Elevation with Steven Furtick - Everything Must Go

Episode Date: September 3, 2018

When something gets in the way of your relationship with God — it's gotta go. To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: http://ele.vc/TI55jRSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. I have the honor today of introducing one of my favorite people to you, my friend Sarah Jakes-Roberts. Elevation Church, we are so spoiled. Sarah and her husband Torei are pastors at the Potter's House at One L.A. and the Potter's House in Denver. I don't know how they get all of that done, but they do. And she wears so many other hats. She's a pastor.

She's a writer. She's a mother of six. Yes, I said six children. And she is daughter to the great Bishop T.D. Jakes that we all know and love. Just to name a few of the things that she is. But she's also my friend. She is someone who makes me laugh. She sends me text messages all the time.

I love her so much, and you're going to love her too. Because one of my favorite things about her is that she is a woman who can preach. A lot of women speak, a lot of women teach, a lot of women share. But this girl, she preaches. And I know that this message is going to challenge you and grow your faith in a new way. So will you help me give an elevation welcome to my mom? my friend Sarah Jakes Roberts. Elevation is one of the most amazing churches in the world.

In the world. And I consider it an honor to be here before you guys today. I've been studying, I've been praying. I want to get right into the word if that's all right with you. And I know you've been standing a long time, but I'm going to be standing a longer time. Someone stretch your hands towards my feet. Amen. I'm going to be in Matthew 26, verse 69. I'm reading out of the New King James Version.

Yesterday, I was reading the word, and I told people to sit down and get comfortable if they would like, but then I learned that you all actually stand for the reading of the word, so I'm going to ask that you honor the custom of this house. Verse 69 begins, and it says, now Peter sat outside in the courtyard, and this is, servant girl came to him saying, you also were with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied it before them all saying, I do not know what you are saying. And verse 71 continues, it says, and when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, this fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth. But again, he denied it with an oath. I do not know the man. Verse, 73 says, and a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, surely you are also one of them,

for your speech betrays you. Then he began to curse and swear, I love Peter. I do not know the man immediately a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. So he went out and wept bitterly. My subject for those you who take notes are everything must go. Everything must go. So God, we welcome you to continue to feel this atmosphere with your word and your truth. You are the only one who can take one message and allow it to hit everyone in different ways. You are the only one who knows every need, every burden, every issue that came into this room, and you and you alone can speak breakthrough in power, in victory, in healing. And so, Father, we welcome you to inhabit every part of this

room, every soul that came in here, because we recognize that when you do that, we are forever changed. And so we're asking that this would be one of those moments where we walk out of there and say, God, you heard me, you see me, and you know the plans that you have for me. God, I'm asking to be your vessel that there will be no nerves, no anxiety, just your spirit standing tall in me so that lives may be changed in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Now you can get seated and be comfortable. There are very few words that bless my soul as a believer like the following three. Everything must go. Those words bless me not just because of the reason that I found when studying, but when I see them on a store, it speaks to me that God is really looking out

for my finances in this season. Said, God, I prayed for savings, and you put my favorite store on sale. How great is your mercy towards me? Everything must go. And that used to make me so excited because I knew that when I walked into the store, that they would be willing to discount even further. items that I had been waiting to get for a very long time. And so when I went home and I told my husband that I finally got something that I'd been looking for, I could tell him, but honey, it was on

sale. And so we saved money. I didn't spend money. Now that I am a business owner, though, I realize that when they put those words outside of the store, it's not just because they want to bless my spirit, which is fascinating. They actually do that because they have new inventory. coming in. And because they have new inventory coming in, they have to get rid of everything that is no longer profitable so that that which is profitable can take its place. What if we, as believers, started to treat our life with that same level of philosophy? That we looked within ourselves and said, everything must go that is no longer profitable so that that which is profitable can come How much powerful would we be if we looked at our bitterness and said, no, you can't stay because you're taking that place where my joy could be?

What if we looked at our misery and said, no, you can't stay because you're taking up space where my purpose could be? What if we started to say depression? You can't stay here. Joy is in your place. You got to make room and everything must go. This is a mindset that we should have. but because we don't always have this mindset God creates these situations, these scenarios that force us to put that which is no longer profitable on sale so that it can be stripped away

to make room for what is profitable. When we find my friend Peter in this text, he is going through that exact process. Now because we've heard this story so many times, it can be easy for us to believe that he's going to be all right in the end, but that's because we know the end from the beginning. But imagine with me being Peter in this moment. This is not the same Peter who's walking on water in front of Jesus.

