hand and call your 0:43:40.760 --> 0:43:44.520 father and seek his forgiveness and reconciliation in a relationship. 0:43:46.080 --> 0:43:49.600 One simple act like that. Some of you just need 0:43:49.640 --> 0:43:50.799 to get to work on. 0:43:50.800 --> 0:43:55.239 Time this week. Just a simple thing. 0:43:55.520 --> 0:43:57.920 Stretch your hand, touch somebody, say stretch it, stretch it, 0:43:57.960 --> 0:44:00.880 stretch it. Just get to if you would get to 0:44:00.880 --> 0:44:02.720 work on time every day this week. 0:44:02.920 --> 0:44:04.400 It would send a signal. 0:44:04.040 --> 0:44:07.560 To yourself that I'm not limited by what I always 0:44:07.600 --> 0:44:08.279 thought I could do. 0:44:08.560 --> 0:44:10.200 Some of you just need to take every. 0:44:10.080 --> 0:44:12.120 Day this week and say, you know, every day this week, 0:44:12.320 --> 0:44:15.200 I'm going to start my day in God's word because 0:44:15.200 --> 0:44:17.600 that's something that I wasn't doing before. And if you 0:44:17.640 --> 0:44:21.040 do something you've never done before, you'll experience something you've 0:44:21.040 --> 0:44:22.360 never experienced before. 0:44:23.160 --> 0:44:26.400 Stretch your hand. Stretch your hand. 0:44:27.719 --> 0:44:31.840 Simple things, just the simplest thing can make a huge difference. 0:44:32.719 --> 0:44:35.759 Stretch your hand this week, stretch it out and see 0:44:35.800 --> 0:44:36.800 what God will do. 0:44:37.800 --> 0:44:43.760 A faith that functions. It's time to make my faith 0:44:43.920 --> 0:44:45.400 go to work. 0:44:47.160 --> 0:44:50.560 God didn't give me this faith just so I could 0:44:50.600 --> 0:44:53.719 be complacent and comfortable with my dysfunction. 0:44:55.600 --> 0:44:57.200 If you've got a shriveled hand. 0:44:56.960 --> 0:44:59.960 Today, but you feel faith rising up in your heart 0:45:00.920 --> 0:45:03.160 and you would like for me to pray with you 0:45:04.280 --> 0:45:08.160 about something that's in your life, to shrivel something that 0:45:08.200 --> 0:45:12.040 you've been previously unable to do. But you're willing to 0:45:12.040 --> 0:45:15.719 stretch a little bit and say this week, I'm gonna 0:45:15.760 --> 0:45:19.880 make the move that I couldn't make. I'm gonna stretch 0:45:19.920 --> 0:45:21.560 my faith in a specific way. 0:45:22.120 --> 0:45:24.160 And if you want me to pray for you, would you. 0:45:24.200 --> 0:45:26.840 Just stretch your hand up right now as a sign 0:45:26.880 --> 0:45:28.719 of your faith, just as a sign of your. 0:45:28.680 --> 0:45:29.520 Faith, and keep it up. 0:45:29.640 --> 0:45:33.240 I'm gonna pray with everybody who's got their hands stretched. Father, 0:45:33.320 --> 0:45:36.520 We're not waiting for Restoration to give a response. We 0:45:36.680 --> 0:45:40.000 declare right now in Jesus' name that this week our 0:45:40.040 --> 0:45:43.040 faith is gonna work. We're going to have an active 0:45:43.120 --> 0:45:46.880 faith this week. We're not waiting on outcomes to judge 0:45:46.880 --> 0:45:49.680 the validity of our faith this week. We got a 0:45:49.719 --> 0:45:53.120 new outlook this week. And so we're going into Monday, 0:45:53.560 --> 0:45:56.600 and we're moving into Tuesday, and we're going into Wednesday 0:45:57.120 --> 0:46:02.000 with a faith that works, gonna work because we're gonna 0:46:02.040 --> 0:46:05.239 work it. We declare this day wonder working God in 0:46:05.239 --> 0:46:08.600 your presence. There's nothing you can't do, there's nothing you 0:46:08.680 --> 0:46:10.400 can't heal, there's nothing. 0:46:10.120 --> 0:46:11.160 You can for a storm. 0:46:11.480 --> 0:46:16.160 So touch our hands, touch our hearts, touch our minds, 0:46:16.200 --> 0:46:17.320 change our habits. 0:46:17.760 --> 0:46:21.000 We wanna be the people of faith. And we give 0:46:21.080 --> 0:46:22.400 you praise in advance. 0:46:23.120 --> 0:46:25.600 Somebody clap your hands and give God pray. 0:46:28.640 --> 0:46:29.759 Thank you for joining us. 0:46:30.080 --> 0:46:32.520 Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 0:46:32.600 --> 0:46:36.080 this ministry is because of you that this ministry is possible. 0:46:36.520 --> 0:46:38.719 You can click the link in the description to give 0:46:38.800 --> 0:46:42.719 now or visit Elevation Church dot org slash podcast for 0:46:42.800 --> 0:46:46.800 more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 0:46:47.040 --> 0:46:48.360 You can share it with your friends. 0:46:48.680 --> 0:46:50.960 You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 0:46:51.000 --> 0:46:53.120 share it on your social stories and tag us at 0:46:53.120 --> 0:46:54.000 Elevation Church. 0:46:54.040 --> 0:46:55.719 Thanks again for listening. God bless you.