Now I Know Why

0:00:02.400 --> 0:00:04.720 Holly, and I wanted to say a special hello to 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:08.959 our epam, our extended family around the world. Hey, before 0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:11.280 we get into the message, let me tell you about available. 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:13.800 This is a special season for our church. It's a 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:16.920 tradition for the people of Elevation. Every year we gather, 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:20.880 we appreciate and anticipate, and we also give. This is 0:00:20.920 --> 0:00:24.840 our yearly time for everybody who receives from this ministry 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:27.319 to give so that the ministry can go forth, And 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:30.200 this year we've themed it around the word available. Available. 0:00:30.200 --> 0:00:32.840 That's all God has ever wanted is for us to say, 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:35.159 here I am, send me, use me. And you have 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:37.960 the opportunity to do that. So if you've been blessed 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:41.960 through the ministry, it's good to receive. It's even better 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:44.800 to give. If you want to make a donation, a 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:47.320 one time gift or a recurring gift, just be a 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:50.239 part of what God is doing here. We so appreciate it. 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:53.480 You can get all the details at Elevation Church dot org. 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:55.920 I'm gonna sat Elevationworship dot Com. I guess you could 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:58.440 go there too, but the giving is at Elevation Church. 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:01.040 What you just did, you have Elevation, were your sweatshirt. Hey, 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:05.200 but Elevationchurch dot org and you can select available. And 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:07.880 we use all of these resources to continue to preach 0:01:07.920 --> 0:01:11.039 the gospel, not only in physical locations like this one, 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:14.319 but through the amazing opportunity God has given us to 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:17.480 impact the world through technology. And we want to thank 0:01:17.520 --> 0:01:19.720 all of you who are apart. We couldn't do it 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:22.240 without you. Thank you for being a part of our family. 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:24.600 Thank you for being a part of this move of God. 0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.880 Go to Elevationchurch dot org dot com if you're not 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:30.200 already there and be a part. This is going to 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:33.360 be an amazing, amazing season. And Holly and I are 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:38.839 believing that your best is ahead. Last week I preached 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:41.480 on yes, and this week I want to preach on 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:47.360 why yes is God's favorite word. He loves to say yes. 0:01:49.160 --> 0:01:52.040 He loves to say yes when you ask him, God, 0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:55.360 would you allow me to experience your presence. He loves 0:01:55.400 --> 0:01:59.120 to say yes. God loves to say yes to his children. 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:03.000 Ask anything according to his will. He hears you, he 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:06.560 longs to do it. He loves to say yes. He 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:09.560 loves to say yes when you ask him to heal 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:12.560 your heart in places that it is broken by people 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:14.880 who didn't know how to treat you. He loves to 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:18.359 say yes. God loves to say yes when you ask 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:21.799 him God, I'm lonely. Can I have your comfort right now? 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:24.239 He loves to say yes to you. You have to 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:27.880 come crawling in God's throne room like some kind of 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:31.480 fugitive like you have to hide or Gabriel might throw 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:33.840 you out. God would sooner throw an angel out of 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:36.320 his throne room than turn away one of his children. 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:40.280 He loves to say yes to you. I don't know 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:42.799 who this is for, but you need to know. He 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:45.840 loves to say yes when you ask him to bless you. 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:48.880 He loves to say yes. Now. Sometimes he will bypass 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:51.160 the blessing that you asked him for to give you 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:53.480 the blessing that you didn't even know to ask for, 0:02:54.000 --> 0:02:57.520 because He's able to do immeasurably more than we ask, 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:00.480 or imagine. God loves to say yes, ask to the 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:05.320 questions you didn't even know to ask. And that's what 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:07.520 we talked about last week, and if you weren't here, 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:10.040 I hate it for you. But this week I just 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:15.799 want to talk about why, which incidentally is my kid's 0:03:15.840 --> 0:03:19.679 favorite word. They love to hear yes. But they love 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:23.440 to ask why. And that's what we want to center 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:26.239 our teaching around today. The scripture, I don't make you 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:28.359 stand for the whole service, in case you're just kind 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:31.000 of wondering about that. I would like you to remain 0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:33.120 standing for just a moment in honor of the reading 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:36.960 of God's word. And this is a picture in scripture 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:43.640 from two different gospel accounts mentioned this one incident. For me, 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:49.400 I use it as a way of kind of understanding generosity, 0:03:50.880 --> 0:03:54.360 and it gives me a demonstration of the kind of 0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:56.720 life that I aspire to live. And I'm not saying 0:03:56.760 --> 0:03:59.520 I live this way, but I really want to. So 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:02.160 I made a promise to God that I would try 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:05.960 to preach from this scripture at least once a year, 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:10.960 just to see how am I doing. Am I settling 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:15.040 into complacency? Am I taking God's presence for granted, like 0:04:15.080 --> 0:04:17.640 you'll see some people do in this text? Or do 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:20.560 I value and honor Him? And so that's what I 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:24.000 want to preach about today. The scripture says in Matthew 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:26.719 twenty six, verse six, while Jesus was in Bethany in 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:29.880 the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:34.080 and you thought your nickname was bad. A woman came 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:38.599 to him with an alabaster jar of on sale perfume. 