One Life (Jabin Chavez)

0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:12.320 Hey, everybody, how are we feeling? Just while you're standing, 0:00:12.360 --> 0:00:14.760 I want to say, what an honor it is to 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:20.320 be here today, What a privilege? You know? That little 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:24.720 phrase Jehovah jirah, the first time it was used was 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:29.479 used by Abraham, and the Bible said that when God 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:35.720 provided the ram and the thicket and spared his son Isaac, 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:43.320 that Abraham called that place. Everybody, say that place, that 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:51.400 place Jehovah jirah. The Lord is my provider. God has 0:00:51.440 --> 0:00:54.840 a god of places. He's a god of people, and 0:00:54.880 --> 0:01:01.040 he's a God of seasons. Places are important. Your place 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:08.320 is important. And I can honestly say, of Elevation Church, 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:15.280 this is my place. It's the place that God has 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:21.160 provided over and over and over again for me. Can 0:01:21.200 --> 0:01:23.080 I get a witness from anybody in the house that 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:28.679 would say, this is my Jehovah jirah place. This is 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.160 the place that God has spoken to me, met with me, 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:35.800 provided for me, led me, guided me. And I'm so 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:40.200 grateful for our pastors today. I'm so grateful for Pastor 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:42.880 Stephen and Pastor Holly Ferdick. I'm grateful for their yes, 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.399 I'm grateful for their love for God. I'm grateful for 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:50.200 their love for each other. I so appreciate them. I 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:54.560 appreciate what they've what they've said yes to so that 0:01:54.600 --> 0:02:00.520 we could all enter into and they're worthy of honor. 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:05.200 And I just felt led today to pray for them 0:02:05.240 --> 0:02:08.160 before we get into our word. As they're taking a 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:10.960 few days to rest and recharge for the rest of 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:14.000 the year, I think it is right to pray for 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.120 our pastors. Can I get an amen? Everybody? So, at 0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:21.080 every location Epham around the world, right here in Valentine, 0:02:21.120 --> 0:02:23.919 why don't we lift our hands together. Father, in the 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:26.840 name of Jesus, we thank you for our pastors. We 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:29.760 thank you for our covering. We thank you for this 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:32.120 amazing man and woman of God that you have raised 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:34.080 up for such a time as this. We thank you 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:38.680 for Pastors Stephen and Hawley. We pray that even now 0:02:39.560 --> 0:02:41.560 you would meet with them, that even now you would 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:44.960 refresh them, that even now, Lord, you would begin to 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:47.120 speak to them about the future. I thank you that 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:49.880 the greatest songs they've ever written, the greatest books they've 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:53.080 ever written, the greatest sermons they've ever preached, are still 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:55.639 in front of them. I thank you that their future 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:58.400 is brighter than even their past, at all you've done 0:02:58.600 --> 0:03:01.600 in their life and through their life and for their life, Lord, 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:04.520 over these last years, Lord, I thank you that the 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:07.359 best is still yet to come. I thank you Lord 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:10.720 for vision. I thank you for divine protection. I thank 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:14.960 you that even now you begin to bless Elijah and 0:03:15.040 --> 0:03:17.359 Graham and Abby, that you begin to speak to them 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:19.600 in their youth and lead and guide them in their 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:22.520 youth and into their future. We pray Lord, that you 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:25.440 would bless them, and as you bless them, that the 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:28.400 oil would start at the top and it would flow 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:30.600 all the way down to us. Lord, we thank you 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:33.320 for the peace of God that's ruling and reigning right now, 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:36.000 the provision of God, the favor of God, the hand 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:39.600 of God that is upon them for the seasons ahead. 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:42.320 We thank you for all they've done for us. And Lord, 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:45.520 you said if we would refresh others, we would be refreshed. 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:48.480 We pray for all the refreshing they've done for us. Now, Lord, 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:51.520 would you refresh them, Lord, would you pour back into 0:03:51.560 --> 0:03:56.520 them good measure, press down, shaken together and running over. 0:03:56.640 --> 0:03:59.400 We thank you for it in the mighty name of 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:02.120 the Lord's Jesus Christ. And if you agree with that prayer, 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.920 could we give God the best praise we've given him 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:09.560 all day, every location. Oh, come, I clap your hands, 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:16.080 all ye people, and sound under God with a voice 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:22.320 of triumph. Amen. Amen, High five your neighbor. While you're 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:25.400 being seated. Tell him you look good, you sound good. 0:04:26.120 --> 0:04:32.520 I'm glad I'm sitting next to you. Praise the Lord, 0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:41.839 Praise the Lord. Hey, as Pastor Larry said, I am 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:45.640 from Vegas, and so who's ever been in Vegas? Can 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:49.800 I see your hand? Okay? Oh, okay, okay. I don't 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:51.400 know if I was ready for that many hands to 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:58.160 go up. But if if you're ever in Vegas witnessing 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:06.640 Street evangelism, I don't know. I don't know why you 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:09.600 go to Vegas, but if you're ever there, come say 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:13.159 hi to us over at Citylight Church. Our commitment to 0:05:13.200 --> 0:05:16.760 you is, if you had a rough weekend, We're not 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:19.800 going to judge you. You just get to the House 0:05:19.839 --> 0:05:21.480 of God. We will lay hands on you, we will 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:24.400 cast the devil out of you, We'll anoint your head 0:05:24.400 --> 0:05:26.800 with oil. We'll send you home like nothing happened, Just like, man, 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:31.160 it was great. But if you had a good weekend 0:05:31.160 --> 0:05:35.440 in Vegas, remember your boy and bring an offering amen 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:37.600 to the House of God. