When Waiting Isn’t Working (Muddy Moves)

0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:06.200 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.280 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.600 Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:13.680 new sermons every week. 0:00:13.800 --> 0:00:17.320 I hope you're blessed today. 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:25.479 Welcome everybody. 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:31.560 This is the day that the Lord has made. And 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:34.199 not only is it a new day, y'all, this is 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:36.040 the first Sunday of our. 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:40.440 Next decade of ministry. Together, let's give the Lord a 0:00:40.560 --> 0:00:42.040 praise for a new day. 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:49.400 And a new decade. Promise you one thing, everybody who's 0:00:49.440 --> 0:00:51.920 in on this right now, You're about to see God 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:56.160 do some great things. Sometimes I look in the mirror 0:00:56.200 --> 0:00:58.240 I see all these gray hairs coming up in my beard, 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:03.800 and I feel like gray and greater go together, so 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:08.000 I feel like the greayer I get the greater. 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:13.520 Anyway, I'll work on that. Before I make a T shirt. 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:17.479 I want you to hug somebody, especially if they look 0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:22.400 like they almost didn't come to church, but they found 0:01:22.400 --> 0:01:23.440 that wrinkled shirt. 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:24.280 And put it on and got here. 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:29.240 Anyway, Hug for me twenty one people for our twenty 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:30.520 first year of ministry. 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:32.600 You'll have to move around a little bit, but get 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:33.240 it done. 0:01:33.400 --> 0:01:35.039 Welcome to all, of our campuses. 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:38.120 Welcome to our EPAM all around the world. 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:43.160 I'm sending you a hug across the internet, a worldwide hug. 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:45.920 Let us know where you're joining from. 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:48.920 Would you just put your city in your state and 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:54.720 your name, maybe your favorite candy I don't know, put 0:01:54.760 --> 0:01:57.680 on the list, if you had a good Valentine's weekend, 0:01:57.720 --> 0:01:59.720 if you celebrate that kind of pagan holiday. 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:05.880 I was playing. I was playing. I'm just playing. 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:11.320 You know, as we move into this time of worship, 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:14.120 I want to make sure that everybody has the opportunity 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:17.680 to join us for Elevation Nights twenty twenty six coming 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:22.920 up on February twenty fourth through Thursday March fifth. Now 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:25.040 here's where we're going to be headed. And if you 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:27.080 know somebody, if you're part of our local church and 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:29.320 you know somebody in one of these cities, let them know. 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:31.600 But maybe you live close enough to get there. 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:43.160 Hershey, Pennsylvania, Brooklyn, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Knoxville, Columbus, and Chicago. 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.679 So help me get the word out. We're going to 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:49.680 be taking We're going to be taking our team. 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:56.840 Elevation Worship, Elevation Rhythm Me Holly the whole family going 0:02:56.840 --> 0:02:59.440 out on the road to bring the good news of 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:01.960 the resurrect of Jesus Christ to. 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:05.440 A city near you. Tickets are limited. Go to Elevation 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:07.720 Nights dot com. 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:09.959 Also Friday, when you wake up, you're gonna feel a 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:10.519 little tired. 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:11.440 You're gonna have gone. 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:13.840 Through a whole week, and you know, people getting on 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:15.760 your nerves, things that happen during a normal week. 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:17.840 But if you'll go over to Apple Music. 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:21.760 Or Spotify or Amazon Music or Pandora and you'll put 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:25.440 in Elevation Worship, you'll find a brand new album waiting 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:31.360 for you on Friday, February the twentieth, and you'll be 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:37.040 singing I Call God on the Mountain, all these songs 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:39.720 that we've been singing for months, and you've been watching 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:45.320 the bootleg YouTube videos that these online pirates put out 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:46.880 before we're ready to release it. 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:50.920 Well the wait, tell somebody, the weight is over. 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:57.760 The worship is here Friday, get it, so be it. 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:01.360 I think it's our best album yet. 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:06.280 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:04:06.320 --> 0:04:10.040 How many came for a word from God today? 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:20.360 Make some I want to draw your attention while you're 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:24.799 standing to John chapter nine. Please, I've got a brand 0:04:24.800 --> 0:04:27.200 new Bible chunks of Namy gave me a brand new 0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:30.680 Bible for our twentieth birthday, So let's take it for 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:32.400 a spin and see how it preaches. 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:35.960 I was insulted they gave me a large print Bible. 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:37.520 I'm like, what is that supposed to me? 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:44.560 So since it was a large print Bible, I thought 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:49.200 i'd preach about the blind Man and John Chapter nine. 0:04:51.320 --> 0:04:59.719 I'm so thankful that you're here. John. 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.839 It's a great chapter, and you may do well to 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:04.800 read the whole thing when you get home. 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:06.800 I'm going to deal with the first half of this story. 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:09.360 The scriptures are coming on the screen. 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:13.920 As he went along, he saw a man. Jesus saw 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:17.960 a man blind from birth. Come he preach a whole 0:05:17.960 --> 0:05:20.159 message about that. As he went along, he saw a 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:25.320 man blind from birth. The man didn't see Jesus, but 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:29.200 Jesus saw the man. Yeah, we could preach a whole 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:32.599 sermon on that, about how when you weren't even looking 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:34.520 for him, he found you. 0:05:37.680 --> 0:05:39.680 His disciples. Verse two asked. 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:42.240 Him, Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents that 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:43.240 he was born blind? 0:05:44.640 --> 0:05:48.600 Neither neither Jesus Jesus. 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:53.560 Jesus sums up an entire theological library. 0:05:54.320 --> 0:05:59.000 In one word, neither you both Both options are stupid. 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:03.840 Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus. But 0:06:03.920 --> 0:06:06.040 this happened so that the works of God might be 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:08.840 displayed in him. As long as it is day, we 0:06:08.920 --> 0:06:12.160 must do the works of him who sent me. Night 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:15.000 is coming when no one can work. While I'm in 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:19.000 the world, I am the light of the world. After 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:21.919 saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:25.839 with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. Go, 0:06:26.200 --> 0:06:29.880 He told him, wash in the pool of siloon. 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:31.440 This word means sin. 0:06:32.440 --> 0:06:36.400 So the man went and washed and came home seeing 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:37.840 Oh that's good. 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:40.520 He went and washed, and came home. 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:45.520 Seeing his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging. 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.920 Asked it missed the same man who used to sit 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:50.039 and beg. 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:53.760 Some claim that he was others said no, he only 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:57.880 looks like him, But he himself insisted, I'm the man. 