With God There’s Always A Way, And By Faith I Will Find It. (Rich Wilkerson Jr.)

0:00:02.120 --> 0:00:03.400 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:06.400 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:08.360 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.280 Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:13.440 Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving 0:00:13.480 --> 0:00:14.160 in your life. 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:17.960 Enjoy the message today. 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:20.959 I am grateful to be worshiping at Elevation Church. 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:23.080 Come on, if you're thankful for this house, if you're 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:29.320 thankful for what He's doing. David said, better is one 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:30.040 day in your. 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:34.920 House, been a thousand elsewhere a thousand days. 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:36.320 That's like two and a half years. 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:39.400 So I don't know what the next two and a 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:42.800 half years, if your life's going to look like. But 0:00:42.840 --> 0:00:47.160 if this is the last best day you're in God's house, 0:00:47.200 --> 0:00:50.519 come on, somebody celebrate the name of Jesus like this 0:00:50.600 --> 0:00:52.040 is the best day in the next two and a 0:00:52.080 --> 0:00:52.760 half years. 0:00:52.800 --> 0:00:56.120 Come on, we worship you God, We praise you Lord. 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:01.000 I want you to reach for your Bible, turning me 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:03.080 to Mark chapter five. Go ahead and stay standing as 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:06.960 we get ready to read the scripture today. It is 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:11.000 such an honor to be at Elevation Church. It is 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:14.039 a privilege for me and I just love what God 0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:17.440 is doing all throughout the earth. Uh. You know, I'm 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:20.280 here today on Sunday, but I've been like with you 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.040 all this week because if you don't know, your church 0:01:22.080 --> 0:01:28.120 is on tour Elevation Nights, has been changing city after. 0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:29.400 City, and I got to hop in. 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:32.320 I was like a roadie, or maybe I was like 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:33.880 a groupie and maybe more of a groupie. I think 0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:36.240 I was more of a groupie. And I was in 0:01:36.360 --> 0:01:38.760 Long Island. It was the Ubs Arena. 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:40.360 Is that what it was? Chunks? Y'all? 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:44.240 Did you know that there are people sold out for 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:46.200 Jesus in Long Island? 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:50.600 In Boston, sold out. 0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:54.160 Crowds all up and down the Northeast, And man, it 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:58.920 was powerful seeing that place full people worshiping, singing the songs. 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:00.000 That were written right out of this house. 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:04.120 Pastor Hawley was up on the stage, just presidential, poised 0:02:04.200 --> 0:02:08.000 and beautiful and wonderful. Abby Yo, Abby's up on the 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:13.680 stage preaching fire. Anybody grateful for Pastor Stephen Ferdick Man. 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:19.600 I've heard him preach so much, but this week, man, 0:02:19.639 --> 0:02:24.959 the messages he was sharing changing all of us, deep, direct, beautiful, 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:27.520 and I'm so thankful for how God is using this 0:02:27.639 --> 0:02:29.720 church all over the world, and I hope you're thankful 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:31.880 for it. Today we're gathering on Sunday, but your church 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:33.800 has been happening every day of the week this past week. 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:36.720 And it was C. S. Lewis who said it this way. 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:41.600 He said, friendship is born at the moment that you go, oh, 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:42.440 you two. 0:02:43.680 --> 0:02:44.920 I thought I was the only one. 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:48.880 And Pastor Stephen has a way that when he preaches 0:02:48.880 --> 0:02:52.000 from this pulpit, we all go oh. I thought I 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:55.640 was the only one. And I'm so thankful for his life. 0:02:55.639 --> 0:02:58.560 I'm thankful for his leadership. His messages right behind this 0:02:58.560 --> 0:02:59.800 pulpit have changed my life. 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:01.400 I gotta be honest with you, the. 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:03.920 Life he lives off of this stage. Man, his pastoring 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:06.640 has changed me, but his friendship has matured me. And 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:08.240 I know he's not in the room today, but come on, 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.440 I believe he's watching right now at every location. 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:13.360 Can we just thank God for our pastor? 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:15.280 Come on, make some annoys if you love Pastor Steven, 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:21.000 Pastor Hawley, Elijah Graham, and we love all y'all. Hey, yo, 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:24.760 this is not just a regular series. This is a 0:03:24.800 --> 0:03:28.240 life message. I get to preach him. Part three of 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:36.880 do the new you. Try to get that annoyant you 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:42.480 know me, someone say, do the new you, not the 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:46.640 old you, not the projected you, the new you, the 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:49.080 you that God has called you to be. And we've 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:52.240 been talking about these mindsets. And what a powerful message 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:53.640 on is that I just can't encourage. I know these people 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:54.480 watching online right now. 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:55.160 Get the book. 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:57.680 It just hit New York Times bestseller. But man, what 0:03:57.720 --> 0:03:59.520 a tragedy for you just to let him teach you. 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:02.320 Get even deeper. Get into the book because these six 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:05.880 different mindsets will transform your life. How y'all know our 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:10.240 mind is set on something. I hope that when you 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:12.160 come into this house, we're not saying something new, we're 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:15.880 saying something quite old, but we are reminding who you 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:19.000 have been called to be. I'm even believing today right 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:22.960 now it might be a mindset reset. Remember the Nintendo 0:04:24.920 --> 0:04:26.760 the game wasn't going good, very good. You pulled that 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:27.160 game out. 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:31.440 Reset. 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.520 May today be a great reset. And we've been talking 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:37.760 about lots of great things. And week one he was 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:43.800 talking about I'm not stuck unless I y'all been listening. Man, 0:04:46.440 --> 0:04:48.719 do y'all know the second one? 0:04:49.720 --> 0:04:50.520 Christ is in me? 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:55.360 Okay, Okay, just making sure y'all been listening to the teacher. 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:57.400 We're gonna get into mindset number three, mark chapter five, 0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:00.200 verse twenty two. Let me read it, and then we 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:04.840 will preach it. Then one of the synagogue leaders named 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:08.960 Gyrus came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.880 his feet, and he pleaded earnestly with him, My little 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:14.000 daughter is dying. 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:16.680 Please come and put your. 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:20.200 Hands on her so that she will be healed and live. 0:05:21.640 --> 0:05:23.880 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed 0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:26.680 and pressed around him. And a woman was there who 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:28.920 had been subject to bleeding for twelve years someone say 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:32.600 twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:36.280 care of many doctors and had spent all she had, 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:41.760 Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she 0:05:41.800 --> 0:05:44.440 heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:50.120 crowd and touched his cloak because she thought, if I 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:53.400 just touch his clothes, I will be healed. 