Little By Little (Rich Wilkerson Jr.)

0:00:02.120 --> 0:00:04.680 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.920 --> 0:00:07.160 Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:10.479 you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:12.560 it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 0:00:12.560 --> 0:00:17.360 see Gods moving in your life. Enjoy the message, Hey, 0:00:17.400 --> 0:00:20.799 listen to this. Each year we provide the opportunity to 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:23.040 give toward the growth of our church, this ministry, and 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:25.360 the Kingdom of God through a year end offering. A 0:00:25.360 --> 0:00:27.720 couple of weeks ago, we all joined together to finish 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:34.680 twenty twenty with favor d y'all remember thousands of you 0:00:34.760 --> 0:00:38.560 brought your best gift and offering of worship for the 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:41.840 King of Kings committed to tithe for the first time. 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:45.159 And I think that's absolutely amazing, and I want to 0:00:45.200 --> 0:00:48.280 congratulate you and tell you to expect God to move 0:00:48.320 --> 0:00:51.040 in a great and supernatural way in your life because 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:56.840 of your faith. I want to tell you that somebody 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:58.400 put it in the chat again or say it out 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:01.920 loud if you're here, He made a way and because 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:06.600 of your giving, you made a way to give away. 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:08.240 This is not how much we took in in the 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:11.400 offerings so far, and there's still time to participate Elevation 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:16.680 Church dot org slash Favor. But I felt this, it's 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:21.880 not too late for favor. I don't know who this 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:27.000 is for. It's not too late for favor, even if 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:29.240 you're watching this weeks after I preach it, and we're 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:31.600 already well into the year twenty twenty nine, living on 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:35.920 Mars with Elon. It's not too late for favor. But 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:38.920 this is what I wanted to celebrate. And I knew 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:40.679 you would want to rejoice in the Lord and give 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:44.959 thanks about the outreach money that we've given away already 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:49.520 over one million dollars given not to the church but 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:53.360 through the church. That's what's going back out. Come on, 0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:58.320 Let's give God a great praise for faithful people who 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:01.440 know how to walk in the favor of God. We 0:02:01.520 --> 0:02:08.600 walk by faith, not by sight. So on, behalf of 0:02:08.720 --> 0:02:11.760 all of the pregnant mothers through the Human Coalition that 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.720 we're helping on, behalf of those in Kenya, Haiti and 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:18.440 the Congo through the Medical Benevolence Foundation. On, behalf of 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:21.639 those in our community that are receiving financial literacy education. 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:25.600 All of our mothers completing their degree across the country 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.880 through safe journey and community and schools. I wanted to 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:31.720 say thank you. You're the best church in the world. 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:34.600 It's an honor to be your pastor, Holly, and I 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:37.880 love you. Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas? 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:39.959 If not, put it in the chat and I'll see 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:44.359 if I can. I'll see if i can work something out. 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:48.400 That'd be fun. Everybody. If you didn't get what you 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.000 wanted for Christmas, put it in the chat and I'm 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:53.520 going to pick one person and send you what you 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:57.119 didn't get this week. I'm going to do that. Put 0:02:57.120 --> 0:02:59.760 it in the chat, but not until you've gone to 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:03.920 church dot Lord slash favor and given your tithe in 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:09.200 that order, who's ready for the Word of God. Pastor 0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:15.079 rich Wilkerson Junior is in the house. This is my friend. 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:19.720 He and his amazing wife Don Sheried are two of 0:03:19.760 --> 0:03:22.400 the most brilliant lights for Jesus Christ burning on the 0:03:22.400 --> 0:03:26.240 planet today. They pastor the Great Voo Church in Miami, Florida. 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.520 We're honored to know you, honored to be friends with you. 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:32.040 There's no one that we wanted to preach the last 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:35.360 Sunday in the year, but you and trust me this church. 0:03:35.600 --> 0:03:38.760 This church has so many different people that come through. 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:41.440 But I really prayed about it. Who should take us 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:43.640 out of one year and into the other. And the 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:49.040 Lord said, get rich, get rich. Everybody put in the chat, 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:52.200 get rich, and right now you're about to get him. 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:56.560 Merry Christmas, everybody. I brought you an amazing preacher. Welcome 0:03:56.560 --> 0:04:11.240 to Elevation Ministries Global Apath. That's a rich Wilkerson. Oh, 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:13.320 come on, church, why don't we go ahead and give Jesus, 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:17.080 Come on a big shot of praise. Come on, anybody 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:19.320 thankful that you're still here right now, come on and 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:27.640 give him praise. It is so so good to be 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:29.840 I just noticed that they took away the real pulpit. 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:34.600 It gave me the miniature pulpit. But I like this. 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:38.960 I love this church so very very much, and what 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:41.400 an honor it is to be here. And all of 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:43.359 the epham We're so glad that you're joining us on 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:46.560 the last Sunday of the year. And help me think, man, 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:48.840 it's not always how you start, but it's always about 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:51.960 how you finish. Anybody grateful that you're finishing the year 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:58.440 in church. I believe that God's gonna speak to us today. 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:00.200 If you're in the auditorium, why don't you maybe you 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:03.159 a airfist bump and say you look better than I remember. 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:05.479 If you're in your living room, why don't you just 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:08.240 hug that person because you're allowed to grab a seat 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:17.040 all over the place, grab a bible. That's the cutest 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:20.919 pulpit I have ever had in my entire life. It 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:23.719 is honestly, such an honor, such a joy to be 0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:27.479 in Charlotte, North Carolina at Elevation Church. I just think 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:31.080 that this is the greatest church. Anybody proud and grateful 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:35.200 to be a part of Elevation Church. Oh, come on, 0:05:35.240 --> 0:05:37.400 we can do better than that. Come on. This is 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:45.520 a church that's leading all across the world. And for 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:49.080 my wife and I, we just honestly count it as 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:51.479 one of the real privileges of our life and of 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:53.360 our ministry to get to come and be here and 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.520 share today and things like this. A ministry like this 0:05:56.560 --> 0:06:00.520 doesn't just happen. It happens because God of a man, 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:03.160 and God appoints a woman and they give them a vision. 