The Power Of The Pull

0:00:01.520 --> 0:00:02.800 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:02.800 --> 0:00:05.800 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:08.320 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:10.680 this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:13.080 Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving. 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:13.560 In your life. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:20.200 Enjoy the message two King's thirteen fourteen through twenty. This 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:24.360 parable in action, where we have been looking at an 0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:30.720 object lesson and from this simple little archery instruction where 0:00:30.800 --> 0:00:34.960 the Prophetyli show pulls out a sermon prop and makes 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:36.919 me feel better about all the props I've used over 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:39.800 the years, because here the prophet Elisha, one of the 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:44.960 most powerful preachers that the Bible has ever recorded the 0:00:45.000 --> 0:00:48.400 life of. He instead of speaking to the King about 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:50.600 what he needs to do, he shows him because sometimes 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:54.320 actions speak louder than words, and sometimes it's not in 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.200 what we understand or declare, but in what we do 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:03.800 that are measure of successes determined. And this passage is 0:01:03.840 --> 0:01:05.440 cool because he uses. 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:07.839 A boat and an arrow. 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:11.000 And earlier today they were playing some old clips of 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.840 my preaching and showing me with a water gun, and 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:16.040 I had some grown men on a seesaw. One time 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:19.240 to talk about giving weight to God's word and how 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.000 many of you were there for that when yeah, And 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:25.120 I love how our teams through the years, when I 0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:27.680 think of something crazy, they don't look at me crazy. 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:30.160 I said, I need a seesaw for my sermon, and 0:01:30.440 --> 0:01:32.160 Joe and the team built a seesaw, and we've done 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:34.280 all these things over the years. And I used to 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:37.320 feel like that was probably because I was a shallow preacher, 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:40.240 that I didn't have enough substance, so I had to 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:43.000 do all this silly stuff to keep people's attention. But 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:45.959 I don't really see it that way anymore, because you know, 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:49.680 Jesus was the Word made flesh, and when he came 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.560 to preach, he would often point at stuff to illustrate 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:56.560 his point. He would use objects to get his message 0:01:56.640 --> 0:01:59.720 or his lesson across. So when he was talking about worry, 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:02.480 he point to the birds and say, if God can 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:07.560 feed them, what are you worried about? Now one of 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:09.800 them falls to the sky without him knowing it, and 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:12.240 you think God doesn't have his eye on your life. 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:14.720 He's watching over you, and he would point to the 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:17.640 birds to prove that. Or he would contrast. Sometimes you 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:21.120 see that big mountain. You can move it with faith 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:22.760 the size of a mustard sea. 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:24.880 If you would believe a little bit, you could do 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:25.239 a lot. 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:29.160 One time, he wanted to show them how he was 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:32.799 the bread of life, so he told the disciples. 0:02:32.240 --> 0:02:33.720 To feed the people. They said, we can't. 0:02:33.760 --> 0:02:38.560 He says, exactly, but when you bring your I can't, 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:41.760 and bring it to the one who is and was 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.880 and is to come. Anyway, y'all, don't feel like you're 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:48.720 in all this today. Would you not make me work 0:02:48.760 --> 0:02:51.200 so hard on my birthday to preach those of you 0:02:51.240 --> 0:02:53.720 who never say amen, who just look at me like 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:57.280 bless me. If you dare, can we do this together today? 0:02:57.280 --> 0:02:59.040 Come on? 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:01.840 One time Jesus wanted to show how he was the resurrection, 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:05.840 so he let Lazarus die. Why he needed a prop 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:08.639 And when he pointed to the tomb and said, Lazarus, 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:11.799 come forth, he was pointing to every dead thing in 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:12.520 your life. 