Elevation with Steven Furtick - God Works In Mysterious Ways (Rich Wilkerson Jr.)

Episode Date: November 3, 2024

God is always working on your behalf, even when you can’t see the evidence yet. In the middle of your struggle, remember that God’s not intimidated by your questions or your pain — He’s turning it all for good.  To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: www.elevationchurch.org/giving/ Scripture References: Luke 7, verses 11-17See 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 fate. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. Elevation Church, how we feeling on this Sunday morning? Can we go ahead and give God? Come on, can we give God some praise on this Sunday morning? You had an extra hour of sleep. Come on. Give him a shout today. Hallelujah. I don't know about you, but are you feeling what I'm feeling today? It's not just some cool

atmosphere. It is the very presence of God. And what I love about God's presence is when it comes to worship, it's not that God is not with you. He's always with you. You don't have to be at church to know that. He's with you in your car. He's with you at work. He's with you in that difficulty. but the scripture says that he inhabits the praises of his people. And there's something about praise and worship that makes me aware. Come on, anybody aware today that God is with us and God is working? Come on, I want you to clap your hands. I want you to behave today like you are glad you're in the house of the Lord.

What an honor it is to be back at Elevation Church. And always just so grateful to stand behind this pulpit. It is never, ever lost on me. me, just the work that is taking place right here at Elevation Church as that goes from this room to all over the world. And it's not by coincidence. It's not by accident. It's by intentional leadership. And I'm so grateful. Honestly, when I come, one of my greatest honors is just to get behind this pulpit and just to say thank you so much to, I think two voices that have been raised up for such a time as this. Anybody thankful for Pastor Stephen and Holly Ferdick?

I'm telling you all, these are two of God's finest. And their life, their leadership has so impacted me, so changed me. I'm so thankful for who they are. I think they're trailblazers. What that means is that they go into the tough areas and they make a way for others to follow. And there's so many of us that are following behind them. I always just come to say, take good care of them, pray for them, love on them. They're doing a lot of work.

They need your prayers. They need your support. They need your encouragement. You are blessed with good leadership. Let me just tell you, there's a blessing on them. And when you get under them, come on, that blessing flows on you. Let's clap our hands and thank God for amazing, amazing leadership. Hey, yo, what about this new song?

I know a name. Dead things coming back to life? I could just close right now. I already got more than what I came for. Someone right now at Voo Church back in Miami is watching the service, and we are illegally taking that song. It's going to be in our worship set next week. No one can sing like Chris, but we're just going to bring your vocals in and fake it and lip sync it. Anyone grateful for another brand new, beautiful song that just ministers to us?

I know a name. I know a name. If you've got a Bible, Luke chapter 7 is where I want you to turn. You can stay standing for a moment as we read the Word of God. Merry Christmas, everyone. Christmas came early. I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. This is very red, I think. Extremely red, but it's a bold move for a bold sermon. Luke chapter 7, starting in verse 11, it says this. Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called name, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.

and as he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out. The only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her, and he said, don't cry. Can we just say that out loud and say, don't cry? Then he went up and he touched the beer. They were carrying him on. And the bearers stood still.

He said, young man, I say to you, get up. The dead man sat up and began to talk. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and they praised God. A great prophet has appeared among us, they said. God has come to help his people. And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. I don't know about you, but I know a name today.

I know a name today. I don't know what you walked in here with today, but I believe God's presence is here. God's power is here. All of you watching online right now, I know a name today. And he's getting ready to reveal himself like never before in your life. I'm already getting excited just reading this passage. I got a good sermon today, but I already feel it springing up on the inside of me. I want to preach for a few moments if I can today from the subject. God works in mysterious ways. God works in mysterious ways. And would you pray with me, Lord, we thank you for you.

your word. We thank you that it's a lie, that it's active. God, we thank you that it's more relevant today than it ever has been. God, in shaky times and scary times and uncertain times, Lord, we look to your word for something stable and true that we can stand upon. Lord, I pray for everybody that's here at Elevation Today, the entire EFAM who's joining us by way of online. Lord, today we ask that you'd minister to us, that you'd speak to us, that you would remind us of that powerful name, the name of Jesus. We pray all these things in the name. name of Jesus. And if you agree with that prayer, all of God's people said? All of God's people said? If you love Jesus one more time, give me a big, big shout all over this place. All right, high five a few people.

Tell them God is working. Say God is working. In the chat right now, tell them God is working. God is working. Would anybody agree with me that life is a mystery? I mean, life is mysterious. I think about that old expression, the more I know, the less I understand. Some of y'all saying, amen, pastor. Honestly, it's like, I just turned 40 this past year. Thank you. Honestly, even though older I get, sometimes I'm like, man, some things are just still complicated. I'm still learning stuff. I'm still trying to understand stuff. And I can give you a lot of examples, but let's just use one right now in front of us. It's like airplanes, for instance. I fly on airplanes a whole lot.