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:54.880 Talk about a mindset. 0:05:57.000 --> 0:06:00.440 Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her that 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:04.839 she was freed from her suffering. At once, Jesus realized 0:06:04.920 --> 0:06:08.800 the power had gone out from him. He turned around 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:12.919 in the crowd and asked, who touched my clothes? You 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.919 see the people crowding against you. His disciples answered, and 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:20.360 yet you can ask who touched me? But Jesus kept 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:23.279 looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:27.440 knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:32.080 his feet, and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:38.640 He said to her daughter, your faith has healed you. 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:45.200 Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:46.560 Come on, if you. 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:52.960 Received that word today, somebody who's clapped your hands? Mindset 0:06:53.120 --> 0:07:00.520 number three. With God, there's always a way, and by 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:06.159 faith I will find it. Do me a favor, Touch 0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:08.400 three different people before you sit down and say, by 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:11.240 faith you're going to find it. Say by faith you're 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:15.280 going to find it. By faith, you're going to find it. 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:31.680 How many believe today that God is never late? That 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:35.200 was okay, I said, How many believe that God is 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:41.720 never late? God is never late? But have you ever 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:48.240 realized rarely is he early? No? God is not on 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:53.080 my time. God is not on your time. God is 0:07:53.840 --> 0:08:00.000 on time. On time is God time? How many believes 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:01.760 that we serve a God who's on time? 0:08:03.080 --> 0:08:03.559 What's funny? 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:05.640 Is. I've been serving the Lord for many, many years, 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:08.360 and what I've realized about God is that he's definitely 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:11.200 not on my time. He's certainly not on your time. 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:14.320 But sometimes it feels like to me that God is 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:19.440 on Miami time. I'm from Miami. Maybe you don't know 0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:22.920 about Miami time, but in nineteen ninety eight, I moved 0:08:22.960 --> 0:08:25.640 all the way from Tacoma, Washington, to the city of Miami. 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:28.280 And when I got to Miami, I discovered this little term. 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:35.720 It's called ish. Do you know about ish? What time 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:40.280 we meet in twelve ish? 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:41.200 I'll never forget it. 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:43.840 My first year there, I was fourteen years of age 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:46.800 and I got invited to a wedding. It was a 0:08:46.920 --> 0:08:57.520 Puerto Rican Haitian wedding. You haven't lived until you've been 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:03.000 to a Puerto Rican Haitian wedding. The invitation said four PM. 0:09:03.040 --> 0:09:06.320 So I showed up like a Caucasian at three forty five. 0:09:11.200 --> 0:09:12.640 I'm so white, y'all pray for me. 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:16.280 I got the three forty five. I was like, this 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:17.320 is awesome. I can't wait. 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:19.480 This is gonna be incredible, you know, And you know, 0:09:20.360 --> 0:09:23.560 four point fifteen hit and I'm like, it's kind of late. 0:09:23.679 --> 0:09:30.440 You know, this is strange. Four thirty, four forty five. 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:33.920 I'm breaking out in hives at four forty five and 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:36.880 I'm about to leave, and the guy next to me says, oh, 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:38.400 don't you leave. 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:41.880 This thing will start. At some point. 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:52.760 Two hours later, six pm at night, the wedding finally began. 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:58.479 But y'all, ain't no party. 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:04.800 Like a porter Hatian party, because a Puerto Rican Haitian 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:10.480 party don't stop. Once this thing began, it just kept 0:10:10.559 --> 0:10:14.160 going and going and going. This was a real This 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.320 was a wedding like I had never been to before. 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:19.040 God is not on your time, and he's not on 0:10:19.120 --> 0:10:23.000 my time. Sometimes he's on Miami time. And the thing 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:25.440 I know about Miami time is that it might not 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:28.280 be how you planned it, but with God, it's going 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:31.080 to be better than how you expected it. Somebody puts 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:34.240 your hands together and thank him that he's on time, 0:10:36.800 --> 0:10:40.840 say God time. I want us to be a church, 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:43.000 and I want us to be a people that understand 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:45.880 that when God begins to move in your life, it 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:50.000 probably won't happen the way that you expected it to happen. 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:53.520 It's not that I'm against speed. 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:55.959 I just think that we're living in some interesting times 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:58.880 right now, where people are so used to getting everything 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:05.439 immediately that all it's doing is increasing depression. It's increasing discontentment. 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:08.840 I'm not against speed as long as we all agree 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.560 that speed is a luxury, not an entitlement. 0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:14.760 Look around today. 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:16.840 We are living in a world right now that we 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:19.880 all know the price of everything, but some of us 0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:29.199 know the value of nothing. Good things, God things take time. 0:11:30.320 --> 0:11:33.360 That when God starts something in your life, I don't 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:34.480 know when he's going to start it. 0:11:34.840 --> 0:11:36.800 I don't know when he's gonna show up. I don't 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:38.160 know how he's going to intervene. 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:40.720 But I know this that He who began a good 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:44.120 work in you, he will carry it out under completion. 0:11:44.520 --> 0:11:47.079 Somebody take a few moments right now, thank him in 0:11:47.120 --> 0:11:49.120 advance that he's always on time. 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:55.320 God time is on time. 0:11:56.480 --> 0:11:59.520 And in Mark chapter five we have a beautiful, beautiful, 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:03.840 beautiful story about the timing of God. That with God 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:08.480 there's always a way, and by faith I will find it. 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:11.680 The text as we begin reading today starts out with 0:12:11.760 --> 0:12:14.920 this story. And really we don't have enough time. But 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:18.199 the text is about two women. This man a name 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:21.480 of Jiros, who is a successful synagogue leader comes to 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:24.480 Jesus with a cry from his heart that his little 0:12:24.480 --> 0:12:27.120 twelve year old daughter is about to die. 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:28.959 Not right away. 