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0:00:02.120 --> 0:00:03.400 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:06.439 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:08.320 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.280 Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:13.440 Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving 0:00:13.480 --> 0:00:14.000 in your life. 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:15.280 Enjoy the message. 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:34.199 Oh my God, Well. 0:00:37.800 --> 0:00:49.199 Well I'm praising you because hey, how big is your 0:00:49.280 --> 0:00:50.960 Because let me hear it right now. 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:53.199 If you've got a. 0:00:53.200 --> 0:01:01.960 Reason, don't put the pentiton Pentecostal courts in there on there. 0:01:03.560 --> 0:01:04.320 I tell you what. 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:07.640 Somebody's praising him today because they woke up today. 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:09.679 That's a good start. 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:11.279 Now, listen. 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:14.760 Some people don't praise God because they woke up to 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:17.640 see another day. But if you ever thought you wouldn't 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.679 see another day and you did, then you have a 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:24.720 reason to praise him. Everything that has breadth and is thankful, 0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:34.319 praise the Lord. Somebody's praising him because they had something 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:35.840 to eat today. 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:37.919 Now listen, I'm. 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:41.840 Not saying it was healthy, that was your decision. I'm 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:44.919 not saying that you aren't still hungry. But somebody's praising 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:51.080 him today because he fed me. Somebody's praising him today 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:54.120 because I had somewhere to sleep last night that was 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:59.600 soft and comfortable. Somebody's praising him because this week you 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:03.080 ailed again, and it's been a long time since that 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:06.320 smile was on your face and you felt a trickle 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:09.840 of joy, and you're about to see an avalanche of 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:12.080 God's blessing come against your depression. 0:02:14.080 --> 0:02:16.000 Somebody's phrasing him today. 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:18.720 Because somebody's in church with you that you thought would 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:22.919 never be back in church, but they came today. Somebody's 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:27.400 phrasing him because although the medical diagnosis doesn't look good 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.520 right now, you know that Jehovah Rapha is your healer 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:34.760 and that he is the resurrection and he is the life. 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:38.680 Somebody's phrasing him today because although I'm not where I 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:42.799 want to be, I look back in my past and 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:46.480 I thank him that I'm not who I used to be. 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:52.359 I'm praising him because now you fill in the blank. 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:56.440 I'm praising him because he's faithful. I'm praising him because 0:02:56.480 --> 0:02:59.760 he's King of kings. I'm praising him because he's my 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.320 I'm praising him because he's my shepherd. 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:05.239 I'm praising him because. 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:06.679 I should my thought. 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:09.400 I'm praising him because he fit me in the valley. 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:15.440 I'm praising him for every mountain he brought me off from. 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:18.519 A personal praise right now, say put in there. I'm 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:23.680 praising it in cons Oh no, got Brad praising. 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:28.520 Beyond because he's good. I go what he don't pray? 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:30.679 I pray he'll love me. 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:33.480 Baby, got me going for me? 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:37.800 Yeah, I'm praising. 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:45.800 He'll be gol, dude, leave me not. I praid he'll 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:52.960 be good. Leave never and go. Man, you shore just 0:03:54.160 --> 0:04:02.200 y me you jes back. 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:05.840 To me? 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:09.600 Shut. 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:24.440 Oh my god, he's good to me. 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:33.320 He's been good to me. I want seven people say 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:37.720 he's been good to me. Yeah he's really not good. 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:40.160 Yeah he's really. 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:40.640 Worthy of it. 0:04:41.960 --> 0:04:42.960 You don't really love him. 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:45.480 I don't really appreciate him, you don't really know him. 0:04:46.160 --> 0:04:47.280 Yeah he really did it. 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:58.800 Jesus is real to me. Y'all want to keep singing that? 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:00.440 All? 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:00.680 Right? 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:07.920 Downloaded on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music, Go get 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:12.200 a cassette. Sure been good. The new song is out now. 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:15.479 But I have a feeling for some of you that's 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.440 not a new song. For some of you, that has 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:20.400 been the song of your heart through every season of 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:23.479 your life. That life hasn't always been good. And people 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:26.800 haven't always treated you good, but He's always been good 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:27.320 through it all. 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:31.159 For we know that in all things, God works all 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:36.159 things together for good. They're not all good, He's all good. 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:39.040 How many know what was all God in my life? 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:43.839 That I made it this far? I still want to. 0:05:43.839 --> 0:05:46.200 See in the comments, Hey, Epham, I want in the 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:49.560 comments every because you can think of while you're praising him. 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.560 I'm praising him because and just fill in the blank. 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.200 We're praising him today because you're here with us. Elevation Valentine. 0:05:56.440 --> 0:05:58.400 Let's welcome our Epham around the world. 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:01.200 Welcome. We're glad you're. 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:07.479 Here for the final installment of our series, Ghostwriter. 0:06:08.200 --> 0:06:09.080 This is it, y'all. 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:13.520 We gotta make it count, all right. 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:16.320 Well, it's at least the series or the season finale, 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:19.800 and then we might do a season two sometimes. 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:25.080 Because we only got to acts ten. The birthday girl herself, 0:06:25.160 --> 0:06:27.880 Holly Ferdick left us last week in Acts chapter nine. 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:31.320 I'm going to pick up where Holly dropped you off 0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:34.360 in Acts chapter ten, and I want to say not 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:37.400 only happy birthday to you, Holly, and all the things 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:39.560 that I wrote in that letter that I wrote you 0:06:40.320 --> 0:06:43.239 at four thirty am. So if there were typos, please 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:46.360 forgive them. And if I got a little mushy at 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:49.320 the end or a little inappropriate with some of the 0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:52.440 things that I said at the end, you'll forgive me. 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:55.520 But thank you for the way that you nourish our family, 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:59.320 our dreams, for the ways that you fight against our fears, 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:02.960 and insecure with the loveliness of your poise and the 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:06.680 precision of your words and encouragement. When I call you 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:12.840 the Holy Spirit, I'm kidding kind of. The Holy Spirit 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:15.320 is the greatest guide that I was ever given in 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:18.800 my life, and the Holy Spirit is the second greatest. 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:24.440 And you know what's crazy, There's so many times where 0:07:24.520 --> 0:07:27.640 the first guide, the Holy Spirit, used the Holy Spirit 0:07:28.400 --> 0:07:30.760 in a way to steer me because sometimes I won't 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:33.120 listen to him, but I will listen to you. Thank 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:36.400 you for seeing the best in us, and thank you 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:39.480 for bringing the best of you. You're amazing. Is it 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:45.200 a coincidence that today is Pentecost Sunday, fifty days after 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:49.680 the Resurrection, where the Church celebrates the birth of the 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:53.840 Church and the giving of the Holy Spirit, and May 0:07:53.960 --> 0:07:55.920 nineteenth happens to be this year a Sunday. 