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:45.640 Did the Bible say something different? Okay? For this woman 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:49.560 came to him with the jar of reasonably priced perfume. 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:55.640 Y'all pray for me. It is early very expensive perfume, 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:02.680 something that cost her, something that was significant to her. 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:07.039 And so she took the expensive perfume and poured it 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:09.960 on his head as he was reclining at the table. 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:16.080 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. They asked 0:05:16.080 --> 0:05:25.479 a question, why this waste? Why? Why this waste? They asked, 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:28.359 this perfume could have been sold at a high price 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:31.160 and the money given to the poor. Aware of this, 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:36.040 Jesus said to them, why I love how Jesus fights? 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:41.120 Why with? Why? Huh? I do this to my kids too? 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:43.479 Why do we have to wash the dishes? Why do 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:47.160 you expect to eat? Look at somebody and say fight? 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:52.159 Why with? Why? Jesus said, why are you bothering this woman? 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:55.440 She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:57.800 you will always have with you, but you will not 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:01.560 always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.160 she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell 0:06:04.160 --> 0:06:07.320 you the truth. Wherever this gospel has preached throughout the world, 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:11.240 what she has done will also be told. In memory 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:18.719 of her. You may be seated in God's presence. Yeah, man, 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:24.440 your kids will wear you out asking why. True story. 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:27.240 The parents didn't know what I'm talking about her too 0:06:27.279 --> 0:06:32.320 tired to even answer me. But as how, they learn 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:36.359 about the world. Even this week, Abbi was asking me 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:44.560 why Christmas trees are a thing? So I googled it 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:46.600 when she wasn't looking, and then told her the answer. 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:50.440 That's the best thing about your kids not having data 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:52.280 on their phone. You can stay wise for lata blah. 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:55.520 Now my boys they're older, they know everything. They're fourteen 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:57.360 and twelve. They already know more than me. They stopped 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.800 asking why years ago, but still in that stage of 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:05.800 asking why, and she went on this whole thing. I'll 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:07.400 put a video on the screen in a minute to 0:07:07.440 --> 0:07:09.360 show you of what it's like to be a parent. 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:11.600 I want you to watch as my eight year old 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:16.480 daughter deconstructs Christmas and then ask yourself the question do 0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:18.520 you really want to have kids? So just check this out. 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:25.240 It's only a minute video, Like why is Christmas based 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:29.520 on trees. But Jesus born in tree. No, he was 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:31.760 born in a manger. Our gifts should be in a 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:35.520 manager or around the manager or something. But Jesus was 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:38.680 not born in a tree. We should not be celebrating 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:41.880 a tree. We should be celebrating Jesus' birth. But he 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:46.680 died on a tree. He got on the cross. What's 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:49.320 a cross madeo though? What where does wood come from? 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:54.400 A tree? But are we celebrating Jesus's death? No, that's 0:07:54.560 --> 0:08:00.559 Easter Easter, your Easter eggs, in your Easter rascas. She'd 0:08:00.640 --> 0:08:06.320 be under a tree, because that's what Jesus died. But 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:09.960 it did Jesus die on Christmas? No, he was born 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:26.840 on Christmas. I want to tell you a little bit 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:31.200 about why I give today. I want to explain that 0:08:31.760 --> 0:08:35.600 to you just from my heart. Earlier in the week, 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:38.760 on Monday, I had a sermon prepared about the Gospel 0:08:38.800 --> 0:08:40.400 going to the gentiles, and the Lord was like, I 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:43.120 hope you like that sermon. It's not for now, because 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:48.320 this week I want to talk about my why in 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:50.160 hopes that you might find your why. How many of 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:56.079 you are givers? It's kind of an interesting question. To ask, 0:08:56.240 --> 0:09:01.360 it's like, well, compared to what you know. And I 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.520 remember early in our marriage when I made the decision 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:10.480 about tithing. For instance, tithe means tent, and it's the 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:14.680 principle of putting God first in your finances. And it's 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:19.200 like everything that God gives me came from him and 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:23.240 I want to return the first portion back to Him. Now, 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:25.360 the only people that start shifting around in their seats 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:27.800 when I say the word give or tithe or anything 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:30.160 like that are the greedy people. So don't worry about them, 0:09:31.720 --> 0:09:35.040 because for those who give, you understand that it is 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:40.800 the greatest privilege of your life to give back to 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:44.120 the God who gave everything that you have to you. 