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:31.080 As I read the text, what I notice is that 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:33.240 this man has a big position and a big title, 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:35.560 but sometimes your position and your title can't solve all 0:12:35.600 --> 0:12:39.040 your problems. And so by faith he comes to the 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:42.520 feet of Jesus and he pleads with Jesus. What it 0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:46.200 shows me quickly is that as Jesus hears the man's request, 0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:49.120 Jesus is moved by the man's. 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:53.240 Faith, meaning my faith can move God. 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:58.240 Jesus goes with the man to his house to heal 0:12:58.280 --> 0:13:01.880 his little daughter. Before they get there, she actually dies 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:03.920 on the way. Then let me just skip to the 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:05.400 end of her store. We'll come back to it in 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:07.440 a moment. But he gets to the house of this 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:10.840 little girl and she's died while Jesus was on the journey. 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:14.040 And when he walks in, there's all these mourners and 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:17.120 there's people crying, and Jesus walked and said, yop, y'all 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:21.120 stop crying, and they start laughing at him. He'sai, no, no, no, 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:23.320 the little girl is just asleep. They're going, haha, no, 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:25.600 you're crazy. And notice what Jesus does is you go 0:13:25.640 --> 0:13:30.199 back and read it. He clears the room. I can't 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:35.800 have this kind of mindset around me. I'm about to 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:38.600 bring about a resurrection, and I don't have no time 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:39.960 for doubt and. 0:13:39.840 --> 0:13:41.080 For laughter to be around me. 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:43.760 A couple weeks ago, Pastor Stephen was preaching the story 0:13:43.760 --> 0:13:45.079 about the Walls of Jericho. 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:46.280 I love it. 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:49.280 I'm not stuck unless I stop. Remember the word of 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:51.920 the Lord. What does he say to the Israelites? He says, 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:55.719 for six days, march around those walls. But remember there 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:58.640 is a particular command that he gives them. He says, 0:13:58.720 --> 0:14:03.120 when you march for six days, don't say a word. 0:14:04.400 --> 0:14:09.120 Can you imagine how silly this looks. We're finally here 0:14:09.120 --> 0:14:12.600 for a battle. We ain't got no swords, we ain't 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:18.040 got no shields. We're just silent. Why did God tell 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:22.080 them to be silent? Because these are the children of complainers. 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:34.080 And God was saying, there's a miracle in progress. And 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:37.080 I can't allow you to speak right now because you 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:37.920 don't realize it. 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:40.200 The only enemy is yourself. 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:43.160 And if I let you start talking while you're marching, 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:45.200 you might talk yourself. 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:47.120 Out of a miracle. So be quiet. 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:51.640 There's a victory in progress. March in faith. Come on, somebody, 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:58.720 if you believe it. Today Jesus heals this little girl 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:03.840 and resurrects her. The father's reach moves Jesus, but Jesus's 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:05.600 reach resurrects the girl. 0:15:06.400 --> 0:15:07.800 It was all by faith. 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:10.200 But what I want us to highlight today, if we 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.960 can for a few moments, is the timing of God. 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:18.400 Because as Jesus is moved by Jyros towards their home, 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:23.640 the scripture says that there's another woman and what appears 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:27.280 to be an interruption to Jesus on the way to Gyrous' house. 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:32.160 I actually believe it's a divine intervention. I actually believe 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:37.520 it's a divine appointment. I actually believe it's God's time. 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:40.720 The Bible says that he is on his way. There's 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.960 a woman there who has an issue of blood, and 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:48.640 she's had this issue for twelve years. My father, who 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.320 is my hero, wrote a book in the eighties entitled 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:55.400 Private Pain, and the book was based on this woman 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:59.000 with the issue of blood that she is bleeding, but 0:15:59.120 --> 0:16:01.880 no one around her is all the way even aware 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:02.720 of her pain. 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:04.240 It's a private pain. 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:06.720 Come, y'all know it's one thing to have a struggle, 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:09.320 and it's one thing to have an issue. It's another 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:14.560 thing when you have that issue for twelve long years. Now. 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:16.560 I don't know who's watching today, I don't know who 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:19.120 came into this place today, but some of you you 0:16:19.240 --> 0:16:22.600 quickly relate to this woman, because although you might not 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:25.960 be bleeding physically, you would say I'm hemorrhaging emotionally. 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:29.200 I'm hemorrhaging relationally. 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:32.760 I want to encourage you today as we look at 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:37.040 this passage that with God, there's always a way, and 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:40.760 by faith, you will find it quickly. What I noticed 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:43.240 about this woman is that somehow, this woman who's had 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:47.160 the same struggle for twelve long years, somehow, in all 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:49.240 of the hurt that she has faced in life, her 0:16:49.360 --> 0:16:53.440 hurt hasn't stolen her hope. I felt it so deep 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:55.280 in my heart on the way over here. I want 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:57.920 to tell some people who are watching right now, don't 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:00.400 give up hope. 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:04.200 Hope is the building blocks to your faith. 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:09.040 Hope is the belief that although I can't see God, 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:12.960 I can still sense God. Hope is this belief that 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:16.200 although it seems like He might be absent, I'm gonna 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:21.480 firmly believe that He's present. You ever heard someone say 0:17:21.480 --> 0:17:25.520 to you, don't get your hopes. Sometimes people say that 0:17:25.560 --> 0:17:28.040 they're not saying that to be mean. I know, sometimes 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:31.600 they say that to be merciful, because they don't want 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:33.840 you to put your hope in something and then not 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:36.919 get it and lead to greater disappointment. That's why the 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:41.119 scripture says, hope deferred makes the heart grow sick. But 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:45.040 today the mindset is not about getting your hope up. Now, 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:48.159 that's not what we're teaching today. Hope is too heavy 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:51.679 for you to hold up on your own. No, you 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:55.960 don't hold hope up. Come on, somebody, you put hope 0:17:56.680 --> 0:18:02.240 in The Psalmist said, why is my soul so downcast? 0:18:03.680 --> 0:18:08.520 Put your hope in God. I don't put my hope 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:11.879 in an outcome. I put my hope in God. I 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:14.560 don't put my hope in an agenda. I put my 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:15.320 hope in God. 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:17.000 Come on, is there anybody. 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:18.800 In the room today that would say, I'm putting my. 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:23.359 Hope in God. It is not the strength of your. 