The Storm Has Its Purpose (Rich Wilkerson Jr.)

0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:04.600 Everybody's standing. How many are excited about Elevation Nights. We 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:08.600 are weeks away. Come on, Holly, Holly is gonna tell 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:16.160 you well, speak of the angel. I love a girl, 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:18.080 come here, get a wide shot on her. I love 0:00:18.120 --> 0:00:27.000 a girl who can rock, plaid and petty. That's tom petty, plaid, 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:30.920 petty and praise. She does it all. But right now, 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:34.280 look in that camera. Tell them where they need to 0:00:34.320 --> 0:00:36.479 go and where we're going to be. Okay, So I 0:00:36.640 --> 0:00:39.560 was thinking about how people watch online every week and 0:00:39.600 --> 0:00:43.320 they wish that they could be here. Telling you Elevation 0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:49.159 Nights is like Elevation Church came to your city. Only 0:00:49.840 --> 0:00:53.040 there's one thing that's better. Yes, we still have you 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:57.600 the Elevation Nights. So that's amazing. Favorite Pastor, we will 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:00.760 sing all of your favorite songs, single one. If you 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:02.800 come to Valentine, we're only going to sing four songs. 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:06.080 You come to Elevation Nights, We're gonna sing every single 0:01:06.080 --> 0:01:08.800 one of your favorite songs. So here's where we're going. 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:14.319 We're going Austin, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver, Saint Louis, 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:18.000 Fort Wayne, and Toronto, Ontario. We're coming your way in 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:24.399 just a few weeks Austin, Texas, Austin, I gotta wait 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:26.920 till they back up on the screen. Here we go, 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:32.080 Here we go. You thought I memorized them. Austin, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:37.680 Kansas City, Denver, Saint Louis, Fort Wayne, Toronto. And can 0:01:37.680 --> 0:01:40.679 we tell them, tell them that we added some dates 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:42.560 for the fall? The fall, you can get those two 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:47.840 elevation Nights dot com to talk. Yes, we might be 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:50.520 coming close to you. Those aren't yours. We might be 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:54.960 Just check, just check elevation. Somebody say the angels are coming. 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:58.800 The angels are coming. Somebody say, Holly's coming, That'ster Steve's coming, 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:02.480 Elevation Worship's coming, Johnsal's coming, John Sale. Are you an angel? 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:07.360 Maybe some days you sing like an angel. But Jenna said, 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:11.400 sometimes you act like the bibble. She told me that 0:02:11.520 --> 0:02:14.360 it's true. Let's see if you got the angels on 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:18.239 the tour bus on day seven of Elevation Nights. Holly 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:21.360 and I have so many wonderful friends in ministry. Today. 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:23.480 Pastor rich Wilkerson us here with us to bring the 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:27.480 Word of God. He pastors the Great Cool Church based 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:31.480 out of Miami, Florida, Touching the world for Jesus Christ. 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:35.360 I asked him to take this pulpit and preach God's 0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:38.080 word to you today. Let's tell him we're ready to 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:57.240 receive it. Let's stop. Church. Welcome Ridge, welcome to Well, 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.079 come on church. Anybody happen to be in the House 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:04.920 of the Lord today, Hey, come on from around the world, 0:03:05.080 --> 0:03:07.840 right here in Charlotte, North Carolina, wherever you're at, watching 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:11.160 at home, whatever device you are watching from, can we 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:13.040 just go ahead and give the Lord a big shout 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:20.720 of praise. I'm telling you what. There's something in the 0:03:20.720 --> 0:03:23.880 atmosphere here. And I would just say to anyone who's watching, 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:25.680 who's not here in the room today, if you can 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:27.120 be out one of these nights, you need to be 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.080 here because the spirit of the God, the Spirit of 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:32.239 God is moving in this place in a mighty way. 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:35.160 And I was thinking just as we were worshiping, because man, 0:03:35.200 --> 0:03:37.800 there's just such a tangible sense of God's presence and 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.880 it's beautiful. Where the spear of the Lord is, there 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:48.080 is freedom. Religion makes you proud of you, but the 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:52.800 Gospel makes you proud of Jesus. And I don't know 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.400 about you, but I came into this house for one reason, 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:58.680 which is to give the One True God. Come on 0:03:58.760 --> 0:04:02.160 all the praise, and it's worthy of all of this recalls. 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:04.360 Lift it up. Let's get them a shout all over 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:08.160 the room today. We love you Lord. We magnified your God. 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:13.640 You're crazy, Rod. The angels are coming about to change 0:04:13.640 --> 0:04:16.600 my whole message. Turn it into angel in the outfield. 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:20.559 You got an angel with you now, that'll preach, that'll preach. 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:22.640 Do me a favor of find a few people around you, 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:27.159 just say you look better than I remember. You can 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:33.120 you can grab a seat. It is good to be 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:39.719 in God's house today. If you have a Bible with you, 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:41.920 quickly reach for it. If you don't have it, we'll 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:43.760 have it up on the screens for you. Turn with 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:46.159 me to the Book of Mark. Mark. Chapter six is 0:04:46.160 --> 0:04:48.599 where I want to share some thoughts today. The Lord 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:51.159 has really put a message on my heart. And I 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:54.400 believe that we are all here today, and I believe 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.040 He's gonna speak to us in a great and mighty way. 0:04:57.040 --> 0:04:59.080 And I just got to be honest with you. It's 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:03.600 always such a priv and a real honor to get 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:07.200 to come and preach behind this pulpit. This church is 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:09.799 touching the world. And it's not just touching the world, 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:14.760 it's touching me. And I'm so thankful for the ministry 0:05:14.760 --> 0:05:18.680 and the leadership of your pastors, Pastor Steven and Holly. 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.719 I just think that the world's finest. Not only are 0:05:22.760 --> 0:05:25.400 they just incredible preachers and leaders, yeah we can put 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:30.000 our hands together, but have been just very very good 0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:32.680 friends to my wife and I the children. We just 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:35.400 admire this family. I think you need a vision and 0:05:35.440 --> 0:05:38.359 a reference for all areas of your life. Vision is 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:41.640 that thing that gives pain purpose. And you need vision 0:05:41.680 --> 0:05:44.760 for marriage, you need vision for pastors, you need vision 0:05:44.800 --> 0:05:46.920 for your business, and you guys are just a huge 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:49.360 reference point in our life. And we're just so thankful. 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:52.040 Thank you for loving us, thank you for encouraging us. 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:55.720 I heard some dialogue in a movie the other day 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:58.440 and it was this question was asked, what's more important 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:01.600 the journey or the death the nation? And the man 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:06.599 thought about it and he responded the company. That's how 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:08.760 I kind of feel when I'm around them, that I 0:06:08.800 --> 0:06:10.880 don't really care what we're doing. I want to be 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:13.880 a part of it, whatever, wherever elevation's at, whatever Pastor 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:15.880 Steven's doing I just want to be around you guys, 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:17.560 and thank you so much for your life, thank you 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:19.200 for who you are. Can we really put our hands again? 