2819 Church - GOD OF MIRACLES | It's Your Turn | Matthew 8:23-27 | Kenneth McFarland

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

Pastor Kenneth McFarland gives us a powerful reminder in week five of GOD OF MIRACLES. Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

We want to make sure that we welcome all of our online family, everyone that's watching across the world. I am Pastor Kenny, the Associate Pastor here at 2819 Church. love y'all i said that to let you guys know that I'm not Pastor Phillip. But I do believe honestly that we have one of the most amazing, talented, thought-filled, heart-given-to-God shepherds, not just in Georgia, not just in America Not just in America But in the world Is that all y'all got for Pastor Phillip? Yes! So we thank God for Pastor Phillip and Miss Lena and the entire Mitchell family.

I have a special treat here for myself today. I have a lot of my McFarland family here with me today. My mom, my aunts, my grandmother, my cousin, a lot of them came out to see me. So, uh, I got to preach. Today, today I got to preach. Well, they might not call me a McFarland no more. All right. So everyone understands.

And if you do not, we have been going through a series and the series is called. Does anybody know? The God of miracles. And today we're going to dive in right where Pastor Brandon has left off. Okay. All right. So we're going to take a deep dive into some things that Pastor Brandon talked about before we exactly get to the scripture that we're going to talk about today. Is that okay? Is that okay? All right all right now pastor Brandon went over Matthew chapter 8 verses 1 through 22 and we're gonna break those down just

just for a second so the first thing that he went over was Matthew 8 1 through 4 where a leper with faith is being healed in front of a crowd and Jesus telling him, don't tell anyone. The second thing we see in Matthew 8 verses 5 through 13 is crowds are starting to follow Jesus. And a centurion soldier having faith for his friend acts for healing on his behalf and his friend receives healing matthew 8 verses 14 through 17 jesus heals peter's mother and when the people heard about the healing they had faith and brought everyone that they could creating a crowd where Jesus healed them and cast out demons and then as that large that large crowd gathered in Matthew 8, 18 and 22, Jesus tells a scribe slash interpreter

of the law and what it would cost to follow him. And then he also told a disciple, not even the morning of death should stop him from following Jesus. but following can only come through faith. Now, none of this is going to make any sense to you unless we read this one scripture that stands out first, and that's Matthew 8 and 18. And it's very important that we read this, and I need you guys to keep this in the back of your mind for where we're going, okay?

Now, when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. Now, on the other side is where life in the world would be turned upside down. But in order to get to the other side, we have to get there. So now everyone turned to Matthew 8, 23, and this is where we start our reading for today. And when he got into the boat, he being Jesus, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But he being Jesus was asleep. And they went and woke him up saying, save us, Lord, we are perishing. And he said to them,

why are you afraid? Oh, ye of little faith. Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm. And then the men marveled saying, what sort of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him. Now, when coupled that Jesus sees a crowd and then gives orders to separate from the crowd,

this is where I found a problem or issue of sort in my heart. I'm not going to say for you guys, just for me. And just follow along with me. Okay. We see that when there are major problems with others and they are brought to Jesus, he loves them. He heals them. He cast out demons, especially in large crowds. But when the disciples are away from the crowds and separated and an issue comes up, Jesus was asleep. Now it makes me think and or feel That God has been and is good to everyone else. But when I am in a crisis. When I have to sort of ask myself.

Is Jesus sleep on me? Now again. I know you get church folk. Y'all ain't never been through nothing. Y'all ain't never had no situations happen in your life. The good ones, you know, the ones who wake up and pray. You go to sleep and pray. You eat and you pray. But just for me,

I know that there have been times in my life where I've been in a storm, and in that storm, I have to ask myself, Jesus, where are you? So I'm here today to prophetically, prophetically explain to you through scripture. The title of this is for you and it is, it's your turn. Turn. Now, some of you don't want to receive that.