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:42.839 Praise the Lord. But we are a four year old church. 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:45.160 We're just a little toddler church, just a baby church 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.839 that has been so impacted by this ministry and so 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:52.960 blessed by this ministry, both with prayers, advice, wisdom. So 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:55.719 many phone calls with chunks. I pray for chunks, the 0:05:55.720 --> 0:05:57.400 amount of times that I've had to call that man 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:00.880 and ask for help and wisdom and also financial support 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:03.240 of you as you have sown into our city and 0:06:03.240 --> 0:06:06.440 know what God is doing here in Vegas. So thank you, 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:10.479 thank you. Genesis chapter twelve, I'm gonna read just three 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:13.480 verses to you, and I'm going to share a few thoughts. 0:06:14.560 --> 0:06:18.400 Genesis chapter twelve. We're going to start in verse one. 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:23.040 The Bible said that the Lord said to Abram, leave 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:27.200 your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and 0:06:27.240 --> 0:06:28.839 go to the land that I will show you. I 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:32.039 will make you into a great nation. I will bless you, 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:34.800 I will make you famous, and you will be a 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:40.159 blessing to others. I will bless those that bless you, 0:06:40.240 --> 0:06:43.320 and I will curse those that treat you with contempt. 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:49.919 All of the families of the earth will be blessed 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:55.440 through you. Everybody say through you, because that's the point 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:57.760 of the blessing of God, that it wouldn't just stop 0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:01.560 with us. Does want to do something for you, He 0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:03.640 wants to do something in you, but then it must 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:09.400 go through you into the world. And believe God has 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:11.080 a plan for you to be a blessing to the 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:13.640 world and to your world, and to your family and 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:18.320 to those all around you. So with that in mind, 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:21.680 I want to talk from this subject one life, one life? 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:27.840 What could God do with one life completely surrender to him? 0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:32.200 What could he do with one life? A faith? Let's 0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:33.840 believe that God's going to speak to us now. Father, 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:35.240 I thank you for your word. I thank you for 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:38.080 the moments we share. I pray for a tailor made 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:41.840 word for your people, for every person in the room, 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:45.679 every person in every auditorium, every person online. I pray 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:51.040 that you would go beyond me, preach past me, and 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:54.520 give people what they need. Today. Our hearts are open, 0:07:56.360 --> 0:08:00.000 we're listening, we're leaning in. We believe You're going to 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:04.480 speak to us now. In the mighty name of Jesus. 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.920 Everybody said Amen, Amen and Amen, thank you guys. Can 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:10.040 we appreciate the worship team one more time? Clap your 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:19.320 hands for them. This just past June tenth, I celebrated 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:25.080 my twenty fourth year of being a Christian. Jesus saved 0:08:25.400 --> 0:08:30.040 my life June tenth, nineteen ninety eight. And this September 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:34.840 I'll celebrate twenty years of full time ministry. And here's 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:36.920 what I want to tell you. After twenty four years 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:40.160 of walking with the Lord, twenty years of ministry to 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:45.520 the body of Christ, I love Jesus. Anybody else? Am 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:48.480 I in the right room? Okay? I love the Lord, 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:52.040 I really do. I love Church. I love Church. I 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.319 love coming in here. I mean I just cried through worship, 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:58.120 just cry just watching Tiffany sing and John Sing and 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:00.080 the team say. I just love I love Church. I 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:02.880 love God, I love the Kingdom. I love what God 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:05.600 is doing in the earth, and I love the Lord. 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:07.080 I love the Lord for a lot of reasons. But 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:08.880 one of the reasons that I love God so much 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:15.160 is that he uses us. That's amazing to me that 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:20.439 he doesn't just save us, but the Bible said that 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:25.160 he saves us and he calls us with a holy calling. 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:30.000 It is so unfair to be a Christian because we 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:34.000 not only receive Christ, not only receive forgiveness, not only 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:38.040 receive new life, but we receive purpose. That God does 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:42.040 something with our life. That God makes something of our life. 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:45.600 That God brings honor and dignity to our name and 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:50.040 to our family tree, and to our future. He even 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:53.840 redeems all that we've gone through and makes something beautiful 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:56.120 of it. This is the God that we serve, that 0:09:56.240 --> 0:10:00.480 in our immaturity and in our imperfections, and in our shoes, 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:04.679 in our sometimes bad attitudes, he calls us and he 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:08.800 anoints us, and he uses us for his glory. This 0:10:08.960 --> 0:10:12.920 is amazing to me that we don't just watch God move, 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:15.760 but we get to be a part of his move. 