0:07:57.320 --> 0:08:04.880 The birthday, not a church, but of my Holy Spirit. 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:08.760 I told you, listen, I told her, I said, this 0:08:08.880 --> 0:08:11.080 week where your birthday falls, I would take the weekend 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:12.080 off and go through it. 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:14.720 She said, well, would you just preach a special birthday 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:18.360 sermon for me? I said, deal, because we wanted to 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:20.840 close this series where we've been talking about the Holy 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:22.880 Spirit and how many are grateful by the way for 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:24.800 the Holy Spirit and for what he's teaching you in 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:29.160 your life. That he is so much more than a 0:08:29.240 --> 0:08:32.439 goosebump or a good feeling. He can give you a goosebump. 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:33.880 He can give you a good feeling. If God has 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:35.240 given out goosebumps, I'll take him. 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:35.640 How about you? 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:39.280 People say that faith is not feelings, Well, I need 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:41.960 sometimes to feel God's presence because I feel a lot 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:45.199 of other things too. But the Book of Acts has 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:47.720 also spoken of the Holy Spirit in so many ways, 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.640 as being the promise of God, the gift of God, 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:55.079 the fountain of God, the outpouring, the baptism of the 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:58.439 Holy Spirit is mentioned, the fullness, the power, the witness, 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.199 and the guidance of the Holy And I believe that 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:04.280 the Lord led me to this special passage today, not only, 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:06.880 of course, for Holly, but for all of us as 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:10.360 we are listening now for what the Spirit says. For 0:09:10.440 --> 0:09:11.800 those of you who are here for the first time, 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:14.240 we don't stand for the whole sermon. We stand for 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:18.800 the scripture. Then we sit, and then standing as discretionary 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:21.600 from that point forward. But I asked that you stand 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:25.160 wherever you are for the reading of God's word, Acts 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:32.120 chapter ten, verse nine. Maybe you're going to have a 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:35.920 birthday too. Maybe God is going to burst something in 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:43.959 your life that you weren't even prepared for today. The 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:47.240 Bible says in Acts chapter ten, verse nine, about noon 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:49.520 the following day, as they were on their journey and 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:52.880 approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:57.080 He became hungry and wanted something to eat. 0:09:57.880 --> 0:09:59.880 And for some of you, that's your new life verse 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:03.640 I want something to eat, Lord, I claim Acts ten 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:07.199 ten over my life. I want something to eat. And 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:09.720 while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:12.880 He saw heaven opened in something like a large sheet 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:16.959 being let down to earth by its four corners. It 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:20.160 contained all kinds of four footed animals, as well as 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:24.640 reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, get up, Peter, 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:31.480 kill and eat surely not, Lord. Peter replied, I have 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:37.640 never eaten anything impure or unclean. There's reptiles and birds 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:40.280 on this sheet. I can't eat that. That is not 0:10:40.559 --> 0:10:43.839 on my diet. That is forbidden in Leviticus eleven. And 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:49.000 I am a good observant Jewish boy. I can't do it. Lord, 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:51.439 I never have, and I'm not going to start now 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:56.080 Verse fifteen. Then the voice spoke to him a second time. 0:10:56.880 --> 0:11:01.440 This is the persistence of God. Do not call anything 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:06.360 impure that God has made clean. This happened three times. 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:10.480 Peter's kind of hard headed, and immediately the sheet was 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:14.360 taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:17.280 meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:20.480 out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:21.840 They called. 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:27.079 They called out, asking if Simon, who was known as Peter, 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.000 was staying there. I'm going to make a whole sandwich 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:32.680 out of that verse, so we'll come back. 0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:35.559 To it verse nineteen. While Peter was still thinking about 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:41.200 the vision, the spirit said to him, Simon, I hate 0:11:41.240 --> 0:11:44.840 to interrupt your deep thoughts, but three men are looking 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:45.120 for you. 0:11:45.280 --> 0:11:49.719 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:52.920 go with them, for I have sent them. Peter went 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:56.320 down and said to the men, I'm the one you're 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:57.079 looking for. 0:11:58.200 --> 0:11:59.160 Why have you come? 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.640 And replied, we've come from Cornelius to Centurion. He's a 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:07.880 righteous and god fearing man who is respected by all 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:11.800 the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:14.800 you to come to his house so that he could 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:16.360 hear what you have to say. 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:19.599 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:20.200 his guest. 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:23.520 The next day, Peter started out with them, and some 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:27.160 of the believers from Japa went along. The following day, 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:33.839 last verse he arrived in cessarea. Cornelius was expecting them. 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:37.199 Say amen, for the word of the Lord. Say it 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:40.079 again a little louder, please, And then now go back 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:42.839 to this verse. This is the verse I want to 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:47.200 dedicate to Holly and to all of you. On Pentecost Sunday, 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:52.240 Holly's birth day. Verse ten, he became hungry and wanted 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:57.720 something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared. 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:02.480 Now look at your neighbor. Tell them this, God is 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:10.439 preparing something amazing for you. Tell them again, God is 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:14.839 preparing something amazing for you and put that in the 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:20.280 comments to say, God is preparing something amazing for you. 0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:23.559 Now flip it a little bit. Turn to your other neighbor, 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:29.360 your second choice. Say say this, say and God is 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:38.400 preparing you for something amazing. Okay, So Peter's hungry. Somebody's 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:41.719 been hungry. Somebody needs something from the Lord today. You 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.400 need bread from heaven, you need water from the rock 0:13:44.480 --> 0:13:47.080 in the wilderness of your despair. Here it comes. God 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:50.000 is preparing something. But today I want to tell you 0:13:50.040 --> 0:13:57.559 a little secret. It's going to be off menu. Off menu. 0:13:58.840 --> 0:13:59.480 The title and. 0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:02.760 Assigned and of my final installment of our series, Ghostwriter 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:10.880 is off menu. Speak Lord, we're listening in Jesus' name. Amen, Amen, 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:17.400 you may be seated. There's something special about to happen 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:24.360 in our lives today. Of all of the wonderful things 0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:26.480 that I would miss about Holly if she ever was 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:31.640 raptured and I was left here, I would not miss 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:35.400 the moments before we order our food in a restaurant together. 