How To Handle A Setback (Daniel Floyd)

0:00:01.600 --> 0:00:02.840 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:02.880 --> 0:00:05.880 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:07.800 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 0:00:08.119 --> 0:00:10.720 Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:13.160 Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving. 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:14.760 In your life. Enjoy the message. 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:20.880 Boy, how are you thankful for just a place where 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:24.119 you walk in and doesn't matter what you carried in, 0:00:24.200 --> 0:00:27.440 just a moment in the presence of God, can change 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:32.000 your perspective, can lift the burden, can give you a 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:36.200 new look outlook on the day. And how about how 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:40.879 your church served all those in western North Carolina. 0:00:41.000 --> 0:00:42.280 I mean, how amazing. 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:48.319 I know you celebrated it, but I just think that's 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:49.159 the way it ought to be. 0:00:49.280 --> 0:00:51.120 That that when. 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:53.720 There's hurting, the church ought to show up, that when 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:58.080 people are in need, and all across the world you showed. 0:00:57.880 --> 0:01:01.480 Up in an amazing way and making a difference. 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:03.320 You know, you gave a couple of cold water, as 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:06.160 the New Testament says, in the name of Jesus. And 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:08.759 I love what they said in the video that we're 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:09.560 gonna give them some coat. 0:01:09.640 --> 0:01:10.960 We're gonna give them Jesus too. 0:01:11.000 --> 0:01:13.600 We're gonna pray, We're gonna believe with them, We're gonna 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:14.360 stand with them. 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:18.080 What an amazing thing. So honored to be back at elevation. 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:21.920 I love your your pastors, and I know everybody does, 0:01:23.959 --> 0:01:27.360 but I love them on another level. I was thinking 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:30.080 before we got on the plane yesterday and made our 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:32.880 way down, I was thinking, I've been coming down to 0:01:33.040 --> 0:01:37.480 Charlotte to set in a room, to set in a 0:01:37.520 --> 0:01:41.880 life recording, to set in a revival, all these kind 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:48.120 of services for I think about eighteen years now and 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:52.200 in this place. I know has marked your life, but 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:54.800 I want you to know it's so deeply marked my life. 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:57.280 There's been so many turning points, so many moments. I 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:59.600 know we could all give our own testimony of how 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.240 it was a it was a song, it was it 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:04.880 was something that carried you in a season. It's something 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:08.720 that caused you to make a decision. And that only 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:12.040 happens because two people with a vision said yes to God, 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:14.680 laid it all on the line. Come on, can we 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:17.000 put our hands together and thank God for our pastors. 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:20.320 What a gift they are to the body of Christ. 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:25.800 Are you ready for the Word of God today? Are 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:28.919 you ready? Let's go once you have a seat. Tell 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:32.080 somebody beside you. I'm glad you set by me. I'm 0:02:32.120 --> 0:02:38.520 glad you set by me. I bring greetings from the 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:42.160 great state of Virginia that is showing off right now. 0:02:42.200 --> 0:02:45.680 It's fall in Virginia. Doesn't get much better. And my 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:51.920 wife Tammy, our four kids. It's a lot, y'all, and 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:57.519 we're grateful for them most days. And I'm kidding Acts 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:03.239 Chapter twelve, verse five. And I was telling chunks earlier. 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:05.560 The later I get in my forties, the smaller the 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:07.720 print on my Bible keeps getting. I think someone is 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.200 switching it out. So I have to wear these now. 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:14.040 Acts Chapter twelve, verse five says this. It says, so 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:19.160 Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:24.920 somebody shall earnestly praying to God for him. So Peter's 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:29.960 in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:32.200 for him. I want to bring a message entitled how 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:36.440 to handle a setback? How to handle the setback? Let's 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:39.280 pray together, Father, we have our hearts and minds open. 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:39.680 We pray. 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:42.640 Holy spirits speak to us. We haven't come just to 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:45.000 do church. We've come that we might hear from heaven. 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:48.280 So we believe your word has the power to change 0:03:48.360 --> 0:03:51.680 us and transform us, and so do that in these moments. 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:55.960 We asked this in Jesus' name. Everybody said Amen. Amen. 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:58.240 So I was thinking the other day about middle school. 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:01.200 So you're thinking, why would you do that to yourself? 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.080 But I was thinking about I grew up in East Tennessee, 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:09.480 and I went to this middle school called Lyndby Middle School. 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:10.760 And I don't know how it is today. 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:12.280 It's not like this in my kid's school, so I 0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:15.080 don't know if it is across the board. But in 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:18.719 East Tennessee, football was everything. Because the town was so small, 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:20.160 we had nothing else to do, so we might as 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:23.200 well watch football, all right. And so middle school, while 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:25.160 I was on Thursday night and after every Thursday night 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:29.160 football game, there was a dance every home game, and 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:31.360 uh it was. It was less like a dance and 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:34.760 more like a standoff. It was like, guys on one 0:04:34.800 --> 0:04:36.880 side of the gym, come onyo with me, girls on 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:38.680 the other side of the gym, and you just kind 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:39.919 of stood there and stare at each other. 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:40.839 There was always a few. 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:43.520 Brave people that got out in the middle, but that was. 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:44.320 Not your boy here. 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:47.159 But there was this girl I had a crush on, 0:04:47.440 --> 0:04:49.919 and I was like, this is the moment, this is 0:04:49.960 --> 0:04:51.880 my moment. I'm gonna go over. I'm going to ask 0:04:51.920 --> 0:04:54.200 her to dance. And that was even a big step 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:55.400 for me because I grew up in. 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:55.880 A very. 