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:13.640 When the word of. 0:03:13.560 --> 0:03:17.799 God hits dead places, disappointed places. 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:20.600 I feel dreams coming alive in the presence of God. 0:03:25.360 --> 0:03:27.440 So it just makes me feel good that when the 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:28.079 King came. 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.760 To see Elisha, he he used to a prop and 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:34.120 I want to read it in case you're new to 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.360 the series, I really want to pull you in. I 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:39.200 really I want to do my best, whether you've just 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:41.040 come in here, whether you've been here for the whole thing. 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:43.520 It's always my aim to pull. 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:48.080 Everybody in, whether you have the Book of Philippians memorized, 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:50.160 or whether you dated a guy named Philip one time and. 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:53.000 It didn't go well. Look at verse fifteen. 0:03:53.040 --> 0:03:55.640 Elisha said, get a bow, Get a bow and some arrows, 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:57.320 and he did so. Take the bow in your hands, 0:03:57.320 --> 0:03:58.960 he said to the King of Israel. And when he 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:00.960 had taken and now when he looked at it, not 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:02.720 when he considered it, not when he prayed about it, 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:06.080 when he had taken it, when he had taken it, 0:04:06.080 --> 0:04:07.760 when he took action on the word that was spoken. 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:13.200 Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. God's guidance 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:23.200 is awaiting your participation. When he did what he was 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:26.920 told to do. I'm thankful that God guides my life. 0:04:27.000 --> 0:04:32.600 That I just saw a picture of how God's. 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:34.800 Hands have always been on my. 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:38.200 Hands, even in seasons when I didn't want him to 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:42.279 lead me, he led me. And when he put his 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:45.720 hands on the King's hands, he gave him an instruction 0:04:46.839 --> 0:04:48.599 and it's kind of been our theme for the series, 0:04:48.640 --> 0:04:52.080 hasn't it. When he told him open the east window, 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:55.320 and he opened it, he did not open the window 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:58.840 for the king. He pointed in the direction of the 0:04:58.880 --> 0:05:02.080 battle that God would give the victory if the king 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:06.320 would dare to face it and fight it. And when 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:10.000 he opened the window, the prophet told him to shoot, 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:14.040 and he shot, and then the prophet declared the Lord's 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:19.919 arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, that 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:24.039 confederation of nations that had been oppressing God's people, the 0:05:24.160 --> 0:05:31.360 arrow of victory over Aram. The arrow represents victory, and 0:05:31.400 --> 0:05:33.320 it's the Lord's victory. 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:36.839 It's his strength, his arm. 0:05:37.120 --> 0:05:40.760 This is a lesson for us to see, to see 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:44.080 the victory before we seize the victory. All of these 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:46.680 things I've mentioned to you, but on this final week 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:51.040 I want to focus in real, particularly on appointing this passage. 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:51.840 He said, you. 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:54.760 Will completely destroy the Arabians at Aphax, and then he 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:56.719 said take the arrows, and the king took them, and 0:05:56.760 --> 0:05:59.200 Elishah told him strike the ground, and he struck it 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:03.240 three times and stopped, and the Man of God was 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:06.440 angry with him and said, you should have struck the 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:09.880 ground five or six times. Then you could have had 0:06:09.920 --> 0:06:11.360 everything that God wanted. 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:11.599 You to have. 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:16.640 But you quit too quick. You quit when you don't 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:20.120 feel it. You only worship God when he gives you 0:06:20.160 --> 0:06:20.920 a goose pomp. 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:30.159 I love Elisha. He was a straight shooter, get it arrow. 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:32.839 He told him what he needed to hear. 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.400 You have, you could have, you would have, but now 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:41.719 you will defeat it only three times. And I was 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:45.760 talking to my sixteen year old self, you know, this week, 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:49.240 and I was imagining how he would preach this passage 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.279 and sixteen year old Stephen. He wouldn't have just preached 0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:54.800 about the arrows. He would have brought an arrow up 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:58.560 on the stage and used it for a prop. I 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:01.719 wonder did anybody on the front bringing. 