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:40.080 Our favorite thing to do together. Our second favorite thing 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:43.000 to do together is to go out to eat, and 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:51.920 first favorite is pray and recite Philippians. We're just different. 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:56.480 Our taste and food is different. But the only thing 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:59.600 that well, First of all, she likes to order appetizers, 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:01.640 and I have thing that appetizers. 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:02.840 Make the meal take thirty five more minutes, and I 0:15:02.880 --> 0:15:08.600 don't like it. The second thing is pretty much. 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:14.320 Walk in the restaurant knowing what I'm going to eat, 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.800 whether I've been there or not. There's three items that 0:15:17.920 --> 0:15:23.680 are pretty common to every menu, protein based, and saw 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:27.080 order one of those. My wife, on the other hand, 0:15:28.240 --> 0:15:30.120 I gotta tell you something about her, because you know, 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:32.080 you see her up here on the stage and she 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:35.640 looks wonderful, and she's even more wonderful the more you 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:39.200 get to know her. She mentioned how her favorite kinds 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:42.960 of stories to read are stories where the character goes 0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:45.200 through something and it's really difficult. 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:47.400 She talked about that last week. Did you hear that message? 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:48.560 Now? 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:48.760 What? 0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:51.400 What a word? Because aren't we all wondering that? 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:54.520 Now what? God, I prayed for this baby, you gave 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.960 me this baby. Now what God, I got them out 0:15:57.960 --> 0:15:59.200 of the car seat, Now they want. 0:15:59.080 --> 0:15:59.680 The car keys? 0:16:00.880 --> 0:16:00.920 What? 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:05.280 What's such a good word? And in the process of 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:09.520 her speaking to you, she left something out. She said 0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:11.560 her favorite thing to read was a story with the 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:12.280 character goes through. 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:13.120 That's not true. 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:15.720 My wife, Hollyford, her favorite thing to read in the 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:23.080 entire world is a menu. I've seen this woman study 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:27.080 a menu at a restaurant that we have gone to 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:30.560 every Thursday night for eighteen months. 0:16:31.600 --> 0:16:34.840 We're not very adventurous. We go to the same restaurants. 0:16:35.480 --> 0:16:40.040 It's the same menu, and she studies it like it 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:43.240 was the Declaration of Independence and she's in an. 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:45.000 Eighth grade history class. 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:48.280 She studies it like it is a contract for an 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:52.480 entire condominium that she is. She studies it like it 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:56.440 is a Nicholas Sparks notebook letter that she was left 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:59.400 by her the love of She studies it like it 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:01.800 is this eight capitals and she is about to go 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:04.880 to geography. She studies and I have seen her late 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:07.520 at night before scrolling on her phone. Looks kind of 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:10.600 suspicious because she looks so happy scrolling on the phone, 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:12.560 and I'm like, what are you looking at, Candy Crush? 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.080 Did you beat a new level? What's what's happening over there? 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:19.639 And she will be reading a menu for a restaurant 0:17:19.960 --> 0:17:23.040 in a city that we are going to in two 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:28.120 and a half months. The woman loves a menu. Am 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:34.720 I appreciating the truth Abbey Abigail Faith, and I'm picking 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:35.679 on her, but I love. 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:37.479 It because you know, I'm the one who leans over 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:39.560 to her. What would I like here. 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:43.680 After all of that that I just said, It's really 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:48.280 nice to have somebody who studies the menu. But what 0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:51.760 I can't understand elevation Church. And forgive me because this 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:53.600 is the last week my series. My wife's birthday is 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:55.040 Pentecost on separate and the Holy. 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:56.399 Spirit and all that. I'm excited about it. 0:17:57.359 --> 0:18:01.480 Why would you read the whole menu? Study it in advance? 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:03.760 And I mean she will grill the server. If you 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:05.680 are a server and you get us at the restaurant, 0:18:05.720 --> 0:18:07.720 we will tip big. But you will earn it because 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:11.600 you will be answering a quiz. It will be a quiz. 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:12.639 There will be a quiz. 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:15.359 So the what you're doing? 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:20.280 So many times the broccoli chicken with the UH with 0:18:20.400 --> 0:18:23.880 the lemon cream sauce. Tell me about the lemon cream sauce. 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:27.120 And the server is always so nice because she's so nice. Well, ma'am, 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:30.880 it's a UH. It's a sauce that consists them lemon 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:38.959 and then there's cream and the level of nuance well, well, 0:18:39.080 --> 0:18:42.480 is it like lemony lemony or is it more creamy 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:47.040 lemony cream cream more cream than lemon or more you 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:49.600 know what the to me about the honey sacha, to 0:18:49.720 --> 0:19:00.280 me about the well, ma, it's it's honey siracha, and uhh. 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:01.840 I've come to admire it in a way. Just what 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:03.800 I want to know is I have to hold that. 0:19:05.400 --> 0:19:10.800 When the services now, thank you for dining with us tonight. 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:14.560 We have a few specials that are not on the menu. 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:17.919 Would you like to hear about the hosts? 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:20.800 I'm taking, like, no way she. 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:24.800 Prepared for this, like it was the bar exam. 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:27.960 We're not just going to take a flyer on something 0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:30.119 that the chef whipped up because he was tired of 0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:30.960 what he has to. 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:33.400 Make every night. And she'll lean in and go, yes, 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:37.320 tell me about the specials and leave nothing out. 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:38.520 And I'm going, oh. 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:42.159 God, just bring me a steak or a burger patty 0:19:42.440 --> 0:19:44.639 and some a one. I can make it work. Do 0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:45.760 you have some peanuts? 0:19:51.880 --> 0:19:54.959 I asked her recently, Why do you want to hear 0:19:55.000 --> 0:19:58.600 about the specials? She said, well, what is this something fresh? 0:20:00.560 --> 0:20:01.560 What if there's something new? 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:04.840 And I guess what she's doing is since I'm so 0:20:05.000 --> 0:20:06.920 boring and I take her to the same three restaurants 0:20:06.960 --> 0:20:11.200 over and over again, She's creating a new experience in 0:20:11.280 --> 0:20:11.960 the same place. 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:15.560 And I want to be a little bit more like you, 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:17.480 because as I get off of. 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:20.800 This way too long opening illustration that I indulged in, 0:20:20.920 --> 0:20:23.440 and I thank you for allowing me to indulge, I 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:26.919 was thinking about how in Acts chapter ten you were 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:29.680 probably wondering why I was reading that story to you, Like, 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:33.239 are you what you're reading to me about somebody who 0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:36.920 went up on a roof and prayed and went in 0:20:37.000 --> 0:20:39.760 a trance and went downstairs? 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:42.320 What does that have to do with this divorce I'm 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:42.720 going through? 