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:24.280 Can we just thank God for them today? Just amazing, amazing. 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.279 Come from Miami, Florida. That is where Jesus lives. If 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:33.720 you've been wondering. Pastor of church called Food Church, married 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:37.160 to my wife Dontree. She sends her greetings, and today 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:39.400 I want to preach from Mark chapter six, starting in 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:42.760 verse forty five. Let me lay some groundwork and then 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:44.880 I'm going to preach this thing. This is what the 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:48.160 scripture says. Starting in verse forty five, he says, immediately 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:51.640 Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:55.320 on ahead of him to Bethsadia, while he dismissed the crowd, 0:06:56.480 --> 0:06:58.760 and after leaving them, he went up on a mountain 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:02.919 side to pray. Later that night, the boat was in 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:05.560 the middle of the lake and it was alone on land, 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:11.119 and he saw the disciples straining at the oars because 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:15.280 the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn, he went 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:19.040 out to them walking on the lake. He was about 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:22.200 to pass them by, but when they saw him walk 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:24.480 on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:27.960 cried out because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately, 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:32.120 someone say immediately, immediately spoke to them and said, take courage. 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:37.640 It is I do not be afraid. Then Jesus climbed 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:40.800 into the boat with them, and the wind died down. 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:47.080 They were completely someone say completely, They were completely amazed, 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:50.720 for they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:52.960 were hardened. If you got a pen or something, maybe 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:56.400 underline that passage. Their hearts were hardened. When they had 0:07:56.400 --> 0:08:00.040 crossed over. They landed at Genisrat and anchored there, and 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.080 as soon as they got out of the boat, people 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:05.560 recognized Jesus. They ran throughout the whole region and carried 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.360 the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was, 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:11.840 and wherever he went into villages, towns or countryside, they 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:15.400 placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:19.240 let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:24.880 all who touched it were healed. How may'll know there's 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:29.120 more to the story. Anybody been enjoying the teaching and 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:31.560 the preaching of your pastor these last few weeks. I 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:33.400 just love it when he gets on. I love when 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:35.680 he gets a word from God, because all us preachers 0:08:35.880 --> 0:08:39.760 we get a word from God. There certainly is more 0:08:39.760 --> 0:08:42.199 of the story. I think story and narrative is so important. 0:08:42.240 --> 0:08:44.640 The story you tell yourself will be the life that 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:48.720 you live. What story are you telling yourself? But today 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:50.400 I want to kind of draft off where you guys 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:52.320 have been as a house. And this is what I know. 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:54.720 I know that there's more of the story. But every 0:08:54.880 --> 0:09:01.560 story has a storm. But every story has its purpose. 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:04.240 And I want to preach for a few moments day 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:08.960 from that subject. The storm has its purpose. The storm 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:11.760 has its purpose. Look at your neighbors, say, neighbor, the 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:16.240 storm has its purpose. Look at you, o, the neighbor, 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:19.640 the one you don't like so much. Hopefully you talk 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:26.800 to your spouse first. Oh, dear God, say the storm 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:30.760 has its purpose. I love the passage of scripture that 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:34.080 we're reading today. This is Mark six. This account of 0:09:34.120 --> 0:09:38.080 this storm takes place also in Matthew's Gospel, but here 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:40.680 in Mark chapter six. This is the Sea of Galilee. 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:44.080 The Sea of Galilee is interesting. I was just there recently, 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:47.079 but it sits seven hundred feet below sea level. About 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:49.200 thirty miles to the north is this big mountain range 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:51.840 called Mount Herman that sits high up in the air, 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:54.480 and the cold air from that mountain will mix with 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:56.760 that warm air from the sea. And if you go there, 0:09:56.840 --> 0:10:01.480 they'll tell you that there's quick, fast storms, massive waves 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.240 that can kind of come out of nowhere. And I 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:06.360 actually just got to go finally for the first time, 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:10.080 to the Sea of Galilee back in November. I went 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:15.839 Miami to the Sea of Galilee. Now, just saying that, right, 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:20.480 it just sounds so easy, Miami to the Sea of Galilee. 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:25.160 But how y'all know, it ain't that easy. We took 0:10:25.160 --> 0:10:28.880 a flight Miami to Tel Aviv and I flew with 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:34.800 my three children, ages five, three, and one and a 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:43.200 half in economy to tel Aviv. Now it's funny because 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:44.600 people start the year it's like, yo, Lord, I really 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.120 want you to stretch my faith. Very very easy, very 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:49.200 very easy. You want to build your faith. In twenty 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:56.320 twenty three, get three toddlers, take an international flight. The 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:58.960 whole experience is just challenging. You get on the airplane 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:01.880 and I can literally see people as I'm passing by 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:04.920 the row side. Let thank god they're not sitting next 0:11:04.920 --> 0:11:09.560 to me. Paris on what I'm talking about. I have 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:11.640 one friend that when they travel with their kids, they 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:15.120 bake cookies the night before because they pass it out 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.920 to all of the passengers around them. People are like, 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.040 thank you for the cookies, Like this is a peace offering. 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:25.520 And we took off. You know what, it's a fourteen 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:28.960 hours some flight and you know it's just these kids 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:31.560 are going crazy just trying to get to the Sea 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:35.520 of Galilee. And on the way over there, we hit turbulence. 0:11:37.240 --> 0:11:41.320 You ever hit turbulence that's so heavy that you start 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:46.520 confessing hidden sin? I'm talking about We were hitting turbulence 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:49.000 with these kids, Like I'm just repenting, going God, if 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:50.920 you're going to take me, take me now. You know 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:54.520 some some turbulence gets so bad, right, Like you ever 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:55.920 been in that kind of tournaments where like you could 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.240 take a stone cold atheist and they become a holy 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:04.360 spirit tongue talking and Hanecostal. There ain't no god turbulence. 0:12:04.559 --> 0:12:07.880 He shun the little bush. I mean, like, bro, it 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:14.280 was that kind of turbulence. I was sitting on the 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:15.760 front road and as man, it'd be coolf we can 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:21.680 bring turbulence to church. Sometimes worship team would love that 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:28.800 introducing a new song not going so good. Turbulence offerings 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:33.880 kind of low. Try turbulence, you know, alter call turbulence bro. 