The Blessing Of A Closed Door (Stephen Chandler)

0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:02.840 All right, we're going to get into the message very soon, 0:00:03.000 --> 0:00:07.240 but first an important message for you. This is our 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:11.399 twenty twenty one year end offering. I love this time 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:14.440 of year, an amazing time of year, because every year 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:18.480 we end with appreciation for what God has done, expectation 0:00:18.680 --> 0:00:20.720 for what He's going to do. This has been a tradition. 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:22.840 Like right now, they're going to put up a few 0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:25.880 graphics of all the offerings we've had through the years. 0:00:25.920 --> 0:00:30.080 I can't even remember them, all Game Change or Waymaker beyond. 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:33.559 But this year, you don't even know the word that 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:36.120 God gave me. I don't. This is not stage. I 0:00:36.120 --> 0:00:38.519 should reveal it to me. Yeah, this is not scripted, 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:40.640 and we're doing our own camera work, So I apologize 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:43.600 that the angle is off. But this year the Lord 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:48.960 led me to the word better. Everybody say better, better, 0:00:50.000 --> 0:00:52.199 like put it in the chat. And we don't mean 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:56.040 better than another person, or we don't necessarily mean that. 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:59.639 You know, we're never content, And what we mean by 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:03.000 that is Hag II two nine says that the glory 0:01:03.080 --> 0:01:06.240 of this present house, what God is doing, will be 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:10.240 greater than the glory of the former house. We believe 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:12.959 God is always doing something greater, we just have to 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:15.000 see it. So I want to thank you in advance 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:18.200 for your gifts. Those of you who already support this ministry, 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:20.640 you're the reason. You're the reason we get to preach 0:01:20.680 --> 0:01:24.120 the gospel. You're the reason that thousands of testimonies that 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:27.280 we hear in this ministry are made possible. And for 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:29.399 those of you who are beginning to give, either through 0:01:29.680 --> 0:01:32.080 a one time year end donation to help us with 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:35.360 our expansion, or the best way really through recurring giving, 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:38.080 through putting God first with the tide, or maybe an 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:40.399 above and beyond offering to say thank you to Him 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:43.840 and believe Him for better things in faith, we want 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:46.280 to say thank you, and we're standing with you right 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:50.040 now as we begin this season of giving called Better 0:01:50.120 --> 0:01:52.080 Now through the end of the year. Yeah, thank you 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:54.880 so much. Every time you give, it helps us to 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:58.160 spread the Gospel to the world and beyond, and we 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:02.400 are so thankful for your partnership with us in the gospel. 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:06.280 It's gonna be an amazing holiday season and I can't 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:08.320 wait to hear more about better. It's gonna be better 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:10.760 better than you ask her. Imagine just three twenty we're 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:15.280 believing God for you now let's go. I'm not gonna 0:02:15.280 --> 0:02:17.960 lie to y'all. I am bugging out right now. I 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:27.119 am at the elevation, Sir. I can't tell you how 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:31.760 much this church has meant to me over my last 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:35.280 ten years of being a senior pastor in Maryland. I 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:38.080 actually the first year, and you'll sit down in like 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:40.320 two seconds, but we're standing because they're about the screen 0:02:40.320 --> 0:02:42.040 for your pastors, so you can stay on your feet. 0:02:42.320 --> 0:02:45.239 For the first year, I had a five hundred dollars 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:48.560 vacation budget. That's all I have for vacation. After year ministry, 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:50.720 I was so ready to quit. I said, I'm gonna 0:02:50.720 --> 0:02:53.000 be one and done. Get me out of this. And 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:56.040 I spent my five hundred dollars on a plane ticket 0:02:56.080 --> 0:03:00.000 to Charlotte, renting me a Camaro, got me a cheap 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:02.400 My priorities were in order, got a chief hotel, but 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:09.120 a nice car drove down to the Blakeney location, and 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:11.200 I didn't know how elevation rolled. So I showed up 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:14.040 to church five minutes before it started. Y'all know I 0:03:14.040 --> 0:03:17.120 didn't make it into that, sir. I sat in the 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:20.840 parking lot in the first service, came in the second one, 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:25.640 and baled my eyes out. The presence of God in 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:34.760 this place literally kept me in the ministry. And year 0:03:34.840 --> 0:03:37.440 after year after the year, we've been to every single 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:39.800 inside Elevation. We were at Lake Norman when it was 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:41.960 over there. Shout out to Lake Norman and all these 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:45.800 different places. And God has used your pastor in this 0:03:45.960 --> 0:03:50.280 house to incite something in so many pastors around this 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.480 nation and this world to go after all that God 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:57.640 has called us to be. You. I don't know if 0:03:57.640 --> 0:04:01.640 you know. You know Elevation is one of God's favorite churches, right, 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:03.440 I don't know if you know that. You may have 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:06.080 never heard this before. In the Bible, a father would 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.600 show his favorite by who he gave gifts. To remember, 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:11.840 he gave his favorite son a coat of many colors. 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:14.760 Where the Bible says and Ephesians that your pastor is 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:18.000 a gift from God. And based on the pastor that 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:21.960 God has given this church, you must speak God's favorite. 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:29.320 Can you honor Pastor Stephen and Pastor Ali? We are grateful, grateful, grateful, 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:32.960 grateful for you're yes, for your sacrifice, for all that 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:36.200 you believed in us. And I'm gonna say us because 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:39.719 I is Elevation today but I'm great. Hey, go ahead, 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:42.640 grab your seat, Grab your seat. We are gonna jump 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:45.080 into God's word today. I have a could you deal 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:47.960 with the word from God? I got a word from 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:52.640 God for you today. Before I preach, I do have 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:57.320 to highlight why I am blessed and highly favored. And 0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:00.680 it is this beautiful African woman on a front row. 