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:49.080 And when Holly was working at Township three Elementary under 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:53.199 Tropsy mcclooney, which is the best principal name in history, 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:56.560 every check we got from the Cleveland County School System, 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:58.600 I was proud to write ten percent of it back 0:09:58.640 --> 0:10:01.800 to Christ Covenant Church. I started doing that in college 0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:03.560 and then if I would go preach somewhere and they 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:06.480 would give me, you know, Pepperoni pizza and three hundred 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:09.080 dollars for preaching to twelve kids on the weekend, I 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:10.920 would come back home, and the first thing I would 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:13.080 want to do was to make sure thirty went to 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:17.920 my church. Then as we began to experiment with the offering, 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:21.480 it became a great privilege to ask God, out of 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:24.560 all that you have given to us, what can we 0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:27.679 give back to you. I remember the first time I 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:31.400 experimented with this was when the Lord was speaking to 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:36.240 me about giving a month of the salary back to him. 0:10:37.480 --> 0:10:40.400 And then when we did that, there was a five 0:10:40.480 --> 0:10:44.160 thousand dollars I inng direct emergency fund that we had 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:47.160 put aside, and the Lord began to speak to us. 0:10:47.200 --> 0:10:48.760 And when I say God would speak to us, there 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:52.600 was nothing out loud. I wish it was, but it's 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:55.160 more of a it's a louder voice than out loud. 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.280 It's something that you know inside of you, and that's 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:00.280 how the Holy Spirit would speak to us. And remember 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:03.640 giving that emergency fund to our church. At the time, 0:11:03.679 --> 0:11:05.880 I wasn't the pastor of the church, but I remember 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:09.839 giving that. As a matter of fact, I can look 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.160 back at so many times in this church where we've 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:15.000 been at this moment, and some of the greatest times 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:18.480 that God grew my faith was in the process of me. 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:22.360 I'll say it like this, getting to give back to God. 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:25.439 And I say it like that because that's really how 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:28.360 I see it. I never thought that I was doing 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:33.160 God a favor by giving to him financially, anymore than 0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:35.000 I thought I was doing him a favor when I 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:38.480 praised him with my songs, or any more than I 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:40.480 thought I was doing him a favor when I breathe 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:44.080 in and breathe out. It's just a natural reflex of 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:46.960 someone who has been born again to give back to 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:50.760 the God who gave them life. I'm gonna let all 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.240 the givers take five seconds and thank God for everything 0:11:53.280 --> 0:12:02.600 he gave you. So we're in this season right now 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:05.760 where I think that this woman in Matthew twenty six 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:09.040 has something to teach all of us about why we 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:11.520 give to God, whether it's time that we give to God, 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:15.360 whether it's money that we give to God, why do 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:19.199 we do it? And I only preach once or twice 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:22.079 a year about finances, but I'm always preaching about giving 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.840 and either talking about what God has given you that 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:29.240 you've received or what you offer back to Him as 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:32.640 a gift. And in this passage, it talks about a 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.600 woman who walked into a room full of men and 0:12:35.679 --> 0:12:39.880 had an intention to give something significant to Jesus. And 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:42.400 I broke it down in my studying to three different 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:47.800 whys or three different reasons that she would give. Her 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:50.760 motive is not on the surface of the text, but 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:53.000 I think that if we just study it for a moment, 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:56.880 we can see three different things. One is worship, one 0:12:56.960 --> 0:13:02.000 is wisdom, and one is witness. And those are the 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:04.000 three things I want to preach about for just a moment. 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:09.520 Is why this woman gave an expensive gift to Jesus. 0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:12.960 And it's as I study it, and as I've reflected 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.400 on it, it's why I give too, And I believe 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:18.560 it's why so many of you give. And this is 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:22.240 a church that gives big, No for real, you are 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:24.720 sitting around, maybe not the person right next to you, 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:27.560 but somebody on your row is a big giver. That's 0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:30.120 why there's a Gaston. That's why there's a Lake Norman. 0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:32.880 That's why there's a Blakeney. That's why there's a river 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:36.960 walk formerly known as rock Hill. That's why because somebody 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:40.319 was a giver. And now so in this moment of time, 0:13:40.360 --> 0:13:42.040 I want to explain why. And a lot of people 0:13:42.080 --> 0:13:44.240 ask me why a lot of things about Elevation Church. 