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:37.079 I mean it would work right. The storm has its purpose. 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:40.520 We landed, got the bags, got on the tour bus. 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:43.520 I mean, it just took so much time, so many delays, 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:47.120 finally to arrive at the Sea of Galilee. And I 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:50.400 sort of just say that upfront as an illustration that 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:55.600 it sounds easy, Miami through the Sea of Galilee. But 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:57.800 how may I'll know if you want to get to 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:01.520 the Sea of Galilee, You're gonna have to go through 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:06.000 some stuff. It's just the reality. We live in a 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.120 time right now where everybody wants to arrive, but not 0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:13.040 everybody wants to take the trip. I think we all 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:16.439 want a life of purpose, but very few of us 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:21.320 really want to walk through the process. If you want 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:27.400 to get to, you gotta go through. This is a 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:32.160 biblical principle that you must get deep down in your heart. 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:36.480 God is taking you to some stuff, no doubt about it. 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:38.960 But more often than not, in order to get to 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:41.880 you're gonna have to go through. I believe God is 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:45.600 gonna take you to mountaintops. You go from mountaintop to mountaintop, 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:49.079 but you gotta go through the valley. He's gonna take 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:51.960 you from blessing to blessing, but you're gonna have to 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:56.160 walk through sacrifice. You're gonna go from glory to glory, 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:59.200 but you gotta walk through some suffering. And you're gonna 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:01.679 go from mirror a miracle. But how y'all know you're 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:05.720 gonna actually have to go through the storm. The storm 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:10.400 has its purpose. I don't know who I'm preaching you today, 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:12.960 but as you walked into this house, I just sense it. 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:15.200 As we were singing. Many of you in this room 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:17.360 you are headed to a breakthrough. Some of you are 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:19.800 headed to a promotion, some of you are headed to 0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:22.560 a miracle. Some of you are headed to a brand 0:14:22.600 --> 0:14:25.000 new season. But if you're gonna get to you gotta 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:29.800 go through. Somebody said, Amen, in this room, we might 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:33.360 have to bring some turbulence in this room today because 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:35.200 I believe today God wants to speak to you. I 0:14:35.200 --> 0:14:38.920 think through is one of God's favorite words. It's what 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:41.320 Isaiah said. He said, when you pass through the waters, 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:44.960 I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:48.640 they will not sweep over you. When you walk through 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:54.840 the fire, you will not be burnt. Anybody in this 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:58.080 house day, can you testify that you're walking through something 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:01.720 right now, but you believe in fai God is gonna 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:04.520 get you to the other side. If there's anybody like 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:07.120 that in the room today, go ahead and give God 0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:14.640 some praise in this house. He's taking you through. As 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.680 we go through, we face some stuff. But we're gonna 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:20.640 have to get a new perspective on our storms, on 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:24.600 our obstacles, on our opposition, on our challenges, because it's 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:26.800 not a question of if it's a question of when 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:32.920 you will go through storms. You will go through difficult moments. 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:36.480 But the story is bigger than you could ever imagine, 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:39.600 So don't give up in the storm. Mark chapter six 0:15:39.720 --> 0:15:44.080 is the most beautiful illustration of this truth. Because here's Jesus. 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:47.600 He gets done doing this big miracle where he feeds 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:51.800 five thousand some people, He stole a kid's lunch, fed everybody, 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:55.480 sends the disciples in a boat to the other side. 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:57.880 They finally get to the other side. When they get 0:15:57.920 --> 0:16:00.000 to the other side, Jesus starts healing people over there. 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:04.400 But in the middle of these two great miracles, they 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:08.120 have to face a storm. It's interesting because I've read 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:11.360 Mark six so many different times. But it's important that 0:16:11.400 --> 0:16:15.160 when you're reading the Bible that here's the most important 0:16:15.240 --> 0:16:21.400 rule about reading the Bible. Three rules really context, context, 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:26.400 and context. You have to put the text in the context. 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:28.080 And many times I used to always just kind of 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:30.400 read devotionally in Mark chapter six, and I saw these 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.000 guys in this storm, and it's really really interesting, no 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:34.960 doubt about it. But you need the full context of 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:37.360 what's taking place, because I don't know if you see this, 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:39.280 but when you go back in March chapter six, we 0:16:39.320 --> 0:16:42.760 see that Jesus does a miracle to the masses, and 0:16:42.800 --> 0:16:44.960 then they go into a storm, and then Jesus gets 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:46.680 over there and again a Sarah and he does a 0:16:46.760 --> 0:16:51.600 miracle to individuals. But in between is a storm. And 0:16:51.640 --> 0:16:54.400 it got me kind of thinking, are you in a 0:16:54.480 --> 0:17:02.880 storm or are you just in between two miracles? Are 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:06.280 you in a storm or are you just in between 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:09.479 the thing that God started and the thing that God's 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:12.680 gonna complete? D you, if you will choose in your 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:16.280 spirit today, I'm not gonna back down. I'm gonna keep 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:19.800 moving forward. Do not place a period where God has 0:17:19.840 --> 0:17:23.520 placed to comma. He's taken you through. This thing will 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:26.680 not take you out. You're gonna get to the other side. 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:32.400 The storm has its purpose. Are you in a storm? 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:36.040 Are you just in between two miracles? I've just decided recently, 0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:40.440 when I'm in turbulence, Oh, He's taken me through. I've 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:42.840 just decided, I'm gonna tell myself over and over again, 0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:46.000 I'm just in between two great things that God is doing. 0:17:47.080 --> 0:17:48.840 When I look at the text, there's just a few 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:51.160 basic observations that can help you. We could make lots 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:54.080 of observations, but let's just make a few today, because 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.399 if you're in a difficult moment, if you're in the 0:17:56.400 --> 0:17:59.240 middle of your story and you're thinking about quitting, or 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:01.640 you're wanting to give up the war of the Lord 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:05.880 for you today is simply this. The storm has its purpose. 