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:01.240 Conservative Denomination church and I I was for sure that 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:03.440 I'd have to go get repentance for the dance. But 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.600 it was worth to try, or y'all try like it 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:08.839 was worth the experiment. And so walked all the way 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.159 over the long walk, all the way over to the 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:15.240 other side of the gym, and went up made the request. 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:16.640 I don't even remember what I said. I think I 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:23.479 kind of blacked out, and she graciously declined, thank you. 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:24.560 Thanks. 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:27.719 A lot of counseling later, I'm over it, but I 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:30.760 appreciate this sympathy. And so then I make the long 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.119 walk back right to the other side to trash talking 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:37.279 from guys who realized that I got rejected for the 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:40.400 dance invitation, and just in my middle school life, that 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:44.359 was a major setback. Hello, somebody, major setback in my 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:48.440 social climate, in my personal identity, self esteem, you know, 0:05:48.520 --> 0:05:50.479 all those major setback and how many of you know 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:54.279 that life is full of setbacks. If you've lived any 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:56.160 bit of life at all, you know that life is 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:59.800 full of setbacks. It's moments where you feel like I'm 0:05:59.839 --> 0:06:02.680 take making five steps forward and then it feels like 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:06.920 sometimes it's eight steps Backwards's I feel like I'm things 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:08.760 are going well, and then it's the phone call out 0:06:08.800 --> 0:06:11.479 of nowhere and you feel like, wow, there's a major setback. 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:15.040 It's the relational issue where you felt like, man, we 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:18.520 were getting traction and now feels like a major setback 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:18.960 in life. 0:06:19.000 --> 0:06:20.839 And life can be full. 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:24.000 Of setbacks, and I would propose that the text we 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:29.000 just read is a major setback in the New Testament Church. Now, 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:32.159 can we go to Sunday school for a minute? Okay, 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:32.760 a few of you. 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:36.479 That's great. A confidence is real high right now? All right, 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:38.080 So here's. 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:40.920 What's happening in the context of what we just read 0:06:40.960 --> 0:06:43.240 in Act chapter twelve, verse five, is this is the 0:06:43.240 --> 0:06:44.680 New Testament Church is growing. 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.320 I mean it's gangbusters. 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:50.839 It's day one, three thousand people come to faith in 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.680 Christ and there's the birth of the New Testament Church. 0:06:53.720 --> 0:06:55.920 What a great launch day, right, I Mean that was 0:06:55.960 --> 0:06:58.840 a great campus launch, like three thousand in one day. 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:01.159 Here they all are for getting baptized. 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:04.000 I mean, it's just people are overflow, over overflow. 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:05.239 It's going great. 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:07.520 And then the Bible says they're being added to their 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:10.880 number daily. Wow, I mean not just on Sundays, but 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:12.560 they're being added to the number every. 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:14.520 Day of the week. People are coming to faith in Christ. 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:18.280 This movement is growing, This thing across Christianity is expanding, 0:07:18.480 --> 0:07:21.280 and in the middle of that, it's disrupting and upsetting 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:25.160 all of the religious social political climate of the day. 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:27.560 They are not all about this new movement that has 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:31.480 started called Christianity. And so King Herod, who is the 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:35.280 current king, decides he's going to start eliminating some of 0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:39.040 the leaders from the church. Now, this is Herod a 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:41.040 grip of the First. Am I going too far into 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:43.680 Sunday school. Okay, heard a grip of the First which 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:47.280 is the grandson of Herod, who was alive whenever Jesus 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:49.440 was born. Here's all you need to know about the Herods. 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:52.920 They all crazy, y'all, all of them. They all crazy. 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:55.040 They all want to kill people. They're just all a 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:57.320 little off in their mind. This is that Herod, and 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:00.600 so he gets James, not James, the brother g James, 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:03.920 the brother of John, and he kills him. So a 0:08:04.000 --> 0:08:06.440 major leader in the church in Jerusalem is now dead. 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:10.640 And the Jews are really happy because it is disrupting 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:13.640 everything going on around them. Are off tracking so far, saymen. 0:08:14.960 --> 0:08:18.760 So Harod goes, okay, that grained me favor. I want 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:21.320 to get more favor with the people, and so he goes, 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:22.200 I'll go after. 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:24.080 Peter and I'll arrest Peter. 0:08:24.600 --> 0:08:27.480 Now he arrested them during a week of celebration for 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:29.880 the Jewish people, so he couldn't bring him up to trial, 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:32.199 which the trial would just be a sham. And most 0:08:32.280 --> 0:08:33.960 likely what was happened is Peter was going to have 0:08:34.000 --> 0:08:37.400 the same fate as James. And so this is where 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:40.480 we come into the text. Peter is kept in prison. 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:45.160 He's kept there because the celebration hasn't ended. But the 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:50.600 church was praying. This isn't a complex message. When you 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:53.280 face a setback, prayer is a great place to start. 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.480 But I want to go a little little word nerd 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:01.520 on you for a moment. I love I really parked 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:05.560 on the word, but the conjunction. But now I grew 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:09.080 up in East Tennessee. So language wasn't my strongest suit. 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:15.400 But I do know this about conjunctions is that they 0:09:15.440 --> 0:09:19.000 bring together two phrases that are in contrast. 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:19.080 To one another. 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:22.240 Some would say some won't go this far, but some 0:09:22.240 --> 0:09:26.160 would say in contradiction to one another. Or the second 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:29.160 phrase is the exception to the first phrase. So that 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:33.240 means what's happening on this side of but is contradicted 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:35.000 or contrasted to what's happening on. 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:35.600 This side of but. 