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:06.400 And I just got to say to Pastor Stephen and 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:10.279 Pastor Hawley, I don't have the words to articulate just 0:06:10.360 --> 0:06:13.360 how much your leadership and how much your friendship has 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:17.080 meant in our lives. For many, many years from Afar, 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:20.599 we have watched from a distance and been inspired and 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:23.200 quite frankly, been so impressed with all that God has 0:06:23.240 --> 0:06:25.640 done with you. But it's been these last few years 0:06:25.640 --> 0:06:28.200 getting to be up close and personal with you, that 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.240 I haven't just been impressed. I have been deeply encouraged 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.880 and your life it just speaks volume. And honestly, I've 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:38.640 got a message on my heart. But more importantly, honestly, 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:40.280 I's almost more important than the message is for me 0:06:40.320 --> 0:06:42.120 to get up on this stage today, after the year 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:44.840 we just had, after the year that so many of 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:46.839 us in the Body of Price have gone through, and 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.160 I just felt like it was part of my assignment 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:51.880 to make sure I took a moment to say thank you. 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:55.760 Thank you for being stabled, thank you for walking in character, 0:06:56.120 --> 0:06:59.240 thank you for not flinching, thank you for having integrity, 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:02.839 thank you for standing firm, thank you for not backing down. 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:06.200 Thank you for continuing to create, thank you for continuing 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:09.400 to have bold vision. Come on, somebody, can we thank 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:12.040 God for the Man of God and the Woman of 0:07:12.080 --> 0:07:14.120 God and what they have meant for all of us. 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:21.120 Thank you, thank you, thank you. You make it look 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:25.559 way too easy, because what's happening here is not hard. 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:30.520 It's impossible. And right before I come up on the stage, 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:32.960 I was reminded that em Bounds quote the Great Scholar. 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:37.360 He says, the church is looking for a method, but 0:07:37.480 --> 0:07:42.320 God is looking for a man. And people come from 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:43.680 the east and the west and north and south to 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:45.920 come and see the method of elevation Church. But guess 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:48.520 what you just got to get next to the man 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:51.480 and the woman of God. And that's where it's happening. 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:53.240 And I just came to honor you today. We give 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:55.960 honor where honors do all glory to God. But we 0:07:56.040 --> 0:07:58.960 give honor today to pastor Steve and Holly. Come on 0:07:58.840 --> 0:08:00.440 one more time in the chat. Can we just let 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:03.040 them know on the last Sunday how thankful we are 0:08:03.080 --> 0:08:05.920 for them. I love you. I gotta do it. I 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:09.560 gotta do it. My name is Rich I come from Miami, Florida. 0:08:09.800 --> 0:08:12.000 I lead a church called Vood Church. Really weird name 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:14.040 for a church, but it's working out okay so far. 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:17.760 My wife dontree, she is here with me today. We 0:08:17.880 --> 0:08:22.720 just celebrated fourteen years of marriage. I love your baby girl, 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:27.000 and our church we launched it five years ago, and 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:29.520 just so much of what's happening in Miami is due 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:32.160 to the leadership of this house. And so what a joy, 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:34.000 what a privilege it is to open up God's word. 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:38.040 And I think this is an important Sunday because today, 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:40.880 wherever you're tuning in from, I believe the fact that 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:44.240 you're here it says a whole lot about you. I 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:46.120 know this has been a shaky year, this has been 0:08:46.160 --> 0:08:48.800 an uncertain year, but I'm believing that we are going 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:52.400 to finish strong Today. Mark chapter eight is where I 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:53.960 want to read from. We gonna read a few verses 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:56.719 and then you know, I had a great Christmas. I 0:08:56.760 --> 0:08:59.800 hope you had a great Christmas. But we've had the holidays, 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:02.280 and I'm just glad to be in church on this Sunday. 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:03.880 This is like one of the few times I've gotten 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:06.520 to preach in front of a live audience. So I'm 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:09.160 already feeling a little bit more normal. My faith is 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:12.319 already being built a little bit. And so for the 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:14.560 next I don't know, thirty minutes or so, I'm a 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.320 holler like I got a word in my heart, and 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:20.440 I'm all trust God that those of you on the 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:23.079 other side of this camera are sensing what we are 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:27.679 sensing in this room today. Mark chapter eight. Uh, look 0:09:27.720 --> 0:09:29.600 at me holding this bible. I left my bible on 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:31.840 the airplane. The devil was already trying to mess with me. 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:34.960 Got off the airplane, left my preaching bible, left my 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:39.120 sword on the airplane. But praise God for Pastor Stephen. 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:42.959 I got a different Bible, so it's going to work. 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:46.920 Mark chapter eight. Here we go. I hope this one's anointed. 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:49.679 Here we go. Mark chapter eight, verse twenty two. It 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:53.840 says this. It says they came to Bethsadia, and some 0:09:53.880 --> 0:09:58.000 people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:01.840 He Jesus took the line man by the hand and 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:05.920 let him outside the village. When he had spit on 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:10.240 the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:15.920 do you see anything? He looked up and said, I 0:10:16.000 --> 0:10:21.160 see people. They looked like trees walking around. Watch this 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:26.400 verse twenty five. Once more, everyone say once more. Once more. 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.800 Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:33.560 eyes were opened. His sight was restored and he saw 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:41.120 everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, don't go into 0:10:41.720 --> 0:10:44.560 the village. I want to take a few moments today 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:46.840 and I want to use this text the last Sunday 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:50.840 of twenty twenty we made it. I want to preach 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:57.720 from this subject little by little, little by little, and 0:10:58.240 --> 0:10:59.760 I believe this is going to be a word in 0:10:59.800 --> 0:11:03.320 your This is gonna be a word in your heart today, 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:05.680 and would just pray with me. Let's just invite God's 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:08.000 presence into this place. Let's invite God to do what 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:11.240 only he can do through this word. Lois, thank you 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:13.920 that you're here, We thank you that you're moving. We 0:11:13.960 --> 0:11:16.880 thank you today God for this incredible year that we've 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:20.560 walked through. While it was at times turbulent, Lord, we 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:23.240 believe that we're coming out stronger than how we started. 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:26.760 I pray now today, God that you would have your 0:11:26.800 --> 0:11:29.920 way in this place, that the e faan that's watching 0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:34.360 Lord would sense your presence in a mighty way, change us, 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:38.920 transform us, heal us. May we never be the same again. 