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:09.359 It's not that I think that God plans all of 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:11.360 our storms, but I certainly think that God will use 0:18:11.400 --> 0:18:14.360 all of our storms. He will use what you are 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:17.560 going through, and He will bring meaning and purpose if 0:18:17.560 --> 0:18:20.800 you'll look a little bit deeper. The first reason why 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:23.639 I believe that God lets us go through storms and 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:25.679 the purpose of the storms that storms make you realize 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:30.280 you're not in control. The scripture says that he sends 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:32.960 the disciples in the boat to the other side. And 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:35.760 that little passage right there, mark chapter six, verse fifty, 0:18:36.160 --> 0:18:39.960 or yeah, immediately, let me see it. I don't have 0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:42.639 it right there, mark chapter six. It says that they 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:44.600 were straining at the ors. I don't know, have you 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:46.479 guys him? Bring that verse up? They were straining at 0:18:46.480 --> 0:18:49.439 the oars with all of their might. I love that 0:18:49.480 --> 0:18:53.520 picture because here's this picture of these disciples trying to 0:18:53.560 --> 0:18:56.359 get to the other side. But as they put all 0:18:56.440 --> 0:18:59.440 of their effort, as they put all of their energy, 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:04.199 they unable in their own strength to get there. How 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:06.240 mel No, it's one thing when you fail and you 0:19:06.240 --> 0:19:11.360 didn't really try. It's another thing when you put your heart, 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:15.479 your soul, all of your focus into something and you 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:20.240 came up short. These disciples are doing everything they possibly 0:19:20.280 --> 0:19:22.720 can in their effort to get to the other side. 0:19:22.840 --> 0:19:25.600 That's what Jesus had promised them. That's what Jesus had 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:28.199 told them. Jesus said, get in the boat and go 0:19:28.240 --> 0:19:30.800 to the other side. They're just obeying. Isn't that amazing? 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:33.480 You can obey Jesus and it can lead you into 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:38.080 a storm. I think sometimes were like, oh, my goodness, 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:40.520 if I just follow God, everything's going to be perfect 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:44.560 and easy. Read the words of Jesus. A wise man 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:47.760 built his house on the rock, and a foolish man 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:51.600 built his house on the sand. And when the storm came, 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:56.119 the wise man's house stood strong, and the foolish man's 0:19:56.160 --> 0:20:01.760 house collapsed. Did you catch it? This doesn't prevent storms. 0:20:04.119 --> 0:20:08.240 You can be wise, you can be educated, you can 0:20:08.240 --> 0:20:11.399 be at church every week. You can do all the 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:16.000 right stuff and still have to face a storm. I 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:19.320 don't get to control it. All I get to do 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:23.280 is prepare my spirit and my foundation for it so 0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:25.879 that when the wind does come, and when the rains 0:20:25.880 --> 0:20:29.440 do come, this house it might bend, but it's not 0:20:29.480 --> 0:20:34.439 gonna pray. And some of us in this room today 0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:40.440 we need to be reminded we are not in control. 0:20:42.920 --> 0:20:45.360 And it's only in a storm that you realize, Oh wow, 0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:47.760 I'm telling you. You You can have all the money in 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:50.199 the bank account, you can be educated, you can have 0:20:50.200 --> 0:20:52.960 the dream job, dream girl. But all it takes is 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:55.800 one little storm. All it takes is a phone call 0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:59.400 from the doctor. You have cancer. I don't care how 0:20:59.440 --> 0:21:01.400 healthy you are. I don't care how many sit ups 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:08.120 you can do. You can't stop cancer. I don't care 0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:11.360 how much resource you have. There are certain things that 0:21:11.560 --> 0:21:14.000 push you back and go I'm not in control. But 0:21:14.040 --> 0:21:17.280 there is something about our God that he loves it. 0:21:18.119 --> 0:21:22.399 When we realize and we are reminded we are not 0:21:23.000 --> 0:21:27.640 in control. The scripture says that there they are, they're 0:21:27.720 --> 0:21:30.280 straining at the oars. You gotta love Jesus. Jesus leaves 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:34.000 his place of prayer and he walks out under the 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:39.240 water to them. I just and these guys go, ah, 0:21:39.400 --> 0:21:43.280 it's a ghost, which is hilarious because the only thing 0:21:43.280 --> 0:21:46.560 worse than being in a storm is having a ghost 0:21:46.600 --> 0:21:54.680 in your storm. This is a bad day. It's a gouse. 0:21:56.080 --> 0:22:00.679 But it's it's not a ghost. It's it's Jesus. It's 0:22:00.720 --> 0:22:04.000 not a ghost, it's it's Jesus. But they're in the storm, 0:22:04.040 --> 0:22:06.640 right they're they're dealing with the financial pressure, they're dealing 0:22:06.680 --> 0:22:08.679 with with with the breakup. They're dealing with the heartache, 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:11.399 they're dealing with the addiction, they're dealing with the pain. 0:22:11.600 --> 0:22:14.080 We got all these things that start clouding that we 0:22:14.160 --> 0:22:16.760 can't see Jesus, and the rain's coming and the wind 0:22:16.800 --> 0:22:19.639 is blowing and it's dark outside, and I can't see Jesus. 0:22:19.680 --> 0:22:22.600 I can't I can't see Jesus. And Jesus is coming 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:24.040 to help me, but I don't feel like helps on 0:22:24.080 --> 0:22:26.400 the way. I'm scared. I'm trying to be I'm trying 0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:28.879 to row, I'm trying to get there, and all the 0:22:28.920 --> 0:22:32.280 while Jesus is looking right at them. The old preacher 0:22:32.280 --> 0:22:34.320 one time came through and told a story, said the 0:22:34.359 --> 0:22:36.679 house was on fire, and the father came home, and 0:22:36.720 --> 0:22:38.840 when he got home, he saw his little boy up 0:22:38.840 --> 0:22:40.760 in the window. And the little boy was standing in 0:22:40.760 --> 0:22:43.800 the window two stories up, and the smoke is rising. 0:22:44.080 --> 0:22:46.680 The place is on fire. And the dad shouts out 0:22:46.680 --> 0:22:51.400 to the little boy, son jump. And the son's up there, 0:22:51.760 --> 0:22:55.600 says Dad, is that you. That says yes, son jump, 0:22:56.160 --> 0:23:00.000 And the sun says, but Dad, I can't see you 0:23:00.040 --> 0:23:03.960 through the fire. And the dad said, son, I know, 0:23:05.119 --> 0:23:09.240 but I can see you. And I felt like I 0:23:09.280 --> 0:23:11.919 wanted to preach to someone today that you might be 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:14.359 in the middle of the storm and you might be 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:17.399 saying I can't see Jesus. I hear you. But the 0:23:17.440 --> 0:23:22.040 good news is he can see you. He's walking through it, 0:23:22.280 --> 0:23:25.080 and he's on the way to you. He sees you. 0:23:27.160 --> 0:23:29.240 The storm has its purpose. You are not in control. 0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:32.199 Here comes Jesus walking on water. And when he shows up, 0:23:32.240 --> 0:23:34.960 sometimes Jesus says stuff in the Bible that you actually 0:23:35.000 --> 0:23:38.120 have to just let it sink in because it's hilarious. 0:23:38.240 --> 0:23:40.520 And also it's like, bro, it's not cool at all. 0:23:41.480 --> 0:23:43.480 That's not cool. It's not what I need right now. 0:23:43.680 --> 0:23:48.840 What does he do? Walks in the water? DA take courage? 0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:57.119 It is? I do not be afraid. Like it's funny, 0:23:57.119 --> 0:24:00.400 and it's also kind of like mean, like, bro, our 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:08.119 boat is sinking, the wind is block I know, LA, 0:24:08.760 --> 0:24:15.320 take courage it is, I do not be afraid. This 0:24:15.359 --> 0:24:20.880 is fascinating because this is our story. Many times, when 0:24:20.960 --> 0:24:25.400 Jesus shows up, we want him to steal the storm 0:24:26.280 --> 0:24:30.040 and then we'll take courage. It's not how faith works. 0:24:31.440 --> 0:24:34.439 Where's all the control freaks? What are he's feeling me? 0:24:34.640 --> 0:24:38.040 You know, I don't know. I don't you ever interview 0:24:38.080 --> 0:24:42.679 an uber driver? Control free? You know what's your record? Bro? 0:24:42.800 --> 0:24:46.440 Let me say a license. We're control freaks. We want 0:24:46.480 --> 0:24:49.680 to be in control. But look at Mark chapter six, 0:24:49.760 --> 0:24:52.159 verse fifty. This is important Jesus says, immediately spoke to 0:24:52.160 --> 0:24:55.240 them and said, take courage. It is I do not 0:24:55.320 --> 0:24:57.840 be afraid. Notice when Jesus shows up on the scene, 0:24:57.920 --> 0:25:05.199 he doesn't say, da la control. It is I do 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:07.600 not be afraid. That's what we all want to do 0:25:08.200 --> 0:25:10.479 when we're in a storm, when we're like feeling out 0:25:10.480 --> 0:25:12.840 of control, when when pains in our life, when when 0:25:12.840 --> 0:25:15.439 something's coming our way, our knee jerk reaction is I 0:25:15.480 --> 0:25:19.520 need to take control. But that's not the faith journey. 0:25:19.640 --> 0:25:22.640 You don't get to take control. You get to take courage. 0:25:24.400 --> 0:25:29.360 And a storm reminds you you're not in control. So 0:25:29.400 --> 0:25:31.760 what do I do? Rich When you're in a storm, 0:25:31.840 --> 0:25:36.400 you don't take control, you take courage. Control is God's responsibility. 0:25:36.720 --> 0:25:40.160 Courage is mine. I'm gonna face this thing head on, 0:25:40.320 --> 0:25:45.560 believing that the storm has its purpose. You take courage. 