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:03.200 These spare arrows to church today? 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:05.840 Oh, Jonathan Joseph, it's our campus pastor. 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:10.680 Y'all give it up for JJ. Always prepared. You see 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:16.160 that he was prepared with those arrows. That's why I 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:16.960 love you JJ. 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:21.880 That's why you're one of my top fourteen favorite campus fastors. 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:26.720 Sitting on those arrows ready for him. 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:30.400 I wonder what you're sitting on that you're not using today? 0:07:32.840 --> 0:07:36.480 Should have used all of your arrows. You should have. 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:40.320 Taken everything God gave you and kept striking until you 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:43.240 saw it, until what you see in your life reflects 0:07:43.240 --> 0:07:47.320 what God has spoken over your life. It was not 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:49.800 a deficiency in the artillery that cost the king to 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:55.440 be defeated. It was his lack of drive. Can I 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:59.400 say that that he wouldn't drive every arrow into the ground. 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.920 You should have kept pushing. You know, we all need 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:06.120 a push every now and then, don't we. I mean, 0:08:06.120 --> 0:08:08.240 we all come to the place in our life where 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:13.160 we need somebody to help us, motivate us to do 0:08:14.280 --> 0:08:18.200 what we can't do, and to get us started in 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:19.040 the right direction. 0:08:20.440 --> 0:08:22.520 I feel like it's my job in some ways to 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:24.440 give you a push as you go into your week. 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:30.840 You know, just a little nudge, just a little push. 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:33.680 That's what the worship leaders are doing. They're giving you 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:36.360 a push. You know, you come in some weeks and 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:39.320 you don't feel like praising God, and you know you 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:42.360 cussed at your kids in the van on the way 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:44.320 to church and said praise the Lord when you saw 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:49.960 the Parkers. But what I'm saying today really doesn't have 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:54.840 as much to do with that as it does with 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:57.600 the other instrument because I was praying. You know, we 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:01.679 talked about the power of precision. You have to aim 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:07.000 at something. We've talked about the power of preparation, that 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.360 the ground must be plowed for the harvest to be plentiful. 0:09:12.559 --> 0:09:15.720 Y'all miss that nobody wrote that down in the whole church. 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:19.199 The ground must be plowed for the harvest to be plentiful. 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:25.080 Why move the elevation pin bro across the paved back 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:25.640 and forth. 0:09:28.000 --> 0:09:31.400 He even talked about the power of potential and the 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:35.640 power of provision, all of these things we've talked about 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:37.160 using these arrows. 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:39.640 And as I was praying about how. 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:42.560 Do we close this series, it was almost like I 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:45.960 heard the text talking to me. It was almost like 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:48.319 the text was talking because I've been preaching so much 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:51.680 about these arrows and how you can't leave any of 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:54.960 them in your quiver. You cannot quit with arrows left 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:58.240 in your quiver. We've been preaching so much about the arrows. 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:00.800 But it's like I heard the text talking to me, 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:04.920 and it says if the text said, how about the bow, 0:10:07.840 --> 0:10:11.160 because the whole thing started with a bow. 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:16.360 J J, you got a boat. How about that? He's 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:19.440 got a bow and some arrows. 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:23.240 Now, of course we worked this out ahead of time. 