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:07.560 Can y'all honor my wife, Zi Chandler. I call her 0:05:07.640 --> 0:05:11.320 my African Queen. She hails from sile On, West Africa, 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:14.600 and I actually started the church. I passed her. I 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:17.000 was single for two years, and it was a rough 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:18.440 two years because I had no favor. I had no 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:20.760 annoint see, because the Bible says when you find a wife, 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:24.240 you find favor from the Lord. It's rough, pastor and 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:27.600 without favor. But but I found it eventually, and I 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:30.760 am grateful, grateful, grateful for your love, for your support, 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:36.200 and we love each other. So we got children. If 0:05:36.240 --> 0:05:38.200 you could throw up a picture and I can show 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:40.839 everybody why I am more blessed than they are, because 0:05:41.720 --> 0:05:43.960 my family's just better looking than your family. I know 0:05:44.040 --> 0:05:48.440 that's mean and ignorant, but it's the truth. In front 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:50.760 of me is my princess. Her name is Zoe. She's 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.600 five years old. We little hood, so we got rapper 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:56.800 names for all our kids, so her rapper name is Zozo. 0:05:57.480 --> 0:05:59.840 And then standing next to my wife is my second born. 0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:02.760 His name is Roman. His rapper name is Roro. You 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:06.200 can tell we are not very creative people. And then 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.840 our newest edition. We actually took this picture last week 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:12.320 because we didn't have any family pictures with Jade Mariah. 0:06:12.360 --> 0:06:18.279 She is four months old. She looks like an angel, 0:06:18.600 --> 0:06:23.400 she acts like a fallen angel. Right around three am, 0:06:23.600 --> 0:06:26.240 she up and she's screaming in tongues and yelling and 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:29.479 all this other good stuff. And we are happy, happy, happy, 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:34.560 because we left them back in Baltimore. So we had 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:37.240 the best sleep we've ever had last night. So forgive 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.520 me if I preached for the next four hours. But 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:41.960 your brother is a Two people just ran for the 0:06:42.000 --> 0:06:44.400 door and said, oh, you're not all right. Turn your bible. 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:48.679 Turn your Bible to John chapter twenty John chapter twenty, 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:52.640 verse nineteen. I got some of my Union Church fam 0:06:52.760 --> 0:06:57.880 into building and watching online. Grateful, grateful, grateful for you, John, 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:03.560 chapter twenty nineteen. If you're ready, somebody see you. Oh, 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:07.480 y'all ready ready like this. Here he goes. It says this. 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:13.000 Then the same day, at evening, being the first day 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:15.280 of the week, which man name was Sunday, when the 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:18.840 doors were shut. Somebody said the doors were shut. The 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:23.440 doors were shut. The disciples were assembled, why for fear 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:27.760 of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:32.120 and said to them, read that with me, peace be 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:36.760 with you some of all. That's the only message you 0:07:36.760 --> 0:07:43.440 need today. Wherever you find yourself shut in, Jesus is 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:47.000 about to step into that place of your life and 0:07:47.120 --> 0:07:52.440 breathe his supernatural peace in your life. He said, peace 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:54.800 be with you. And when he said this, he showed 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.360 them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were 0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:00.600 glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:03.200 them again, it was so nice. He said it twice. 0:08:03.320 --> 0:08:07.080 He said, peace to you. As the Father has sent me, 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:11.120 I also send you. And when he said this, he 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:15.120 breathes on them. Now you're gonna find out. I'm a 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:18.120 little ignorant, and I'm not toue culture. And I just 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.920 wonder what Jesus is breath smell like. Let me just 0:08:21.920 --> 0:08:24.000 think about it. You can't be the King of Kings 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:26.000 and the Lord and lawyers that have holotosis. I mean, 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:29.240 it just had to be the miniest breath somebod me 0:08:29.320 --> 0:08:33.400 just breathe them. So he breathed on them and said, 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:38.280 receive the Holy Spirit. Let's pray, Father God. We're grateful. 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:43.120 We're thankful God for this divine moment, this collision between 0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:46.960 Evan and Earth. God, you are here. God. You're not 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:48.880 just here to have church. You're here to heal in 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.680 a transform and to speak and to take us one 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:54.760 step closer to the plan, the purpose, the destiny that 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:57.720 you have for us. So God, preemptively, you make a 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:01.200 decision in this moment that when you speak, we will 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:05.280 obey have your way in our hearts. Thank you for 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:07.600 bringing cam back to Charlotte and Jesus name. We pray. 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:15.960 Amen and amen and amen. Hey, before I jump into 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:19.560 the meat of this message, I just want to prophesy 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.640 over you for a second. Is that okay? Now? If 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:26.240 I do, you can't sit there with your anti propit skepticism. 0:09:26.320 --> 0:09:29.320 You gotta lean in. You gotta say I receive it. 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:31.400 I want that, I believe it. If you're with me, 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:37.440 somebody say amen, I believe that the Global Church, the 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:41.280 American Church, Elevation Church, and you, somebody say, we are 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:45.800 the Church are getting ready to walk into a season 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:49.800 of open doors in our lives that we have never 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:54.400 seen before. I believe you're getting ready to walk into 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:58.040 a season of favor of creative miracles. I believe you're 0:09:58.040 --> 0:10:00.800 getting ready to walk into season come on line where 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:03.560 God begins to answer prayers that you didn't even know 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:07.080 to pray for, prayers that are above and beyond all 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:12.199 that you could ever ask, sink, or imagine. There are 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:15.840 relationships in your life that were broken, that you've given 0:10:16.000 --> 0:10:19.400 up on, and God is supernaturally mending them back together. 0:10:19.920 --> 0:10:23.360 God is getting ready to expand businesses in ways that 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:26.320 you didn't even know possible. Someone's just gonna give you 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:28.960 a book of their business and you're like, how did 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:34.160 this happen? It's because God is opening doors in your life. Oh, 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:38.720 I I appreciate it. I got about seventeen percent of 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:41.400 the room like, oh you better appreciate that, Chris Rock, 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:46.080 I love it. I love It's about thirty percent of 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:47.840 this room. Now. She's just like, huh, I mean I 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:51.800 ain't impressed. I mean any makers, Hey, guy's opening doors 0:10:51.840 --> 0:10:54.079 what's so impressive about that? How do you know God's 0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:55.760 going to open the door. Well, I'm a little ignorant, 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:56.960 so can I just help you out? How I know 0:10:57.000 --> 0:10:58.400 that God is getting ready to open doors for a 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:06.320 church because I read the Bible, and here's what I 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:11.160 find in scripture that there's this pattern where the enemy 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:14.560 will attack, and what God will do is say, hey, 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:18.320 