0:25:45.920 --> 0:25:48.919 Watch God what God will do. I've just seen it. 0:25:48.960 --> 0:25:51.440 I can testify about it over and over again. God 0:25:51.560 --> 0:25:55.600 comes through. Take courage. What is courage? Does that mean 0:25:55.640 --> 0:25:59.600 I don't have any fear? Nah? Courage is simply the 0:25:59.600 --> 0:26:03.399 ability to face your fear. I'm done running from it, 0:26:04.000 --> 0:26:07.560 I'm done carrying it. Today's day I'm gonna walk through it. 0:26:07.600 --> 0:26:10.040 He's taking you to the other side, but you're gonna 0:26:10.040 --> 0:26:14.439 have to go through some stuff. This scripture says that 0:26:14.600 --> 0:26:17.240 Jesus says, take courage. It is I don't be afraid. 0:26:17.400 --> 0:26:19.520 And then the Bible says he gets into the boat 0:26:20.040 --> 0:26:23.639 and immediately the storm settles. See, I think the purpose 0:26:23.640 --> 0:26:24.800 of the storm is not just to ride us that 0:26:24.800 --> 0:26:27.359 we're under control. The purpose of the storm is always 0:26:27.400 --> 0:26:31.800 at a give way to new revelations. Oh, if you 0:26:31.840 --> 0:26:38.119 could get this today, Bible says, immediately the storm settled. 0:26:38.160 --> 0:26:40.639 In fact, I think we've got it Matthew, chapter fourteen, 0:26:40.640 --> 0:26:42.800 because I just want to cross references. This is important. 0:26:43.520 --> 0:26:46.480 This is like the first time that the disciples even 0:26:46.520 --> 0:26:50.399 realize that Jesus is divine Matthew fourteen, verse thirty two. 0:26:50.440 --> 0:26:55.119 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down, 0:26:55.520 --> 0:26:59.000 and those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, truly, 0:26:59.320 --> 0:27:04.160 you are the son of God. It took a storm. 0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:08.320 It took a storm for the disciples to realize Jesus 0:27:08.440 --> 0:27:14.360 is divine. Immediately the wind and the waves died down. 0:27:14.560 --> 0:27:17.240 You ever notice that we're obsessed with suddenly and immediate 0:27:17.480 --> 0:27:21.400 type of things. That's what's going on, bro, Like right now, God, 0:27:21.480 --> 0:27:24.440 do it now. You know I want it now suddenly. 0:27:24.640 --> 0:27:28.920 I grew up in Pentecost church suddenly, and I'm all 0:27:28.960 --> 0:27:33.119 for suddenly. I'm all for immediate. Fact. God could do 0:27:33.200 --> 0:27:36.960 something immediate in your life today. But what I have 0:27:37.160 --> 0:27:42.360 learned more often than not is that God, who does suddenly, immediate, 0:27:42.640 --> 0:27:45.600 right now type of things, is usually on the heels 0:27:45.680 --> 0:27:55.440 of people who are patiently, slowly, faithfully, consistently pursuing him. 0:27:55.520 --> 0:28:01.720 God moved suddenly for those who pursue him patiently. Why 0:28:01.960 --> 0:28:04.280 because this is what nobody told me when I was 0:28:04.320 --> 0:28:09.880 eighteen getting into the ministry, is that God is slow fast. 0:28:13.400 --> 0:28:19.359 This is so important. God is so slow. It's like 0:28:19.600 --> 0:28:24.960 slow bro, slow bro, so slow. It's just like it's 0:28:24.960 --> 0:28:28.240 so slow following God. Like here I am at church again. 0:28:28.359 --> 0:28:30.199 My call time an hour before here we go. We're 0:28:30.200 --> 0:28:33.119 gonna sing some songs so we can get the offering. 0:28:33.200 --> 0:28:37.560 Were a word, okay, imitation and e group and you 0:28:37.600 --> 0:28:41.640 know watch online and slow slow ho hum ho hum 0:28:41.760 --> 0:28:50.000 slow slow slow and then boom whoa whoa immediate. I 0:28:50.000 --> 0:28:52.040 remember the first time I met down Stree. I'm just 0:28:52.080 --> 0:28:55.960 slowly following slow front row kind of a service like this, 0:28:56.080 --> 0:29:01.960 look up, immediate boo, who's that? I saw her? I 0:29:02.040 --> 0:29:06.960 choose you. In one moment, I changed all of my doctrine. 0:29:08.120 --> 0:29:12.960 I named it and claimed I choose you because following God, 0:29:12.960 --> 0:29:17.440 you gotta get This is so slow, and then it's immediate, 0:29:18.320 --> 0:29:21.719 and then it's breakthrough and the it's wow, there's the idea. 0:29:22.040 --> 0:29:24.480 Oh there's the song. Oh that's the word I was 0:29:24.520 --> 0:29:28.160 looking for. Oh that's what I needed. Oh there's my healing. 0:29:28.280 --> 0:29:31.680 Oh there's my promotion. Oh I got to the other side. 0:29:32.080 --> 0:29:36.120 Because God is slow, come on somebody, and then he's fast. 0:29:39.040 --> 0:29:44.600 You need God do something immediate, Just slowly pursue him, 0:29:45.200 --> 0:29:49.320 faithfully follow him, because the scripture says, these guys are 0:29:49.440 --> 0:29:53.520 straining at yours. We are not in control in all 0:29:53.560 --> 0:29:56.440 of our mic, with all of our flesh, I cannot 0:29:56.480 --> 0:29:59.600 get to the other side. But thank God for Jesus, 0:29:59.760 --> 0:30:02.840 here he comes walking on the water. Don't take control, 0:30:03.040 --> 0:30:05.920 take courage. Face the storm gets in the boat, and 0:30:05.960 --> 0:30:09.200 immediately the storm settles, and then they start worshiping him. 0:30:10.760 --> 0:30:14.000 I think these guys kind of got some of it right, 0:30:14.040 --> 0:30:15.920 Like it's good to worship Jesus. But I want to 0:30:15.960 --> 0:30:18.840 be a person and I want to build a church 0:30:19.640 --> 0:30:24.160 that doesn't worship Jesus on the other side of the storm. 0:30:24.320 --> 0:30:26.000 Come on, I want to worship him like I'm in 0:30:26.040 --> 0:30:29.239 the middle of the turbulence, believing that he is the 0:30:29.280 --> 0:30:32.040 Son of God, that at any moment, even though the 0:30:32.080 --> 0:30:35.680 ground beneath me is shaking, my faith is being fortified 0:30:36.040 --> 0:30:39.280 and solidified. And I'm gonna worship you for who you 0:30:39.400 --> 0:30:42.760 really are. I got a revelation that you're in control 0:30:42.840 --> 0:30:47.800 of the storm. Somebody give God some praise. Let's bring 0:30:47.880 --> 0:30:51.320 some turbulence in the room today. The storm has its purpose, 0:30:53.440 --> 0:30:59.280 and the Bible says. The Bible says that when the 0:30:59.320 --> 0:31:03.680 storm sets, then they worshiped him as the son of God. Wow, 0:31:04.200 --> 0:31:07.040 now I know who you are. In fact, look at 0:31:07.040 --> 0:31:09.600 this Mark chapter six, verse fifty one. Then he climbed 0:31:09.640 --> 0:31:11.760 in the boat with them, and the wind died down. 0:31:12.200 --> 0:31:18.240 They were completely I love this, completely amazed Ah, for 0:31:18.320 --> 0:31:22.040 they had not understood this is so good about the loaves. 0:31:22.680 --> 0:31:25.840 Their hearts were hardened. You gotta see that, because some 0:31:25.840 --> 0:31:27.560 of you day you think if you could see some 0:31:27.640 --> 0:31:32.400 miraculous sign, You think if you could just wow, then 0:31:32.440 --> 0:31:38.160 you would be worshiping. Remember the context just a few 0:31:38.240 --> 0:31:41.920 verses earlier. He feeds thousands of people with five loaves 0:31:41.920 --> 0:31:50.800 and two fish, but the disciples had already forgotten about 0:31:50.840 --> 0:31:54.719 maybe one of the most ethnic miracles the humanly has 0:31:54.760 --> 0:32:01.080 ever seen. How may'all know our faith suffers when we forget, 0:32:02.000 --> 0:32:04.520 and this is we could I could come back into 0:32:04.560 --> 0:32:08.400 a five week series here at Elevation Church because God 0:32:08.440 --> 0:32:11.440 has been faithful to this house. God has moved in 0:32:11.480 --> 0:32:14.440 ways that many of us have never ever seen. And 0:32:14.480 --> 0:32:16.440 some of us we think we need a new word 0:32:16.480 --> 0:32:18.680 from God. But in reality, and you just need to 0:32:18.680 --> 0:32:21.520 get back to that old revelation of awe in wonder. 0:32:21.840 --> 0:32:26.200 I know what He's done in the past. My faith 0:32:26.480 --> 0:32:31.400 suffers when I forget. And there they are in the 0:32:31.520 --> 0:32:34.600 storm and their hearts have become hardened because they forgot 0:32:34.640 --> 0:32:37.719 about the loaves. And just so we get some clarity, 0:32:37.720 --> 0:32:39.840 because this is really important, because there's always more to 0:32:39.880 --> 0:32:43.200 the story. The scripture says that he feeds five thousand, 0:32:43.480 --> 0:32:46.320 or like probably fifteen thousand people, and then if you 0:32:46.320 --> 0:32:50.120 can remember, the scripture says that there was leftovers. Your 0:32:50.120 --> 0:32:54.120 mama did not invent that at Thanksgiving. Jesus is lord 0:32:54.160 --> 0:32:57.120 of the leftovers. He's not the god of enough. Whoever's 0:32:57.160 --> 0:33:00.200 watching online right now, he is the god of more 0:33:00.280 --> 0:33:02.200 than enough. Can somebody give him some praise if you 0:33:02.240 --> 0:33:08.800 believe He's got everything you need, more than enough. Any 0:33:08.840 --> 0:33:11.720 Bible nerds in the house, remember exactly how much more 0:33:11.800 --> 0:33:19.320 enough there was? There was twelve baskets left. Any other 0:33:19.320 --> 0:33:27.120 Bible nerds, how many disciples did Jesus have? Hey, guys, 0:33:27.520 --> 0:33:30.120 I'm doing a miracle over here. It's for all the masses. 0:33:30.480 --> 0:33:31.680 What was one to let you know you're about to 0:33:31.760 --> 0:33:34.520 enter into a storm. Don't worry. I've packed you lunch. 0:33:36.400 --> 0:33:39.479 You've each got a basket full of food, so that 0:33:39.520 --> 0:33:41.680 when you get into that storm. I want to remind 0:33:41.720 --> 0:33:44.160 you I've already got a solution to the problem you 0:33:44.200 --> 0:33:46.960 didn't even know existed. I want you to worship God 0:33:47.000 --> 0:33:49.000 to day in faith. Maybe you're in the middle of 0:33:49.000 --> 0:33:51.120 turbulence right now. Maybe you're in the middle of a 0:33:51.160 --> 0:33:53.400 storm right now, But there is more to the story. 0:33:53.560 --> 0:33:59.240 The storm has its purpose. Storm has its purpose. Many 0:33:59.240 --> 0:34:01.720 of us we would never know he's a healer until 0:34:01.760 --> 0:34:06.280 we got sick. Many of us would never know he 0:34:06.400 --> 0:34:09.480 was a restorer until our heart was broken. You want 0:34:09.520 --> 0:34:12.040 to know he was a deliver unless you got addicted. 0:34:12.960 --> 0:34:16.480 We can go through it. The storm is revealing something 0:34:16.480 --> 0:34:19.880 about his character and nature that you need on your journey. 