But I'm going to ask, because I know this is only for a few individuals in here. The ones who really stand 10 toes down with Jesus, the ones, the ones who are not going to back up for those of you who, who really believe, cause I'm not a fool. I know everybody in here don't believe, but for those of you who do believe, I want you to turn to your neighbor and tell them it's your turn. I don't think that neighbor liked it. Turn to the other neighbor and tell the other neighbor it's your turn. Now, before we jump into this question of, is Jesus sleep on me? There are a couple of things that we need to address. And those things are very prevalent in the scriptures, because if you don't catch these, and if you don't get these things in context what you'll wind up doing is making sure that you're in your turn but be in the wrong place

at the wrong time amen all right so the first thing the first thing that i noticed the first thing that i saw was in verse 23 and in verse verse 23, it said, and when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. Now that struck me as a even just the word itself, but it was the thing that came on the end of the word, which was this curvy letter that was an S. Nobody else caught it. It didn't say the disciple. It said the disciples. And we've been taught already that we should have certain friends in our life.

Do we remember the friends? Pastor Brandon taught us that we should have fixers in our life. Now, who went home, did their homework and got rid of the individuals who were. Who got rid of their enablers? Amen. Two peopleablers? Amen. Two people. Okay. Amen. Somebody.

Amen. But Pastor Brandon taught us that we should have fixers in our life. And I feel like some of us are still trying to hold on to the people who are just trying to enable us. The yes men. But who's going to tell me that I'm right?

I tried to find somebody that was a fixer, but they told me no. That I was wrong and I didn't like that. Who went home and found themselves a fighter someone someone who's going to really and honestly pray on your behalf i hear clapping but that don't mean you did it and i feel some of you still got referees in your corner I hear clapping, but that don't mean you did it. And I feel some of you still got referees in your corner.

And they don't care if you win, lose, draw. They just waiting for the fight to be over to talk smack. He told us to get fixers and fighters. And then he told us to get faithfulers and fighters and then he told us to get faithful individuals to be in our life and this is the crazy part because the only way that you can tell if somebody is faithful in your life is if you're going through a storm and they're beside you now why do i say that because anybody can hitch a ride especially when everything is all good they love it that's that's the reason why he called them leeches because they latch on and they're they're they're taking a ride for everything that they're going

everything that you're going through everything good good. Oh, everything is fine. Oh, he got money, we got money. Oh, he ride, we ride. But as soon as the storm hits, guess what happens? Now it starts affecting the friend that's beside me. And if the storm starts affecting my friend, they have to decide am i gonna weather this out with him or is this too much even for me and someone who's not faithful will be like well brother you got that on yo

do y'all have faithful people in your life we keep taking for granted the things that god have been saying to us and don't get it twisted every time somebody preaches something to you you make it seem like it's the man of god himself saying something to you instead of realizing that it is God himself trying to get you to get some things released from your life so that he can take you to another level. But it's just the preacher. Oh, it's just, it's just the pastor saying something. And when I don't like what he say, I can just go somewhere else to hear something else that sounds good. It's crazy to me. It's bad enough that I'm already fighting with myself. I know me.

I battle with myself on doing what God tells me to do. Why in the world would I keep people who are going to try and make me turn around in the opposite direction of where God is trying to have me go? I'm trying to take me out. The enemy is trying to take me out. And now I got people with me trying to take me out. The enemy's trying to take me out. And now I got people with me trying to take me out. What sense does that make? You'll notice that in that text, no one said we should hop off. No one said we should turn around. Instead, they just ran to.

What friend is, what friend is leading you to Jesus? This ain't no amen corner. What friend is leading you to Jesus? What are we doing? You know what? Let's go get high. You know what? Everything's been rough. Let's go get high. You know what? Everything been rough.

Let's go get a bottle. You know what, fam? It's cool. I got these chicks on. You know what? You know what? It's cool. I got a little change. We can go and just get something to eat, man.