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:19.079 The Bible said in First Crinthian Chapter one, Remember, dear 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:21.120 brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:25.000 the world's eyes, or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:28.280 God chose those things we are, those things the world 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:31.199 considers foolish in order to shame those that think they 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.240 are wise, And He chose things that are powerless to 0:10:34.400 --> 0:10:38.880 shame those that are powerful. This is our story that 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:42.400 God can take just one person. That God can use 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:48.079 one life for his glory and literally change nations, change communities, 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:52.280 change the last name of your family. That God can 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:55.280 do something that what God did with Abraham, Abraham is 0:10:55.320 --> 0:10:57.600 the father of our faith, that he is the model 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:01.440 of our faith. That the same way that God used Abraham, 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:04.240 God can use us the same way that God changed 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:07.319 Abraham's family. He can change us the same way that 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:11.480 He brought a great, beautiful plan and purpose to his life. 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:13.880 He can do the same thing with us. This is 0:11:13.920 --> 0:11:18.000 who God is. And you're sitting there going but I'm 0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:21.320 not good enough, and I don't think I pray enough, 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:24.400 and I definitely don't feel like I know enough. I 0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:26.720 just want you to know you're exactly who God wants 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:34.760 to use. God doesn't use perfect people because they don't exist. 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:39.520 We still think they do, but they don't. We're still 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:42.040 convinced that we're messed up, but they're not. But that's 0:11:42.200 --> 0:11:45.719 just not the truth. Some people are just better at 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:50.120 covering up their issues than other people. So it's not 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:53.320 perfect people that God uses because God doesn't happen. He 0:11:53.400 --> 0:11:56.000 so he uses me, and he uses you, and he 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.840 uses us to do something amazing in the earth. God 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:04.320 let us not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:11.960 And if God has called you, no one can cancel you. Ah, yes, yes, 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:14.520 And if God has called you, don't wait another moment 0:12:14.640 --> 0:12:20.080 to step into that call. All God needs is a yes, 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:26.040 use what you got and let God use you. And 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:28.240 you're going yeah, but I but I can't. But I 0:12:28.280 --> 0:12:30.719 can't preach like pastor Steven join the club. None of 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:36.120 us can. I ain't even trying. I gave up on that. 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:40.520 But but I can't sing like then, none of us can. 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:44.880 That's okay, But if we all just do what God's 0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:48.840 called us to do. See, this becomes powerful when we're 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:52.880 in partnership, when we all do what God's called us 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:55.120 to do. This is what happened to Moses right in 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:58.080 Exodus chapter four. God says Moses, I'm going to use 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:00.000 your life, and Moses says he can't use my life. 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:02.079 I can't talk, and God says, I don't need your mouth. 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.440 He said, what's in your hand, because I'll take I'll 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:09.120 take whatever your gift is, I'll take whatever your talent is, 0:13:09.160 --> 0:13:11.720 I'll take whatever your ability is, I'll take I'll take 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:13.880 whoever you are, and I'll use it for my glory. 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:17.000 I'll take something natural and I'll put my spirit on 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:20.439 it and I'll make it supernatural. And your gift can 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:22.280 only take you so far. But if you would ever 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:26.280 let God use your life. Oh, Jaban, I'm just to 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:28.160 stay at home. Mom. No you're not. You're raising up 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:32.800 world changers and history makers. Jaban, I'm just a barista. 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:36.400 No no, you're keeping us alive. Dog like. We don't 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:40.600 live without you. We need you. I'm just a real 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:42.920 estate agent. I'm just a that. No. No, no, all 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:50.520 together are our corporate Yes, changes the world. I want 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:53.959 to be used by God. I want God to do 0:13:54.040 --> 0:13:57.280 something great with my life. And in order for my 0:13:57.400 --> 0:14:00.680 one life to make a difference. Umber one, I need 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:06.000 one word. I need one word. First one, said the 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:12.280 Lord said to abram Our, God speaks. Please don't skip 0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:17.320 past this again and again and again. In scripture, God 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:20.120 meets with his people. And if you read the Bible, 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:22.960 you're gonna find this out. God never shows up without 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:27.520 a word. If you're in the presence of God, you 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:29.400 will be in the presence of the voice of God. 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.320 That's why the presence of God is so important. That's 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:35.720 why so important that we get in church, because when 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:38.840 we get in his presence, he always speaks. He never 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:44.160 shows up and doesn't talk. God speaks. God loves to talk. 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:47.400 God knows how powerful words are, and that is why 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:49.760 he speaks, because he knows something we don't know that 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:54.000 with just one word from God, our whole life can change. 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:56.640 God still speaks to his people today. God will give 0:14:56.680 --> 0:14:58.840 you a word. He'll give you a word about your marriage. 0:14:58.880 --> 0:15:00.720 He'll give you a word about your future. He'll give 0:15:00.760 --> 0:15:03.640 you a word about your ministry. God will speak to you. 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.000 I'm not talking about being flaky or kookie and telling people, Yeah, 0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:08.840 God told me what to wear today. Now I didn't. 0:15:08.880 --> 0:15:10.560 God didn't tell me to wear black. I'm just trying 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:16.840 to be a little more slimming. Amen. Pastor Stephen eats protein. 