In fact, I have flown 3 million air miles with American Airlines. I'm pretty much on staff, except I pay them and they don't pay me. But it's like, I fly all the time, but I'm still like, I still don't get stuff. I still have questions. That's probably a good way to say it. The other day I was flying, and this was just like two weeks ago, and I had my iPad. My iPad is one of those keyboards, and I'm out typing on my iPad, and the stewardess, she walks by, She says, sir, you're going to, we're getting ready for landing.

You've got to put the iPad. You can keep the iPad out, but you've got to put the keyboard away. I was like, why? And she goes, oh, it's not safe. I go, not safe. I don't understand. What's at jeopardy here with the keyboard being out? But this happens all the play.

Think about like, I usually fly, I don't fly, I usually fly second class, you know, no I'm talking about in the back. Hello, second class. And sometimes when you're in second class, you know, you got the seats. And they don't give you much room, right? It's like here and here. I'm preaching to someone today. Here and here.

Same thing. I got questions. They walk by, sir, you're going to have to put your seat up for landing. Why? Oh, it's not safe. Excuse me? Yeah, it's not safe. You mean, safe, unsafe.

Safe, unsafe. These are questions. Just a few weeks ago. I took off 45 minutes late. but we landed on time. I'm walking out. I say, oh, ma'am, we took off 45 minutes late. How did we get here on time?

She said, oh, that's easy. The pilot just flew faster. It can do that? How come he doesn't always do that? Is there a speed limit we're all unaware of? All right, so four weeks ago, I'm flying back from Birmingham. It's a true story. The unthinkable, the unimaginable, the unexpected took place.

This has never happened to me. I've been flying with this airline for 20-some years. I get up to go to the bathroom. And friends, when I go into the bathroom, I get locked in the bathroom. Now, let's just be honest. Like, none of us usually go to the bathroom and I'm never going to get out of here. I'm in the lavatory.

That's what they called on an airplane. And I'm stuck. I'm trying to get out. But, like, I'm kind of putting some pressure on the door. And, like, I don't know for you. Like, how long before you cry out for help? I'm like, I can figure this out. I can figure this out.

I don't know. It's probably only like a minute, but it felt like I started having a panic attack. I got to get out of here. I start, you guys, I start screaming out. Stuck in the bathroom. To my amazement and to my shock, an elderly woman flight attendant came. And I don't know if she was like a, she starts hitting this door with a force that like, boom, but she breaks through the door, you guys. When I come out of the bathroom, the entire plane is clapping.

I didn't know what to do. I just embraced her and said, thank you, my savior. Questions. This is a mystery. How come the more I know, the less I understand. And it leaves me in this place. And honestly, it's funny, but this is sort of how life works, that you can just kind of be going on your journey, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, 60 years. And you might be getting a handle on life. Then all of a sudden, something comes, something happens. And you find yourself stuck. You find yourself trapped. You find yourself in a place. And sometimes we have the strength to break through the silence. but some of us, even in this room today

and some of us watching online right now, we find ourselves in a place that what we're going through is so difficult that we can't even muster out a whisper. It's not just life that's mysterious. I mean, I know faith is mysterious. Like, what I'm discovering is that the closer I get to God, the more I recognize just how far away I was to begin with. Which means that, like, maturity in Jesus

ought not to lead to spiritual superiority. maturity. And Jesus leads us to a place of deep humility. And I think a humble thing that you and I both can do is humility is when our faith actually has questions. Maybe you're here today and you're going, I'm going through life and I have faith, but I have questions. So do I. I do this for a living. I have questions. Sometimes I look around and going, yeah, why do bad things happen to good people? How about this? Why do good things happen to bad people? some doors open automatically and then some just stay shut it seems like forever how come sometimes I can pray and pray and pray and nothing turns around but then there's other areas of my life where there's great breakthrough or great miracles and there wasn't even a petition uttered how about this this one hits home for me how come I can go and preach on stages of thousands of people and watch hundreds of people respond to the gospel. Yet sometimes the people closest to my life, it's like their heart stays hard. Come on, anybody ever got some questions when it comes to faith?