0:20:44.520 --> 0:20:48.359 What does that have to do with this situation with 0:20:48.600 --> 0:20:51.840 my kid who probably needs to go to rehab but 0:20:51.920 --> 0:20:53.679 I can't make them go, and I can't force them, 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:57.119 and now they're not even under my jurisdiction anymore. What 0:20:57.359 --> 0:21:02.399 does this that happen two thousand years ago have to 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:06.679 do with what I'm going through today? So your story 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:11.119 is not really that different from Peter's, other than the 0:21:11.200 --> 0:21:13.040 fact that you have air conditioning so you don't have 0:21:13.119 --> 0:21:14.640 to go up on a roof to pray to catch 0:21:14.720 --> 0:21:18.560 the breeze that's coming in from the port city called Joppa, 0:21:19.680 --> 0:21:23.160 and probably you have a little different diet than Peter. 0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:27.920 You know, the Bible talks about how this sheet came 0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:31.160 down from heaven while he was praying, and let's take 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:31.600 note of that. 0:21:31.800 --> 0:21:34.160 In verse nine before we move any further. 0:21:34.760 --> 0:21:37.159 It says about noon the following day, as they were 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:39.359 on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up 0:21:39.400 --> 0:21:42.440 on the roof to pray. I think there are some 0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:47.840 situations that you have to pray your way through because 0:21:48.080 --> 0:21:51.720 you can't figure them out. Now, anytime life gives you 0:21:51.800 --> 0:21:54.919 a situation where you can't figure it out, that's an 0:21:54.960 --> 0:21:57.600 opportunity for you to learn to pray your way through 0:21:58.760 --> 0:22:02.040 what you can't figure out. And that does not mean 0:22:02.200 --> 0:22:05.200 that you will have to spend every waking minute of 0:22:05.320 --> 0:22:09.840 your life reciting prayers and reading scriptures. But it does 0:22:10.000 --> 0:22:14.040 mean that you will have to learn how to prepare 0:22:14.160 --> 0:22:19.240 yourself for what God has prepared for you. I see 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:23.200 Peter here praying on the roof, and my question is 0:22:23.240 --> 0:22:26.119 what is he praying about? And he has a lot 0:22:26.200 --> 0:22:29.040 to pray about. There's a lot of pressure on Peter. 0:22:30.440 --> 0:22:35.200 Anybody got a lot of pressure on you. You're embarrassed 0:22:35.200 --> 0:22:36.639 to say yes to that because you're like, when I 0:22:36.720 --> 0:22:40.640 compared to Peter, he's like taking the Gospel to the world. Well, 0:22:40.760 --> 0:22:45.600 I mean, you're taking the Gospel to somebody you're responsible for, somebody. 0:22:46.600 --> 0:22:49.680 You're fighting through something that doesn't seem to want to 0:22:49.720 --> 0:22:54.160 let you go. If nothing else, you have the pressure 0:22:54.240 --> 0:22:58.640 of struggling against that old nature in you that keeps 0:22:58.680 --> 0:23:00.400 making you want to act like you don't know God 0:23:00.440 --> 0:23:03.680 even though you do. If nothing else, you have the 0:23:03.720 --> 0:23:07.240 pressure of waking up another day and feeling like you 0:23:07.440 --> 0:23:09.320 have more agenda than you have energy. 0:23:11.280 --> 0:23:15.320 And so we pray our way through pressure, or. 0:23:15.640 --> 0:23:19.920 The pressure pushes us, pushes us over the edge, and 0:23:20.600 --> 0:23:23.639 pushes us into places of hiding that are dangerous. I 0:23:23.640 --> 0:23:27.280 don't want to get sidetracked by this, because honestly, I'm 0:23:27.320 --> 0:23:30.520 not just so interested that Peter was praying, or that 0:23:30.640 --> 0:23:33.600 he was praying at noon, which by the way, was 0:23:33.720 --> 0:23:37.159 not even a required time to pray. This was like 0:23:37.240 --> 0:23:40.520 a bonus prayer for Peter. Let's take a moment into church, 0:23:40.520 --> 0:23:42.639 because we beat up on Peter a lot. How he 0:23:42.920 --> 0:23:45.000 went the walk on water and he slipped and fell, 0:23:45.800 --> 0:23:48.600 How he cut off somebody's ear in the garden when 0:23:48.600 --> 0:23:51.560 they were coming to get Jesus. How he was cussing 0:23:51.680 --> 0:23:54.359 and denying Christ when he went to the cross. Let's 0:23:54.400 --> 0:23:58.159 get Peter like five seconds of atta boy handclapping ovation 0:23:58.520 --> 0:24:00.000 that he's up there praying when he doesn't have to 0:24:00.160 --> 0:24:00.560 be praying. 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:04.719 I think we should do that. I think we need 0:24:04.800 --> 0:24:06.680 to humanize these Bible characters. 0:24:07.560 --> 0:24:09.480 I think you ought to keep those hands going because 0:24:09.480 --> 0:24:11.159 you're in church right now and you don't have to be. 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:14.159 And just like you clapped for Peter, I want you 0:24:14.240 --> 0:24:17.080 to clap for yourself for a minute. I want you 0:24:17.160 --> 0:24:19.000 to clap for yourself for a minute that you made 0:24:19.040 --> 0:24:22.760 it to church today. I know you're not praising yourself, 0:24:23.320 --> 0:24:27.520 but Prace God that he got you here today. 0:24:28.760 --> 0:24:31.360 Grace God that he brought you back to church another day. 0:24:31.880 --> 0:24:34.040 I didn't say you prayed an hour before you came, 0:24:34.080 --> 0:24:34.680 but you came. 0:24:35.359 --> 0:24:36.640 I thank God you're here. 0:24:41.560 --> 0:24:44.080 Wonder what he was praying about, don't you. 0:24:45.240 --> 0:24:49.440 I mean, like Pastor Holly shared last week, he just 0:24:49.800 --> 0:24:51.320 raised somebody. 0:24:50.920 --> 0:24:53.359 From the dead and he never did that before. 0:24:54.200 --> 0:24:57.680 Now he's staying in the city, and certainly the paparazzi 0:24:57.760 --> 0:25:01.960 are looking for him, trying to find and Peter in Joppa, 0:25:02.320 --> 0:25:03.960 and so now in order to get. 0:25:04.000 --> 0:25:06.080 A little bit of perspective, he has to go up 0:25:06.119 --> 0:25:07.080 on the roof to pray. 0:25:07.720 --> 0:25:09.639 Maybe if you're a new mom, you have to go 0:25:09.720 --> 0:25:13.240 in the bathroom sometimes and pray. Maybe your prayer closet 0:25:13.520 --> 0:25:15.560 is your bathroom for a little while, but they will 0:25:15.560 --> 0:25:18.760 find you in that bathroom. There is no safe place 0:25:19.119 --> 0:25:21.000 for you to go and pray. And I think it's 0:25:21.040 --> 0:25:23.359 interesting that he went up on a roof because I 0:25:23.440 --> 0:25:26.120 think that's a high place. And I think sometimes while 0:25:26.359 --> 0:25:28.480 we're just around all the stuff of our life and 0:25:28.640 --> 0:25:31.960 just around the surroundings and just around the demands. 0:25:32.000 --> 0:25:34.040 And that's why I think anytime. 0:25:33.720 --> 0:25:36.200 You can get to church physically, get the church physically, 0:25:38.359 --> 0:25:42.600 especially if the church is called elevation, because we try 0:25:42.640 --> 0:25:43.000 to get you. 0:25:43.080 --> 0:25:44.240 Higher for a few minutes. 0:25:45.440 --> 0:25:48.639 And he's up there praying, And as he's praying, we 0:25:48.680 --> 0:25:49.760 don't know what he's praying. 0:25:50.040 --> 0:25:53.280 I imagine he is praying about his purpose. 0:25:54.600 --> 0:25:58.840 God, how do you want me, little old me Simon 0:25:58.960 --> 0:26:03.879 Peter the disciple who cursed while the rooster was crowing, How. 0:26:03.760 --> 0:26:05.639 Do you want me to keep this going? 0:26:05.960 --> 0:26:08.600 I mean, it's amazing how you used me to heal 0:26:08.680 --> 0:26:11.639 that man at the gate called beautiful. It's amazing how 0:26:11.720 --> 0:26:14.399 you used me to preach and convert all these people. 0:26:14.720 --> 0:26:17.280 It's amazing how you were there with me in the prison. 0:26:17.560 --> 0:26:20.200 It's amazing how you used me to get Anius off 0:26:20.240 --> 0:26:22.680 of his mat. It's amazing how you used me to 0:26:22.760 --> 0:26:25.840 get Tabitha up, that woman who had made all of 0:26:25.920 --> 0:26:27.560 those things for all of these people. 0:26:27.920 --> 0:26:29.240 But now I'm in Japa. 0:26:29.359 --> 0:26:32.159 Now he's still in Japa, but he doesn't really know 0:26:32.280 --> 0:26:35.480 what he's doing in Jopa. But he's in Joppa and 0:26:35.600 --> 0:26:38.840 he's stopping somewhere and he doesn't know where he's going, 0:26:39.160 --> 0:26:42.160 but he has stopped somewhere that he is praying. 0:26:41.920 --> 0:26:45.360 About where God has him and where God is taking him. 0:26:45.760 --> 0:26:52.200 And he's praying, and then he gets sleepy while he's praying, 0:26:53.359 --> 0:26:59.040 and he sees something in his vision that completely freaks 0:26:59.119 --> 0:26:59.440 him out. 0:27:00.920 --> 0:27:03.879 A blanket comes down from heaven. 0:27:05.240 --> 0:27:07.960 And this is where everybody who really thinks while I 0:27:08.040 --> 0:27:10.200 read the Bible is like, so, Pastor, when you say 0:27:10.240 --> 0:27:15.000 that Peter got high, are you. 0:27:15.080 --> 0:27:16.520 Just talking about the roof he went up on? 0:27:17.800 --> 0:27:19.840 Did they have mushrooms back then, pastor, what's going on 0:27:19.960 --> 0:27:21.200 that he would see this blanket? 0:27:22.880 --> 0:27:23.000 Oh? 0:27:23.080 --> 0:27:25.600 You just see blankets with birds and stuff on them 0:27:25.640 --> 0:27:28.240 every day, the stuff that happens in the Bible. 0:27:28.400 --> 0:27:30.680 That's the way we like it. Though. We like the Bible. 0:27:30.760 --> 0:27:34.640 Stuff can be weird, supernatural, freaky crazy. 0:27:34.840 --> 0:27:37.399 But we're just trying to pay our bills. And what 0:27:37.600 --> 0:27:39.040 I am suggesting to you. 0:27:40.000 --> 0:27:43.480 Is that the God who showed Peter this wants to 0:27:43.600 --> 0:27:49.520 show you something too. Somebody shout, God, show me something, 0:27:51.040 --> 0:27:54.760 be more specific, Holy Spirit, show me something. 0:27:55.920 --> 0:27:59.000 That's been my biggest prayer of the last year. You 0:27:59.080 --> 0:28:01.800 can rip it off in you. I just pray, God, 0:28:02.040 --> 0:28:05.000 show me something. What did I not see about that 0:28:05.160 --> 0:28:07.080 conversation that I should have seen? 0:28:07.840 --> 0:28:08.040 God? 0:28:08.119 --> 0:28:10.240 What did I miss while I went through my day 0:28:10.720 --> 0:28:13.680 that you want me to incorporate into my tomorrow? 0:28:14.640 --> 0:28:14.840 God? 0:28:14.960 --> 0:28:18.359 What was the thing that I missed today that if I. 0:28:18.400 --> 0:28:21.640 Don't pick up on it and adjust it, I will 0:28:21.760 --> 0:28:24.400 multiply the mistakes of today and too tomorrow. 0:28:25.600 --> 0:28:25.800 God. 0:28:25.920 --> 0:28:27.840 What is the thing that I have thought I was 0:28:27.960 --> 0:28:31.240 right about all my life that I'm really wrong about 0:28:31.320 --> 0:28:35.680 right now? What are the answers that I knew yesterday 0:28:36.480 --> 0:28:39.640 that have become irrelevant in this season of my life 0:28:40.240 --> 0:28:42.440 that I am still clinging to that. 0:28:42.520 --> 0:28:44.920 Are keeping me from being who I need to be. 0:28:46.200 --> 0:28:50.600 Peter was praying, I wonder, was he praying for an 0:28:50.680 --> 0:28:53.680 opportunity to take the gospel to the Gentiles. 0:28:53.720 --> 0:28:55.560 Now, the Gentiles, just to catch. 