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:19.640 I eat carbs. Praise the Lord. We balance each other out. 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:22.760 It's the it's the unity and harmony of the faith. 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:33.600 Praise God. Ah, that's funny. It's it's that. It's that 0:15:33.680 --> 0:15:36.560 God will speak to you. God will lead you. God 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:38.800 will God will God. God will talk to you about 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:43.000 your kids. Better listen up, teenagers. God will start talking 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:46.440 to your parents about you. He'll start He'll start telling 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:48.760 on you. God will, God will leave, God will guide 0:15:48.800 --> 0:15:51.120 if if you feel like you're hitting a wall right now, 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:53.200 if you feel like you're hitting a glass ceiling right now, 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:56.880 you need a word from God. And notice who spoke. 0:15:56.960 --> 0:16:01.240 The Bible said, the Lord spoke. This word the Lord 0:16:02.720 --> 0:16:08.800 is the Hebrew word Yahweh or also translated Jehovah. Yahweh 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:14.440 is God's most holy and appropriate names. His most holy 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:19.840 and appropriate name, Yahweh means the uncreated one, preexistent one. 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:24.680 I've just always been God above all small g gods, 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:29.200 Lord above all small l lords. God says Abram. This 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:30.960 is the first time they meet. I want you to 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:33.920 know my name. God has a name. See, God is 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:36.760 not a name. God is a title. I'm a human, 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:39.560 but my name is shaven. God is God. But he 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.479 has a name, and it's Yahweh. And when he introduces 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:44.720 himself to Abraham, he says, I need you to know 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:47.000 my name. I need you to know who I am. 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:51.359 I am Yahweh God. The reason that this is important 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:54.400 is because Abraham was a polytheis just a little fancy 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:57.760 word for he had many gods. And God is letting 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:00.600 Abraham know I'm the God above all those little g 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:05.119 gods that you've been serving. Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. So 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:08.600 if Abraham needed water, he'd go pray to the rain god. 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:09.720 If he need a fire and go pray to the 0:17:09.760 --> 0:17:11.879 fire God. If Sarah couldn't get pregnant, he'd go pray 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:13.119 to the baby God. If he need food, to go 0:17:13.119 --> 0:17:14.800 pray to food God if he needed if he need 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:16.400 a victory in battle, he go pray to the God 0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:20.399 of war. He had a god for everything. And now 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:24.080 the Lord shows up and says, yo, you don't need 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:30.439 them anymore. Yes, yes, yes, you got me. Now you 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:32.440 need water, you come talk to me. You're in a drought. 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:34.639 You come talk to me. Why can't get pregnant? You 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:36.879 come talk to me. Need food? You come talk to me. 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:39.360 Going into battle, you come talk to me. You don't 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:42.320 need all these other little g gods anymore that are 0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:46.960 doing nothing for you. Yahweh is here. You don't need 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:53.120 to settle. Stop settling for little g gods that are 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:56.240 making you feel safe but are actually keeping you small. 0:17:57.520 --> 0:18:01.240 Yahweh is here. Yahweh wants to speak to you. Yahwegh 0:18:01.320 --> 0:18:04.640 has a word for you. And what you need is Yahweh. 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:07.200 This is why when God would introduce himself to Moses 0:18:07.400 --> 0:18:10.000 in Exodustry, he would use the same verbic. You would say, 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:14.600 I am that I am. I am Yahweh. You need healing. 0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:18.359 I am you need provision. I am you need wisdom. 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:21.560 I am you need a breakthrough. I am you need help. 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:24.560 I am you need encouragement. I am you need the 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:28.200 healing of a broken heart. Whatever you need. I am. 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:31.520 So stop running to little ge gods that can do 0:18:31.600 --> 0:18:33.920 nothing for you. You God, I am. And I want 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:37.560 to tell somebody here today, I am is here, right here, 0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:42.520 right now. Because he is, I am healed, and because 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:46.479 he is, I do have everything I need. I think 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:49.040 it's time for our first praise to break somebody. Thank 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:58.800 God that his name is Yahweh God. Some of y'all 0:18:58.840 --> 0:19:00.800 rolling your eyes because you're going, hey, But I'm an American. 0:19:00.880 --> 0:19:02.639 I know there's only one God. I got it. I 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:05.560 got it. But we all settle for little g gods. 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:13.560 We settle for the God of approval and and the 0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:16.040 God of the fear of man, and and and and 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:19.159 the God of culture, and the God of popularity, and 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:21.879 we we and the God of fear and the and 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.800 we we all the god of greed. We all settle 0:19:24.840 --> 0:19:28.040 for little g gods that again they they they make 0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:31.119 us feel safe, because we feel like any god that 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:39.159 you can control your flesh likes. That's why the Bible 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.840 says that we have to pull down strongholds. See, a 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.960 stronghold is a fortress. That's one of the meanings of 0:19:46.000 --> 0:19:48.800 the words. So when we hide behind our stronghold, we 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:52.320 feel safe, but it's actually keeping us small. But another 0:19:52.359 --> 0:19:58.679 word for stronghold is also casket burial grounds, So we 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:02.200 think we're safe hi in our stronghold, but it's actually 0:20:02.320 --> 0:20:06.959 killing us spiritually worshiping things that cannot get us what 0:20:07.000 --> 0:20:09.400 we really We know what we want, but we're going 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:12.520 to all the wrong places for it. Doesn't that sound 0:20:12.600 --> 0:20:15.200 like Mary when she went looking for the living Savior 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:17.800 in the wrong place and the Angel said, why are 0:20:17.800 --> 0:20:19.800 you looking for the living among the dead? Why are 0:20:19.840 --> 0:20:22.840 you here? You're looking for the right thing, but you're 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:26.320 looking for it in the wrong place. And someone fifteen 0:20:26.440 --> 0:20:31.679 says that we will be like what we worship. Someone 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:34.159 fifteen says, be careful, because if you're not careful, you 0:20:34.200 --> 0:20:36.919 will end up worshiping god gods that have eyes but 0:20:37.000 --> 0:20:38.800 cannot see in ears that cannot hear, in hearts that 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:40.800 cannot understand, and hands that cannot move, and feet that 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:44.480 cannot walk, and those who worship them will be like them. 