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:38.600 And we see this in the text that it says 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:42.120 Peter was kept in prison. And there could have been 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:44.560 a whole lot of options for the text to say 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:46.800 after that. It could have said, it could have used 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:49.800 another conjunction, and it said and. 0:09:49.679 --> 0:09:50.760 The church is depressed. 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:53.720 It's could have said Peter was kept in prison and 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:57.439 the church was beginning to plan the funeral, Peter was 0:09:57.559 --> 0:10:01.319 kept in prison, and the church was going under and hiding. 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:03.880 And sometimes is this not true in our life? That 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:07.160 the setback comes in our life and our first response 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:10.080 is not always to go to God in prayer. Often 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:12.120 it is to go down the rabbit hole of the 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:14.720 darkest thing that could turn out. I don't know about you, 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:17.040 but I'm preaching to me today. My mind when I 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:19.199 get the phone call, when I get the bad news, 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:21.360 in my mind, I end up going down the dark 0:10:21.440 --> 0:10:24.640 rabbit hole of how everything could go wrong. But the 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:28.200 church decided to pray. I want to encourage you today 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:31.080 that when the setback comes, you get to choose what 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.360 is on the other side of the conjunction. That you 0:10:34.400 --> 0:10:36.480 get to decide what is on the other side of 0:10:36.520 --> 0:10:39.000 the butt, that you can go, Yeah, I got the 0:10:39.000 --> 0:10:41.760 phone call and it's not looking good. But I serve 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.880 a God that is greater than any circumstance I'm going 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:47.400 through that you can get the bad news and go. 0:10:47.440 --> 0:10:49.480 This year may not be going the way I want. 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:52.120 It to, but I serve the God of the breakthrough. 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:54.440 You get to determine if you want it to be 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:56.440 an end or you wanted to. 0:10:56.400 --> 0:11:00.000 Be a butt. The church was prayed. 0:11:02.200 --> 0:11:03.880 They could have gone a whole lot of directions, but 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.120 they said, no, we're gonna We're gonna pray. And the 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:11.800 Bible says that they were earnestly praying. In other words, 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:14.360 they went to they went to battle on this thing, 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:18.960 which tells me that they really believed in the power 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:23.080 of prayer. They didn't see prayer as the last resort. 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:26.560 They saw it as the first option that they ran 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:31.280 to God first. I've been in situations where I've thought 0:11:31.320 --> 0:11:32.800 to myself, WHI I've done everything I know to do. 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:36.480 Now I'm gonna pray. It's not great for a pastor 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:39.760 to say, right, but no. They believe there was something 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:43.120 powerful about prayer. They believe that whenever they prayed, that 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:46.800 Heaven listened. Evidently, they believe that whenever they prayed that 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:49.959 God moved on their behalf. That maybe they believe that 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:52.120 Old Testament verse that says the ear of God is 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:54.640 not death, that he can't hear your prayers, nor is 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:57.040 his arm too short that he can't reach down and 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:58.240 change your situation. 0:11:58.640 --> 0:12:01.080 They believed what all Spurgeon. 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:04.440 Said, that prayer is what touches the slender nerve of 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:06.800 omnipotence that begins to move. 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:07.520 In our life. 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:10.640 That God actually responds to prayer, That I want to 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:12.960 shake something up on the inside of you that that 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:15.000 goes no, no, no no. I may be going through a 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:17.559 battle right now, but if I'll call out to God, 0:12:17.720 --> 0:12:20.319 God is able to work on my behalf. 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:22.520 And they earnestly prayed. 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:28.959 It wasn't It wasn't a nice little prayer. It wasn't acute, 0:12:29.000 --> 0:12:30.280 like well phrased prayer. 0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:31.160 You know what I'm talking. 0:12:30.920 --> 0:12:34.680 About, Like, Lord, we just pray that if you might 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:36.640 consider please. 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:37.880 No. 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:40.200 I have this picture in my mind that it's like 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:43.920 ugly cry pray. Y'all try it. It's the I'm gonna 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.040 I'm not getting up God until you do. 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:49.720 Something kind of prayer. There was something that rose on 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:51.760 the inside of them. I was thinking about this. My 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:54.840 wife and our kids. We were years ago when we 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:57.760 called the bigs in the littles there. They're seventeen, fifteen, 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:03.360 seven and five. Same wife. Just want to claire that 0:13:03.400 --> 0:13:07.120 for everybody. Don't want y'all thinking anything, posting anything. 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:08.400 Same wife. 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:12.959 We just took a big break. So our school picture 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:21.840 this year was senior kindergartener. I will live forever my 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:25.120 oldest son could bring my grandson to my youngest son's 0:13:25.160 --> 0:13:26.080 high school graduation. 0:13:27.120 --> 0:13:30.040 Let that sink in yell. Some of you are like, 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:33.520 what were you thinking? I wasn't. I like my wife, 0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:34.559 I wasn't thinking. 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:40.160 Okay, we were at this water park when the bigs 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:43.680 were smaller. You called the bigs in the littles whenever 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:46.079 the big kids were smaller. We were at this water park, 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:50.520 and which is from the devil in general, going to 0:13:50.600 --> 0:13:52.240 a water park as a family. You don't know what's 0:13:52.240 --> 0:13:53.920 in that water. I mean, I don't care how much 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:56.680 chlorine you put in it. But we were there. Anybody 0:13:56.720 --> 0:13:58.440 else with me in the House of God, go on, 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:00.680 I felt the Holy Ghost on some of y'all. 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:03.040 Are like, yes, I felt that Jesus all right. 