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:43.200 We love you, Jesus, and in jesus mighty name, come on, 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:45.199 if you grew with that prayer, all of God's people said, 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.520 come on, All of God's people said, come on, if 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:50.280 you love Jesus, make a little bit of noise all 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:53.040 over this place. Oh, come on, you can do better 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:59.160 than that. Give him a big shout. I grew up 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:04.079 in a in a strong, strict Christian home. In fact, 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:09.400 i'm four generations Pentecostal preacher. Amen. I like that he 0:12:10.040 --> 0:12:13.840 knows the cue right there, Amen. And I was just 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:17.760 thinking about my childhood throughout this season. It's holiday season, 0:12:17.920 --> 0:12:20.760 and in my home, my parents just they had rules 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:23.960 for rules, right, They just it was strict guidelines, just 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:28.240 strong traditions. The fall is full of all these different holidays, 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:30.199 you know, But in our house we would change holidays 0:12:30.240 --> 0:12:32.400 up or we would have traditions. For instance, we didn't 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:38.200 celebrate Halloween. It was Hallelujah Day. Where's the real saints 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:43.080 at Harvest Fest? Hello? You know what can you dress up? 0:12:43.360 --> 0:12:47.400 We're not goblins or skeletons. Were disciples. I mean, how 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:49.440 many disciples can you be? You know, like, how do 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:51.560 you differentiate yourself? You know, I got an ear in 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:53.079 my hand. I'm Peter. Okay, we get it, you know, 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:56.000 Like it's just how I grew up. Thanksgiving we do 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:58.520 these big recitals. Everyone had to come and perform at 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:02.040 the Thanksgiving Chris, My mom used to have this closet 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.559 true Story in our house that gifts that were given 0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:08.680 to us that she didn't think that we needed true story, 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:12.120 she would put them in the gift closet. Why so 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:14.400 that when we had a function the following year that 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:17.480 we needed a gift, there was always a gift on 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:21.680 supplied to gift. Pray for me. I know my childhood 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:24.920 was messed up. My first slow dance. Our God is 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:31.200 an awesome God. I think some of you all parents 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:32.880 out there, how to make your kids, you know, dance 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:37.120 to do it again? I think we need to up 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:39.040 the game with the DJ. The DJ at the party 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:41.080 his name was Crazy Larry, had a red and stint 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:43.560 pee tie on. He's like, all right, everybody, who's ready 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:46.800 for the slow dance? Our God? He's an awesome gody. 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:51.200 I'm like, what is this. It's just my childhood and 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:53.600 we had traditions and I was just thinking about traditions 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:55.640 on the way over here, and one of the traditions 0:13:55.640 --> 0:13:58.600 my mom had that that I appreciate now is maybe 0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:01.559 your parents did this too. But every year, like clockwork. 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:04.000 My mom used to have this food pantry and she 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:07.120 would take us inside the food pantry and on the 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:09.360 backside of the door, she would line up all of 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:11.040 my brothers. There's four of us. I have an older 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:14.400 brother than two younger brothers. And every year she would 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:17.240 line us up on this back of this pantry door 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:20.960 and she would measure our height. And every year she 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.000 would take a sharpie marker and she would mark the 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:25.920 place of where a height is. And throughout the years, 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:27.360 you know, it was fun to kind of come in 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:29.360 there because you could you could see your growth from 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:32.440 the year before, and to be honest with you, like 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:36.680 most years, like there wasn't some big thing to see. 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:38.400 I think the one year I hit puberty, you know, 0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:40.960 I gained a couple more inches than normal. But for 0:14:41.000 --> 0:14:44.120 the most part, if I'm being honest with you, the 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:49.840 growth was gradual. In fact, if I'm really being honest 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:53.720 as I'm thinking about it, unless I was measuring the growth, 0:14:55.720 --> 0:15:00.400 I wouldn't have even known I had grown, because the 0:15:00.440 --> 0:15:08.000 growth was just little by little. I wonder today if 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:12.800 this is actually how faith works. I wonder if some 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:14.720 of us in this room and those of us that 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:17.120 are watching online. I wonder if part of our problem, 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:20.800 especially with twenty twenty, is that when we think about faith, 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:31.440 we only have one category of words associated with faith supernatural, phenomenal, suddenly, suddenly, immediate. 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.360 And I'm not against these words. I like these words, 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.200 but I'm concerned if these are the only words that 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:41.640 are associated with your faith. What happens is is we 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:44.880 find ourselves in seasons where we are struggling, and the 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:47.480 reason why we're struggling is because we only have one 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:50.360 picture of what faith looks like. And there's people today 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:52.600 that are watching on the last Sunday of the year, 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:55.280 and you're struggling in your faith. In many cases, you're 0:15:55.320 --> 0:16:00.240 frustrated with God, maybe you're disappointed with yourself, maybe you're 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:04.440 offended with other people. Why because you've got the wrong 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:09.880 measuring stick? You say, why do I feel this way? 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:12.240 Many of us the big problem when it comes to 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:14.520 our faith. If we could just really narrow it down, 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:16.840 if we could just really simplify it, if we could 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:20.000 really get to the root problem. The problem is it's 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:29.000 just all going too slow. It's just not happening as 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:33.560 fast as I thought it would. I thought by now 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:37.040 I would have had the promotion. I thought by now 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:41.800 I wouldn't still be controlled by my schedule. I thought 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:45.080 by now I would be married. Hello, there's still time 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:49.320 in twenty twenty. I thought by now we would have 0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:52.920 conceived a child. I thought by now that I would 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:55.360 have had a breakthrough. I thought by now I would 0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:57.360 have been healed. I thought by now I would have 0:16:57.400 --> 0:16:59.840 paid off my bills. I thought by now I would 0:16:59.880 --> 0:17:04.280 be farther than I really actually am. All but, friends, 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:08.640 I wish today that we had a pantry door measuring 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:12.679 stick for your faith, because something tells me, if you 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:15.960 could look back throughout the years, what you would discover 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:19.480 is that mark by mark, you have been maturing, you 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:22.920 have been growing. It's just been gradual. It's just been 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:25.480 little by little. I know you're not where you want 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:29.399 to be yet, but baby, you have come a long way. 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:32.760 Come on, anybody thankful that you've come a long way 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:37.119 on this journey. You're growing gradually. In fact, say that 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:44.320 all I'll say. I'm growing gradually. I'm growing gradually. It's 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:48.120 little by little. I love the quote by J. R. Tolkien. 0:17:48.520 --> 0:17:50.200 He's the one who wrote The Hobbit and Lord of 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:55.000 the Rings, and he says, little by little, one travels far. 0:17:57.480 --> 0:18:00.160 God speaks to the Israelites in Deuteronomy, and he says, 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:05.760 little by little, you will take the nations. Don't be 0:18:05.880 --> 0:18:10.679 surprised when you ask God for miracles if he answers 0:18:10.720 --> 0:18:20.960 you with gradual change. I just think, when I look 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:25.520 back on this year, if I had the pantry door 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:29.879 measuring stick, it wouldn't be impressive. It would just be 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:35.600 little by little, I'm further than when I started. See 0:18:35.600 --> 0:18:38.080 what I love about God, and I just this is 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:39.640 just where I feel like we're supposed to end this year. 