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:46.800 So if I worship dead things, I'm going to be 0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:50.280 dead spiritually. But I don't worship a dead God. I 0:20:50.280 --> 0:20:54.800 don't worship little g gods. I worship Yah Wigh God. 0:20:55.080 --> 0:20:58.840 He is alive forevermore. And because he's alive, we live. 0:20:59.359 --> 0:21:03.240 Because he we can rise and Sarah, when you worship 0:21:03.280 --> 0:21:06.159 the Living God, your dead womb will come back to life. 0:21:06.280 --> 0:21:09.000 An elevation church, when you worship the Living God, to 0:21:09.240 --> 0:21:12.680 dreams can come back to life. And whatever you need, 0:21:12.880 --> 0:21:17.040 He is, He is, I am, He is your way God. 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:20.800 He's got a word for you today. Somebody say, man 0:21:20.840 --> 0:21:26.800 to this preacher. I just want to remind you. Our 0:21:26.800 --> 0:21:30.080 God is not an idea. He is real. He's not 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:33.760 a concept. He is alive. He is not a historical rumor. 0:21:33.800 --> 0:21:36.520 He is moving and active in our world. And he 0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:40.200 is not distant. He is right here, right now. Our 0:21:40.280 --> 0:21:43.040 God can be known, his voice can be heard, in 0:21:43.080 --> 0:21:52.560 his presence, can be felt. You need a word from God. Secondly, 0:21:53.440 --> 0:21:57.320 you need one risk. They're gonna have to take a 0:21:57.440 --> 0:22:07.359 risk because here's what the Lord told him. Leave. I 0:22:07.400 --> 0:22:11.040 wish it was like, Abraham, you're my son, I'm your father. 0:22:11.240 --> 0:22:15.480 I'm so proud of you. Let's just hang out. It 0:22:15.680 --> 0:22:21.639 wasn't That'd have been great, he says Abram, I'm the Lord. Okay, 0:22:21.640 --> 0:22:26.960 we got that settled. Yes, sir, leave, Leave your native country, 0:22:27.600 --> 0:22:34.440 leave your relatives, leave your father's family, leave familiar, leave 0:22:34.760 --> 0:22:38.879 what you know for what you don't know that I know. 0:22:43.920 --> 0:22:50.840 But we don't like risk. We like comfort. Now at 0:22:50.920 --> 0:22:54.280 every campus, right now, y'all are seated where you always 0:22:54.320 --> 0:22:58.040 sit because you like comfort. You know where to go, 0:22:58.160 --> 0:23:01.360 you like your angle, you like where you We all 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:07.080 like comfort. We all like repetition. We hate change. And 0:23:07.160 --> 0:23:11.600 yet what God is calling us into is risk. God 0:23:11.640 --> 0:23:15.160 is asking us to let go of control to follow 0:23:15.200 --> 0:23:18.320 his call. Friend, you can have control or you can 0:23:18.359 --> 0:23:25.560 have faith, but you can't have both. As the most 0:23:25.600 --> 0:23:28.040 pitiful clap I've ever heard at elevation in church, and 0:23:28.080 --> 0:23:38.000 I've been watching for a long time, I was because 0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:40.480 we want control. And here's why some of you, I'll 0:23:40.480 --> 0:23:43.280 just say, are spiritually miserable because you are trying to 0:23:43.320 --> 0:23:49.439 balance control and faith, and you can't because even the 0:23:49.560 --> 0:23:54.440 control you think you feel isn't really control anyway, it's 0:23:54.640 --> 0:23:57.160 just a false sense of control. And so you might 0:23:57.200 --> 0:23:59.400 as well lean into faith. You might as well lean 0:23:59.440 --> 0:24:01.800 into what God has for you. You You might as well 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:04.920 trust the plane of God for your life. You've got 0:24:04.920 --> 0:24:07.240 to have to take a risk. Somebody say, take a risk. 0:24:08.040 --> 0:24:11.320 Everything you want in your life, every good thing you 0:24:11.359 --> 0:24:13.240 want in your life, every great thing you want in 0:24:13.280 --> 0:24:15.639 your life, every god thing you want in your life, 0:24:16.320 --> 0:24:26.360 is outside of your comfort zone, not inside outside. The 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:32.040 call of God requires leaving, leaving what you know for 0:24:32.160 --> 0:24:36.320 what God knows, leaving your plan for God's plan, leaving 0:24:36.400 --> 0:24:40.040 your will for God's will. And and it's it's so 0:24:40.280 --> 0:24:45.439 much better. See before you've done it, it sounds so scary, 0:24:46.400 --> 0:24:49.560 but once you've said yes to God, you realize, Oh, 0:24:49.600 --> 0:24:53.040 that's where the joy is, that's where the peace is, 0:24:53.080 --> 0:24:55.679 that's where the contentment is, that's where the life is. 0:24:56.480 --> 0:24:59.200 It's in the following of God, not trying to get 0:24:59.240 --> 0:25:02.200 God to follow well my plan, not inviting God into 0:25:02.240 --> 0:25:08.720 my plan, but finding out God's plan. I've again been 0:25:08.760 --> 0:25:11.639 in this now for twenty years, and I've seen so 0:25:11.760 --> 0:25:16.680 many people experience some level of connection with Jesus, they 0:25:17.520 --> 0:25:20.320 follow God on some level, maybe even go into ministry, 0:25:20.680 --> 0:25:25.240 and then they go back to their old life. I 0:25:25.280 --> 0:25:28.600 don't judge that. I get it. I'm not better than 0:25:28.600 --> 0:25:32.320 them or not better than them. I'll tell you, I 0:25:32.359 --> 0:25:36.720 think they go back because they just couldn't leave familiar 0:25:38.760 --> 0:25:44.320 They couldn't leave their country, they couldn't leave what they knew. 0:25:46.000 --> 0:25:52.360 This new life sounds really great on Sunday, but feels 0:25:52.440 --> 0:25:58.200 really awkward on Wednesday. This new life feels so hope 0:25:58.320 --> 0:26:02.080 filled when you're hearing past for Stephen preach, but by 0:26:02.200 --> 0:26:05.120 Thursday you're wondering what the heck am I doing with 0:26:05.160 --> 0:26:09.159 my life? Because I'm leaving what I've known for so 0:26:09.440 --> 0:26:13.360 long for something new, and it the hope of it 0:26:13.400 --> 0:26:18.160 feels so good, but the walking it out feels so scary. 0:26:18.400 --> 0:26:21.040 Can I get a witness from one honest saint in 0:26:21.119 --> 0:26:24.760 the house. I didn't like my old life, but I 0:26:24.840 --> 0:26:29.440 knew my old life. I didn't trust my old friends, 0:26:29.520 --> 0:26:33.199 but at least I had friends. I'm not proud of 0:26:33.240 --> 0:26:34.840 what I used to do on the weekend, but at 0:26:34.960 --> 0:26:38.600 least I have something to do on the weekend. I 0:26:38.640 --> 0:26:40.959 don't like how I would respond to anger, But at 0:26:41.040 --> 0:26:43.399 least I knew what to do in those moments. I 0:26:43.440 --> 0:26:45.960 knew I knew how to act with my emotions. I 0:26:46.040 --> 0:26:48.760 knew what to I knew how to act with my lusts, 0:26:48.760 --> 0:26:51.200 and I knew how to act with my depression. I 0:26:51.280 --> 0:26:54.639 knew how to act with what I had experienced all 0:26:54.680 --> 0:26:56.680 of my life. And now I'm in this new life 0:26:57.080 --> 0:27:00.760 and it's so awkward and it's so uncomfortable. And now 0:27:00.760 --> 0:27:02.480 I'm having to go to church, and I'm going to 0:27:02.560 --> 0:27:04.439 church alone. And I used to have a crew, but 0:27:04.440 --> 0:27:06.960 I haven't found a new crew yet. So here I am, 0:27:07.040 --> 0:27:08.879 and I'm walking into church, and I'm walking in and 0:27:08.920 --> 0:27:14.800 there's sweet little people with scientists. Are you so ready? 