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:04.200 How then were your eyes open, they asked, He replied, 0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:10.240 the man they call Jesus made some mud and put 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:11.200 it on my eyes. 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:16.360 Yeah, no, it wasn't pretty. I know, I didn't see 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:16.800 it coming. 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:21.960 Literally, he made some mud and put it on my eyes. 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:25.440 And he told me to go to silom and wash. 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:32.440 So I went and washed, and then I could see. 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:36.120 I want to talk to you today about when waiting 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:37.679 isn't working. 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:42.480 When waiting isn't. 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:45.480 Working, Put that in the chat please, or the comments 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:49.440 if you're watching later, when waiting isn't. 0:07:50.880 --> 0:07:54.680 Working, not getting better, not healing the wound. 0:07:54.800 --> 0:08:00.560 When waiting isn't working, nothing's changing, no doors opening. I 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:04.120 want to talk about that today, when waiting isn't working. 0:08:04.920 --> 0:08:06.840 And I gave the message a subtitle too. 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:14.720 The subtitle is muddy Moves, Muddy Moves. Tell somebody I 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:16.040 make muddy moves. 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:21.280 Yeah, Father, bless your word in Jesus' name. Amen, you 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:22.000 may be seated. 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:45.000 How long would you sit there? If I just came 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:53.680 up here made you wait? Now, we need to have 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:56.920 an altar call for Lyon. For all of you who 0:08:56.920 --> 0:08:57.600 said all day. 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:01.439 I mean, they don't even stay till I do my. 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.920 Invitation, half the time, tripping over people in the back 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:08.720 of the parking lot toime out all day? 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:13.080 No, really, how long would you sit there? You know, 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:18.880 waiting waiting. Sometimes it's worth the wait, sometimes it's not. 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:25.560 When I first met Holly, she was on a dating probation, 0:09:26.440 --> 0:09:31.000 a probationary period. And the thing was, she just wanted 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:34.520 to take some time to really be anchored in her 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:38.559 values when she went to college, before she got entangled 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:40.880 with somebody who may or may not share those values. 0:09:41.480 --> 0:09:41.640 Right. 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:45.719 And I think that's great because I can attest to 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:46.439 the fact that she. 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:48.720 Is absolutely worth the wait. 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:53.280 But I was in line, and I cut in line, 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:57.640 and I put her on my ministry team. So whenever 0:09:57.679 --> 0:10:00.560 the Lord spoke to her that the probation have been 0:10:00.600 --> 0:10:04.480 lifted and the weight is over, I wanted to be 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:06.080 the one. 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:08.080 Yeah. 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:12.840 And here we are twenty seven years of being Valentines. 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:18.000 Twenty seven years. You learn a lot about love in 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:20.800 twenty seven years. You learn a lot about Valentine's Day. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:24.040 You learn to go out two days before Valonstine's Day 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:26.840 to the restaurant and be at the restaurant when they're 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:30.080 not overbooking the place, putting you at a little table somewhere 0:10:30.080 --> 0:10:33.600 in the bathroom and charging you full price. On Valentine's Day, 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:37.840 we go out on February twelve. And yet what amazes 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:40.319 me is that as long as this woman has known me, 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:42.800 there are certain things that she still does not understand 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:45.920 about the difference in our dynamic. So when we were 0:10:45.920 --> 0:10:49.040 going out on our Valentine's Day date two days early, 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:53.000 a few days ago, I came upstairs after my workout 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:55.920 and you know, I'm sweating and I'm not ready, and 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:58.640 we have to leave for the reservation in just a 0:10:58.679 --> 0:11:01.920 few minutes. And he's finishing getting ready, and she looks 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:04.040 at me and it's like, you know, nicely, she's trying 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:05.400 to do a nice thing. She's like, do you want 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.600 me to push the reservation back? And I'm like, you 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:10.040 need to push the reservation back. 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:16.560 How do you not know after all these years of 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:20.280 being married to me that it doesn't take me long. 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:25.080 I mean, Holly, I love you, thank you for asking, 0:11:25.160 --> 0:11:30.800 but we both know that you finishing getting ready and 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:35.480 me getting ready all the way from the starting point 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:41.400 of readiness in the beginning, like I can take a shower, 0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:50.120 get dressed, write a song, support a missionary in the 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:53.480 time you can put on this lip gloss. I don't 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:56.800 know how that works out, but it doesn't take me long. 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:00.559 When I get ready, do it quick. 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:06.800 It amazes me in the scripture how much Jesus did 0:12:06.880 --> 0:12:10.960 with so little time on Earth. You hear in John 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:13.640 chapter nine, he makes this statement, as long as I 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:15.560 am in the world, I'm the light of the world. 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:18.199 But I've got to do the work that God called 0:12:18.240 --> 0:12:21.120 me to do in the window that God gave me 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:21.679 to do it. 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:24.160 And that might be a word for you too. 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.400 I've got to do the work that God called. 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:30.000 Me to do in the window that God gave me. 0:12:30.320 --> 0:12:33.600 To do it, and that will help you put off procrastination, 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:36.440 and that will help you sometimes stop thinking that you've 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:40.040 always got more time than you really do. But when 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.000 Jesus said I must work the works of him who 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:46.800 sent me while it's day, I think he was also 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:48.360 reminding his disciples. 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:50.160 It doesn't take me long. 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:52.720 And I want to remind somebody today, and maybe this 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:55.520 will be the whole reason you came for, the message. 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:57.200 That it doesn't take God long. 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:02.560 It doesn't the one who created the world in six 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:04.920 days and said, well, we could chill on the seventh 0:13:04.960 --> 0:13:08.640 because I'm done. It doesn't take God long to work. 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:12.560 It doesn't take God long to work. The one who 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:15.800 can make the walls fall, a project that would have 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:19.000 taken a demolition crew perhaps weeks of permitting alone, and 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:20.600 he can do it with the blow of a trumpet. 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:22.640 It doesn't take God long. 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:27.920 God chooses when he wants to move, but when he moves, 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:31.920 it doesn't take him long. So don't be discouraged if 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:35.040 you think it's taking too long, because God can do 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:38.000 something in a moment that will make up for a 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:40.440 month of what you thought was wasted time. 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:43.480 It doesn't take God long. 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:46.600 Reach around and tell three people it doesn't take him long. 0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:50.960 It doesn't take him long. That's what I was telling Holly, 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:52.199 go ahead and finish doing. 