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:41.640 What I love about God is not all of God's 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:49.840 miracles are immediate. Some of God's miracles are progressive. They 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:56.480 don't happen overnight. They happen over time. What if I 0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:58.439 told you, come on you, fam, I could teach you 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:01.680 how to grow. I just can't teach you how to 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:07.520 grow overnight. What if I told you I could teach 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:10.520 you some principles and some keys and some think steps 0:19:10.560 --> 0:19:12.439 you could take. I just can't teach you how to 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:15.240 grow overnight. I can teach you how to grow over time. 0:19:16.680 --> 0:19:18.280 And what I love about Mark chapter eight, the text 0:19:18.280 --> 0:19:19.720 that we have today in front of us, I just think. 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:21.480 I think it's such a great text for us to 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:23.760 end this year on, because what you have in Mark 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:26.200 chapter eight is you have a story of a miracle 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:30.359 in motion. You have a progressive miracle, you have a 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:35.080 gradual game, you have a phenomenon in process. It's a 0:19:35.240 --> 0:19:40.320 slow bro Sometimes when you grow, it feels slow. And 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:42.199 today I just want us to walk through the verses, 0:19:42.400 --> 0:19:45.200 and I want to encourage your spirit as you're coming 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:47.879 to the end of this year, do not miss the 0:19:47.920 --> 0:19:50.879 praise party. Why would you want to step into twenty 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:53.520 twenty Listen, I'm telling you an If you can get 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:57.600 a revelation to praise God in twenty twenty, woo, there's 0:19:57.640 --> 0:19:59.439 no telling what the praise is going to be like 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:02.000 in twenty t twenty one. I would step into this 0:20:02.119 --> 0:20:06.240 year praising God with your spiritual family. But before we 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:08.600 get there, let's just start right here today with Mark 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:12.280 chapter eight, and let's look at this picture, this story 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:15.480 of a little by little miracle. The scripture says in 0:20:15.520 --> 0:20:18.120 Mark chapter eight, verse twenty two, it says they came 0:20:18.160 --> 0:20:22.840 to Bethsadia and some people, everyone say some people. Some 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:26.840 people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:28.879 I just want to stop because I want to give 0:20:28.920 --> 0:20:30.880 you the context of what's taking place in Mark eight. 0:20:31.400 --> 0:20:35.679 In Mark eight, Jesus has just finished feeding four thousand people, 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:39.440 and now he has got his crew, his posse, his disciples, 0:20:39.880 --> 0:20:43.280 and they are walking into this village known as beth Sadia. 0:20:44.080 --> 0:20:47.159 And when he gets to beth Sadia, a group of 0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:51.720 people come over and they begged Jesus. They say, Jesus, please, 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:54.679 can you touch this man who is blind? He can't 0:20:54.720 --> 0:20:58.119 see anything, and we believe if you touch him, you 0:20:58.160 --> 0:21:01.840 can heal him. What I wanted to stop for just 0:21:01.880 --> 0:21:03.439 for a moment, because I just know that there's some 0:21:03.480 --> 0:21:06.280 faithful people that have been a part of Elevation Church 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:08.720 for many years, that had been on the journey for 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:11.560 a decade, that had been sowing, that had been giving, 0:21:11.760 --> 0:21:18.040 that had been praying. Please understand that God uses people 0:21:18.359 --> 0:21:23.359 to bring people to Jesus. I just want you to 0:21:23.400 --> 0:21:26.679 see it. It's just it's really simple. We don't know 0:21:26.760 --> 0:21:33.480 their names. All we know is some people see. If 0:21:33.480 --> 0:21:35.560 we're all being honest, that no doubt right, God gets 0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:38.159 the glory. He's the one who performs the miracle. But 0:21:38.240 --> 0:21:40.760 what you'll notice throughout the scriptures is the scriptures don't 0:21:40.760 --> 0:21:42.600 shy away from the fact that He invites you and 0:21:42.640 --> 0:21:45.280 I in to be a part of the process of 0:21:45.320 --> 0:21:48.800 the miracle. Remember in One Corinthians chapter three, where Paul says, 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:52.160 I planted seed a Paula's watered seed, but only God 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:55.600 makes it grow. He's giving God glory, but he doesn't 0:21:55.640 --> 0:21:58.399 stop or negate the simple truth that you and I 0:21:58.440 --> 0:22:01.600 get to plant. You and I get to water. And 0:22:01.600 --> 0:22:03.119 if you're watching it, I know there's some people that 0:22:03.119 --> 0:22:04.600 I watched it. If you just think about it for 0:22:04.600 --> 0:22:07.600 a moment, just consider how many people were a part 0:22:07.960 --> 0:22:11.800 of you coming to know Jesus. Just none of us 0:22:12.080 --> 0:22:15.480 can truly say it was just me and God. All 0:22:15.520 --> 0:22:18.040 of us have to say, oh man, there was that 0:22:18.119 --> 0:22:21.760 coworker who kept inviting me. There was that friend that said, hey, 0:22:21.800 --> 0:22:24.280 why don't you turn your browser onto Elevation Church and 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:27.800 listen to my pastor. There was that spouse who was gracious. 0:22:27.920 --> 0:22:30.640 Come on. There was that book that captured you. There 0:22:30.720 --> 0:22:33.560 was that song that melt you. There was that grandmother 0:22:33.640 --> 0:22:36.680 who never quit praying for you. Come on, anybody thankful 0:22:36.680 --> 0:22:39.119 out there for a loved one who said I'll stand 0:22:39.119 --> 0:22:42.040 in the gap. I'll keep on praying I will be 0:22:42.080 --> 0:22:48.200 a part of the some people. I wonder today, do 0:22:48.280 --> 0:22:50.720 we want to be a part of the some people? 0:22:52.640 --> 0:22:56.160 That's how God moves. He finds some people that will 0:22:56.200 --> 0:23:01.399 say no, Servian is not beneath me. Therefore, leadership is 0:23:01.440 --> 0:23:09.000 not beyond me. It's just about It's just about some people. 0:23:09.240 --> 0:23:12.040 The question comes to all of us. And this is 0:23:12.080 --> 0:23:14.080 the question you have to ask, do you care more 0:23:14.119 --> 0:23:24.040 about titles or testimonies because we don't get their names, 0:23:24.520 --> 0:23:27.879 Like I could just camp here all day. It doesn't 0:23:27.920 --> 0:23:30.280 say Deacon so and so, it doesn't say pastor so 0:23:30.440 --> 0:23:34.440 and so, it doesn't say mister missus. It just says 0:23:34.440 --> 0:23:39.399 some people, just some people. I'm just part of the 0:23:39.440 --> 0:23:42.320 some people. I'm just I'm just here to help be 0:23:42.400 --> 0:23:44.400 a vehicle. I'm just here to help people meet Jesus. 0:23:44.560 --> 0:23:46.760 Talk about this favor offering. There's still time to be 0:23:46.800 --> 0:23:49.119 a part of this offering. But please make no mistake 0:23:49.119 --> 0:23:52.480 about it. This money is designated to help accelerate the vision. 0:23:52.800 --> 0:23:55.600 We got great programs, We've got great expansion ideas. It's 0:23:55.640 --> 0:23:57.520 awesome the things that Elevation is gonna do. This is 0:23:57.560 --> 0:23:59.919 one of the most trustworthy places that you can sow ascend. 0:24:00.200 --> 0:24:06.479 This is healthy, healthy soil. Listen, seed is cheap, soil 0:24:06.560 --> 0:24:12.240 is expensive. Find a place that's got some healthy soil. 0:24:12.680 --> 0:24:15.560 Take your little and watch how God will turn it 0:24:15.600 --> 0:24:20.439 in to Ah. Come on, somebody, this is healthy soil. 0:24:22.200 --> 0:24:25.760 But let's just be real. You want to know why 0:24:25.800 --> 0:24:29.000 we're giving in the favor offering. You want to know 0:24:29.040 --> 0:24:31.960 why we're giving above and beyond at the year end. 0:24:32.440 --> 0:24:34.760 It's not so the budgets can be met. It's not 0:24:34.800 --> 0:24:37.040 so we can turn the lights on. It's because we 0:24:37.080 --> 0:24:40.119 want to see people who are far from God, people 0:24:40.119 --> 0:24:43.119 who are desperate. We want to see them encounter the 0:24:43.240 --> 0:24:47.800 love of Jesus Christ. Come on, somebody given praise today. 0:24:48.760 --> 0:24:53.120 I want to be a part of the sum people God. 0:24:53.160 --> 0:24:56.359 I don't care about a title. I just want the 0:24:56.480 --> 0:24:59.359 end of my life that I wasn't collecting titles. I 0:24:59.520 --> 0:25:05.200 was collect testimonies. I saw God move in my lifetime. No, 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:07.080 you don't know my name, but I got a feeling 0:25:07.080 --> 0:25:10.439 you're gonna know his name. I saw God move, I 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:14.280 saw God meet our needs. I saw God heal blinded eyes. 0:25:14.840 --> 0:25:19.840 I collected testimonies. You gotta decide are you do you 0:25:19.880 --> 0:25:25.240 want titles or do you want testimonies? Do you want testimonies? 