0:28:55.440 --> 0:28:58.000 You up a little bit, they were not bad people, 0:28:58.080 --> 0:29:01.400 but they were not God's covenant people. God's covenant people 0:29:01.440 --> 0:29:04.480 were the Jews. And God always had a plan to 0:29:04.560 --> 0:29:08.160 bless the Gentiles through the Jews. He told Abraham, I 0:29:08.240 --> 0:29:11.200 will bless you, and you will be a blessing, and 0:29:12.040 --> 0:29:14.080 all of the peoples of the earth will be blessed 0:29:14.120 --> 0:29:17.160 through you. And so now Peter is standing in the 0:29:17.240 --> 0:29:21.640 continuation of something that God spoke centuries before he was 0:29:21.720 --> 0:29:22.240 ever born. 0:29:22.800 --> 0:29:25.880 This thing did not start with you. It's bigger than you. 0:29:26.640 --> 0:29:29.680 Everything you're going through is connected to something bigger than you. 0:29:30.360 --> 0:29:32.720 One of the greatest gifts the Holy Spirit can give 0:29:32.840 --> 0:29:36.600 us is a wide lens on our life to realize 0:29:36.640 --> 0:29:39.760 that there will come somebody after you that is dependent 0:29:39.840 --> 0:29:43.120 on your example, that there has come somebody before you 0:29:43.240 --> 0:29:45.960 who has given you an example to follow, and that 0:29:46.080 --> 0:29:48.920 those who came before you might have had chains on 0:29:49.080 --> 0:29:52.360 them that you have the power to break because God 0:29:52.520 --> 0:29:55.160 called you and assigned you to break them. That's a 0:29:55.360 --> 0:30:00.000 wide lens. When you worship, it gives you a wide life. 0:30:00.920 --> 0:30:03.880 When you worry, it narrows the scope of what you're 0:30:03.960 --> 0:30:07.680 going through. When you don't pray, you feel nothing but pressure. 0:30:08.240 --> 0:30:10.240 But I came to tell you, if you will pray 0:30:10.360 --> 0:30:12.920 your way through this pressure doesn't have to be a 0:30:13.000 --> 0:30:15.880 long prayer, doesn't even have to be a focused prayer. 0:30:16.320 --> 0:30:18.880 Peter was half a sleep and God spoke to him. 0:30:19.360 --> 0:30:21.880 So as long as you will set your heart in 0:30:21.960 --> 0:30:24.320 the direction of God, he wants to speak to you 0:30:24.840 --> 0:30:27.080 more than you want to hear him. He wants to 0:30:27.240 --> 0:30:28.520 show you more than you want. 0:30:28.400 --> 0:30:32.840 To see it. Stop talking to God like you have 0:30:32.960 --> 0:30:36.240 to negotiate a hostage out of the situation. He wants 0:30:36.320 --> 0:30:39.360 to give you wisdom, wants to give you opportunity, wants 0:30:39.440 --> 0:30:41.800 to show you open doors. Wants to tell you who 0:30:41.880 --> 0:30:43.800 to call, wants to tell you who to talk to, 0:30:44.200 --> 0:30:46.400 wants to bring people in your path. He just wants 0:30:46.440 --> 0:30:51.800 to know. Will you be prepared? Prepared? 0:30:51.840 --> 0:30:54.640 Peter was preparing because I don't know what's next, but 0:30:54.760 --> 0:30:57.080 I gotta get ready for it. So I gotta pray 0:30:57.240 --> 0:31:03.120 my way through this thing. I gotta pray my way 0:31:03.880 --> 0:31:09.520 so I can prepare. I almost brought my screen out 0:31:09.560 --> 0:31:14.640 today because I wanted to show you something. I wanted 0:31:14.640 --> 0:31:18.680 to write the word prepare on the screen and spell 0:31:18.760 --> 0:31:22.040 it the way that you would think was wrong, but 0:31:22.160 --> 0:31:24.880 the way that would actually be right. I was just 0:31:24.960 --> 0:31:27.160 going to write, God is preparing you, but I was 0:31:27.200 --> 0:31:30.240 going to spell it p R E p A I 0:31:30.600 --> 0:31:34.880 R prepare, and I was going to let it sit 0:31:34.920 --> 0:31:38.400 there for about fifteen minutes till all of the OCD 0:31:39.520 --> 0:31:43.320 Grammar police started throwing stones at me at the stage. 0:31:43.640 --> 0:31:46.480 You're like Stephen in Acts chapter seven, just appear taking 0:31:46.560 --> 0:31:49.480 the stones, and just before I died and went unconscious, 0:31:50.080 --> 0:31:52.000 throwing your elevation pins at me and stuff. 0:31:52.720 --> 0:31:53.320 Spelled it wrong. 0:31:53.360 --> 0:31:56.320 I was going to say, no, no, no, God is 0:31:56.480 --> 0:32:00.960 preparing you for what He has prepair you. 0:32:01.120 --> 0:32:01.320 Four. 0:32:03.680 --> 0:32:06.360 I believe, while Holly was growing up in Miami, Florida, 0:32:08.640 --> 0:32:11.280 and I was growing up in Monk's Corner, South Carolina, 0:32:13.960 --> 0:32:16.360 that the experiences and gifts that God was given me 0:32:16.480 --> 0:32:20.240 in Monk's Corner and the experiences and gifts that God 0:32:21.040 --> 0:32:26.160 was giving her in Miami were two ingredients that were 0:32:26.240 --> 0:32:30.120 meant to go together to make the ministry that God 0:32:30.160 --> 0:32:31.920 has privileged us to serve within today. 0:32:35.360 --> 0:32:42.720 So I believe that we were pre paired. You still 0:32:42.760 --> 0:32:43.160 don't get it. 0:32:44.600 --> 0:32:47.920 My second illustration is this, Before I preach, I always 0:32:47.960 --> 0:32:52.160 take out of my pocket this thing. It just seems 0:32:52.240 --> 0:32:55.480 unnecessary weight to be up here preaching, so I'd always 0:32:55.520 --> 0:32:56.480 take it out of my pocket. 0:32:57.160 --> 0:32:58.360 I went to take it out. Do you know what 0:32:58.480 --> 0:33:01.320 this is? I'm not going to do a product endorsement, 0:33:01.400 --> 0:33:08.360 but this is the thing. Yeah, okay, the. 0:33:08.440 --> 0:33:11.040 Thing that drives you crazy when you see somebody walking 0:33:11.080 --> 0:33:14.400 around like they are such a baller that they can't 0:33:14.440 --> 0:33:16.320 take that out their air for five minutes to check 0:33:16.320 --> 0:33:17.440 out in the grocery store line. 0:33:17.480 --> 0:33:19.160 And I do it too, but I'm usually just listening 0:33:19.200 --> 0:33:19.480 to something. 0:33:19.520 --> 0:33:21.480 I'm not talking to anybody, And sometimes if I want 0:33:21.480 --> 0:33:22.800 to get somewhere quick, I'll put it in and pretend 0:33:22.880 --> 0:33:24.560 like I'm talking to somebody, just like I walk through it. 0:33:24.720 --> 0:33:26.120 Oh yeah, we'll get back to you on that. That'll 0:33:26.160 --> 0:33:26.440 be great. 0:33:29.560 --> 0:33:36.360 Funny because I can't hear your phone through this Bluetooth AirPod, 0:33:38.680 --> 0:33:39.920 but I can hear mine. 0:33:42.240 --> 0:33:51.000 Because my phone is paired, so you don't know. 0:33:51.040 --> 0:33:53.400 I might be listening to Fred Hammond or Drake up 0:33:53.440 --> 0:33:59.160 here right now, but it's my phone, and I wouldn't 0:33:59.200 --> 0:33:59.520 have to. 0:33:59.560 --> 0:34:00.680 Make this work with this. 0:34:02.160 --> 0:34:05.080 Because I'm not waiting until I get up here to 0:34:05.280 --> 0:34:13.040 pair it. It's prepared, prepared, prepared, and so the voice 0:34:13.120 --> 0:34:16.040 that I would hear in my ear would be relative 0:34:16.080 --> 0:34:23.120 to the device that this instrument was pared to. The 0:34:23.200 --> 0:34:26.279 Bible says walk in the spirit, and you will not 0:34:26.440 --> 0:34:30.120 fulfill the lust of the flesh. Is the problem with 0:34:30.239 --> 0:34:33.080 the voices that are going through your mind, that are 0:34:33.239 --> 0:34:38.239 sabotaging your strength, sucking you dry of your joy, and 0:34:38.440 --> 0:34:40.960 causing you to lose your confidence in what you know 0:34:41.120 --> 0:34:41.840 good and well. 0:34:41.800 --> 0:34:42.719 God called you to do. 0:34:43.880 --> 0:34:48.040 Is it possible that you have been prepared to the 0:34:48.120 --> 0:34:53.920 wrong device. Is there something that's going on in your 0:34:54.040 --> 0:34:56.560 mind today? I'm just asking because when I read the passage, 0:34:56.560 --> 0:34:59.120 you were like, this is a weird one, Pastor is 0:34:59.200 --> 0:34:59.600 it really? 0:35:00.760 --> 0:35:05.240 Or is it a picture that Peter even though. 0:35:05.160 --> 0:35:08.560 He wasn't prepared to raise a dead girl, He wasn't 0:35:08.880 --> 0:35:12.880 prepared to go to Cornelius's house. He wasn't prepared to 0:35:12.960 --> 0:35:16.480 speak to a centurion and that's chapter ten that he 0:35:16.719 --> 0:35:21.680 was prepared. I think I think it's possible. I think 0:35:21.680 --> 0:35:24.919 it's possible. I think it's possible that although you don't 0:35:25.000 --> 0:35:28.720 feel ready for this season of your life, that although 0:35:28.800 --> 0:35:31.960 you feel alone in this season of your life, that 0:35:32.120 --> 0:35:34.600 although you feel you don't have the skills that it 0:35:34.719 --> 0:35:37.600 takes for this step of faith that God has given you. 0:35:38.200 --> 0:35:40.560 That although you feel like you're the wrong one for 0:35:40.719 --> 0:35:42.200 the job, I think. 0:35:42.080 --> 0:35:46.279 It's possible that God has been preparing you for the 0:35:46.480 --> 0:35:53.520 exact assignment that you are designed to accomplish. I will 0:35:53.640 --> 0:35:57.080 fulfill it. Say it out loud, I will fulfill it. 0:35:58.560 --> 0:36:03.440 If it's for me, it will be. And that's why 0:36:03.480 --> 0:36:07.040 I want you to disconnect from every device that is 0:36:07.160 --> 0:36:13.239 not a part of your destiny. Every voice, every website, 0:36:14.200 --> 0:36:18.319 every social media app, everything you play on your head 0:36:18.400 --> 0:36:20.279 in a loop and you call it your truth. It's 0:36:20.360 --> 0:36:24.279 not your truth. You are in a trance, baby, You 0:36:24.360 --> 0:36:26.480 are in a trance, so thinking, this is the way 0:36:26.560 --> 0:36:29.040 I have to be. This is who I've always been, 0:36:29.440 --> 0:36:31.839 this is how the world is, this is how every 0:36:31.920 --> 0:36:32.640 teenager is. 0:36:32.960 --> 0:36:36.160 Not every teenager. Baby, you hadn't met me yet. 0:36:36.400 --> 0:36:37.560 I'm full of the Holy. 0:36:37.400 --> 0:36:41.239 Ghost and fire, and I'm baptized, and I'm bored, and 0:36:41.360 --> 0:36:43.480 I'm born again, and I'm fired up. 0:36:45.360 --> 0:36:46.239 And I'm prepared. 0:36:48.120 --> 0:36:48.800 All right, I'll do it. 0:36:49.040 --> 0:36:50.960 The Lord said, I gotta tell you about David. He 0:36:51.120 --> 0:36:54.080 saw Goliath. What could prepare you for Goliath? 0:36:54.320 --> 0:36:54.480 Oh? 0:36:54.760 --> 0:36:57.759 I killed the lion. Oh I kill the bear. Oh 0:36:58.040 --> 0:37:00.800 I got a slingshot. Now, when I hook up this 0:37:01.040 --> 0:37:02.080 instrument to. 0:37:02.200 --> 0:37:06.320 This device, when I hook up this experience with this challenge, 0:37:06.800 --> 0:37:09.640 sometimes you forget what you've got. 0:37:13.800 --> 0:37:24.880 Yeah, And sometimes you remember where you've been, And sometimes 0:37:24.960 --> 0:37:32.000 that's a good thing. But sometimes you have memorized a 0:37:32.160 --> 0:37:39.279 menu that is no longer available to you. Can I 0:37:39.480 --> 0:37:43.800 preach this thing, y'all? I gotta get you ready for 0:37:43.880 --> 0:37:47.800 the summer. Yeah, I gotta get you ready for the summer. 0:37:47.840 --> 0:37:49.800 Everybody's trying to get a beach body. I'm trying to 0:37:49.840 --> 0:37:56.840 get you a beach spirit. Biceps won't help you. Whenever 0:37:56.840 --> 0:37:58.560 you all hell breaks loose in your family. 