you take your first shot, and when you're done what 0:11:18.400 --> 0:11:24.760 you're doing, watch me work. If you remember, in the 0:11:24.800 --> 0:11:27.880 Book of Job, Satan came to God and he said, 0:11:28.040 --> 0:11:31.560 the only reason why Job is worshiping you is because 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:34.719 Job is blessed. If you took away his blessings, he 0:11:34.720 --> 0:11:37.400 wouldn't worship you the same way anybody in here. You know, 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:39.360 you don't worship God just because of what he can 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:41.840 do for you, not just because of his blessings, but 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:46.000 because of who he is. So God said, hey, you 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.400 think that's right, go ahead, take everything that he has 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:50.240 and see what happens. And you read the book, you 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:52.800 see he lost his children, and his business and his 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:55.800 wealth and in his notoriety. And he said, hey, though 0:11:55.840 --> 0:11:59.080 he slay me, I will not curse the Lord. I 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:04.880 know that my redeemer lives. So like thirty eight chapters, 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:07.320 Job is just going through hell, part of my French. 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:10.880 And when he finally passed that test, God says, Satan, 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:13.760 are you done? Okay, watch this, and he gives Job 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:18.640 back double for his trouble, everything he lost. He gives 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:22.960 him double everything that was stolen by the enemy. And 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:25.800 here's what I know over these last eighteen and twenty 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:27.599 four months, depending on where you live and all that, 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:32.400 we have been through this global panoramic where the enemy 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:36.960 has taken his best shot to divide racially, politically and 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:39.800 in every other way. And I feel like God was 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:42.719 just stepping back, let me know when you're done, and 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:46.400 when you're done, watch me step in and move in 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:54.560 people's lives. And if we went through eighteen and twenty 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:57.839 four months of the world being shut down, I think 0:12:57.880 --> 0:13:00.160 we're getting ready to go through forty eight months of 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:05.000 open doors and miracles, signs and wonders in the church, 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:09.040 in your life, and in everything God desires to do 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:13.440 for us. If you believe in somebody shot amen, somebody 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:17.000 say open doors. That's why I want to preach a 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:27.200 message today called the Blessing of a closed door. Because 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:32.040 here's what I've discovered, until you've run into a closed door, 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:37.800 you won't really appreciate an open door. If all you've 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:41.679 experienced is favor and open doors and promotion and all 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:45.040 that other, you'll begin to take it for granted, and 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.760 you'll begin to look at it as if it's happenstance 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:50.880 and not the favor of God on your life. There's 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:54.160 nothing like a closed door that makes you grateful for 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:59.520 an open door. There's nothing like sickness that makes you 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:02.880 grateful that God is a healer. There's nothing like not 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:06.160 having that makes you grateful that He is Jehovah Jira, 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:11.600 our provider. There's nothing like being overlooked that makes you 0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:14.360 appreciative that the eyes of God is not just on 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:17.360 the sparrow, but he is on you, and he sees 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:20.520 every tear that drops from your eye. Hear me, it's 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:25.360 closed doors that make us grateful for the open doors 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:30.160 of God. Growing up, my dad was a pastor longer 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:32.040 than I've been alive. I actually pastor to the church 0:14:32.320 --> 0:14:34.640 that he founded back in nineteen ninety seven. But he 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:37.760 also owned his own business on the side. He had 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:40.560 a medical courier company. He had drivers all over the 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:43.480 state of Maryland, and they would pick up medical specimens 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:46.000 from doctor's offices and drop them off at labs. These 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:48.920 were blood samples and bow marrow samples and actually some 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:52.040 pretty painful tests to take, so it was a pretty 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:55.440 sensitive job. I remember when I turned sixteen, I got 0:14:55.440 --> 0:14:58.920 my driver's license and my dad hired me because I 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:01.440 was a boss's kid. I was the youngest person on 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:04.800 staff by like twenty years. People didn't think I deserved 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:06.840 the job, and actually I did it, but my dad 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:08.560 was the boss. I was just like, y'all can't do 0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:10.680 nothing with me, you can't say nothing to me. And 0:15:10.720 --> 0:15:12.800 by the way, my dad writes your paycheck, so eh. 0:15:15.360 --> 0:15:17.400 And I would spend about five hours of my day 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:20.040 every single day, from about three pm to eight pm, 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:23.680 driving around Maryland picking up medical specimens and dropping them 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:25.200 off at the lab at the end of the day, 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:27.960 early on when I was sixteen, and actually I did 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.240 it for seven years, and it happened almost every single year. 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:32.520 I'd drive and I'd get to a doctor's office and 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:35.280 when i'd walk in, the nurse or the administrator the 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:38.720 doctor say hey, we're not quite ready for you. Come 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:42.560 back in about fifteen minutes somebody say fifteen minutes. It 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.560 wasn't seventeen, it wasn't fourteen. They were very specific, come 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:47.840 back in fifteen minutes and we'll be ready for you 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.800 to pick up the specimen. Well, I was sixteen, and 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:53.000 you know not that bright. So I said, fifteen minutes. 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.160 That's great. Sounds like enough time to go down to 0:15:55.200 --> 0:15:58.920 the mall, get a cheese steak, eat the cheese steak, 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:01.040 run over the game stop. I play about three games 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:04.320 of Madden. I've got time, so I'd go to the 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:05.680 mall and I got a cheef steak. I go on 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:07.560 to game Stop. I'm playing Madden. I'm like in the 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:10.120 fourth game, and next thing I know, my phone would 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:13.160 ring and my dad would be calling. So hey, Steven, 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:15.120 I'm here at the drop are you ready to drop 0:16:15.160 --> 0:16:19.440 off the spence? Look? Oh uh, I got one more pickup. 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:21.560 I'll be right there. I would hang up the phone, 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:25.000 run through the mall, jump in my car, speed across town, 0:16:25.240 --> 0:16:28.480 and i'd get back to that doctor's after we're SpongeBob bags. 