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:27.480 This is Graham's bow, and he didn't even know where 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:29.800 it was. I told him this week to get his 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:32.880 bow that Uncle Max gave him a couple of Christmases ago, 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:35.559 and he couldn't even find it. And I thought, well, 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:38.160 that's a sermon illustration in itself. You're like a lot 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:40.560 of Christians. You've wrote it down in a notebook, but 0:10:40.600 --> 0:10:50.199 you never anyway. Uh whoa Oh, But. 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:54.120 He brought me the bow, and I was thinking. 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:59.040 In the context of what we've learned about all of 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:05.560 these principles from God's word, and quick, I promise you, 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.000 I know way better than to point this at any 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:09.400 of you. So let me turn my back on you 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:12.160 for a moment. She looks so scared. I promise I 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:17.360 would never. I would never. I'm extreme, but I'm not crazy. 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:21.600 Get a bowl, get some arrows. On the count of three, 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:22.319 we're gonna shoot it. 0:11:22.360 --> 0:11:26.079 You're ready, you ready, LJ one? 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:26.680 Two? 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:29.320 Three? Shoot? 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:39.840 Well that didn't go very far. Let's try again. Colt 0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:41.680 me down, all right, you ready, get a bow? Everybody 0:11:41.679 --> 0:11:46.320 say yeah, but get a bow, get some arrows, take 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:48.360 the shot on three. 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:48.960 Here we go. 0:11:49.840 --> 0:12:04.599 One two three. 0:12:05.720 --> 0:12:06.160 You like that. 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:10.480 I feel kind of stupid up here because in my 0:12:10.520 --> 0:12:13.680 mind I saw the row flying through the air, you know, 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:15.839 the Lord's aerro victory. 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:19.840 I saw it like a grave illustration. Am I doing 0:12:19.880 --> 0:12:29.480 something wrong? Oh? 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:35.720 So, in order for the arrow to fulfill its purpose, 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:41.800 the bow has to be I want to preach today 0:12:41.800 --> 0:12:45.400 for twenty five minutes on the power of the poll, 0:12:51.280 --> 0:12:54.640 because if you go out of this series trying to 0:12:54.720 --> 0:12:57.480 live out these principles in your own strength, you are 0:12:57.520 --> 0:12:59.679 going to look as stupid to the devil as I 0:12:59.720 --> 0:13:06.280 do with this little banshee. But once you understand the 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:15.560 power of the pull, once you understand that the power 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:19.040 of God is not in your effort, It is not 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:27.040 by your might nor by your strength, but by His spirit. See, 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:28.760 it's good to get a push. It's good to get 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.760 a push. It's really really good to get a push. 0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:34.720 And some people, like this king, they will do what 0:13:34.840 --> 0:13:39.640 they're told as long as somebody is pushing them. Everything 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.680 Elisha told the king to do, he did it. Get 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:45.199 a bow, he got it, Get some arrows, he got him, 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:46.040 strike the ground. 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:46.959 He struck it. 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:49.760 But it was the moment that Elisha took his hands 0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:52.760 off the King's hands seat. Some people have to be 0:13:53.160 --> 0:13:57.080 pushed to praise God. Other people have something on the 0:13:57.120 --> 0:13:59.920 inside of them that you don't have to prompt. 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:04.800 Oh God, you don't have to prompt me. I don't 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:07.720 need you to tell me to lift my hands. My 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:16.840 hands are lifting up. My mouth is still afraid. It's 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:19.760 the power of the pull. 0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:24.080 See before I was armed, but now I'm dangerous. The 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.320 devil doesn't fear you with your little I can see 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:29.520 you right now coming out of here, you know, trying 0:14:29.520 --> 0:14:34.240 to push yourself to live for Jesus. Come on, devil, 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:37.200 I got something for you, And the devil is scared. 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:38.360 But I guarantee you. 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:43.040 With a little bit of leverage. I said, all you 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:45.560 need is a little bit of leverage. 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.120 I said, all you need is a little bit of leverage. 0:14:49.320 --> 0:14:51.120 Come on, how many are seated. 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:53.720 In heavenly places with Jesus? 0:14:58.400 --> 0:14:59.960 Somebody shout? I got pulled. 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:05.280 That's what Paul was saying in Second Corinthians ten, verse three. 0:15:05.360 --> 0:15:07.840 He said, though we walk in the world, we don't 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:08.560 wage war. 0:15:08.680 --> 0:15:12.600 As the world wages war, We're not throwing our own arrows. 