0:37:59.400 --> 0:38:00.600 None of that going to matter a bit. 0:38:01.680 --> 0:38:06.400 But what matters because we're talking about we're talking about food, but. 0:38:06.840 --> 0:38:08.319 God is using the food. 0:38:08.600 --> 0:38:12.880 If you thought this passage was actually about food, you 0:38:13.040 --> 0:38:14.680 need to read it again through the lens of the 0:38:14.719 --> 0:38:16.520 Holy Spirit, Peter did. 0:38:16.840 --> 0:38:19.680 He's up there hungry. And you know, whenever you're hungry, 0:38:19.760 --> 0:38:22.440 everything looks good. And that's the truth. 0:38:23.480 --> 0:38:25.719 Ask Esaul, how good a bowl of beans will look 0:38:25.719 --> 0:38:28.920 when you're hungry? And that's why some people date the 0:38:28.960 --> 0:38:40.400 wrong people? Okay, verse ten. He became hungry eating stuff 0:38:40.440 --> 0:38:54.600 you never would have ate. Well, he became hungry and 0:38:54.719 --> 0:38:56.919 he wanted some to eat. And while the meat okay 0:38:57.000 --> 0:38:58.360 verse the in this is so good? Y see this, 0:38:58.440 --> 0:39:01.960 yes sEH first ten. And while the meal was being prepared, 0:39:03.040 --> 0:39:05.759 what was being prepared? Put it in the comments what 0:39:05.880 --> 0:39:09.480 was being prepared? The meal wasn't the only thing being prepared. 0:39:12.480 --> 0:39:19.560 Peter was being prepared and part of that preparation process 0:39:20.960 --> 0:39:30.200 was in unpairing and unpairing with this past. The Spirit 0:39:30.280 --> 0:39:33.520 of God confirmed to me so many times through our 0:39:33.600 --> 0:39:37.239 worship experience today when we were singing, and I'm sorry 0:39:37.280 --> 0:39:38.880 for all of you didn't get to hear all the songs. 0:39:39.520 --> 0:39:41.960 Everything we sang today was a confirmation of what He 0:39:42.000 --> 0:39:46.040 gave me to preach. It was like it was pared together. 0:39:47.440 --> 0:39:49.600 And one of the things that you may not have 0:39:49.680 --> 0:39:52.520 seen on the surface was there was a video for 0:39:52.640 --> 0:39:55.680 my wife's birthday, and people were saying, thank you, Pastor Holly, 0:39:55.760 --> 0:39:58.440 thank you, Pastor Holly, thank you, Pastor Holly for the 0:39:58.520 --> 0:40:00.480 words you've spoken. And I thought it was a appropriate 0:40:00.520 --> 0:40:03.160 And although we do not praise men, we praise God, 0:40:03.200 --> 0:40:04.880 who gives us men and women as gifts. 0:40:06.440 --> 0:40:08.279 And so it was right that they celebrated you. But 0:40:08.360 --> 0:40:10.640 it wasn't that they celebrated you that touch me. 0:40:10.719 --> 0:40:14.840 It was what they called you, Pastor Holly, because it 0:40:14.920 --> 0:40:17.880 took me back to the memory of the time that 0:40:17.960 --> 0:40:18.600 you said. 0:40:20.120 --> 0:40:30.160 I will never marry a pastor. She said that now 0:40:30.239 --> 0:40:30.759 he is one. 0:40:33.239 --> 0:40:38.239 Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. 0:40:45.920 --> 0:40:49.800 Simon would have never seen himself as a shepherd, but 0:40:49.960 --> 0:40:54.920 Jesus called him Peter and said, feed my sheep. God 0:40:55.120 --> 0:41:03.200 was prepairing, prepairing Jews and Gentiles prepared, and God needed 0:41:03.239 --> 0:41:07.759 somebody who was an official apostle to knock down that 0:41:07.920 --> 0:41:11.120 barrier officially and get the gospel to the gentiles. And 0:41:11.160 --> 0:41:13.680 I'm glad he did because I am a gentile, and 0:41:13.800 --> 0:41:16.439 I'm glad that the gospel didn't stop with what Peter 0:41:16.560 --> 0:41:17.120 thought about it. 0:41:20.440 --> 0:41:25.439 He's preparing me, He's not just preparing a meal. He's 0:41:25.480 --> 0:41:26.040 preparing me. 0:41:27.960 --> 0:41:31.319 Are you so focused on the meal that you don't 0:41:31.320 --> 0:41:36.320 even see the mission? Are you so focused on this 0:41:36.600 --> 0:41:43.279 day's needs, this day's inconvenience, this season's hunger, this season's annoyance, 0:41:43.480 --> 0:41:46.000 Like it is so typical for me to get so 0:41:46.320 --> 0:41:50.320 irritated so that I will miss something that could have 0:41:50.360 --> 0:41:53.840 been a miracle because of something as small as an irritation. 0:41:55.200 --> 0:41:57.960 And I thought it's significant. On our last week of 0:41:58.000 --> 0:41:59.480 the Ghostwriter series. 0:42:00.120 --> 0:42:04.000 Talk about how sometimes the greatest things that God brings 0:42:04.040 --> 0:42:06.640 into our life are off menu. 0:42:09.600 --> 0:42:10.560 They are not things. 0:42:10.640 --> 0:42:13.520 When I say menu, I'm talking about how you expected 0:42:13.600 --> 0:42:16.520 him to use you. I'll never be a pastor's wife. Cool, 0:42:16.680 --> 0:42:20.920 I'll just make you a pastor and then you'll have 0:42:21.040 --> 0:42:25.359 to be a pastor's wife. I'll never be free, you say, well, 0:42:25.400 --> 0:42:28.280 God says good. I just give you the blood of Jesus, 0:42:28.640 --> 0:42:31.799 and I'll declare you righteous, and I'll set you free, 0:42:32.200 --> 0:42:32.600 and if. 0:42:32.560 --> 0:42:36.279 The sun sets you free, you'll be free. Indeed, I'll 0:42:36.400 --> 0:42:37.640 just do what I want to do. 0:42:41.600 --> 0:42:46.080 You can't call unclean what God has called clean. That's 0:42:46.120 --> 0:42:49.200 what he told Peter. Because we look at the passage 0:42:49.320 --> 0:42:52.440 and we see a bunch of characters. Right, there's this 0:42:52.560 --> 0:42:53.920 guy and I didn't get to say about him, but 0:42:54.000 --> 0:42:56.759 this guy, Cornelias, he's amazing, it's amazing. He's over one 0:42:56.800 --> 0:43:00.359 hundred soldiers. He is very, very faithful. He's not aver, 0:43:00.800 --> 0:43:04.680 he's not a Jew, he's not circumcised, he's not definitely 0:43:04.760 --> 0:43:06.839 not a Christian yet. But God wants to give him 0:43:06.840 --> 0:43:09.200 the Holy Spirit. So one day he's praying at three pm. 0:43:09.400 --> 0:43:11.399 And this is amazing because while he's praying at three 0:43:11.440 --> 0:43:14.640 pm one day, God is already preparing him with somebody 0:43:14.680 --> 0:43:15.680 who's going to be praying. 0:43:15.480 --> 0:43:17.600 At noon the next day. But that's beside the point. 0:43:17.880 --> 0:43:21.480 Because while you are praying about stuff, God is preparing stuff. 0:43:21.760 --> 0:43:23.840 And don't worry if you don't see what he's preparing, 0:43:24.120 --> 0:43:27.680 because he was praying thirty miles away. Don't stop praying 0:43:27.800 --> 0:43:30.080 just because you don't see proof. The proof might be 0:43:30.200 --> 0:43:37.720 on the way while you're praying. So Cornelia sees an angel. 0:43:37.920 --> 0:43:40.919 Now Peter didn't see an angel. Peter heard a voice 0:43:40.960 --> 0:43:43.279 and saw a sheet. Now I think one of the 0:43:43.360 --> 0:43:46.160 reasons for that is that he had had three years 0:43:46.280 --> 0:43:49.359 with Jesus and when he called him Lord and said 0:43:49.400 --> 0:43:49.960 I can't do this. 0:43:50.200 --> 0:43:56.920 He knew the voice because he was prepared because one thing. 0:43:57.040 --> 0:44:00.440 And I'll leave this illustration alone after this, even if 0:44:00.480 --> 0:44:05.239 it was paired, if I left it back there, it 0:44:05.280 --> 0:44:06.880 would be too distant to pick it up. 0:44:09.040 --> 0:44:10.880 That's why you got to stay close to God in 0:44:10.960 --> 0:44:17.720 your heart throughout the dad for it to connect. 0:44:17.880 --> 0:44:22.400 It must be close. God didn't leave you, You left 0:44:22.840 --> 0:44:26.880 him in your heart. Do not leave Jesus in this 0:44:27.040 --> 0:44:30.720 church today. When you leave, you have the Holy Spirit 0:44:31.800 --> 0:44:38.160 He goes with you. This is a moving menu. Yeah, 0:44:39.200 --> 0:44:42.719 this is like a faith food truck. It's gonna show 0:44:42.760 --> 0:44:45.560 up wherever you need it this week. It's gonna show 0:44:45.600 --> 0:44:48.759 up wherever you need it this week. Boy, I needed 0:44:48.800 --> 0:44:51.680 it yesterday. I was about the road rage real bad 0:44:51.800 --> 0:44:57.440 on somebody. And that relationship with Jesus has Peter so 0:44:57.600 --> 0:45:02.279 familiar that even and though he does not recognize what 0:45:02.960 --> 0:45:04.719 God is showing him because he sees a sheet with 0:45:04.800 --> 0:45:06.400 animals and he's not supposed to eat him. 0:45:06.400 --> 0:45:08.480 And I don't know. And isn't that how most of 0:45:08.560 --> 0:45:16.200 our life feels? Honestly, it's not so clear always. If 0:45:16.239 --> 0:45:20.040 the Bible had a verse, should I let my aging parent. 0:45:19.920 --> 0:45:20.360 Move in with me? 0:45:20.480 --> 0:45:21.880 Or should I provide them with the nursing home. 0:45:21.960 --> 0:45:23.160 And if I provide them with the nursing home, how 0:45:23.160 --> 0:45:24.319 will I pay for because I don't have any money? 0:45:24.320 --> 0:45:25.399 Ayway, if the Bible give you an. 0:45:25.280 --> 0:45:27.120 Exact verse about that, but it says my God will 0:45:27.120 --> 0:45:29.239 supply all your needs, it does not go into that 0:45:29.360 --> 0:45:30.280 level of detail. 0:45:31.560 --> 0:45:33.920 The detail in this passage is fascinating. 0:45:34.840 --> 0:45:38.279 How Peter sees this sheet and the Lord tells him 0:45:38.320 --> 0:45:42.799 something about food, but he is using the food check 0:45:42.840 --> 0:45:47.160 this out to show Peter his future. And what he 0:45:47.280 --> 0:45:49.000 is saying to Peter, he's saying to you and I 0:45:50.080 --> 0:45:53.600 God is saying just because it's not on your menu 0:45:54.680 --> 0:45:56.040 doesn't mean it's not on mine. 0:45:59.320 --> 0:46:00.560 Just because us. 0:46:02.080 --> 0:46:05.960 You don't think I can do it doesn't mean it's 0:46:06.040 --> 0:46:11.560 not already happening. Just because you don't see a way 0:46:11.600 --> 0:46:15.000 that it would turn around at this stage doesn't mean that. 0:46:15.040 --> 0:46:17.560 It's not already halfway turned. 0:46:18.800 --> 0:46:24.279 For Notice what the Bible says about noon the following day, 0:46:24.520 --> 0:46:28.560 verse nine. As they were on their journey and approaching 0:46:28.600 --> 0:46:31.239 the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray 0:46:32.440 --> 0:46:33.040 y'all missed it. 0:46:33.960 --> 0:46:35.760 Dropped down to verse seventeen. 0:46:36.480 --> 0:46:38.959 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, 0:46:39.040 --> 0:46:41.440 The men sent by Cornelius. 0:46:40.800 --> 0:46:43.960 Found out where Simon's house was. Now, when the angel 0:46:44.000 --> 0:46:46.440 came to Cornelis, he said, go find. 0:46:46.280 --> 0:46:49.520 A guy named Simon the Tanner, And when you get 0:46:49.600 --> 0:46:52.440 there in Joppa, you're gonna ask for a man who 0:46:52.600 --> 0:46:54.920 used to be called Simon, but he goes by the 0:46:55.000 --> 0:46:58.560 name Peter. So the men get there when verse seventeen, 0:46:59.040 --> 0:47:03.360 while Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision. 0:47:03.760 --> 0:47:06.879 And in my prayer this morning I saw somebody who 0:47:07.000 --> 0:47:08.879 is wondering what does this mean? 0:47:09.680 --> 0:47:13.239 Here? I am single again? What does this mean? Here? 0:47:13.320 --> 0:47:16.200 I am going back through this cycle again? Thought I 0:47:16.400 --> 0:47:19.320 was through with it? What does this mean? My kids 0:47:19.320 --> 0:47:22.600 aren't speaking to me. What does this mean? I cannot 0:47:22.640 --> 0:47:25.640 get through this door because of my employment record? 0:47:25.920 --> 0:47:26.839 What does this mean? 0:47:27.440 --> 0:47:27.600 Here? 0:47:27.719 --> 0:47:30.200 I am in a situation where I feel rejected. 