0:34:20.680 --> 0:34:24.920 It has a purpose. I was in Chicago this summer 0:34:25.400 --> 0:34:29.120 and we preachers. If you don't know, just everywhere we go, 0:34:29.160 --> 0:34:32.560 even on vacation, we're just collecting sermons. And I was 0:34:32.680 --> 0:34:35.640 taking this tour of Chicago, which is notably one of 0:34:35.640 --> 0:34:40.680 the best or most impressively designed cities in all of 0:34:40.719 --> 0:34:43.800 the world. It wins architecture and all sorts of awards 0:34:43.800 --> 0:34:46.160 every year. They have a three layered highway. I mean, 0:34:46.800 --> 0:34:48.960 it's remarkable stuff. And I'm on this tour with my 0:34:49.000 --> 0:34:53.640 family and this tour guide is just she's blowing my mind. 0:34:53.640 --> 0:34:55.680 She's up there just she's like an art history major 0:34:55.719 --> 0:34:57.920 and she's just dropping truth. I'm like, dang, this is 0:34:58.600 --> 0:35:01.400 She said. You know, Ko has more skyscrapers than any 0:35:01.440 --> 0:35:04.640 other city. And what's amazing about skyscrapers, if you don't know, 0:35:04.719 --> 0:35:06.160 is that they're built in such a way that they're 0:35:06.200 --> 0:35:10.640 made to sway so they don't snap. I was like, 0:35:10.680 --> 0:35:14.560 you want to preach it? My church. This Sunday got 0:35:14.560 --> 0:35:19.120 that sway annoying, not going snap sway, sway with it 0:35:19.640 --> 0:35:23.360 in the storm. You gotta sway. But she told me 0:35:23.400 --> 0:35:28.440 to look at somebody all love that calm down. She 0:35:28.560 --> 0:35:30.480 told the story of if you don't know about it, 0:35:30.520 --> 0:35:33.600 eighteen seventy one was the Great Chicago Fire. It's like 0:35:33.640 --> 0:35:38.239 the largest urban fire recorded ever and it burned up 0:35:38.239 --> 0:35:42.960 about three square miles. Three hundred buildings destroyed, or seventeen 0:35:42.960 --> 0:35:46.239 thousand buildings destroyed, three hundred some people lost their life. 0:35:46.440 --> 0:35:50.920 It's a really, really wild story because the fire began, 0:35:50.960 --> 0:35:52.680 but then it jumped into the river, and the river 0:35:52.760 --> 0:35:55.399 was so polluted that it kept burning through the river 0:35:55.680 --> 0:35:58.239 and it ended up hitting a paper mill. That's not 0:35:58.280 --> 0:36:00.319 a good place for a fire to hit, and with 0:36:00.400 --> 0:36:04.600 it it just spread and it devastated and destroyed the city. 0:36:05.800 --> 0:36:12.160 I mean, complete annihilation, complete destruction. But what's fascinating as 0:36:12.160 --> 0:36:17.600 you study the history of Chicago is that devastation probably 0:36:17.680 --> 0:36:22.799 became the reason for all of its innovation, because would 0:36:22.800 --> 0:36:27.200 you believe that just fifteen years later the skyscraper was invented. 0:36:28.080 --> 0:36:34.760 Do you know where it was invented? Chicago? Why? Because 0:36:34.800 --> 0:36:39.000 so often in devastation. When all of a sudden things 0:36:39.080 --> 0:36:41.120 come through. I get a new revelation, I get a 0:36:41.239 --> 0:36:44.360 new idea. I discover who my God is. And I 0:36:44.400 --> 0:36:46.879 just felt it in my spirit today that God has 0:36:47.000 --> 0:36:49.360 big things in store for you. There is more to 0:36:49.440 --> 0:36:51.879 the story, but you need to lean into this moment 0:36:51.920 --> 0:36:54.080 right now. You're not in a storm. You're in between 0:36:54.080 --> 0:36:57.839 two miracles. He's taken you from glory to glory. He's 0:36:57.880 --> 0:37:00.560 taken you from miracle to miracle. But you've got to 0:37:00.600 --> 0:37:03.080 go through the storm. I don't know what awaits you 0:37:03.120 --> 0:37:07.120 on the other side, but God has something good if 0:37:07.120 --> 0:37:08.960 you believe, as somebody puts your hands together all over 0:37:09.000 --> 0:37:14.120 this room, the storm has its purpose. The storm has 0:37:14.160 --> 0:37:18.120 its purpose. As the worship team makes their way up here, 0:37:18.160 --> 0:37:22.080 it's just storms their mindus. We're not in control. Storms 0:37:22.120 --> 0:37:24.560 give away to new revelations, but storms also create the 0:37:24.560 --> 0:37:29.600 perfect stage for an audacious response. I just I know 0:37:29.680 --> 0:37:33.760 this is a word for some people here today. Problems 0:37:34.040 --> 0:37:37.880 are platforms for God to show off. We all want miracles, 0:37:37.880 --> 0:37:42.200 but we don't want problems. Problems are a prerequisite to 0:37:42.239 --> 0:37:48.239 a miracle. Your storm is a stage for God. He's 0:37:48.280 --> 0:37:51.799 going to show off. We wouldn't never have the story 0:37:51.840 --> 0:37:55.640 of Jesus walking on water if there wasn't a storm. 0:37:56.800 --> 0:38:00.840 But what's amazing about March chapter six is you fourteen 0:38:01.320 --> 0:38:04.600 tells the same story, but there's some other information given 0:38:04.600 --> 0:38:07.520 to us in Matthew fourteen. We see it. It's not 0:38:07.640 --> 0:38:11.359 just Jesus who walks on the water, but so does 0:38:11.400 --> 0:38:19.160 Peter Peter. Some of you are like he. Peter ain't 0:38:19.440 --> 0:38:27.840 smarter than you. Peter's not more theologically sound than you. Peter, 0:38:28.360 --> 0:38:31.960 Peter sin just as bad as you. Sin isn't amazing. 0:38:32.160 --> 0:38:41.080 Peter and Judas same sin? What if Judas is just 0:38:41.120 --> 0:38:47.040 what a wait is one more day. Peter goes back 0:38:47.040 --> 0:38:50.960 to community, he's back to fishing. That cures him. Judas 0:38:51.120 --> 0:38:54.960 goes into isolation and it just intensifies his pain. Takes 0:38:55.040 --> 0:39:01.520 matter and he takes control. Scripture says that throughout on 0:39:01.560 --> 0:39:05.520 that water and Jesus walks out on the water, take courage. 0:39:05.560 --> 0:39:08.840 It is I do not be afraid some of you 0:39:08.920 --> 0:39:12.680 that you gotta take courage. And that's the right word. 0:39:12.680 --> 0:39:16.719 That's aggressive language. You gotta take it, you gotta put 0:39:16.719 --> 0:39:20.759 it on, you gotta choose it. I gotta take I 0:39:20.760 --> 0:39:22.319 gotta take it on Monday. I gotta take it on 0:39:22.400 --> 0:39:26.319 I gotta take courage. Bible says, as Jesus is out there, 0:39:26.400 --> 0:39:30.080 Peter sees it, and Peter's in the boat. And when 0:39:30.080 --> 0:39:34.239 Peter season, Peter gets the idea, Lord, is that really you? 0:39:35.480 --> 0:39:38.759 And Jesus says it's me, And Peter goes, well, if 0:39:38.760 --> 0:39:42.240 it's you, tell me to come to you on the water. 0:39:43.280 --> 0:39:45.160 I love it because here's the gospel in one word, 0:39:45.200 --> 0:39:50.319 those of you that are watching online. Jesus says, come, come, 0:39:51.719 --> 0:39:56.040 everybody needs saving. Get to all who received him and 0:39:56.040 --> 0:39:57.759 believed in his name. He gave them the right to 0:39:57.800 --> 0:39:59.520 be called children of God. Come to me, all you 0:39:59.560 --> 0:40:02.800 are weird and heavy burden, and I will give you rest. Come. 0:40:03.239 --> 0:40:05.279 Whatever you're caring today, whatever your face to day, whatever 0:40:05.280 --> 0:40:07.919 you're walking with today, just come to Jesus. And Peter 0:40:08.160 --> 0:40:10.520 he doesn't think about it. He just listens to Jesus 0:40:10.560 --> 0:40:14.759 and he steps out, and my man starts walking on water. Peter, 0:40:15.040 --> 0:40:20.520 the cussing sailor is walking on the water. The scripture 0:40:20.560 --> 0:40:22.719 says that when he started looking at the wind and 0:40:22.760 --> 0:40:25.880 the waves, he started to sink. And that's fascinating you 0:40:25.920 --> 0:40:29.360 can't even see wind. That's how this world works. The 0:40:29.440 --> 0:40:31.600 devil wants you to focus your attention on things that 0:40:31.640 --> 0:40:35.360 are not real, things that you can't even see. Imagination's 0:40:35.400 --> 0:40:38.240 in your mind, thoughts that he put in your brain. 0:40:41.520 --> 0:40:44.800 Here's how the Kingdom of God works. Close your eyes 0:40:46.320 --> 0:40:50.239 and open up your ears. Faith comes by hearing and 0:40:50.280 --> 0:40:52.719 hearing the word of the Lord. Seventeen years of age, 0:40:52.760 --> 0:40:54.200 I got a word from God and I have been 0:40:54.280 --> 0:40:57.759 clinging to it now for twenty plus years. Get a 0:40:57.760 --> 0:40:59.160 word from God. Don't let anyone get in the way 0:40:59.200 --> 0:41:02.160 of that. I hear you, Jesus. I hear you, Jesus. 0:41:02.239 --> 0:41:07.000 I hear you, Jesus. I can hear Jesus. Peter, the 0:41:07.040 --> 0:41:17.840 water is liquid, but my word is solid. One step 0:41:17.840 --> 0:41:21.360 out of time, and the scripture says, he starts looking 0:41:21.360 --> 0:41:25.560 at the wind and the waves, and he begins to sink. 0:41:27.920 --> 0:41:33.239 You see, adversity is always a great time for audacity, 0:41:33.320 --> 0:41:37.640 and Peter started right, WHOA, I'm in a storm, but 0:41:37.680 --> 0:41:40.600 maybe this storm could be a stage for the glory 0:41:40.600 --> 0:41:43.960 of God. He starts walking and as he starts sinking, 0:41:44.560 --> 0:41:46.680 he's freaking out. You gotta love Jesus because it's the 0:41:46.680 --> 0:41:49.480 picture of grace. He comes on over there and he 0:41:49.480 --> 0:41:52.239 puts his hand to him, and he helps him back up, 0:41:52.280 --> 0:41:54.040 and he says, Peter, you of little faith, why did 0:41:54.080 --> 0:41:56.759 you doubt? It's amazing because I've heard that preach so 0:41:56.800 --> 0:41:58.799 many times in church. You gotta have great faith. Peter 0:41:58.920 --> 0:42:03.200 had little faith on my whole Tell me you ever 0:42:03.200 --> 0:42:08.359 walk on water? And good news to everybody who's here 0:42:08.360 --> 0:42:10.839 today who's not churchy, who doesn't know how to speak 0:42:10.840 --> 0:42:20.160 in Christianese. According to Jesus, Peter walked on water with 0:42:20.400 --> 0:42:27.160 little faith. What could you do today with some average faith. 0:42:28.640 --> 0:42:30.600 It's never been the size of your faith. It's always 0:42:30.600 --> 0:42:33.319 been about the size of your God. It's not the 0:42:33.360 --> 0:42:35.600 strength of your faith, friend, it's the object of your faith. 0:42:35.680 --> 0:42:40.960 My faith is attached to Jesus. Adversity is a great 0:42:41.000 --> 0:42:45.239 moment for audacity, and storms create a wonderful stage for 0:42:45.280 --> 0:42:50.520 an audacious response. We're still telling the story of Peter. 0:42:51.480 --> 0:42:53.800 My kids were in Voot Kids last week in Miami. 0:42:54.920 --> 0:42:56.520 Whyt came on. I said, what'd you learn to church? 0:42:56.719 --> 0:42:58.799 He said, I heard about the man and walked down 0:42:58.840 --> 0:43:04.080 the water. I want to say when I get to heaven, Hey, Peter, 0:43:04.600 --> 0:43:08.239 I know that storm was scary, But man, what a 0:43:08.520 --> 0:43:12.479 story it turned out to be. What's the story without 0:43:12.520 --> 0:43:17.719 a storm? What's the story without some struggle? Some of 0:43:17.800 --> 0:43:21.040 you curse in every struggle. God, just get me through this. 0:43:21.160 --> 0:43:24.160 Why not pray? God, give me faith, give me a 0:43:24.160 --> 0:43:27.480 capacity to face the storm, to keep moving. God, there's 0:43:27.480 --> 0:43:32.040 a purpose in the storm. There's a purpose in the storm. 