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:16.120 We have heavenly leverage. The weapons of. 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:20.280 Our warfare are not Carnival, but our mighty somebody shall power, 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:26.120 but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:37.440 You've been pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:40.440 And that's why it's not working. But God said, if 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:55.160 you would pull Pruvis, it's a big difference. This is motivation. 0:15:58.480 --> 0:16:04.040 It'll work. If I'm motivate you in church, it'll work 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:09.200 till Wednesday. I mean, the era went somewhere, but not 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:12.280 where it could have gone, not all the way over Aaron, 0:16:12.400 --> 0:16:13.440 not complete victory. 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:18.760 Motivation. But if there's something on the inside of you, and. 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:25.600 That's what Jehosh didn't have, that's called inspiration. There's something 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:28.400 pulling on me from the inside that made me want 0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:31.400 to preach on my birthday. I could be on the beach, 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:35.960 but something pulled me to this pulpit. I wanted to 0:16:36.000 --> 0:16:39.680 do it, not I had to do it. I want 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:43.040 to do it, I love to do it. I want 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:46.920 to serve him. I love to serve him. I want 0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:51.040 to worship I love to worship him. I want him, 0:16:51.080 --> 0:17:00.600 I need him, I gotta have him. And I look 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:02.640 back on my little life, even though it's not been 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:03.720 a long life yet. 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:09.880 But God has been pulling me. 0:17:11.359 --> 0:17:13.800 According to his purpose. Now, sometimes I didn't see it 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:17.720 that way at the time. Sometimes it felt like life 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:22.480 was pushing me around. I don't know if you've ever 0:17:22.480 --> 0:17:25.840 felt that way. I don't know if you've ever felt 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:29.399 like life had pushed you past your breaking points, so 0:17:29.520 --> 0:17:32.560 much pressure on you that you didn't know what to do. 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:37.600 But I found out that the power comes from the pressure. 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:42.679 I could use a lot of biblical examples of this, 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:46.000 but I chose Joseph because he said, at the end 0:17:46.000 --> 0:17:48.600 of his life, after he saw what God's purpose had 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:52.720 been all along, fully fulfilled, and he saw the portrait 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:55.639 of it, not just one little part of it. He 0:17:55.680 --> 0:17:58.879 saw the whole panoramic view. He was able to say 0:17:59.240 --> 0:18:05.159 to his brother, you minute for evil, because see his 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:10.560 brothers had pushed him into a pit. Have you ever 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:13.119 been pushed around? Ever been rejected? Just wave at me? 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:16.000 So okay, So you might need to know this verse. 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:20.520 He said, you meant it for evil. You were pushing me, 0:18:21.800 --> 0:18:22.880 But while you were. 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:34.080 Pushing the hand of God was pulling it. He was 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:36.160 pulling me. 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:39.960 When it didn't go the way I wanted it to. 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:42.440 When they talked about me. 0:18:42.640 --> 0:18:49.600 They were pushing, God was pulling it. The hand of 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:54.600 God has always been on your life. While people were 0:18:54.640 --> 0:18:59.160 pushing with one hand, God was pulling with the other. 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:09.600 It's the power of the pool to know that God 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:14.080 was positioning me for exactly where He wanted me to be. 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:16.920 And when you understand the power of the poll, life 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:20.280 doesn't seem so random anymore. You understand that there was 0:19:20.680 --> 0:19:25.080 a purpose behind all of it. If you look out here, 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:30.280 you can't see it. But if you look back, If 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:33.960 you look back, you'll see that your dad didn't make 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:39.240 you come to church that night. You thought he made 0:19:39.240 --> 0:19:42.760 you come to church that night, But it was that 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:43.800 your dad pushing you. 0:19:43.760 --> 0:19:45.720 To come to church that made you come to church. 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:53.760 God was he used your dad. Your dad's in heaven now. 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:54.639 My dad's in heaven. 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:57.280 Now they're probably eating some carb free angel food cake 0:19:57.320 --> 0:19:59.800 to celebrate my birthday together thirty seven candles Jesus. 