We ain't even got to. We run into all these other things instead of the thing that actually has the power to change everything I refuse I refuse refuse. I refuse to go backwards. I refuse to go backwards. And some of you should too. Some of you should be tired of being sick and tired. Some of you should be fed up with being fed up. As a matter of fact, some of you should declare it to yourself. I refuse

to go back. No, because I don't think you said it from the depths of your soul. I refuse to go back to the way that I was, to the things that I did, To the things that I did. To the people that held me back.

To the mindset that kept me back. There should be things in your life that you should refuse to go back to. You should be standing on something by now. I refuse. I refuse to go back. I refuse. There's nothing in my life that will make me turn back to the way that I was. Unless you feel like you still love it.

Unless it wasn't bad enough for you, huh? How much is it going to take for you to lose something that's dear to you? A son, a daughter? What is it going to take? Is it going to take for you to lose your house, your car? What is it going to take? Is it going to take for you to lose legs? What is it going to take?

What is it going to take for you to lose legs? What is it going to take? What is it going to take? I refuse to go back. I refuse to go back. Even in my eating, I refuse to go back. Even in my way of thinking, I refuse to go back. I know that's not for everybody. I know that. I know that. I know that.

Some of y'all are looking at me crazy like, well, that's you. But understand, there was a large crowd on one side. Who made it to the other side? Hebrews 10, 24 and 25 says, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as in the habit of some, but encourage one another. And all the more as you see the day drawing. If y'all don't see that this is the time for itchy ears and playing around, I don't know what to tell you.

If y'all don't see that this is the time that I'm not going to miss praise and worship because it has in praise and worship the thing that I need. There's nothing that I can tell you. If you don't see that this is the season that is drawing near where the enemy is trying to collect as many souls as possible. Then I don't know what to tell you. Some of you are running from squats. Right. Some of you are running from accountability. Some of you are running from freedom. But for the ones who believe it we refuse to go the second thing that i noticed the second thing that i noticed

in verse 25 it says and they went and woke him up saying save us lord we are perishing that word stuck out to me perishingishing, perishing, perishing, perishing. That means that they felt like they were going to die. Now, I don't know about you, but there are times in my life where I'm, okay, so I'm going to be real about me, right? Okay, I'm extra. Right? Right? I know me.

I can admit that. I'm extra. Right? So when something happens to me, oh my God. Right? Right? right and I know for a fact that there are us in this room us us

in this room that when things don't happen the way we want them to happen when we don't get the car when we don't get the house when we don't get the car, when we don't get the house, when we don't get the girl, when we don't get the man, when we don't get the healing, when we don't, there are things that we feel like if we don't get, the world is coming to an end. Jesus, Jesus, I don't know what's going on. Oh, God.

Okay, so I'm not alone. Okay, three, four. It's five of us, six of us. Okay, all right, okay, all right. And I know me. I got friends. Fam, I don't even know what's going on, bro. They done lost their mind.

I'm out here. I'm trying to, I'm. I feel like the world is coming to an end. But it's crazy to me that every time we go in life and get into something or something happens or a storm happens, we become hysterical and we run to our savior and we ask him, please make the storm stop. What does that say about our heart? I'm in pain. This hurts. This hurts. This hurts. This hurts. Please God, make it what does that say about your faith oh Lord I don't know my mind my mind my mind I just want you to make it what does that say about how you see God

is he just the one to make everything stop in your life now there was a study done there was a study done on trees and and they uh they wanted to create this environment it was a dome and in this dome they planted trees and they wanted it to be this perfect beautiful balance of trees and everything else. So they created this dome so that there were no harsh environments for the trees, right? And they planted the trees and the trees grew. And then the trees started producing fruit. That's what we want, fruit, right? We saw the fruit, they saw the fruit. And as soon as the fruit started getting a little bit mature, the trees fell over.