0:14:04.480 --> 0:14:06.720 We were at this water park and the kids come over, 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.160 you know, they're just their kids, and they run over 0:14:10.320 --> 0:14:13.640 and they jump on these chairs. And what they didn't 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:15.800 know is that there was another lady with her kids 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:19.640 walking towards those chairs. We saw it, and before my 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:21.960 wife could get out of her mouth, her kids jump up. 0:14:22.160 --> 0:14:25.400 They were already heading towards those chairs. The lady makes 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:33.560 some smart comment about it. Well, my wife is a 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:42.680 real Christian. Most days. Before I could get her like, 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:45.280 come on your talking about for I could be like, 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:50.000 let's act like we've been here before, something rose up 0:14:50.040 --> 0:14:54.160 out of her comments, came out of her. 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:58.640 Are y'all following me? They earnestly prayed. 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:03.080 On the inside of them, came up out of them 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:05.520 and begin to come out of their mouth. I'm talking 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:07.800 about a Jacob. I'm gonna wrestle with you until you 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:10.680 bless me kind of prayer. Did you know that the 0:15:10.720 --> 0:15:13.040 word that is used there earnestly is only used one 0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:15.800 other time, and Luke, the author of Acts, used it 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:18.200 in the Book of Luke's when it describes Jesus praying 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:21.600 in the garden against simony. This was that kind of prayer, 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:24.600 this kind of God. I'm not getting up until you 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:25.160 touch me. 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:25.680 God. 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:28.040 I'm not letting go until there is a breakthrough. 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:29.760 God. I'm not gonna stop. 0:15:29.560 --> 0:15:33.000 Calling on your name until you move on, my behalf. 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:35.080 Can I tell you there are some setbacks in our 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:37.760 life that they don't need some nice little prayer. They 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.480 don't need some nice little patty Cake prayer, some little, 0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:41.840 nice little Paul's prayer. 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:45.320 They need God. I'm getting on my knees, on my face. 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:48.720 And until you touch, until the spirit of God shows up, 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:51.760 until you give me a breakthrough, until I feel a 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:53.120 release in my spirit. 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:57.280 God, I'm not letting go. And some of you, instead. 0:15:56.760 --> 0:16:02.880 Of pressing in, you've got stuck because the setback will 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:08.200 either cause you to lean in or shrink away. And 0:16:08.280 --> 0:16:12.840 for some of us we just accept the lot in life. Well, 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:15.960 this just must be how life is going to be. Well, 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:17.800 this just must be how it's going to turn out. 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:20.200 For me, Well, some of us we believe the life 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.560 of the enemy. This is what I deserve. And can 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:25.960 I tell you that we serve the God that is 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:29.160 able to do exceedingly, abundantly and above all that we 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:31.800 can ask, think or imagine. So here's what that means 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:34.720 is that if you are if you are only expecting 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:37.880 what your imagination can create, you are limiting God by 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:41.280 the ability of your intellect. And my God is not 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:45.760 limited by my imagination. That's why Paul said more than 0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:47.160 I can ask, think or. 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:49.320 Imagine. 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:57.080 So they earnestly prayed. I'm hoping some this sparks the 0:16:57.360 --> 0:17:01.280 spirit of God. Something on the inside of you goes no, no, no, 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:03.920 I'm gonna less. I'm gonna I'm gonna let that fire 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:07.680 reignite on the inside of me. God I'm calling, I'm 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:10.879 I'm gonna lean back in like I've never some of 0:17:10.920 --> 0:17:12.879 you you've just you're like, well, I've just given up 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:15.280 on the prayer. No, no, no, no, It's time to re 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:18.399 engage it. It's time to lean back into it and 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:24.320 go God, I'm not leaving you alone. I'm gonna keep 0:17:24.400 --> 0:17:30.120 knocking and knocking and knocking and knocking and knocking. Well, God, 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:32.760 what if God does answer after knock ten, the knock eleven, 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:36.560 knock eleven, I think somebody preests the message one, don't 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:40.040 stop on six because it may be that next knock. 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:43.560 It may be that next thing that causes the breakthrough 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:45.919 in your life. And you know what's powerful about prayer 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:50.560 is that prayer is get you in agreement with God. 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:55.879 It gets you in agreement with God. There's real power 0:17:55.920 --> 0:17:56.480 in agreement. 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:02.520 Agreement means I'm gonna have the same opinion as whoever 0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:06.199 I'm coming into agreement with. And I think one of 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:08.119 the one of the greatest schemes of the enemy in 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:10.479 our life is he gets us in agreement with lies. 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:16.959 He gets because we live out of the agreements that 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:20.360 we make. And if he can get us agree with 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:23.000 him about a situation. And I know we're thinking I 0:18:23.000 --> 0:18:25.560 would never agree with the devil. I don't think we 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:30.080 wake up and we like make this volitional, intentional decision 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.000 that I'm I'm gonna come agreement with what the devil 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:33.359 is saying about my life. 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:38.199 But enough lies spoken over our life. 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:41.240 We begin to adopt that lie and come in and 0:18:41.280 --> 0:18:43.879 we begin to align our decisions and our life with 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:47.320 that lie. And so a setback comes into our life, 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:49.960 and we can begin to believe the negative narrative in 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:54.720 our mind that this will never change. And how do 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:56.840 you know we come into agreement because we stop fighting 0:18:56.840 --> 0:19:01.719 for the change. I'll never use God can never use 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:03.520 me that way, God can never love me that whatever 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:05.200 you want to fill in the blank with. We begin 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:08.000 to come into agreement with those things, and then we 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:11.080 begin to live out of that place of agreement instead 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:13.920 of agreeing with God. And so no longer, no wonder 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:16.080 we don't see breakthrough in life. No wonder we don't 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:18.400 see the miracle that we want to see because God 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:21.240 is still working that way, and God is still doing 0:19:21.280 --> 0:19:22.359 those things in the earth. 