This is not the same Peter who is watching Jesus perform miracle after miracle. This is a defeated Peter. This Peter left everything he knew when he began to follow Jesus. connected to hope. He was connected to faith. He would see signs and wonders all of the time. And now all of a sudden, that which he knew so well, he is disconnected from. And in the process of being disconnected from that faith, his change begins to occur and he's no longer the person he used to be. I know we'd like to say that that is exclusive to Peter's experience, but if we are honest, we look back over our lives and we recognize that there are moments where I used to be

so full of faith. I used to be so connected to my faith. There was nothing off limits. I had faith for my marriage. I had faith for my children. I had faith that that dream, that purpose was going to be manifest and that it was going to change the world. And now I'm just lucky if I get from day to day. I used to have faith. I used to believe that I could do absolutely anything. But for some reason now, I'm connected from my faith. What I love about this is that for Peter, his faith was taken from him. His hope was taken from him. Have you ever had hope just stripped out of your hands? I thought that things would be one way, but one phone call, one incident, and now all of a sudden, all of my faith has been stripped away. I never thought that I would be the one going through a divorce. I thought that We would make it to the long cold, but my faith got stripped away. I never thought that I would be the one who didn't know how I was going to make ends meet, but for some reason my faith got stripped away.

When we find Peter in this text, his faith has been stripped away. And when your faith is stripped away, it changes how you see the world. It changes how you engage and how you interact. There are people in this room who haven't really felt like themselves in such a very long time. and if we retraced your steps and retraced your history, we would find that it was all because of one incident that changed the way you saw everything. I witnessed something and I saw the worst of people. And when I saw the worst of people, it made me stop believing in the best of them. And so now I've become a cynic, disconnected from hope.

And every time I close my eyes at night, I remember that person I used to be. But as I was praying and I was pressing in, I felt like God was saying that everything must go. That everything that is not profitable, that everything that has no value for what he wants to do in our life has to go, that maybe, just maybe, as we filter through our lives and we filter through our memories and our emotions, we will recognize that we picked up some habits and some patterns and some thoughts that we shouldn't have. and we're at his season right now where I can't go to next unless I clean out back there. Peter is in between the cusp of walking with Jesus and becoming the rock in which Jesus would build his church. So it's not actually that he's disconnected from his faith. It's not that he's disconnected from Jesus.

It's just that Jesus is shifting. And as Jesus is shifting, then Peter is having to elevate who he is as well. sometimes God just moves on you. And it's not that he's lost. It's not that you did anything wrong. It's him saying everything must go so that everything can grow. If I don't move from where you're used to seeing me, then you'll become one of those complacent churchgoers. And I called you to be a kingdom agent in this world. So I'm constantly expanding your capacity. I'm trying to see how hungry you are to hear from me. I'm trying to see how desperate you are to get a word from me. So I'm not staying within reach. I'm trying to stretch you into the next dimension. Peter, I know you're used to walking with me, but can you press in and show me that you have taken in what you used to once take for granted? I hear God saying it's in you. I hear God saying that you were depending on faith in one arena, that you thought your help came from a job, not recognizing that he's going to be your provider.

So I stripped the job away so that you can see man didn't have to write. you a check, that I would make a way for you to make it anyway. I hear God saying, I had to move some people out of your life because you were beginning to worship them. And I need you to know that at the end of the day, if all you have is me, that that's more than enough. There's a greater is he mentality that is coming back into your situation. And I had to strip some things away so that I could grow an increase inside of you. Everything must go. Everything must go. I won't be satisfied with this message until you leave here desperate to clear out anything that's taking up unprofitable space down on the inside of you. Any time a negative thought starts rising up until you

say everything must go. God renew my mind and give me a mind like Christ, I can't afford to have this stinking thinking any longer. I'm trying to press towards the mark and I can't do it thinking like the same girl I used to be. Everything's got to go. Everything's got to go. Everything's got to Every hater, every doubt, every fear, every insecurity, depression, loose my mind. Did you know that you have authority to roll up on your own depression? Can I get a little hood at elevation for a minute that you can roll up on your own issues and say, devil, I any longer, who the sun is set free by God, I take authority over my mind. I take authority over my situation.

Loose my child and let them go. Let go of my husband in the name of Jesus. He gave me authority, and I'm tired of acting like I don't have it any longer. It's got to go. Get off with me. It's got to go. It's got to go. It's got to go.

It's got to go. It's got to go. It's got to go. It's got to go. I'm going to move on, but I'm speaking to your demons. You got to go. You got to go. You got to go.

You got to go. You got to go. I didn't just come to church to clap my hands and walk out feeling good. I came here to wage war on hell. You got to let me go. You got to let my country go. You got to let my finances go. And anything that's keeping me from recognizing what he can do through me has got to clear the way.