0:25:25.240 --> 0:25:27.040 And these people they just they just want to see 0:25:27.119 --> 0:25:29.280 God move and they bring this man to Jesus, and 0:25:29.480 --> 0:25:32.000 like Jesus, they beg him. We don't know their names, 0:25:32.800 --> 0:25:35.400 please touch him now. Now you can read this and 0:25:35.600 --> 0:25:37.480 quickly if you if you don't just do a little 0:25:37.480 --> 0:25:40.639 bit of context study, you would miss how scandalous this 0:25:40.720 --> 0:25:44.240 request is. Jesus at the time is considered a rabbi, 0:25:44.920 --> 0:25:47.679 a Jewish rabbi, and rabbis they don't go around touching 0:25:48.000 --> 0:25:50.840 people that are sick or touching blinded eyes. Why because 0:25:50.880 --> 0:25:53.720 the paradigm or the theology or the thinking of the 0:25:53.800 --> 0:25:57.240 day was was that your your ailment or your sickness 0:25:57.720 --> 0:26:02.679 was a result of your sin. And so rabbis couldn't 0:26:02.720 --> 0:26:05.719 touch something that was considered sinful because that would make 0:26:05.720 --> 0:26:09.800 them unclean. But thank God that Jesus is not some 0:26:09.960 --> 0:26:14.880 regular rabbi. Thank God that Jesus stepped out of divinity 0:26:14.880 --> 0:26:17.840 and wrapped himself up in humanity, and he came to 0:26:17.840 --> 0:26:20.879 touch the messiest areas of our life. He came to 0:26:20.880 --> 0:26:23.600 touch the broken areas, the areas that you have been 0:26:23.680 --> 0:26:25.920 hiding the areas that you don't want anybody to see 0:26:26.080 --> 0:26:28.639 or notice. He came to take your mess turn it 0:26:28.680 --> 0:26:34.959 into greatness, because whatever he touches, he always transforms. Whatever 0:26:35.080 --> 0:26:38.720 Jesus touches, he transformed. Anybody out there thankful that God 0:26:38.720 --> 0:26:41.320 touched you. Come on, anybody in the chat right now, 0:26:41.359 --> 0:26:44.000 can you just witness and testify He touched me and 0:26:44.200 --> 0:26:48.480 touched me. Church is Bundy to me because right there's 0:26:48.480 --> 0:26:50.880 things that we say in church sometimes that we don't 0:26:50.880 --> 0:26:53.919 always think about how hilarious they are, you know, like 0:26:53.920 --> 0:26:55.800 we have all these cliches and things that we do. 0:26:55.880 --> 0:26:57.679 Even right now today, I'm doing things that only a 0:26:57.720 --> 0:26:59.960 subculture of Christians would understand. You know, God is good 0:27:01.840 --> 0:27:06.199 and all the time. Let go and you guys know 0:27:06.240 --> 0:27:10.720 my messages. You're covered by the blood of the Lamb. 0:27:10.720 --> 0:27:12.760 Can you like imagine if you're a guest covered? But 0:27:12.880 --> 0:27:17.600 I don't want that. I was preaching one dive Bastor 0:27:17.600 --> 0:27:19.720 Steven at a conference. I'll never forget it. And the 0:27:19.760 --> 0:27:22.320 preacher was good. He was he had the group going 0:27:22.400 --> 0:27:24.680 and they were fired up. And some preachers can just 0:27:24.680 --> 0:27:27.000 say the coolest stuff from the microphone. I haven't. I 0:27:27.040 --> 0:27:28.760 haven't learned this yet. But he was preaching and he 0:27:28.840 --> 0:27:32.760 was like, I don't drop F bombs. I dropped J bombs. 0:27:34.840 --> 0:27:38.280 I'm like, what does that even mean. We're like, nobody 0:27:38.280 --> 0:27:40.359 knows what it means, but it's provocative and it certainly 0:27:40.359 --> 0:27:43.840 gets the people going. He goes, I don't have an 0:27:43.880 --> 0:27:46.879 AK forty seven, I have a John three point sixteen. 0:27:48.359 --> 0:27:58.800 He went, good, good, good, people were standing wing. Oh. 0:27:58.880 --> 0:28:02.080 I was like, I want to do that, so I 0:28:02.119 --> 0:28:04.320 think it's real good in you're living room. Well, no, 0:28:04.800 --> 0:28:11.120 it's not a demon, it's the Holy Spirit working. I'm 0:28:11.119 --> 0:28:14.720 thankful that God touched me. He touched me. We started 0:28:14.720 --> 0:28:16.280 our church five years ago and I remember as we 0:28:16.320 --> 0:28:18.720 started to grow, it started to grow, and it was 0:28:18.720 --> 0:28:21.680 actually quick growth. We went from one service to two services, 0:28:21.720 --> 0:28:24.520 to three services, to four services to five services. At 0:28:24.520 --> 0:28:26.520 one point we were in six services and a small 0:28:26.520 --> 0:28:30.040 little auditorium in Wyndwood nine am, eleven am, one pm, 0:28:30.040 --> 0:28:33.600 four pm, six pm, eight pm. I'd preach all six 0:28:33.640 --> 0:28:35.520 of them. I was just oh, let's go. You know, 0:28:36.160 --> 0:28:39.240 you get done. You're like, I think I need therapy. 0:28:40.400 --> 0:28:42.959 And it was it was hard starting the church because 0:28:43.560 --> 0:28:44.959 you know, you're trying to build a culture, and you're 0:28:45.000 --> 0:28:47.000 trying to get people to lean in and believe. And 0:28:47.000 --> 0:28:49.080 I remember at the time it was really difficult because 0:28:49.120 --> 0:28:51.400 we were trying to build up the parking Lot team, 0:28:51.960 --> 0:28:53.600 and in Miami we have what you kind of call 0:28:54.600 --> 0:28:58.760 what would you say? What would I say? It's the 0:28:58.800 --> 0:29:04.520 weather is unpredictable, it's not hot, it's hot hot, it 0:29:04.560 --> 0:29:08.080 doesn't rain, it rain rains. It's all to the second Power, okay. 0:29:09.360 --> 0:29:11.160 And like to this day, I've never met only at 0:29:11.200 --> 0:29:13.160 Elevation Church where you find someone who's like, I am 0:29:13.240 --> 0:29:16.920 called to park cars for Jesus. Like most people don't. 0:29:16.960 --> 0:29:19.360 That's not their spiritual gift, you know. They're like they're like, nah, 0:29:19.400 --> 0:29:21.160 I'm not. I'mnna be on the stage, bro, you know, like, 0:29:21.320 --> 0:29:23.720 not the parking lot. And it was these early days, 0:29:23.720 --> 0:29:25.040 and so I was trying to build morale, and so 0:29:25.080 --> 0:29:26.960 I would go out to the parking lot and that's 0:29:27.000 --> 0:29:29.560 been the first fifteen minutes. No, let's go do it 0:29:29.600 --> 0:29:32.560 for Jesus, you know, parking the cars, rallying the team, 0:29:32.640 --> 0:29:34.320 let's go guys. That I'd run in, I'd preach my 0:29:34.360 --> 0:29:35.800 message that I'd get out to the park lot. They 0:29:35.800 --> 0:29:37.200 thought it was a magic trick through I got weren't 0:29:37.200 --> 0:29:39.000 you just in there? I'm like, nah, I'm just that good, 0:29:39.080 --> 0:29:42.040 you know, and parking these cars and I'll never forget 0:29:42.040 --> 0:29:44.000 one time it maybe laugh so hard. I'm in the 0:29:44.000 --> 0:29:45.880 parking lot. It's about fifteen minutes in the service, and 0:29:45.920 --> 0:29:47.320 I've got a bunch of the guys around. We were 0:29:47.320 --> 0:29:49.280 parking the cars, and this woman drives in and when 0:29:49.280 --> 0:29:52.360 she drives in, she can't believe that I'm out there, 0:29:52.760 --> 0:29:54.320 and so she's way over in the distance. But she 0:29:54.360 --> 0:29:56.240 turns her car around and she starts driving it over 0:29:56.280 --> 0:29:59.400 towards me, and she's getting excited. I'm getting excited. I 0:29:59.480 --> 0:30:02.000 like people like, oh, she's excited. I'm excited. And she 0:30:02.120 --> 0:30:04.360 just starts to pray like she's just testifying. She's like, oh, 0:30:04.400 --> 0:30:06.720 God is good. She's going off. She's praising God. And 0:30:06.760 --> 0:30:08.560 she rolls her window down. Got a group of people 0:30:08.560 --> 0:30:11.120 now around me. She's like, pastor rich, Oh, this is 0:30:11.120 --> 0:30:12.840 such a miraculous moment meeting you. I want to let 0:30:12.840 --> 0:30:21.200 you know that last weekend you touched me. Well, ma'am, 0:30:21.240 --> 0:30:26.120 excuse me, lower your voice. She wouldn't stop. She said, oh, 0:30:26.360 --> 0:30:30.320 you touched me. Oh, he touched me. Oh, rich you 0:30:30.400 --> 0:30:33.760 touched me. And finally, after the third time, I understood 0:30:33.760 --> 0:30:36.800 what she meant. I said, Oh, I kind of laughed 0:30:36.840 --> 0:30:41.560 and shut up. Please, I said, ma'am respectfully, No, I 0:30:41.600 --> 0:30:46.360 did not, but I know who did. His name is 0:30:46.440 --> 0:30:50.200 Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of lords, and he's 0:30:50.240 --> 0:30:53.560 still touching people today. Is there anybody out there who's 0:30:53.600 --> 0:30:57.000 thankful that God touched you to transform you, that when 0:30:57.000 --> 0:30:59.480 he found you, he didn't leave you in your brokenness? 0:31:00.080 --> 0:31:05.200 Do you want a journey? He's still touching people today. Oh, 0:31:05.280 --> 0:31:10.240 he touched me. And Jesus, Hey, bring this man to Jesus, 0:31:10.280 --> 0:31:13.920 and he touches the blind man. But notice about Jesus. 0:31:14.240 --> 0:31:17.080 When Jesus touches you, he always touches you to take 0:31:17.160 --> 0:31:21.680 you on a journey. He doesn't leave us here. It's 0:31:21.880 --> 0:31:25.800 little by little, the scripture says in verse twenty three, 0:31:25.800 --> 0:31:29.160 it's just beautiful, Jesus, Would you touch this man? Would 0:31:29.160 --> 0:31:31.560 you touch this man? He's not afraid of your broken area, 0:31:32.000 --> 0:31:34.959 he's not afraid of your hidden area. He touches us, 0:31:35.600 --> 0:31:37.240 and he grabs the man by the hand. The scriptureays 0:31:37.320 --> 0:31:39.200 verse twenty three he took the blind man by the 0:31:39.320 --> 0:31:44.000 hand and led him outside the village. Took him outside 0:31:44.000 --> 0:31:45.440 the village. I'm just want you to see this. He 0:31:45.480 --> 0:31:51.160 hasn't healed the man yet. Please heal him MEA grabs 0:31:51.160 --> 0:31:57.080 his hand and walks him outside the village. I don't 0:31:57.120 --> 0:32:00.520 know what it was about the village and why Jesus 0:32:00.560 --> 0:32:04.520 doesn't do the miracle in the village. What I do 0:32:04.640 --> 0:32:07.760 know is that when it comes to Jesus, I do 0:32:07.880 --> 0:32:11.640 know that environment is so very, very important. And what 0:32:11.680 --> 0:32:13.880 I do know is that many of us, the reason 0:32:13.920 --> 0:32:17.200 why we can't find ourselves sustaining change is because we 0:32:17.280 --> 0:32:23.120 continue to live in a toxic environment. And I can't 0:32:23.160 --> 0:32:25.040 say for certain as to why Jesus didn't just heal 0:32:25.080 --> 0:32:27.320 him right there, but something in my spirit tells me 0:32:27.560 --> 0:32:30.280 it's because Jesus is sensitive and he's doing something quite 0:32:30.280 --> 0:32:33.640 significant in the man's life. I believe that Jesus is 0:32:33.680 --> 0:32:36.240 taking this man on a journey, and the reason why 0:32:36.240 --> 0:32:37.840 he's taking the man on the journey is because he 0:32:37.840 --> 0:32:40.760 wants to give him spiritual sight before he gives him 0:32:40.760 --> 0:32:48.560 physical sight. Better to be blind walking with Jesus than 0:32:48.600 --> 0:32:53.120 to be able to see and go alone and so 0:32:53.280 --> 0:32:57.120 Jesus graciously, mercifully grabs him by the hand and just 0:32:57.120 --> 0:33:01.720 starts walking with him. Why because Jesus as establishing faith 0:33:01.800 --> 0:33:06.440 in his life. Faith is not about physical sight. In fact, 0:33:06.560 --> 0:33:09.800 by definition, faith is being sure of what we hope 0:33:09.840 --> 0:33:13.000 for and certain of what we cannot see. It is 0:33:13.080 --> 0:33:16.920 impossible to please God without faith. We don't walk by sight, 0:33:17.400 --> 0:33:22.120 we walk by faith. Why do we need faith? We 0:33:22.280 --> 0:33:25.360 do not need faith to simply get an external blessing, 0:33:25.400 --> 0:33:27.360 simply to get our back pain, to go away, to 0:33:27.440 --> 0:33:30.080 simply see disease gone. I believe in all that stuff. 