0:47:30.560 --> 0:47:33.200 Should I fall back now? Or is that a sign 0:47:33.280 --> 0:47:34.000 to try harder? 0:47:34.600 --> 0:47:36.520 Is the fact that it hasn't happened yet a sign 0:47:36.600 --> 0:47:38.200 that I'm doing the wrong thing and I should try 0:47:38.280 --> 0:47:41.200 something else. Is the fact that I'm struggling the way 0:47:41.239 --> 0:47:42.280 that I'm getting stronger? 0:47:42.719 --> 0:47:45.120 Or is it a sign that God is redirecting me. 0:47:45.560 --> 0:47:48.680 Now, Wild Peter is praying about all of this, like 0:47:48.760 --> 0:47:51.680 You've been thinking about this and wondering, what does this 0:47:51.880 --> 0:47:54.200 mean that I'm going through this? What does this mean 0:47:54.320 --> 0:47:57.080 that I'm anxious? What does it mean that I'm so afraid? 0:47:57.360 --> 0:47:59.120 What does it mean that I feel like I'm out 0:47:59.200 --> 0:47:59.680 of options? 0:48:00.040 --> 0:48:00.879 What does this mean? 0:48:01.320 --> 0:48:06.120 Wild Peter was still wondering about the meaning of the vision. 0:48:06.280 --> 0:48:07.120 Verse seventeen. 0:48:07.480 --> 0:48:11.680 The men sent by Cornelius found Simon's house and stopped 0:48:11.719 --> 0:48:14.719 at the gate. So God said to tell you, while 0:48:14.800 --> 0:48:18.960 you're wondering about your next step, the answer is already 0:48:19.280 --> 0:48:23.720 at the gate waiting for you. I'll declare it again. 0:48:25.280 --> 0:48:30.400 While Peter was praying, the men were already there. I 0:48:30.560 --> 0:48:33.920 am so slow, Church, forgive me. I am so slow. 0:48:34.200 --> 0:48:37.160 I read verse nine about fifteen times, and I didn't 0:48:37.160 --> 0:48:39.319 get it. About noon the following day, as they were 0:48:39.360 --> 0:48:41.600 on their wage're approaching the city, Peter went up on 0:48:41.640 --> 0:48:42.239 the roof to pray. 0:48:42.440 --> 0:48:44.799 So I pictured it like this. Wild Peter and the. 0:48:44.840 --> 0:48:47.319 Other disciples that he had met there in Jappa were 0:48:47.360 --> 0:48:49.120 going back to the city. They probably been out all 0:48:49.239 --> 0:48:52.600 morning doing some ministry, preaching, some crusades, and as they. 0:48:52.520 --> 0:48:53.240 Got to the city. 0:48:53.480 --> 0:48:55.319 They stopped at the house, and Peter's like, I'm gonna 0:48:55.320 --> 0:48:57.840 go up there and pray. But that is not the 0:48:58.040 --> 0:49:00.840 they that is referenced in verse nine. Put it up 0:49:00.880 --> 0:49:04.359 again about noon the following day. This is good as 0:49:04.440 --> 0:49:07.360 they were on their journey and approaching the city. 0:49:08.160 --> 0:49:13.280 They is not Peter and his voice. 0:49:14.880 --> 0:49:19.960 They is the three men that Cornelia sent out of 0:49:20.040 --> 0:49:25.600 the prayer that he prayed a day earlier. They are 0:49:25.840 --> 0:49:29.600 already on the way. I don't know whose word that is. 0:49:31.560 --> 0:49:35.440 I know what day you need in your life. I 0:49:35.480 --> 0:49:37.400 don't know if the day that you need are people 0:49:37.600 --> 0:49:41.480 to partner with you, mentors to help you. I don't 0:49:41.520 --> 0:49:43.279 know if the day that you need in your life 0:49:43.560 --> 0:49:46.400 are emotional areas of healing where you need. 0:49:46.320 --> 0:49:47.839 The balm of Almighty God. 0:49:48.520 --> 0:49:51.080 But God said to tell you on this final week 0:49:51.680 --> 0:49:56.680 of my series on the Holy Spirit, they are already. 0:49:56.320 --> 0:49:56.799 On the way. 0:49:58.080 --> 0:50:00.880 And get ready because when. 0:50:00.800 --> 0:50:04.359 You get down there, it's gonna be somebody you hadn't 0:50:04.360 --> 0:50:05.200 even met yet. 0:50:06.840 --> 0:50:10.360 Get ready because what God's gonna bless you with. 0:50:11.760 --> 0:50:15.600 Is it even gonna be on the menu? By thought, 0:50:15.719 --> 0:50:22.399 somebody say it's off menu, it's off menu. What good 0:50:22.560 --> 0:50:24.040 has on his mind for you. 0:50:24.800 --> 0:50:25.760 Is off the menu. 0:50:26.280 --> 0:50:28.640 What Good has on his heart to do through you 0:50:29.280 --> 0:50:32.560 is off the menu. It's not in your mind, it's 0:50:32.719 --> 0:50:34.600 not in your senses, it's not. 0:50:34.800 --> 0:50:37.440 In your past, it's not in your tradition. 0:50:38.000 --> 0:50:40.719 But it's coming. It is coming, is coming. It's coming. 0:50:40.760 --> 0:50:43.600 It is coming, is coming, It's coming, is coming, It's coming. 0:50:44.040 --> 0:50:45.439 It's already at the gate. 0:50:46.040 --> 0:50:47.319 It's already at the gate. 0:50:47.840 --> 0:50:51.080 It's already at the gate. While you're praying. 0:50:51.600 --> 0:50:57.160 It's waiting. It's waiting, it's waiting. 0:51:00.800 --> 0:51:04.879 I find people say it's waiting at the gate. It's 0:51:05.000 --> 0:51:09.959 waiting at the gate. It's waiting at the gate. Yeah, 0:51:12.719 --> 0:51:16.239 so you got a decision to make honey Pie. You 0:51:16.360 --> 0:51:19.520 got a decision to make baby Boom. You got a 0:51:19.600 --> 0:51:23.480 decision to make Saint. You got a decision to make Simon. 0:51:23.880 --> 0:51:26.920 You got a decision to make Peter. Because it goes 0:51:27.120 --> 0:51:30.680 like this, there's three men at the gate, and there's 0:51:30.840 --> 0:51:32.000 two men on the roof. 0:51:35.600 --> 0:51:42.879 What you mean, pastor Steve? Who else up there? You're 0:51:42.880 --> 0:51:46.160 talking about the Lord Peter and the Lord. No no, no, no, 0:51:46.280 --> 0:51:47.640 no no no no no. I read you the verse. 0:51:47.680 --> 0:51:48.880 I told you we were gonna come back to it. 0:51:49.760 --> 0:51:51.160 I told you I was gonna make a sandwich. I 0:51:51.200 --> 0:51:55.480 put it in a ziplock back. I prepared for this 0:51:55.640 --> 0:51:56.200 field trip. 0:51:58.080 --> 0:51:58.759 I packed this. 0:51:58.920 --> 0:52:02.359 Lunch because I want you to get it. I want 0:52:02.360 --> 0:52:03.680 you to get it, even if it's not on the menu. 0:52:03.719 --> 0:52:05.120 I want you to get it. Even if your mom 0:52:05.160 --> 0:52:06.440 didn't give it to you. I want you to get it, 0:52:06.560 --> 0:52:07.640 even if your dad didn't give it to you. 0:52:07.680 --> 0:52:09.520 I want you to get it. Even if your kids 0:52:09.560 --> 0:52:10.239 aren't saying thank you. 0:52:10.280 --> 0:52:12.960 I want you to get it, even if nobody recognizes 0:52:13.120 --> 0:52:14.399 the value of your life. 0:52:15.680 --> 0:52:19.840 The Bible says that they went to the house of Simon. 0:52:20.239 --> 0:52:25.520 The Tanner watched this looking for a man, and when 0:52:25.560 --> 0:52:30.920 they got there, they called out verse eighteen, asking if Simon, 0:52:32.000 --> 0:52:34.879 who was known as Peter, was there. 0:52:36.600 --> 0:52:39.799 There's two people on the roof and three people at 0:52:39.840 --> 0:52:44.960 the gate. There's Simon on the roof. 0:52:46.719 --> 0:52:52.200 Everything Peter had been before he met Jesus, and there's 0:52:52.280 --> 0:52:58.400 Peter on the roof. Simon is looking at the blanket, saying, 0:52:59.440 --> 0:53:04.600 I never did that before. I can't do that kind 0:53:04.640 --> 0:53:06.239 of stuff. We say when God shows us what he 0:53:06.280 --> 0:53:10.440 wants us to do. Because this blanket, it's God showing him. 0:53:10.560 --> 0:53:14.160 I want to cover the earth with the Gospel. Worried 0:53:14.160 --> 0:53:16.880 about a meal, I'm worried about a mission. Stop getting 0:53:16.880 --> 0:53:21.400 tripped up on the wrong stupid stuff. They hurt your feelings. 0:53:21.400 --> 0:53:23.520 Don't let a hurt feeling keep you from your future. 0:53:26.800 --> 0:53:30.440 My God, you need to have a birthday every week 0:53:30.480 --> 0:53:33.719 so I can preach this good Holly. I knew the 0:53:33.800 --> 0:53:36.720 Holy Ghost was going to show up on Pentecosts Sunday 0:53:37.480 --> 0:53:39.399 because I knew there were some things that he needed 0:53:39.480 --> 0:53:41.960 to talk to you about, Simon. 0:53:43.640 --> 0:53:47.000 There are some things that he needs to say to you, Simon. 0:53:47.280 --> 0:53:49.000 Did you notice that. I want you to notice this. 0:53:49.600 --> 0:53:52.919 When the Lord starts talking to Simon Peter, Simon Peter, 0:53:53.760 --> 0:53:56.640 both of them are up there. You know, Simon is 0:53:57.360 --> 0:53:59.360 you know, at least he represents the part of us 0:53:59.480 --> 0:54:01.400 that is stuck in our tradition and stuck in our 0:54:01.440 --> 0:54:04.319 limited experience, and stuck in the way that we perceive things, 0:54:04.360 --> 0:54:06.160 and stuck in the way that we think certain people 0:54:06.280 --> 0:54:08.520 are and the way that we think certain genders, and 0:54:08.600 --> 0:54:09.880 the way that we think that certain. 0:54:09.880 --> 0:54:11.560 Women can do this and men can do that, and 0:54:11.920 --> 0:54:13.759 you know, people can do this, and people can do that. 0:54:14.040 --> 0:54:16.640 I'll never forget people telling me when did you decide 0:54:16.640 --> 0:54:18.000 to become a multicultural church? 0:54:18.719 --> 0:54:30.000 There's never a decision. And then Kirk Franklin asked me 0:54:30.080 --> 0:54:32.040 one time, were you are you? Were you surprised? Are 0:54:32.080 --> 0:54:37.880 you ever surprised how much black people like you? And 0:54:38.040 --> 0:54:39.960 and and I said, absolutely not. That doesn't surprise me 0:54:40.000 --> 0:54:51.680 at all. It's mutual. We're prepared, prepared, they're not mismatched. 0:54:55.600 --> 0:54:57.719 My uh, my friend the other day he said, what 0:54:58.160 --> 0:54:59.800 a lot of people don't know is you you know 0:55:00.000 --> 0:55:02.560 more gospel music than any white man alive. I said, 0:55:02.640 --> 0:55:04.800 because I was singing in gospel choir since I was sixteen, 0:55:06.000 --> 0:55:07.440 So this wasn't a surprise to me. 0:55:08.239 --> 0:55:09.920 Not to me. Now. 0:55:10.960 --> 0:55:13.680 The reason I bring these traditions up is because those 0:55:13.719 --> 0:55:17.840 are all pretty cute. What if it's not so mentionable 0:55:19.120 --> 0:55:23.120 what you're attached to. What if yours is something that's 0:55:23.160 --> 0:55:28.480 sexual that makes you feel filthy? What if you are 0:55:28.560 --> 0:55:32.880 paired to and connected to a cycle of condemnation or 0:55:32.920 --> 0:55:36.840 compulsion that causes you to keep giving away everything valuable 0:55:37.680 --> 0:55:43.000 for the next meal. What if within you it is 0:55:43.160 --> 0:55:48.520 a severe and chronic emotional condition that people tell you 0:55:48.640 --> 0:55:51.000 to just rejoice over top of but it keeps getting 0:55:51.040 --> 0:55:56.120 down on the inside. What I want you to understand 0:55:56.120 --> 0:55:59.920 about this precious Holy Spirit that you have been given, baptized, 0:56:00.160 --> 0:56:05.200 empowered by, filled with called by, chosen by a witness to, 0:56:05.320 --> 0:56:07.520 and guided by in your life. The Holy Spirit, who 0:56:07.560 --> 0:56:10.880 one writer said, is the wind and the fire, who 0:56:11.000 --> 0:56:13.520 is the ship and the sea, who. 0:56:13.520 --> 0:56:17.080 Is the horse and the road. This Holy Spirit, this 0:56:17.200 --> 0:56:20.080 Holy Spirit. Look what he did for Peter. While Peter 0:56:20.400 --> 0:56:23.160 verse seventeen, was wondering about the meaning of the vision, 0:56:23.239 --> 0:56:25.399 the men stopped at the gate. 0:56:26.520 --> 0:56:30.000 They called out, asking if Simon, who was known as Peter, 0:56:30.200 --> 0:56:32.320 was staying there, and this is what must happen in 0:56:32.400 --> 0:56:37.320 your life daily verse nineteen. While Peter was still thinking 0:56:37.560 --> 0:56:45.680 about the vision, the spirit said to him, Simon, catch it, 0:56:46.840 --> 0:56:52.279 catch it, catch it. While Peter was thinking, why I 0:56:52.360 --> 0:56:52.800 do about this? 0:56:52.960 --> 0:56:55.080 I can't do this? What does this mean? 0:56:55.080 --> 0:57:01.719 I don't know, the Spirit said Simon. See because all 0:57:01.800 --> 0:57:09.840 his life he's been playing. Simon says, thinking like Simon, 0:57:10.680 --> 0:57:13.320 eating like Simon, moving like Simon. 