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:33.080 I'm like two hours later, and I would get there 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:37.640 sometimes and the office would be locked up. Now I'm 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:39.960 not saying like locked like the door's locked and they're 0:16:40.000 --> 0:16:43.360 cleaning up inside. I'm talking about locked lights off, buildings 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:46.600 shut down. You can't get in no matter what. Remember 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.360 the first time this happened, I called my dad said, hey, uh, 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:52.640 the doctor's office closed, and tell them I was there earlier. 0:16:52.760 --> 0:16:56.080 They closed and they're locked up. I'll come back tomorrow. 0:16:57.200 --> 0:17:00.520 Let me say, Steve, what do you mean tomorrow. Specimen 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:03.480 that you're picking up has a three hour shelf life. 0:17:04.280 --> 0:17:07.119 If you wait till tomorrow, it will spoil. And hear me, 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:10.199 if it spoils, we will lose that doctor as a client. 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:12.440 And he said, what you gotta understand is that that's 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:14.960 not just one doctor, but that doctor is connected to 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:18.159 seven other doctors. There is an entire practice. If we 0:17:18.240 --> 0:17:20.840 lose that one doctor, we're losing all seven of them. 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:23.640 Steven get in the door, and then he'd hang up. 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:30.480 I figured it out. I'm just like I just told 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:35.240 you a lot. I remember looking at this clock, closed door, 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:36.760 and I'm not gonna lie to you. I talked to 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:38.680 a couple of police officers in Baltimore before I told 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:41.359 the story, just to make sure that the statue of 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:47.240 limitation had passed. But when I tell you that your 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:51.359 boy has broken into more doctor's offices that you can't 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:54.600 imagine in your life. I am sweet, talk more nurses. 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:58.520 I've given more donuts to security guards, climbed in your windows, 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:03.919 snack your people up. I have. It was in that 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:08.040 season of my life that I learned that a closed 0:18:08.240 --> 0:18:12.159 door is not the end of the story, but the 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:16.960 beginning of a decision. Every time I run into a 0:18:17.040 --> 0:18:19.639 closed door, I have a decision to make. Am I 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:24.040 gonna surrender to the situation. Am I gonna figure it 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:26.120 out and figure out a way in? Or I'm gonna 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.959 say there's no way I can get around this. And 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:33.760 ear me. God did not die on the cross for 0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:39.159 his people to surrender. One of the things that breaks 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:42.400 my heart are there are too many believers that are 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:47.240 surrendering to sickness. They're surrendering to anxiety and worry and 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:50.399 fear and set back and lack and ear me. Just 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:53.480 because it's a set back, just because it's a closed 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:56.199 door in your life right now, does not mean that 0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:59.520 it's a life sentence. It doesn't mean that it's over. 0:18:59.840 --> 0:19:04.600 It's just the beginning of your story. So I want 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:06.120 to have about four hours of preach I just want 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:10.760 to give you just three quick I want to give 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:12.919 you just three quick thoughts, three quick thoughts of what 0:19:13.000 --> 0:19:15.400 do I do when I run into a closed door 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:18.040 when I'm in that season of life where things looks 0:19:18.040 --> 0:19:21.480 like things just aren't moving forward, like I just can't 0:19:21.800 --> 0:19:26.360 catch or break. The first thought is this, not all 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:32.000 close doors are the same. When you run into a 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:34.400 season where life is not moving forward, where it doesn't 0:19:34.440 --> 0:19:36.919 appear that your prayers are being answered, that you're not 0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:39.240 making the progress that you want to make, you gotta 0:19:39.320 --> 0:19:42.680 understand just because the door is closed doesn't mean it's 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:46.200 the same scenario. Here's what we do. We blame every 0:19:46.240 --> 0:19:50.200 closed door on God. Every time something doesn't work out, 0:19:50.240 --> 0:19:53.119 we don't get the job, the promotion, the relationship doesn't 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:55.639 work out, or whatever. Mavie. We get super spiritual when 0:19:55.680 --> 0:19:57.879 we say things like it must not have been God's 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:00.800 will for my life. That's my su spirtual voice. I 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:05.359 don't know why I pray and it didn't happen, so 0:20:05.440 --> 0:20:08.320 it must not have been what God had for me. 0:20:08.480 --> 0:20:13.560 Hear me. Just because a door is closed doesn't mean 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:16.920 that God is the one that closed. In our passage 0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:20.400 here in John chapter twenty we find the disciples locked 0:20:21.160 --> 0:20:25.200 behind a closed door. The Bible says that they were 0:20:25.240 --> 0:20:29.280 paralyzed in fear that they were so overcome with the 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:34.280 idea that they had just killed Jesus. And everybody knew 0:20:34.320 --> 0:20:36.920 that they were followers of Jesus, so they just had 0:20:36.960 --> 0:20:40.399 in their mind, if they killed Jesus, they must be 0:20:40.440 --> 0:20:44.400 coming for us. Next. I guess one of my beef 0:20:44.400 --> 0:20:45.840 for Christians. I got a lot of beef for Christians, 0:20:45.880 --> 0:20:48.159 but but one of my beef for Christians is and 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:50.600 I'll fill myself under the bus with you. We read 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:54.480 the Bible like Christians, how much supposed to read the 0:20:54.480 --> 0:20:58.520 Bible like a human? Here here's what I mean by 0:20:58.760 --> 0:21:01.760 as Christians. We read the Bible knowing how the story goes. 0:21:02.760 --> 0:21:04.359 So we see them locked in the room like all 0:21:04.440 --> 0:21:07.320 you punks. Come on out. He rose from the third day. 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:08.800 He's about to walk through the wall and show you 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:11.520 the nail prince in his hand, don't you know. We 0:21:11.600 --> 0:21:14.080 read it knowing the end of the story. But you 0:21:14.240 --> 0:21:19.000 have to put yourself in their shoes. They didn't have 0:21:19.119 --> 0:21:23.040 the Bible to read. They was the Bible, and as 0:21:23.119 --> 0:21:26.960 far as they knew everything that they had given their 0:21:27.160 --> 0:21:30.840 life to had just been murdered in front of them 0:21:30.880 --> 0:21:34.680 like a criminal. You see these men and women. They 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:39.240 left family businesses. They looked parents in the eye and said, 0:21:39.280 --> 0:21:41.920 I don't want the inheritance that you worked your entire 0:21:42.040 --> 0:21:46.639 life to build. I'm gonna follow this carpenter's son because 0:21:46.680 --> 0:21:48.840 I was told that he has the keys of life 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:52.280 in his hand. They left everything and followed him for 0:21:52.320 --> 0:21:55.119 three years. He said that he was the king of 0:21:55.240 --> 0:21:58.120 kings and the Lord of lords. And then he hung 0:21:58.160 --> 0:22:03.240 on a cross his head and he died, and a 0:22:03.320 --> 0:22:07.840 whole city celebrated. And here are the disciples locked in 0:22:07.880 --> 0:22:13.560 a room after the greatest tragedy of their life, thinking, 0:22:13.560 --> 0:22:16.920 if they just killed Jesus, they're coming for us. This 0:22:17.000 --> 0:22:19.800 was the lowest moment of faith that they ever had. 0:22:20.200 --> 0:22:23.879 A side note, anybody grateful that all your mistakes and 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:27.639 blunders are not recorded in scripture for billions of people 0:22:27.680 --> 0:22:31.680 to read. Anybody grateful today you mess up royally. Only 0:22:31.760 --> 0:22:34.040 you and your three roommates know about it, nobody else. 0:22:35.359 --> 0:22:39.960 This was the worst moment in their lives. And here's 0:22:40.000 --> 0:22:44.560 what they decided to do. Based on that tragedy and trauma. 