0:27:16.080 --> 0:27:21.280 And We're like, I'm trying my best. I'm giving it 0:27:21.320 --> 0:27:26.280 a shot, and I don't like where I was. I'm 0:27:26.320 --> 0:27:29.760 so grateful for what God is doing, but this new 0:27:29.880 --> 0:27:37.280 thing is so unfamiliar to me. So we can end 0:27:37.359 --> 0:27:39.800 up sounding like the children of Israel who go to 0:27:39.840 --> 0:27:44.119 Moses and say, Moses, we miss the leaks and the 0:27:44.160 --> 0:27:52.159 onions of Egypt. Now here's the kicker. They gave it 0:27:52.200 --> 0:27:58.919 to us at no cost, no cost, about four hundred 0:27:59.000 --> 0:28:04.840 years of slavery and abuse and humiliation and pain no cost. See, 0:28:04.840 --> 0:28:07.280 because if you're not careful, you will sugarcoat your past 0:28:11.000 --> 0:28:13.679 and you'll remember the good and ignore the bad. And 0:28:13.680 --> 0:28:17.560 that's what the devil. The devil will remind you of 0:28:17.640 --> 0:28:21.399 the good of your past while ignoring the pain of 0:28:21.440 --> 0:28:25.239 your past, and you'll start see, you'll start missing the 0:28:25.280 --> 0:28:29.439 spice of your old life, the garlic and onions of 0:28:29.440 --> 0:28:31.240 your old life, because now you're in a new life. 0:28:31.240 --> 0:28:36.200 And this new life is its manna and quail. I 0:28:36.240 --> 0:28:39.160 don't know, I don't know the last time you were 0:28:39.200 --> 0:28:40.440 going out on a date night and you're like, you know, 0:28:40.480 --> 0:28:45.480 I'm really craving like some quail and crackers, just like hmm. 0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:54.320 Now this is for another time and another sermon. But 0:28:54.360 --> 0:28:56.400 every time God would move Israel, he'd give him a 0:28:56.440 --> 0:28:59.880 new diet. So they went from leaks and onions and 0:29:00.680 --> 0:29:05.320 to manna and quail. But there is a promise land. Oh. 0:29:05.320 --> 0:29:07.680 I want to talk to anybody in a wilderness right now. 0:29:07.840 --> 0:29:09.800 I want to talk to anyone who's left their old 0:29:09.880 --> 0:29:12.320 life but hasn't entered fully into their new life. I 0:29:12.320 --> 0:29:14.960 want to talk to anybody that has left Egypt but 0:29:15.080 --> 0:29:17.960 hasn't quite made it to the promise. There is milk 0:29:18.000 --> 0:29:20.760 and honey for you. There are vineyards you're not gonna 0:29:20.800 --> 0:29:22.680 have to till, and houses you're not gonna have to 0:29:22.720 --> 0:29:25.520 build in cities that you're not gonna have to construct. 0:29:25.520 --> 0:29:29.000 There is bitter days for you. But you've got to 0:29:29.040 --> 0:29:31.360 make it through the wilderness. You've got to make it 0:29:31.400 --> 0:29:33.920 through the dark. You've got to make it through the manner. 0:29:34.000 --> 0:29:36.360 You've got to make it through the quail. You've got 0:29:36.400 --> 0:29:40.200 to make it through. I can still remember Egypt. I've 0:29:40.280 --> 0:29:43.480 never seen my promise land. And it's kind of easy 0:29:43.520 --> 0:29:45.960 for us preachers to get up here and preach the 0:29:46.000 --> 0:29:50.120 stuff because we're experiencing fruit now and some of you 0:29:50.200 --> 0:29:54.560 are still in seed form, so you're still in the dark. 0:29:54.600 --> 0:29:56.960 You're still wondering what is this whole thing? But if 0:29:57.000 --> 0:30:01.080 you just won't quit, I get some help in this 0:30:01.240 --> 0:30:03.880 church right now. If you just won't give up in 0:30:03.960 --> 0:30:07.040 the ground, if you just won't quit in the wilderness, 0:30:07.280 --> 0:30:09.800 if you just won't quit in the storm, there is 0:30:09.840 --> 0:30:12.600 a land for you. There is fruit for you. There 0:30:12.680 --> 0:30:15.640 is good for you. There is breakthrough for you. But 0:30:15.720 --> 0:30:18.040 you're gonna have to trust God. You're gonna have to 0:30:18.160 --> 0:30:21.360 leave familiar. You're gonna have to leave one place stander 0:30:21.480 --> 0:30:34.360 into another place. Who God has a place for you, 0:30:34.440 --> 0:30:37.320 a people for you. But you have to be willing 0:30:37.400 --> 0:30:40.360 to leave where you are for what God has for you. 0:30:45.680 --> 0:30:52.840 I cannot break the curse and stay in the familiar. 0:30:55.000 --> 0:31:04.040 I cannot change the future without first ruthlessly leaving my past. 0:31:05.480 --> 0:31:08.200 I cannot step into the new thing till I leave 0:31:08.320 --> 0:31:13.160 the old thing. So I must leave what is comfortable 0:31:13.200 --> 0:31:18.440 for the Kingdom call on my life. And it won't 0:31:18.480 --> 0:31:21.000 just happen once. It will happen many times throughout your 0:31:21.040 --> 0:31:23.240 life where God will ask you to take a step 0:31:23.280 --> 0:31:25.120 of faith and you're going to have to believe Him 0:31:25.640 --> 0:31:30.600 and trust him. And it's scary and it's new. I 0:31:30.640 --> 0:31:33.200 don't know if you've ever seen this offensive question in 0:31:33.240 --> 0:31:36.520 the scriptures when Jesus would walk up to people and go, 0:31:37.200 --> 0:31:42.960 so do you want to be healed? Has anybody ever 0:31:43.000 --> 0:31:44.720 read that? And you're in the flesh and you read 0:31:44.760 --> 0:31:47.320 that and go, I'm start tomorrow again. I can't write 0:31:47.320 --> 0:31:55.040 now because it's like what But see, if you allow 0:31:55.160 --> 0:31:58.760 one way of doing life to carry you for so long, 0:32:00.800 --> 0:32:05.520 it can be challenging to now walk by faith, and 0:32:05.920 --> 0:32:07.360 I have to get to the point of going. I 0:32:07.440 --> 0:32:10.560 do want to be healed. I do want to grow. 0:32:10.640 --> 0:32:12.560 I do want to leave this for what you have 0:32:12.680 --> 0:32:17.600 for me. I do want to trust you into the unknown. 0:32:17.640 --> 0:32:22.040 It's gonna be scary, it's gonna be new, But God, 0:32:22.080 --> 0:32:26.040 if you're in it, I want it. I'm challenging someone 0:32:26.080 --> 0:32:29.760 to take the risk, to leave familiar, to leave the 0:32:29.800 --> 0:32:33.320 comfort zone and enter into what God has for you. Friend, 0:32:33.360 --> 0:32:35.600 it was more comfortable for Abram to stay where he was. 0:32:35.680 --> 0:32:38.560 It was more comfortable for David to stay with the sheep. 0:32:38.560 --> 0:32:40.640 It would have been more comfortable for Gideon to stay 0:32:40.720 --> 0:32:42.440 in the press. It would have been more comfortable for 0:32:42.480 --> 0:32:45.200 Elisha to tread his fields. It would have been more 0:32:45.240 --> 0:32:47.720 comfortable for Peter to stay in the boat. It would 0:32:47.760 --> 0:32:51.000 have been more comfortable for the Apostles to stay in Jerusalem. 0:32:51.040 --> 0:32:55.120 But nothing great will happen in the comfort zone. And 0:32:55.200 --> 0:32:57.600 if God is leading you right now, God is guiding 0:32:57.600 --> 0:33:00.760 you right now, God is pushing you out of the 0:33:00.880 --> 0:33:03.440 nest and into what He has for you. Say yes 0:33:03.520 --> 0:33:06.640 to it. Because it's scary for a moment, it's scary 0:33:06.680 --> 0:33:09.520 for a season, but the fruit of it is so 0:33:09.760 --> 0:33:12.320 amazing that I'm on the other side now at thirty 0:33:12.360 --> 0:33:14.640 eight years old, and I've seen the fruit of some 0:33:15.000 --> 0:33:17.680 of my obedience, and I go, thank God. I said 0:33:17.760 --> 0:33:20.680 yes when it was scary. Thank God. I left familiar 0:33:20.720 --> 0:33:23.080 when I didn't know where I was going, but I 0:33:23.200 --> 0:33:27.400 was trusting God. And now I'm walking, beginning to walk 0:33:27.520 --> 0:33:33.520 in a legacy that was so terrifying. Then. See, I 0:33:33.560 --> 0:33:35.480 call this a risk, but it's really not a risk 0:33:35.560 --> 0:33:39.720 because God is so amazing. It feels like a risk 0:33:39.880 --> 0:33:43.160 to us, but it's not to God. God is not 0:33:43.320 --> 0:33:47.080 like he wants you to leave. We'll see what happens. 