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:46.880 They ask me why is the music so loud? They 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:49.080 ask me, why do you holler when you preach? God's 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:51.400 not deaf. Well, he's not nervous either, And if I holler, 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:53.559 He's not going to jump. God doesn't have a panic 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:56.320 attack when I yell. I see people get excited about 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:59.720 other things. I'm excited about Jesus. Is that such a sin? 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:07.520 So let's talk about worship. Let's talk about the things 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:09.760 that you wonder. Why. See, kids will ask why. Grown 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:14.600 ups just wonder. You don't ever stop asking why? You 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:18.280 just stop asking it out loud. In this passage, the 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:22.680 disciples were just playing about it. Why this waste? Think 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:27.200 of the insult to their rabbi that this accusation represented. 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:33.360 How come on, he's he's he's a good teacher, but 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:38.040 really the whole bottle of perfume, I mean, come on, really? 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:41.080 Like the preacher. Somebody asking me on time, why do 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:44.040 they stand up on the front few rows when you 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:46.720 start preaching horror? I was like, well, I don't know, 0:14:46.720 --> 0:14:48.520 Maybe you have to ask them. Maybe they value the 0:14:48.520 --> 0:14:51.080 word of God like some sports fans value a touchdown 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:52.840 by some people that they don't know were in some 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:57.600 spandex running around the field talking about a fantasy football 0:14:57.760 --> 0:15:00.400 and somebody that would never put anything in your rear life. 0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:03.160 But God has given you grace and mercy with every 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:05.600 rising of the sun. Oh no, you would have to 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:12.000 ask them. You'll lack like y'all want to take ten 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:25.520 seconds and give God worship? Well, go ahead and well anyway, 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:31.480 the word worship is not talking about music. Only only 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:35.560 in modern church culture have we taken the word worship 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:40.640 and used it to describe a genre of music. Okay, 0:15:40.640 --> 0:15:43.760 I got my I've got my my rock playlist, I've 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:46.640 got my country playlist, I've got my hip hop playlist, 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:48.920 I've got my worship playlist. Wait a minute, Wait a minute. 0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:55.720 Worship is not a genre. Worship doesn't start when somebody 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.800 comes up and grabs a guitar on stage. Worship is 0:15:59.880 --> 0:16:05.360 not an activity that is confined to the realm or 0:16:05.400 --> 0:16:10.960 the expression of music. When you really understand worship, you understand. 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:16.960 Let me say, like this worthship, what is God worth 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:22.440 to you? The problem with the disciples question is that 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:27.400 it devalued the woman's act because it devalued the presence 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.720 of Jesus. One of the reasons they may have been 0:16:30.760 --> 0:16:34.920 so exasperated by what they saw to be too much 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.600 is too much. I don't understand why people have to 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:41.080 lift their hands in worship. Why do they do that? 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:43.560 Maybe they have something they need to give to God. 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:46.320 Maybe they've been fighting all week and they're throwing up 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:49.120 their hands to say God, I need you. Maybe they're 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:52.200 carrying something that is too heavy for them to carry alone. 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:56.160 Would you stop judging somebody else's worship when you don't 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:59.920 even know their warfare. They came in here fighting the death, 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:04.360 fighting depression, and now they got thirty minutes to say God, 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:08.400 I glorify you. They need a sea turned into a highway. 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:12.359 They need bones turned into armies. Why do I throw 0:17:12.440 --> 0:17:15.640 up my hands because I need him? I need him 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:21.480 like my next breath. I need him more than I 0:17:21.600 --> 0:17:25.080 daily bread man. He's my present help. He's my friend 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.480 that sticks closer than a brother. He's the one that 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:30.000 never walked away. He's the one that I can call 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:32.280 to in the middle of the night when nobody else 0:17:32.320 --> 0:17:35.359 will take my call or return my text. He's the 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:37.480 one that picks me up. He's the one who's not 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:40.320 ashamed to be identified with me. He's the one who 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:43.800 knows everything about me, even the dirty, little dark stuff, 0:17:44.040 --> 0:17:47.119 and still says I'm the righteousness of God. He's the 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.040 one who spilled his blood from me. Excuse me if 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:59.640 I'm excited to get a pray. Yeah, don't ever apologize. 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:04.440 You're praising God. Everybody worship something, why not worse of 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:17.199 the one who made you. Everybody worships something so apart 0:18:17.240 --> 0:18:20.359 from the practical value that Jesus only has one week 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:23.600 to live, and this woman is anointing his body for 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:26.919 burial with this expensive perfume that she saved up for 0:18:27.000 --> 0:18:30.719 something special, and she realizes now is the moment, and 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:33.960 she realizes that now is the time, and she realizes 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:36.000 that I should not look around and see what everybody 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:39.160 else is doing, because they have gotten used to Jesus. 