0:43:32.200 --> 0:43:34.759 Here's what's amazing to me. I didn't see this till 0:43:34.800 --> 0:43:39.680 just recently. We're not reading Matthew fourthy, we're reading Mark 0:43:39.760 --> 0:43:42.399 chapter six. Just important for all the Bible people out there. 0:43:43.200 --> 0:43:47.319 Mark was not a disciple of Jesus. Mark was a 0:43:47.360 --> 0:43:53.000 disciple of Peter. Almost all scholars and theologians believe that 0:43:53.080 --> 0:43:58.719 Peter dictated to Mark. The Gospel of Mark. Say, which, 0:43:58.719 --> 0:44:02.480 why is this important? I'm saying because in Matthew's Gospel, 0:44:02.640 --> 0:44:05.359 Matthew remembers that night, not just Jesus walking the water. 0:44:05.480 --> 0:44:08.960 He also says, Yo, I was there, and Peter walked 0:44:08.960 --> 0:44:13.640 on water too. I think was wild to me is 0:44:13.640 --> 0:44:16.160 that if I'm Peter, i won't be you. I'll be me. 0:44:17.480 --> 0:44:20.839 And I'm telling this story to my disciple. I'm like, yo, bro, 0:44:22.640 --> 0:44:25.760 night was crazy. Everyone was afraid. I was a little, 0:44:25.800 --> 0:44:29.240 but everyone was freaking out. I was. I was little, 0:44:29.280 --> 0:44:31.120 but not as much as the rest of the guys. 0:44:31.120 --> 0:44:33.879 You'll see in a second. Why So we're out there 0:44:33.920 --> 0:44:36.600 and everyone's rowing so hard. I was praying, I was praying, 0:44:36.640 --> 0:44:39.960 was worshiping, and all of a sudden there came to 0:44:40.040 --> 0:44:43.120 celestial being. I knew, I knew it was Jesus. I 0:44:43.239 --> 0:44:46.480 just know God is good all the time, and all 0:44:46.560 --> 0:44:51.480 the time He's good, all right. And I saw Jesus 0:44:51.640 --> 0:44:58.239 and I was like, yo, Jesus, what you say I 0:44:58.280 --> 0:45:02.040 come out there and hang out with you? And he 0:45:02.080 --> 0:45:06.040 said come. And so it was just, you know, one 0:45:06.080 --> 0:45:11.680 small step for humanity, but one giant step for the 0:45:11.719 --> 0:45:19.799 global Church of Jesus Christ. If I was Peter, that's 0:45:19.840 --> 0:45:23.480 how I would have told the story. Jesus is awesome. 0:45:24.080 --> 0:45:30.680 WHOA you should have seen me that night. But somehow 0:45:31.320 --> 0:45:34.680 we don't know for certain. Somehow, when we read the story, 0:45:35.920 --> 0:45:38.560 it seems as if when Peter starts telling his side 0:45:38.560 --> 0:45:43.239 of the story, it seems like he leaves out the 0:45:43.280 --> 0:45:53.000 most important part. But maybe, just maybe, to Peter, the 0:45:53.000 --> 0:45:59.759 most important part wasn't him walking on water? Maybe just 0:46:00.000 --> 0:46:02.239 ab Peter had a revelation that the most important part 0:46:03.200 --> 0:46:08.840 was solely and simply Jesus walking on water. Can I 0:46:08.840 --> 0:46:12.200 tell you something today. Some of you are in a storm, 0:46:12.280 --> 0:46:14.480 You are in a crisis, you are in a challenge, 0:46:15.440 --> 0:46:18.160 you are facing real difficulty. But something tells me, if 0:46:18.160 --> 0:46:21.200 you will faithfully follow Jesus, you're gonna get to the 0:46:21.239 --> 0:46:23.640 other side of this thing. And one day you will 0:46:23.680 --> 0:46:26.719 testify from your experience in the storm. And when you 0:46:26.760 --> 0:46:28.920 look back, you're not going to talk about your great faith. 0:46:29.200 --> 0:46:32.120 You're going to talk about the great grace of Jesus Christ, 0:46:32.440 --> 0:46:36.120 the God who came to you and found you and 0:46:36.280 --> 0:46:38.560 met you right there in the middle of your mess. 0:46:39.040 --> 0:46:42.240 The storm has its purpose, and it's the glory of God. 0:46:43.239 --> 0:46:49.439 It's the grace of God. I love preaching about faith 0:46:49.480 --> 0:46:51.760 from this text, but can we just all be honest. 0:46:52.640 --> 0:46:55.040 It is impressive that Jesus walked on water, but if 0:46:55.080 --> 0:46:58.520 he is God, don't we all believe he can walk 0:46:58.600 --> 0:47:04.239 on anything. He says, not a story about walking on water. 0:47:05.280 --> 0:47:09.040 This is the gospel right there before your eyes, that 0:47:09.160 --> 0:47:12.680 when I was dead in my sin, when I was 0:47:12.719 --> 0:47:17.279 at my darkest moment, when I was hating God, he 0:47:17.600 --> 0:47:21.160 saw me in all of my depravity, in all of 0:47:21.200 --> 0:47:24.239 my mistakes. And he said, there's no mountain too high, 0:47:24.320 --> 0:47:28.880 there's no valley too low. I'k on water just to 0:47:28.920 --> 0:47:33.280 get to you. He's taking you through. He's taking you through. 0:47:33.880 --> 0:47:41.360 He's taking you through. He'll walk over the failed marriage, 0:47:42.080 --> 0:47:45.239 He'll walk over the broken business. He'll walk right through 0:47:45.239 --> 0:47:48.560 the addiction. He'll walk right on top of your anxiety. 0:47:49.520 --> 0:47:52.600 Your depression does not scare him. He can walk on 0:47:52.680 --> 0:47:55.560 top of things. He's on the way to you. He's 0:47:55.600 --> 0:47:58.760 coming to you because he wants to take you through. 0:48:01.600 --> 0:48:03.719 Storm has its purpose. The storm has its purpose. The 0:48:03.719 --> 0:48:06.320 storm has its purpose. The storm has its purpose. The 0:48:06.400 --> 0:48:08.239 storm has its purpose. If I can just get you 0:48:08.280 --> 0:48:11.200 to think that way tomorrow at work, we have one today. 0:48:11.480 --> 0:48:13.920 If we get to Friday and you are still facing something, 0:48:14.080 --> 0:48:16.120 but you could just tell yourself, I got a little message. 0:48:16.200 --> 0:48:17.840 I don't remember all the message. I don't remember all 0:48:17.880 --> 0:48:19.919 the Bible verses, but I know this. The storm has 0:48:20.040 --> 0:48:23.160 its purpose. There's more to the story. Every story has 0:48:23.200 --> 0:48:26.399 a storm, and every storm has a purpose. We've won. 0:48:29.080 --> 0:48:32.239 See when you're in a storm and we're closing how mey, No, 0:48:33.239 --> 0:48:36.200 it's hard to see and you start forgetting who you are. 0:48:37.760 --> 0:48:39.560 You know you're in a storm when you start praying 0:48:39.560 --> 0:48:46.080 prayers like God, I need a sign. You ever negotiate 0:48:46.080 --> 0:48:49.560 with God. God, if you'll just do this, I promise you, 0:48:50.400 --> 0:48:56.520 that's when you know you're desperate. This past summer, I 0:48:56.640 --> 0:49:00.000 was on a break and I needed I needed a sign. 0:49:00.200 --> 0:49:02.880 I don't pray this prayer as much, but I was 0:49:02.920 --> 0:49:05.360 on this vacation. There was some stuff going on with 0:49:05.400 --> 0:49:07.920 our staff and our team back home, and I just 0:49:07.960 --> 0:49:09.560 know they needed their pastor. I know they needed a 0:49:09.560 --> 0:49:11.760 word from God. And I'm just sitting there on break 0:49:12.640 --> 0:49:17.680 watching Netflix shows, going God give me a sign. For 0:49:17.719 --> 0:49:21.200 three days, I prayed, God give me a sign. God 0:49:21.680 --> 0:49:25.120 give me a sign. And after like day three, I 0:49:25.160 --> 0:49:29.239 don't know, you know, we're just blind to stuff. This. 0:49:29.520 --> 0:49:31.919 I was renting this house and this is the sign 0:49:32.000 --> 0:49:36.320 that was above the television. We pulled it up. So 0:49:36.360 --> 0:49:37.839 I'm praying this prayer, God give me a sign. God 0:49:37.840 --> 0:49:40.480 give me a sign, and above the TV. It's like 0:49:40.520 --> 0:49:43.440 took me three days. Like you know, sometimes I'm like, 0:49:43.520 --> 0:49:47.080 God is like, how dull are you? You know? He 0:49:47.160 --> 0:49:50.959 calls us sheep, study sheep, not smart animals. You know. Ah, 0:49:53.880 --> 0:49:55.439 God give me a sign. God give me a sign. 0:49:55.560 --> 0:49:57.400 Three days, God give me a sign. God give me 0:49:57.440 --> 0:50:00.640 a sign. Finally, day three, I'm like, there's a sign 0:50:02.280 --> 0:50:10.759 above the television. Wow, look at God. I didn't. I 0:50:10.800 --> 0:50:13.400 had no idea what it meant. To my knowledge, I 0:50:13.400 --> 0:50:15.560 had never really seen it. But it's crazy because I 0:50:15.560 --> 0:50:18.280 was watching some TV show this summer about some navy seal. 0:50:18.400 --> 0:50:21.680 I spare the details, and in the background of the show, 0:50:22.120 --> 0:50:25.560 Day two is that exact same sign. I'm like, gott 0:50:25.600 --> 0:50:28.440 ever do that? Who? The next day, I'm on the lake, 0:50:28.440 --> 0:50:30.920 I'm at some restaurant and hanging on the wall is 0:50:30.960 --> 0:50:36.719 the sign. I'm like, WHOA. Day three. Sometimes I'm like, 0:50:36.840 --> 0:50:38.480 is Apple listening to me? Or is this the spirit 0:50:38.520 --> 0:50:47.680 of God? Is this technology or prophecy? Because I gotta 0:50:47.680 --> 0:50:49.600 tell you this, because this is I got an email 0:50:49.600 --> 0:50:52.160 that popped up from twenty sixteen from my good friend 0:50:52.239 --> 0:50:57.759 Levi Leus goes it there, so I'm like it was 0:50:57.760 --> 0:50:59.360 an email he sent me that I had screenshot it 0:50:59.360 --> 0:51:01.000 because I liked it. I had done something with this. 0:51:01.080 --> 0:51:02.920 I was like, what is in the world. While I 0:51:02.920 --> 0:51:04.759 was finishing my vacation and I was actually scheduled to 0:51:04.760 --> 0:51:07.400 go preach in Montana. I walked into Levi Leusco's office 0:51:07.480 --> 0:51:10.000 and look what's hanging on the wall. Can we go 0:51:10.000 --> 0:51:14.920 to the next one? Watch this? So this is what 0:51:14.960 --> 0:51:18.920 Pentecostal is doing this moment. I called our general manager 0:51:19.480 --> 0:51:22.479 because I was flying back for staff retreat, and I said, 0:51:23.400 --> 0:51:26.120 for staff retreat, by one hundred mugs that say, don't 0:51:26.120 --> 0:51:41.960 give up the ship. My guy goes pastor what does 0:51:41.960 --> 0:51:51.360 it mean? I said, I have no idea, but it's gone. 0:51:52.480 --> 0:51:54.279 After we had ordered the mugs, that decided what does 0:51:54.320 --> 0:51:57.360 this mean? And I found out the history of it. 0:51:57.560 --> 0:52:01.160 In the War of eighteen twelve, Captain James Lawrence, they 0:52:01.160 --> 0:52:03.120 had been attacked and their ship was going down and 0:52:03.160 --> 0:52:04.960 he was dying on the ship. In his last and 0:52:05.000 --> 0:52:09.880 final dying words were don't give up the ship. That's cool. 0:52:09.880 --> 0:52:13.480 That's a good battle cry, you know. I guess today 0:52:13.520 --> 0:52:16.440 now it's become an anthem in the Marine Corps, Navy seals. 