0:33:50.760 --> 0:33:57.200 You nervous, abram me too. He knows. He knows what 0:33:57.240 --> 0:33:59.040 he has for you, dad, he knows what he has 0:33:59.080 --> 0:34:01.360 for your family, knows what he has for your children, 0:34:01.440 --> 0:34:04.160 he knows what he has for your future. So if 0:34:04.200 --> 0:34:08.040 it feels scary, do not be afraid. Better days are 0:34:08.040 --> 0:34:14.000 in front of you. Lastly, one move, one move, one move. 0:34:15.280 --> 0:34:18.240 So so first he says leave, and because we're hard headed, 0:34:18.239 --> 0:34:20.080 we don't get it. Here's the next thing he says, 0:34:20.400 --> 0:34:28.480 and go, Wonderful, that's me. I need the second one too. 0:34:28.520 --> 0:34:32.160 Because I'm He says, leave your family, leave your native country, 0:34:32.560 --> 0:34:37.600 leaf familiar, and go. WA's where he tells him to 0:34:37.600 --> 0:34:42.960 go to a land I will show you, and I 0:34:43.040 --> 0:34:48.960 will make you a great nation. Abraham, go where I'll 0:34:49.000 --> 0:34:53.880 show you. It's gonna be really hard to convince the 0:34:53.880 --> 0:35:03.160 wife Lord Abraha. If I show you everything, faith will 0:35:03.160 --> 0:35:14.640 not be required. See Abraham, and you're going, there will 0:35:14.640 --> 0:35:22.719 be a making. Go and I will make you. But 0:35:22.840 --> 0:35:26.160 if you go and you already know where you're going, 0:35:27.760 --> 0:35:32.759 there is no making. The transformation is not in the destination. 0:35:35.960 --> 0:35:43.000 Oh man, When I get there without the process of 0:35:43.040 --> 0:35:46.960 the going, I will get to where I want to 0:35:47.000 --> 0:35:54.719 go and still not be happy. Where there is clarity, 0:35:54.800 --> 0:35:58.960 faith is not required. And I love those moments. I 0:35:59.000 --> 0:36:02.440 love clear moments, but they're rare. Can I get a 0:36:02.440 --> 0:36:05.799 win Who's saying amen to me over here? Yeah? It's rare. 0:36:06.640 --> 0:36:10.120 I love clarity, it just doesn't happen a lot. Most 0:36:10.160 --> 0:36:13.879 of my life is in the going, and then God 0:36:13.920 --> 0:36:18.000 does the showing. And while I'm going, God is doing 0:36:18.040 --> 0:36:21.359 the making, and I have to trust him in that. 0:36:21.520 --> 0:36:25.480 Step by step, day by day, God is doing a 0:36:25.680 --> 0:36:31.520 work in me while I go, not totally sure where 0:36:31.560 --> 0:36:35.040 I'm going, but believing that if He's leading me is 0:36:35.080 --> 0:36:38.960 for my good. So I'm gonna keep walking, not sure 0:36:38.960 --> 0:36:41.760 where I'm going, but I'm gonna keep walking, not exactly 0:36:41.800 --> 0:36:44.160 sure what God has planned, but I trust this plan, 0:36:44.520 --> 0:36:47.080 and I know that even more important than where He's 0:36:47.239 --> 0:36:50.680 taking me, what is important is that I'm following him, 0:36:50.680 --> 0:36:54.120 that I'm trusting him, because it is in that process 0:36:54.200 --> 0:37:02.160 that God is changing me. So in the following, in 0:37:02.280 --> 0:37:05.960 the going, in the moving he is making, and I'll 0:37:05.960 --> 0:37:10.000 have the team come up, and I just I want 0:37:10.040 --> 0:37:11.839 to talk to people because I know there's so much 0:37:11.920 --> 0:37:15.799 uncertainty right now in our lives, and there's so many changes, 0:37:15.840 --> 0:37:19.760 and there's so much unknown right now. I just want 0:37:19.840 --> 0:37:22.839 to tell every person who's listening to me that in 0:37:22.880 --> 0:37:28.200 the midst of financial uncertainty, follow, in the midst of 0:37:28.280 --> 0:37:32.600 wars and rumors of wars, follow, in the midst of 0:37:32.800 --> 0:37:36.480 what's going to happen next, follow, in the midst of pandemics. Follow. 0:37:36.800 --> 0:37:38.719 It feels like over the last two years, it's just 0:37:38.760 --> 0:37:42.480 been thing after thing after thing. There has been so 0:37:42.800 --> 0:37:45.480 very few things that have been consistent in our life 0:37:45.880 --> 0:37:47.960 over the last few years, but there can be a 0:37:48.040 --> 0:37:51.920 consistent There can be a constant, and that is following Jesus, 0:37:51.960 --> 0:37:55.840 that is trusting God, that is walking with God. And God. 0:37:56.120 --> 0:37:58.439 I just want to declare, he will sustain us through 0:37:58.480 --> 0:38:01.520 this season. He sustained you in nineteen, he sustained you 0:38:01.560 --> 0:38:04.200 in twenty, he sustained you through twenty twenty one. He's 0:38:04.239 --> 0:38:06.560 going to sustain us in twenty two. He's going to 0:38:06.560 --> 0:38:09.120 sustain us through twenty three, twenty four, and on and on. 0:38:09.600 --> 0:38:13.279 Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. And 0:38:13.360 --> 0:38:16.600 when everything is changing, I thank God for his sameness, 0:38:16.840 --> 0:38:19.960 when everything is moving, I thank God that he's unsakable. 0:38:20.640 --> 0:38:22.799 I thank God that in the midst of so much 0:38:22.880 --> 0:38:26.400 fear and worry and God, what is next. I thank 0:38:26.440 --> 0:38:29.480 God that he is holding my hand, that he is 0:38:29.560 --> 0:38:32.600 walking with me, talkting with me, and he's not just 0:38:32.800 --> 0:38:37.720 moving me. He's changing me, and in my going he's 0:38:37.880 --> 0:38:41.120 making and he's making me a great nation. And he's 0:38:41.160 --> 0:38:44.120 making your name a great name. And he's taking shame 0:38:44.200 --> 0:38:46.239 off of your name, an addiction off of your name, 0:38:46.640 --> 0:38:49.239 strong holds off of your name, curses off of your name. 0:38:49.520 --> 0:38:53.840 Your children will not know the struggles you're struggled with 0:38:54.280 --> 0:38:58.080 the struggles. Your father struggled with the struggles. Your parents 0:38:58.080 --> 0:39:00.880 had to know. They will not know where because in 0:39:01.040 --> 0:39:08.359 your going there is a making somebody say, man, so 0:39:08.480 --> 0:39:13.799 I'm going. And then here's what you gotta know. You 0:39:14.000 --> 0:39:32.600 never follow God horizontally. You always follow Jesus vertically. So 0:39:32.760 --> 0:39:39.880 maybe four said I'm going from strength to strength. John 0:39:39.920 --> 0:39:46.440 one said, I'm going from grace to grace, Romans one 0:39:46.480 --> 0:39:51.719 said I'm going from faith to faith. And the Apostle 0:39:51.760 --> 0:39:54.160 Paul said in tewod Crinians chapter three, and I need 0:39:54.200 --> 0:39:55.840 you to know this right now because there is so 0:39:55.920 --> 0:39:58.239 much uncertainty, there's so much fear in our nation, there's 0:39:58.239 --> 0:40:00.239 so much worry. Here's what you need to know. Even 0:40:00.280 --> 0:40:02.600 if you're going through a struggle like we saw in 0:40:02.640 --> 0:40:08.960 that video, you are going from glory to glory by 0:40:09.040 --> 0:40:14.080 the spirit of God. I'm following him up. I'm following 0:40:14.160 --> 0:40:18.640 him into his will. I'm following him into what he 0:40:18.800 --> 0:40:22.560 has for me. And it's a little scary, and it's 0:40:22.600 --> 0:40:27.319 a little new, and it's but he's making me. I'm 0:40:27.320 --> 0:40:32.919 not who I was. I'm not who I'm not who 0:40:32.960 --> 0:40:35.440 I was, I'm not who I thought I was, I'm not. 0:40:36.120 --> 0:40:42.840 I'm not who I was told I was. He's changed me, 0:40:42.920 --> 0:40:45.840 but he but he changed me in the following I 0:40:45.880 --> 0:40:49.719 can say this, over twenty four years of so much 0:40:49.800 --> 0:40:53.080 life change, so much changing in my world over twenty 0:40:53.080 --> 0:40:55.240 four years, and even over just the last two years, 0:40:55.840 --> 0:41:01.720 there's basically being one consistent, and it's him. I just followed. 0:41:03.920 --> 0:41:05.680 And when the cloud moved, I moved. And when the 0:41:05.680 --> 0:41:09.000 cloud stopped, I stopped. And when when he said go, 0:41:09.160 --> 0:41:11.040 I went. I'm not saying I was perfect. I'm not 0:41:11.080 --> 0:41:12.760 saying I never made I made a lot of mistakes. 0:41:14.600 --> 0:41:19.239 But if you will go, he will make you. And 0:41:19.280 --> 0:41:21.560 there's a lot right now. There's a lot of decisions 0:41:21.600 --> 0:41:23.239 being made right now in our world. There's a lot 0:41:23.280 --> 0:41:26.760 of should I do this, Should I do that? Should 0:41:26.760 --> 0:41:28.480 I sign this? Should I sign that? Should I sell this? 0:41:28.520 --> 0:41:32.279 Should I keep that? Should I? Would you follow him 0:41:33.880 --> 0:41:38.720 and trust him to do the making? Would you trust 0:41:38.760 --> 0:41:42.440 him to lead you besides still waters? You know that 0:41:42.680 --> 0:41:45.319 scripture doesn't say he leads me besides still waters. When 0:41:45.320 --> 0:41:51.240 everything's good, he said, I will create for you a space. 