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:27.240 Faith, it's the object of your faith. We're not teaching 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:29.359 mind over matter here at Elevation Church. 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:34.080 We are teaching faith over unbelief. It's not faith in faith. 0:18:34.359 --> 0:18:38.200 No, my faith is attached to Jesus Christ, King of Kings, 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:43.920 Lord of lords, author and perfector of my story. 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:47.719 We attach our faith to Jesus. 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:50.679 And when I look at this woman quickly, what I 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:53.480 see is that her hope works. 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:59.879 Someone say hope works. Don't get it mistaken. 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:03.680 Hope works. How do I know hope works? Because look 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:06.160 at what the tech says. The text says that this 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:08.520 woman has seen many physicians. 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:13.560 She's gone to many doctors. In fact, the Bible says. 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:17.239 That she spent everything that she has had trying to 0:19:17.280 --> 0:19:17.840 get well. 0:19:18.680 --> 0:19:19.640 And it's a troubling verse. 0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:22.800 It says that as she spent everything, and as she 0:19:23.000 --> 0:19:26.520 tried to go and see different doctors every time, she 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:30.199 just grew worse. Now I'm sad that she suffered in 0:19:30.280 --> 0:19:34.720 this way, but I'm grateful that she kept trying. It 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:40.040 shows me that she has hope because hope works. Don't 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:43.520 get it twisted today. If you have hope, you will work. 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:45.639 You will do what you can do, and trust that 0:19:45.680 --> 0:19:48.280 God will do what you can't do. I have three 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:50.800 little kids and my oldest boy, his name is Wyatt. 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:54.399 Wesley Wilkerson. He's six years of age. My youngest, who's 0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:55.080 my favorite child. 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:00.560 It's my daughter. Her name is Waylan, she's two. 0:20:00.960 --> 0:20:02.480 And then right in between, I think every time I 0:20:02.480 --> 0:20:03.840 come to elevation, I have to always tell you a 0:20:03.880 --> 0:20:07.320 story about my boy in between. His name is Wild 0:20:08.680 --> 0:20:12.480 and it's wild to name your son Wild and Wyatt. 0:20:12.480 --> 0:20:15.320 My oldest is quite large for his age. He's like 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:18.359 in the top ninety percentile for height and weight. And Wild, 0:20:18.440 --> 0:20:20.520 on the other hand, is quite small for his age. 0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:24.280 He's little, but he's feisty. He's little, but he's scrappy. 0:20:25.240 --> 0:20:27.160 And for the most part, this is never really much 0:20:27.160 --> 0:20:32.080 of a problem until we go to disney World. Because 0:20:32.119 --> 0:20:35.760 at disney World they have these rules and qualifications to 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:38.359 get on a ride. And so we're going to disney 0:20:38.359 --> 0:20:40.320 World the other day and Wild's, you know, he really 0:20:40.320 --> 0:20:42.800 wants to go on the Slinky roller coaster. He's like, Dad, 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:45.439 I want to go on the Slinky roller coaster. The 0:20:45.480 --> 0:20:48.439 problem is you got to be forty four inches to 0:20:48.520 --> 0:20:51.560 go on that ride. Wild is like thirty inch something, 0:20:51.640 --> 0:20:54.119 you know, I said, wild Man, I'm so sorry. 0:20:54.240 --> 0:20:55.440 You know, it's not going to happen. 0:20:55.440 --> 0:20:59.000 Bro you're just too short and wild, he says, But Dad, 0:21:00.240 --> 0:21:04.560 please try. I said, sure, So what have you got 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:06.800 in mind? And so him and his brother went and 0:21:06.840 --> 0:21:14.000 got hair gel, spiked his hair up, put his older 0:21:14.000 --> 0:21:17.400 brother's shoes on. Can I show you what a picture 0:21:17.480 --> 0:21:20.639 looks like of hope working? This is my son wild. 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:22.560 Look at this photo. 0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:31.640 You want to know what hope looks like. That's all. 0:21:34.440 --> 0:21:39.040 I'm not dull enough, but I'm gonna do everything I can. 0:21:40.040 --> 0:21:42.920 Sometimes hope looks like you spake it up your hair, 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:47.440 getting some platform shoes on, saying I'm not there yet, 0:21:47.440 --> 0:21:51.080 but I am on my way. Is there anybody in 0:21:51.119 --> 0:21:53.520 the room today who's got a little bit of hope 0:21:53.560 --> 0:21:54.200 in their heart? 0:21:54.640 --> 0:21:55.440 Hope works. 0:22:00.920 --> 0:22:05.000 Hoping in God looks like waiting on God. 0:22:06.520 --> 0:22:08.240 You got to learn to wait on the Lord. 0:22:09.000 --> 0:22:11.080 The prophet Isaiah said, wait on. 0:22:11.040 --> 0:22:14.640 The Lord, and he shall renew your strength. While you're waiting. 0:22:14.680 --> 0:22:15.800 You're getting stronger. 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:19.639 While you're waiting, He's developing you. While you're waiting. You 0:22:19.720 --> 0:22:22.400 have no idea what he is working out. But there 0:22:22.480 --> 0:22:26.320 is a point to the wait. I think waiting on 0:22:26.359 --> 0:22:29.159 God is this. Waiting on God means doing everything that 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:34.159 you possibly can and then surrendering everything you can't. So, 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:37.560 if you're sick in your body today, do everything you 0:22:37.640 --> 0:22:43.280 can call upon God. Do what James says, call the elders, 0:22:43.320 --> 0:22:47.080 get the oil, pray the prayer of faith, take the medication, 0:22:47.920 --> 0:22:51.679 go to the doctor, get the surgery for heaven saying. 0:22:52.520 --> 0:22:55.080 But then you surrender control and you say, God, I'm 0:22:55.080 --> 0:22:57.479 gonna give you my grief. God, I'm not gonna let 0:22:57.520 --> 0:23:00.959 the enemy get a foothold of bitterness. Trust you that 0:23:01.080 --> 0:23:03.280 you are making a way where there seems to be 0:23:03.359 --> 0:23:08.520 no way. If you got a dream in your heart, man, 0:23:08.600 --> 0:23:10.560 Pastor Stevens up here ap preaching the do. 0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:13.480 The New You, and you're getting inspired, like that's it. Man, 0:23:13.480 --> 0:23:17.160 this is my year twenty twenty four. I got a roar. 0:23:19.920 --> 0:23:23.200 I hear you, So do everything that you can call 0:23:23.320 --> 0:23:24.040 upon God. 0:23:24.440 --> 0:23:26.879 God, you put this dream in my heart. God you 0:23:27.000 --> 0:23:27.960 started this dream. 0:23:28.240 --> 0:23:32.440 But then get to work, build your network, sharpen your skills, 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:36.960 watch a YouTube video, read a book, and then surrender 0:23:37.040 --> 0:23:38.080 everything that you can. 0:23:38.359 --> 0:23:40.720 God, I'm gonna give you my timeline. God, I'm gonna 0:23:40.720 --> 0:23:42.840 trust you with it. God, I believe that you have 0:23:42.880 --> 0:23:48.399 a plan. If you're single and you want to get married. 0:23:50.720 --> 0:23:58.360 Do everything you can call upon God. Lord, I need 0:23:58.400 --> 0:24:03.520 a man. I love dating you, Jesus, but I think 0:24:03.520 --> 0:24:04.520 we should see other people. 0:24:10.920 --> 0:24:12.520 Just came to me right now. That makes me laugh. 0:24:16.280 --> 0:24:26.200 Stay interesting every once in a while. Leave your house. 0:24:30.760 --> 0:24:36.840 No, No, I'm just waiting on God. The old thing 0:24:36.880 --> 0:24:39.600 you have to like, walk out the door. Now he 0:24:39.640 --> 0:24:41.600 can bring my man right here on the front door. 0:24:41.680 --> 0:24:47.080 Set all right, sister, I hope you like uber eat 0:24:47.080 --> 0:24:47.720 men because that's. 0:24:47.640 --> 0:24:48.280 All you're working with. 0:24:56.680 --> 0:25:02.360 No, do everything that you can and then surrender. 0:25:02.240 --> 0:25:05.840 Your control over to God. God. I'm gonna trust you. God. 0:25:05.840 --> 0:25:08.080 I'm not gonna lower my standard. God. 0:25:08.119 --> 0:25:11.760 I might be single, but I'm gonna remain secure in you. 0:25:12.160 --> 0:25:12.400 God. 0:25:12.480 --> 0:25:14.919 You're the one who completes me. God, You're the one 0:25:14.960 --> 0:25:16.159 who's making away. 0:25:17.720 --> 0:25:18.120 With God. 0:25:18.119 --> 0:25:20.600 There's always a way, and by faith I will find it. 0:25:20.600 --> 0:25:22.359 It's funny because why I got his hair all spiked. 0:25:22.359 --> 0:25:25.600 Though I'm not there yet, but I'm I'm gonna do 0:25:25.640 --> 0:25:28.000 whatever I can. We got to the slinky right. 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:34.840 Don't tell Disney, but I put wild on my feet. 0:25:37.480 --> 0:25:38.680 We snuck them on y'all. 0:25:41.760 --> 0:25:44.239 How many can testify that that's your story, that you 0:25:44.280 --> 0:25:45.280 weren't qualified. 0:25:45.359 --> 0:25:46.320 You didn't measure up. 0:25:46.440 --> 0:25:48.680 But there's a good Father who stepped in and said, 0:25:49.000 --> 0:25:52.680 they that weighed upon the Lord, I will renew their strength. 0:25:52.840 --> 0:25:56.640 Humble yourself before God, and in due season, Come on, baby. 0:25:56.520 --> 0:25:59.800 He will lift you all. Somebody get God some praise. 0:26:00.119 --> 0:26:01.240 Is how today. 