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:55.840 By the time you get done curling your eyelashes, I 0:13:55.920 --> 0:14:00.280 will be in the jeep waiting for you impatiently, because 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:02.920 it doesn't take me as long as it takes you. 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:05.640 And so God wants you to know. I know you 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:08.800 feel behind. I know it feels like forever. Who am 0:14:08.800 --> 0:14:09.400 I preaching to? 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:11.160 But this is the word of the Lord. 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:14.439 When he gets ready to do what he's going to do, 0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:18.120 it will not take him long to do it. God 0:14:18.160 --> 0:14:21.480 can turn things around so quick. God can turn things 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.680 around so completely. God can do a reversal so suddenly 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:30.120 that the last will be first and the first will 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:30.800 be last. 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:33.320 God can move you right to the front of the 0:14:33.360 --> 0:14:34.480 cafeteria live. 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:37.800 God can put you right in the door that many 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:40.960 people shut on you, and God kicks it open. And 0:14:41.040 --> 0:14:44.760 when God kicks it open back up everybody else. It 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:52.000 doesn't take God long. Now, Jesus said, I've got to 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:54.840 do the work of him who sent me while it's stay. 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:56.400 And for those of you who think that. 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:59.840 I'm just up here trying to give people encouragement for 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:04.560 you know, sudden breakthroughs and Aha moments and you know, 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:07.840 complete reversals overnight, I am not that kind of preacher. 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:11.120 If you've experienced my ministry for. 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:14.520 Any length of time, I am a process oriented preacher. 0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:19.240 And so one time early in my ministry I was 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:28.400 experiencing this differential between patience and passive. I sat down 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:31.040 to explain to our team how we were going to 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.000 go to two services because we were full in our 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:38.400 first service, and the whole team started arguing about whether 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:41.320 or not we should go to two services, not to campuses, 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:45.360 to services, and some thought it would be too taxing, 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:47.160 and some thought it would be too consuming, and some 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:50.000 thought it would be too much. As a matter of fact, 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:51.920 I even had a meeting with another person. 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:54.800 To ask about should we go to to services. 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:57.240 And the person said back to me, well, maybe you 0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:01.040 should wait on God, and said something real profound. 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:01.640 Write this down. 0:16:02.360 --> 0:16:06.640 The only thing harder than waiting on God is wishing 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:07.880 that you had. 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:14.800 Ain't that a whole bird word. 0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:21.320 I mean, that is so true that sometimes when we 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:23.560 are waiting for God to do. 0:16:23.440 --> 0:16:24.920 Something, it feels so hard. 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:28.480 That the temptation to step outside of God's will in 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:29.280 God's way to. 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:30.480 Get it done. 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:33.560 The temptation to get us a hagar since Sarah can't 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:36.720 have a baby, the temptation for us to do the 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:40.560 sacrifice since the priests aren't coming, the temptation for us 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:43.120 to reach for a bottle because we're sick and tired 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:46.480 of waiting for breakthrough, the temptation to step outside of 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:48.320 who you are to get what you want and you 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:49.240 need so badly. 0:16:49.280 --> 0:16:53.280 It can be so great. But the only thing harder 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:54.840 than waiting on God. 0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:59.960 Is wishing that you had and waking up to decisions 0:17:00.200 --> 0:17:04.080 that you made because you didn't wait. So then the 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:08.520 next day I had another meeting with another mentor, and 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:11.840 I said, hey, I've decided not to go to two services. 0:17:12.400 --> 0:17:14.920 I don't think I should right now. I think I 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:16.960 shall wait on the Lord. He said, wait on the Lord. 0:17:17.160 --> 0:17:17.960 The room is full. 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:19.840 I was there. 0:17:19.880 --> 0:17:23.600 I couldn't get a seat. He said, it was terrible. 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:25.320 It was a terrible experience. I mean, I know it 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:27.000 was good for you as a preacher, it's a full room, 0:17:27.040 --> 0:17:28.480 but for somebody trying to get a seat, it was 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:30.880 a problem. And then you got up there and told 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:33.040 us to invite our friends next week, invite them to 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:33.520 come to what. 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:35.200 Sit them? Where? Put them? Where? 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:39.200 Where are you gonna put them? 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:40.960 I said, but I don't want to get ahead of God. 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.400 And he said, well, here's how God works. Here's how 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:45.040 God works. 0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:48.040 If you get ahead of God in an effort to 0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:51.960 obey him, he can close a door and slow you down. 0:17:52.240 --> 0:17:55.120 If you get behind God because you won't obey him, 0:17:55.480 --> 0:17:57.120 he'll choose somebody else to use. 0:18:00.520 --> 0:18:02.680 So we went to two services. 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:09.920 Because I realized something about God. I realized something about waiting. 0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:14.880 I realized something about myself. I realized something about Jesus. 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:19.640 And it is this that sometimes we think we're waiting 0:18:20.640 --> 0:18:22.760 when we are really disobeying. 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:28.280 Oh, I'm gonna say it again. That's my whole message. 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:33.679 Are you calling it waiting when it's really disobeying? 0:18:33.720 --> 0:18:34.840 I mean, notice the disciples. 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:38.000 Here they see a man who's blind from birth, and 0:18:38.040 --> 0:18:41.760 their first instinct is to ask Jesus a theological question. 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:45.679 You know, whose fault was it? Was it his fault 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:49.959 or was it his parents fault? That he was born blind. Now, 0:18:50.000 --> 0:18:52.320 this man has been born his whole life. We find 0:18:52.320 --> 0:18:54.840 out later in John chapter nine that he is of 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:58.560 legal age, so he is at least a grown man, 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.280 and he may be an older grown man. 0:19:01.600 --> 0:19:03.600 We do not know his exact age, but we know 0:19:03.680 --> 0:19:03.960 that he. 0:19:03.920 --> 0:19:08.200 Has been in this condition his whole life, and one 0:19:08.359 --> 0:19:11.919 encounter with Jesus, it doesn't take God long opens up 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:14.639 his eyes to see a world that he has previously 0:19:14.720 --> 0:19:19.600 only experienced through other senses. However, had it been up 0:19:19.600 --> 0:19:23.720 to Jesus' disciples what happened to this dude, all that 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:28.400 would have happened that day was a good debate, because the. 0:19:28.440 --> 0:19:36.480 Disciples saw a debate, but Jesus saw a display. They said, 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:37.720 let's talk about. 0:19:37.560 --> 0:19:40.959 This man's condition, Let's talk about whose fault it was. 0:19:41.320 --> 0:19:43.600 Let's talk about what landed him in this place. 0:19:44.119 --> 0:19:46.680 Let's check his Internet search history and see if he's 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:47.399 looking at. 0:19:47.400 --> 0:19:48.520 The right websites. 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:51.520 Let's check his doctrine and see if he believes in 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:55.800 substitutionary atonement. Let's look and see if he has memorized 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:58.679 an adequate number of scriptures to get him healed and stuff. 