And the scientists were like, we never thought about the fact that the wind and the storms are the things that actually make the roots in the tree grow deeper. we're steady asking for God to stop it please stop it help me stop it and God is like, get your roots deeper. Get your roots deeper. Get deeper in me. Grow in me. Learn in me. Get stable in me. Where are your roots? Where are your roots? Where are your roots? Where are your roots? Where are your roots? Where are your roots?

This is the reason why pastor taught me a long time ago to love palm trees because they can weather the harshest of storms. What's the harshest storm we can think about on the water? A hurricane.

And yet and still, when houses are gone, foundations are gone, everything is gone, and what do we see still leaning? Palm tree. Just a waving. Because they've weathered so many storms

that their roots are so deep that there's nothing in this life that could take them out. That the harshest of storms, the biggest of storms, the worst of storms, nothing can uproot them. Where are your roots? Better yet, what have you even sown into now for me and my family me and my family i'm not gonna talk about y'all i don't know nothing about y'all but for me and my family whenever there's a storm arising we sow seed where that storm is arising.

So if there's an issue with my finances, I'm sowing seed to make sure that that storm can't take me out. So, because y'all don't believe me y'all don't understand right pastor philip and miss lena get a and i'm not going to tell you how much but we sow into them every month once a month that's outside of our tithes and offering what you do is what you do. I'm just telling you what the scriptures say, right? So the man of God has poured into me. I'm not talking about outside of here. What I hear in here from pastor Philip has poured into me. So because of that, I pour into, I sow into, and now my roots are growing deeper because of the teaching that he gives me, not because of him himself. So because of the teaching that I get, I'm pouring into that so that I can get more teaching so that I can grow deeper in Jesus so that I can learn more. And I keep pouring into him and me and my family did something. We said, you know what?

Once a month, we're going to make sure that the man of God ain't got to worry about food. See, some of y'all are looking and y'all are like, here we go, money. And if you look at it in that way, you'll be foolish. Because if you lack in wisdom, you should sow so you can gain we we we've talked about this before we understand that when we give giving is a is a three-part thing. What is it? Tithe, time, talent.

What time are you giving to God? We went over this. What talent are you giving to God? And the thing that y'all hate. What tithe are you giving to God? I'm only going to sow where there's a storm because I know for a fact that if I sow where there's a storm, I'm going to grow deep roots, deep roots, deep roots, deep roots. And God forbid, God forbid some of you look at me and feel some type of way because I'm telling you to sow where your storm is.

But every time the storm comes around, you uproot yourself and go somewhere else. Every time the storm comes up, you find yourself on a sabbatical. I'm tired. I'm tired. Every time a storm arrives, you find some type of way of why you can't make it. The things you can't do. But you ain't going to. The things you can't do. But you ain't going to do that for that job.

Because the job is what pays me. Who made the job? Who created the earth where the job is who set the wind in motion for the person who owns the job to breathe who do you think our savior is their demeanor was different. So we have this thought process about what faith is, right?

We think that we need to grow our faith, right? Grow our faith, yes? How do you grow your faith? We got all kinds of thoughts and ideas, right? I'm not gonna say one is right, one is wrong. I'm not gonna tell you how you can grow your faith. What I am gonna tell you is, faith is not just a linear type thing where

you're trying to grow it it's also a duration how long is your faith they had just got in the storm they just got in the storm they just got in the storm. They just got in the storm. They just got in the storm. The storm had just started hitting. It didn't even get good. You know that good storm where you be like, it's beginning storm. This beginning trials and tribulations.