0:41:53.360 --> 0:41:56.760 It don't matter what's going on. I'll create a space 0:41:56.800 --> 0:42:02.400 of stillness for you, of peace for you, a place 0:42:02.560 --> 0:42:07.279 for you. Stop saying when I get there, Abram, when 0:42:07.320 --> 0:42:10.040 I get there, it'll all no, no no, no. Right now, 0:42:10.480 --> 0:42:15.799 in the going I'm making and he's doing something in 0:42:15.840 --> 0:42:17.560 me right now. It might hurt a little bit, it 0:42:17.640 --> 0:42:21.200 might be a little uncomfortable, it might be, But I 0:42:21.200 --> 0:42:31.040 would so rather be a God made man than a 0:42:31.080 --> 0:42:35.480 self made man. I would so rather be built by 0:42:35.560 --> 0:42:39.280 God than built by men. I would so rather be 0:42:39.360 --> 0:42:42.359 built by the unchanging hand of God than the ever 0:42:42.520 --> 0:42:46.799 changing hands of culture. And then he says, and then 0:42:46.800 --> 0:42:52.920 he says, and it won't stop with you, It's going 0:42:53.000 --> 0:42:57.759 to go through you. So the blessing of God is 0:42:57.800 --> 0:43:00.000 not just for more stuff and bigger things and brighter, 0:43:00.320 --> 0:43:04.279 shinier toys, not against any of that, just not where 0:43:04.320 --> 0:43:10.440 it should end. Ever, he said, I'm gonna do it 0:43:10.600 --> 0:43:14.640 through you, Abram. You don't even know it yet. But 0:43:14.960 --> 0:43:19.040 thousands of years from now, there's gonna be a preacher 0:43:19.080 --> 0:43:21.279 standing on a stage. Abrahm, what have said? What's the stage? 0:43:21.280 --> 0:43:23.480 You don't need to know right now. But he's and 0:43:23.560 --> 0:43:28.200 he's gonna be talking about you, and your faith is 0:43:28.239 --> 0:43:32.480 gonna build their faith. And now and now your faith 0:43:33.400 --> 0:43:38.840 is gonna build your children's faith and your children's children's faith, 0:43:40.480 --> 0:43:42.680 because what God wants to do for you, he wants 0:43:42.719 --> 0:43:54.040 to do through you. One move, one move? What's your move? 0:43:56.320 --> 0:43:59.000 What's your move? Is it? Is it serving in church? 0:44:02.080 --> 0:44:04.960 Is it? Is it finally jumping into love week coming 0:44:05.040 --> 0:44:08.000 up in July? Is that your move? Is it baptism? 0:44:08.080 --> 0:44:10.000 Is my hair gonna get wet? Yeah? Yeah, it's gonna 0:44:10.000 --> 0:44:15.600 get wet. Yeah. Can it wears a shower cap? Sure? 0:44:18.160 --> 0:44:23.759 But yeah, you're but you're going under. Where are people 0:44:23.760 --> 0:44:26.080 gonna think we're gonna be so happy for you, We're 0:44:26.080 --> 0:44:33.799 gonna cheer you on. We're not? Is it? Uh? Is 0:44:33.840 --> 0:44:38.839 it marriage counseling? Maybe it's marriage counseling, sir. If your 0:44:38.840 --> 0:44:40.920 wife is asking for marriage counseling, you need to go 0:44:41.760 --> 0:44:44.080 because she's been thinking about it, Fred at least two 0:44:44.200 --> 0:44:50.839 years before she ever said anything to you. Uhh, that's 0:44:50.840 --> 0:44:54.960 the word of the Lord for somebody right there? Is it? 0:44:55.000 --> 0:44:56.759 Is it? Is it getting alone with God for a 0:44:56.760 --> 0:44:59.080 few days? Parents, because you can't seem to get a 0:44:59.120 --> 0:45:01.360 breakthrough with your teenage. Is it time to just go 0:45:01.440 --> 0:45:03.960 hide away and maybe fast for a couple of days 0:45:04.560 --> 0:45:07.560 and say God, I need a word from a girl. 0:45:07.560 --> 0:45:11.000 I need a word from a boy. He'll give you 0:45:11.040 --> 0:45:19.799 one for many. Your move is to give your life 0:45:19.840 --> 0:45:24.200 to Christ. There's people in this room, at every location 0:45:24.360 --> 0:45:29.680 online that have just never have never said yes. And 0:45:29.760 --> 0:45:32.040 I want to give you that opportunity. The same prayer 0:45:32.080 --> 0:45:34.560 I prayed June ten, nineteen ninety eight, the same prayer 0:45:34.920 --> 0:45:37.840 Pastor Stephen, Pastor howly prayed at some point in their life, 0:45:38.040 --> 0:45:41.120 that prayer of surrender, that prayer of Jesus. I need you. 0:45:43.480 --> 0:45:45.359 If you've never prayed that prayer, I want to give 0:45:45.400 --> 0:45:48.799 you that opportunity. Maybe you feel far from God. You 0:45:48.840 --> 0:45:50.560 know what, Javin, I was really walking with the Lord. 0:45:50.560 --> 0:45:53.399 I love the Lord. I was serving God. And then man, 0:45:53.440 --> 0:45:56.719 I just I got distracted. I got is it time 0:45:56.719 --> 0:46:04.240 to come home? Time to come home. He's not gonna 0:46:04.280 --> 0:46:06.920 meet you at the door, arms folded, where have you been? 0:46:09.440 --> 0:46:11.479 He's gonna meet you out in the street, arms open, 0:46:11.480 --> 0:46:16.399 whites and come on in. I missed you. I love 0:46:16.440 --> 0:46:23.680 you crazy about you. I just wonder, in this sacred 0:46:23.719 --> 0:46:26.279 space of prayer, would you just bow your head and 0:46:26.280 --> 0:46:30.560 close your eyes for a moment. Every location, if you're 0:46:30.600 --> 0:46:33.200 not driving, Epham. Just close your eyes for a moment 0:46:33.239 --> 0:46:39.000 as well. Javed, I need Jesus. I need forgiveness. I 0:46:39.040 --> 0:46:45.919 need I need new life. I need hope. I need 0:46:45.920 --> 0:46:48.120 to know that heaven is my home. I need to 0:46:48.200 --> 0:46:54.000 know that God is my father. Jesus is Lord. I 0:46:54.000 --> 0:46:58.240 need to know his presence is with me. I need Jesus. 0:47:00.160 --> 0:47:01.800 Pray with me. The Bible says, if you would confess 0:47:01.840 --> 0:47:05.640 with your mouth Jesus is Lord, if you would believe 0:47:05.640 --> 0:47:11.680 in your heart, God would save you. I've made too 0:47:11.719 --> 0:47:15.759 many mistakes. Nope, not for the grace of God. I'm 0:47:15.760 --> 0:47:20.239 a pretty good person. God doesn't want pretty good. Our 0:47:20.239 --> 0:47:23.200 perfect Holy God requires perfection, and that's only through the 0:47:23.200 --> 0:47:27.200 blood of Jesus. This is for you. I've never given 0:47:27.239 --> 0:47:29.120 my life to Christ or I need to come back 0:47:29.120 --> 0:47:31.200 to Christ. Pray with me now, and I'm gonna ask 0:47:31.239 --> 0:47:36.160 every person, every location online, out loud, pray with me altogether. 0:47:36.280 --> 0:47:40.879 Say Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you died 0:47:40.920 --> 0:47:47.080 for me and rose again. I give you my life 0:47:47.239 --> 0:47:53.160 and I commit to following you, trusting you. I declare 0:47:54.360 --> 0:47:59.520 Jesus is Lord of my life. Now still no one looking, 0:47:59.560 --> 0:48:02.359 no one moved, but if that's you right now at 0:48:02.400 --> 0:48:04.960 every location, I'm gonna count to three, and when I 0:48:05.040 --> 0:48:07.680 hit three, i'm gonna ask you to raise your hand. 0:48:07.680 --> 0:48:11.000 If that was you online, there's probably prompters as well, 0:48:11.000 --> 0:48:13.680 and I'll let those online give you those prompters. But 0:48:13.719 --> 0:48:15.319 if you're in the room, if you're in a room, 0:48:16.920 --> 0:48:18.640 i'm gonna I'm just gonna hit three to give you 0:48:18.680 --> 0:48:20.680 a moment of courage and a moment of faith. Javed, 0:48:20.719 --> 0:48:25.200 that's me, I'm giving my life to Jesus. Or I'm 0:48:25.280 --> 0:48:29.640 rededicating my life to Jesus. If that's you, just as 0:48:29.680 --> 0:48:31.439 an act of faith, I'm gonna ask you to raise 0:48:31.440 --> 0:48:34.439 your hand to begin this walk with Jesus. One, two, 0:48:34.600 --> 0:48:37.120 and three. Can you shoot your hand up high all 0:48:37.120 --> 0:48:40.240 over here here and here here here, all over here, 0:48:40.360 --> 0:48:44.120 all over in here. Just keep waving at me. I 0:48:44.160 --> 0:48:48.760 want to see anybody else, anybody, anybody right here, beautiful. 0:48:48.800 --> 0:48:56.279 I know at every location it's happening. Hallelujah, hallelujah, Come on, 0:48:56.280 --> 0:49:00.120 one life. God is doing something in us and Jesus. 0:49:00.480 --> 0:49:03.720 Let's say, Oh God, I need you him a lift 0:49:03.719 --> 0:49:07.600 your volice sake. Well, if you enjoyed today's podcast, there 0:49:07.600 --> 0:49:09.560 are a couple of things I'd love for you to do. 0:49:09.719 --> 0:49:14.040 Make sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. You 0:49:14.080 --> 0:49:16.520 can also help us reach others by investing today at 0:49:16.520 --> 0:49:20.560 elevationchurch dot org, slash GiB and thanks again for joining 0:49:20.600 --> 0:49:22.200 us on the Elevation Podcast