0:26:06.760 --> 0:26:11.760 This woman is doing everything she knows to do. But 0:26:11.920 --> 0:26:15.000 although she's doing everything she knows to do, her problem 0:26:15.040 --> 0:26:18.280 is not getting better, is getting worse. But then the 0:26:18.320 --> 0:26:28.080 Bible says it, she heard about Jesus. Church. We're gonna 0:26:28.119 --> 0:26:31.560 keep telling you about Jesus. I just want to encourage 0:26:31.600 --> 0:26:33.960 some folks out there. There's power in the name of Jesus. 0:26:34.320 --> 0:26:36.080 Come on, if you believe. There's breakthrough in the name 0:26:36.119 --> 0:26:36.760 of Jesus. 0:26:37.080 --> 0:26:39.880 Come on. There's healing in the name of Jesus. There's 0:26:39.960 --> 0:26:42.040 purpose in the name of Jesus. 0:26:43.240 --> 0:26:52.000 She heard about Jesus. She's tried everything but faith, because 0:26:52.119 --> 0:27:02.679 faith begins where your ability ends. The scripture says that 0:27:02.720 --> 0:27:04.600 she heard about Jesus. I don't know what she heard, 0:27:05.359 --> 0:27:08.359 but something tells me it was good news. We opened 0:27:08.400 --> 0:27:11.960 up church today. This is the gospel. This is the 0:27:12.000 --> 0:27:14.679 good news. I don't know who's watching right now. But 0:27:14.800 --> 0:27:17.440 Jesus did not come to this earth to make bad 0:27:17.520 --> 0:27:19.359 little boys good little boys. 0:27:19.800 --> 0:27:21.960 He came for a much deeper reason than that. 0:27:22.000 --> 0:27:24.720 He came to bring people who are dead and bring 0:27:24.760 --> 0:27:27.760 them back to life through his healing power. 0:27:28.000 --> 0:27:31.080 Anybody thankful for the Gospel. It's always good news. 0:27:33.560 --> 0:27:36.159 I'm grateful for the way that your pastor preaches, because 0:27:36.200 --> 0:27:38.719 he preaches with a smile on his face. 0:27:39.600 --> 0:27:41.639 He preaches with the joy of the Lord. 0:27:41.680 --> 0:27:44.840 He preaches every message, bringing it back to the person 0:27:44.880 --> 0:27:47.480 of Jesus and bringing it back to the good news. 0:27:47.600 --> 0:27:49.240 She heard about Jesus. 0:27:49.400 --> 0:27:51.679 And then notice it right there. The scripture says that 0:27:51.720 --> 0:27:56.760 she heard about Jesus and she thought. Someone says she thought. 0:27:57.200 --> 0:27:57.879 She thought. 0:27:58.560 --> 0:28:04.280 She thought, if I could just touch his clothes, then 0:28:04.320 --> 0:28:09.919 I could be made well. Another translation says that she said, 0:28:10.080 --> 0:28:12.679 she spoke, if I could just touch the hem of 0:28:12.760 --> 0:28:17.040 his garment, then I would be made well. What kind 0:28:17.080 --> 0:28:22.400 of a mindset is this? If I could just Who 0:28:22.440 --> 0:28:26.159 taught her this? Where did she learn this? If I 0:28:26.200 --> 0:28:29.600 could just touch the hem of his garment, then I 0:28:29.800 --> 0:28:33.760 would be made well. It started as a thought, and 0:28:33.800 --> 0:28:38.400 then the thought erupted into her mouth. See faith talks 0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:42.560 Faith speaks, Faith says things. 0:28:42.960 --> 0:28:46.840 Faith isn't silent. Faith actually has a sound. 0:28:47.280 --> 0:28:51.440 That's why on the seventh march around those walls, God said, 0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:54.800 all right, you've been marching six times, but now on 0:28:54.840 --> 0:28:57.560 the seventh time, I want you to open up your 0:28:57.640 --> 0:29:01.280 mouth and shout, because when you out, those walls are 0:29:01.320 --> 0:29:05.320 coming down. Because faith has a sound. I wonder is 0:29:05.360 --> 0:29:07.520 the sound at Elevation Church this morning. 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:13.760 Listen to me. 0:29:14.200 --> 0:29:16.880 You have to get a confession that is louder than 0:29:16.920 --> 0:29:23.760 your circumstance. She said it before she saw it. Oh, 0:29:23.840 --> 0:29:28.080 because that's how faith works. We don't walk by sight. 0:29:29.040 --> 0:29:33.360 We walk by faith. Before she sees it, she says it. 0:29:35.120 --> 0:29:37.040 When we were first starting the church, probably year one 0:29:37.120 --> 0:29:39.000 or year two, I passed her church in Miami, Florida 0:29:39.000 --> 0:29:42.760 called Voo Church. And it's always so fun because there's 0:29:42.760 --> 0:29:45.280 always people from the Elevation World e fam that. 0:29:45.240 --> 0:29:47.280 Are always like I guess taking a cruise out of Miami, 0:29:47.360 --> 0:29:48.840 like we came in for the early service. 0:29:48.880 --> 0:29:49.040 You know. 0:29:50.680 --> 0:29:52.760 I love it when you guys come by and say hello. 0:29:52.880 --> 0:29:56.960 But we started this church in Miami and in year 0:29:57.000 --> 0:30:01.600 one we were able to rent an off space. Now 0:30:01.600 --> 0:30:03.720 I'm gonna be honest with you, like it was. I 0:30:03.720 --> 0:30:05.840 think it was thirty five hundred square feet chunks. 0:30:05.880 --> 0:30:06.600 It was small. 0:30:07.080 --> 0:30:09.520 But you know, I've always been a faith man. I 0:30:09.560 --> 0:30:12.400 don't say what I see. I say what I want 0:30:12.400 --> 0:30:16.040 to see. So we didn't call it an office. We 0:30:16.080 --> 0:30:22.560 called it the International Headquarters. And so I was at 0:30:22.560 --> 0:30:24.120 headquarters one day and I needed to get a ride 0:30:24.120 --> 0:30:26.640 home and my brother in law, who had just joined 0:30:26.640 --> 0:30:30.360 our team, young in the ministry, just a servant for 0:30:30.400 --> 0:30:31.800 the Lord. I said, bro, can you can you give 0:30:31.840 --> 0:30:35.640 me a ride home? And so we exit the headquarters 0:30:35.960 --> 0:30:38.200 and we make our way to this little parking lot 0:30:38.200 --> 0:30:40.040 and where the headquarters was, let's just say it wasn't 0:30:40.160 --> 0:30:43.200 a very good area of town. And my brother in law, 0:30:43.440 --> 0:30:45.680 God bless him, at the time, was driving a two 0:30:45.680 --> 0:30:52.440 thousand and eight Chrysler three hundred gray with twenty inch rims. 0:30:54.680 --> 0:30:56.560 I think I had one hundred and fifty thousand miles 0:30:56.600 --> 0:30:59.160 on it. And as we made our way over to 0:30:59.200 --> 0:31:03.680 the car, somebody had smashed his window in. 0:31:05.280 --> 0:31:06.480 I just thought that was mean. 0:31:06.560 --> 0:31:10.240 You know, it's like my boys already, you know, struggling 0:31:12.360 --> 0:31:17.280 with the whole ride set up, and uh. 0:31:17.360 --> 0:31:19.960 And then to add insult to injury. Is like, really, 0:31:20.000 --> 0:31:21.400 you're gonna shadow this man's window. 0:31:21.440 --> 0:31:24.440 You just took his struggle to suffering, you know, and 0:31:24.560 --> 0:31:26.720 so you do what you do, you know, Like we 0:31:26.840 --> 0:31:29.680 quickly went back into HQ, checked out duct tape and 0:31:29.760 --> 0:31:33.320 a plastic sack from supplies, and we came in and 0:31:33.320 --> 0:31:35.960 we you know, we duct taped the window to make 0:31:35.960 --> 0:31:36.320 it home. 0:31:36.360 --> 0:31:37.400 And we got in the car. 0:31:37.480 --> 0:31:40.560 It's just like a scene, bro, like this old beaten 0:31:40.640 --> 0:31:44.280 down car. Now there's glass all over the floor. We 0:31:44.320 --> 0:31:48.360 have a duct tape, paper sack, plastic sack makes that 0:31:48.440 --> 0:31:55.200 dumb noise come and instantly when we got in the car. 0:31:55.240 --> 0:31:56.480 I don't know if remember that old song. It's not 0:31:56.520 --> 0:31:58.200 elevation worship, so I hope I don't get in trouble. 0:31:58.760 --> 0:31:59.560 But the stereo came on. 0:31:59.560 --> 0:32:09.120 It was that song you Aren't Good Good Oh, and 0:32:09.200 --> 0:32:17.280 we're driving. How was looking at my brother? I'm like, really, we're. 0:32:17.160 --> 0:32:19.120 Both like, I ain't singing that you know. 0:32:21.040 --> 0:32:21.520 Good? 0:32:23.040 --> 0:32:28.680 You are good good? Oh? 0:32:29.160 --> 0:32:33.480 As I ain't nothing good about this God, this is 0:32:33.520 --> 0:32:35.440 a bad situation. 0:32:37.600 --> 0:32:38.520 But I don't know what it was. 0:32:38.840 --> 0:32:42.440 Remember that, remember that that bridge on that song You're 0:32:42.880 --> 0:32:52.480 never gonna let You're never gonna let me down down, follow. 0:32:52.240 --> 0:32:57.160 Jesus, I promise you. It's an adventure. That bridge came 0:32:57.200 --> 0:32:59.080 on and I don't know where it was. I think 0:32:59.080 --> 0:33:00.400 it was like the second time that bridge. 0:33:00.440 --> 0:33:03.719 At some point, man, that thing kept going and finally, man, 0:33:03.800 --> 0:33:08.360 the spirit of God hit that Chrysler three hundred and 0:33:08.400 --> 0:33:10.640 they came into that bridge a second time. But man, 0:33:10.840 --> 0:33:13.760 I can't sing very good, but something came out of 0:33:13.800 --> 0:33:14.960 the depths of my soul. 0:33:15.400 --> 0:33:19.040 I hit it hard. You are never gonna let it. 0:33:19.680 --> 0:33:23.280 You're never gonna let me down good. 0:33:26.480 --> 0:33:29.000 I don't know who I'm preaching to today, but you 0:33:29.120 --> 0:33:32.959 gotta have a confession that is louder than your circumstance. 0:33:33.400 --> 0:33:35.920 I don't care what you're driving in. I don't care 0:33:35.960 --> 0:33:40.320 what the vehicle looks like. Keep on singing, keep on worshiping. 0:33:40.800 --> 0:33:44.920 Your card might be busted, but your faith is not broken. 0:33:45.480 --> 0:33:48.800 I got a faith and a confession that speaks. 0:33:49.240 --> 0:33:53.400 Somebody. Take about five seconds and remind the enemy you 0:33:53.600 --> 0:34:00.240 know who you are. You're never gonna let me out 0:34:03.120 --> 0:34:08.520 for rich that don't make no sense. I know that's faith. 0:34:11.760 --> 0:34:13.200 If you're waiting. 0:34:12.800 --> 0:34:15.840 For it to make sense, you're never gonna step into faith. 0:34:16.560 --> 0:34:18.960 Because faith is the absence of sense. 