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:26.159 It's because we've come in agreement with the wrong things. 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:29.000 I would like to break. 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:31.560 The agreement of the enemy over your life today and 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:35.040 go The lie of the enemy is not not what 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:36.119 you should be agreeing with. 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:37.440 It's the truth of God's word. 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:40.520 But you may be thinking, pastor, but what I what 0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:43.399 I see and what is tangible and what is front 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:44.919 of me is not great. 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:48.080 I get that. I'm not saying I'm. 0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:49.760 Just saying, don't go with what you see, go with 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:50.879 what God said. 0:19:52.400 --> 0:19:54.040 That you can go with what you see. 0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:57.520 And it's and it's challenging in faith because it's all 0:19:57.560 --> 0:19:59.080 around you, it's right in front of you. 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:00.280 I walk into that. 0:20:00.119 --> 0:20:02.720 Situation every day, or I wake up every morning with 0:20:02.800 --> 0:20:05.800 that challenge, or I step into that. I feel it, 0:20:05.880 --> 0:20:07.240 I see it. It's all around me. 0:20:07.359 --> 0:20:09.959 I get it. I get it. But there has to 0:20:09.960 --> 0:20:10.840 be a choice. 0:20:10.520 --> 0:20:12.880 In your mind that goes no, no, no, I'm gonna 0:20:12.880 --> 0:20:15.840 come into agreement with what God has said over me. 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:19.480 I'm gonna I'm gonna break any agreement with lies that 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:20.760 says this is the end. 0:20:21.119 --> 0:20:22.400 I'm let me give an example. 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:24.399 You can get the diagnosis and go this is the 0:20:24.520 --> 0:20:26.800 end for me, or you could go, no, I'm gonna 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:28.680 come in agreement with the word of God that says 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:30.280 I will live and I will not die. 0:20:31.680 --> 0:20:34.840 Are y'all following me? This is why I think. 0:20:35.119 --> 0:20:36.960 I think this is what Paul was getting at in 0:20:36.960 --> 0:20:39.960 the Phlippians three, whenever he said I'm forgetting what is 0:20:40.040 --> 0:20:44.120 behind me and I'm pressing on. One translation says, I'm 0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:47.960 straining towards that which is ahead of me. In other words, 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:52.560 I'm breaking away from some things in my past, and 0:20:52.720 --> 0:20:55.560 I'm pressing towards And he tells us towards the upward 0:20:55.600 --> 0:20:57.040 call of God in Christ Jesus. 0:20:57.119 --> 0:20:59.600 So my eyes are fixed on the prize of. 0:20:59.600 --> 0:21:03.320 Jesus, and I'm breaking away from some things in my past. 0:21:03.359 --> 0:21:04.080 Now think about this. 0:21:04.200 --> 0:21:06.920 Paul's in a prison in either Ephesis or Rome when 0:21:06.920 --> 0:21:10.399 he's writing this, and he has some things to forget, 0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:13.200 does he not? I mean, do you imagine how many 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:15.280 times that he's declaring the word of God or preaching 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:16.760 the word of God that the enemy's like, yeah, but 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:20.679 you killed these people. Yeah, but you tried to destroy 0:21:20.760 --> 0:21:23.840 the church in your past life. And Paul goes, no, 0:21:23.880 --> 0:21:27.120 I'm forgetting what is behind me. I am breaking away 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:30.159 from this narrative in my life. And this may not 0:21:30.200 --> 0:21:31.760 seem very powerful to you, but I want you to 0:21:31.840 --> 0:21:36.760 understand this idea of forgetting. So the biblical idea of forgetting. 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:39.080 To understand that, you have to understand the biblical idea 0:21:39.160 --> 0:21:41.840 of remembering. Are you go with me? We're not playing 0:21:41.880 --> 0:21:44.960 word gymnastics. I'm going somewhere. Okay, you have to understand 0:21:44.960 --> 0:21:47.840 the Biblical idea of remembered and remembering in the Bible sense, 0:21:47.960 --> 0:21:51.160 isn't being able to recall facts and figures and being 0:21:51.200 --> 0:21:53.439 able to retell a story. That's not remembering, that's been 0:21:53.480 --> 0:21:57.040 able to recall data. If you're tracking with me, say, man, okay, 0:21:57.080 --> 0:22:00.040 that's just being able to recall. The Biblical sense of 0:22:00.040 --> 0:22:02.720 of remembering is this is I dig up something from 0:22:02.760 --> 0:22:07.119 my history, especially where I see the faithfulness of God, 0:22:07.680 --> 0:22:10.640 and I bring it into my present in. 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:11.320 Such a way. 0:22:11.560 --> 0:22:15.320 One scholar said that it has potency in my current reality, 0:22:15.800 --> 0:22:19.960 or it begins to change my current reality. In other words, 0:22:20.000 --> 0:22:22.080 this would be the example. In the Old Testament, they 0:22:22.080 --> 0:22:24.600 would build ebenezers, they would build stones of remembrance. 0:22:24.640 --> 0:22:26.320 Why because they were an oral tradition. 0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:30.280 They passed down stories of God orally to their generation 0:22:30.359 --> 0:22:32.840 after generation, so they could come back to that stone 0:22:32.840 --> 0:22:34.840 of remembrance and go, oh, let me tell you what 0:22:35.000 --> 0:22:38.439 God did for our family in this moment. And this 0:22:38.520 --> 0:22:41.160 would be told in a moment where they needed faith 0:22:41.240 --> 0:22:43.560 to be built. Are you tracking with me? This is 0:22:43.600 --> 0:22:45.720 how it would work for us? Is that we come 0:22:45.760 --> 0:22:48.760 to some crossroads in our life, or to some setback, 0:22:48.880 --> 0:22:51.240 or to some painful moment in our life, it would 0:22:51.240 --> 0:22:54.200 be us going whoa time out before I spiral down 0:22:54.240 --> 0:22:57.879 the path of anxiety and spiral down the path of depression, 0:22:58.119 --> 0:23:00.600 and spiral down the path of everything is going in 0:23:00.640 --> 0:23:02.879 the wrong direction. It's not gonna work out for me. 0:23:02.960 --> 0:23:05.080 This isn't gonna turn out great. Before that, I'm going 0:23:05.119 --> 0:23:07.639 to time out and go wait, I've been here before. 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:11.359 The situation looks different, the names are different, and what 0:23:11.440 --> 0:23:13.600 I'm dealing with is different, but I've been in a 0:23:13.680 --> 0:23:16.919 similar place before. And when I was there before, I 0:23:17.040 --> 0:23:20.960 remember that God showed up for me in the middle 0:23:21.000 --> 0:23:24.040 of this storm. That God came through from me in 0:23:24.119 --> 0:23:27.480 the middle of this storm. And I am still standing today. 0:23:27.760 --> 0:23:30.439 And the same God that did it yesterday is the 0:23:30.480 --> 0:23:33.160 same God that'll do it today and the same God 0:23:33.160 --> 0:23:37.040 that'll do it in all of my tomorrows now Here 0:23:37.160 --> 0:23:43.840 is remembering that when that happens, instead of anxiousness, peace 0:23:44.000 --> 0:23:47.919 that passes understanding feels your heart and mind. That is 0:23:47.960 --> 0:23:55.160 it having potency in your current reality. We're believers. We're 0:23:55.200 --> 0:23:59.439 supposed to be different. There's supposed to be a contrast 0:23:59.480 --> 0:24:03.400 to our life that when the world goes how can 0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:07.439 you be walking through hell but you have peace in 0:24:07.520 --> 0:24:11.040 the middle of it. How can you be dealing with 0:24:11.080 --> 0:24:14.200 that tragedy but there is a joy. I'm not saying 0:24:14.200 --> 0:24:17.200 that it's not pain for you. I'm not saying we are. 0:24:18.240 --> 0:24:21.800 We're just like avoiding reality. I say, we're looking to 0:24:21.880 --> 0:24:26.000 a different reality. We're looking to a Kingdom reality. We're 0:24:26.000 --> 0:24:28.919 looking to a word of God reality. And so I 0:24:28.960 --> 0:24:32.760 am walking. I may be walking through chaos, but chaos 0:24:32.920 --> 0:24:35.560 is not in me, although it is all around me, 0:24:36.080 --> 0:24:38.920 because I am remembering the faithfulness of God. 0:24:38.960 --> 0:24:42.760 All right. Put it in opposite, Paul says, I'm forgetting 0:24:42.760 --> 0:24:43.639 what is behind me. 0:24:45.560 --> 0:24:49.000 So any sin of my past, mistakes, of my past 0:24:49.119 --> 0:24:52.240 issues from my past, things that the enemy is wanting 0:24:52.280 --> 0:24:54.880 to shame me of, Paul is going in the same 0:24:54.920 --> 0:24:58.080 way that I remember to have potency in my current reality. 