0:20:02.720 --> 0:20:03.760 But Cody. 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:06.520 Cody bugged me to get me to church the night 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:09.720 I got saved. He was He was pushy about it too. 0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:13.080 He showed up in his pickup truck, and in my 0:20:13.200 --> 0:20:16.960 mind he was being pushy. But while he was pushing me, 0:20:18.640 --> 0:20:27.199 God was pulling me. On February nineteenth, nineteen eighty I 0:20:27.240 --> 0:20:28.960 came into the world because. 0:20:30.480 --> 0:20:34.840 She pushed me. Is this too graphic? 0:20:39.480 --> 0:20:43.919 But at the same time she was pushing, God was pulling. 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:47.640 I wasn't born on accident, and neither were you. God 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:50.840 knew you needed to be here. God brought you here. 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:52.720 Right here, right now. 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:53.840 It was his hand. 0:20:54.960 --> 0:20:58.119 Your car didn't bring you to church. God brought you 0:20:58.200 --> 0:20:58.680 to church. 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:09.680 Get a boat, get some arrows, and let me give 0:21:09.720 --> 0:21:12.960 you an object lesson on the way God works. God 0:21:13.040 --> 0:21:17.000 is pulling you. God is drawing you to himself. God 0:21:17.040 --> 0:21:21.200 has drawing you into purpose. Yes, sometimes it's painful. Yes, 0:21:21.280 --> 0:21:22.480 sometimes it feels like. 0:21:22.480 --> 0:21:23.600 You're going backwards. 0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:27.920 But wait till you see the trajectory of God's purpose. 0:21:28.880 --> 0:21:38.439 Come on a shut o to God pulling me. 0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:42.000 He pulled me out of some relationships I didn't need 0:21:42.040 --> 0:21:42.479 to be in. 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:46.040 Yes he did. He pulled me. 0:21:46.000 --> 0:21:49.119 Out of some pits that I fell into with my 0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:52.879 own dumb decisions. How many are grateful for the hands 0:21:52.920 --> 0:22:03.240 of God that pulls you out. 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:04.399 Pulling it? He's pulling. 0:22:05.440 --> 0:22:09.960 What was Elisha doing when Elijah threw his mantle on 0:22:10.000 --> 0:22:13.600 his shoulders. Does anybody remember in verse Kings nineteen. Now, 0:22:13.720 --> 0:22:17.359 remember Elisha wasn't looking to become a prophet. Elisha was 0:22:17.440 --> 0:22:21.840 a plowman. He was simply driving plows in a field 0:22:21.840 --> 0:22:24.919 one day, and he wasn't pointing himself out to be 0:22:25.040 --> 0:22:28.639 used by God. Because when you are in position of 0:22:28.680 --> 0:22:30.720 your purpose, God will point you out. 0:22:31.080 --> 0:22:33.760 You don't have to self promote. You don't have to 0:22:33.800 --> 0:22:36.679 get somebody to like you or notice you when you 0:22:36.720 --> 0:22:37.240 are pulled. 0:22:37.240 --> 0:22:42.400 According see, Elijah wasn't even looking for Elisha until God 0:22:42.520 --> 0:22:45.320 spoke his name and showed him the exact physical location. 0:22:45.400 --> 0:22:47.960 I got to calm down, but I'm excited London because 0:22:48.440 --> 0:22:49.679 I saw it in an illustration. 0:22:49.800 --> 0:22:51.040 I realized. 0:22:52.200 --> 0:22:54.359 That what Elisha was telling the King to do with 0:22:54.480 --> 0:22:57.639 the bow at the end of his life was an 0:22:57.680 --> 0:23:00.720 illustration of what God had been doing to him his 0:23:00.800 --> 0:23:07.399 whole life. He was drawing him, was pulling him. He 0:23:07.560 --> 0:23:13.320 was pulling him the power of him, the pull. And 0:23:13.359 --> 0:23:17.520 one day come here here he's driving. He's driving. It 0:23:17.560 --> 0:23:20.960 says that he was driving twelve yoke of Oxen. 0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:25.320 Now we're gonna act this out. You'd be the ox 0:23:25.359 --> 0:23:26.280 and I'll be the man of God. 0:23:27.240 --> 0:23:34.359 Seems appropriate, and I gave him the verse I be 0:23:34.400 --> 0:23:36.400 honest with you, I preached the sermon a third time 0:23:36.400 --> 0:23:37.919 I preached. I haven't preached it like I wanted to yet, 0:23:37.920 --> 0:23:39.520 And I'm gonna get it right this time because I 0:23:39.520 --> 0:23:41.040 gotta go eat some cake. Then I can't eat cake 0:23:41.119 --> 0:23:46.840 until i'm pre scre Now, what's in First Kings nineteen nineteen. 0:23:46.920 --> 0:23:49.119 It says put the scripture. I just sent this to them. 0:23:49.160 --> 0:23:51.320 I hope they got it there. This Elijah went from 0:23:51.400 --> 0:23:53.080 there and found Elisha. 0:23:54.000 --> 0:23:59.320 Okay, you missed it. The only reason he found him 0:23:59.359 --> 0:24:06.159 is because God led Elijah. He pulled. Okay, okay, I 0:24:06.520 --> 0:24:07.600 gotta I gotta work on this. 0:24:08.040 --> 0:24:14.280 So he found him in a field plowing with twelve 0:24:14.640 --> 0:24:19.520 yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving. 0:24:19.920 --> 0:24:22.000 The twelfth pair. So let's let's go. 0:24:22.800 --> 0:24:25.359 And you know how ox oxen are, because all of 0:24:25.400 --> 0:24:26.760 you have had experience with oxen. 0:24:27.080 --> 0:24:30.640 Oxen are kind of slow. So you gotta drive them, 0:24:31.520 --> 0:24:33.439 drive them. They'll just stop on you. You know, you 0:24:33.480 --> 0:24:38.320 gotta drive them. You gotta drive them. 0:24:38.359 --> 0:24:42.119 And he's driving them, and verse twenty stopped for a second, 0:24:42.280 --> 0:24:45.719 and Verse twenty it said you like this. 0:24:47.200 --> 0:24:49.800 It says that in verse twenty that. 0:24:49.800 --> 0:24:53.119 When Elijah passed by, which represented Elisia's purpose, that he 0:24:53.200 --> 0:24:56.840 wasn't even looking for yet. How many of you weren't 0:24:56.840 --> 0:24:58.280 even looking for God and he found you. 0:25:00.720 --> 0:25:01.560 That's my story. 