0:19:58.880 --> 0:20:02.560 And Jesus circum all of that, and Jesus walking by 0:20:02.680 --> 0:20:06.680 all of that, and Jesus ignoring all of that, reaches 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:09.359 down in the dirt something that they are walking on 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:12.480 top of and puts it on the eyes of somebody 0:20:12.520 --> 0:20:15.760 that they are walking past. They had no intention of 0:20:15.800 --> 0:20:18.760 stopping for the man. They just wanted to talk about him. 0:20:19.040 --> 0:20:21.760 They had no power to heal the man. They just 0:20:21.800 --> 0:20:24.520 wanted to debate about it. They had no power to 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:27.560 do anything about it. Watch out for people who are 0:20:27.600 --> 0:20:37.360 always debating and never display it. Watch out for people 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:41.960 who are always trying to qualify who should and should 0:20:42.040 --> 0:20:46.000 not be called by God, especially if they are unwilling 0:20:46.040 --> 0:20:48.960 to go through that same qualification process themselves. 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:55.000 So Jesus says, you see him as a debate, I 0:20:55.080 --> 0:20:56.280 see him as a display. 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:00.320 You see him as someone who is crippled by blindness. 0:21:00.960 --> 0:21:04.720 I see him as a canvas for glory. You see 0:21:04.840 --> 0:21:08.800 him as somebody to walk past. I see him as 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:13.000 somebody to work through. You see him as a blind man. 0:21:13.520 --> 0:21:16.800 I see him as a vessel. You see his lack 0:21:16.840 --> 0:21:21.120 of vision. I see his value because the only one 0:21:21.240 --> 0:21:25.480 not blind in this passage is Jesus. The man is blind, 0:21:25.800 --> 0:21:29.159 the disciples are blind, the Pharisees are blind. 0:21:29.480 --> 0:21:32.160 And the truth about it is I'm blind too. 0:21:32.720 --> 0:21:35.399 That's why I need him to lead me and guide 0:21:35.480 --> 0:21:38.879 me and show me what's important, so I don't walk 0:21:38.920 --> 0:21:47.479 past stuff he's trying to do. 0:21:47.480 --> 0:21:48.880 Doesn't take God long. 0:21:50.200 --> 0:21:53.200 When he gets ready to move in all the ways 0:21:53.200 --> 0:21:56.760 I thought about to break down the scripture, I want 0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:59.560 to use the most unusual one, and I pray that 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:00.880 you will get me this privilege. 0:22:00.880 --> 0:22:05.720 Today. I want us to reimagine what happens in John 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:06.720 chapter nine. 0:22:08.280 --> 0:22:12.640 If the man who Jesus wants to heal had done 0:22:12.640 --> 0:22:16.359 what most of us do when Jesus is trying. 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:18.159 To bring about a change in our life. Now, I 0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:19.200 want you to get that thing. 0:22:19.080 --> 0:22:22.960 In your life that you are waiting on God about, 0:22:25.000 --> 0:22:26.399 waiting on God about. 0:22:26.920 --> 0:22:28.400 And if you can't think of it right now because 0:22:28.440 --> 0:22:29.879 it's too painful, that's okay. 0:22:30.160 --> 0:22:32.440 Stay right there at the surface for a moment. I'm 0:22:32.440 --> 0:22:35.760 coming for you because I want that thing to surface. 0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:39.639 While I preach today, I am waiting for the Lord 0:22:40.440 --> 0:22:42.720 and skipping past the obvious things that we wait on 0:22:42.760 --> 0:22:46.199 God about. Sometimes we are waiting for God just for 0:22:46.280 --> 0:22:50.280 something generic, like I just want to be happy again. 0:22:52.720 --> 0:22:53.560 I just want. 0:22:55.080 --> 0:23:00.320 Winter to be over. What are you going to do 0:23:00.359 --> 0:23:02.560 with all those coats you bought when winter is over? 0:23:03.320 --> 0:23:06.119 You can't. You can't change the weather. You just got 0:23:06.160 --> 0:23:11.760 to change what you wear. Isn't that a word complaining 0:23:11.760 --> 0:23:14.240 about the environment of the world. You better bundle up. 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:16.159 The world is always going to be broken. 0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:18.480 You got to go in with your armor of God on. 0:23:19.000 --> 0:23:23.760 So write that down so I remember to appreach it later. Georgia, 0:23:23.840 --> 0:23:28.600 you can't change the weather, change your wardrobe. Instead of 0:23:28.760 --> 0:23:31.880 waiting on something to change, sometimes we have to embrace it. 0:23:31.920 --> 0:23:35.160 But notice what Jesus did when he healed this man. 0:23:35.200 --> 0:23:37.880 He said, I've only got a short window to do it, 0:23:38.080 --> 0:23:40.200 and I've got to work the works of him who 0:23:40.280 --> 0:23:43.840 sent me. The ultimate work of Jesus Christ was the Cross. 0:23:44.720 --> 0:23:48.520 The ultimate work, singular work of Jesus Christ, was to 0:23:48.600 --> 0:23:49.520 pay for your sin. 0:23:50.280 --> 0:23:51.560 That's what he came to do. 0:23:51.880 --> 0:23:56.920 Above healing blind eyes, above opening death ears, above even 0:23:56.960 --> 0:24:00.320 alleviating the physical suffering of people. He came to make 0:24:00.400 --> 0:24:03.280 us right with God. He came to make a way 0:24:03.359 --> 0:24:06.280 for us to access God. He came to tear the 0:24:06.359 --> 0:24:09.119 veil so that heaven and earth were no longer separated 0:24:09.160 --> 0:24:12.119 by your sin, but joined together by his body and 0:24:12.200 --> 0:24:13.520 his blood shed. 0:24:13.280 --> 0:24:16.200 On the cross. He came to do that work. 0:24:16.280 --> 0:24:20.680 But there are many works, one work salvation and many 0:24:20.800 --> 0:24:23.920 works of sanctification that Jesus. 0:24:23.480 --> 0:24:25.400 Will do along the way. 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:29.720 I love that as he's going along the way, he 0:24:29.840 --> 0:24:32.520 sees a blind man. The blind man doesn't see him. 0:24:32.720 --> 0:24:35.480 The blind man is not praying for a miracle. He's 0:24:35.520 --> 0:24:38.440 been this way his whole life. Chances are he has 0:24:38.520 --> 0:24:40.600 never even thought about the fact that he might be 0:24:40.720 --> 0:24:43.600 able to see because he's never heard of it done. 0:24:43.760 --> 0:24:49.240 And so as this man is sitting passively begging. 0:24:49.119 --> 0:24:53.159 Jesus actively starts a miracle. And he reaches down on 0:24:53.200 --> 0:24:55.400 the ground and he begins to. 0:24:55.359 --> 0:25:00.720 Grab some dirt. Put up verse five, please while I'm 0:25:00.760 --> 0:25:03.560 in the world, I'm the light of the world. And 0:25:03.600 --> 0:25:10.120 then verse six he spits. He spits. 0:25:11.440 --> 0:25:13.960 The Bible says the man couldn't see, it doesn't say 0:25:14.000 --> 0:25:14.600 he couldn't hear. 0:25:17.040 --> 0:25:23.399 So I'm wondering what are you doing? 0:25:25.480 --> 0:25:29.680 Who are you and why are you spitting so close 0:25:29.720 --> 0:25:36.480 to me? And when he spits, now watch this. He 0:25:36.560 --> 0:25:39.720 made some mud with the spit. And you're like, is 0:25:39.800 --> 0:25:46.159 Jesus is sanctified spit? It's still spit. It's still spit. 0:25:46.800 --> 0:25:51.120 He spits on the ground. Now I'm going to preach 0:25:51.200 --> 0:25:52.560 every part of this in just a moment. 0:25:52.600 --> 0:25:52.960 Go with me. 0:25:53.560 --> 0:25:56.520 He spit on the ground, made some mud with the 0:25:56.560 --> 0:25:58.679 spit and put it. 0:25:59.280 --> 0:26:02.560 On the man's Now go to verse seven. 0:26:03.440 --> 0:26:06.760 Go he told him wash in the pool of siloon. 0:26:06.920 --> 0:26:12.080 This word means sent, So he sent him to a pool. 0:26:12.280 --> 0:26:16.840 That means sent. Back up, Jesus was sent from heaven. 0:26:17.320 --> 0:26:21.360 He spit in the mud, and he sent a man 0:26:21.840 --> 0:26:25.000 to a pool. That represents that he was sent from 0:26:25.080 --> 0:26:30.280 heaven to get down in the mud, to send a 0:26:30.320 --> 0:26:33.040 man to a pool, to show him that he was 0:26:33.119 --> 0:26:38.280 sent from above, to reach down in the dirt, to 0:26:38.359 --> 0:26:40.920 send a man to a pool. And he told him 0:26:41.640 --> 0:26:46.920 wash in the pool siloon. So the man, and here's 0:26:46.920 --> 0:26:50.320 where I'm going to take a little liberty. The man. 0:26:51.400 --> 0:26:56.959 Waited. The man waited. 0:26:57.000 --> 0:27:00.199 Now this is the part where many of us have 0:27:00.240 --> 0:27:02.960 fallen in love with the concept of waiting on God. 0:27:04.200 --> 0:27:07.320 I want to underscore again that when God has called 0:27:07.320 --> 0:27:10.600 you to wait, the only thing worse than waiting on 0:27:10.680 --> 0:27:13.640 God is wishing that you had. The only thing more 0:27:13.680 --> 0:27:16.639 difficult than waiting on God to bring a desire to 0:27:16.680 --> 0:27:18.800 pass is doing it in your own strength, doing it 0:27:18.800 --> 0:27:20.560 in your own knowledge, doing it in your own sight, 0:27:20.640 --> 0:27:21.640 doing it in your own. 0:27:21.640 --> 0:27:22.520 And then wishing. 0:27:22.840 --> 0:27:26.439 Oh, if I had just listened to that check in 0:27:26.520 --> 0:27:29.400 my spirit, I would not still be paying this off. 0:27:29.680 --> 0:27:32.760 If I had just listened and not tried to impress people, 0:27:33.000 --> 0:27:35.520 I wouldn't have this mountain of debt. If I had 0:27:35.600 --> 0:27:38.480 just waited until I got my house in order, if. 0:27:38.440 --> 0:27:40.320 I wouldn't have gotten ahead of myself. 0:27:40.560 --> 0:27:44.160 The only thing worse than waiting on God is wishing 0:27:44.200 --> 0:27:47.200 that you had. But when God has given you a word, 0:27:49.480 --> 0:27:51.600 waiting will not change your situation. 0:27:53.560 --> 0:27:55.960 Only washing will. 0:27:58.320 --> 0:28:02.760 Because if this man have received the sanctified spit of 0:28:02.840 --> 0:28:04.480 the Savior of the world on. 0:28:04.560 --> 0:28:05.840 His eyes, now imagine it. 0:28:06.200 --> 0:28:10.520 He's standing, he's blind, he's listening, he's willing. 0:28:10.400 --> 0:28:11.720 And Jesus spits in. 0:28:11.720 --> 0:28:14.560 The ground and rubs mud on his eyes, and so 0:28:14.640 --> 0:28:15.520 he decides, you. 0:28:15.480 --> 0:28:17.399 Know what, I know he told me to go to 0:28:17.440 --> 0:28:18.119 the pool, but. 0:28:18.160 --> 0:28:21.200 I'm gonna sit here for a minute because it will 0:28:21.240 --> 0:28:25.080 be easier for me to get to the pool if 0:28:25.119 --> 0:28:29.080 I can see my way there. So I'm gonna wait 0:28:30.320 --> 0:28:34.200 for what he did to set in, and then I'll 0:28:34.240 --> 0:28:37.320 set out for where he told me to go. 0:28:38.040 --> 0:28:39.360 And I got a picture. 