0:22:44.920 --> 0:22:55.119 They went into a room they opened the door and 0:22:55.160 --> 0:22:59.800 they locked it behind them. The door wasn't closed because 0:22:59.800 --> 0:23:04.359 God God closed it. The door was closed because fear 0:23:04.400 --> 0:23:12.040 closed it. One of the things that I've discovered is 0:23:12.080 --> 0:23:14.399 there are so many people that are locked behind a 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:19.399 closed door, not because God did it, but because it 0:23:19.480 --> 0:23:24.159 was the response to that abuse from their childhood. It 0:23:24.280 --> 0:23:28.080 was their response from that divorce ten years ago, the 0:23:28.240 --> 0:23:32.440 response from losing that home that they had borrowed from 0:23:32.520 --> 0:23:36.119 four different family members to be able to purchase, the 0:23:36.280 --> 0:23:39.159 response to the closing of that business that they had 0:23:39.160 --> 0:23:43.800 given ten years of their life to without. Even we 0:23:43.840 --> 0:23:50.159 don't do it consciously, it's like a subconscious defense mechanism 0:23:51.240 --> 0:23:54.560 where we still come out of our house, but our 0:23:54.600 --> 0:23:58.639 hearts are closed, and based on the worst day of 0:23:58.640 --> 0:24:03.560 our lives, we've made an internal vow. I'll never trust 0:24:03.600 --> 0:24:08.520 people again. I'll never let somebody that close enough to 0:24:08.560 --> 0:24:12.040 me again to break my heart. I'm never gonna take 0:24:12.080 --> 0:24:15.280 a risk like that again. And one of the things 0:24:15.320 --> 0:24:18.920 about it. We're good in church about putting our church 0:24:18.960 --> 0:24:22.120 clothes on, in our church face on, so you'll walk 0:24:22.160 --> 0:24:24.840 into church and you look, why, you'll sing the song 0:24:25.000 --> 0:24:34.200 why Oh pet? Was that my note? But the truth 0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:38.919 is we're wide closed. We walk into church with our 0:24:39.000 --> 0:24:41.480 church faith and hey, how you doing? Oh girl, I 0:24:41.520 --> 0:24:47.520 am too blessed to be stressed. You lion them shopping 0:24:47.560 --> 0:24:51.840 bags under your eyelids, say you pretty stressed right now? Hey, 0:24:51.840 --> 0:24:54.000 how you doing? Oh? God is good all the time, 0:24:54.080 --> 0:24:56.080 and all the time. God is good. I know how 0:24:56.119 --> 0:25:04.040 God is. How are you? And we have up this 0:25:04.280 --> 0:25:07.720 facade that life is going great, But if we were 0:25:07.760 --> 0:25:11.160 to be honest, our life stopped at that tragedy eight 0:25:11.240 --> 0:25:15.800 years ago, and we've shut our hearts off. But here's 0:25:15.840 --> 0:25:18.800 the thing God said in his word Third John, chapter one, 0:25:18.880 --> 0:25:23.400 verse two. It said, beloved, I pray that you may prosper. 0:25:23.520 --> 0:25:27.040 Somebody say prosper, So I pray that you may prosper 0:25:27.240 --> 0:25:32.960 in all things and be in health, just as your soul. 0:25:33.040 --> 0:25:35.360 What was your soul? Your soul's your mind, your will, 0:25:35.400 --> 0:25:39.919 and your emotions, your heart. The word prosper means this. 0:25:40.000 --> 0:25:42.240 It doesn't mean what you think. Prosperity. Oh I love 0:25:42.280 --> 0:25:45.119 me of prosperity. Praja. We're about to get a Bentley 0:25:45.160 --> 0:25:50.960 a idea. Prosperity does not mean beamer Ben's and Bentley's 0:25:51.000 --> 0:25:53.359 not that that's a bad thing. But here's what the 0:25:53.359 --> 0:25:56.280 word prosper in the original language. It simply means to 0:25:56.440 --> 0:26:01.400 move forward. That's all I mean. God says, my prayer 0:26:01.640 --> 0:26:05.919 is that you would move forward in every area of 0:26:05.960 --> 0:26:08.200 your life. What does that mean. That means that your 0:26:08.200 --> 0:26:10.760 marriage is better this year than it was last year. 0:26:11.200 --> 0:26:13.919 That means your finances are better this year than it 0:26:14.000 --> 0:26:17.280 was last That means your faith is stronger this year 0:26:18.119 --> 0:26:22.120 than it was last year. And here's we're looking for 0:26:22.240 --> 0:26:26.040 God to move us forward. God says, you don't move 0:26:26.080 --> 0:26:29.600 forward according to My will for you. You You move forward 0:26:29.640 --> 0:26:35.480 according to the health of your heart. Here we are 0:26:35.480 --> 0:26:38.200 blaming God. God. I can't get a break. There's closed 0:26:38.200 --> 0:26:40.840 doors all around. And God says, there's closed doors outside 0:26:40.880 --> 0:26:44.520 of you because there's a closed door on the inside 0:26:44.560 --> 0:26:49.320 of you. And until you make a decision that I'm 0:26:49.359 --> 0:26:51.439 not gonna be locked up on the inside, hear me, 0:26:51.720 --> 0:26:53.400 I know it's we're gonna laugh at the end. It's 0:26:53.400 --> 0:26:55.040 gonna be great. It's gonna be a little tight right now, 0:26:56.920 --> 0:26:59.480 he said, until you make a decision to unlock what's 0:26:59.480 --> 0:27:03.800 on the inside, everything on the outside is gonna be 0:27:03.800 --> 0:27:07.240 locked up. Here we are complain, why can't I find 0:27:07.240 --> 0:27:10.280 any real friends, any people are gonna be loyal to 0:27:10.320 --> 0:27:13.800 me and not just use me. Holy Spirit is saying, 0:27:13.800 --> 0:27:16.000 maybe it's because you won't let anybody close to you, 0:27:17.160 --> 0:27:20.440 because you've put a padlock on your heart. You've made 0:27:20.440 --> 0:27:22.680 a decision. I'm not gonna let anybody. If you don't 0:27:22.720 --> 0:27:25.040 let anybody close enough to hurt you, no one will 0:27:25.080 --> 0:27:32.159 be close enough to bless you. So here it is 0:27:32.200 --> 0:27:35.919 the disciples, they're locked up in this room. I'm just 0:27:36.480 --> 0:27:41.600 I wonder sometimes, what were y'all thinking. Here's what I've discovered. 0:27:41.800 --> 0:27:45.320 My response to fear, pain and trauma is not a 0:27:45.480 --> 0:27:49.840 long term thought process. It's immediate reaction. What were the 0:27:49.920 --> 0:27:54.440 disciples planning on doing tomorrow? Y'all just gonna stay locked 0:27:54.520 --> 0:27:56.280 up in this room for the next thirty years? Like, like, 0:27:56.320 --> 0:27:59.240 what's the plan here? They are locked up in this room, 0:28:00.040 --> 0:28:02.600 and the Bible says that Jesus steps through the wall 0:28:03.560 --> 0:28:07.399 and he says, peace be unto you, which tells me 0:28:07.440 --> 0:28:10.240 it doesn't matter what I've been through. It doesn't matter 0:28:10.280 --> 0:28:13.480 where I've locked myself off from. It doesn't matter how 0:28:13.560 --> 0:28:16.160 much I've given up on life. There's people right now 0:28:16.320 --> 0:28:18.480 that you have no vision and you have no dream 0:28:18.520 --> 0:28:20.879 for your future. Hear me, there is a God that 0:28:21.040 --> 0:28:23.320 loves you, and he doesn't even need you to open 0:28:23.359 --> 0:28:25.879 the door for him. He'll walk through the walls of 0:28:26.000 --> 0:28:32.200 your heart and breathe on you and say peace. He would. 0:28:32.400 --> 0:28:34.879 Now I'm reading this passage and that's just like, Jesus, 0:28:34.960 --> 0:28:38.040 why do you got to be so extra like, I mean, 0:28:38.080 --> 0:28:40.200 there's a door, Why you wanna walk through the wall 0:28:40.240 --> 0:28:45.720 all Messiah? Like, just oh, why can't you walk through 0:28:45.760 --> 0:28:49.280 the door like normal people? And as I'm reading this passage, 0:28:49.280 --> 0:28:51.400 and I feel like the Holy Spirit says Steven, how 0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:56.320 do you know I didn't try? It says that I 0:28:56.400 --> 0:28:58.560 walked through the wall. It doesn't say that that was 0:28:58.600 --> 0:29:02.400 my first option. Could it be that I tried the 0:29:02.480 --> 0:29:06.000 door and because the door was locked, I had to 0:29:06.080 --> 0:29:08.480 come in a different way? How many people you love 0:29:08.480 --> 0:29:12.080 your Bible like you love your Bible. I'm like working 0:29:12.120 --> 0:29:14.040 this out. Next thing I know. The Holy Spirit brings 0:29:14.080 --> 0:29:17.200 this Revelations chapter three, verse twenty. He says, Look, I 0:29:17.240 --> 0:29:21.479 have been standing at the door, he said, and I 0:29:21.520 --> 0:29:27.960 am constantly hear me, Jesus knocking on your door like that, 0:29:28.720 --> 0:29:32.960 Like that annoying door dashed delivery person that did not 0:29:33.120 --> 0:29:35.000 read the note, leave my meal at the door. I 0:29:35.000 --> 0:29:40.240 ain't come into the door, he said. I am constantly knocking. 0:29:41.240 --> 0:29:44.520 He said. If anyone hears my calling him and opens 0:29:44.560 --> 0:29:47.400 the door, he said, I don't even need you to 0:29:47.480 --> 0:29:53.360 come out. I'm gonna come in and fellowship with him 0:29:53.400 --> 0:29:56.880 and he with me. I think before Jesus walked through 0:29:56.880 --> 0:29:59.120 those doors through the wall, he knocked on the door, 0:30:00.200 --> 0:30:02.760 and as he was knocking on the door, I don't 0:30:02.800 --> 0:30:06.640 think that the disciples fear decreased. I think it increased 0:30:07.800 --> 0:30:13.640 because they mistook the knock of peace for the knock 0:30:13.640 --> 0:30:18.240 of judgment. There's some of you in this room watching 0:30:18.280 --> 0:30:23.440 online different locations. You're not here because you want to 0:30:23.480 --> 0:30:26.120 be here. You're not here because like, oh, I'm you 0:30:26.200 --> 0:30:29.800 like elimation. Only reason you're here is because your wife said, 0:30:29.960 --> 0:30:31.720 if you don't come to church with me, i'ma make 0:30:31.720 --> 0:30:36.920 you weak, miserable. Some of all teenagers, your mamma say 0:30:36.920 --> 0:30:38.600 you can come to church or you cannot eat all week, 0:30:38.640 --> 0:30:40.600 he said, an hour and a half, she said, Okay, 0:30:40.640 --> 0:30:43.560 I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come, and 0:30:43.640 --> 0:30:45.800 you're sitting in church, you're watching online. But for you, 0:30:45.920 --> 0:30:48.200 to be honest, your heart is locked off to Jesus. 