Everything. Everything's got to go. Everything. So my friend Peter is in between walking with Jesus and becoming the rock in which Christ will build his church. But in this moment, he's lost and he doesn't know what to think because he's been disconnected. And so Peter, I love this because before any of this happened, they're at the last supper. and Jesus says to Peter, before the rooster crows three times, you're going to deny me. And Peter was like, child, I would never ever. You're my boy. We've been rolling, man. But he says, I see something in you that's got to come out of you. And it's got to come out of you in order for you to access the next dimension of who you are.

and so I have to move myself out of the way because if I don't move myself out of the way then you won't deny me and then that issue won't rise to the surface and if that issue doesn't rise to the surface I can't build my church on you so God moves things out of the way so that our issues can rise to the surface and I just want you to know because some of you got so many issues

rising to the surface right now that you're ready to give up so many memories and thoughts rising to the surface. But what I love about this is if Peter gets this out of his system, this denial out of the way one time, he never has to be the person who denied Jesus again. that if I confront what's in me, then it makes space for what's on me to reach its fullest potential. And I know that some of our families and some of us are more comfortable when we don't let those issues rise to the surface because we want to avoid conflict. But as long as it exists within you, then you are conflicted. and divided.

And we have to be united if we want to be powerful in the kingdom. Because there's enough outside that's willing to divide us, that we can't go into it already divided within ourselves. And so Jesus says, I see potential in you where I can build my church on you, but first you have to deny me so that you know what's in you. There are some things that you won't even realize are in you until you're placed in situations that bring it out of you, I didn't know I was crazy. I didn't, and I would have never thought it was possible for me until someone said something

to me. And I was like, wow, I'm about to be crazy because it's in me. But once it got out of me, it taught me something about myself, that I can't afford to be connected with people who bring out that side of me. And so all it took was one time for me to see what was capable. for me to make a decision moving forward to make sure that that never sprung out of me again. And so when I find Peter in this text, he's in between and he's got this spirit of disconnect between him and Jesus. And it's funny because at this moment, he's sitting outside in the courtyard and like so many of us do, he's thinking about what's wrong and what's not working.

and this servant girl, she comes up to him and she says to him, you were also with Jesus of Galilee. And it was interesting that he responded and says, I don't even know what you're saying. For me, this was a testament of how disconnected we can become from what we once knew. Because the worst thing that anyone wants to be reminded of when things are not working is a time when they once were working. I know you guys don't get angry with people because you are saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghosts. But have you ever been having a little bit of a disconnect with your husband and then Facebook brought you a memory of when you wrote that love note on Valentine's Day? And you scrolled super fast past it like not today. Not today.

When this girl comes up to Peter, she reminds him of a time when it used to have more faith. weren't you with Jesus? I know everything is falling apart right now. I feel that for somebody. Do you remember the time when you were really with Jesus? I mean like when you really would go into your prayer closet and you would wake up thanking God that you just had another chance to lift your hands and worship. This girl reminds him in the midst of his most broken moment. Remember when you used to have faith. Remember when you were walking with Jesus and Peter says I don't even know what you're saying my mind can't even comprehend in its current state a time when I used to be walking with Jesus I am denying that part of me and when you deny that part of you you push away your very own breakthrough I can't afford to

to think about that time he says I don't even know what you're saying and and then it continues he moves outside of the courtyard because what happens to so many of us is we try to move out of the way of people who remind us of who we used to be. Because I can't afford to have anyone calling me higher when all I want to do is be broken down where I am right now. And so he moves out of the courtyard and then he runs into another girl. And it was at this point in the text when I realized that it wasn't just Peter running away that it was God chasing him down.

Because you want to talk about triggered. if I could trigger a time in Peter's mind when he used to walk with me, then maybe I could get him back in the mindset of what it was like to hear from me, even if I was telling him what he didn't want to hear. Because if I can get him to remember when he was connected to me, perhaps he could reach even further back and remember that I plan on building my church on him. So even in the middle of this brokenness and what seems like the end, I still have a plan, even in the midst of this breakdown, somebody, he's been in a breakdown. And I came all the way from Los Angeles to tell you that God has been trying to get you to reach back to the promise and to let you know that the bet is still on. I know nothing in the circle right now looks like it's still happening. But I'm telling you, I know that I know that I know that the bet is still on. How do I know because you're still here? And because he is not a man that he shall live. I don't care what the stats say. I don't care what your account says. I don't care what your mind is saying.