0:28:39.040 --> 0:28:42.760 Of a lot of us who have claimed we are 0:28:42.960 --> 0:28:46.640 waiting for God, and we even write songs about it. 0:28:46.880 --> 0:28:47.640 In the church. 0:28:48.120 --> 0:28:51.080 We even have a song about waiting on God, and 0:28:51.160 --> 0:28:53.920 I love it. The song is called I'm Gonna wait 0:28:53.960 --> 0:28:54.320 on You. 0:28:55.320 --> 0:28:58.240 Do you know that song? Do you know the song 0:28:58.400 --> 0:29:01.160 I'm Gonna wait on You? Yeah? 0:29:01.600 --> 0:29:05.400 You can't sing that all the time. You can't sing 0:29:05.480 --> 0:29:07.880 I'm gonna wait on you. At a green light, they 0:29:07.920 --> 0:29:09.800 are gonna honk at you and they should. 0:29:11.000 --> 0:29:15.480 Yeah, yeah, listen to me. I'm gonna what if the 0:29:15.720 --> 0:29:18.600 what if the blind man? Just imagine with me, Just imagine. 0:29:18.200 --> 0:29:20.920 With me, what if the blind man would have said, Okay, 0:29:20.960 --> 0:29:23.680 this is great man, whoever this guy is. I've heard 0:29:23.680 --> 0:29:26.400 things about him. I've heard that he has unique ways 0:29:26.400 --> 0:29:28.560 of working. I heard the ripping off roofs to come 0:29:28.600 --> 0:29:30.240 and see him. I heard that he has a word 0:29:30.280 --> 0:29:32.000 that's not like the fair season the Sadducees. 0:29:32.160 --> 0:29:33.800 Maybe he could do it. I heard that he does 0:29:33.840 --> 0:29:34.680 great miracles. 0:29:34.760 --> 0:29:43.160 So I'm gonna I'm gonna wait on you. How long 0:29:43.200 --> 0:29:49.400 would you wait? I'm gone, wait on you? Did you 0:29:49.440 --> 0:29:56.000 hear me, Lord, I'm gone, Oh, wait on you. I 0:29:56.040 --> 0:30:02.440 wonder if the Lord ever sings back to us. I'm 0:30:02.520 --> 0:30:04.600 going on, wait on you. 0:30:08.200 --> 0:30:11.440 Imagine this, Jesus said, go to the pool and wash, 0:30:11.520 --> 0:30:13.880 and the man's like, yeah, I'm gonna do that right 0:30:13.920 --> 0:30:18.560 after I get this mud off my eyes, right after. 0:30:18.360 --> 0:30:22.240 This mud disappears. I'm not going through these streets muddy 0:30:22.360 --> 0:30:25.960 like this. It's embarrassing what I'm supposed to go through 0:30:26.000 --> 0:30:28.920 the streets. And you got to realize the pool he 0:30:28.960 --> 0:30:31.080 sent him to was at the southernmost part of the city, 0:30:31.240 --> 0:30:32.520 so it wasn't a short distance. 0:30:33.920 --> 0:30:36.640 And the moment Jesus touched his eyes, the healing. 0:30:36.320 --> 0:30:38.280 Began, but it did not unfold until he got to 0:30:38.280 --> 0:30:39.360 the place of obedience. 0:30:42.120 --> 0:30:45.000 So imagine it with me. I know it's corny, but he. 0:30:44.880 --> 0:30:49.920 Goes, I'm gon wait on you, and Jesus goes. 0:30:51.800 --> 0:30:53.520 I told you what to do. 0:30:55.560 --> 0:30:58.960 This is the remix how many will download this. 0:30:59.040 --> 0:31:05.400 If I put it all a lie, I told you to. 0:31:05.520 --> 0:31:10.560 Do it, you better get moved man. 0:31:11.800 --> 0:31:13.040 Huh huh. 0:31:13.080 --> 0:31:17.960 That's the remix for all of us who are claiming that. 0:31:17.840 --> 0:31:23.120 We're waiting, when you know God already gave you a word. 0:31:23.400 --> 0:31:25.880 You just didn't like what he told you to do. 0:31:29.440 --> 0:31:33.480 You didn't want to forgive, So you're waiting for God 0:31:33.640 --> 0:31:36.280 to heal a heart that you have so clogged up 0:31:36.320 --> 0:31:37.920 with bitterness because. 0:31:37.680 --> 0:31:41.880 You don't want to wash. You want to wait. You 0:31:41.920 --> 0:31:44.000 don't want to wash off the residue of what they 0:31:44.040 --> 0:31:44.800 did to you. 0:31:44.800 --> 0:31:47.880 You would rather rehearse it and nurse it and curse it, 0:31:48.040 --> 0:31:49.880 and rehearse it and nurse it. 0:31:49.960 --> 0:31:54.160 And curse it. But waiting will not fix what only 0:31:54.400 --> 0:31:59.440 washing can remove. Where are my amens? 0:32:01.280 --> 0:32:03.920 Are we going into a decade of y'all looking at 0:32:03.960 --> 0:32:08.640 me like Episcopalians? I mean, God bless every denomination. But 0:32:08.760 --> 0:32:13.080 I thought this was Elevation Church. And I found out 0:32:14.040 --> 0:32:19.120 that when God says move, when God says washed, when. 0:32:18.960 --> 0:32:21.080 God says go, when. 0:32:20.920 --> 0:32:25.120 God says step, when God says change, when God says 0:32:25.240 --> 0:32:28.320 let it go, when God says take it up, when 0:32:28.400 --> 0:32:35.880 God says throw your rock, imagine David waiting on God 0:32:35.960 --> 0:32:37.280 in the face of Goliath. 0:32:37.760 --> 0:32:40.000 So well, if the Lord wants to take him down, 0:32:40.280 --> 0:32:41.760 the Lord will take him down. 0:32:42.160 --> 0:32:44.840 The Lord already showed you he wanted to take him down. 0:32:45.200 --> 0:32:48.640 That's why the lion went down and the bear went down. 0:32:48.960 --> 0:32:53.520 Because God was incrementally revealing to you the capacity of 0:32:53.600 --> 0:32:56.160 his power in a way that you would not doubt 0:32:56.200 --> 0:32:58.400 him when you face this challenge. 0:32:58.480 --> 0:33:06.920 You've already seen enough. Or Moses. I thought about Moses standing. 0:33:06.520 --> 0:33:10.080 At the Red Sea, saying, stand still and you will 0:33:10.160 --> 0:33:15.000 see the salvation of the Lord. No, stand still and 0:33:15.080 --> 0:33:19.000 you will be slaughtered by the Egyptian armies because they're coming. 0:33:20.680 --> 0:33:25.320 I'm going to wait on you, and the Lord wants 0:33:25.360 --> 0:33:32.640 you to know today that you cannot replace obeying with waiting. 0:33:39.560 --> 0:33:43.200 That's a walk off statement right there. That is a 0:33:43.240 --> 0:33:44.960 walk off statement right there. 0:33:45.360 --> 0:33:49.040 Because the truth is, I already preached enough words from 0:33:49.040 --> 0:33:53.280 this pulpit that went somewhere in a notebook or a phone, and. 0:33:53.160 --> 0:33:54.560 God told you to do it. 0:33:54.800 --> 0:33:58.000 But you tried to microwave that miracle, and you tried 0:33:58.000 --> 0:34:00.760 to think that hearing would change you. But hearing the 0:34:00.800 --> 0:34:04.160 word of God does not change you. The value is 0:34:04.200 --> 0:34:07.440 in the application. It's like mud on your eyes. 0:34:07.800 --> 0:34:10.040 God has to get it on you, and then you 0:34:10.160 --> 0:34:13.000 got to get it off you. Whatever it is in 0:34:13.080 --> 0:34:18.080 the season of your life. Who am I preaching to 0:34:18.160 --> 0:34:19.560 guiltiest charge your honor? 0:34:19.920 --> 0:34:23.319 I have been waiting for God to show up and 0:34:23.440 --> 0:34:26.120 not going to the place that I know he sent me, 0:34:28.280 --> 0:34:31.680 because I know God didn't send you into that addictive behavior. 0:34:31.960 --> 0:34:34.560 I know God didn't send you into that messed up 0:34:34.640 --> 0:34:38.239 relationship for the fourth time. You're going back to him 0:34:38.440 --> 0:34:40.360 for the fourth time because. 0:34:40.120 --> 0:34:42.360 You don't want to be lonely and you're waiting on 0:34:42.480 --> 0:34:43.080 him to change. 0:34:43.120 --> 0:34:45.359 We're going to talk about this today because I am 0:34:45.400 --> 0:34:49.200 not having you leave this church and be the subject 0:34:49.239 --> 0:34:53.160 of a debate when God wants to display his glory 0:34:53.560 --> 0:34:59.920 in your life. So I present for your professional and 0:35:00.120 --> 0:35:03.840 personal consideration in those areas of your life three times 0:35:03.880 --> 0:35:06.800 where waiting won't work. I've seen it in my own life. 0:35:06.880 --> 0:35:09.400 I've seen it in my own hypocrisy. I've seen the 0:35:09.440 --> 0:35:12.680 times where the devil knew I wouldn't disobey God if 0:35:12.719 --> 0:35:17.000 I labeled it as disobeying. So I almost see Satan 0:35:17.080 --> 0:35:21.320 having a strategy meeting. Let's tell them they're not disobeying. 0:35:21.800 --> 0:35:27.200 They're waiting. Yeah, tell them they're waiting, because that sounds spiritual. 0:35:27.880 --> 0:35:30.280 Yeah, tell them they're waiting. 0:35:30.640 --> 0:35:33.960 And meanwhile, keep them from calling their friends and admitting 0:35:33.960 --> 0:35:36.239 that they're struggling, the friends that could actually help them 0:35:36.400 --> 0:35:39.200 and give them some companionship. No, no, tell them they're 0:35:39.320 --> 0:35:44.759 waiting on the Lord. I jotted down three things to 0:35:44.760 --> 0:35:47.399 give you that you can pray about and see if 0:35:47.440 --> 0:35:52.280 you might be waiting instead of washing, you ever waited? 0:35:52.320 --> 0:35:56.800 Instead of washing, prayer doesn't take away bad breath, kolgate 0:35:56.920 --> 0:36:09.160 does me and praying that away. So I want to 0:36:09.200 --> 0:36:11.480 take from this miracle briefly and subcainely. 0:36:11.760 --> 0:36:13.680 Listen. I told you it doesn't take God long. I 0:36:13.719 --> 0:36:14.799 didn't say it doesn't take me long. 0:36:14.840 --> 0:36:16.120 It takes me a little while to preach how I 0:36:16.120 --> 0:36:17.520 want to preach, y'all here for it. 0:36:19.560 --> 0:36:23.440 I want to talk about what Jesus used, and. 0:36:23.400 --> 0:36:25.439 Then I want to talk about where he sent the man, 0:36:26.640 --> 0:36:27.920 and then I don't want to talk about when he 0:36:27.960 --> 0:36:31.040 did it. And I want to talk about three things 0:36:31.080 --> 0:36:34.239 that you might be waiting on, and it won't work, 0:36:34.360 --> 0:36:38.200 and then you wonder what is Jesus real? Because he 0:36:38.280 --> 0:36:41.560 did this thing, but it didn't work well. You waited 0:36:42.440 --> 0:36:46.160 instead of washing. And here's three things we wait on. 0:36:46.239 --> 0:36:48.760 I give them all to upfront. We wait on perfect, 0:36:52.160 --> 0:37:01.880 we wait on people, and we wait on pain free. 0:37:02.400 --> 0:37:04.800 Put all of those in the comments you're watching online. 0:37:04.960 --> 0:37:08.720 Are you waiting when God said wash? Are you waiting 0:37:08.760 --> 0:37:12.440 on perfect? Are you waiting on people? Are you waiting 0:37:12.480 --> 0:37:16.160 on painfree? Are you waiting on perfect? Because a lot 0:37:16.160 --> 0:37:18.560 of times I do. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes, he 0:37:18.600 --> 0:37:22.279 who regarded the wind will never sow means if you 0:37:22.360 --> 0:37:25.320 wait for conditions to be right, you'll never get it done. 0:37:25.960 --> 0:37:28.080 If you wait for the perfect time to do it, 0:37:28.120 --> 0:37:32.040 you'll never do it. If you wait till you feel 0:37:32.080 --> 0:37:34.719 ready to step into it, you'll never step into it. 0:37:35.600 --> 0:37:41.640 Isn't that the truth? And the fact that Jesus. 0:37:42.280 --> 0:37:45.960 Made a miracle out of the mud reminds me that 0:37:46.080 --> 0:37:46.799 I made. 0:37:47.400 --> 0:37:49.320 Of what the miracle came from. 0:37:51.200 --> 0:37:56.279 This very act mirrors Genesis two seven, when God made 0:37:56.280 --> 0:37:57.000 you from the dirt. 0:37:57.080 --> 0:37:58.719 And here's what I can't understand. 0:38:00.280 --> 0:38:02.760 For perfect not only in our lives, not only in ourselves, 0:38:02.800 --> 0:38:03.640 but in others. 