0:30:49.040 --> 0:30:53.320 And it's because you misunderstood who he is. You thought 0:30:53.360 --> 0:30:55.040 he was knocking at the door of your heart to 0:30:55.040 --> 0:30:57.720 tell you how messed up you are. You thought he 0:30:57.720 --> 0:30:59.360 wanted to knock on your door to judge and say, 0:30:59.400 --> 0:31:01.600 ooh you ratch. How could you do that? How could 0:31:01.640 --> 0:31:03.200 you think that? How can you look at that happ 0:31:03.320 --> 0:31:05.440 No, no no, no, no no. He's not knocking on your door 0:31:05.480 --> 0:31:07.800 to judge you, or to condemn you, or to look 0:31:07.880 --> 0:31:10.480 down at you. He's knocking on the door to breathe 0:31:10.560 --> 0:31:18.200 peace into your life. Some of you have been pushing 0:31:18.240 --> 0:31:24.080 through the last years in your own strength, in your 0:31:24.080 --> 0:31:28.800 own willpower, and outside everybody thinks you're okay. On an inside, 0:31:28.840 --> 0:31:32.840 you're exhausted. I'm telling you there is a peace that 0:31:32.880 --> 0:31:36.800 surpasses all understanding, that will guard your heart and guard 0:31:36.840 --> 0:31:41.480 your mind. But you gotta let Jesus in second thoult 0:31:41.560 --> 0:31:44.560 is this write this down. Some closed doors are a 0:31:44.600 --> 0:31:47.760 set up, now hear me. There are some closed doors 0:31:47.800 --> 0:31:51.960 in our life that we have closed as our response 0:31:52.040 --> 0:31:55.680 to trauma. But there are closed doors in our life 0:31:56.240 --> 0:32:00.720 that God himself has closed. You can't. You've been in 0:32:00.720 --> 0:32:03.520 a position where nobody you call will pick up their phone. 0:32:04.720 --> 0:32:08.120 You just trying to find somebody, find an angle who 0:32:08.160 --> 0:32:10.960 can get me forward. And it does not matter what 0:32:11.120 --> 0:32:14.800 you do, how many applications you put out, because sometimes 0:32:15.120 --> 0:32:18.280 God will close a door in our life. Here in 0:32:18.360 --> 0:32:20.520 John twenty, Jesus walks into a room where the doors 0:32:20.560 --> 0:32:24.040 closed because they closed it. After Jesus gets them out 0:32:24.120 --> 0:32:26.560 of that room, he puts them in an upper room, 0:32:27.000 --> 0:32:29.880 and he closes that door on them and acts Chapter one, 0:32:29.960 --> 0:32:33.360 verse four, it says this, and being assembled together with them, 0:32:33.480 --> 0:32:36.520 Jesus commanded them, don't you leave this room. That's not 0:32:36.640 --> 0:32:39.920 like yo, mama. Don't you come out of here? He said, 0:32:40.040 --> 0:32:43.480 do not depart from Jerusalem. But wait, somebody say, wait 0:32:44.160 --> 0:32:46.719 for the promise of the Father, which he said, you 0:32:46.760 --> 0:32:49.040 have heard from me. Here's what God told the disciple. 0:32:49.040 --> 0:32:51.920 He said, now arisen, I'm all powerful. All power has 0:32:51.960 --> 0:32:54.880 been given to you. Go change the whole world. And 0:32:54.960 --> 0:32:59.600 Peter's your boss, by the way. But before you do that, 0:32:59.840 --> 0:33:04.680 go in this room, close the door and wait, because 0:33:04.720 --> 0:33:09.280 you're not ready yet. I've discovered God will always call 0:33:09.320 --> 0:33:14.760 you to something that is beyond your ability, the destiny 0:33:14.800 --> 0:33:17.560 that God has for you. You know, some people, they're insecure. 0:33:18.360 --> 0:33:20.480 I have these big dreams, but but I just don't 0:33:20.480 --> 0:33:23.120 think I can accompliy. I don't think that I'm smart 0:33:23.240 --> 0:33:27.000 enough for gifted, number educated. I can't to encourage you. 0:33:27.000 --> 0:33:33.960 You're not you feel the courage. You're not smart enough, 0:33:34.000 --> 0:33:36.680 You're not gifted enough. You're actually not educated enough. That's 0:33:36.680 --> 0:33:39.320 why I say God dream because if you could do 0:33:39.440 --> 0:33:42.920 it without God, it wouldn't be He will always put 0:33:42.960 --> 0:33:46.040 you in a position where you're in over your head, 0:33:47.040 --> 0:33:49.880 and he said, hey, before you go out and do it, 0:33:50.080 --> 0:33:54.920 stay here so that I can prepare you. There are 0:33:55.000 --> 0:33:57.600 seasons in our life where it's God who has closed 0:33:57.600 --> 0:34:00.200 the door. And hear me, if God has closed the 0:34:00.240 --> 0:34:03.640 door in your life, it's either because you are not 0:34:03.840 --> 0:34:07.960 ready for your breakthrough or your breakthrough is not ready 0:34:08.080 --> 0:34:14.359 for you. I've grown and matured, but I'm the same 0:34:14.400 --> 0:34:17.359 old Stevens. I was breaking into the doctor's offices when 0:34:17.360 --> 0:34:19.880 I was sixteen, and I still have the person when 0:34:19.920 --> 0:34:21.719 I see a closed door, I just want to kick 0:34:21.719 --> 0:34:23.680 it in. And anyway like that. You get on the 0:34:23.680 --> 0:34:25.920 phone with customer service somebody say I can't help you, 0:34:25.880 --> 0:34:27.760 You're like, okay, let me talk to your boss, because 0:34:27.800 --> 0:34:29.600 clearly you ain't the person I need to talk to. 0:34:29.719 --> 0:34:31.960 But somebody can help me. I just I'm just want 0:34:32.040 --> 0:34:36.400 I don't know how to take no I should. It's 0:34:36.480 --> 0:34:40.840 just like not right now. I need to pray for 0:34:40.920 --> 0:34:45.399 men need help. I've just discovered that there's sometimes where 0:34:45.440 --> 0:34:48.680 it's not a moment to kick in the door, but 0:34:48.760 --> 0:34:53.960 it's a moment to wait on God's timing, because if 0:34:54.000 --> 0:34:58.279 I go through a door prematurely, I will not be 0:34:58.400 --> 0:35:02.399 ready for all that God God has for me. Nop, 0:35:03.040 --> 0:35:04.440 this isn't the message, but I just want to take 0:35:04.440 --> 0:35:06.120 a little detour. Can we have a little praise break? 0:35:06.800 --> 0:35:09.920 Is there anybody watching online, in this room, watching in 0:35:09.960 --> 0:35:13.560 our campuses that you are mature enough in your faith 0:35:13.800 --> 0:35:21.560 to thank God for the nose hear me? Anybody can 0:35:21.640 --> 0:35:25.280 thank God for his yeses, But is there anybody mature 0:35:25.400 --> 0:35:28.240 enough to thank God that he has closed some doors 0:35:28.280 --> 0:35:31.960 in your life? Anybody was dating somebody that you wanted 0:35:32.000 --> 0:35:34.600 to marry and it didn't work out, But now you 0:35:34.719 --> 0:35:37.120 look him back and you say, thank God it didn't 0:35:37.160 --> 0:35:40.640 work out because they broke they ugly, they discussed it. 0:35:42.640 --> 0:35:45.760 Anybody applied for a job that you did not get 0:35:46.040 --> 0:35:48.399 and now you're thanking God that you didn't get it 0:35:48.560 --> 0:35:51.960 because it actually sets you up for some There are 0:35:52.160 --> 0:35:55.720 doors that God closes in our life, and the only 0:35:55.840 --> 0:35:58.920 reason he would close a door is because he has 0:35:58.920 --> 0:36:03.920 something better for you. I'm not I'm not talking about you. 0:36:03.960 --> 0:36:06.959 I'm just talking about me. If I don't get my way, 0:36:07.719 --> 0:36:10.400 I just have a session with God where I just complain. 0:36:11.360 --> 0:36:16.800 I call it prayer. I don't know what he calls it. 0:36:16.840 --> 0:36:20.239 I'm not fair. Why we get that landing when we 0:36:20.280 --> 0:36:23.200 get that doty and and he's like, he don't call 0:36:23.280 --> 0:36:26.399 me dummy, I call me dumby, Like dummy, it's because 0:36:26.440 --> 0:36:31.359 I got something better for you. Stop crying and use 0:36:31.440 --> 0:36:38.480 this closed door season to prepare for what I have 0:36:38.640 --> 0:36:41.720 for you. Because what I have for you is above 0:36:41.760 --> 0:36:44.759 and beyond anything that you can ever ask, think or 0:36:44.800 --> 0:36:47.560 imagine and hear me. Just because the door is closed 0:36:47.600 --> 0:36:50.160 doesn't mean it's not gonna open. And you gotta be 0:36:50.280 --> 0:36:53.520 ready for when that door opens, because when it's open, 0:36:53.680 --> 0:36:59.040 it's game time. There's there's there's something called chronos, which 0:36:59.080 --> 0:37:01.960 is our physical one hour, two hour, one day, three day, 0:37:02.040 --> 0:37:06.440 and then there's a biblical world called Cairos. It's not 0:37:06.600 --> 0:37:12.120 physical time, it's divine time. It's when heaven and earth collides. 0:37:12.239 --> 0:37:15.680 It's a moment that God has prepared. It's like when 0:37:15.680 --> 0:37:18.239 that widow was coming in to beg the king for 0:37:18.320 --> 0:37:21.080 her land back, and she didn't know before she got 0:37:21.080 --> 0:37:23.920 in the room, somebody else was talking about her and 0:37:23.960 --> 0:37:26.200 about how much of a blessing she was, and she 0:37:26.400 --> 0:37:29.560 walked into a God moment. Here's why God has closed 0:37:29.600 --> 0:37:31.920 the door in your life, because he's waiting for the 0:37:32.040 --> 0:37:36.640 God timing, and when you walk through that door, it's 0:37:36.719 --> 0:37:41.200 the moment that He has for you. And there's nothing 0:37:41.239 --> 0:37:44.600 worse than getting the right thing at the wrong time. 0:37:46.400 --> 0:37:48.040 I don't know how many Caribbean folks we have in 0:37:48.040 --> 0:37:52.279 a room, but my parents are from Barbados and I 0:37:52.320 --> 0:37:55.200 grew up in the Caribbean. Thanksgiving was a little crazy. 0:37:55.239 --> 0:37:57.520 We didn't just do mac and cheese and turkey. If 0:37:57.520 --> 0:37:59.839 we do a turkey, it's gonna be a jerk turkey, y'all. 0:38:01.080 --> 0:38:05.880 We don't fry turkey. We do oxtail and courage chicken, 0:38:06.040 --> 0:38:09.000 and I mean, we throw down. But in the Caribbean. 0:38:09.160 --> 0:38:11.200 There's a fruit called a mango. If you've never seen it, 0:38:11.239 --> 0:38:13.520 I can't help you. It's like a peach. I don't 0:38:13.520 --> 0:38:17.200 know what tell you, but it's better. Best fruit in 0:38:17.239 --> 0:38:19.480 the world. I think it's actually with Eve eight in 0:38:19.520 --> 0:38:24.600 the garden. It wasn't an apple, it was a manga. 