0:33:30.160 --> 0:33:32.120 If you've got sickness in your body, we're gonna pray 0:33:32.400 --> 0:33:35.280 and plead the blood of Jesus over you. But please understand, 0:33:35.360 --> 0:33:40.120 it's far more important than that. The reason why Jesus 0:33:40.120 --> 0:33:43.560 gives you faith is because you need faith to follow Jesus. 0:33:44.360 --> 0:33:47.560 You don't need physical eyesight to follow Jesus. You're going 0:33:47.640 --> 0:33:51.080 to need some faith to follow Jesus. And before Jesus 0:33:51.160 --> 0:33:54.040 gives this man physical sight, he says, I'm gonna give 0:33:54.080 --> 0:34:00.760 you internal faith. I don't know what it is, but 0:34:00.840 --> 0:34:03.960 I have discovered that some of the most deep and 0:34:04.160 --> 0:34:07.760 intimate things that God has done in my life have 0:34:07.920 --> 0:34:10.920 not happened with the crowd. They have happened in places 0:34:10.960 --> 0:34:16.040 of solitude. Please learn today there is a difference between 0:34:16.080 --> 0:34:21.520 being around God and being alone with God. I'm misgathering 0:34:21.560 --> 0:34:23.040 in person, and I can't wait for the day that 0:34:23.120 --> 0:34:25.520 I can get back in that room. Faith is tangible. 0:34:25.680 --> 0:34:27.000 You ever been in a room before? Back Man, There's 0:34:27.000 --> 0:34:29.240 something in this thing, There's something going on in here. 0:34:29.600 --> 0:34:32.600 It's called faith. The problem is a lot of people 0:34:32.640 --> 0:34:35.600 walk into a faith environment and they convince themselves they're 0:34:35.600 --> 0:34:37.799 on fire for Jesus. But when they get out into 0:34:37.880 --> 0:34:40.240 the storms of life, they discover they were just sensing 0:34:40.280 --> 0:34:47.040 the heat from everyone else surround them. Faith comes from solitude. 0:34:47.560 --> 0:34:52.759 Solitude is different from isolation. Isolation leads to loneliness. Solitude 0:34:52.880 --> 0:34:58.800 leads to fulfillment. I'm not alone when I'm alone with Jesus, 0:35:00.160 --> 0:35:03.480 not lonely when it's just me and Jesus. And to 0:35:03.480 --> 0:35:04.960 get that kind of faith, he has to take me 0:35:05.040 --> 0:35:08.000 outside of the village. I have to get away from 0:35:08.000 --> 0:35:10.560 the crowd. I'm glad that we're gathering today. I want 0:35:10.600 --> 0:35:12.640 to plant a seed of faith in your heart that 0:35:12.680 --> 0:35:15.320 you will reap as you step into twenty twenty one. 0:35:15.440 --> 0:35:18.719 But please listen to me. We do not just need 0:35:18.800 --> 0:35:22.640 faith on Sunday, No, sir. We need faith when our 0:35:22.680 --> 0:35:25.600 world has fallen apart. We need faith when our marriage 0:35:25.640 --> 0:35:28.279 is barely hanging on. We need faith when we find 0:35:28.280 --> 0:35:31.600 out from the doctor it's cancer and there's no answer. Oh, 0:35:31.600 --> 0:35:34.320 come on, somebody. Is there anybody out there who wants 0:35:34.320 --> 0:35:40.560 God to establish faith in your life. He's serving the man. 0:35:41.840 --> 0:35:46.000 Faith is not about spiritual superiority. It's about spiritual survival. 0:35:48.360 --> 0:35:52.920 I won't make it without this lesson. Come on now, 0:35:53.600 --> 0:35:55.040 and you want to feel like you got taken out 0:35:55.040 --> 0:36:00.959 of the village in twenty twenty it's been nine months 0:36:01.000 --> 0:36:07.680 since our church has gathered. But I wonder, I wonder, 0:36:08.120 --> 0:36:11.880 is Jesus just get in person, one by one and 0:36:11.960 --> 0:36:16.719 just saying, Hey, your faith is getting deeper. I know 0:36:16.719 --> 0:36:19.040 you feel like you're blind, but you're about to see 0:36:19.040 --> 0:36:22.000 better than you've ever seen before. Just keep walking. You 0:36:22.600 --> 0:36:25.240 don't just need faith for healing. You need faith to follow. 0:36:26.480 --> 0:36:28.360 And the scripture says in verse twenty three, watch this. 0:36:28.400 --> 0:36:32.320 It's just gonna When Jesus spit on the man's eyes 0:36:34.239 --> 0:36:37.520 and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, do you 0:36:37.600 --> 0:36:41.920 see anything? Can we just stop for a moment. Jesus 0:36:41.960 --> 0:36:43.759 takes him, he still doesn't heal him. He's walked him 0:36:43.719 --> 0:36:46.239 outside the village. Now he's talking to him, and the 0:36:46.239 --> 0:36:48.520 first thing he does is he spits on the man's eyes. 0:36:49.600 --> 0:36:54.359 How bad you want to get healed? Spin on me? Lord. 0:36:57.280 --> 0:36:59.800 You know what's fascinating to me about this text is 0:36:59.840 --> 0:37:02.400 there seven different accounts of Jesus healing blind men in 0:37:02.440 --> 0:37:06.000 the New Testament, and every time Jesus heals someone who's blind, 0:37:06.040 --> 0:37:11.000 he does it a different way. But I wonder, I 0:37:11.040 --> 0:37:12.759 just wonder, you know, sometimes I read the stories and 0:37:12.760 --> 0:37:14.400 I just try to put myself into the store. I 0:37:14.440 --> 0:37:17.279 just wonder if this man, while he's with Jesus, I 0:37:17.280 --> 0:37:20.120 wonder if he's kind of frustrated. I wonder if he's 0:37:20.120 --> 0:37:21.880 like I wonder if he's heard of the other stories 0:37:21.920 --> 0:37:25.440 where Jesus has healed people. I wonder if he's going yo, like, 0:37:25.920 --> 0:37:28.640 I know, we're walking, but I'm still not seeing anything. 0:37:30.280 --> 0:37:32.960 I wonder if he's disappointed because all of the other 0:37:33.000 --> 0:37:36.000 stories that he's heard about Jesus did it quickly, but 0:37:36.040 --> 0:37:42.799 it seems like with him, he's doing it slowly. Many 0:37:42.800 --> 0:37:44.960 of you that are in the chat today, you're watching 0:37:45.040 --> 0:37:47.880 and you're so frustrated because you're looking around left and 0:37:47.960 --> 0:37:51.799 right and you're comparing you're today to somebody else's and 0:37:51.840 --> 0:37:56.600 you're going but they're growing and they're flourishing. I don't 0:37:56.640 --> 0:37:59.480 know if that's really the case. I just wonder if 0:37:59.480 --> 0:38:02.040 every time you check in on them, all you're seeing 0:38:02.120 --> 0:38:04.960 is the marks on the pantry door that you weren't 0:38:05.000 --> 0:38:07.200 there for the gradual growth. You weren't there for the 0:38:07.239 --> 0:38:11.560 little by little. You're comparing your slow to their fast, 0:38:12.440 --> 0:38:14.799 and it's leaving you in a place that you are discouraged. 0:38:15.680 --> 0:38:18.759 Jesus spits on the man's eyes and he asked the man. 0:38:18.800 --> 0:38:23.080 He says, do you see anything? I think this is 0:38:23.120 --> 0:38:25.480 a profound question, because ultimately, this is one of the 0:38:25.560 --> 0:38:29.399 questions that Jesus was constantly and continually trying to get 0:38:29.400 --> 0:38:32.719 across in his ministry on the Earth. In fact, it's 0:38:32.760 --> 0:38:35.040 a fun word study, like grab your concordance. If you 0:38:35.120 --> 0:38:37.160 got some time before the New year and look up 0:38:37.200 --> 0:38:40.120 the words see in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and 0:38:40.160 --> 0:38:43.160 you will discover it just shows up over and over 0:38:43.280 --> 0:38:46.480 and over again that in all of Jesus's ministry, one 0:38:46.520 --> 0:38:50.800 of his greatest frustrations was trying to get those around 0:38:50.920 --> 0:38:56.239 him to see what he could see. Can I just 0:38:56.239 --> 0:38:58.640 speak to the Epham and everybody right now at home? 0:38:59.360 --> 0:39:03.560 What you see today is still in the beginning stages 0:39:03.840 --> 0:39:06.200 for what I believe, all that Pastor Stephen and Pastor 0:39:06.239 --> 0:39:10.440 Hawley still see for tomorrow. It's so important that we 0:39:10.520 --> 0:39:12.560 continue to create an environment that we can learn how 0:39:12.560 --> 0:39:14.359 to see the way that they see. Because God gives 0:39:14.440 --> 0:39:18.200 us leaders who have vision. And God is asking you 0:39:18.239 --> 0:39:23.080 today do you see anything? What do you see? Do 0:39:23.120 --> 0:39:25.680 you see anything? And it's important to God that you 0:39:25.800 --> 0:39:29.160 start to see. I'm not talking about physical eyesight. I'm 0:39:29.160 --> 0:39:32.880 talking about seeing with spiritual eyes that God wants to 0:39:32.880 --> 0:39:36.520 give you a vision. Close your eyes, what do you see? 0:39:37.440 --> 0:39:42.080 Faith is the absence of sense. Faith doesn't make sense. 0:39:42.640 --> 0:39:45.680 And God gives us a vision? Why? Because vision gives 0:39:45.719 --> 0:39:49.440 pain purpose. Many of us we keep quitting and we 0:39:49.520 --> 0:39:52.479 keep backing down because we lose the vision. We don't 0:39:52.520 --> 0:39:55.720 see anything, and God says, what do you see? Vision 0:39:55.760 --> 0:40:00.880 gives pain purpose, Vision creates passion, and vision gives direction. 0:40:01.360 --> 0:40:03.240 I wanted to say it to you this way today, 0:40:03.440 --> 0:40:06.959 where you're headed is better than where you have been. 0:40:07.400 --> 0:40:11.680 There is more to come in twenty twenty one. Come on, somebody, 0:40:11.760 --> 0:40:14.640 if you believe it, thank God in advance. What do 0:40:14.680 --> 0:40:20.440 you see? What do you see? I'm a man? In 0:40:20.520 --> 0:40:23.280 verse twenty four, he looked up and said, I see people. 0:40:23.320 --> 0:40:27.640 They look like trees walking around. What a peculiar thing 0:40:27.960 --> 0:40:32.000 to say. He opens his eyes and says, I see 0:40:32.920 --> 0:40:37.080 trees and they look like people walking around. I think 0:40:37.120 --> 0:40:42.000 it's really peculiar because obviously he's not seeing clearly yet. 0:40:42.280 --> 0:40:46.200 Still Jesus has touched him, Jesus has walked with him, 0:40:46.280 --> 0:40:48.799 Jesus has spit on him. I could preach that one 0:40:48.840 --> 0:40:52.440 of these days. And now Jesus has asked him, do 0:40:52.440 --> 0:40:53.879 you see? And the man still goes now, I see people. 0:40:53.880 --> 0:40:56.040 They look like trees walking around. What a peculiar thing 0:40:56.080 --> 0:40:59.439 to say. I heard one preacher one time say, oh, 0:40:59.480 --> 0:41:01.720 this is because the man was now seen with spiritual 0:41:01.800 --> 0:41:05.440 lenses and the people walking around that look like trees. 0:41:05.480 --> 0:41:08.359 Well that's because that's a metaphor of playing the long game, 0:41:09.160 --> 0:41:10.719 and that you and I were called to be like 0:41:10.800 --> 0:41:14.000 trees planted by living water. We're not called to be 0:41:14.040 --> 0:41:16.279 like the grass that withers and fades, were called to 0:41:16.280 --> 0:41:20.360 be like trees that bend and do not break. I 0:41:20.360 --> 0:41:22.760 thought that was beautiful. But I'm just not that spiritual. 