0:25:01.640 --> 0:25:05.879 I wasn't looking, but he was, and he drew me 0:25:05.920 --> 0:25:09.320 to himself. And in verse nineteen it says that he 0:25:09.480 --> 0:25:14.000 was driving the oxen, but it says in verse twenty, 0:25:14.080 --> 0:25:17.800 if we can go to verse twenty, that Elisha left 0:25:17.840 --> 0:25:24.160 his oxen and ran after Elijah. So now the one 0:25:24.240 --> 0:25:30.480 who was driving just stay there. You're out of the 0:25:30.480 --> 0:25:36.439 illustration now because now the one who was driving is 0:25:36.480 --> 0:25:43.160 being drawn. The one who was driving the oxen plowing 0:25:43.200 --> 0:25:45.880 the field is being drawn by purpose. 0:25:46.440 --> 0:25:47.560 And so now. 0:25:47.480 --> 0:25:51.760 Elisha is being drawn into the purpose of God for 0:25:51.840 --> 0:25:55.879 his life. He's been driving the oxen up until this point, 0:25:56.200 --> 0:25:58.720 but now the one who had been doing the driving 0:25:59.160 --> 0:26:02.320 is being drawn. And this is what happens when grace 0:26:02.440 --> 0:26:05.760 comes into your life. This is what happens when purpose 0:26:05.840 --> 0:26:06.679 takes us place. 0:26:07.280 --> 0:26:07.840 This is what. 0:26:07.880 --> 0:26:10.840 Happens when you let go of your way, when you 0:26:10.880 --> 0:26:14.520 stop trying to push, when you stop trying to manipulate, 0:26:14.800 --> 0:26:17.760 when you stop trying to call your own shops and 0:26:17.880 --> 0:26:21.080 you say, Lord, leave me where you want me to go, 0:26:21.440 --> 0:26:22.720 what you want me to do. 0:26:27.520 --> 0:26:33.159 He drew me. He drew me. He drew me to himself. 0:26:34.000 --> 0:26:34.639 He drew me. 0:26:34.920 --> 0:26:37.719 I had to be in the choir. It wasn't Arturo 0:26:37.880 --> 0:26:39.200 that recruited me for the choir. 0:26:39.680 --> 0:26:42.840 It was God. God knew I needed to pastor a 0:26:42.920 --> 0:26:47.399 multicultural church. How can I pastor a multicultural church. 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:50.200 If I can't step into the church. 0:26:57.359 --> 0:27:01.480 God was getting me ready. God is getting you running. 0:27:02.760 --> 0:27:03.480 I don't know who. 0:27:03.560 --> 0:27:07.560 This message is for money, This is for you shall 0:27:07.760 --> 0:27:20.639 right now. My moody's drawing you. He's drawing you. Pull on, somebody, 0:27:20.720 --> 0:27:22.800 say he's drawing me. He's drawing me. 0:27:23.720 --> 0:27:26.320 I've got to leave some doubts behind. I've got to 0:27:26.400 --> 0:27:30.439 leave some dysfunctions behind. He's calling me now. I can't 0:27:30.480 --> 0:27:34.119 spend the rest of my life looking at the backside. 0:27:33.520 --> 0:27:42.080 Of an ox. He's drawing me. He's drawing me. 0:27:46.240 --> 0:27:49.520 My bow broke while I was appreciated. 0:27:50.359 --> 0:28:01.120 Yeah, yeah, it don't have to be pretty for God 0:28:01.160 --> 0:28:01.679 to use it. 0:28:06.760 --> 0:28:08.040 I feel like prising today. 0:28:09.560 --> 0:28:13.200 I feel like precian like is my parthdect breaks faster, 0:28:21.200 --> 0:28:25.560 pulling down of strongholds. I'm not pushing my way through life. 0:28:26.000 --> 0:28:28.960 I've got pull God brought me here. 0:28:29.080 --> 0:28:30.760 See, a sense of purpose will pull you. 0:28:31.359 --> 0:28:34.399 There are there are teenagers under the sound of my 0:28:34.480 --> 0:28:37.120 voice who are being who are being. 0:28:37.000 --> 0:28:41.040 Pushed, pushed by popularity. 0:28:41.240 --> 0:28:46.200 Yes, you're being pushed to fit in with a certain crowd. 0:28:47.040 --> 0:28:51.920 You're you're being pushed. And see, popularity can only get. 0:28:51.800 --> 0:28:52.440 You so far. 0:28:52.920 --> 0:28:57.959 Popularity cannot give you a sense of significance. But if 0:28:58.000 --> 0:29:00.920 you let the purpose of God pull on your I'm 0:29:00.920 --> 0:29:04.280 telling you God's purpose has been pulling on me all 0:29:04.400 --> 0:29:09.680 my life, sock to be here with you today. He's 0:29:09.760 --> 0:29:13.000 pulling on you and has always been on you. He 0:29:13.080 --> 0:29:15.800 was pulling you, directing your pads. Even when you wanted 0:29:15.800 --> 0:29:18.640 to wander. He pulled on you. That's why you're here. 0:29:22.720 --> 0:29:26.800 And when your car is out of alignment, it pulls 0:29:26.800 --> 0:29:29.800 a certain way. And God brought us into this Worker 0:29:29.880 --> 0:29:32.680 Windows series at rock Hill and Concord and Gaston and 0:29:32.680 --> 0:29:36.560 all the other locations and online. God brought us into 0:29:36.560 --> 0:29:41.960 the series for alignment so that we won't constantly I'm 0:29:41.960 --> 0:29:45.240 telling you, if you change your patterns, it will change 0:29:45.280 --> 0:29:51.040 your pull The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. 0:29:51.120 --> 0:29:54.880 That means fleshly. Flesh is a pattern. It pulls you. 0:29:54.960 --> 0:29:58.160 It's what pulls you. Some of you, some of you 0:29:58.280 --> 0:30:00.080 had to make yourself come to church today. 0:30:00.120 --> 0:30:02.120 That's all right. Make yourself come. 0:30:01.960 --> 0:30:05.360 Back enough, push yourself to come back until something pulls 0:30:05.360 --> 0:30:14.160 you to car. I promise if you keep coming, eventually 0:30:14.440 --> 0:30:18.600 your car will pull itself into the Elevation Church parking 0:30:18.680 --> 0:30:21.960 lot like it used to pull into Chrispy Kreme when 0:30:22.000 --> 0:30:35.520 the hot side came on, pulling me according to his purpose. 0:30:37.280 --> 0:30:40.160 I'm pulled by my patterns. I'm pulled by my purpose, 0:30:41.040 --> 0:30:44.320 and I'm pulled by the possibility. It's the Lord's arrow 0:30:44.400 --> 0:30:53.400 of victory over Aaron, Get a bow, get some leverage. 0:30:54.200 --> 0:30:57.120 Don't leave this series trying to live out God's will 0:30:57.200 --> 0:30:58.040 in your strength? 0:31:00.040 --> 0:31:01.880 Were all of sinned and fallen short of the glory 0:31:01.880 --> 0:31:03.680 of God? You know what's interesting about the word sin. 0:31:04.440 --> 0:31:08.120 It's an archery term. 0:31:08.160 --> 0:31:14.640 Yeah, it means to miss the mark, all of sin 0:31:14.720 --> 0:31:17.880 and fallen short of the glory of God. And maybe 0:31:17.920 --> 0:31:22.520 the reason that fell short is because it didn't have leverage. 0:31:23.120 --> 0:31:26.040 You can't throw it far enough, not for these battles. 