0:38:04.040 --> 0:38:06.200 We wait for perfect. Now, let me ask you a question. 0:38:06.280 --> 0:38:09.120 When God started to make you, he started with dirt. 0:38:10.680 --> 0:38:13.520 Now you're expecting God to send you something that starts 0:38:13.520 --> 0:38:17.840 with perfect when you started with dirt. I had a 0:38:17.920 --> 0:38:21.600 unique experience the other day in a restaurant. I was 0:38:21.640 --> 0:38:23.600 trying to listen to what Holly was telling me, but 0:38:23.680 --> 0:38:26.680 I was very distracted by the conversation at the table 0:38:26.719 --> 0:38:31.600 behind us because they said our name, they said elevation, 0:38:33.239 --> 0:38:35.239 and I couldn't tell if it was being said positively 0:38:35.360 --> 0:38:43.200 or negatively, So I just I said, leaned back in 0:38:43.239 --> 0:38:48.000 the booth a little bit, and all I heard was 0:38:48.880 --> 0:38:52.560 the lady said, are you still going to Elevation? The 0:38:52.640 --> 0:38:58.600 other lady said yeah, and then the friend started telling her, well, 0:38:58.640 --> 0:38:59.879 you may want to check out some other. 0:39:01.719 --> 0:39:04.920 Well, now, I thought, she may right. 0:39:04.840 --> 0:39:07.200 This is not the only church, so that may be 0:39:07.239 --> 0:39:11.400 a good idea. But what got me the more that 0:39:11.480 --> 0:39:15.840 I Yeah, I listened to the whole thing, the parts 0:39:15.880 --> 0:39:22.000 I could pick up. The mature Christian who was talking 0:39:22.040 --> 0:39:24.440 to the other lady who had been going to Elevation. 0:39:25.200 --> 0:39:28.439 She starts going down this list of how you can 0:39:28.480 --> 0:39:30.000 find the perfect church. 0:39:32.080 --> 0:39:35.040 Now, if that's what the lady was looking. 0:39:34.800 --> 0:39:37.440 For, she should never come back to this one again. 0:39:39.120 --> 0:39:41.080 But when she went through all of the things, I 0:39:41.080 --> 0:39:41.880 heard her say. 0:39:41.840 --> 0:39:43.240 You know, you might want to go to one. 0:39:43.160 --> 0:39:46.400 Church, go there a couple months, go to another church, 0:39:46.800 --> 0:39:49.839 go there a couple months, go to another church, go 0:39:49.880 --> 0:39:53.239 there a couple of months. And I realized, you're confused 0:39:53.360 --> 0:39:55.560 because you think you should pick a church like you 0:39:55.640 --> 0:39:58.520 pick off this menu when you want salmon or steak, 0:40:01.760 --> 0:40:02.840 and you want to find. 0:40:02.600 --> 0:40:06.160 Out is it medium well, is it well done? 0:40:06.400 --> 0:40:09.160 Is it seasoned? Just like I Like I saw one 0:40:09.200 --> 0:40:11.600 the other day. This was crazy. This wasn't the lady 0:40:11.600 --> 0:40:14.680 behind me, but I saw one the other day that 0:40:14.760 --> 0:40:17.160 I screenshoted to tell you a lady was on a 0:40:17.160 --> 0:40:20.080 forum talking about wanting to find a church. 0:40:20.200 --> 0:40:21.280 Search for a new church. 0:40:21.680 --> 0:40:26.920 And don't laugh at me making this font bigger. If 0:40:27.000 --> 0:40:28.920 y'all laugh at me making this font bigger. 0:40:28.680 --> 0:40:30.840 I will prophesy about your secret sins. 0:40:32.160 --> 0:40:35.360 Yeah, she said, this is what's important to us, Bible 0:40:35.400 --> 0:40:39.320 based Jesus the Savior. Okay, great, robust kids program, awesome, 0:40:39.440 --> 0:40:43.080 small to medium size, maybe around one hundred members. Oh well, yeah, 0:40:43.120 --> 0:40:44.799 you get kind of You know what if the Lord 0:40:44.840 --> 0:40:46.359 wants you to be a part of a big church. What' 0:40:46.320 --> 0:40:47.680 you're gonna do when you get to heaven? And it's 0:40:47.760 --> 0:40:49.120 kind of big by the way. You want just a 0:40:49.160 --> 0:40:51.280 little church, you're gonna. 0:40:51.120 --> 0:40:56.799 Leave, You're gonna check out the other place you're gonna 0:40:56.800 --> 0:40:57.440 shop around. 0:40:57.480 --> 0:41:01.000 Now, you want to see what's behind door number two 0:41:01.360 --> 0:41:04.640 when you walk in, and it's every tribe and tongue 0:41:04.840 --> 0:41:08.359 and nation, and it's white people and black people, and 0:41:08.400 --> 0:41:12.800 short people and tall people and skinny people and asthetic people, 0:41:13.040 --> 0:41:14.160 and it's all kinds. 0:41:13.920 --> 0:41:27.400 Of people praising the label God. 0:41:29.040 --> 0:41:34.680 She's not done yet. We need members in the same 0:41:34.719 --> 0:41:35.879 walk of life as us. 0:41:35.960 --> 0:41:40.319 Why you need some people older than you that aren't 0:41:40.320 --> 0:41:41.200 as dumb. 0:41:40.960 --> 0:41:43.160 As you and all the people that you've been running with. 0:41:45.000 --> 0:41:48.520 We're looking for a community. We want other thirty somethings. 0:41:48.520 --> 0:41:50.959 That's fine to I get it. But then the next 0:41:50.960 --> 0:41:54.600 thing is progressive, diverse and inclusive. So I want everybody 0:41:54.640 --> 0:41:59.959 to be just like me diversely. You see what I'm saying. 0:42:01.080 --> 0:42:05.480 I want everybody thirty and different than me, so that 0:42:05.520 --> 0:42:07.920 they're just like me, but different. 0:42:10.360 --> 0:42:17.440 And then she wanted also decent worship. Yeah, yeah, she. 0:42:17.400 --> 0:42:19.279 Gonna give you a little grace on the worship you know 0:42:21.160 --> 0:42:22.920 now you say this is mean reading this list. I'm 0:42:22.920 --> 0:42:26.440 not saying her name. I don't know this person. I 0:42:26.600 --> 0:42:29.240 just thought, how could it make it on your list 0:42:29.960 --> 0:42:34.000 in the same category as worship and Jesus as Lord, 0:42:34.560 --> 0:42:44.200 as gluten free communion. I gotta make a preacher want 0:42:44.239 --> 0:42:50.720 to retire. And I want the people to be holy 0:42:51.000 --> 0:42:55.879 but real, not judgmental, but spiritual. 0:42:56.960 --> 0:42:58.640 I want them to be advanced in. 0:42:58.640 --> 0:43:05.600 Their discipleship but still very tender to my developing, blossoming spirituality. 0:43:06.560 --> 0:43:08.040 And I kind of wanted to turn around in the 0:43:08.160 --> 0:43:10.319 restaurant and ask the lady, the other lady that I 0:43:10.360 --> 0:43:10.960 was telling you about. 0:43:11.960 --> 0:43:13.680 It's cool if you want to search for a church, 0:43:14.800 --> 0:43:16.160 but can we put you through. 0:43:15.960 --> 0:43:17.560 The same test you want to put us through when 0:43:17.600 --> 0:43:18.040 you come. 0:43:24.960 --> 0:43:28.400 Can we try you for three months, and try another 0:43:28.400 --> 0:43:31.640 one for three months, and try another one for all. 0:43:32.080 --> 0:43:35.040 This is my third decade. I'm a say it like 0:43:35.120 --> 0:43:37.640 I want to say. And now I'm not a fly 0:43:37.800 --> 0:43:39.319 by night verdick no more. 0:43:39.840 --> 0:43:40.960 I'm old and gray. 0:43:41.239 --> 0:43:46.440 I've never seen the righteous forsakered, and I've never seen 0:43:46.480 --> 0:43:50.920 a perfect church. And if you ever find the perfect church, 0:43:51.080 --> 0:43:53.239 don't join it because you're ruin it. 0:43:57.239 --> 0:44:00.440 And bring your own glut and free communion. You can 0:44:00.600 --> 0:44:01.839 do that for yourself. 0:44:02.080 --> 0:44:03.120 Are you serious? 0:44:06.480 --> 0:44:14.480 Never heard of whole foods? Are you waiting on perfect. 0:44:15.680 --> 0:44:22.439 When the Savior specializes in mud. Jesus healed the man 0:44:23.160 --> 0:44:31.400 with mud, not magic, but we want magic abracadabra glory. Hallelujah, 0:44:31.600 --> 0:44:35.120 rub a dub dub. I'm gonna wait on you, not 0:44:35.280 --> 0:44:36.439 without dirty work. 0:44:36.440 --> 0:44:42.920 You're not. That's why I drive a jeep because the 0:44:43.080 --> 0:44:45.000 jeep looks good with dirt on it. 0:44:46.680 --> 0:44:52.360 That's why I love Jesus, because Jesus looks good. 0:44:53.040 --> 0:44:56.080 With dirt on him. And I want you to. 0:44:56.080 --> 0:44:58.719 Know he'll touch your life today. I want you to 0:44:58.800 --> 0:45:01.719 know he'll walk right up to you today. Oh, your 0:45:01.719 --> 0:45:05.080 little dirty self, you better come into the presence of God. 0:45:05.440 --> 0:45:09.480 You better listen to this man from Galilee who turns 0:45:09.600 --> 0:45:13.000 water into wine and dirty into diamonds. 0:45:15.080 --> 0:45:19.760 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. 0:45:19.920 --> 0:45:24.800 Stop waiting for perfect and praising for progress, Stop waiting 0:45:24.840 --> 0:45:27.760 for perfect and praising for proximity. 0:45:28.320 --> 0:45:34.400 Just to be in his presence is a blessing. You 0:45:34.440 --> 0:45:36.240 know how many times I've. 0:45:36.040 --> 0:45:39.080 Been so fixated on one area of my life that 0:45:39.280 --> 0:45:42.960 wasn't working, that I would not even worship God for 0:45:43.000 --> 0:45:44.359 the ninety nine that were. 0:45:47.440 --> 0:45:50.719 You are waiting on God, No you're not. You're focused 0:45:50.719 --> 0:45:53.680 so tightly on what you don't have that you're blind 0:45:56.520 --> 0:46:01.920 to what you do. When will it be enough for 0:46:02.000 --> 0:46:06.239 you to praise God? When will it be? I mean seriously, 0:46:06.560 --> 0:46:11.440 when will it be enough? Does that have to be perfect? 0:46:12.880 --> 0:46:15.120 How can you wait for perfect when you have a 0:46:15.160 --> 0:46:20.000 God who started with dirt. I'm saying that about your 0:46:20.080 --> 0:46:26.279 spouse too. Man, you really are gonna fuss about that 0:46:26.480 --> 0:46:27.960 in your marriage. 0:46:28.239 --> 0:46:30.600 Your a little picky perfection of self. 0:46:32.680 --> 0:46:36.279 And somebody else would somebody else would give anything to 0:46:36.400 --> 0:46:39.400 have what you're about to throw away because it's not perfect. 0:46:40.600 --> 0:46:41.600 You aren't perfect. 0:46:43.360 --> 0:46:46.920 I will interview everybody in your family to prove this 0:46:47.080 --> 0:46:51.399 point if I have to. It's an amazing thing when 0:46:51.400 --> 0:47:02.400 you stop searching for perfect and start accepting presage. 0:47:05.520 --> 0:47:06.720 There are no perfect people. 0:47:08.000 --> 0:47:10.560 And one reason that Jesus opened this man's eyes and 0:47:10.600 --> 0:47:13.520 send him to the pool is because he had to 0:47:13.520 --> 0:47:15.680 get him away from all the people who knew him before. 0:47:17.400 --> 0:47:18.120 Think about it. 0:47:19.520 --> 0:47:21.680 If he opens his eyes and all he sees is 0:47:21.719 --> 0:47:24.880 the people around him. They don't even recognize him, and 0:47:24.920 --> 0:47:26.239 they definitely don't respect him. 0:47:26.800 --> 0:47:28.000 I don't know where it is. I think it's around 0:47:28.040 --> 0:47:29.080 verse thirty three or something. 0:47:29.520 --> 0:47:31.400 But when they finally catch up with the man and 0:47:31.400 --> 0:47:33.680 see what he does, the religious officials are mad at Jesus. 0:47:33.680 --> 0:47:35.120 Watch this because he healed. 