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:46.760 He's worthy. It's not a waste. My dad used to 0:18:46.760 --> 0:18:49.920 walk around the house tearing the paper towels in half, 0:18:53.960 --> 0:18:56.359 but I didn't get it until because at that stage 0:18:56.359 --> 0:19:00.240 of my life I thought it was just weird. But 0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:02.480 one day my mom explained to me how poor he 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:07.520 was growing up, and then I got it. You will 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:14.800 never understand what somebody does you will never understand someone's actions. 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:18.359 You will never understand. See in this passage of scripture, 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:22.600 this woman is doing something that the others see it wasteful. 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:27.720 Maybe there's something she was responding to that they had 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:33.320 not experienced. And I'm gonna just go ahead and tell 0:19:33.359 --> 0:19:37.600 you right now, the woman in this text was someone 0:19:37.640 --> 0:19:40.119 who knew firsthand the grace of God. Do you know 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:49.720 firsthand the grace of God? Because people who just hear 0:19:49.720 --> 0:19:53.439 about Jesus and they haven't really owned their faith, they 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:58.199 don't understand this kind of worship, the worship that starts 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:00.880 when the songs are over, the worship that begins when 0:20:00.920 --> 0:20:05.440 you reach down and say, God, you deserve this, You're 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:10.360 worthy of this. So all of the men are at 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:15.880 the table and the woman comes into the room. Who 0:20:15.960 --> 0:20:19.080 is this woman? You ever wonder that, like the people 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:20.800 in the Bible, that it doesn't tell us much about 0:20:20.800 --> 0:20:26.120 their background. John chapter twelve, I'm gonna show you why 0:20:26.200 --> 0:20:30.680 this woman was willing to worship. It's funny thing. Holly 0:20:30.800 --> 0:20:32.560 is a worship stalker. You don't need to know this. 0:20:33.080 --> 0:20:35.400 She looks around the church for people who are worshiping, 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:41.680 and then she just watches y'all she told me about 0:20:41.680 --> 0:20:43.080 one of you. You're in the room right now, but 0:20:43.119 --> 0:20:44.760 I'm not gonna call you out by name. She's like, 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:47.320 there's this one she At first it's sounded kind of 0:20:47.320 --> 0:20:49.280 sketchy when she says, she said, there's this one man 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:50.800 in the church that I love to watch him when 0:20:50.800 --> 0:21:01.240 he worships house. Maybe he needs to find another go 0:21:01.280 --> 0:21:02.760 to Forest Hill or something like that, you know what 0:21:02.800 --> 0:21:09.280 I'm saying. But she would see this particular person. He's 0:21:09.280 --> 0:21:10.760 in the church right now. I'm just not gonna look 0:21:10.760 --> 0:21:14.960 anywhere near him. But it wasn't like that, she said, 0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:17.960 He just she said, no matter what song we're singing, 0:21:18.000 --> 0:21:20.560 it's not like a preference thing. There would just be 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:23.080 I look at him, he just crying. And it wasn't 0:21:23.119 --> 0:21:25.040 like he wasn't one of these He didn't bring a 0:21:25.040 --> 0:21:28.119 praise banner into the church or show far. You know, 0:21:28.160 --> 0:21:31.399 he didn't like grow up. He didn't understand all of 0:21:31.400 --> 0:21:36.160 the protocol of it. But she was so moved when 0:21:36.160 --> 0:21:39.399 she saw how much worship meant to him, because you know, 0:21:39.440 --> 0:21:41.199 at the same time, you got somebody like sneaking in 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:42.679 the back because they didn't want to really have to 0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:44.240 deal with the hassle of checking their kids in so 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:45.919 the time of just right to come there, and then 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:50.040 they slip out during an invitation. He wasn't like that. 0:21:51.720 --> 0:21:53.760 He'd be standing in line so he could get close 0:21:53.800 --> 0:21:55.280 to the front, and then he would just cry through 0:21:55.320 --> 0:21:57.400 the whole worship set and didn't do like this slight 0:22:01.000 --> 0:22:04.720 I unlike this song. Why are they singing that over 0:22:04.760 --> 0:22:09.399 and over again? I don't understand. Okay, there's nothing better 0:22:09.480 --> 0:22:13.359 than him. No, there's nothing. There's nothing, there's nothing, there's nothing. Okay, 0:22:13.400 --> 0:22:15.800 I get it, there's nothing. There's nothing you want me 0:22:15.880 --> 0:22:21.480 to do. But you would just cry. When she found 0:22:21.480 --> 0:22:24.440 out his testimony what he had been through, she got 0:22:24.520 --> 0:22:35.040 it once she understood the depth John chapter twelve, which 0:22:35.080 --> 0:22:40.000 follows by the way, John chapter eleven is a deep church. 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:45.880 We teach the deep stuff. In John chapter eleven, Jesus 0:22:45.960 --> 0:22:49.800 raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. In John 0:22:49.920 --> 0:22:53.840 chapter twelve, the Bible says something very interesting. It says, 0:22:53.880 --> 0:22:58.040 six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at bethany where 0:22:58.119 --> 0:23:01.760 Lazarus lived, whom she Jesus had raised from the dead. 0:23:02.359 --> 0:23:06.240 But you can't understand my chapter twelve unless you understand 0:23:06.240 --> 0:23:11.840 my chapter eleven. Please understand, Chapter eleven is a bankruptcy 0:23:11.960 --> 0:23:15.680 term in the US tax Code. But when I'm talking 0:23:15.760 --> 0:23:18.919 about it, I'm talking about a spiritual bankruptcy that I 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:22.240 know that I know that I know that there were 0:23:22.320 --> 0:23:25.080 dead things in my life, that there was shame in 0:23:25.119 --> 0:23:27.800 my life, that there was nothing else for me to 0:23:27.880 --> 0:23:30.199 do but call on the name of the Lord, and 0:23:30.240 --> 0:23:33.359 the Bible says verse two. Here a dinner was given 0:23:33.440 --> 0:23:38.160 in Jesus's honor. Martha served while Lazarus was among those 0:23:38.240 --> 0:23:41.600 reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about 0:23:41.640 --> 0:23:45.439 a pint of pure nard and expensive perfume. Now I 0:23:45.600 --> 0:23:49.440 understand why it was such a natural thing for her 0:23:49.560 --> 0:23:53.840 to do, to pour out something that was expensive and significant, 0:23:54.200 --> 0:23:57.800 because she had seen Jesus do something. See this is 0:23:57.840 --> 0:24:01.080 the same story. John Is recorded it from his point 0:24:01.080 --> 0:24:04.119 of view. Matthew recorded it from his point of view. 0:24:04.520 --> 0:24:06.720 Matthew said, it was a woman who came in and 0:24:06.760 --> 0:24:08.720 poured out the oil. Jossey, let me tell you about 0:24:08.760 --> 0:24:11.680 the woman. She saw her brother in the tomb. Four 0:24:11.800 --> 0:24:15.200 days Jesus showed up and said, roll the stone away. 0:24:15.680 --> 0:24:17.960 When he said rolled the stone away, he called her 0:24:18.000 --> 0:24:21.080 brother out, so by the time he got to Bethany 0:24:21.359 --> 0:24:24.119 and she knew. This is the one who raised my 0:24:24.240 --> 0:24:27.240 brother from the dead. This is the one who heard 0:24:27.320 --> 0:24:30.600 my cry and pity my groan. This is the one 0:24:30.680 --> 0:24:34.320 who saw me through the deepest valley of my life. 0:24:34.560 --> 0:24:37.199 This is the one who stood by me in the 0:24:37.320 --> 0:24:40.240 dark time. This is the one who gave me help. 0:24:40.600 --> 0:24:43.400 This is the one who gave me strength. I don't 0:24:43.480 --> 0:24:48.400 give because it makes sense. It's my worship. He's my God, 0:24:48.600 --> 0:24:54.280 and he's worthy of it. All the worshipers sout real quick. 