0:31:28.080 --> 0:31:30.160 That's what the grace of God has been for my life. 0:31:30.200 --> 0:31:31.880 I'm sorry I took your seat, but I feel I 0:31:31.960 --> 0:31:32.440 preach it. 0:31:37.440 --> 0:31:41.320 The grace of God has pulled me and kept me 0:31:44.040 --> 0:31:46.240 at times in my life where or I didn't want 0:31:46.240 --> 0:31:49.120 to continue on. That's where grace kicked and it's the 0:31:49.160 --> 0:31:53.200 power of the pull. And I don't want to pastor 0:31:53.240 --> 0:31:56.320 a church full of people who are striking the ground 0:31:56.320 --> 0:32:06.200 in their own strength and wearing out because they didn't 0:32:06.240 --> 0:32:12.640 have a grip by grace. Right now, in the presence 0:32:12.680 --> 0:32:19.760 of God, there is grace available for whatever ram you're facing. 0:32:20.800 --> 0:32:22.400 And I believe God has drawn somebody. 0:32:22.440 --> 0:32:25.320 In fact, I want to give an invitation for you 0:32:26.520 --> 0:32:28.880 right now like I gave when Eric was at church. 0:32:30.640 --> 0:32:34.400 He was about twenty years old. You may be younger, 0:32:34.480 --> 0:32:40.160 you may be older, but God has drawing you. And 0:32:40.440 --> 0:32:41.760 I want you just to end to your feet at 0:32:41.760 --> 0:32:44.600 all of our locations so I can pray with you. 0:32:50.040 --> 0:32:51.720 I can't push you into this decision. 0:32:51.720 --> 0:32:56.840 It wouldn't be your decision if you feel God drawing 0:32:56.880 --> 0:32:57.560 you right now and. 0:33:00.080 --> 0:33:01.840 You fallen short of the glory of God, because all 0:33:01.880 --> 0:33:03.640 of sin and fallen short of the glory of God. 0:33:05.680 --> 0:33:07.280 I really feel called right now to. 0:33:11.040 --> 0:33:13.720 Well to facilitate the presence of God as he pulls 0:33:13.760 --> 0:33:15.800 you in the spirit. In the bride's say, come, God 0:33:15.840 --> 0:33:20.120 offers an invitation. God will never push you and pull 0:33:20.200 --> 0:33:25.280 you follow me. Jesus made it that simple. Just let 0:33:25.320 --> 0:33:28.520 me pull you. I know where I'm taking you. Uncharted waters. 0:33:28.600 --> 0:33:30.760 I know where I'm taking you, Abraham, just go to 0:33:30.800 --> 0:33:31.960 the land I will show you. 0:33:33.720 --> 0:33:36.440 He leads me. Besides still waters. 0:33:37.760 --> 0:33:39.200 I want you to bow your head and close your 0:33:39.240 --> 0:33:41.320 eyes and realize that God has been leading you all 0:33:41.360 --> 0:33:44.680 your life. He has been pulling you. He's been pulling 0:33:44.680 --> 0:33:46.600 on you. That's what you feel in your heart right now. 0:33:46.840 --> 0:33:50.000 It's not the music behind me. It's the words that 0:33:50.080 --> 0:33:52.240 I've spoken. It is the pull of God. It is 0:33:52.280 --> 0:33:54.520 the grace of God. It is the drawing power of 0:33:54.520 --> 0:33:57.840 the Holy Spirit. God has drawn you in this moment 0:33:57.920 --> 0:34:02.800 to Himself on this day, for all who are far 0:34:02.840 --> 0:34:06.360 away from God and desire to be brought near by 0:34:06.360 --> 0:34:12.000 the blood of Jesus Christ, cleansed and forgiven, redeemed and renewed, 0:34:13.200 --> 0:34:17.040 restored and made righteous. In the presence of God. His 0:34:17.160 --> 0:34:21.359 grace is available, and his grace is enough. He's drawing 0:34:21.400 --> 0:34:24.120 you now. With heads about and eyes closed, We're going 0:34:24.200 --> 0:34:26.319 to pray as a church family for those who are 0:34:26.320 --> 0:34:28.399 coming to God for the first time. We're coming back 0:34:28.440 --> 0:34:30.960 to God. This is a holy moment. I asked that 0:34:31.000 --> 0:34:33.640 no one move at any of our locations as we 0:34:33.640 --> 0:34:35.480 pray out loud for the benefit of those who are 0:34:35.480 --> 0:34:38.719 coming to God. We believe the miracle working power of 0:34:38.719 --> 0:34:41.160 the Holy Spirit is drawing now. Even as I speak, 0:34:41.400 --> 0:34:44.280 heads about, eyes closed. We're praying together as a family, 0:34:44.320 --> 0:34:51.080 Heavenly Father. Today is my day of salvation. I believe 0:34:51.719 --> 0:34:55.799 that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the 0:34:55.840 --> 0:34:56.840 Savior of the world. 0:34:57.680 --> 0:35:02.960 And right now I am a new creation. 0:35:04.160 --> 0:35:09.440 I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and rose 0:35:09.480 --> 0:35:15.480 again to give me life. I receive this new life 0:35:15.760 --> 0:35:19.320 from this day forward. I am a follower of Christ. 0:35:20.760 --> 0:35:23.080 Has still bowed, eyes still close. If you prayed that, 0:35:23.480 --> 0:35:25.799 shoot your hand in the air on the count of three. 0:35:25.560 --> 0:35:26.640 One, two three. 0:35:26.680 --> 0:35:28.759 At every location, hands are flying. 0:35:28.520 --> 0:35:31.120 Up, hands are flying up. Come on, Church, you better 0:35:31.200 --> 0:35:36.480 celebrate better than that. Come on. That's the new beginnings. 0:35:36.600 --> 0:35:39.480 That's the new beginnings. That's a new start. Man. God 0:35:39.520 --> 0:35:42.640 bless me. I see you, man, I see you. This 0:35:42.680 --> 0:35:45.520 is your moment, this is your time. God brought you here. 0:35:45.960 --> 0:35:49.880 Anybody else, shoot your hand off. God is working in 0:35:49.920 --> 0:35:54.560 this moment. He's working in this moment. 0:35:56.239 --> 0:35:59.840 I see the hera victory flying over Arab. 0:36:00.320 --> 0:36:07.560 Come on, open your mouth to die. We gotta race 0:36:07.640 --> 0:36:14.200 and celebrate. Come on, we got a raser. Thank you 0:36:14.239 --> 0:36:15.000 for joining us. 0:36:15.320 --> 0:36:17.759 Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 0:36:17.840 --> 0:36:21.320 this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 0:36:21.760 --> 0:36:24.279 You can click the link in the description to give now, 0:36:24.880 --> 0:36:28.719 or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more information 0:36:29.280 --> 0:36:32.400 and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You 0:36:32.440 --> 0:36:34.480 can share it with your friends. You can click the 0:36:34.520 --> 0:36:36.799 share button, take a screenshot and share it on your 0:36:36.800 --> 0:36:39.239 social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. 0:36:39.320 --> 0:36:40.960 Thanks again for listening. God bless you.