If he said it and spoke it over your life, there is nothing that can wage war against his word. He set the ocean in motion and it's still rocking at the same beat. He put the sun in the sky and it hasn't fallen out yet. All he did was speak a word and it was true. And if I can get back into the position where I received the word where I used to hear from him, then maybe he could help me navigate through this season that I'm in. Before it's all said and done in Matthew 26, he's tried to run outside of the courtyard to avoid anyone who would remind him of who he used to be.

This is the part that God gets me in verse 73. He says, a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, surely you are one of them for your speech. trades you. That thing was good to me, child. Listen, trying to say it the way I thought it because I'm at elevation and I can't afford to be confused on this stage, so y'all bear with me. They said that there's something about the way you're speaking that lets me know that you were once with Jesus of Galilee. They're talking about his accent. They're talking about the way, the cadence that he begins to speak, that even though he was departed from him, even though he was no longer

connected to him, that what was around him ended up getting in him and began to change the way that he spoke, which means that even when he tried to change his mind, he couldn't change his spirit, that he had been around Jesus, but Jesus had gotten down on the inside of him. That means that even though you've got one side of your mind trying to deny, there's another part of your spirit that knows who you are, that somebody's praying grandmother changed the way you spoke, that somebody messed around and got connected to elevation and it changed the way you speak. I know you say that your life is over, but your species is betraying you because you still drugged yourself into church, limping, but you're still here. You still drugged yourself

into the presence of God. I know you told everyone else it was over, but your species is betraying you. I think you have more hope than you're letting gone. I think you have more hope. I think you have to have more faith than you would allow us to believe your speeches betraying you. Everywhere you go, your speech is betraying you. It's saying that you're still chosen. It's saying that you're still called. It's saying that no weapon form to get you will prosper. It's saying that your heart is going to be healed. I know you say you're giving up, but you're still writing those songs like you're hoping one day you're going to get discovered. I know you said you gave up, but your speech is betraying you. and because your speech is betraying you,

I can tell that you've been walking with Jesus and that he got in you. And this is the moment that makes Peter begin to weep because he is reminded in that instance that Jesus said this would happen. I didn't think it was in me. I didn't think it was possible, but he knew me

better than I knew myself. And while I'm sitting here having a pity party, he sent these people to remind me that even though I was going to deny him, that I would ultimately come back into alignment with him. And when I came back into alignment with him, that it wouldn't be so that I could go back to being the disciple that followed Jesus, but so that I could be the rock in which Jesus built his church. that's better than y'all clapping but that's all right because what I'm speaking about is acceleration that we're praying that things will go back to what they were but God is planning to take what was and accelerate it to what he said it was going to be it's still better than y'all clapping because I want you to know that there's a generational

blessing connected to you breaking that generational curse that's still better because if you understood that when you got finished going through this, that no one in your family was ever going to have to go through it again, you would start praising God for your children's children's children. It's still better than y'all clapping because hell never wanted you to know this revelation. They wanted you to think that acceleration was impossible, but they didn't want you to know about the God I served. So they sent a message through my friend Peter, letting you know that you're still a rock that this earth is going to have to reckon with.

And there is deliverance connected to you. And all of this happened when Peter was in his most broken state. All of this took place when Peter felt the least connected to Jesus. I reckon that while Peter was weeping, that heaven was rejoicing, seems like such an oxymoron. But the moment that that denial occurred and it lifted off of him, the moment that he had reached rock bottom, I can't go. No lower than this. And God said, that's great. Because the lower you are, the deeper your foundation can be.

and I'm trying to put some weight on top of you. And I can't add that weight to a weak version of you. I got to add that weight to the most humbled version of who you are. I got to add that weight to the most broken version of who you are. So the deeper you've been broken, the greater that foundation is going to be. Why do you need a great foundation? Because there are great heights connected to your name. And if God would have blessed you,

when you wanted him to bless you, you would have flirted with pride and ego, and you would have thought that you did something to earn where you are. But he wanted you to be so disconnected from where you once were that when he pulled you up, there was no doubt in your mind that had it not been for the grace of God that was on my side. I know who I am, and I know where I am. am has nothing to do with who I am because I'm crazy and I'm unreliable but he trusted me anyway I know who I am

I don't deserve to be on stag in elevation but he saw past all of my insecurities and all of my fears and he chose to use me anyway I know that I had to get a mindset that everything must go and when I became desperate for more of him and none of me that's when I became the vessel that he could use I know who I am I don't deserve it. I couldn't have earned it, but still, the reckless. Come on somebody, the reckless love of God. It chased me down. It chased me down.

It chased me from the courtyard to outside the courtyard. And he kept reminding me that you used to be with Jesus. Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you. You used to be with me. You are from me. And don't let this world make you think that you're not a part of me any longer. I'm trying to get you back. to what I first knew when I saw you.