0:25:01.560 --> 0:25:07.000 So so it's so important that we understand giving is worship. 0:25:08.520 --> 0:25:15.120 It's worship worship. It's say, God, you deserve so much more. 0:25:16.640 --> 0:25:18.080 But out of what you've given to me here it 0:25:18.160 --> 0:25:23.960 is what do you do? A whole series about taking 0:25:24.000 --> 0:25:27.639 an offer? And I just don't get it, man, I 0:25:27.640 --> 0:25:31.199 don't know. Why are you buy direct TV package for 0:25:31.400 --> 0:25:35.800 NFL games? Man, I just don't get it. You invest 0:25:35.880 --> 0:25:48.560 in what you value. They saw it as a waste. 0:25:49.600 --> 0:25:54.160 She saw it as worship. They said, it doesn't take 0:25:54.200 --> 0:25:57.040 all that. She said, He's worthy of so much more. 0:25:59.240 --> 0:26:01.199 And the reason that they called it a waste is 0:26:01.240 --> 0:26:07.560 because they did not understand her worship. What is he 0:26:07.640 --> 0:26:12.679 worth to you? I don't want to waste opportunities to 0:26:12.720 --> 0:26:15.760 worship him. No, I don't always feel like praising God. 0:26:15.800 --> 0:26:17.840 I don't always feel like but I don't want to 0:26:17.840 --> 0:26:20.960 waste the chance to worship him. And she knew. See, 0:26:20.960 --> 0:26:23.000 this is where the wisdom comes in, because his worship 0:26:23.520 --> 0:26:27.120 and his wisdom. She knew that if I keep this, 0:26:28.400 --> 0:26:32.040 if I keep the perfume, then you know, smell good 0:26:32.040 --> 0:26:34.320 for a little while. But watch what Jesus said. He 0:26:34.440 --> 0:26:39.160 said in Matthew twenty six thirteen. Wherever the Gospel is preached, 0:26:40.240 --> 0:26:46.440 what this woman did will be told. So what she did? 0:26:48.800 --> 0:26:54.000 You know she never said a word. Isn't that amazing 0:26:54.000 --> 0:26:58.840 that she worshiped without words. Some of the greatest acts 0:26:58.880 --> 0:27:02.080 of worship will not be through things that are produced 0:27:02.080 --> 0:27:05.879 by your vocal cords. But you said, where your treasure is, 0:27:05.880 --> 0:27:10.520 there will your heart be also. And that's so true. 0:27:11.200 --> 0:27:13.560 And to really understand the Kingdom of God and how 0:27:13.600 --> 0:27:17.360 God works, you understand the wisdom of giving. It's not 0:27:17.440 --> 0:27:23.159 just good to give, it's smart. It makes good sense 0:27:23.240 --> 0:27:27.200 to give, at least I think it does. Because everything 0:27:27.320 --> 0:27:33.439 I've ever bought on this earth started to depreciate, and 0:27:33.480 --> 0:27:35.159 none of it that I bought I can take with me. 0:27:35.600 --> 0:27:38.480 And I've bought a lot of stuff, and I've regretted 0:27:38.520 --> 0:27:42.800 some of it. I have never regretted anything I have 0:27:42.920 --> 0:27:52.240 given to God. Ever, and Judas is in the room. 0:27:52.280 --> 0:27:54.400 We know it was Judas because John's gospel says it. 0:27:54.520 --> 0:27:56.800 He's like, look at verse four, but one of his 0:27:56.840 --> 0:27:59.440 disciples is John twelve, verse four. But one of his disciples, Judas, 0:27:59.480 --> 0:28:02.440 is garried, who later to betray him. Objected, Why wasn't 0:28:02.480 --> 0:28:04.400 this perfume souled in the money given to the poor, 0:28:04.440 --> 0:28:07.000 It was worth a year's wages? Well, what is he worth? 0:28:09.520 --> 0:28:14.919 What is he worth? Everybody worships something. Whatever you worship 0:28:15.000 --> 0:28:18.399 is what you give weight to. And every time I 0:28:18.480 --> 0:28:21.360 give to God, I'm talking about a financial gift. I'm 0:28:21.359 --> 0:28:25.719 talking about giving God, taking something that is temporary like money, 0:28:26.080 --> 0:28:29.040 and giving it to God, who is eternal. I see 0:28:29.080 --> 0:28:31.720 it not only as an act of worship. I see 0:28:31.720 --> 0:28:35.239 it as a wise investment. I used to tell them 0:28:35.240 --> 0:28:37.480 when we started the church, Oh, y'all should have heard 0:28:37.520 --> 0:28:40.600 me preach back then. I was ruthless when we started 0:28:40.600 --> 0:28:44.520 the church. Ruthless. I'd be up there saying stuff like, hey, 0:28:44.560 --> 0:28:46.240 we need your seat. If you're not going to do 0:28:46.280 --> 0:28:48.920 anything around here, help out in the kids. We didn't. 0:28:49.040 --> 0:28:51.160 We have four hundred seats in the backpack behind the 0:28:51.160 --> 0:28:53.000 pipe and drape. But I'm up there about we need 0:28:53.040 --> 0:28:56.479 your seat. I wanted everybody to understand that. But the 0:28:56.680 --> 0:28:58.680 only thing about it at that point was I was 0:28:58.680 --> 0:29:02.280 telling them you're getting in on the ground floor of 0:29:02.280 --> 0:29:05.400 what God is doing. And some of the people that 0:29:05.440 --> 0:29:08.320 were there at that point are here today, and some 0:29:08.400 --> 0:29:11.400 of them because they gave is the reason why you're 0:29:11.440 --> 0:29:25.560 here today. I think you were worth it. I think 0:29:25.600 --> 0:29:30.600 you were worth it for this ministry to be here 0:29:31.400 --> 0:29:34.120 in the year twenty nineteen. Have y'all noticed the world 0:29:34.120 --> 0:29:38.480 has gone completely crazy? And I could put an expletive 0:29:38.480 --> 0:29:40.760 in that sentence and it wouldn't be strong enough. Have 0:29:40.880 --> 0:29:45.719 you noticed that the world has gone completely crazy? And 0:29:45.760 --> 0:29:51.560 it makes what we're doing so much more necessary? So 0:29:51.640 --> 0:29:56.120 I think it's wise when great men of God said 0:29:56.360 --> 0:29:59.040 to give what you cannot keep, to gain what you 0:29:59.080 --> 0:30:08.080 cannot lose. You smell that. That's Mary's perfume, two thousand 0:30:08.160 --> 0:30:14.240 years after she poured it out wherever The Gospel is preached. 0:30:14.320 --> 0:30:20.800 What this woman did will be told it was worth it. 0:30:20.800 --> 0:30:25.000 It was worth it. I bought a rainbow vacuum cleaner. 0:30:25.160 --> 0:30:30.560 It wasn't worth it. I went to Disney World. It 0:30:30.640 --> 0:30:36.320 wasn't worth it. I'm dead serious, y'all. It wasn't worth it. 0:30:37.160 --> 0:30:40.360 But when we started the church and we begin to give, 0:30:40.560 --> 0:30:42.920 like so many will do. You know what's crazy about 0:30:43.000 --> 0:30:46.280 the moment we're in right now is that the Gospel 0:30:46.320 --> 0:30:49.880 has never been more needed and there have never been 0:30:49.920 --> 0:30:54.560 more opportunities to make it available. Right now, while I'm 0:30:54.600 --> 0:30:59.120 preaching to you, there are thousands of people around the world. 0:30:59.120 --> 0:31:00.720 I'm not talking about down this ta in an Indian 0:31:00.720 --> 0:31:02.520 trail and the kids had a flu so they didn't 0:31:02.520 --> 0:31:07.480 come around the world that are connecting to this message. 