Oh, wait a minute. That check didn't hit as fast as I thought it was. Am I going to overdraft? The storm ain't even hit good. How long is your faith how how long is your faith how how long is your faith how how long can you suffer well and for some of you this is probably your first time ever hearing a phrase like that and it don't sound right but we've been taught here at 2819 church that there's a difference between just living well we also need to make sure that we suffer well because there will always be

trials tribulations situations and things going on in our life always, because there will always be trials, tribulations, situations, and things going on in our life. Always. Why? Because we're always going to be wrapped in this flesh, and this flesh is sinful, correct? And because this flesh is sinful, and everyone has the flesh, that means that we're always going to be going at odds and ends with each other, and everything else, and we're going to have problems, and we're going to be going up against and ends with each other and everything else and we're going to have problems and we're going to be going up against each other and all kinds of other things and we're going to have to suffer well and somebody's like oh well we fight not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities and yeah and we still need to suffer oh but i'm i'm dealing with spiritual attack and everything else and i understand but you

still need to suffer how long is your duration of faith there are men in the scripture who were crippled for 30, 40 years. How long is your... Y'all don't like this teaching? No. All right, so we understand that the disciples was different. The demeanor was different. There was also the difference that was different.

Jesus kept doing miracles in crowds. Jesus kept doing miracles in crowds. Jesus kept doing miracles in crowds. And then we see the disciples being separated from the crowd and now Jesus is asleep. When, why is it that we're all looking for the public success while we have private failures. That in a crowd

we want everyone to think everything is all good. But then on the back end when we're separated from the crowd, everything is dead and or dying. When I want public success more than I want private success,

I'm dealing with my appearance before man before I deal with my appearance before God. My friend taught me this. Marquavius, thank you. My friend taught me this, right? He said, it's because we always want to let people see us do. We in the hustle and bustle of life, we want to see people doing it. We want them to see us doing it. Oh, I know he a Christian because I see doing it. On the back end, I'm dying. I'm hurting and I'm struggling. I don't have faith on the back end, I'm dying. I'm hurting and I'm struggling and I don't have faith on the back end, but on the front end, when everybody else is around, oh, I believe. Oh, thank you. The Lord is amazing. Amen. I believe. Oh yes. Everything is good, but on the back end, I'm dying. And this is the difference we see see this is the difference that we see

that some of us are under the impression that while we are going through various issues and injuries and disparities that the person that we call Lord or Savior or Father or the person that we call God has either abandoned us

he either doesn't care Or the person that we call God has either abandoned us. He either doesn't care. Or he's just not interested in our problems. The storms in our life are oftentimes attributed to so many things. I did this. This is the reason why the storm is here. The enemy is after me, so he caused the storm to come. Those people are doing things and that caused the storm in my life.

The storms are always attributed to all these other things. But maybe God is just using the storm to show you the issues that you have. Let's be realistic. Let's look at what the scripture said. If we look at that scripture, verse 25, and they went and woke him up saying, save us, Lord, we are perishing. Jesus said to them, why are you afraid, O ye of little faith? The first thing he did when he woke up was pointed out. Your issue. He didn't stop the storm.

He pointed out your issue. He didn't stop the storm. He pointed out your issue. Yeah, but God, she keep doing. He ain't stopping the storm. He started talking to you about your issue. Oh, but they keep doing. He ain't stopping the storm he started talking to you about your issue oh but they keep doing he ain't stopping the storm he's just pointing out your and i don't know about you but in my life every time i go to him about an issue with me and my wife every time i go to him about an issue with me and my friends or any any kind of issue that I have

and so God let me tell you about what they're doing because they're pissing me off God and and he'd be like well you need to fix this well well well first off God you telling me about me i'm telling you about them and he's like i'm trying to get you right and the problem is in your storm you wanted to stop so bad that you have been going through the things that you've been dealing with nobody said that they were fair nobody said that they like we understand but they're still your storms and as you go to god god is trying to fix you. But you don't want to hear you.

You don't want to see mirror. You don't want to see mirror. You don't want to hear you. Well, what do you want then? You want him to just make it stop. You want him to make it stop and then he says, oh ye of little. And we're talking about the God of miracles. I'm firm to believe that our miracle is right around the corner.