0:47:34.880 --> 0:47:39.120 The man on the wrong day because the communion wasn't 0:47:39.160 --> 0:47:39.960 gluten free. 0:47:40.040 --> 0:47:41.120 They didn't want to take it. 0:47:44.040 --> 0:47:46.880 God bless you man, but this is too picky that 0:47:47.000 --> 0:47:48.640 man has never seen before. 0:47:48.800 --> 0:47:51.080 And all you can see is what day Jesus did. 0:47:51.080 --> 0:47:55.160 And on God moves when he wants to, and it 0:47:55.200 --> 0:47:56.200 doesn't take him long. 0:47:57.600 --> 0:47:59.560 And if he made a rule, he can transcend the 0:47:59.640 --> 0:48:03.080 rule for a person that he loves. But you've got 0:48:03.080 --> 0:48:04.760 to be careful waiting on people. 0:48:04.840 --> 0:48:06.719 The first thing that you're waiting on is perfect, but 0:48:06.760 --> 0:48:10.360 the second thing you're sometimes waiting on is people. And 0:48:10.480 --> 0:48:13.040 notice the exchange in the text is kind of funny, 0:48:13.080 --> 0:48:15.239 but you can miss the richness if you laugh at it, 0:48:16.080 --> 0:48:19.719 because they can't figure out could it be him? You know, 0:48:19.800 --> 0:48:21.920 when you first start living for God, people around you're like, 0:48:22.040 --> 0:48:24.800 is this for real? You're like, oh yeah, they're not 0:48:24.840 --> 0:48:26.480 going to change this is just they're just digging on 0:48:26.520 --> 0:48:26.960 a kick. 0:48:26.840 --> 0:48:29.520 About every time. In the first of the year. They'll 0:48:29.560 --> 0:48:30.640 be done with this by March. 0:48:31.800 --> 0:48:35.919 They start doubting what God has done, and no one 0:48:35.960 --> 0:48:38.239 can blame them because no one has ever heard of 0:48:38.280 --> 0:48:39.880 the healing of one blind from birth. 0:48:40.000 --> 0:48:41.520 There are others heel of blindness in. 0:48:41.520 --> 0:48:45.120 The scripture, but not from birth, so nobody expects it 0:48:45.160 --> 0:48:48.480 to happen. And so Jesus sends him to the pool. 0:48:48.520 --> 0:48:50.600 One reason that I believe he put mud on his 0:48:50.680 --> 0:48:53.439 eyes was to keep the man from being comfortable where 0:48:53.440 --> 0:48:53.840 he was. 0:48:56.120 --> 0:48:57.320 If Jesus had sent. 0:48:57.239 --> 0:49:00.359 Him to the pool with no mud on his eye, 0:49:00.680 --> 0:49:03.359 he may not have gone because he had nothing to 0:49:03.560 --> 0:49:08.440 wash off. Sometimes God uses messy situations to move you 0:49:08.800 --> 0:49:10.600 and send you where you're supposed to be. 0:49:16.280 --> 0:49:19.080 And that man went to the pool, and I almost 0:49:19.080 --> 0:49:20.280 could see it in my mind. 0:49:20.480 --> 0:49:23.320 I almost could see the movie of the man going 0:49:23.360 --> 0:49:26.520 all the way to the pool, and he's moving, but 0:49:26.640 --> 0:49:30.320 it's muddy moves. And the more I saw the man, 0:49:30.560 --> 0:49:33.800 the more I saw you. You're making moves right now, 0:49:33.960 --> 0:49:35.280 but they're muddy moves. 0:49:36.600 --> 0:49:37.640 Their muddy moves. 0:49:37.800 --> 0:49:41.239 These are not calculated times in your life. These are 0:49:41.280 --> 0:49:45.920 not sure steps that you're taking. These are not clear 0:49:46.120 --> 0:49:50.200 pads that you're trotting, These are not obvious decisions that 0:49:50.280 --> 0:49:52.880 you're making, And it is difficult for you to know 0:49:53.000 --> 0:49:54.319 if you're doing the right thing. 0:49:54.680 --> 0:49:56.279 But if you are moving in. 0:49:56.280 --> 0:49:58.839 The direction of what God has told you to do, 0:49:59.200 --> 0:50:01.719 if you get ahead him, he can close the door 0:50:02.000 --> 0:50:04.560 if you disobey him and call it waiting. If you 0:50:04.680 --> 0:50:07.480 disobey him and wait another year for things to change. 0:50:07.520 --> 0:50:11.960 People say time heals all things. Time doesn't heal all things. 0:50:12.280 --> 0:50:14.280 Time hardens all things. 0:50:16.160 --> 0:50:16.680 And if you. 0:50:16.840 --> 0:50:19.840 Stay with the mud on your eyes, waiting to see 0:50:19.880 --> 0:50:23.640 the change, waiting to move until you can see, waiting 0:50:23.680 --> 0:50:26.520 to know the outcome. By the way, Jesus didn't even 0:50:26.560 --> 0:50:28.240 tell the man you're going to get healed. 0:50:28.719 --> 0:50:31.640 Find it in the text. He didn't even. 0:50:31.440 --> 0:50:34.480 Promise him an outcome. He just gave him an instruction. 0:50:34.880 --> 0:50:38.640 But something about the way his voice folk resonated with 0:50:38.760 --> 0:50:42.680 the man, I gotta move. It's money, but I gotta move. 0:50:42.920 --> 0:50:44.720 I gotta start this Bible study. 0:50:44.800 --> 0:50:47.640 I gotta move. I can't wait for an invitation. I 0:50:47.680 --> 0:50:48.400 gotta move. 0:50:48.640 --> 0:50:50.759 I don't know if this is the right counselor, but 0:50:50.840 --> 0:50:52.879 it's a counselor I gotta move. 0:50:53.120 --> 0:50:55.200 I don't know if it's the right e group, but 0:50:55.320 --> 0:50:57.200 it's a group I gotta move. 0:50:57.480 --> 0:50:59.880 I don't know if it's gonna work in this program, 0:51:00.120 --> 0:51:03.160 but it's a step. I'm making muddy moves in this 0:51:03.239 --> 0:51:06.960 season of my life. I'm obeying the best I know how, 0:51:07.160 --> 0:51:09.960 And if I get it wrong, he'll speak again. And 0:51:10.040 --> 0:51:12.600 if I get off track, he knew that too. But 0:51:12.800 --> 0:51:17.120 I'm making muddy moves. These are not pretty steps. These 0:51:17.160 --> 0:51:21.160 are not dance moves. These are not fancy moves. These 0:51:21.200 --> 0:51:25.920 are not step team competition moves. These are muddy moves. 0:51:26.280 --> 0:51:27.600 But I am making them. 0:51:27.920 --> 0:51:30.120 And I saw the man who got to the pool, 0:51:30.239 --> 0:51:32.360 and he would have known when he was there because 0:51:32.360 --> 0:51:35.279 he would have heard the sound of the water. And 0:51:35.440 --> 0:51:38.080 Jesus has healed this man, and he said, I gotta 0:51:38.160 --> 0:51:41.160 do it while it's bayed, because night is coming when 0:51:41.280 --> 0:51:44.680 no one can work. And so this man, bending down 0:51:44.719 --> 0:51:47.600 to the water because he had no other option but 0:51:47.719 --> 0:51:52.080 to obey, begins to wash the mud. 0:51:53.320 --> 0:51:54.040 From his eyes. 0:51:55.760 --> 0:52:00.239 And you're asking why Jesus spit in the mud, But 0:52:00.280 --> 0:52:05.160 that's not what I'm asking. I get that because Jesus 0:52:05.239 --> 0:52:07.560 wanted to touch that man and let him know I 0:52:07.600 --> 0:52:13.839 am not ashamed to be identified with you. What I 0:52:13.880 --> 0:52:16.440 wanted to know is why did he send him all 0:52:16.440 --> 0:52:17.280 the way to the pool? 0:52:19.000 --> 0:52:20.880 Why not just wash it off on the spot. 0:52:22.920 --> 0:52:25.760 But I realized something about pools of water in the daytime, 0:52:25.800 --> 0:52:29.600 as the light shimmers off of the pool, is that 0:52:30.840 --> 0:52:36.239 this man has never seen before. And so Jesus wanted 0:52:36.280 --> 0:52:40.160 to give him a pool, not only to remove the mud, 0:52:41.800 --> 0:52:43.279 but to reflect the face. 0:52:51.160 --> 0:52:53.240 And the first thing that the man saw. 0:52:54.760 --> 0:52:59.560 After a whole life of being stepped on, when he 0:52:59.640 --> 0:53:01.759 got the mud off of. 0:53:01.680 --> 0:53:04.280 His eyes, Jesus said, the first person. 0:53:03.920 --> 0:53:09.040 I want you to see is yourself. 0:53:15.680 --> 0:53:17.400 So he didn't send him to people. 0:53:18.280 --> 0:53:21.719 He sent him to a pool so that the dirt 0:53:21.760 --> 0:53:25.120 could be removed, so that his true. 0:53:24.840 --> 0:53:25.840 Self could be revealed. 0:53:27.560 --> 0:53:33.799 Powerful, you haven't even seen yourself yet, And before you 0:53:33.880 --> 0:53:41.520 can see Jesus, you've got to see yourself. Long enough 0:53:41.560 --> 0:53:44.440 other people defining you by what you did long enough, 0:53:45.560 --> 0:53:47.719 long enough, beating the hell out of yourself, because what 0:53:47.800 --> 0:53:51.800 you did six years ago, long enough, long enough of 0:53:51.920 --> 0:53:55.279 you taken earthly measurements to try to qualify heavenly dimensions 0:53:55.320 --> 0:53:58.520 long enough, long enough, you hear me, long enough, long 0:53:58.640 --> 0:53:59.840 enough guilt. 0:54:00.040 --> 0:54:00.799 Guilt will not. 0:54:00.920 --> 0:54:03.799 Wash it away. Shame will not wash it away. The 0:54:03.840 --> 0:54:06.640 water of the word will wash it away. And God 0:54:06.760 --> 0:54:10.000 is washing some things away. And I came with an instruction, 0:54:10.360 --> 0:54:12.680 you got to wash it off you. Now, you gotta 0:54:12.840 --> 0:54:13.480 wash it off you. 0:54:13.520 --> 0:54:13.840 Now. 0:54:13.960 --> 0:54:16.160 I know it's been a long time. I know you've 0:54:16.160 --> 0:54:20.160 never seen yourself clearly. But the man called Jesus told 0:54:20.200 --> 0:54:21.280 me to wash. 0:54:21.920 --> 0:54:26.840 And I went and I washed, and I came home seeing. 0:54:28.120 --> 0:54:33.480 I went and I washed, and I saw myself for 0:54:33.560 --> 0:54:37.440 the first time. I saw myself for the first time. 0:54:37.719 --> 0:54:40.360 I saw what I could be for the first time. 0:54:40.600 --> 0:54:43.040 And God brought you here today to give you a 0:54:43.239 --> 0:54:48.719 mirror to wash away the mud so you could see yourself. 0:54:50.040 --> 0:54:52.399 Not to go to other people. Who do you think 0:54:52.400 --> 0:54:54.799 I am? Who do you think I can be? If 0:54:54.840 --> 0:54:58.440 you wait in this season for other people to confirm 0:54:58.600 --> 0:55:03.960 your obedience, will stay blind, You will stay broken, You 0:55:04.040 --> 0:55:08.319 will stay isolated. But Jesus said, I'm sending you to 0:55:08.400 --> 0:55:11.480 a spot so you can see yourself. 0:55:12.680 --> 0:55:14.120 And you cannot wait. 0:55:15.920 --> 0:55:22.600 You must wash, which means you can't wait till it's painfree. 0:55:23.280 --> 0:55:25.760 I hear a lot of people talk about their testimonies 0:55:26.719 --> 0:55:29.720 how God delivered them out of depression, and I praise 0:55:29.800 --> 0:55:32.719 the Lord that he does that. I hear a lot 0:55:32.760 --> 0:55:36.759 of people share their testimonies how the Lord delivered them 0:55:36.800 --> 0:55:38.120 from anxiety, and I. 0:55:38.120 --> 0:55:39.759 Praise the Lord that he does that. 0:55:40.040 --> 0:55:43.279 And I pray that if you struggle from depression or anxiety, 0:55:43.520 --> 0:55:46.279 or any other blindness in your life, any other thing 0:55:46.320 --> 0:55:48.279 that keeps you from being where you should be and 0:55:48.320 --> 0:55:51.880 who you should be and seeing and thinking and feeling. 0:55:51.520 --> 0:55:56.800 Your way, clearly I pray for that deliverance in your life. 0:55:56.960 --> 0:56:01.120 But I wanted to remind you to wait for perfect, 0:56:02.960 --> 0:56:04.320 not to wait for a person. 0:56:06.000 --> 0:56:09.120 You've got it so narrow that you think. 0:56:09.040 --> 0:56:14.200 Unless this specific person thinks you're valuable, you're not. Unless 0:56:14.280 --> 0:56:15.920 this specific person. 0:56:15.800 --> 0:56:17.719 Loves you, you are not lovable. 