0:31:08.080 --> 0:31:11.880 Does that matter to you? Is it a value to you? 0:31:14.520 --> 0:31:18.200 We invest in what we value, and this matters to me. 0:31:19.080 --> 0:31:21.520 And for every time that I wrestled with God to 0:31:21.600 --> 0:31:24.120 be here to preach, it was worth it. If it 0:31:24.160 --> 0:31:27.479 breaks a chain off of your life, it was worth it. 0:31:27.640 --> 0:31:31.120 If it helps your marriage stay together, it was worth it. 0:31:31.280 --> 0:31:34.320 If after your marriage falls apart, it is there for 0:31:34.440 --> 0:31:37.560 you to help you breathe in the moments where you 0:31:37.600 --> 0:31:41.400 feel your chest collapsing. If your kids come to Christ 0:31:41.760 --> 0:31:44.880 in this ministry, it's worth it. If you have a 0:31:44.920 --> 0:31:48.200 place where you can come and be accepted by the 0:31:48.240 --> 0:31:51.520 Blood of Christ, it is worth it. It's worth it. 0:31:51.760 --> 0:31:54.920 I'm telling you, it's wisdom for you to give to 0:31:55.040 --> 0:32:01.760 something that goes beyond you. Do. Y'all believe me that 0:32:01.760 --> 0:32:05.880 there's people all over the world watching right now. They 0:32:05.880 --> 0:32:08.080 wake up in the middle of the night so they 0:32:08.080 --> 0:32:10.760 can catch it live. They could watch it later in 0:32:10.800 --> 0:32:12.280 the week. They don't want it later in the week. 0:32:12.280 --> 0:32:14.920 They want to win as fresh out the oven coming 0:32:15.040 --> 0:32:18.640 like hot bread. I feel a Coroba's annointing coming like 0:32:18.720 --> 0:32:21.280 hot bread to the table. They want the hot bread. 0:32:23.000 --> 0:32:24.760 Put it on. I'm going to show them because I 0:32:24.840 --> 0:32:31.200 see some skeptics in the room doing It's crazy how 0:32:31.200 --> 0:32:33.640 they clap when we're giving the outreach money away to 0:32:33.720 --> 0:32:35.960 help people, but then when we talk about giving it 0:32:36.000 --> 0:32:41.480 as an act of worship, you about Judas always says, 0:32:43.840 --> 0:32:47.360 but I'm not looking for Judas's approval. I came for Jesus, 0:32:47.760 --> 0:32:52.120 I worshiped Jesus, I love Jesus. Judas didn't die for me. 0:32:52.680 --> 0:32:56.680 Jesus did. I'm not concerned about the critics. I'm concerned 0:32:56.680 --> 0:33:01.440 about the cross. So give me. I need a phone 0:33:01.480 --> 0:33:06.960 with YouTube on it. Elevation Church YouTube. Now I need this. 0:33:06.960 --> 0:33:10.400 This is going to be a demonstration of how the fragrance. 0:33:10.520 --> 0:33:14.080 Remember when Lazarus died and Martha was like, I can't 0:33:14.120 --> 0:33:17.840 open the tomb. It stinks in there. What a difference 0:33:17.840 --> 0:33:22.240 a chapter makes. In chapter eleven, it smelled like death. 0:33:22.880 --> 0:33:26.880 In chapter twelve, it smelled like perfume. See, we can 0:33:27.120 --> 0:33:30.160 fill the earth. I'm not talking about a little squirt. 0:33:30.400 --> 0:33:34.160 I'm talking about filling the earth with the knowledge of 0:33:34.200 --> 0:33:37.200 the glory of the Lord, like the waters cover the sea. 0:33:37.360 --> 0:33:41.200 So here's what I want to do on EFM, Elevation Church. 0:33:41.320 --> 0:33:44.680 Put one on Elevation Church. Put one on my YouTube channel, 0:33:44.760 --> 0:33:47.720 JJ Tim. Put it on the Elevation Worship because we 0:33:47.720 --> 0:33:50.000 stream all over these things. And if you're watching this 0:33:50.120 --> 0:33:52.160 around the world, I want you to put where you 0:33:52.200 --> 0:33:54.920 are watching from and your name, and so I can 0:33:55.000 --> 0:33:57.720 let this church know that they're making a difference. Right now, 0:33:57.840 --> 0:34:00.840 I'm scrolling right now Elevation Church. It's kind of weird 0:34:00.840 --> 0:34:03.600 watching myself preach on a five second delay, but I'm 0:34:03.600 --> 0:34:06.200 gonna do it because I love Jesus. High five. Somebody say, 0:34:06.200 --> 0:34:08.360 it's worth it. It's worth it all over the world, 0:34:08.520 --> 0:34:13.240 from the Netherlands, from Latvia, from Kenya, from Detroit, from Florida, 0:34:13.400 --> 0:34:18.080 from Hungary. Come on, from Syracuse, it's worth it. From California, 0:34:18.400 --> 0:34:22.239 It's worth it. From Singapore, from Brazil, from the Netherlands, y'all. 0:34:22.280 --> 0:34:25.360 I came from Monks Corner, South Carolina. And now people 0:34:25.360 --> 0:34:27.799 are watching and joined up. I'm telling you this is 0:34:27.840 --> 0:34:31.160 the crown floor of something special. This is a move 0:34:31.200 --> 0:34:34.880 of God. I'm in on it. From Australia, from India, 0:34:35.120 --> 0:34:46.960 from Texas. I can't keep up. Look look how worth 0:34:47.000 --> 0:35:06.160 it it is. Look how worth it? Hawaii, Nigeria, Pittsburgh, Colombia, 0:35:06.680 --> 0:35:12.200 with a O in the middle. I can't keep up. 0:35:12.719 --> 0:35:18.239 You got the other one. This is the worship one 0:35:18.800 --> 0:35:23.040 the San Antonio, New Orleans, Trinidad and Tobago, West Virginia, 0:35:24.120 --> 0:35:27.480 tud Did you have any idea when we started this church, 0:35:27.520 --> 0:35:29.719 when I sat across a golden corral, or when I 0:35:29.800 --> 0:35:31.560 told you when we were just getting ready to go 0:35:31.600 --> 0:35:33.720 off and start our lives and you came to followed 0:35:33.760 --> 0:35:36.120 me to college and met my wife's best friend and 0:35:36.160 --> 0:35:38.439 married her and then came on here to Charlotte. Could 0:35:38.440 --> 0:35:42.040 you imagine they'd be saying, Hey, from Nepal, from from 0:35:42.080 --> 0:35:46.880 from the Ivory Coast, from Jamaica. I'm not making this up, 0:35:47.040 --> 0:35:49.480 I promise you, and as fast as I can scroll. 0:35:53.480 --> 0:35:58.760 So I needed you to know why. And it's worship. 0:35:58.840 --> 0:36:02.280 When you give, it's not just to pay the bills, 0:36:03.040 --> 0:36:07.440 to build another building. It is to fill the world. 0:36:07.560 --> 0:36:15.560 Is it? You got the other one? Whose is this? Huh? Chicago, Connecticut, 0:36:16.320 --> 0:36:20.239 Cape Town, South Africa. Kenya, Kenya all caps. They said 0:36:20.280 --> 0:36:25.600 it twice, Brooklyn, Jamaica. Look, I can't keep up. I can't. 0:36:25.920 --> 0:36:29.759 God is stupid. Look, I gotta put this in perspective 0:36:29.760 --> 0:36:32.560 for you. When I walk on, y'all stand up. It'll 0:36:32.560 --> 0:36:36.640 help me close quicker, don't leave, don't leave. I'm just 0:36:36.680 --> 0:36:43.120 saying it's worth it. What's done for Christ is worth it. 0:36:43.440 --> 0:36:46.759 I had no idea you would be here when this 0:36:46.920 --> 0:36:50.200 was starting, but I believe that that you were. When 0:36:50.360 --> 0:36:54.000 Jesus was dying on the cross, he was dying with 0:36:54.080 --> 0:36:58.000 your salvation in mind. Why did he die because he 0:36:58.120 --> 0:37:07.600 thought you? You're worth it? And it's not only worship, 0:37:07.640 --> 0:37:11.040 it is not only wisdom, it's a witness. So it 0:37:11.080 --> 0:37:19.920 could be a witness in Belgium, in the Philippines, in Botswana, 0:37:20.680 --> 0:37:23.920 in London and Aruba. Keep them coming. I know I 0:37:23.920 --> 0:37:25.600 can't keep up. I can't get to all of them. 0:37:26.560 --> 0:37:32.359 I just love to see what God started when one 0:37:32.360 --> 0:37:38.040 woman broke a jar. Everywhere the gospel is preached, you 0:37:38.040 --> 0:37:41.640 have a party there, Like my kids are growing up 0:37:41.640 --> 0:37:44.759 in a church. I got one in this service, and 0:37:44.800 --> 0:37:47.120 I'll have one in the next. And Abby's still too young. 0:37:47.200 --> 0:37:49.480 She's still asking about Christmas trees and stuff. So she's 0:37:49.480 --> 0:37:51.520 in E Kids where they can handle that kind of questions. 0:37:53.800 --> 0:37:57.239 But every time before I come out, I don't think 0:37:57.239 --> 0:37:59.480 I ever showed you this, E but every time I 0:37:59.480 --> 0:38:01.759 don't know if you've see in Elijah, every time I 0:38:01.800 --> 0:38:03.520 come out to preach, and I hope it's okay for 0:38:03.560 --> 0:38:08.040 me to show this. But the photographers here took pictures 0:38:08.080 --> 0:38:11.680 of the first time that each of my boys were 0:38:11.719 --> 0:38:15.160 in service, graduating from E Kids and sat on the 0:38:15.200 --> 0:38:18.120 front road to watch me preach, and they actually, these 0:38:18.120 --> 0:38:20.799 are really good photographers. They found a moment where the 0:38:20.880 --> 0:38:26.000 kids look interested. How hard is that? I'm telling you 0:38:26.040 --> 0:38:29.439 we got great photographers at Elevation Church. Let's thank God 0:38:29.480 --> 0:38:42.160 for the photographers. There's Elijah. It's something that I put 0:38:42.200 --> 0:38:43.799 right by when I walk out to preach to you. 0:38:43.880 --> 0:38:47.719 Before I come in here to connect with thousands of 0:38:47.760 --> 0:38:53.239 people or preach, I want to remember my why, to 0:38:53.280 --> 0:38:58.960 build something that will be generational, something that will be 0:38:58.960 --> 0:39:03.160 beyond just my one little life. I also like this one. 0:39:03.200 --> 0:39:04.960 You can see I don't know who she is. There's Holly. 