0:34:19.719 --> 0:34:22.480 You can't smell it, you can't taste it, you certainly 0:34:22.480 --> 0:34:26.960 can't see it. But you can hear about Jesus. And 0:34:27.040 --> 0:34:30.400 faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of the Lord. 0:34:31.360 --> 0:34:33.600 She said, if I could just touch, if I could 0:34:33.640 --> 0:34:36.360 just touch the hem of his garment, friends, the garment 0:34:36.760 --> 0:34:39.200 is not even him. She had a kind of faith 0:34:39.239 --> 0:34:41.879 that said, if I could just touch the thing that's 0:34:41.960 --> 0:34:45.279 touching him. Ah, I got a revelation today. If the 0:34:45.320 --> 0:34:48.680 garment's got power, if the clothes have got power, how 0:34:48.760 --> 0:34:51.880 much more power does the body of Jesus Christ have. 0:34:52.239 --> 0:34:58.759 Come on somebody, we are the church. I don't know 0:34:58.760 --> 0:35:01.040 about you, ma'am, but when we can you gather. This 0:35:01.120 --> 0:35:04.480 isn't a cool atmosphere. It's not a concert. This is 0:35:04.520 --> 0:35:07.120 the very presence of God. And when you and I 0:35:07.160 --> 0:35:09.360 get into this place, you have no idea the miracles 0:35:09.400 --> 0:35:11.600 on your left, the miracles on your right. If I 0:35:11.600 --> 0:35:14.200 could pass this microphone down the rows, you would start 0:35:14.239 --> 0:35:17.400 hearing the testimonies and the stories from right here in 0:35:17.480 --> 0:35:22.560 this body of God's wonder working power. I can't miss 0:35:22.600 --> 0:35:25.439 a Sunday at Elevation Church. I gotta be in God's house. 0:35:25.600 --> 0:35:27.720 You don't know what's going to happen when the body 0:35:27.760 --> 0:35:30.680 gets together. If his garment's got power, how much more 0:35:30.719 --> 0:35:31.360 power does. 0:35:31.200 --> 0:35:31.840 His body have? 0:35:34.760 --> 0:35:36.239 And I know there's some things that are going around 0:35:36.239 --> 0:35:38.160 today about the church and some people hurt by the church, 0:35:38.200 --> 0:35:40.080 and I understand it. And there's some things that we 0:35:40.200 --> 0:35:42.399 must get right in the church, no doubt about it. 0:35:42.520 --> 0:35:45.560 But may I remind everybody in this room. Ain't nobody 0:35:45.640 --> 0:35:49.400 have more church hurt than Jesus. And he keeps on 0:35:49.520 --> 0:35:53.799 showing up. Come on, somebody thank Jesus today that he's 0:35:53.840 --> 0:35:55.640 never let you down, He's never quit. 0:35:55.920 --> 0:35:56.960 He keeps showing up. 0:36:00.360 --> 0:36:02.520 So here comes this woman and if I could just 0:36:02.600 --> 0:36:05.160 touch it the hem of his garment, and the scripture 0:36:05.160 --> 0:36:07.520 says that she begins to step through the crowd, because 0:36:07.560 --> 0:36:09.719 at some point, faith doesn't just talk. Faith has got 0:36:09.760 --> 0:36:13.839 to walk. We didn't gather here just to talk. We've 0:36:13.880 --> 0:36:16.560 actually gathered here that you might scatter back into wherever 0:36:16.640 --> 0:36:19.040 it is that you're going walking the walk of faith. 0:36:20.520 --> 0:36:23.080 I hope you know that God is He's motion activated. 0:36:24.280 --> 0:36:27.319 Have you know, have you learned about God like he 0:36:27.400 --> 0:36:29.160 ever been to one of those like those sinks that 0:36:29.840 --> 0:36:31.920 there's water there, but like there's no way to turn 0:36:31.960 --> 0:36:36.399 it on. It's motion activated, so you have access to water, 0:36:36.440 --> 0:36:38.320 but the water will not begin to flow until you 0:36:38.400 --> 0:36:41.920 motion your hands. James said, draw close to God, and 0:36:41.960 --> 0:36:45.120 he will draw close to you, because when I move, 0:36:45.880 --> 0:36:53.279 God moves just like that. I feel discermon more than 0:36:53.280 --> 0:36:55.680 some of y'all responded and ask, Okay, I'm gonna bless 0:36:55.760 --> 0:36:58.080 myself off here, come on, how y'all believe that when 0:36:58.160 --> 0:37:04.879 you step, it gets the attention of heaven. So here 0:37:04.960 --> 0:37:08.279 comes this woman and she's pressing through this crowd an 0:37:08.440 --> 0:37:11.680 issue for twelve years, and she's got this belief in 0:37:11.840 --> 0:37:14.480 her mind that with God there's always a way, and 0:37:14.600 --> 0:37:17.080 my hope is working and I've been waiting, but I'm 0:37:17.120 --> 0:37:18.120 gonna keep on trying. 0:37:18.440 --> 0:37:21.360 And as she gets close to Jesus, she touches. 0:37:21.320 --> 0:37:23.800 The hem of his garment, and when she does, the 0:37:23.880 --> 0:37:26.920 Bible says that instantly, immediately she's healed. 0:37:27.920 --> 0:37:31.759 So much so that Jesus is like, yo, who touched me. 0:37:34.719 --> 0:37:37.520 One gospel the scripture said that Peter's like, Yo, Jesus, 0:37:37.920 --> 0:37:41.640 you gotta love Peter, right, It's like, bro, shut up, please, 0:37:42.000 --> 0:37:44.279 you know two thousand years later. 0:37:44.280 --> 0:37:46.680 We're gonna use you in every illustration we gone. 0:37:48.800 --> 0:37:50.239 Jesus, Come on, you don't know who touch you. The 0:37:50.239 --> 0:37:52.600 whole crowd's pressing at you. Come on, man, like everyone's 0:37:52.640 --> 0:37:55.640 touching you. But Jesus is saying no, no, no no. 0:37:56.520 --> 0:38:03.320 There is a difference between the touch of fame and 0:38:03.440 --> 0:38:07.600 the touch of faith, meaning. 0:38:07.480 --> 0:38:13.040 Just because you come to church don't mean anything's gonna change. 0:38:14.680 --> 0:38:15.960 Have you ever been like in one of those seasons, 0:38:16.000 --> 0:38:17.319 maybe you went to an elevation night, You're like, oh 0:38:17.360 --> 0:38:25.080 my god, it's too. 0:38:25.000 --> 0:38:28.120 Early to make myself laugh this hard. Oh my god, 0:38:28.160 --> 0:38:32.200 I'm on fire. You know this language will use I'm 0:38:32.200 --> 0:38:34.480 on fire. You ever been like I'm on fire? 0:38:34.560 --> 0:38:34.919 For God? 0:38:35.960 --> 0:38:39.719 It's like Friday night, I'm on fi. Nothing it can 0:38:39.800 --> 0:38:44.200 stop these flames. But then I don't know. 0:38:44.239 --> 0:38:46.760 It's like you go to you know, work on Monday, 0:38:47.320 --> 0:38:52.440 or how about you get in traffic on Tuesday and 0:38:52.560 --> 0:38:54.919 this fire that was burning so bright is quickly shut 0:38:54.960 --> 0:39:02.880 out just with traffic. Yo, spirit fingers, where'd the fire go? 0:39:07.719 --> 0:39:11.800 Beca There's a difference from just showing up to the 0:39:11.880 --> 0:39:18.680 crowd instead of coming out of the crowd. One of 0:39:18.719 --> 0:39:22.040 the most dangerous places you'll find yourself in life. Is 0:39:22.120 --> 0:39:24.800 to think that you are on fire for God, but 0:39:24.920 --> 0:39:26.959 come to find out you were just sensing the heat 0:39:28.600 --> 0:39:35.680 from everyone else around you. I'm not trying to make 0:39:35.719 --> 0:39:38.840 you feel less than I'm trying to empower you that 0:39:38.920 --> 0:39:40.440 if I just came for one person, if it's just 0:39:40.480 --> 0:39:42.480 one person on the other end of that camera, that 0:39:42.560 --> 0:39:45.720 you've been struggling with the same thing and you've been trying. 0:39:45.800 --> 0:39:47.400 I want to let you know that God sees you, 0:39:47.520 --> 0:39:50.880 and God knows your name, and when you make your faith. 0:39:50.800 --> 0:39:55.680 Personal, he notices. He senses he didn't come for the crowd. 0:39:56.040 --> 0:39:59.560 He came for you. Come on, somebody, thank God today 0:40:05.800 --> 0:40:07.360 worship team can start making their way up here. 0:40:07.400 --> 0:40:10.560 And this woman she's pressing through the crowd and she's 0:40:10.600 --> 0:40:13.000 stepping towards Jesus and she touches them of his garment 0:40:13.239 --> 0:40:16.879 and instantly healed. And as healed, Jesus asked this question, 0:40:16.960 --> 0:40:19.279 who touched me? And they say, come on, all sorts 0:40:19.280 --> 0:40:21.719 of people were touching. He's like, no, I felt something 0:40:21.719 --> 0:40:23.439 to leave my body that was a touch of faith. 0:40:23.600 --> 0:40:25.919 And then this woman she speaks up and she says 0:40:26.280 --> 0:40:28.200 it was me and she was terrified. He sayd why 0:40:28.360 --> 0:40:31.239 was she terrified? Because when Jesus turns to her, she's 0:40:31.280 --> 0:40:33.800 not looking at a good teacher, and she's not looking 0:40:33.960 --> 0:40:34.560 at a good man. 0:40:34.719 --> 0:40:39.640 She is staring at the face of God. It's the 0:40:39.680 --> 0:40:40.359 face of God. 0:40:41.360 --> 0:40:43.279 And this woman, I believe one of the great reasons 0:40:43.320 --> 0:40:44.440 why she is in the Bible, and this is an 0:40:44.520 --> 0:40:46.600 encouragement for so many of you, is that she is 0:40:46.680 --> 0:40:49.480 proof positive that at your weakest moment, you are still 0:40:49.520 --> 0:40:50.280 strong enough. 0:40:50.440 --> 0:41:01.520 To touch Jesus. What's amazing is that I sense this 0:41:01.760 --> 0:41:02.560 so deeply my heart. 0:41:03.680 --> 0:41:05.440 What's amazing to say if you take listen to me, 0:41:06.200 --> 0:41:09.000 if you just take one step towards Jesus, immediately, he 0:41:09.080 --> 0:41:10.400 begins working on your behalf. 0:41:12.360 --> 0:41:14.560 Immediately immediately. 0:41:14.600 --> 0:41:16.880 The Bible says that the Lord looks to and fro 0:41:17.000 --> 0:41:19.600 throughout the whole earth, and he's looking for a humble heart. 0:41:19.840 --> 0:41:22.000 He's looking for a righteous heart, someone that he can 0:41:22.040 --> 0:41:23.360 come alongside and strengthen. 0:41:23.719 --> 0:41:25.800 I just have this mindset. My mind is set that 0:41:25.920 --> 0:41:28.719 God is good and has good things for me. So 0:41:28.840 --> 0:41:31.239 I actually believe that God's looking for people to hook up. 0:41:31.719 --> 0:41:33.280 God's looking for people to validate. 0:41:33.320 --> 0:41:36.920 God's looking for people to partner with, and as you 0:41:37.040 --> 0:41:40.360 just take one step towards Jesus, whether you know it 0:41:40.480 --> 0:41:41.800 or not, he starts working. 0:41:42.040 --> 0:41:43.960 Listen to me, it doesn't mean. 0:41:43.840 --> 0:41:46.799 As he begins to work that you're immediately taking out 0:41:46.800 --> 0:41:53.360 of the fire of your circumstance, not immediately always removed 0:41:53.480 --> 0:41:53.800 from it. 0:41:54.840 --> 0:41:56.880 We have to trust and wait on his. 0:41:57.080 --> 0:42:02.560 Time, because God's time is on top. People always ask 0:42:02.600 --> 0:42:05.400 that question, Hey, you know what's your favorite food? You 0:42:05.440 --> 0:42:06.839 ever heard this question before? And like a lot of times, 0:42:06.880 --> 0:42:08.960 when people ask this question, they have two different angles 0:42:09.000 --> 0:42:11.560 on it. One angle is what's your favorite food? Meaning 0:42:11.800 --> 0:42:14.160 if it was your last meal, you're on your deathbed, 0:42:14.239 --> 0:42:16.760 what do you want to eat? Or the other angle 0:42:16.800 --> 0:42:18.439 they mean is like, you know, what's your favorite food? 0:42:18.760 --> 0:42:20.480 What's the one thing that you would eat every day 0:42:20.520 --> 0:42:24.400 if you could? For me, with both crazy hypothetical situations, 0:42:24.440 --> 0:42:25.399 I choose the same thing. 