0:24:58.320 --> 0:24:59.240 I forget what. 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:02.600 Is behind me, and so I'm no longer held or 0:25:02.760 --> 0:25:05.879 bound by the issues of my past, or bound by 0:25:05.920 --> 0:25:08.560 the sin of my past, or bound by the things 0:25:08.560 --> 0:25:11.399 that people have spoken over me. I'm no longer bound 0:25:11.440 --> 0:25:13.879 by when they walked out and said you're not worth 0:25:13.920 --> 0:25:16.040 loving and no one will ever want to be with you. 0:25:16.280 --> 0:25:19.280 I'm not bound by when they spoke death over my life. 0:25:19.359 --> 0:25:20.240 I'm forgetting. 0:25:20.680 --> 0:25:24.040 I am breaking agreement with what is behind me, and 0:25:24.080 --> 0:25:26.800 I'm pressing in to everything that is ahead of me. 0:25:26.840 --> 0:25:28.960 Come on, put your hands together in the House of God. 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:37.520 There's power in agreement. There's power in agreement. Be careful 0:25:37.520 --> 0:25:41.000 who you agree with. Be careful what word you come 0:25:41.040 --> 0:25:45.040 in agreement with. Just because they said it doesn't mean 0:25:45.040 --> 0:25:51.679 you have to agree with it. Just because they spoke it, 0:25:53.000 --> 0:25:54.080 don't mean you got to listen. 0:25:55.520 --> 0:25:55.800 Hello. 0:25:55.920 --> 0:25:59.480 Just because they posted it don't mean you need to follow. 0:26:01.240 --> 0:26:04.159 Some of y'all need some spiritual amnesia. I need some 0:26:04.200 --> 0:26:07.679 men in black. Google it if you don't know the 0:26:07.680 --> 0:26:16.640 movie Forgetting what is behind I'm forgetting what. I'm coming 0:26:16.720 --> 0:26:20.280 out of agreement, and I'm coming into agreement with the 0:26:20.320 --> 0:26:24.320 word Prayer brings me in. Prayer is aligning my heart. 0:26:24.400 --> 0:26:26.120 And it may not be the first time you pray. 0:26:26.920 --> 0:26:29.480 It may be the second time you pray. But as 0:26:29.560 --> 0:26:32.440 you seek the Lord in prayer, what happens you come 0:26:32.520 --> 0:26:36.280 more and more into agreement. Why do you think we 0:26:36.359 --> 0:26:38.639 want you in e groups? In church and on a 0:26:38.760 --> 0:26:41.840 volunteer team and get plugged into the community of God. 0:26:41.880 --> 0:26:42.959 Here. Why do we want that? 0:26:43.040 --> 0:26:45.760 Because sometimes you need some people around you that go, no, no, no, 0:26:45.800 --> 0:26:48.639 what that's not true. No no, no, no no, You're not 0:26:48.640 --> 0:26:50.880 gonna this is not the end for you. No no, no, no. 0:26:50.960 --> 0:26:52.680 You need some people that when you're like I don't 0:26:52.680 --> 0:26:54.560 even feel like getting out of bed right now, they're like, 0:26:54.640 --> 0:26:57.520 I will come drag you from your house and I 0:26:57.560 --> 0:27:00.840 will bring you to campus. I will come by you, 0:27:01.080 --> 0:27:03.800 I will grab your hand. When you can't pray, I'll 0:27:03.840 --> 0:27:06.560 pray for you. Because you need some people. Why because 0:27:06.720 --> 0:27:08.800 the Bible says in Matthew eighteen, when two or three 0:27:08.800 --> 0:27:11.879 are gathering, they touch and agree. Why because there's not 0:27:11.920 --> 0:27:14.399 only power and agreement with God. There's power when I 0:27:14.480 --> 0:27:19.439 come in agreement with people around me. There's power in 0:27:19.520 --> 0:27:27.600 your agreement. Now here's where we suck the shout out 0:27:27.600 --> 0:27:33.280 of the room, because there would be no reason to 0:27:33.400 --> 0:27:38.679 pray if Paul hadn't have been in prison. It was 0:27:38.720 --> 0:27:45.399 actually the pain of prison that purposed the church to pray. 0:27:46.040 --> 0:27:49.600 So if everything had have been going Rosie in the 0:27:49.640 --> 0:27:53.840 New Testament Church, I propose the church wouldn't have learned 0:27:53.840 --> 0:27:58.280 to pray the way they prayed. Now, I'm not saying 0:27:58.320 --> 0:28:04.159 that God put Peter in because I don't believe it's 0:28:04.200 --> 0:28:07.320 in the character of God. But I do believe that 0:28:07.359 --> 0:28:13.840 God has a way of working all things together for 0:28:13.880 --> 0:28:18.520 the good of those who love Him and are called 0:28:18.560 --> 0:28:24.439 according to His purpose. It was the pain that elevated 0:28:24.480 --> 0:28:27.640 their prayer to a new level. It was the pain 0:28:27.720 --> 0:28:30.960 of prison that gave them a muscle that they did 0:28:31.000 --> 0:28:34.280 not have before in faith. And some of you, you're 0:28:34.359 --> 0:28:36.640 looking at pain right now in your life, going God, 0:28:36.720 --> 0:28:38.840 why are you doing this to me? And I would 0:28:38.840 --> 0:28:41.800 want to reframe the question what is God wanting to 0:28:41.840 --> 0:28:46.200 do for you? That sometimes we put the wrong frame 0:28:46.240 --> 0:28:48.280 around it, and when we frame it wrong, we see 0:28:48.320 --> 0:28:51.400 it wrong. Recently, my wife and I went on we 0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:56.720 celebrated twenty years married, and we went on, Yeah, thank you, 0:28:56.720 --> 0:28:58.600 you should have pulled for her. 0:28:59.160 --> 0:28:59.920 She's stuck with me. 0:29:00.920 --> 0:29:03.320 We went we went on an anniversary trip and we 0:29:03.320 --> 0:29:05.320 were going to the We were visiting these museums and 0:29:05.360 --> 0:29:09.040 we had this guide and uh, the God was taking 0:29:09.120 --> 0:29:12.360 us through and I'm guys, I'm I would like to 0:29:12.440 --> 0:29:16.000 be more cultured and I'm pretty simple. 0:29:16.040 --> 0:29:18.160 Give me some barbecue in college football and let's call 0:29:18.200 --> 0:29:19.640 it a day. Like, I'm good to go. 0:29:19.680 --> 0:29:22.280 But we went into all these art galleries and I 0:29:22.280 --> 0:29:25.560 mean it was it was pretty amazing. But the way 0:29:25.760 --> 0:29:30.920 the the guide was framing it for me like actually 0:29:30.920 --> 0:29:35.520 made me interested in what I was seeing. And so 0:29:35.800 --> 0:29:38.840 she's like, these are one of a kind. You'll never 0:29:38.880 --> 0:29:41.520 see it was Michaelangelo. We're going to see some da Vinci. 0:29:41.600 --> 0:29:47.840 I was like, all right, I've heard those names. And 0:29:47.920 --> 0:29:51.680 so we walk in there and I'm walking slowly. I'm like, yeah, 0:29:51.720 --> 0:29:55.200 look at the use of color. I have no idea. 0:29:55.240 --> 0:29:57.680 I don't know what I'm saying. I mean, who says that. 0:29:57.720 --> 0:30:00.440 I'm like, yeah, look at look at that's that's from 0:30:00.520 --> 0:30:01.800 Renaissance period right there. 0:30:01.800 --> 0:30:03.760 It's amazing. 0:30:05.360 --> 0:30:09.239 Take the guide away, Take the framing away. I had 0:30:09.240 --> 0:30:12.120 to walk through there and been like I've seen that 0:30:12.120 --> 0:30:16.280 at Target. Come on, somebody, anybody else with me. I'd 0:30:16.280 --> 0:30:19.200 have been like, I've seen that before. It was a 0:30:19.240 --> 0:30:23.560 hobby lobby. I don't know who that guy is. Well, 0:30:23.600 --> 0:30:27.040 what happened? She set it up with a different frame 0:30:27.120 --> 0:30:29.920 for me. Are you tracking with me? Can I set 0:30:30.000 --> 0:30:32.560 up the pain of prison in a different frame for you, 0:30:32.920 --> 0:30:35.440 that just maybe what you're seeing as God, why are 0:30:35.480 --> 0:30:37.800 you doing this to me? And that's the language you said, 0:30:37.800 --> 0:30:39.800 why is this happening to me? Why is this thing 0:30:39.840 --> 0:30:42.479 coming to me now? No, maybe God is doing something 0:30:42.560 --> 0:30:43.040 for you. 0:30:43.320 --> 0:30:43.960 Maybe there's a. 0:30:44.000 --> 0:30:47.000 Muscle of faith that God is wanting to build and 0:30:47.040 --> 0:30:51.239 he's capitalizing on what seems like a painful situation in 0:30:51.280 --> 0:30:54.200 your life to grow something deeper on the inside of 0:30:54.240 --> 0:30:56.760 you so that you can handle a more weight. Could 0:30:56.800 --> 0:30:59.360 it be that God sees so much potential in your 0:30:59.440 --> 0:31:02.080 life and see so much for you down the future. 0:31:02.280 --> 0:31:05.080 Because our God is outside of time, you're tracking with me. 0:31:05.560 --> 0:31:07.280 He doesn't have it in a beginning, and he doesn't 0:31:07.320 --> 0:31:09.640 have an end, so he doesn't live within time. He 0:31:09.680 --> 0:31:12.640 lives outside of time, and so he is standing outside 0:31:12.680 --> 0:31:14.760 of time watching the day you were born and the 0:31:14.840 --> 0:31:18.640 day you die at the same time, and. 0:31:18.600 --> 0:31:19.600 He's outside it. 0:31:19.720 --> 0:31:22.680 So could it be that he knows right now, in 0:31:22.760 --> 0:31:26.000 this momentary moment where you are dealing with this pain, 0:31:26.080 --> 0:31:29.640 he's going, Yeah, but six months from now, I'm about 0:31:29.680 --> 0:31:32.120 to do something in their life that will blow their mind. 0:31:32.360 --> 0:31:34.720 But before they get to there, I need to grow 0:31:34.840 --> 0:31:37.520 something in here. I need to grow some care. Could 0:31:37.560 --> 0:31:40.880 I propose that that character grows really good in pain. 0:31:41.880 --> 0:31:44.440 Could I say that faith gets a muscle you never 0:31:44.520 --> 0:31:47.400 had when you're walking through something challenging. Could I say 0:31:47.400 --> 0:31:50.200 that there's something developed on the inside of you that 0:31:50.400 --> 0:31:53.640 just maybe without it wouldn't be developed, and then you 0:31:53.640 --> 0:31:56.920 wouldn't be prepared for the blessing God wants to put 0:31:56.960 --> 0:32:05.680 into your life. It was the pain of prison that 0:32:05.840 --> 0:32:11.400 brought the church to pray. Could we frame it different? 