0:57:14.600 --> 0:57:22.160 But how many no new minds make new moves with God? 0:57:23.480 --> 0:57:26.520 Who is this four other than Holly? I mean, this 0:57:26.640 --> 0:57:28.480 thing is cooking inside of me right now. 0:57:31.480 --> 0:57:37.760 And while Peter was thinking about it, the spirit said, Simon, 0:57:40.440 --> 0:57:43.440 I want to spend less time playing Simon says with myself, 0:57:44.840 --> 0:57:49.520 because my Simon will tell me some stuff that I 0:57:49.840 --> 0:57:52.320 know is not going to move me for just me. 0:57:53.280 --> 0:57:56.640 My Simon will tell me, you know I mentioned road rage. Hey, 0:57:57.200 --> 0:58:00.640 drive up around this medium medium, go cut them off. 0:58:01.160 --> 0:58:04.280 Turn the car sideways, be there waiting for them. 0:58:04.520 --> 0:58:06.400 Get out, Stand up on top of the jeep with 0:58:06.520 --> 0:58:10.520 your shirt off. That's my Simon. So it is imperative 0:58:10.560 --> 0:58:15.360 for me. It is imperative with your polo shirt tied 0:58:15.400 --> 0:58:16.280 around your head like a. 0:58:16.320 --> 0:58:18.640 Bandana on top of the jeep on the way home 0:58:18.680 --> 0:58:20.720 from church today and let them know that's not right 0:58:20.760 --> 0:58:26.240 how they cut you off. And then so I need 0:58:26.480 --> 0:58:32.280 watch this. I need the Spirit to speak to my 0:58:32.560 --> 0:58:40.919 Simon so when I go downstairs I can be Peter. 0:58:47.280 --> 0:58:52.440 I need the Spirit to speak to my Simon and 0:58:52.600 --> 0:58:55.960 tell me that's crazy. That's your ego talking. 0:58:56.480 --> 0:58:59.360 That's just you trying to be somebody important and you're 0:58:59.400 --> 0:59:02.800 not even thinking about what really matters. I need the 0:59:03.000 --> 0:59:07.280 Spirit to talk to my Simon because the Spirit can 0:59:07.400 --> 0:59:12.280 show me the me that is new, show me, the 0:59:12.480 --> 0:59:19.720 me that is new. Ooh me, new me, new men you. 0:59:20.400 --> 0:59:22.040 It kind of works if you put it together. 0:59:22.480 --> 0:59:22.800 Menu. 0:59:23.680 --> 0:59:26.880 So, God says, you've been dealing with situations a certain way. 0:59:27.440 --> 0:59:30.440 You always hide when it gets scary. You've been dealing 0:59:30.480 --> 0:59:33.560 with situations a certain way. You always numb when it 0:59:33.600 --> 0:59:34.520 gets uncomfortable. 0:59:34.840 --> 0:59:37.200 You've been dealing with situations a certain way. 0:59:37.560 --> 0:59:40.840 You always withdraw. The moment that it gets too intimate, 0:59:41.120 --> 0:59:42.560 you get squeamish. 0:59:42.320 --> 0:59:43.040 And you move out. 0:59:43.120 --> 0:59:47.360 But God says, you've got a new menu. You've got 0:59:47.400 --> 0:59:51.120 a new menu, and on this menu is a new 0:59:51.320 --> 1:00:02.360 set of fruit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 1:00:02.960 --> 1:00:13.720 self control. This is the fruit of the spirit. And 1:00:13.880 --> 1:00:22.520 it's amazing because the Spirit started speaking to Simon. When 1:00:22.640 --> 1:00:27.400 the Spirit spoke to Simon, he said, don't hesitate, don't try. 1:00:27.280 --> 1:00:28.560 To figure it out in your head. 1:00:28.840 --> 1:00:31.680 I don't know who this is for, but stop judging 1:00:31.760 --> 1:00:38.680 God's capacity by your calculator. Holy Spirit spoke to me 1:00:38.840 --> 1:00:42.200 four days ago and said, you keep imagining scenarios like 1:00:42.280 --> 1:00:43.680 I'm not going to be there with you when you 1:00:43.760 --> 1:00:44.240 go through them. 1:00:44.360 --> 1:00:44.760 Stop it. 1:00:51.120 --> 1:00:55.080 Simon says, you might not make it. The Spirit says, 1:00:55.280 --> 1:00:57.040 I am in you and with you, and I will 1:00:57.120 --> 1:01:00.880 show you the deep things of God. I has not seen, 1:01:00.960 --> 1:01:02.800 ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the 1:01:02.840 --> 1:01:05.439 heart of a man, the things that God has prepared 1:01:07.000 --> 1:01:10.680 for those who love him. But God, Oh that's first 1:01:10.840 --> 1:01:11.960 Corinthians two ten. 1:01:11.880 --> 1:01:12.520 Y'all want to see it. 1:01:13.480 --> 1:01:16.840 I has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has 1:01:16.880 --> 1:01:19.760 it entered into the heart of a Simon what God 1:01:19.880 --> 1:01:26.080 has prepared, prepared, prepared, But God has revealed them through his. 1:01:27.560 --> 1:01:31.640 Spirit. And this is the point I wanted to preach 1:01:31.680 --> 1:01:32.320 you to today. 1:01:33.400 --> 1:01:35.960 And I know you're hungry, but don't go into a 1:01:36.040 --> 1:01:40.080 trance on me right now, because the Bible said that. 1:01:42.000 --> 1:01:43.760 You got to let His spirit speak to. 1:01:43.760 --> 1:01:50.840 Your Simon, so this can happen Verse twenty Get up, 1:01:50.880 --> 1:01:53.040 go downstairs, do not hesitate, for I have sent them. 1:01:53.400 --> 1:02:00.000 Verse twenty one. Peter went down. And it's a good thing. 1:02:01.840 --> 1:02:02.800 It's a good thing. 1:02:06.360 --> 1:02:10.680 Because if Simon went down, the Gentiles never would have 1:02:10.720 --> 1:02:14.520 got the gospel. Okay, let me resay that God would 1:02:14.560 --> 1:02:18.280 have had to pick somebody else. You know, God's gonna 1:02:18.320 --> 1:02:19.920 do it what he's gonna do, how He's gonna do it. 1:02:20.600 --> 1:02:27.240 Peter would have missed it. Stop sending Simon down into 1:02:27.440 --> 1:02:28.960 Peter situations. 1:02:33.920 --> 1:02:35.600 Stop showing up. 1:02:37.160 --> 1:02:39.920 Like a baby Christian when you've been knowing God for 1:02:40.120 --> 1:02:47.120 forty nine years. Because God said, I got something I'm 1:02:47.160 --> 1:02:51.400 preparing for you, but I gotta prepare you for what 1:02:51.560 --> 1:02:54.960 I have prepared. If Simon goes down, he tells these men, 1:02:55.400 --> 1:02:58.880 I can't eat with you. Your gentiles go away. But 1:02:59.000 --> 1:03:03.480 when Peter went down, he said, I'm the one. I 1:03:03.520 --> 1:03:05.120 don't feel like the one. I don't get it, I 1:03:05.160 --> 1:03:09.560 don't understand it, but I'm the one. Now, let's go 1:03:09.680 --> 1:03:13.840 to Cessarea, and let's take the Gospel and the Holy 1:03:13.920 --> 1:03:15.720 Spirit with us. And you know when they got there, 1:03:16.120 --> 1:03:18.720 that says Cornelius was expecting him. He had a whole 1:03:18.800 --> 1:03:19.320 crowd there. 1:03:20.480 --> 1:03:23.400 Peter starts preaching, and the Lord did something that he 1:03:23.440 --> 1:03:27.200 did a lot with Peter. He interrupted him. He's just like, 1:03:27.280 --> 1:03:28.440 he's like, shut up already. 1:03:28.960 --> 1:03:31.920 And the Holy Spirit came and they all began to 1:03:31.960 --> 1:03:34.840 speak with other tongues, and they were all filled with 1:03:34.920 --> 1:03:40.040 the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel started rippling through generations 1:03:40.680 --> 1:03:45.040 to the point that today we are in church as gentiles. 1:03:45.880 --> 1:03:51.040 Because Peter came down those stays. 1:03:52.840 --> 1:03:54.360 I'm so grateful. 1:03:59.240 --> 1:03:59.960 That even. 1:04:03.080 --> 1:04:06.800 We weren't on the menu, we were on God's mind. 1:04:10.880 --> 1:04:14.320 When the Lord sends something into your life this week, 1:04:15.440 --> 1:04:19.200 in your rooftop moments, When the Lord sends something into 1:04:19.240 --> 1:04:22.960 your life this week, in your confused moments, and. 1:04:23.040 --> 1:04:29.720 You're wondering what it means, check the gate and send 1:04:29.800 --> 1:04:34.200 Peter down and say I'm the one. 1:04:34.840 --> 1:04:35.560 No, no, no no. 1:04:36.760 --> 1:04:40.360 People wouldn't have picked you. You weren't on their menu. 1:04:42.600 --> 1:04:49.120 But we have an off menu. God he takes people. 1:04:50.560 --> 1:04:55.320 Who say I'll never marry a pastor and he goes, 1:04:55.880 --> 1:04:56.160 ha ha. 1:04:58.000 --> 1:05:03.480 Ha ha, Holly, Haha, Pastor, Holly, get ready for God 1:05:03.520 --> 1:05:06.640 to do something in your life this week that wasn't 1:05:06.680 --> 1:05:10.479 even on your menu. Get ready for God to change 1:05:10.520 --> 1:05:12.320 a situations that you. 1:05:12.480 --> 1:05:13.040 Gave up on. 1:05:14.240 --> 1:05:17.680 Get ready for God to do it in a way 1:05:18.840 --> 1:05:24.000 that's your eyes have not seen, and your ears I 1:05:24.040 --> 1:05:28.640 have not heard. Hot five fifteen people say I'm ready, 1:05:29.800 --> 1:05:30.480 I'm ready. 1:05:31.640 --> 1:05:32.920 I'm on the rooftop. 1:05:33.800 --> 1:05:34.640 Then i'm ready. 1:05:35.720 --> 1:05:38.040 I've got a relationship with God. 1:05:38.920 --> 1:05:39.880 Then i'm ready. 1:05:40.720 --> 1:05:44.320 I'm the righteousness of God, and I'm ready. 1:05:49.160 --> 1:05:56.240 Off menu, off menu. Weren't even expecting it, were you. 1:05:56.640 --> 1:05:57.160 That's good. 1:05:57.520 --> 1:06:02.120 God likes to throw surprise parties, So your pity party 1:06:02.280 --> 1:06:04.960 is going to be interrupted this week by a surprise 1:06:05.160 --> 1:06:06.800 party for God to show you. 1:06:06.920 --> 1:06:09.360 That the thing you thought made you kittleful. 1:06:09.200 --> 1:06:13.040 Actually makes you powerful. Give Peter down the stairs, let's go. 1:06:14.400 --> 1:06:16.000 Let's have a Thurday party. 1:06:16.440 --> 1:06:18.160 Let's have a birthday party. 1:06:18.760 --> 1:06:21.920 My snon that Renard. 1:06:22.880 --> 1:06:25.520 Give it twenty five seconds, afray. 1:06:31.240 --> 1:06:32.600 Praising, You'll be gone. 1:06:34.320 --> 1:06:35.360 You didn't. 1:06:36.760 --> 1:06:39.640 Give them away by cleaner head pray. 1:06:40.080 --> 1:06:46.040 You did not come head Percy. He'll be kind. 1:06:51.680 --> 1:06:53.920 Hana, prazy you because. 1:06:56.720 --> 1:06:59.920 A bend pray. 1:07:26.160 --> 1:07:27.200 Thank you for joining us. 1:07:27.560 --> 1:07:30.000 Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 1:07:30.080 --> 1:07:33.520 this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 1:07:34.040 --> 1:07:36.200 You can click the link in the description to give 1:07:36.320 --> 1:07:40.200 now or visit Elevation Church dot org slash podcast for 1:07:40.320 --> 1:07:44.080 more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 1:07:44.560 --> 1:07:45.840 You can share it with your friends. 1:07:46.160 --> 1:07:48.440 You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 1:07:48.520 --> 1:07:50.560 share it on your social stories and tag us at 1:07:50.640 --> 1:07:51.479 Elevation Church. 1:07:51.560 --> 1:07:53.160 Thanks again for listening. God bless you