0:38:24.719 --> 0:38:28.279 The best fruit in the world is disgusting at the 0:38:28.320 --> 0:38:32.680 wrong time. If it's not ripe, it's hard and it's bitter. 0:38:33.640 --> 0:38:37.879 If it's over ripe, it's just disgusting. The right thing 0:38:37.960 --> 0:38:40.120 at the wrong time is not a blessing. And here 0:38:40.160 --> 0:38:42.680 I am complaining, guy, why are you open the door? 0:38:42.719 --> 0:38:44.759 And ty, why can't I move forward? It's like, don't 0:38:44.760 --> 0:38:49.520 you understand the timing is not right. I'm preparing you, Steven, 0:38:49.719 --> 0:38:53.920 but I'm also preparing destiny for you. Here's what you 0:38:54.000 --> 0:38:57.720 have to understand. You are God's answer to a problem 0:38:57.800 --> 0:39:01.040 here on earth. The Bible said that God's given you 0:39:01.239 --> 0:39:04.400 gifts that will bring you for four people of influence. 0:39:05.480 --> 0:39:09.319 Somebody on earth with influence has a problem. Watch this, 0:39:09.719 --> 0:39:13.720 and you are God's answer to it. The only problem 0:39:13.840 --> 0:39:15.960 is that person of influence. They ain't ready for you. 0:39:16.800 --> 0:39:19.680 Because so often when we have a problem. We look everywhere, 0:39:19.719 --> 0:39:22.520 but God, so right now, they're trying to use money 0:39:22.560 --> 0:39:24.279 to get out of their problem. They're trying to use 0:39:24.360 --> 0:39:26.600 their connections to get out of their problem. They're trying 0:39:26.600 --> 0:39:28.560 to use their resume to get out and Gods just like, 0:39:28.719 --> 0:39:31.000 just wait, just wait, just wait, because in a moment, 0:39:31.040 --> 0:39:32.880 they're gonna run out of options. And when they run 0:39:32.920 --> 0:39:34.680 out of options, they're gonna turn to me. And when 0:39:34.719 --> 0:39:36.560 they turn to me, I'm gonna send you. And you're 0:39:36.600 --> 0:39:39.160 gonna walk in and watch this. When you walk in, 0:39:39.239 --> 0:39:42.000 when the moment is ready for you, you you get jobs 0:39:42.000 --> 0:39:44.879 you didn't apply for, You get favor you didn't work 0:39:44.960 --> 0:39:47.759 for it. You walk into things that are above your 0:39:47.840 --> 0:39:56.719 resume because you stepped into a Cairo's moment. I've discovered, 0:39:56.719 --> 0:39:59.520 when the door's closed in my life, it's not my 0:39:59.600 --> 0:40:02.040 time to say, sit there and twiddle my thumbs and come, God, 0:40:02.120 --> 0:40:05.160 how come I don't get any opportunities and out. No, No, 0:40:05.239 --> 0:40:10.200 it's my time to prepare for when that door opens up. 0:40:11.400 --> 0:40:13.080 So many of us, over the last eighteen to twenty 0:40:13.120 --> 0:40:16.000 four months, we spent more time in our houses with 0:40:16.160 --> 0:40:19.640 our family than we could ever imagine. And here's my 0:40:19.719 --> 0:40:23.000 problem where we complaining that we couldn't travel, or we 0:40:23.000 --> 0:40:27.120 were preparing for when the world opens back up, God, 0:40:27.160 --> 0:40:29.040 I'm not gonna be where I was when the door closed. 0:40:29.080 --> 0:40:32.080 I'm gonna be so much further ready for all that 0:40:32.120 --> 0:40:34.960 you have to me. Matthew. Chapter six, verse six is this. 0:40:35.200 --> 0:40:38.279 It says, but when you pray, I love how God 0:40:38.360 --> 0:40:42.120 just assumes we pray. It was like if you pray 0:40:42.160 --> 0:40:44.160 as I went, well, I mean, you love me and 0:40:44.200 --> 0:40:46.240 you talk to people that you love, so I'm assuming 0:40:46.719 --> 0:40:50.759 that we're gonna talk. He said, when you pray, go 0:40:51.120 --> 0:40:54.680 into your room, and when somebody say, shut the door. 0:40:55.400 --> 0:40:59.040 When you have shut your door, pray to your father 0:40:59.800 --> 0:41:03.600 who in the secret place, and your father, who sees 0:41:03.760 --> 0:41:06.960 in secret, will reward you. Oh, here's what God has said. 0:41:07.040 --> 0:41:11.600 He said, what happens behind closed doors, the world will 0:41:11.640 --> 0:41:14.840 see in one moment. Here's a mistake I made. I 0:41:15.600 --> 0:41:18.560 would go and you know, opportunities aren't coming, doors aren't opening, 0:41:18.600 --> 0:41:20.960 and I'm in my prayer clause I'm crying out to God, 0:41:21.000 --> 0:41:24.239 but I would never close the door behind me. Come on, 0:41:24.239 --> 0:41:35.320 some of y'all pray like me. Lord, I'm praying for breakthrough. Breakthrough, 0:41:37.239 --> 0:41:41.480 breck though, and that didn't work. I bring out a 0:41:41.520 --> 0:41:46.319 Pentecostal prayer. No, no pray for bre through. I'm start 0:41:46.320 --> 0:41:51.800 bucking and rocking. What do you say? He said close 0:41:51.840 --> 0:41:55.760 the door. Here's why, because if I'm praying and I'm looking, 0:41:56.000 --> 0:42:02.680 I'm not praying with faith, because faith is not God said, 0:42:02.719 --> 0:42:05.880 you gotta learn how to close a door where you 0:42:06.000 --> 0:42:09.600 can't see the opportunities. But yet you're still crying out 0:42:09.680 --> 0:42:13.480 to God, saying, God, I know you will do it. 0:42:17.520 --> 0:42:19.840 So many people we're in a position where like, I 0:42:19.880 --> 0:42:22.719 don't see how it's gonna happen. I'm single, and I 0:42:22.719 --> 0:42:25.239 don't see any options. I have this business dream, but 0:42:25.560 --> 0:42:27.759 I don't see a market. If you could see it, 0:42:27.840 --> 0:42:30.400 you wouldn't need faith, And if you didn't need faith, 0:42:30.480 --> 0:42:33.399 it wouldn't be God. The fact that you can't see 0:42:33.440 --> 0:42:38.759 it makes it more likely God than not. It's in 0:42:38.840 --> 0:42:42.000 those closed door seasons that are faith builds that we 0:42:42.080 --> 0:42:44.799 learn to trust God based on the promises of his 0:42:44.880 --> 0:42:50.960 word and not based on the circumstances of our reality. Oh, 0:42:51.000 --> 0:42:54.879 I'm gonna get in trouble. Some of us spend more 0:42:54.920 --> 0:42:57.360 time watching the news than we spend watching his promises, 0:43:00.160 --> 0:43:02.080 and we're listening to people who do not have the 0:43:02.120 --> 0:43:05.839 same hope that we have as they prophi lie over 0:43:05.920 --> 0:43:09.800 our future. I don't care what happens to the economy 0:43:09.840 --> 0:43:12.240 of this country. I do, but not that much because 0:43:12.239 --> 0:43:15.520 I'm not from around here. I'm just an ambassador. I'm 0:43:15.520 --> 0:43:19.040 a king's kid, and what happens here does not apply 0:43:19.200 --> 0:43:22.560 to me. Because when he opens the door, no man 0:43:22.640 --> 0:43:27.960 can shut it. We need to spend more time behind 0:43:28.080 --> 0:43:32.560 closed doors, looking to the hill from whence cometh our help. 0:43:33.440 --> 0:43:36.160 Our help comes from the Lord and Maker of heaven 0:43:36.239 --> 0:43:40.680 and earth. Last thing is this. Write this down. We're 0:43:40.680 --> 0:43:47.960 gonna land this plane. Whatever you do, do not get 0:43:48.200 --> 0:43:52.560 used to closed doors. There are some closed doors that 0:43:52.640 --> 0:43:56.080 we're the ones who close it because of our response 0:43:56.160 --> 0:43:58.480 to fear or disappointment or trauma. And we need to 0:43:58.560 --> 0:44:01.680 let Jesus say there's some closed doors that are in 0:44:01.719 --> 0:44:05.000 our lives because Jesus closed the door because the timing 0:44:05.160 --> 0:44:08.439 is not right. And don't knock the door in. Use 0:44:08.480 --> 0:44:10.839 the time to prepare for what God has for you. 0:44:12.000 --> 0:44:14.960 But whatever you do, don't get used to close the door. 0:44:15.040 --> 0:44:19.279 What does that mean? Don't get used to losing? Come on, 0:44:19.360 --> 0:44:20.960 this is a word for somebody. You went through a 0:44:20.960 --> 0:44:23.759 season where you may have lost a loved one, you 0:44:23.760 --> 0:44:25.760 you may have lost a job, you may have gotten 0:44:25.800 --> 0:44:29.719 knocked back here. It was a season, not a life sentence. 0:44:30.920 --> 0:44:35.279 Don't build an entire personality around losing. Don't make life 0:44:35.400 --> 0:44:39.760 decisions around losing. It was a season, not a sentence. 0:44:40.040 --> 0:44:44.960 Because some closed doors are the enemy, and those are 0:44:44.960 --> 0:44:48.319 the doors that our God is gonna kick it. I 0:44:48.320 --> 0:44:49.879 don't have time to read it. Read on your own time. 0:44:49.920 --> 0:44:53.600 But in Acts chapter twelve, the disciples found themselves behind 0:44:53.640 --> 0:44:56.680 another closed door. Jesus had gone on to sit next 0:44:56.680 --> 0:44:59.400 to the Father in heaven and the church was growing. 0:45:00.280 --> 0:45:03.240 And then the government at that time they arrested James, 0:45:03.239 --> 0:45:05.319 the brother of Jesus, And when they found out that 0:45:05.360 --> 0:45:08.720 the community was excited about persecuting the church, no figure, 0:45:09.040 --> 0:45:12.239 they cut James head off. And when they found out 0:45:12.280 --> 0:45:14.719 that everybody loved it, they arrested Peter. And they had 0:45:14.719 --> 0:45:17.560 the same plan for Peter as they had for nothing 0:45:17.600 --> 0:45:19.279 to do with the message, Just run a rabbit trail. 0:45:19.719 --> 0:45:22.000 My children, they're in Christian school, and I didn't know 0:45:22.040 --> 0:45:24.440 I appreciate Christian school until they started coming home and 0:45:24.520 --> 0:45:27.000 telling us all these Bible stories. I realized, Wow, they're 0:45:27.080 --> 0:45:29.720 learning God's word. I love this. But for some reason, 0:45:29.840 --> 0:45:33.239 my three year old Roman only remembers the decapitations of 0:45:33.280 --> 0:45:36.759 the Bible. He don't know nothing about Moses, he don't 0:45:36.760 --> 0:45:39.919 remember Jonah. All he knows is Daddy did cut John 0:45:39.960 --> 0:45:43.520 the Baptists head off. That and if Pharaoh had pride 0:45:43.560 --> 0:45:47.000 in his heart. That's all he's learned. It's anyway, So 0:45:47.040 --> 0:45:50.040 they cut James head off. They throw Peter in prison, 0:45:50.080 --> 0:45:52.839 getting ready to execute him the next day. And watch this. 0:45:53.080 --> 0:45:56.239 When they arrest Peter, the church goes in a room, 0:45:56.320 --> 0:46:01.000 closes the door, and begins to pray. This is not Bible, 0:46:01.040 --> 0:46:02.680 this is just Stephen. So you can take it or 0:46:02.760 --> 0:46:04.920 leave and we could figure it out in heaven. I 0:46:05.040 --> 0:46:07.760 think James lost his head because the church wasn't praying. 