0:32:13.040 --> 0:32:15.720 Could you see it different? Oh, God, you're not doing 0:32:15.760 --> 0:32:19.800 this to me. There's something you're doing for me in 0:32:19.840 --> 0:32:23.400 this because God is moving you from victory to victory. 0:32:24.840 --> 0:32:27.440 The only problem is we don't know how long two 0:32:27.600 --> 0:32:36.720 is victory two. We want it to be victory to victory. 0:32:38.600 --> 0:32:40.920 In my experience, sometimes it's victory to. 0:32:45.240 --> 0:32:52.320 Victory. Come on, somebody. The text goes on to say this. 0:32:54.560 --> 0:32:57.200 Says, the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, 0:32:57.240 --> 0:33:01.240 Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, which is fascinating to me, 0:33:02.120 --> 0:33:04.400 bound with two chains and centuries stood guard at the 0:33:04.560 --> 0:33:09.600 entrance there there were there were actually sixteen guards over him. 0:33:10.080 --> 0:33:14.640 They must have been really scared of Peter, and it said. 0:33:14.680 --> 0:33:17.640 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light 0:33:17.760 --> 0:33:20.800 shone in the cell, and he struck Peter on the 0:33:20.920 --> 0:33:23.800 side and woke him up. Quick, get up, he said, 0:33:24.080 --> 0:33:26.360 and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. And then the 0:33:26.400 --> 0:33:29.479 angel said to him, put on your clothes and sandals, 0:33:29.520 --> 0:33:31.440 and Peter did so, wrap your cloak around you and 0:33:31.440 --> 0:33:34.480 follow me. And the angel told him, and Peter followed 0:33:34.520 --> 0:33:36.120 him out of the prison. But he had no idea 0:33:36.280 --> 0:33:38.680 that what the angel was doing was really happening. He 0:33:38.760 --> 0:33:41.480 thought he was seeing a vision. Peter's like, in that 0:33:41.560 --> 0:33:46.560 moment between awaken a sleep, you know what I'm talking about. 0:33:47.480 --> 0:33:50.760 It's that it's that moment like when your preschooler walks 0:33:50.760 --> 0:33:53.800 in and stands at the side of your bed quietly. 0:33:56.560 --> 0:34:01.360 That's so true. It I'm preaching right now, and you're like, 0:34:01.680 --> 0:34:05.600 I rebuke that devil. Then they're like, Dad, I'm like, oh, 0:34:05.600 --> 0:34:06.920 I'm sorry. 0:34:07.680 --> 0:34:09.120 Theoretically heard that happens. 0:34:11.520 --> 0:34:13.440 They passed the first and second guards and came to 0:34:13.480 --> 0:34:15.239 the iron gate leading to the city and opened for 0:34:15.280 --> 0:34:17.120 them by itself, and they went through it, and when 0:34:17.160 --> 0:34:19.000 they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the 0:34:19.040 --> 0:34:21.839 angel left him. He's like, you got to go from here, Peter. 0:34:23.760 --> 0:34:28.839 This is so interesting to me that the two responses 0:34:29.000 --> 0:34:36.279 to setbacks or to pressure. Think about this. The church 0:34:36.320 --> 0:34:40.920 is under pressure, but Peter is too. He's actually the 0:34:40.920 --> 0:34:46.000 one in chains. The churches is in duress and they 0:34:46.040 --> 0:34:49.160 go to praying. Peter's intress and he goes to sleeping. 0:34:51.719 --> 0:34:57.000 I think they're both great responses to a setback. Yes, 0:34:57.040 --> 0:34:58.680 there is time to lean in and pray, but there's 0:34:58.680 --> 0:35:03.560 also time to rest in the sovereignty of God. Have 0:35:03.640 --> 0:35:06.080 you ever felt that way, that you're stuck between two things? 0:35:07.360 --> 0:35:11.120 Life is never as simple as we make it. It's 0:35:11.160 --> 0:35:14.400 never one issue I'm dealing with. It's it's I'm chained 0:35:14.440 --> 0:35:25.120 between betrayal and unforgiveness. I'm changing, I'm chained between lack 0:35:25.160 --> 0:35:30.080 of direction, and I got friendships that are falling apart. 0:35:30.800 --> 0:35:33.040 It's rarely that we're dealing with one thing and Peter 0:35:33.440 --> 0:35:37.200 is stuck and he's he's chained in between two different 0:35:37.239 --> 0:35:39.759 things and in the middle that the Bible says that 0:35:39.800 --> 0:35:40.440 he's sleeping. 0:35:42.200 --> 0:35:44.560 I mean, think about this, like, like put yourself in 0:35:44.640 --> 0:35:48.319 that situation. I don't think I would be sleeping and 0:35:48.360 --> 0:35:49.360 there was no Xanax. 0:35:50.239 --> 0:35:54.200 There there's no Nike will, there's no come on advill PM. 0:35:54.239 --> 0:36:00.400 Thank you Jesus, the Christian one. I don't take drugs. 0:36:00.440 --> 0:36:08.960 I just go to sleep with ADBULPM. There's none of that. 0:36:09.000 --> 0:36:11.759 But Peter is asleep in the middle of it. I 0:36:11.760 --> 0:36:14.840 started asking myself how in the world was Peter sleeping 0:36:15.280 --> 0:36:19.240 in between two guards chained? Knowing what happened to James, 0:36:19.280 --> 0:36:21.360 he had to know the next morning. This isn't a 0:36:21.400 --> 0:36:24.520 real trial. I'm probably going to be murdered, but he's sleeping. 0:36:25.560 --> 0:36:27.439 Here's what I feel like, the Spirit of God said 0:36:27.440 --> 0:36:30.279 to me, is that why would I be awake at 0:36:30.360 --> 0:36:35.840 night worrying about tomorrow when God was already there. Why 0:36:35.920 --> 0:36:39.120 would I be worrying right now and losing sleep when 0:36:39.120 --> 0:36:42.080 God is in all of my tomorrows? And if God 0:36:42.160 --> 0:36:44.879 is already in my tomorrow, then he's already taking care 0:36:45.000 --> 0:36:47.560 of what I can I just encourage somebody today. Some 0:36:47.640 --> 0:36:50.080 of you got a conversation tomorrow, you gotta have. Some 0:36:50.160 --> 0:36:52.399 of you don't know what you're walking into tomorrow. Can 0:36:52.440 --> 0:36:54.600 I tell you the God that is all places at 0:36:54.600 --> 0:36:57.440 all times, is already in all of your tomorrows? That 0:36:57.520 --> 0:37:00.680 He's already been there, he's already seen the conversation, He's 0:37:00.719 --> 0:37:03.080 already dealt with the situation. And if he can be 0:37:03.120 --> 0:37:05.719 trusted in your today, he can be trusted in all 0:37:05.760 --> 0:37:11.520 of your tomorrows. So why stress? Why worry? Why be 0:37:11.600 --> 0:37:15.600 overwhelmed in the middle of it? Peter was sleeping in 0:37:15.719 --> 0:37:21.640 between two soldiers, because I think Peter was like, God's 0:37:21.680 --> 0:37:25.239 already there, God's already got me. Can I tell you 0:37:25.320 --> 0:37:30.240 God's already got you that? If he knows the hairs 0:37:30.320 --> 0:37:35.560 on your head? Don't you think he's got those things 0:37:35.560 --> 0:37:38.759 that are worrying you. Don't you think he's in the 0:37:38.800 --> 0:37:43.960 middle of the setback that you're facing right now? If 0:37:43.960 --> 0:37:46.000 he can be trusted with your salvation, can he be 0:37:46.040 --> 0:37:50.759 trusted with your finances? If he can be trusted with 0:37:50.800 --> 0:37:55.920 your eternity, can't he be trusted with your child? If 0:37:55.960 --> 0:37:59.560 he can be trusted with the forgiveness of your sin? 0:37:59.640 --> 0:38:04.359 Can't he be trusted? But that roommate situation that is 0:38:05.560 --> 0:38:10.800 wearing you out, worrying you, He's already in your tomorrow. 0:38:13.080 --> 0:38:19.160 Why should I be up worrying about it? Why it's 0:38:19.280 --> 0:38:24.840 the band to come out and join me? So he 0:38:24.840 --> 0:38:28.520 says that he the angel kicks him or strikes him. 0:38:28.520 --> 0:38:30.880 I don't know what he did. I just picture he's like, 0:38:32.120 --> 0:38:36.800 get up, Peter, and then he says, he walks past 0:38:36.880 --> 0:38:42.160 all the guards and he gets out in the street, 0:38:42.200 --> 0:38:45.520 and then he is able to take off by himself. 0:38:45.640 --> 0:38:47.120 I want, I want to point this thought out to 0:38:47.160 --> 0:38:52.759 you that Peter didn't escape, Peter was delivered. There's a 0:38:52.760 --> 0:38:58.480 big difference in the two that if Peter had escaped, 0:38:58.560 --> 0:39:02.279 that would have been Peter's doing. And sometimes when we 0:39:02.320 --> 0:39:05.440 face a setback, that is our approach. I need to 0:39:05.480 --> 0:39:07.360 pay my way out of this. I need to network 0:39:07.400 --> 0:39:09.279 my way out of this. Who can I talk to? 0:39:09.360 --> 0:39:11.120 Who can I see? I mean some of us would 0:39:11.120 --> 0:39:13.200 have been like Peter was kept in prison, and the 0:39:13.280 --> 0:39:16.359 church was lobbying the local political leaders, and the church 0:39:16.480 --> 0:39:18.680 was out talking to everybody, and the church was posting 0:39:18.719 --> 0:39:21.320 about it, and the church was trying and raise awaren 0:39:21.520 --> 0:39:22.839 for I'm not against. 