0:52:16.440 --> 0:52:19.239 You'll see it all over the place, and that's very, 0:52:19.320 --> 0:52:21.520 very meaningful. But I didn't understand, God, what do you mean, 0:52:22.360 --> 0:52:27.560 don't give up the ship? Don't give up the ship, Lord, 0:52:27.760 --> 0:52:30.480 don't give up the ship. What am I? Are we 0:52:30.520 --> 0:52:32.839 going to battle this year? What's happening like? I don't 0:52:32.880 --> 0:52:35.440 know what are we talking about? And I just kept praying, 0:52:35.560 --> 0:52:38.480 kept thinking, don't give up the ship. Don't give up 0:52:38.520 --> 0:52:40.640 the ship. Don't give up the ship. Don't give up 0:52:40.719 --> 0:52:45.040 rich this year. Don't give up. Every story has a storm, 0:52:45.600 --> 0:52:48.320 Every story has a struggle. Don't give up the ship. 0:52:48.600 --> 0:52:52.200 Don't give up the storm. Don't give up the storm. 0:52:52.840 --> 0:52:56.640 Don't give up the storm has Don't give up. The 0:52:56.640 --> 0:53:03.160 storm has its purpose. Don't give up the ship. Don't 0:53:03.200 --> 0:53:15.799 give up the storm has its purpose. So we have 0:53:15.880 --> 0:53:18.399 who church. We just started looking at each other and say, 0:53:18.400 --> 0:53:21.720 you're struggling, if you're struggling, if you're in a challenge. 0:53:21.719 --> 0:53:24.160 You can be struggling and becoming all in the same sentence. 0:53:24.920 --> 0:53:26.799 Are you in a storm, you are on your way 0:53:26.840 --> 0:53:30.120 to the other side. Do not forget who you are. 0:53:30.719 --> 0:53:33.600 Don't give up the ship, don't give up the storm 0:53:33.680 --> 0:53:36.279 has its purpose. There's a purpose in your struggle. There's 0:53:36.280 --> 0:53:38.120 a purpose in your storm. And if I was at 0:53:38.160 --> 0:53:40.360 my church and I was preaching to my congregation, I 0:53:40.400 --> 0:53:42.200 would just get fancy with it. I just start saying 0:53:42.200 --> 0:53:45.040 all sorts stuff. I would say, don't give up the discipleship. 0:53:46.960 --> 0:53:50.440 I would say, don't give up the stewardship. I would say, 0:53:50.480 --> 0:53:53.120 don't give up the friendship. I would say, don't give 0:53:53.280 --> 0:53:57.600 up the worship, because you are a worshipper no matter 0:53:57.640 --> 0:54:00.520 what you're facing. And as you start to worship of God, 0:54:00.840 --> 0:54:03.360 you're gonna be made aware of his presence. He is 0:54:03.480 --> 0:54:06.279 with you in every store. He is with you in 0:54:06.360 --> 0:54:09.320 every storm. And if he told you he's getting you 0:54:09.360 --> 0:54:12.480 to the other side, you not doubt in the storm 0:54:12.880 --> 0:54:15.879 what he talks you on top ground. Maybe you'll get 0:54:15.960 --> 0:54:19.120 through this thing. You're coming through this thing. There's all 0:54:19.320 --> 0:54:22.239 the story. There's a bigger mirror of flat place. Don't 0:54:22.280 --> 0:54:24.920 give up the ship. Don't give up. Come on, somebody 0:54:24.960 --> 0:54:28.040 give gone some place him, him, some morning him. Come on, 0:54:28.800 --> 0:54:35.759 come on, you hold my laughs, you about myself. Come on, Church, 0:54:35.960 --> 0:54:43.360 You have called me for it. You dese sea. This 0:54:43.560 --> 0:54:50.799 makes your sight you He has his purpose. You take 0:54:50.920 --> 0:55:00.239 current these sept side. You report me for you God. 0:55:01.600 --> 0:55:08.680 This is because you're ready with me. You're working through 0:55:08.760 --> 0:55:14.360 me finely for me. God. It's not it's not you. 0:55:15.360 --> 0:55:22.280 You're reading with me. You're working to me. Finely tall me. God, 0:55:22.560 --> 0:55:29.279 he started dancing you reading with me. You're working to me. 0:55:30.640 --> 0:55:35.759 It's finding tall me. God, it's not against me or 0:55:36.000 --> 0:55:42.720 me erase me. You're working through me. Fine for me. God, 0:55:43.040 --> 0:55:49.719 it's you, didn't me. You're ready with me, working through me. 0:55:51.400 --> 0:55:57.880 Find grass. He's not against you, he's not against you. 0:55:57.960 --> 0:56:00.239 He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. He 0:56:00.320 --> 0:56:02.600 has a plan, he has a purpose. There's purpose to 0:56:02.680 --> 0:56:05.279 the pain. This storm has a purpose. Don't give up 0:56:05.360 --> 0:56:08.200 the ship. Don't give up this week. Don't give up. 0:56:08.280 --> 0:56:11.480 This storm has its purpose. It has its purpose. You're 0:56:11.520 --> 0:56:14.640 not in control, but you could take courage. You're gonna 0:56:14.719 --> 0:56:17.960 learn something about God. You're gonna see something about him. 0:56:18.600 --> 0:56:21.640 You're gonna discover something about him. The intimacy of your 0:56:21.680 --> 0:56:24.440 relationship is gonna grow because of this pain, because of 0:56:24.480 --> 0:56:27.000 this suffering, because of this heart ache. Oh, this is 0:56:27.080 --> 0:56:30.680 a perfect moment right now for an audacious response. You 0:56:30.760 --> 0:56:32.960 want that type of faith that walks on water. Then 0:56:32.960 --> 0:56:34.920 you gotta get out there in the middle of the storm. 0:56:34.960 --> 0:56:37.759 But you watch as your God shows up. He will 0:56:37.800 --> 0:56:40.680 never leave you, he will never forsake you. God. I 0:56:40.760 --> 0:56:43.839 pray over every person in this room right now. God, 0:56:43.880 --> 0:56:47.239 who's struggling. God, any person who's in this room today, 0:56:47.239 --> 0:56:50.239 that walked in today watching online, about to give up 0:56:51.480 --> 0:56:54.920 on the brink of quitting God, may we hear it 0:56:55.000 --> 0:57:00.799 from heaven. There's more to the story. You're the God 0:57:00.840 --> 0:57:07.399 who does more than we could ever ask, think or imagine. God, 0:57:07.480 --> 0:57:10.360 we don't need faith for tomorrow. We need faith for today. 0:57:12.719 --> 0:57:19.800 Give us our daily bread. We're dependent upon you. If 0:57:19.800 --> 0:57:22.480 that's you, if you're just desperate for God, sometimes a 0:57:22.520 --> 0:57:24.920 ward just has to unlock something inside of you. Just 0:57:25.000 --> 0:57:28.560 lift your hands right there, Just lift your hands with there, Receive, receive, receive. 0:57:29.800 --> 0:57:32.600 He doesn't encourage you in your strength. He encourages you 0:57:32.920 --> 0:57:38.240 in his strength. He says, I'm with you, I'm for you. 0:57:39.640 --> 0:57:44.360 No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Read the verse. 0:57:44.440 --> 0:57:47.400 It doesn't say the weapon won't be formed. It just 0:57:47.480 --> 0:57:53.240 declares mightily it will not prosper. I got a sense 0:57:53.280 --> 0:57:56.720 in my spirit that the enemy's coming to attack some people. 0:57:57.120 --> 0:57:59.400 But hear the prophecy of the Lord that when the 0:57:59.520 --> 0:58:02.080 enemy showed up at your house, there is a sign, 0:58:02.400 --> 0:58:07.120 and it says, beware of God. This house is protected, 0:58:07.600 --> 0:58:15.480 this house is covered, This house he's fighting for you. God. 0:58:15.560 --> 0:58:19.360 We received, We receive, We receive, God, We receive, We receive, 0:58:20.600 --> 0:58:23.919 We receive. God. We cannot stop the storms, but Lord, 0:58:24.000 --> 0:58:29.040 may we prepare today, May we build on a solid rock. 0:58:30.480 --> 0:58:33.160 You're here today and you've never met Jesus. I'm telling 0:58:33.200 --> 0:58:35.959 you what this is the gospel. For God so loved 0:58:36.040 --> 0:58:38.680 the world that he gave his only begotten son, that 0:58:38.760 --> 0:58:42.000 whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. 0:58:42.480 --> 0:58:44.200 For God to not send his son in the world 0:58:44.280 --> 0:58:47.200 to condemn the world, but to save the world. I 0:58:47.280 --> 0:58:49.960 don't know what somebody told you, but God is not 0:58:50.240 --> 0:58:53.120 mad at you. He is madly in love with you. 0:58:53.600 --> 0:58:56.400 He's the God who got up out of heaven, came 0:58:56.520 --> 0:58:59.120 down to this earth, walked in the middle of our mess, 0:58:59.320 --> 0:59:01.880 in the middle of the your sin, just to save us. 0:59:02.680 --> 0:59:07.880 He's for you. He's for you. He's for you, but 0:59:08.000 --> 0:59:10.160 he gives you the opportunity to receive. If that's you today, 0:59:10.480 --> 0:59:14.000 all over the world today you might be in a storm, 0:59:14.040 --> 0:59:15.880 but maybe this storm has a purpose that you would 0:59:15.960 --> 0:59:20.960 meet your savior. If you're desperate today, if you're hurting today, 0:59:21.880 --> 0:59:24.200 he's here on the count of three and that you say, Rich, 0:59:24.240 --> 0:59:27.600 I need Jesus. I want to commit my life to Jesus. 0:59:27.680 --> 0:59:32.000 I recognize my sin and my mistakes. You don't need 0:59:32.040 --> 0:59:33.760 a preacher to tell you how bad you are. You 0:59:33.800 --> 0:59:36.120 need a preacher to remind you about how good your 0:59:36.280 --> 0:59:41.480 God is. He's bigger than your sin. If that's you 0:59:41.520 --> 0:59:43.000 on the kind of three, just be bold. On the 0:59:43.200 --> 0:59:44.360 three you just lift your hand of high enough and 0:59:44.400 --> 0:59:45.480 long up just so I can see it. I want 0:59:45.480 --> 0:59:47.160 to include you in this prayer of solvation. If that's you, 0:59:47.360 --> 0:59:48.920 that's me, Rich, I want Jesus to be the load 0:59:48.920 --> 0:59:51.440 of my life. Online. Ready one, the Bible says, today's 0:59:51.440 --> 0:59:53.160 that day. Two. Don't look at your neighbor. It's not 0:59:53.200 --> 0:59:57.000 about your neighbor. It's between you and Jesus. Ready one, two, three, 0:59:57.040 --> 0:59:58.880 that's you looked up. That's me, Rich, that's me. That's me. 0:59:59.080 --> 1:00:01.400 That's me. Thank you, Thank God, thank you, don good, 1:00:01.440 --> 1:00:08.440 thank you done, thank you Jersus, thank you Gene. Come 1:00:08.480 --> 1:00:10.240 on church. Can we all lift our hands towards heaven. 1:00:10.440 --> 1:00:16.160 Let's pray this prayeric say, dear Jesus, today, I give 1:00:16.200 --> 1:00:21.520 you my life. I repent forgive me. I believe you 1:00:21.640 --> 1:00:24.320 are who you said that you are today, I choose 1:00:25.120 --> 1:00:30.200 to follow you. Thank you for loving me. I confess 1:00:30.960 --> 1:00:35.080 that my storm has a purpose. I'm not going to doubt. 1:00:35.920 --> 1:00:40.160 I'm not gonna quit. I'm gonna follow you. In Jesus' name. 1:00:40.560 --> 1:00:43.440 Come on, everybody said, come on, Elevation Church. Can we 1:00:43.440 --> 1:00:47.080 go ahead and get gone a big shadow grace? Come 1:00:47.120 --> 1:00:51.880 on somebody. Hey, thank you for watching the Elevation Church YouTube. 1:00:52.120 --> 1:00:54.040 I want you to subscribe. That way you can know 1:00:54.160 --> 1:00:57.160 when we go live and post new content. Make sure 1:00:57.240 --> 1:00:59.360 leave me a comment, let me know what spoke to 1:00:59.400 --> 1:01:01.720 you today, where you're watching from, and what we can 1:01:01.800 --> 1:01:03.920 pray for you about. And if you'd like to support 1:01:04.000 --> 1:01:07.120 the ministry financially, you can click the give button now 1:01:07.520 --> 1:01:10.280 and help us continue reaching people around the world for 1:01:10.440 --> 1:01:13.240 Jesus Christ. Thanks again, I'll see you next time.