0:42:25.640 --> 0:42:30.560 I plead pizza. You want to know what mano was 0:42:32.840 --> 0:42:39.040 the early stages of pizza. The other day, I went 0:42:39.120 --> 0:42:41.400 to one of my favorite pizza rihas in Miami. 0:42:41.400 --> 0:42:43.880 It's a pretty famous place and I got there when 0:42:43.920 --> 0:42:45.960 I showed up and there was like a line out 0:42:46.040 --> 0:42:49.279 the door, so many people trying to get in. We 0:42:49.360 --> 0:42:51.680 finally got seated and we were waiting for a pizza. 0:42:51.680 --> 0:42:53.680 We put our orders in and finally pizza came out. 0:42:53.680 --> 0:42:55.480 I'm a pepperoni and cheese guy. It came out and 0:42:55.880 --> 0:42:57.759 I took one bite of it, and immediately I was like, 0:42:57.800 --> 0:43:02.600 this ain't right. Come on, man, it's soft. It wasn't 0:43:02.680 --> 0:43:04.600 holding you know how you want your slice to hold up. 0:43:04.640 --> 0:43:08.160 You know it wasn't holding up. And I can't be 0:43:08.360 --> 0:43:08.800 for certain. 0:43:08.840 --> 0:43:11.440 I don't really know what happened, but something tells me 0:43:11.560 --> 0:43:16.000 that that day the chef was under such pressure and 0:43:16.080 --> 0:43:20.479 under such demand that he started rushing orders. It's another 0:43:20.520 --> 0:43:22.919 message for another time, but the fastest way to steal 0:43:22.960 --> 0:43:25.480 your sauce. Your sauce is that gift. Your sauce is 0:43:25.520 --> 0:43:27.200 that thing that God's called you to do. Your sauce 0:43:27.280 --> 0:43:29.120 is that special thing that God's put inside of you. 0:43:29.320 --> 0:43:31.400 The fastest way for you to steal your sauce is 0:43:31.560 --> 0:43:34.560 start trying to please people more than what God's called 0:43:34.600 --> 0:43:34.880 you to do. 0:43:39.120 --> 0:43:41.160 I preach that, I see it right now, but I'm 0:43:41.200 --> 0:43:46.200 not gonna it wasn't right. 0:43:47.120 --> 0:43:50.000 Because if you're anything like me, I don't just want 0:43:50.040 --> 0:43:55.440 my pizza hot. But in the words of Little Caesars, 0:44:02.360 --> 0:44:04.360 it's got to be hot and ready. 0:44:07.080 --> 0:44:08.360 You didn't know I could preach pizza. 0:44:08.440 --> 0:44:08.600 Huh. 0:44:12.400 --> 0:44:14.239 This is a place that I can tell is hot. 0:44:15.120 --> 0:44:17.680 Your faith might have a sound, and your faith might 0:44:17.719 --> 0:44:20.960 even have a step. But just because you're shouting, and 0:44:21.040 --> 0:44:24.000 just because you're stepping, doesn't actually mean that you're always ready. 0:44:27.440 --> 0:44:30.920 You know what I love about this book. There's no 0:44:31.080 --> 0:44:32.440 doubt that this book is hot. 0:44:34.239 --> 0:44:37.240 But you know when the last time Pastor Stephen wrote 0:44:37.280 --> 0:44:40.120 anything on paper and gave it to us, It's been 0:44:40.200 --> 0:44:40.760 eight years. 0:44:41.920 --> 0:44:44.200 Eight is the number of new beginnings. 0:44:45.920 --> 0:44:48.239 It is no surprise to me whatsoever that it's a 0:44:48.280 --> 0:44:50.759 New York Times bestseller, because it's not that it's just 0:44:50.920 --> 0:44:54.600 hot and passionate. It's that it's ready. It's that it's 0:44:54.640 --> 0:44:58.319 the right time. I want to encourage some people. Right now, 0:44:58.680 --> 0:45:01.680 you're hot, but you might not be ready. I want 0:45:01.719 --> 0:45:05.000 to encourage you to keep up your passion, keep stirring 0:45:05.080 --> 0:45:07.120 up the gift on the inside of you. But just 0:45:07.200 --> 0:45:10.440 because you're passionate and just because you're excited doesn't necessarily 0:45:10.560 --> 0:45:13.000 mean that you're ready. I know some of you right now, 0:45:13.280 --> 0:45:16.359 I'm in the oven of life. The heat is turning up. Man, 0:45:16.719 --> 0:45:17.600 when's he gonna. 0:45:17.400 --> 0:45:20.480 Pull me out? And I just want to encourage you trust. 0:45:20.440 --> 0:45:24.680 God's timing because God is the master chef. 0:45:25.160 --> 0:45:29.839 Somebody say, let him cook today. He knows the right 0:45:29.960 --> 0:45:33.000 time of when he's gonna pull you out. 0:45:33.040 --> 0:45:35.839 And this woman, what I see about her, and it's 0:45:35.880 --> 0:45:38.640 just an observation, is something tells me is that she's 0:45:38.680 --> 0:45:41.440 not just hot and passionate, is that she's ready for 0:45:41.560 --> 0:45:42.160 her breakthrough. 0:45:43.760 --> 0:45:44.719 We don't get her name. 0:45:44.760 --> 0:45:47.640 Did you notice that she's preached as the woman with 0:45:47.840 --> 0:45:52.200 the issue of blood. That's that's how we know her, 0:45:52.360 --> 0:45:55.759 the woman with the issue of blood. And see, the 0:45:55.840 --> 0:45:59.400 great lie that many of us buy into is that 0:45:59.480 --> 0:46:06.520 your issue is you. But the power of the Gospel 0:46:07.040 --> 0:46:10.280 is to remind you over and over and over again 0:46:11.080 --> 0:46:14.440 that your identity is not made up of your issues. 0:46:15.360 --> 0:46:17.760 You are not your mistake. You are not your failure. 0:46:17.840 --> 0:46:19.960 You're not your doubt, you're not your insecurity, you're not 0:46:20.000 --> 0:46:22.640 your bouts with depression. You're not your mistake from last year. 0:46:22.680 --> 0:46:28.160 You're not even your mistake of tomorrow. We all got issues, but. 0:46:28.239 --> 0:46:28.799 It's one thing. 0:46:29.560 --> 0:46:33.920 When your issue has you, it's one thing that have issues. 0:46:34.080 --> 0:46:36.720 It's another thing when you're controlled by your issues. 0:46:37.680 --> 0:46:38.760 And notice this woman. 0:46:39.200 --> 0:46:42.560 This woman showcases us that she's not just mind over 0:46:42.680 --> 0:46:46.520 matter and shouting and stepping, but we see something that 0:46:46.719 --> 0:46:49.600 she has a clue about and that her behavior is 0:46:49.719 --> 0:46:54.120 breaking past every label on her life. She's a woman, 0:46:54.600 --> 0:46:56.800 and in that time period that was an issue. She 0:46:56.920 --> 0:46:59.600 had a sociological issue. She was not allowed to go 0:46:59.719 --> 0:47:01.640 up to man and touch a man. Remember that woman 0:47:01.680 --> 0:47:04.520 in Luke chapter seven when she brought the alabaster box. 0:47:04.800 --> 0:47:07.000 It wasn't even the world that scolded her, the very 0:47:07.040 --> 0:47:09.200 disciples of Jesus said, why are you letting this woman 0:47:09.280 --> 0:47:13.560 touch you? She doesn't just have a sociological issue, She's 0:47:13.600 --> 0:47:14.720 got a theological issue. 0:47:15.440 --> 0:47:16.120 This bleeding that. 0:47:16.160 --> 0:47:18.160 She's got going on means that she is unclean. If 0:47:18.200 --> 0:47:21.319 you're unclean, you can't touch Jesus, let alone. You can't 0:47:21.360 --> 0:47:22.000 touch a rabbi. 0:47:23.719 --> 0:47:24.799 But this woman. 0:47:26.280 --> 0:47:30.239 With a sociological issue, with a physical issue, with a 0:47:30.360 --> 0:47:38.400 theological issue. She's got a religion that's preventing her. But 0:47:38.600 --> 0:47:43.520 the very hope and calling of relationship is pulling her 0:47:46.440 --> 0:47:49.040 and Jesus instantly and immediately heals her. 0:47:50.200 --> 0:47:50.960 And I just thought today. 0:47:51.000 --> 0:47:53.399 I thought it was important to point out that I'm 0:47:53.440 --> 0:47:56.279 really glad that her issue of the bleeding stop. I'm 0:47:56.320 --> 0:47:59.040 really grateful that she got healed. I'm really grateful that 0:47:59.160 --> 0:48:01.520 the suffering in her body stop. But let's be honest, 0:48:01.520 --> 0:48:04.200 that's not really the power of the story, because how 0:48:04.239 --> 0:48:05.960 do you know she's gonna have some more issues in 0:48:06.000 --> 0:48:11.000 the future. The story that we're reading about isn't just 0:48:11.080 --> 0:48:14.239 simply that her blood flows stop. The story is in 0:48:14.360 --> 0:48:18.239 the Bible because she has a faith that was so 0:48:18.480 --> 0:48:21.440 powerful and so strong that made a way, and the 0:48:21.520 --> 0:48:24.840 way that it made it is that she reissued her identity. 0:48:27.640 --> 0:48:29.520 She re issued her identity. 0:48:29.840 --> 0:48:31.799 Because everyone's like, yo, yo, you can't go and touch 0:48:31.840 --> 0:48:34.839 a man. No, no, no, no, I'm not just some girl. 0:48:38.400 --> 0:48:39.239 I'm actually his dog. 0:48:44.520 --> 0:48:48.400 No no, no, you're bleeding, you're unclean. No no no, 0:48:48.760 --> 0:48:49.239 I'm hurt. 0:48:50.080 --> 0:48:51.920 And I know the man that I'm reaching out to, 0:48:52.440 --> 0:48:54.560 I know that he sees me and he cares about me. 0:48:57.560 --> 0:48:59.200 The power of this story is a. 0:48:59.320 --> 0:49:04.799 Faith that reissued an identity. The news you, I want 0:49:04.840 --> 0:49:07.719 to say it so boldly in my heart. If you 0:49:07.800 --> 0:49:10.919 will approach God like a father every time, he will 0:49:10.960 --> 0:49:15.279 only treat you like a daughter. I don't know, and 0:49:15.360 --> 0:49:19.600 who needs to hear that today? Woman of God, Man 0:49:19.680 --> 0:49:21.879 of God. If you'll approach him like dad, he'll treat 0:49:21.920 --> 0:49:22.520 you like a son. 0:49:23.239 --> 0:49:24.239 He'll treat you like a daughter. 0:49:24.360 --> 0:49:25.960 Would you believe that this is the only time in 0:49:26.000 --> 0:49:28.719 the New Testament that Jesus Christ looks at someone and 0:49:28.880 --> 0:49:30.279 calls them daughter. 0:49:32.000 --> 0:49:32.840 Because she had a. 0:49:33.000 --> 0:49:37.719 Faith that reissued her identity. Yeah, I'm glad that I 0:49:37.800 --> 0:49:41.120 got my healing. But bigger than that, and greater than that, 0:49:41.600 --> 0:49:44.080 is that I know it's been twelve years of suffering. 0:49:44.480 --> 0:49:46.600 Oh but baby girl, it's. 0:49:46.480 --> 0:49:49.000 Gonna be worth it because you're now gonna have an 0:49:49.080 --> 0:49:53.040 eternity of rejoicing. I know it wasn't your time. It's 0:49:53.120 --> 0:49:59.160 called God time. It's called God time. 0:50:02.960 --> 0:50:04.480 You are not your issue. 