0:41:24.320 --> 0:41:28.680 I'm a little bit more practical than that. I think 0:41:28.719 --> 0:41:31.040 the obvious reason why the man looks up and says, 0:41:31.080 --> 0:41:33.000 I see people and they look like trees is because 0:41:33.040 --> 0:41:37.960 the man still does not have his eyesight back. And 0:41:38.000 --> 0:41:41.080 what we are witnessing is we are witnessing a gradual miracle. 0:41:41.160 --> 0:41:47.120 We are witnessing a miracle in process. I don't know, 0:41:47.160 --> 0:41:49.759 I just I got to make an observation. If you 0:41:49.800 --> 0:41:53.360 were born blind, you would not know what people look like. 0:41:55.400 --> 0:41:59.240 If you were born blind, you wouldn't know what trees 0:41:59.280 --> 0:42:03.680 look like. It leads mean to bely that this man 0:42:03.719 --> 0:42:07.239 was not born blind, but instead this man lost his 0:42:07.400 --> 0:42:15.680 vision along the way. I wonder if you're watching today 0:42:16.640 --> 0:42:21.080 and this year twenty twenty has taken your vision. I 0:42:21.160 --> 0:42:24.200 wonder if this year has taken your dream. I wonder 0:42:24.239 --> 0:42:27.239 if this year has taken your calling. I wonder if 0:42:27.280 --> 0:42:30.480 you lost your marriage. I wonder if you lost your business. 0:42:30.640 --> 0:42:34.240 I wonder if you lost some friendships. Can I prophesy today, 0:42:34.520 --> 0:42:37.719 can I declare to every home and household that which 0:42:37.760 --> 0:42:41.440 the devil stole? I declare you can get it back 0:42:41.880 --> 0:42:45.719 in Jesus. Come on, somebody give him praise all over 0:42:45.760 --> 0:42:52.439 this place, give him praise today. I'm gonna need some help, 0:42:52.440 --> 0:42:58.440 worship team. You can get it back that which you lost. 0:42:58.600 --> 0:43:03.560 I declare you can get it back in Christ Jesus. 0:43:07.440 --> 0:43:12.560 Why because verse twenty five says once more, Everyone say 0:43:12.560 --> 0:43:16.880 once more, once more Jesus put his hands on the 0:43:16.920 --> 0:43:20.040 man's eyes. Oh can I tell you today that you 0:43:20.080 --> 0:43:23.520 serve the once more God. Come on, anybody believe in 0:43:23.520 --> 0:43:29.440 the once more God, the miracle, wonder working power of Jesus. Friends, 0:43:29.520 --> 0:43:33.080 This this is grace. This is grace that God comes 0:43:33.120 --> 0:43:35.799 to us when we cannot get to him, and he 0:43:35.920 --> 0:43:42.040 touches us once more once more. I grew up in 0:43:42.120 --> 0:43:44.360 church and we just to have these things called alter calls. 0:43:47.280 --> 0:43:49.160 And in the church I grew up in Yo, you 0:43:49.400 --> 0:43:53.120 know you there, like my dad would preach. If he 0:43:53.120 --> 0:43:55.080 saw me talking, he would call me out in the sermon, 0:43:55.560 --> 0:44:02.120 Hey boy, shut up, just wet my pants. And I 0:44:02.160 --> 0:44:04.279 can just remember so many times every service an altar call. 0:44:05.520 --> 0:44:08.120 Do you ever have that moment where you just you're 0:44:08.200 --> 0:44:11.279 in God's presence and the man or the woman that's 0:44:11.320 --> 0:44:15.440 bringing the word, it's like it's coming right for you. 0:44:15.440 --> 0:44:16.960 You get that moment where your heart's beating, you know, 0:44:17.000 --> 0:44:19.560 your palms are sweating. It's not an eminem song, it's 0:44:19.600 --> 0:44:24.320 the Holy Spirit. And I can just remember throughout my 0:44:24.880 --> 0:44:27.680 teenage years, just how many you know, people talk about 0:44:27.719 --> 0:44:30.719 these these moments that like, just that's the day I 0:44:30.719 --> 0:44:32.799 get my life to Jesus. And I never wavered. That's 0:44:32.840 --> 0:44:36.080 not my story. I don't know how many times I 0:44:36.160 --> 0:44:39.600 walk that long aisle. I don't know how many alter 0:44:39.719 --> 0:44:44.080 calls I responded to, but it was a lot. Thank 0:44:44.120 --> 0:44:48.080 you God for your grace, and I I just remember 0:44:49.400 --> 0:44:51.200 coming to the altar and going, God, come on, you 0:44:51.239 --> 0:44:59.680 can't forgive me again. God, it's the same thing I know. 0:44:59.760 --> 0:45:05.359 I'm I did it again. I lost it again. I'm 0:45:05.400 --> 0:45:11.440 messed up again. Do you have any more chances? Do 0:45:11.440 --> 0:45:14.000 you have any more opportunities? And every time, every time, 0:45:14.040 --> 0:45:17.120 and He's saying it right now, God, how much moist 0:45:17.160 --> 0:45:22.680 is once more? Once more? Once more? More? I'm not 0:45:22.719 --> 0:45:25.440 finished with you. Being confident of he who began a 0:45:25.480 --> 0:45:27.760 good work and you will carry it out into completion 0:45:28.960 --> 0:45:31.680 once more, the scripture says in verse twenty five says, 0:45:31.719 --> 0:45:36.960 then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and 0:45:37.000 --> 0:45:42.120 he saw everything clearly. That word restored means to be 0:45:42.160 --> 0:45:48.120 brought back to its original state. Anyone ever have that thought? 0:45:48.120 --> 0:45:52.280 In twenty twenty, can we get a do over? Remember 0:45:52.280 --> 0:45:55.600 the Nintendo when that game wasn't working when you pulled 0:45:55.600 --> 0:46:06.200 it out. I felt like that a couple of times 0:46:06.200 --> 0:46:13.800 in twenty twenty. Reset Please Reset, Please God, God's like 0:46:13.960 --> 0:46:17.759 restore to the original state. This is why Jesus came. 0:46:18.480 --> 0:46:22.959 He came on a restoration mission. Ever since Genesis three, 0:46:23.040 --> 0:46:26.160 when man sinned and shame has come into the world 0:46:26.200 --> 0:46:29.120 and death, Jesus came not just to save us. He 0:46:29.200 --> 0:46:34.520 came to restore us. I have this old Jeep and 0:46:35.600 --> 0:46:37.120 it sits in my driveway. I've had it since I 0:46:37.160 --> 0:46:39.279 was seventeen. It's paid off, It's just this beautiful car. 0:46:39.320 --> 0:46:41.120 I just love it. It's just been a part of 0:46:41.320 --> 0:46:42.919 my childhood and I've just kept it and I don't 0:46:42.960 --> 0:46:44.400 drive it much. In fact, I haven't driven it for 0:46:44.400 --> 0:46:45.680 like six months. And the other day I wanted to 0:46:45.760 --> 0:46:47.359 use it and I came out, and when I opened 0:46:47.360 --> 0:46:50.719 the door, I was shocked because the whole entire car 0:46:50.840 --> 0:46:53.680 was full of mildew and mold. The steering wool was green, 0:46:53.920 --> 0:46:56.000 and the front seat was green. And I said, how 0:46:56.040 --> 0:46:57.800 on earth did this happen? The car when it started, 0:46:57.840 --> 0:46:59.719 when it worked, And then I discovered that I had 0:46:59.760 --> 0:47:03.000 just I left the window just cracks, just a little bit, 0:47:05.160 --> 0:47:07.880 just a little crack, let the rain water get in. 0:47:09.200 --> 0:47:10.960 Isn't it amazing that when we just leave a little 0:47:11.000 --> 0:47:12.640 crack to a heart, how the enemy can get a 0:47:12.640 --> 0:47:17.520 foothold and some of us it was just a little 0:47:17.520 --> 0:47:20.359 bit of dishonesty, but it's just started to corrupt that heart. 0:47:21.680 --> 0:47:24.360 Was it was just a little window in the marriage 0:47:24.360 --> 0:47:27.920 in twenty twenty, and it just the things deteriorating. It 0:47:28.040 --> 0:47:32.359 was just a little bit of just a little bit 0:47:32.360 --> 0:47:34.320 of a lack of character when it came to our business. 0:47:34.640 --> 0:47:36.120 It was just a little bit of not serving, a 0:47:36.120 --> 0:47:38.280 little bit of not giving. And I don't know what happened, 0:47:38.280 --> 0:47:42.560 but I reminded of when the Theologian, when Solomon says, 0:47:42.600 --> 0:47:47.440 above all else, guard that heart, for it's the wellspring 0:47:47.440 --> 0:47:51.680 of life. Keep that window close, don't you open up 0:47:51.719 --> 0:47:58.839 that window. It seeps in and lets the wrong stuff in, 0:48:00.040 --> 0:48:04.279 and it's just a little bit. It's just a little bit. 0:48:06.480 --> 0:48:09.839 But Jesus, he doesn't shy away. He touches the man, 0:48:10.719 --> 0:48:13.720 and when he touches the man once more, his eyes 0:48:13.719 --> 0:48:17.880 are restored back to the original state. He can see clearly. 0:48:17.920 --> 0:48:21.480 Eugene Peterson, he says it this way. He says that 0:48:21.520 --> 0:48:31.320 the man could see clearly with twenty twenty vision. Anybody 0:48:31.400 --> 0:48:36.560 feel like it took twenty twenty to give you twenty 0:48:36.600 --> 0:48:40.960 twenty spiritual vision. Anyone feel like out there that you 0:48:40.960 --> 0:48:42.799 had to go through some shaking, you had to go 0:48:42.840 --> 0:48:45.040 through some turbulence, you had to go through some pain 0:48:45.400 --> 0:48:50.000 that your eyes might be opened up. Oh. I want 0:48:50.040 --> 0:48:51.719 to say to people out there right now, to some 0:48:51.760 --> 0:48:53.960 of you, you have been waiting a long time. Some 0:48:54.040 --> 0:48:55.880 of you you're on the brink of giving up. But 0:48:55.920 --> 0:48:59.480 I would say, don't give up, hang on, keep on waiting. 0:49:00.080 --> 0:49:02.480 You're going on. I've just been waiting so long. No, no no, no, friend, 0:49:02.719 --> 0:49:06.000 you are not waiting. God is restoring. I know, but 0:49:06.040 --> 0:49:08.760 I've been waiting so so long. No, no no, you're not waiting. 0:49:08.800 --> 0:49:11.480 God is restoring. God is bringing you back to the 0:49:11.520 --> 0:49:15.239 original state. Keep the window up, keep your heart sealed up, 0:49:15.440 --> 0:49:21.040 keep it closed up. He's bringing you back, He's restoring you. 0:49:23.120 --> 0:49:24.880 Some of you know the story of Dontrie and I. 0:49:24.920 --> 0:49:27.920 We went eight years on an infertility journey. Eight years, 0:49:27.920 --> 0:49:31.520 could not have kids, talk to doctor after doctor, couldn't 0:49:31.560 --> 0:49:33.880 seem to find the miracle. I love our God. Its 0:49:33.920 --> 0:49:36.919 scripture says he gives every good and perfect gift. God 0:49:36.960 --> 0:49:38.680 doesn't have a good plan for you, friend, he has 0:49:38.719 --> 0:49:42.040 the best planned for you. We came to a revelation 0:49:42.160 --> 0:49:44.919 somewhere on the journey. It feels like we're blind out 0:49:44.920 --> 0:49:47.360 here in the village. But guess what. It's better to 0:49:47.360 --> 0:49:50.520 be blind with Jesus than to have eyesight and have 0:49:50.600 --> 0:49:52.960 a baby in our hands. If we never get a baby, 0:49:53.239 --> 0:49:58.000 Jesus is more than enough. Our family is complete in Jesus. 0:49:59.600 --> 0:50:02.440 But don't you We just love God. Eight years of trying. 0:50:02.840 --> 0:50:05.520 That number eight means the number of new beginnings. January 0:50:05.560 --> 0:50:09.120 of twenty eighteen, my wife gave birth to our firstborn son, 0:50:09.480 --> 0:50:15.560 Wyatt Wesley will Curson. He's a miracle boy. We were happy. 0:50:15.600 --> 0:50:18.520 We thought we won the lotto. Yo, I got a son. Yo, 0:50:19.080 --> 0:50:22.240 this is my son, whom I love and then will please. 0:50:23.760 --> 0:50:25.560 But God's like, nah nah, I'm the God who gives 0:50:25.560 --> 0:50:28.920 you double for your trouble. And so that's why this passed. 