0:39:06.200 --> 0:39:08.120 Look at that admiration on her face for the Man 0:39:08.160 --> 0:39:12.319 of God. I like that one because it has my 0:39:12.360 --> 0:39:14.839 shoe in there and it says it's like my way 0:39:14.880 --> 0:39:17.520 of saying, like blessed the feet of them that bring 0:39:17.520 --> 0:39:20.040 good news. I'm very symbolic. I'm just very I see 0:39:20.040 --> 0:39:23.279 a lot of stuff in Lussa and then Graham's looking 0:39:23.360 --> 0:39:28.280 like huh. But I see it and it just gives 0:39:28.320 --> 0:39:33.719 me I need a why. I need a why, and 0:39:33.760 --> 0:39:36.960 it reminds me my why that my kids are going 0:39:37.040 --> 0:39:40.520 to grow up in a church where people from all over. 0:39:40.640 --> 0:39:42.520 I grew up in a church. It was a great church. 0:39:42.600 --> 0:39:44.719 It was eighty people in the church. The town was 0:39:44.760 --> 0:39:49.040 six thousand, and I never knew that when God sent us, 0:39:49.080 --> 0:39:53.120 it's still going, y'all, it's still going this thing. Look 0:39:53.160 --> 0:40:01.000 at this. Look who's lives you're touching right now? How 0:40:01.040 --> 0:40:05.799 God is using you right now? Is a witness and 0:40:05.880 --> 0:40:09.239 witness means two things, you know. It means that we 0:40:09.280 --> 0:40:12.239 have seen God. We have witnessed God do so much 0:40:12.239 --> 0:40:15.200 in our lives, and now we get to witness that 0:40:15.239 --> 0:40:19.640 to the world. That's what I'm passionate about. That's what 0:40:19.680 --> 0:40:22.640 I give my life to. That's what I said yes to. 0:40:23.920 --> 0:40:27.040 I didn't know when I was saying yes to God 0:40:27.239 --> 0:40:29.160 that it was making a way for us to be 0:40:29.239 --> 0:40:33.080 together in this moment. But God did, and he brought 0:40:33.160 --> 0:40:38.920 us together. And it's so confusing. People will ask me, 0:40:39.239 --> 0:40:41.640 why do so many different types of people come to 0:40:41.680 --> 0:40:43.920 your church? I mean, I look around. You've got young people, 0:40:44.480 --> 0:40:47.960 You've got young less young people. You've got you know, 0:40:48.120 --> 0:40:51.560 white people and black people and Latino latina. You got 0:40:51.600 --> 0:40:53.480 to stand. You got all these different people. You got 0:40:53.520 --> 0:40:56.680 some religious people, some people who know the Bible cover 0:40:56.800 --> 0:40:58.920 to cover, some people that wouldn't know the Book of 0:40:59.040 --> 0:41:10.920 Ruth from a baby room. Why why? Why? Because all 0:41:10.960 --> 0:41:14.880 of us have a Lazarus and all of us have 0:41:14.920 --> 0:41:18.520 a jar. When you hear us talk about this offering 0:41:18.560 --> 0:41:21.160 that's coming up. I want you to see it as 0:41:21.200 --> 0:41:28.560 an opportunity to worship, an opportunity to witness, to see 0:41:28.600 --> 0:41:31.080 God move in your life. Would you buy your head 0:41:31.080 --> 0:41:34.400 for just a moment, Epham sitting at your computers, you 0:41:34.440 --> 0:41:38.200 get in on this too, Put your face id bow 0:41:38.239 --> 0:41:45.400 your head all over the world right now, Malaysia, India, Nigeria. 0:41:46.640 --> 0:41:50.360 Never imagined that this would be and we get to 0:41:50.400 --> 0:41:55.680 do it together, y'all. Beautiful thing is, Jesus has already 0:41:55.719 --> 0:41:58.000 paid the price for your salvation. There's nothing you do 0:41:58.120 --> 0:42:03.360 to earn His love. Means Puerto Rico, Charlotte. Somebody's playing 0:42:03.360 --> 0:42:12.480 hooky today, You get her next week. Alice, Texas, Ghana, 0:42:13.080 --> 0:42:23.319 all kinds of countries, Kentucky, pray so loud. I just 0:42:23.360 --> 0:42:26.440 wanted you to know why. I didn't want you to 0:42:26.440 --> 0:42:28.759 think that the church needed to fix the toilets over 0:42:28.760 --> 0:42:31.120 there on one campus at Lake Dormant or something like that. 0:42:31.160 --> 0:42:34.080 It's not about that. It's about when you know you 0:42:34.120 --> 0:42:35.960 have an opportunity to be a part of something that 0:42:36.040 --> 0:42:41.880 God is doing the privilege of giving. That's why we 0:42:41.960 --> 0:42:45.960 give Father I Thank you for each person that you 0:42:46.000 --> 0:42:47.960 have brought to this ministry and the ways that they've 0:42:48.000 --> 0:42:52.000 connected our extended family, our ethm around the world, stepping up, 0:42:52.040 --> 0:42:55.320 making the difference, preaching Jesus shining light in dark places. 0:42:56.719 --> 0:42:59.680 Here at this campus, I preached life from the Valentine location, 0:42:59.719 --> 0:43:04.280 where each week this pulpit represents an opportunity for somebody 0:43:04.320 --> 0:43:07.480 to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, his death, burial, resurrection, 0:43:07.600 --> 0:43:10.560 and his presence. Thank you for the way we experience 0:43:10.640 --> 0:43:15.279 breakthrough in this place, healing in this place, so many miracles. 0:43:15.880 --> 0:43:17.279 Thank you for all you've done for us. Thank you 0:43:17.320 --> 0:43:19.280 for what you've given us. Thank you for every Lazarus 0:43:19.280 --> 0:43:21.960 you've called forth in our life. Thank you that you've 0:43:22.000 --> 0:43:24.440 taken us from death to life, from darkness to light. 0:43:24.800 --> 0:43:28.080 You transfer kingdoms. You took us out of a kingdom 0:43:28.120 --> 0:43:30.440 of this world, and you brought us into the kingdom 0:43:30.480 --> 0:43:32.719 of your son, whom you love. And we thank you 0:43:32.760 --> 0:43:35.120 for this opportunity that we have now in this season 0:43:35.160 --> 0:43:38.880 of our church to give back to you as a privilege, 0:43:39.440 --> 0:43:41.680 and thanks for everything that you have done in our 0:43:41.719 --> 0:43:44.880 lives to this point. We want to be a witness. 0:43:45.600 --> 0:43:48.560 We want to say yes to you. We want you 0:43:48.600 --> 0:43:50.399 to use us in a way, in a powerful way, 0:43:52.520 --> 0:44:00.160 to preach hope, to distribute grace, to care for and 0:44:00.200 --> 0:44:03.480 look after the poor, to bind up the broken hearted. 0:44:04.120 --> 0:44:07.680 Their blind eyes could be opened by the gospel. I 0:44:07.719 --> 0:44:10.480 thank you for the part that each person will play 0:44:11.320 --> 0:44:13.120 whenever you speak to them. I pray that they will 0:44:13.600 --> 0:44:18.319 break their jar. Everybody has a lasarus. Everybody has a jar, 0:44:19.120 --> 0:44:22.319 and I pray that during this season the generosity would 0:44:22.320 --> 0:44:27.359 break forth from your church, your kingdom. Come. Your will 0:44:27.400 --> 0:44:33.120 be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name, Amen, 0:44:34.239 --> 0:44:36.799 thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 0:44:36.840 --> 0:44:39.839 you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 0:44:39.880 --> 0:44:42.799 you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 0:44:42.840 --> 0:44:46.080 link in the description to give now, or visit Elevation 0:44:46.280 --> 0:44:49.880 Church dot org slash podcast for more information and if 0:44:49.920 --> 0:44:53.200 you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share 0:44:53.200 --> 0:44:55.440 it with your friends. You can click the share button, 0:44:55.480 --> 0:44:57.920 take a screenshot and share it on your social stories 0:44:57.920 --> 0:45:00.919 and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks for listening. God 0:45:00.920 --> 0:45:01.319 bless you.