0:50:05.400 --> 0:50:11.320 Your identity is child of God. Your identity when you 0:50:11.480 --> 0:50:13.399 put your faith in Jesus is son. 0:50:13.880 --> 0:50:14.759 It is dark. 0:50:17.400 --> 0:50:19.839 I just can't help but see it what I think 0:50:19.840 --> 0:50:23.880 about the timing of God, because please understand, the story 0:50:23.960 --> 0:50:26.399 began with Jyris, who has. 0:50:26.360 --> 0:50:31.240 A twelve year old daughter who's so sick she's about 0:50:31.280 --> 0:50:34.439 to die. And it just so happens. 0:50:35.760 --> 0:50:39.720 That there's a woman who has an issue for twelve 0:50:40.280 --> 0:50:47.640 long years. One is dying slowly, the other has died suddenly. 0:50:48.719 --> 0:50:50.040 I don't think it's a coincidence. 0:50:50.920 --> 0:50:54.359 I don't think that the very year that this little 0:50:54.440 --> 0:50:57.120 girl was born, this problem began. 0:50:58.800 --> 0:51:01.719 See how I said that right there? But here comes 0:51:01.800 --> 0:51:02.640 the reframing of it. 0:51:04.800 --> 0:51:09.080 The very moment your problem began, a pathway to your 0:51:09.160 --> 0:51:20.440 promise was born. And I just think that these two 0:51:20.560 --> 0:51:25.279 stories overlap and intersect and have this interruption because it 0:51:25.360 --> 0:51:28.359 is a divine appointment of God's timing. That what He's 0:51:28.360 --> 0:51:30.440 wanting to say to every one of us, that if 0:51:30.520 --> 0:51:32.560 you are in the room today and you ain't got 0:51:32.600 --> 0:51:37.040 a daddy like Gyros, maybe somebody dropped you, maybe somebody 0:51:37.160 --> 0:51:40.719 hurts you. Maybe you've ever had anybody plead for you 0:51:40.960 --> 0:51:43.160 on your behalf. Maybe you've been betrayed and let down 0:51:43.360 --> 0:51:46.800 and people have let you go. I just want to 0:51:46.920 --> 0:51:49.319 encourage you. I think the story's in the Bible because 0:51:49.320 --> 0:51:52.160 if you ain't got a daddy like Gyros Woo, you 0:51:52.280 --> 0:51:55.319 still got to save your name Jesus who shows. 0:51:55.080 --> 0:52:03.600 Up right on time. Would you believe me. 0:52:03.600 --> 0:52:06.719 If I told you that twelve is the number of 0:52:06.920 --> 0:52:12.000 order in the Bible, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve disciples, 0:52:12.360 --> 0:52:15.920 read the Book of Revelation. When he restores the New Jerusalem, 0:52:16.200 --> 0:52:19.840 there will be twelve pillars of foundations, twelve gates, and 0:52:20.000 --> 0:52:25.640 twelve angels, because twelve represents order, and God's timing is 0:52:25.800 --> 0:52:27.120 divine order. 0:52:27.480 --> 0:52:29.920 If you believe it, Somebody give God some praise in 0:52:30.000 --> 0:52:34.080 this house. It wasn't a coincidence. 0:52:35.960 --> 0:52:38.520 It was God set up from the very beginning that 0:52:38.640 --> 0:52:41.400 he was bringing these moments together. And he wants to 0:52:41.440 --> 0:52:44.439 remind everybody in this room today. I know you maybe 0:52:44.480 --> 0:52:47.880 have some issues, and I'm not underestimating your issues. But 0:52:48.040 --> 0:52:51.200 more than issues, you, my friend, you have an inheritance 0:52:51.760 --> 0:52:54.320 because you are a child of God. So may I 0:52:54.400 --> 0:52:56.239 say it the way your pastor has been preaching it. 0:52:56.760 --> 0:52:59.800 Don't do the old Jew, don't do your issues, do 0:53:00.120 --> 0:53:03.359 the new you. You're a child, you're a son, you're 0:53:03.400 --> 0:53:05.800 a daughter. Come on, if you know who you are today, 0:53:06.160 --> 0:53:07.240 stand upon your feet. 0:53:07.640 --> 0:53:10.920 You've got some praise and worship him. Let you know 0:53:11.680 --> 0:53:12.359 who you are. 0:53:18.280 --> 0:53:22.560 Some would say, with God, there's always a way, and 0:53:22.760 --> 0:53:35.040 by faith I will find it. With God, there's always 0:53:35.080 --> 0:53:40.719 a way, and by faith I will find it. This 0:53:40.840 --> 0:53:46.359 woman's got a blood issue. Let's be honest, we've all 0:53:46.400 --> 0:53:50.600 got a blood issue. It really wasn't That's not really 0:53:50.600 --> 0:53:54.400 the best way to say it. Blood issue. What this 0:53:54.480 --> 0:53:59.359 woman has is a blood disorder that what is meant 0:53:59.400 --> 0:54:04.080 to happen periodically is now happening perpetually. But the very 0:54:04.160 --> 0:54:06.480 same thing is true for you and I that all 0:54:06.520 --> 0:54:09.719 the way back in the garden, when Adam ate that fruit. 0:54:10.760 --> 0:54:16.520 It's set a blood disorder intomotion. But I'm grateful right there. 0:54:16.800 --> 0:54:21.839 The promise began at the moment of sin, God said, 0:54:21.840 --> 0:54:22.920 I've already made a way. 0:54:25.200 --> 0:54:25.400 For you. 0:54:25.480 --> 0:54:28.600 Will bruise his heel, but he will stomp your head 0:54:29.760 --> 0:54:34.360 the moment your problem began, the promise was born. That 0:54:34.560 --> 0:54:38.120 day her blood stopped flowing. But how many of you 0:54:38.239 --> 0:54:41.719 know some days later the blood of Jesus would begin 0:54:41.800 --> 0:54:46.360 to flow. And his blood is more than enough. His 0:54:46.480 --> 0:54:50.480 blood covers a multitude of sins. His blood relinquishes you 0:54:50.560 --> 0:54:53.759 from shame and condemnation. You are not what somebody else 0:54:53.800 --> 0:54:56.440 says about you. You are not what your parents have 0:54:56.520 --> 0:54:58.520 said about you. You're not your mom, you're not your dad, 0:54:58.560 --> 0:55:00.920 You're not your mistake. You are not dis qualified today 0:55:01.120 --> 0:55:05.120 by grace, through faith, God will make a way and 0:55:05.280 --> 0:55:08.239 you too can reissue your identity. 0:55:08.480 --> 0:55:10.240 Go ahead and thank them all over the room today, 0:55:15.719 --> 0:55:18.400 do the new you. I want to get people an 0:55:18.400 --> 0:55:19.920 opportunity right now to be. 0:55:20.080 --> 0:55:26.799 New, to be made new. That's what salvation is. Old 0:55:26.880 --> 0:55:29.480 things have passed away and the new thing has come. 0:55:30.680 --> 0:55:35.400 That's why Jesus says we must be reborn. I'm reborn. 0:55:35.680 --> 0:55:40.279 I'm born again. Why am I born again? Because you're 0:55:40.320 --> 0:55:43.359 not a son by worth, You're a son by birth. 0:55:45.000 --> 0:55:47.839 And when you know who you are, you know who 0:55:47.920 --> 0:55:52.000 your dad is. Stay with your head bowt and your 0:55:52.040 --> 0:55:55.720 eyes closed before we sing the song, just since God's 0:55:55.760 --> 0:55:58.640 presence here and of relocation right there on. 0:55:58.719 --> 0:56:02.719 YouTube right now. Know Jesus he's here and he loves you, 0:56:02.840 --> 0:56:03.520 and he's for you. 0:56:04.680 --> 0:56:06.680 And I love Sundays because metaphorically, to me, it's like 0:56:06.760 --> 0:56:11.560 Jesus is passing through and anybody who reaches out, they 0:56:11.640 --> 0:56:14.240 can too be healed. They too can find a new identity. 0:56:14.640 --> 0:56:17.680 It's amazing her reach healed her, but Jesus is reach 0:56:18.040 --> 0:56:23.280 to that little girl resurrected her. The reach of Jesus 0:56:23.400 --> 0:56:25.440 will pull you up out of that slimy pit. Put 0:56:25.480 --> 0:56:28.920 your feet on a solid rock, a firm foundation. If 0:56:28.960 --> 0:56:30.640 God pulls you out of that oven too soon, you 0:56:30.719 --> 0:56:35.239 don't have the foundation to hold up. Trust him, Trust him, 0:56:35.280 --> 0:56:37.680 Trust him today. Would you give him your life? On 0:56:37.760 --> 0:56:39.160 the count of three, If that's you saying, I want 0:56:39.280 --> 0:56:40.600 Jesus to be the lord of my life. I want 0:56:40.640 --> 0:56:41.759 to give my life over to him. I want to 0:56:41.800 --> 0:56:44.480 repent from my sin, and I want to be reissued 0:56:44.560 --> 0:56:47.279 a new identity child of God. On the count of three. 0:56:47.320 --> 0:56:50.520 If that's you, be bold, this is your time. This 0:56:50.640 --> 0:56:53.200 is a divine appointment. Ready on the count of three. One, 0:56:53.440 --> 0:56:56.799 that's you, put your hand up. Two, don't look at 0:56:56.800 --> 0:56:58.400 your neighbors. How about you neighbors. That's you put your 0:56:58.440 --> 0:57:01.440 hand up ready, one, two, three. If that's you've lived up, 0:57:01.440 --> 0:57:02.040 that's me, rich. 0:57:02.000 --> 0:57:05.600 That's me. That's me. That's me. That's me. That's me. 0:57:06.600 --> 0:57:08.040 That's me. That's me. 0:57:10.120 --> 0:57:13.600 Church. Can we all lift our hands towards heaven. Bible says, 0:57:13.640 --> 0:57:16.840 believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. It 0:57:16.920 --> 0:57:20.360 all starts with a belief and a confession. So declare 0:57:20.400 --> 0:57:21.840 this out loud, and then we're going to sing. Say 0:57:21.840 --> 0:57:26.400 dear Jesus, Today I give you my life. I repent 0:57:27.280 --> 0:57:31.160 forgive me. I don't want my way, I want your way. 0:57:31.840 --> 0:57:35.840 Today I receive the gift of your righteousness. 0:57:36.560 --> 0:57:38.400 I believe you are. 0:57:38.920 --> 0:57:41.840 Who you said that you are, and I'm throwing my 0:57:41.960 --> 0:57:46.840 life into your hands. Take my past, take my present. 0:57:47.480 --> 0:57:51.760 I'm even giving you my future. God help me to 0:57:51.920 --> 0:57:56.720 do the new me your child in Jesus' name. Come on, 0:57:56.840 --> 0:57:58.400 everybody said, come on. 0:57:58.520 --> 0:58:11.440 Elevation Church. Thank you for joining us. 0:58:11.800 --> 0:58:14.200 Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 0:58:14.320 --> 0:58:17.760 this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 0:58:18.240 --> 0:58:20.440 You can click the link in the description to give 0:58:20.560 --> 0:58:24.440 now or visit Elevation Church dot org slash podcast for 0:58:24.520 --> 0:58:28.320 more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 0:58:28.800 --> 0:58:30.040 You can share it with your friends. 0:58:30.400 --> 0:58:32.640 You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 0:58:32.720 --> 0:58:34.800 share it on your social stories and tag us at 0:58:34.880 --> 0:58:35.680 Elevation Church. 0:58:35.800 --> 0:58:37.400 Thanks again for listening. God bless you.