0:46:09.920 --> 0:46:11.680 I think if the church was praying the way it 0:46:11.719 --> 0:46:14.399 was supposed to be, when James got arrested, and could 0:46:14.440 --> 0:46:16.759 you imagine how ticked off James is in heaven right now, 0:46:16.960 --> 0:46:21.920 just holding his head. He's like, really, y'all, y'all couldn't 0:46:21.920 --> 0:46:25.560 pray until Peter gets arrested. I mean, who likes Peter. 0:46:28.800 --> 0:46:31.799 So here's Peter in prison. The church is cried out, 0:46:31.880 --> 0:46:34.879 said God. And because the church is praying, God says, 0:46:34.880 --> 0:46:38.000 whenever two of you agree on anything, it will be 0:46:38.160 --> 0:46:40.960 done here on earth. And God got the age and said, hey, 0:46:41.000 --> 0:46:44.680 the churches agreed, go down and rescue Peter. So it 0:46:44.680 --> 0:46:46.880 says the angel, he goes into the prison. And if 0:46:46.920 --> 0:46:49.000 I had time to appreciate this, the Bible says, the 0:46:49.080 --> 0:46:54.640 angel had to wake Peter up. What type of faith 0:46:54.719 --> 0:46:58.919 do you have where it's the night before your execution 0:46:59.520 --> 0:47:03.040 and your sleep. I'm sorry, I've got faith like that. 0:47:04.120 --> 0:47:06.880 If they about to kill me, I'm trying to bribe 0:47:06.920 --> 0:47:09.279 the judge. I'm trying to I'm trying to pick a lock. 0:47:09.360 --> 0:47:12.400 I'm trying to Peter's sleep because he knows to Livius 0:47:12.480 --> 0:47:14.719 Christ and the dye is day. It doesn't matter what 0:47:14.800 --> 0:47:18.600 happens to me. I'm blessed. So it says they wake 0:47:18.640 --> 0:47:20.879 Peter up. It it says his shackles fall off. Peter 0:47:21.080 --> 0:47:23.319 thought he was in a dream. The angel gods Peter 0:47:23.520 --> 0:47:28.320 out of prison to the very door where the prayer 0:47:28.360 --> 0:47:32.440 meeting was happening, says Peter comes to the door, he 0:47:32.520 --> 0:47:37.200 knocks on the other side of this door. They're praying 0:47:37.320 --> 0:47:44.120 for a miracle. The miracle is at the door. The 0:47:44.320 --> 0:47:49.719 miracle knocks on the door. One of the attendants there, 0:47:49.719 --> 0:47:55.319 her name was Rhoda. She opens the door. I don't 0:47:55.320 --> 0:48:01.680 miss this. They're praying for Peter. Peter's the door. She 0:48:01.880 --> 0:48:12.160 opens the door, Oh my gosh, it's Peter and slams 0:48:12.239 --> 0:48:16.560 the door in his face. Then she goes back and says, 0:48:16.680 --> 0:48:18.919 it's Peter at the door. You know what they said. 0:48:19.120 --> 0:48:24.600 You're lying. It's not Peter. It's a ghost. They were 0:48:24.760 --> 0:48:31.400 praying for Peter, but they were praying with no expectation. 0:48:33.239 --> 0:48:36.200 They were praying out of religion, not out of faith, 0:48:36.440 --> 0:48:40.440 because they had got used to losing. Hear me, don't 0:48:40.480 --> 0:48:44.959 you dare get used to losing. Don't you dare get 0:48:45.040 --> 0:48:48.440 used to closed doors? Don't you dare get used to 0:48:48.520 --> 0:48:53.719 a moment when His favor is not on you. It 0:48:53.800 --> 0:48:57.120 may be a season where doors are closed. It may 0:48:57.160 --> 0:48:59.920 be a season of sickness. It may be a season 0:49:00.200 --> 0:49:03.400 up setback. It may be a season where people are coming. 0:49:03.640 --> 0:49:09.560 But it's a season, not a life sentence. The Bible says, 0:49:09.600 --> 0:49:13.239 don't cast away your confidence. I know it's been a 0:49:13.360 --> 0:49:17.120 rough season. But don't you dare stop believe in God's 0:49:17.320 --> 0:49:22.600 best for you. I'm gonna close by five year old Zoe. 0:49:23.480 --> 0:49:27.360 She a little turn. Actually, all our kids are they 0:49:27.400 --> 0:49:32.719 get from the mama, and so we make them take naps. Now, 0:49:32.840 --> 0:49:34.960 somebody are like five year old taking naps. Yes, it's 0:49:35.000 --> 0:49:38.160 not for them, it's for us. So we say he 0:49:38.200 --> 0:49:39.560 zoways old and she's like, I want to take it. 0:49:39.600 --> 0:49:41.560 That was like, we don't care what you do. You 0:49:41.719 --> 0:49:42.800 just go in your room for an hour and a 0:49:42.800 --> 0:49:45.520 half and don't come out. And what she'll do is 0:49:45.560 --> 0:49:47.520 she'll go in the room. She'll take her pillow on 0:49:47.560 --> 0:49:50.319 her blanket off of the bed and she'll put it 0:49:50.400 --> 0:49:53.560 right next to the door, and she'll crack the door 0:49:53.719 --> 0:49:55.680 and she I have found her at three in the morning, 0:49:55.719 --> 0:49:58.960 sometimes passed out next to her door and in her 0:49:59.080 --> 0:50:01.279 five year old nine. I don't know when they're going 0:50:01.320 --> 0:50:04.080 to open this door and let me out, But whenever 0:50:04.120 --> 0:50:07.960 this door opens, I don't want to waste the seven 0:50:08.160 --> 0:50:12.799 steps from my bed to the door. I think God 0:50:12.920 --> 0:50:15.840 is looking for some believers that you're not going to 0:50:16.040 --> 0:50:19.560 force the issue, but you've set your faith up right 0:50:19.560 --> 0:50:22.040 at the edge of that door, and you're like, God, 0:50:22.360 --> 0:50:25.200 I'm not going to force it. But the second this 0:50:25.320 --> 0:50:29.080 door opens up, I stepping through, and I'm ready for 0:50:29.160 --> 0:50:32.520 that moment. I'm ready for that favor. I'm ready for 0:50:32.680 --> 0:50:41.600 all that that open door is coming to you. And 0:50:41.680 --> 0:50:45.560 when it is, don't get caught slipping, don't get caught doubting, 0:50:46.800 --> 0:50:49.799 don't get caught thinking that your best days were behind you. 0:50:50.760 --> 0:50:53.040 But live from a position of God. I'm still breathing, 0:50:53.719 --> 0:50:56.279 which means there's more for me that you have in 0:50:56.360 --> 0:50:59.600 front of you you and that you have behind Hey, can 0:50:59.640 --> 0:51:04.839 I pray for you? Father, God? We are grateful God 0:51:04.840 --> 0:51:07.359 that if your eyes are on the sparrow, how much 0:51:07.400 --> 0:51:11.839 more do you not know? God? The desires of our heart, God, 0:51:11.880 --> 0:51:16.200 the dreams of our heart. You put them there. Just 0:51:16.239 --> 0:51:20.279 because they were delayed in our timing doesn't mean it's 0:51:20.320 --> 0:51:24.479 off schedule for you. God. I pray that you'd stir 0:51:24.520 --> 0:51:27.359 our faith again. God, I pray that you'd put us 0:51:27.360 --> 0:51:32.319 in a position of expectation, knowing that you're getting ready 0:51:32.320 --> 0:51:35.640 to open doors in our lives. Just where you are 0:51:35.640 --> 0:51:37.360 with your eyes closed and your head back, If you 0:51:37.360 --> 0:51:40.799 could pray this pray with me, say Holy spirit, what 0:51:40.800 --> 0:51:43.440 do you say to me? And just give God a 0:51:43.480 --> 0:51:46.160 moment to make this time to make this message personal 0:51:46.239 --> 0:51:51.239 to you. There's so many of us without even realizing it. 0:51:52.400 --> 0:51:55.920 There's parts of our heart that we've closed off because 0:51:55.920 --> 0:51:58.879 of some fear, because of something that someone spoke over us, 0:51:58.920 --> 0:52:04.120 because of some back or some failure. God is saying, 0:52:04.800 --> 0:52:07.400 I'm not coming in to curse you, or to judge you, 0:52:07.520 --> 0:52:11.120 or to look. I'm coming to bring peace that air 0:52:11.120 --> 0:52:14.600 of your life. There's some of you under the sun 0:52:14.680 --> 0:52:17.239 of my voice that if you'd be honest, you've never 0:52:17.280 --> 0:52:20.560 opened your life to Jesus before. Maybe you're like me, 0:52:20.719 --> 0:52:24.000 you grew up in church, you just never surrendered to 0:52:24.040 --> 0:52:27.239 the God of the Church. Maybe this is your first 0:52:27.239 --> 0:52:29.279 time in an atmosphere like this. But if you'd be honest, 0:52:29.320 --> 0:52:31.480 you say, Pastor, I can't say that I've opened up 0:52:31.480 --> 0:52:34.040 the Jesus the way that you're talking about. But I'm exhausted, 0:52:34.360 --> 0:52:37.360 I'm tired, and I need that peace that you're talking about. 0:52:37.400 --> 0:52:40.160 If that's you, this moment right now was for you. 0:52:41.320 --> 0:52:43.440 All you have to do is take one step towards me, 0:52:43.480 --> 0:52:45.400 and we do that in this prayers. Here's I'm asking 0:52:46.160 --> 0:52:47.879 you would pray this perything. A matter of fact, every 0:52:47.920 --> 0:52:50.200 single person in every single room that we're in, can 0:52:50.239 --> 0:52:52.800 we pray this out loud out of encouragement of those 0:52:52.960 --> 0:52:56.720 that are making the greatest decision ever? Say Lord Jesus, 0:52:57.640 --> 0:53:03.840 thank you for seem for wanting me, for dining on 0:53:03.880 --> 0:53:08.239 the cross so that all my sin, all my mistakes, 0:53:09.000 --> 0:53:13.560 can be erased. Today I open my heart to you. 0:53:14.400 --> 0:53:20.440 I surrender be my Lord, be my savior, and use 0:53:20.719 --> 0:53:26.280 me for your glory in Jesus' name. Amen and amen 0:53:26.400 --> 0:53:29.280 and amen. Come on, can you celebrate for every single 0:53:29.320 --> 0:53:32.960 person that just made the greatest decision ever? God bless 0:53:33.000 --> 0:53:37.640 you well. If you enjoyed today's podcast, there are a 0:53:37.680 --> 0:53:39.759 couple of things I'd love for you to do. Make 0:53:39.800 --> 0:53:44.120 sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. You can 0:53:44.160 --> 0:53:47.360 also help us reach others by investing today at Elevationchurch 0:53:47.560 --> 0:53:50.600 dot org, slash give and thanks again for joining us 0:53:50.680 --> 0:53:52.080 on the Elevation Podcast.