0:39:22.560 --> 0:39:22.880 Any of that. 0:39:22.960 --> 0:39:25.000 I'm just saying their approach was to go to God, 0:39:25.080 --> 0:39:28.080 to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, 0:39:28.080 --> 0:39:30.120 and then all these other things that you're worrying about 0:39:30.239 --> 0:39:32.560 will be added unto you as well. But if Peter 0:39:33.120 --> 0:39:35.759 had escaped, then Peter could have end back in the 0:39:35.800 --> 0:39:38.719 situation he was in. But when God delivers you, then 0:39:38.719 --> 0:39:41.320 God will cause you to walk right past the people 0:39:41.560 --> 0:39:44.239 that and change you and prisons you up, and you 0:39:44.280 --> 0:39:46.160 will be Let me say it this way, whom the 0:39:46.200 --> 0:39:49.960 sun sets free is free. Indeed, are you tracking with me? 0:39:50.560 --> 0:39:52.640 I just want you to when you face a setback, 0:39:52.680 --> 0:39:53.960 don't seek to escape it. 0:39:54.239 --> 0:39:57.080 Seek God deliver me out of this. God. 0:39:57.120 --> 0:39:59.160 I want you to do this because if you get 0:39:59.200 --> 0:40:01.440 the chains off of I don't have to pick the 0:40:01.440 --> 0:40:02.600 lock and try. 0:40:02.360 --> 0:40:03.480 To figure it out myself. 0:40:03.520 --> 0:40:05.480 God, if you will get the chains off of me, 0:40:05.760 --> 0:40:06.960 you will open the door. 0:40:07.120 --> 0:40:07.960 If you open the. 0:40:07.920 --> 0:40:10.680 Door, I can walk right past the critic, I can 0:40:10.719 --> 0:40:12.959 walk right past the person that was trying to set 0:40:13.040 --> 0:40:13.480 me back. 0:40:13.640 --> 0:40:14.680 I can walk right. 0:40:14.520 --> 0:40:17.080 Past them all because the Angel of the Lord is 0:40:17.120 --> 0:40:20.040 with me, and I will the scap be delivered, but 0:40:20.200 --> 0:40:24.960 not escape from it. I'm wanting God to move on 0:40:25.000 --> 0:40:28.960 my behalf. And so the end of the story is this. 0:40:29.200 --> 0:40:34.040 He goes back and he talks. He goes and knocks 0:40:34.080 --> 0:40:36.000 on the door where they're all gathering, and they're all praying, 0:40:36.440 --> 0:40:38.439 and the servant girl comes to the door. She didn't 0:40:38.440 --> 0:40:40.360 even open it. She runs back and she's like, I 0:40:40.360 --> 0:40:43.560 heard Peter's voice out there. And they come back and 0:40:43.560 --> 0:40:47.360 they're like, it couldn't be. I just love the humanity 0:40:47.400 --> 0:40:50.640 God gives us. In the Bible, they're praying, these great 0:40:50.640 --> 0:40:53.479 people of faith, earnestly praying, Peter's at the door. There's 0:40:53.520 --> 0:40:54.919 no way God's answered our prayer. 0:40:55.000 --> 0:40:57.920 That's what they're saying. Being couraged today. 0:40:58.480 --> 0:41:00.239 If you feel like you got a mustard seed of faith, 0:41:00.280 --> 0:41:04.600 that's enough. He says, I that can't be him. And 0:41:04.640 --> 0:41:07.440 then they said this, which is telling. They said it 0:41:07.520 --> 0:41:10.960 must be his ghost. Now in that time, they believe 0:41:11.000 --> 0:41:13.800 that that your spirit remained for four days after your death. 0:41:14.719 --> 0:41:17.080 This is why Jesus waited to go to lazarus tomb 0:41:17.120 --> 0:41:22.279 to make sure they knew he was dead dead. They 0:41:22.320 --> 0:41:24.239 believed that. So what they were saying is they must 0:41:24.280 --> 0:41:26.439 have already killed him, and now his spirit has come. 0:41:28.800 --> 0:41:31.040 And then they knock on the door. He knocks again. 0:41:31.080 --> 0:41:34.640 They finally open it, and then they rejoice that God 0:41:34.640 --> 0:41:37.520 has answered their prayer. Here's what I want to leave 0:41:37.520 --> 0:41:42.680 you with, the same God, the same God that got 0:41:42.719 --> 0:41:48.000 Peter out of prison, is the same God that is 0:41:48.040 --> 0:41:52.400 working in your life today. The Church didn't have some 0:41:53.280 --> 0:41:56.640 specific system of prayer that got God to listen to 0:41:56.680 --> 0:41:58.000 them and move on their behalf. 0:41:58.080 --> 0:41:58.719 They didn't have the. 0:41:58.760 --> 0:42:01.839 Right words that they together in the right sentence. They 0:42:01.880 --> 0:42:04.720 didn't have some golden ticket. They just had an earnest 0:42:04.920 --> 0:42:08.920 prayer before God. And God heard their prayers. And I 0:42:08.960 --> 0:42:11.080 want you to know today that if you will earnestly 0:42:11.200 --> 0:42:15.160 pray before God, God hears your prayers, and God will 0:42:15.200 --> 0:42:18.080 move on your behalf because He's a God that loves 0:42:18.120 --> 0:42:18.399 you and. 0:42:18.440 --> 0:42:21.440 Is for you. And the same God I want you 0:42:21.480 --> 0:42:22.279 to hear this, the. 0:42:22.200 --> 0:42:25.120 Same God that part of the red Sea is the 0:42:25.160 --> 0:42:27.799 same God that is working in your life today. That 0:42:27.880 --> 0:42:30.040 our God's arm is not too short. 0:42:29.760 --> 0:42:31.320 To reach into your situation. 0:42:31.719 --> 0:42:35.000 The same God that was cloud by day and fire 0:42:35.040 --> 0:42:37.759 by night is the same God that is working in 0:42:37.800 --> 0:42:39.080 your situation today. 0:42:39.280 --> 0:42:40.360 And the same God. 0:42:40.160 --> 0:42:42.600 That took down Goliath with a little rock is the 0:42:42.640 --> 0:42:44.280 same God that is working today. 0:42:44.480 --> 0:42:46.160 And the same God that said. 0:42:46.040 --> 0:42:49.200 Lazarus get up out of that tomb is the same God. 0:42:49.000 --> 0:42:50.080 That is working today. 0:42:50.280 --> 0:42:53.319 And the same God that caused Jesus to rise up 0:42:53.320 --> 0:42:56.400 from the grave is the same God that is working today. 0:42:56.680 --> 0:42:59.840 And so while you're praying, why don't you get praised. 0:43:00.520 --> 0:43:02.480 That's the same God that did. 0:43:02.320 --> 0:43:04.399 It for them, will do it for you too. 0:43:05.480 --> 0:43:10.319 You can pray and you can praise, but that's the 0:43:10.360 --> 0:43:10.960 same God. 0:43:13.239 --> 0:43:14.600 It's the same God. 0:43:16.239 --> 0:43:18.040 And I don't know what you're facing today, and I 0:43:18.080 --> 0:43:20.480 don't know what you're dealing with. I don't know what 0:43:20.560 --> 0:43:21.440 has you overwhelmed. 0:43:21.440 --> 0:43:25.560 But I do know this that Peter was kept in. 0:43:25.520 --> 0:43:32.000 Prison, but the church prayed, and when the church prayed, 0:43:33.480 --> 0:43:38.640 all of heaven moved. And that same God will do 0:43:38.719 --> 0:43:41.320 it for you today. Come on, do you believe the 0:43:41.360 --> 0:43:49.200 word of God today? Every head bout, every eye closed, 0:43:49.200 --> 0:43:53.200 at all of our campuses. You know, for some of you, 0:43:53.280 --> 0:43:56.280 the greatest prayer you could ever pray is the prayer 0:43:56.280 --> 0:43:57.239 that says, God, I. 0:43:57.239 --> 0:44:00.360 Surrender my life to you. It's the greatest prayer. 0:44:01.760 --> 0:44:04.880 It's the prayer that says, I'm far from you, my 0:44:04.960 --> 0:44:09.160 sin is separated me from you. But I want relationship 0:44:09.200 --> 0:44:11.799 with you. I want to know you personally, not know 0:44:11.920 --> 0:44:14.839 about you, not check a box. I want to know 0:44:14.880 --> 0:44:16.920 you personally. The Bible says, if we confess with our 0:44:16.920 --> 0:44:19.640 mouth at Jesus is Lord. That means I'm done calling 0:44:19.680 --> 0:44:23.200 the shots God. I'm surrendering to you. And we believe 0:44:23.239 --> 0:44:25.080 in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. 0:44:25.120 --> 0:44:29.719 That's the resurrection. Then we will be saved. We can 0:44:29.760 --> 0:44:31.640 have a brand new beginning today. And some of you 0:44:31.680 --> 0:44:34.120 today you need to come back to God or maybe 0:44:34.160 --> 0:44:36.520 today you need to begin a brand new relationship with Him. 0:44:37.239 --> 0:44:39.319 We're going to pray in just a moment together as 0:44:40.239 --> 0:44:42.760 a church family for those who are taking this step today, 0:44:42.840 --> 0:44:45.640 and no one prays alone. If you say that's me. 0:44:47.440 --> 0:44:49.360 I need a fresh start today, I need a new beginning. 0:44:49.400 --> 0:44:53.400 The Bible says if anybody's in Christ, they're a new creation. 0:44:54.440 --> 0:44:56.680 God can make you new today. They can be a 0:44:56.800 --> 0:44:59.960 day of brand new beginnings. So let's pray this outline. 0:45:00.040 --> 0:45:02.960 I'll across all of our locations. Are you found, just say, Jesus, 0:45:03.640 --> 0:45:07.080 I need you. I ask you to forgive me of 0:45:07.120 --> 0:45:10.880 all my sin. I believe you died for me. I 0:45:10.920 --> 0:45:14.600 believe God raised you from the dead. Today I'll make 0:45:14.640 --> 0:45:17.960 you my Lord and savior. Thank you for a brand 0:45:18.000 --> 0:45:20.759 new beginning in Jesus' name. 0:45:21.560 --> 0:45:21.960 Amen. 0:45:22.520 --> 0:45:24.440 Amen, Come on, if you made that decision today, will 0:45:24.480 --> 0:45:26.760 you just slip your hand up, come on every campus. 0:45:26.760 --> 0:45:28.200 You're coming back to God today. 0:45:29.880 --> 0:45:31.000 Thank you for joining us. 0:45:31.320 --> 0:45:33.759 Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 0:45:33.840 --> 0:45:37.320 this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 0:45:37.760 --> 0:45:39.960 You can click the link in the description to give 0:45:40.040 --> 0:45:44.200 now or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more 0:45:44.200 --> 0:45:48.040 information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 0:45:48.320 --> 0:45:49.640 You can share it with your friends. 0:45:49.920 --> 0:45:52.200 You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 0:45:52.239 --> 0:45:54.359 share it on your social stories and tag us at 0:45:54.400 --> 0:46:00.000 Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you