And in order to do that, we have to let go of what has been imposed upon us, what our emotions and our experience would have us to believe. And so here we are offering ourselves as a living sacrifice. I feel the presence of God in this place. That it's time for us to remember constantly that I am a living sacrifice. I hear God saying that it's time for us to return to the heart posture of worship, where I wake up each and every morning and I open myself up in such a way that I say, God, there's nothing off limits.

Not this bitterness, not this brokenness. Because bitterness feels like warmth when you're afraid of trusting other people. But you need other people in order for you to make it in this thing called life. So you're going to have to be willing to trust again and open your heart up again. You're going to have to believe that he makes all things new. And so Peter became new in that moment when he was reminded. of what God said. He was reminded of what Jesus said about him. And all I wanted to do when I came here is remind you of what Jesus has said to you. And to remind you that no matter how disconnected you

may feel from that word that he promised you, that you're going to make it, that your heart is going to be healed, that your children are going to be saved, that there is a lane that he is cultivated, that only you can feel, that you don't have to be jealous of anyone else's success or anyone else's envy, that I promise you, I still got you. And all I'm waiting for you to do is give me full rain to the inside of you so that I can make space for what I want to pour into you. I hear God say in your capacity is about to increase in a way that you never thought was possible. And I had to increase your capacity so I had to break you down so that I could make more room. That's really good. I feel that for somebody.

I had to increase your capacity, and I did it through breaking you down. Now you're stronger than you ever thought you would be. I know it doesn't feel like it because you're in your most broken moment, but I feel strength coming back to you. I feel resources coming back to you. There are people having conversations about you, not the you you are right now, but the you he's called you to be. That person is still down on the inside of you.

And as long as you have breath in your lungs, as long as your heart still has to be, then there is a greater version of you yet ahead. And when you decide that everything that's in me that's keeping me from reaching the next version of me has to get out of the way because I'm not going to live in this world and just survive. I'm going to live in this world like a kingdom kid, like somebody who understands that he spoke a word and brought me into existence. And see who I am and do this thing called life. Your mercy, precious God That's got to let me go

It's got to let me go I gotta get my mind back in the game It's got to let me go I gotta fight for my marriage again The heartbreak has got to let me go I gotta be okay that you walked away from me I gotta forgive you I gotta let it go It's gotta go it's gotta go

Cause it's keeping me from knowing him It's keeping me from having greater is in me It's got to go If it's okay can I just give one person who needs it 10 seconds to worship to make a divine exchange with heaven to ask God to make space down on the inside I know you're ready to get your brunch but if I could just give that one person who needs it 10 seconds maybe 30 seconds to lift their hands and worship and profess with their mouth that I don't want to fall in love with this pain anymore. I want to find out the purpose behind this heartbreak.

I want to know why you kept me alive, God. I want to know why I'm still in this thing. Passion, I should have given up. Everyone else rejected my idea, but I still have passion to see your kingdom come into criminal justice system. I still have passion to see your kingdom come into the industry. God, please, please. Give me a divine exchange.

of your spirit let it break down my walls let it arrest every thought that's not a reflection of who you are god i need your spirit to forgive god i need your spirit to break addiction i can't do it by myself i tried and i've still been in it but if you would speak a word if your spirit would breathe down on the inside of me. I'm crazy enough to believe that it would push away generational curses, that it would help me to forgive. I'm crazy enough to believe that you're still in the miracle business. And some people need to see it. I need to be a miracle. I want to look down at my soul and wonder how I got over. How did I get over you leaving me? It will be because of the grace of God. How did I get over me losing my family? And I will say it will be because of the grace

of God. And not only did he get me over, but he restored everything that I thought that I had lost in the fight. I didn't even know I'm making it, but I don't need. That's spoken. Spirit of the living God. The next dimension of you, I know who you used to be. And that was great for who I used to be. But I need to know who you are now so that I can be everything that I need to be now. And so God, I ask that you would begin to fill us with fresh fire. Fresh fire. Yes, fresh fire. And that fire, let it consume anything that is in us that is not profitable for the version of us that you've called us to be. God, fresh fire. Let it fall from heaven. Not next week, not a year from now. Let fresh fire fall right now.

If I had two or three people who were willing to call down on heaven for fresh fire, I don't even need everybody to do it. We can do it on your behalf. I hope you enjoyed the podcast today. If you did, there are just a couple things I'd love for you to do. Number one, subscribe to our show. That way, the most recent episode will always be in your feed, waiting for you, ready when you are.

And secondly, if this ministry has impacted you, and you'd like to help us continue to reach others, You can click the link in the description and you can give now. And I'll see you next time on the Elevation Podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.