0:56:19.000 --> 0:56:23.600 Unless the pain goes away, you can't move forward. But remember, 0:56:24.680 --> 0:56:28.000 the man did not see until he washed, and he 0:56:28.000 --> 0:56:31.720 couldn't wash till he went, which means I've got. 0:56:31.520 --> 0:56:44.160 To make muddy moves even Jesus. Even Jesus did. 0:56:44.040 --> 0:56:47.760 Not perform miracles in a pain free environment. 0:56:50.239 --> 0:56:54.120 Just before Jesus healed the man, he had been proclaiming 0:56:54.160 --> 0:56:55.839 to the Jewish authorities. 0:56:55.360 --> 0:56:58.200 I am the light of the world, John eight, verse twelve. 0:56:59.480 --> 0:57:03.680 And they were so outraged by his claim to be 0:57:03.760 --> 0:57:07.680 equal with God, which he was, that they took him 0:57:08.200 --> 0:57:09.360 to the edge of the city. 0:57:10.040 --> 0:57:16.160 And John chapter eight, verse fifty eight says when he 0:57:16.200 --> 0:57:21.360 proclaimed before Abraham was I am They the people picked 0:57:21.440 --> 0:57:26.720 up stones to stone him, But Jesus hid himself, slipping 0:57:26.760 --> 0:57:28.520 away from the temple guards. 0:57:28.960 --> 0:57:34.080 That was the context of Jesus' situation when John chapter nine, 0:57:34.160 --> 0:57:35.040 verse one happened. 0:57:35.640 --> 0:57:37.440 And as he went along, he saw a man blind, 0:57:40.440 --> 0:57:44.120 and he did not let the fact that he almost 0:57:44.280 --> 0:57:50.320 got stoned keep him from seeing a man who needed 0:57:50.880 --> 0:57:51.760 to be healed. 0:57:52.280 --> 0:57:55.160 And I came to say, don't let us stop. You 0:57:56.360 --> 0:58:00.400 do not let us stop. You don't let the fear stop. 0:58:00.480 --> 0:58:03.520 You don't let the feeling stop. You don't let the 0:58:03.640 --> 0:58:07.000 shaken stop. You don't let the sleep apnea stop. You 0:58:07.320 --> 0:58:10.360 don't let the bankruptcy stop. You don't let the credit 0:58:10.440 --> 0:58:14.200 problem stop. You don't let the lawsuit stop. You don't 0:58:14.280 --> 0:58:16.000 let us stop. You God, he. 0:58:16.040 --> 0:58:18.160 Will be dead, how good work. 0:58:18.000 --> 0:58:21.160 In You will be thankful to performance. 0:58:21.440 --> 0:58:22.440 But still gotta do. 0:58:30.000 --> 0:58:33.280 And so while you've been waiting for God to take 0:58:33.320 --> 0:58:34.120 the pain away. 0:58:34.520 --> 0:58:37.240 How many have been praying in this season of your life? 0:58:37.360 --> 0:58:40.200 God, take it away, take it away, take it away. 0:58:40.400 --> 0:58:45.840 He may take it away, but sometimes he doesn't. Paul 0:58:45.880 --> 0:58:50.000 had a thorn in his flesh. A messenger of Satan, 0:58:50.400 --> 0:58:54.800 sent to buffet me, sent to beat me, sent to punnel. 0:58:54.440 --> 0:58:57.320 Me, sent to punish me, sent to. 0:58:57.320 --> 0:58:58.560 Get me off course. 0:58:58.640 --> 0:59:02.040 And Paul said three times Ye two Corinthians twelve eight. 0:59:02.680 --> 0:59:06.560 I prayed to the Lord to take it away from me. 0:59:07.880 --> 0:59:10.520 And so when people used to say that they were 0:59:10.560 --> 0:59:15.280 delivered from anxiety, delivered from depression, delivered from poverty, delivered 0:59:15.280 --> 0:59:17.760 from delivered from I thought that always meant that the 0:59:17.800 --> 0:59:24.120 Lord would take it away. I found out that sometimes 0:59:24.160 --> 0:59:35.520 he does, and sometimes he makes away. So sometimes he 0:59:35.560 --> 0:59:39.600 takes away, sometimes he makes away. 0:59:39.800 --> 0:59:41.760 And he says to you what he said to Paul 0:59:41.800 --> 0:59:50.120 in verse nine, My grace, my grace, that's what you're 0:59:50.120 --> 0:59:51.800 gonna get, my grace. 0:59:53.880 --> 0:59:57.160 And it's gonna be enough, and it's gonna be sufficient, 0:59:57.920 --> 1:00:00.720 and it's gonna be enough for tomorrow, and it's gonna 1:00:00.760 --> 1:00:03.440 be enough for Tuesday, and it's gonna be enough for 1:00:03.520 --> 1:00:06.200 next year, and it's gonna be enough for the battle, 1:00:06.200 --> 1:00:08.240 and it's gonna be enough for the storm, and it's 1:00:08.240 --> 1:00:10.440 gonna be enough. Somebody say it's gonna be enough. 1:00:11.720 --> 1:00:14.320 Reach around and encourage five people, tell him it's gonna 1:00:14.320 --> 1:00:14.760 be enough. 1:00:15.200 --> 1:00:18.720 It's gonna be enough. It's gonna be enough. It's gonna 1:00:18.720 --> 1:00:23.480 be enough. My grace is sufficient. So I'm not gonna 1:00:23.520 --> 1:00:24.680 take away. 1:00:25.280 --> 1:00:30.560 I'm gonna make away, and you'll have to wait for 1:00:30.600 --> 1:00:34.320 the pain to go away. But I'm looking for sixteen 1:00:34.400 --> 1:00:37.600 hundred people who will praise. 1:00:37.320 --> 1:00:39.479 Him right up in the. 1:00:39.400 --> 1:00:43.840 Middle of it, who will praise him. 1:00:43.440 --> 1:00:47.920 With little eyes, with questions in my heart. 1:00:48.560 --> 1:00:58.840 With pain in my soul. I praise him, Father. 1:00:58.960 --> 1:01:03.000 I thank you and Jeezna for the mud on my eyes. 1:01:04.080 --> 1:01:06.280 I thank you for the healing that is. 1:01:06.160 --> 1:01:10.280 Happening from this pulpit today, all the way from this 1:01:10.480 --> 1:01:13.760 room to a hospital room, all the way from a 1:01:13.800 --> 1:01:17.439 hospital room to an apartment, to a college dorm room 1:01:17.680 --> 1:01:20.920 to a prison cell, right here to the third row, 1:01:21.240 --> 1:01:23.080 to our Riverwalk campus. 1:01:22.720 --> 1:01:26.440 To our Uptown campus. Your word is flowing. It doesn't 1:01:26.520 --> 1:01:28.960 take you long. When you speak, you heal. 1:01:29.240 --> 1:01:32.600 When you instruct, you interrupt, when you do a thing, 1:01:32.720 --> 1:01:34.600 you do it swiftly. 1:01:35.080 --> 1:01:35.880 And it's time. 1:01:38.960 --> 1:01:40.800 Thank you for the pool that you've given us to 1:01:41.000 --> 1:01:43.320 wash in today. 1:01:43.320 --> 1:01:44.800 The water of your word. 1:01:46.160 --> 1:01:48.360 How I thank you for the times in my life 1:01:48.400 --> 1:01:49.680 that you open my eyes. 1:01:51.360 --> 1:01:53.560 How I thank you for the eyes that you're opening 1:01:53.640 --> 1:01:54.120 right now. 1:01:58.600 --> 1:02:01.080 God, Today I pray for the p whose eyes are 1:02:01.120 --> 1:02:03.040 closed spiritually. 1:02:03.800 --> 1:02:08.240 And they need to see Jesus. They don't need to 1:02:08.280 --> 1:02:15.960 see me, they need to see Jesus. And you can 1:02:16.040 --> 1:02:17.760 see him today. 1:02:18.760 --> 1:02:21.360 The Bible says that we walk by faith, not by sight. 1:02:21.680 --> 1:02:25.560 You can see him today, but in order to see him, 1:02:25.600 --> 1:02:27.200 you must surrender. 1:02:28.200 --> 1:02:31.520 Who you thought you were, who you thought He was. 1:02:32.920 --> 1:02:36.560 Right now, with your heads bowed and your eyes closed, 1:02:38.200 --> 1:02:41.640 I want to offer you this gift of eternal life. 1:02:42.000 --> 1:02:44.120 The savior of the world did the work so that 1:02:44.240 --> 1:02:48.960 you could be saved right now, in this moment. 1:02:49.000 --> 1:02:51.840 If you're saying, man, I don't know what's next in 1:02:51.880 --> 1:02:53.520 my life. 1:02:53.720 --> 1:02:57.880 I'm not perfect, I'm muddy, I'm dirty, that's great. 1:02:58.760 --> 1:03:03.560 God loves to start with dirt, He loves to do 1:03:03.680 --> 1:03:06.960 miracles with mund The Lord brought you here. 1:03:07.000 --> 1:03:07.280 You know. 1:03:09.160 --> 1:03:13.200 This is your opportunity to receive him. 1:03:13.400 --> 1:03:14.360 That's all you got to do. 1:03:15.960 --> 1:03:19.919 All you gotta do is wash. 1:03:20.200 --> 1:03:21.720 He already provided the blood. 1:03:21.760 --> 1:03:24.800 All you gotta do is wash right now with your 1:03:24.800 --> 1:03:26.000 heads about and your eyes closed. 1:03:26.160 --> 1:03:27.280 If today is your day and you. 1:03:27.280 --> 1:03:29.040 Know you're coming back to God or coming to Him 1:03:29.080 --> 1:03:31.200 for the first time through Jesus, I want you to 1:03:31.240 --> 1:03:32.480 repeat this prayer after me. 1:03:32.720 --> 1:03:33.840 We're going to pray it out. 1:03:33.800 --> 1:03:36.000 Loud for the benefit of those who are coming to 1:03:36.040 --> 1:03:39.120 God or coming back to God as a church family. 1:03:39.160 --> 1:03:44.400 Repeat after me, Heavenly Father, I am a sinner in 1:03:44.440 --> 1:03:49.200 need of a savior, and I believe that Jesus Christ 1:03:50.280 --> 1:03:53.880 is the Son of God and the savior of the world. 1:03:54.720 --> 1:03:59.160 And today I make Jesus the lord of my life. 1:04:00.200 --> 1:04:04.640 I believe he died that I would be forgiven and 1:04:04.800 --> 1:04:07.640 rose again to give me life. 1:04:08.040 --> 1:04:13.560 I receive this new life. This is my new beginning. 1:04:14.440 --> 1:04:18.240 I am a child of God. On the count of three, 1:04:18.320 --> 1:04:20.000 shoots your hand up in the air. If you prayed 1:04:20.000 --> 1:04:23.480 that one, two, three, I want to celebrate with you personally. 1:04:24.640 --> 1:04:27.960 God, Bless you, sir, God bless you, ma'am. 1:04:28.160 --> 1:04:31.800 That's a beautiful thing. Come on, it is your birthday today, 1:04:32.960 --> 1:04:33.760 It's a news day. 1:04:33.800 --> 1:04:34.160 Today. 1:04:35.720 --> 1:04:39.960 Let's celebrate all these who just made. 1:04:39.400 --> 1:04:45.240 The greatest decision. Come on, we got a Bible coming 1:04:45.320 --> 1:04:48.160 around to you. Let's give it up for all of 1:04:48.200 --> 1:04:52.400 our Bible totors. They're gonna give you that word. 1:04:54.880 --> 1:04:58.880 Hey, that Bible that they just gave you, that's your 1:04:58.920 --> 1:05:01.880 new pool of silo. You go to that and you 1:05:01.960 --> 1:05:04.840 look in that Bible every day and you see yourself 1:05:04.880 --> 1:05:07.360 for who God says you are, and you begin to 1:05:07.400 --> 1:05:10.640 see I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 1:05:10.960 --> 1:05:13.520 I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. 1:05:13.960 --> 1:05:17.439 I am who God says I am. And you keep 1:05:17.480 --> 1:05:23.360 coming back because God is not finished working on you. Hey. 1:05:23.440 --> 1:05:25.800 I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, 1:05:26.320 --> 1:05:28.920 make sure to share it and subscribe so we can 1:05:28.960 --> 1:05:31.560 get you all of these new messages as soon as 1:05:31.560 --> 1:05:34.360 they're available. I also want to take a moment and 1:05:34.480 --> 1:05:36.240 thank all of you who are a part of Elevation. 1:05:36.760 --> 1:05:40.080 Whether you support us financially, or serve with us, or 1:05:40.480 --> 1:05:43.680 just share these messages, it's because of you that we're able. 1:05:43.480 --> 1:05:45.640 To reach people all around the world. 1:05:45.880 --> 1:05:48.400 And if you want more information on how to be 1:05:48.400 --> 1:05:51.600 a part of Elevation, click the link in the description. 1:05:52.120 --> 1:05:53.120 Thanks again for listening. 1:05:53.120 --> 1:05:56.600 Make sure to leave a review, share the message, and subscribe. 1:05:56.760 --> 1:06:05.480 God bless you.