A faith that can't be tested is a faith that can't be trusted and and if we see miracles in others lives what makes you think that he can't do them for us so our faith is the primary issue our faith is the primary issue that we're trying to build grow and make it last longer but this is this is this is the beautiful thing right this is the beautiful thing because in in all of this scripture all of this scripture i sat there and i and i was losing my mind and and i got to the conclusion before i even started i got to the conclusion before i even started i even gave y'all the conclusion in the beginning none of you even actually noticed it but let's be realistic because in Matthew chapter 8 verse 18 Jesus saw the crowd and he gave orders Jesus Jesus Jesus gave orders

I'm taking you out but he already ordered that you were going to make it to the other you see waves in the boat water's getting in the boat but Jesus gave orders there's no way that that boat can sink because it has to he gave you orders. There's no way you cannot make it to the other. But the enemy is so crafty, he took your mind off of the orders and put it on the storm.

But you've been given orders. Orders by the most high king. Orders by the one who has all power and authority. Order who, there's nothing that can stop his orders. And he gave them to. So when I say it's your turn. Storm is going to come.

But it's your turn. It's not your turn to go through the storm. It's your turn to make it to the other side. You worried about the storm, boo-boo. Take your eyes off the storm because the other side is right there. God told you to go to the other side and it's right there. Take your eyes off of the storm. The storm can't stop you. The storm can't stop you. The storm can't handle you. It cannot hold you back.

He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other side. He told you to go to the other he point right i know for a fact this is true that the storm should not worry us because later on in the scripture the same disciples same disciples are in another boat and there's another storm and this time jesus ain't even in the boat. He said, I'm gonna meet you on the other side. He gave more orders. He said, I'm gonna meet you on the other side and this time the disciples are in the boat and the storm is hitting and the waves are rocking and they are coming on the boat and them disciples ain't worried about no storm and they just are going and the only thing that disciples ain't worried about no storm and they just are going

and the only thing that caught them by surprise this time was when they saw what they thought was a ghost and that ghost turned out to be Jesus and they did something even more incredible than just weathering the storm because one of them said Jesus if that's you did something even more incredible than just weathering the storm.

Because one of them said, Jesus, if that's you, let me walk out there with you. Some of your faith is going to get you to the point where you're going to start doing the impossible. Hey! Hey! The impossible! The thing that you think can't be done how can I start a business it don't matter Jesus with me I got faith how can I get to the other side it don't matter Jesus with me how can I make it through this disease it don't matter Jesus with me how can I make it through this disease? It don't matter. Jesus with me. How can I get through this thing? It don't matter. Jesus with me.

Jesus is with me. Jesus is with me. Jesus is with me. It's my turn. It's my turn. It's my turn. It's my turn. It's my turn. Don't wait for me. Some of you should be declaring.

It's my turn. I'm not worried about a storm anymore. It's my turn. My lungs feel tight. It's my turn. My legs ain't working. It's my turn. My mind is still tripping. It's my turn. My mind is still tripping.

It's my turn. My finances aren't right. I'm going to make it to the other side. I'm going to make it to the other side. I'm going to make it to the other side. I'm going to make it to the other side. And that disciples has an S on it. So who riding with me? I know there's enough room in my... Who ride with me?

Because I'm not going alone, baby. Who ride with me? It's my turn. It's my turn. It's my turn. I know this ain't for everybody. But I know one thing. For the ones who are riding we

ride the ones who are riding we ride whose turn is it whose turn is it whose turn is it give God praise We will rise and sing out God We will rise and sing out Jesus Don't sit down. Don't sit down. Just stay where you are. Don't sit down.

Don't sit down. Just stay where you are. Jesus, I pray over these, your children, who are standing in agreement with me, God, that we will not take our eyes off of the orders that you gave, but we will focus on you, God, knowing that the storm cannot stop us. It's our turn. And we believe that.

In your precious and magnificent name. In Jesus' name. Amen.