0:50:28.920 --> 0:50:31.520 October in twenty nineteen, my wife gave birth to our 0:50:31.560 --> 0:50:37.440 second born son, wild Wesley will Curson. I'm like, I 0:50:37.480 --> 0:50:40.480 got two boys. I can't even carry my blessing. I 0:50:40.520 --> 0:50:43.600 can barely hold them. We're good, God, We're good. But 0:50:43.640 --> 0:50:46.840 God's like, nah, nah nah, that ain't cool. I'm still 0:50:46.880 --> 0:50:49.319 working something in your life. Don Shree can't be in 0:50:49.360 --> 0:50:51.560 that house with three men. She's going to need a 0:50:51.600 --> 0:50:55.240 companion herself. That's why I'm proud to announce in July 0:50:55.440 --> 0:50:58.000 of twenty twenty one, my wife is gonna have our 0:50:58.040 --> 0:51:05.680 third child. It's a baby girl whoa I would say 0:51:05.719 --> 0:51:10.760 to you, if the vision seems flow in coming, wait 0:51:10.880 --> 0:51:15.600 for for those that wait upon the Lord shall renew 0:51:15.640 --> 0:51:23.759 their strength. You're not waiting. He's restoring. He's restoring. This 0:51:23.880 --> 0:51:27.440 year's been long, but he's restoring. He's restoring. I gotta 0:51:27.480 --> 0:51:30.600 I gotta go, I gotta go, I gotta go. But 0:51:30.680 --> 0:51:33.040 I love Jesus he does. This progressive New yoricle didn't 0:51:33.080 --> 0:51:39.440 happen overnight. It happened over time, my jeep, it just 0:51:39.440 --> 0:51:42.560 got restored. I drove it to my friend. I said, 0:51:42.560 --> 0:51:45.239 bro help me, and over time he just turned it 0:51:45.239 --> 0:51:49.680 back and it's in good condition. Restoration is possible. It 0:51:49.800 --> 0:51:54.920 just might not happen overnight. That's what the Lord show me. 0:51:55.320 --> 0:51:56.759 This is what Jesus says. I just I gotta go. 0:51:56.880 --> 0:51:58.960 Jesus says, okay, does this miracle? What does Jesus say? 0:51:59.000 --> 0:52:02.640 It's last first twenty six, he says. Jesus sent him home, saying, 0:52:02.920 --> 0:52:09.160 don't even go into the village. Someone say, don't go 0:52:09.280 --> 0:52:15.759 back to the village. I don't know what's up with 0:52:15.800 --> 0:52:20.480 this village. I don't know what Jesus saw that we 0:52:20.560 --> 0:52:24.839 don't see. But I do know that sometimes people they 0:52:24.840 --> 0:52:27.040 get healed, but they go right back to the place 0:52:27.080 --> 0:52:32.800 that hurt them. I know that some people they find freedom, 0:52:32.800 --> 0:52:36.200 but they go right back to the place that enslaved them. 0:52:37.000 --> 0:52:40.280 Some people they step into the light, and the moments 0:52:40.320 --> 0:52:42.120 they step in the light, they find themselves running back 0:52:42.120 --> 0:52:44.759 to the darkness. Don't go back to the village. In 0:52:44.800 --> 0:52:46.839 twenty twenty one, come on, someone say, don't go back 0:52:46.880 --> 0:52:49.880 to the village. Don't go back to the village. Don't 0:52:49.920 --> 0:52:52.640 go back to the thing that was holding you back. 0:52:55.760 --> 0:52:59.560 I don't know why Jesus said don't go into the village, 0:53:00.080 --> 0:53:04.720 because really, the only evidence I have about the village 0:53:04.960 --> 0:53:10.560 is good stuff. This is the people who brought the man. 0:53:10.680 --> 0:53:13.560 This is the sum people who brought the man to Jesus. 0:53:14.400 --> 0:53:18.759 And it got me thinking, maybe Jesus says, don't go 0:53:18.800 --> 0:53:21.600 back to the village, not because the village is bad, 0:53:23.239 --> 0:53:27.000 But maybe it's just as simple of the fact that 0:53:27.040 --> 0:53:34.359 it's because the village is big. The village isn't isn't bad, 0:53:34.440 --> 0:53:38.440 It's just it's big. You know what I've learned on 0:53:38.480 --> 0:53:44.840 my journey that gradual miracles are no place for the masses. 0:53:49.000 --> 0:53:56.040 Arenas don't gather for practice. Crowds don't show up backstage, 0:53:56.640 --> 0:54:02.279 theaters don't fill up to witness the process. And I 0:54:02.320 --> 0:54:05.000 think Jesus was saying, if you go back to that 0:54:05.120 --> 0:54:12.600 village big only knows how to celebrate big. And if 0:54:12.640 --> 0:54:17.520 your measuring stick is simply reduced down to this word big, 0:54:18.920 --> 0:54:23.120 you're gonna always feel small. Some of you just keep going. 0:54:23.160 --> 0:54:24.480 God's gonna do a big thing. God's gonna do a 0:54:24.520 --> 0:54:26.400 big thing. But you have not defined what a big 0:54:26.480 --> 0:54:30.279 thing is. And if you just take that miracle right 0:54:30.320 --> 0:54:32.160 back to the masses, they're just gonna go to the 0:54:32.200 --> 0:54:34.920 lowest common denominator. And if they would have gone back 0:54:34.920 --> 0:54:36.440 to the village, the village, you would have said, oh, 0:54:36.440 --> 0:54:40.600 my goodness, Jesus is a healer. He opens blinded eyes, 0:54:40.920 --> 0:54:43.120 and that would have been very true, and that should 0:54:43.120 --> 0:54:46.040 be celebrated. But I believe Jesus was saying, if you 0:54:46.080 --> 0:54:49.239 start celebrating the wrong thing, you're gonna repeat the wrong thing. 0:54:49.760 --> 0:54:52.840 I opened up your physical eyes, but I did something 0:54:52.920 --> 0:54:55.799 much deeper. For there will be a day when you 0:54:55.880 --> 0:54:59.120 can't see again, but this time you will know you 0:54:59.200 --> 0:55:03.200 can keep all walking. Little by little, bit by bit, 0:55:03.719 --> 0:55:08.239 moment by moment, day by day, you will know I'm 0:55:08.280 --> 0:55:16.400 not just a healer. I'm a savior whoa it's little 0:55:16.400 --> 0:55:20.400 by little. We tend to overestimate what we can do 0:55:20.480 --> 0:55:23.960 in one year and clearly underestimate what God could do 0:55:24.040 --> 0:55:31.399 over ten years. God, I'm choosing to follow you day 0:55:31.400 --> 0:55:39.040 by day, moment by moment, little by little, just a 0:55:39.040 --> 0:55:43.640 little bit. I'm just growing. I'm just it's gradual. I 0:55:43.680 --> 0:55:46.680 know you can't see it much, but I'm becoming. Where 0:55:46.680 --> 0:55:49.239 I'm headed, it's better than where I've been. The only 0:55:49.239 --> 0:55:50.759 thing more important with who I am today is is 0:55:50.800 --> 0:55:52.840 who I'm becoming tomorrow. And so you don't see much today, 0:55:52.840 --> 0:55:54.359 but little by little I'm growing. How do you build 0:55:54.360 --> 0:55:56.200 a good marriage little by little? How do you build 0:55:56.200 --> 0:55:57.959 a great church? Little by little? How do you build 0:55:57.960 --> 0:55:59.640 a business? Little by little? How do you build healthy 0:55:59.640 --> 0:56:02.440 friendsttle by little? It's little by little. You need a 0:56:02.520 --> 0:56:07.719 new measuring stick, You need a new measuring stick. It's 0:56:07.800 --> 0:56:16.120 little by little, little by little. I just want to 0:56:16.120 --> 0:56:19.279 pray for people before we sing, because I just sense 0:56:19.320 --> 0:56:23.160 the power of the Holy Spirit. Some of you are 0:56:23.160 --> 0:56:29.200 so disappointed, so hurt, so frustrated, but you're growing. You 0:56:29.320 --> 0:56:32.560 just can't see it. And some of God's greatest miracles 0:56:32.600 --> 0:56:36.880 are not immediate. They are progressive. They're progressive. Come on 0:56:36.920 --> 0:56:39.879 the journey, Church, and you lift your hands towards heaven. Lord, 0:56:39.880 --> 0:56:42.640 I thank you for every person right now who's listening 0:56:42.680 --> 0:56:44.040 at the sound of my voice. I think for every 0:56:44.040 --> 0:56:47.799 person on the other end of that screen. And Lord, 0:56:47.840 --> 0:56:51.279 I prophesy and declare today that they are growing gradually, 0:56:52.000 --> 0:56:55.319 that little by little, Lord, they are making gains. I 0:56:55.360 --> 0:56:57.400 pray that today, Lord, they wouldn't give up, they wouldn't 0:56:57.480 --> 0:57:00.359 back down, but they would be full of faith. God. 0:57:00.360 --> 0:57:03.000 We don't just want to celebrate the immediate. We don't 0:57:03.040 --> 0:57:05.480 want to get lost in the hype. Lor. We want 0:57:05.560 --> 0:57:07.640 you to make us holy. We want you to make 0:57:07.719 --> 0:57:11.279 us strong. We want you to make us deeper. God, 0:57:11.280 --> 0:57:14.600 I pray for elevation. Church thought. I believe the best 0:57:14.640 --> 0:57:17.480 stays are in front of this church thought. I believe 0:57:17.480 --> 0:57:20.040 that we're just scratching the surface of all the things 0:57:20.080 --> 0:57:23.200 you're going to do and want to do. But Lord, 0:57:23.200 --> 0:57:26.760 today we commit once again. It doesn't have to happen overnight. 0:57:26.960 --> 0:57:29.560 But God, what you did in the first fifteen years, Lord, 0:57:29.560 --> 0:57:32.680 we're signing up again for another fifteen years. If you 0:57:32.680 --> 0:57:36.960 can use anything, Lord, use us. We're available to you. 0:57:37.240 --> 0:57:40.320 We want to be used by you. We're gonna grow slow, 0:57:40.560 --> 0:57:43.959 We're gonna stay on the path. We're still standing even 0:57:44.000 --> 0:57:47.480 after a pandemic. We're still standing, even though the world 0:57:47.560 --> 0:57:51.040 has been divided, and we're united under the name of Jesus. 0:57:51.200 --> 0:57:54.560 So we commit again to plant seed to water seed, 0:57:54.880 --> 0:57:58.400 to plant seed to water seed, to plant seed to 0:57:58.560 --> 0:58:02.240 water seed, and we're gonna as that our God will 0:58:02.480 --> 0:58:07.400 make it. Well, believe it. Give God some praise, Come 0:58:07.400 --> 0:58:12.240 on the workship, lift your hand, lift your voice, come on, 0:58:12.400 --> 0:58:19.400 sing it out. But I know you are blessed by 0:58:19.440 --> 0:58:22.720 that word. Man. Thank God that he sends who we 0:58:22.760 --> 0:58:25.120 need to speak, and he says what we need to 0:58:25.200 --> 0:58:27.080 hear in the moment when we need it the most. 0:58:27.600 --> 0:58:30.440 Hope you had a great Christmas. We're praying for you 0:58:30.480 --> 0:58:33.480 as we enter another year. We know that nothing magical 0:58:33.600 --> 0:58:36.600 is going to happen because the calendar changes, but we 0:58:36.640 --> 0:58:40.360 are believing for a fresh perspective like we heard about today. 0:58:40.680 --> 0:58:43.040 And I want to thank all of you who gave 0:58:43.160 --> 0:58:46.760 an are giving to our favor offering. There's still time 0:58:46.840 --> 0:58:48.760 to do it, you know. If you believe in what 0:58:48.880 --> 0:58:52.680 this ministry is doing, get the word out by investing 0:58:52.720 --> 0:58:55.360 and also by sharing. If you're not subscribed to this channel, 0:58:55.920 --> 0:58:58.480 and if you've never shared a link with somebody, do that. Man. 0:58:58.560 --> 0:59:01.600 It's just a wonderful for us to build God's kingdom 0:59:01.640 --> 0:59:04.120 together and see his will done on earth as it 0:59:04.160 --> 0:59:06.440 is in heaven. But you'd be blessed and we'll see 0:59:06.480 --> 0:59:08.600 you real soon. Holly, and I love you very much.