I do not think that questions are offensive to God. I want to encourage someone today who walked in here with some questions in their faith that you're going through a difficult time. God is not intimidated by your questions. In fact, as you begin to serve the Lord, what you'll realize is that questions don't have to define your faith, they can refine your faith. In fact, when it comes to questions, it's that, yo, faith does not eliminate questions, but faith reroutes where I take my questions to. Come on, anybody believe that we have the answer, we have the hope, we can bring them to God. After all, a question mark is just an exclamation mark, been out of shape. I'm hoping by the end of this message that some of you who've walked in here with questions, it's not that your question

will be immediately removed, but you might be saying, why am I here? But by the end, of this message, you're going to take that question and turn it into a declaration. I am here for such a time as this. Can I get a witness in this house if you got some faith in the room today? Life is a mystery. Faith is a mystery. And really, all of meaning in life is when you lean into the mysteries, when you bring your questions before God and you find meaning in whatever mystery you are up against. I believe our text today is a beautiful, beautiful story around the mystery of God. Let me try to put it into some context really quick. Luke chapter 7, our text began saying soon afterward. And I think that's important that when you start studying the Bible, you always go,

what just happened? Well, Jesus was in Copernum. We didn't read it today, but he was in Copernum. And while he was there, that's his ministry headquarters. He's preaching and teaching. And a Roman official, a centurian, sends word to Jesus that his servant is sick. and he says, can you come to my house? Well, Jesus starts making his way to the Centurion's house, and then all of a sudden the Centurion sends out more leaders or servants, and he sends the word saying, hey, I know who you are, and I believe you have great authority,

and I don't even need you to come to my roof. If you'll just say the word, I believe my servant can be made well. Which, by the way, this is a great lesson, because leadership has never seen in your presence. It's always seen in your absence. Great power is not that I have to shout and yell at someone. Great power is when I can whisper and it begins to change things around. The Bible says that Jesus was amazed at this man's faith.

In fact, he's so amazed that instantly he heals the man, although he doesn't even go and pray for the man. Would you believe there's only two times in Scripture that Jesus is amazed? It's this moment right here. The second time is in Mark chapter 6. He's amazed because he's in his hometown. in his hometown, they're very familiar with him, and they got questions. Isn't this the carpenter's boy?

Isn't this the guy who was from Nazareth? He can't be the Messiah. And the Bible says that Jesus was unable to do many miracles. And he was amazed, listen to this, at their lack of faith. There's only two ways that you amaze Jesus. It's either faith or no faith. And I want to encourage someone because maybe you think faith is measured by your church attendance, Maybe you think faith is measured by how many scriptures you have memorized.

Maybe you think faith means I never fall or never have a question. No, my friend, that is not the measurement of great faith. Great faith is simply measured when you take God at His Word. God, if you said it, I believe it. Jesus, if you said I could do it, I want to do it. I believe today that in this room there is great faith. If that's you in this house, clap your hands, make a little bit of noise. I want great faith. If you said it, I believe it's going to happen. And so the Bible says that soon

after this moment, this great miracle, Jesus and his crew start heading 20 miles away to another town, and the town is called Nain. Everyone say name. And as Jesus is entering into the town of Nain, there is another crew exiting the city. So just get this picture. Jesus' party is entering the city. and then we see there's a funeral party exiting the city. Two conflicting crowds colliding. This crowd that Jesus is encountering is far different from his crowd. Jesus' crowd is celebrating. They're happy, they're excited,

but this other crowd is a funeral procession. Nain, by definition, means a beautiful place. And I think sometimes about my city, they say about Miami that Miami is sunny on the outside but shady on the inside. But I think Nain like Miami, like Charlotte, like wherever you're tuned in from today, is a picture of life that so often we can look good on the outside.

But on the inside, there's deep affliction. There's deep brokenness. There's deep hurt. Affliction, by definition, means be stuck in a state of suffering. Help. I'm locked in the bathroom. Are you afflicted today? Are you stuck in something today? I want to remind people, I love the spirit in this house,

and I love the spirit that's honestly right now going through these cameras as people are watching. But we're living in name. That in this room, even right now, this is life. Someone can be winning and someone can be losing. Someone can be really happy and someone can also be really hurting. Someone can be celebrating and somebody can be mourning. I think about some of you just here right now, like let's just never ever forget all the people in the room. Let's never forget all the people that are

getting this ministry today. Someone today a baby is being born while somebody else is bearing their father. Someone's getting ready for a marriage this week and somebody else just got a divorce this week. Somebody is celebrating a birthday and somebody else is headed to a funeral. I see it because it hits me and every time we walk into a room like this, we've got to be aware that there's all sorts of different stories colliding and conflicting. But I don't know about you. If you're like me, I'm looking at this story and I'm saying, yo, what a divine appointment. Because if you're headed to a funeral, can you imagine you're headed to a funeral that somehow you have a collision with Christ? See, this is prophetic for someone today. Because many times when you collide with Jesus,

you don't even know that he's on the way to you. You're headed to the funeral. but he's headed to invade your life. See, today, we didn't come just to tell you about the problem. We didn't just come to talk about your affliction. We came to remind you that there is an answer to your affliction. Come on, there's an antidote to your affliction. Oh, I know a name, and his name is Jesus Christ, King of Kings, and he can turn your story around.

I want to encourage you. Maybe today you're stuck in something, and you feel like I don't see any help on the way. I remember when I was in college, I had this experience where I saw this, I saw this guy get hit by a car. Now, that doesn't sound funny, but it was actually hilarious.

You said, tell me. Okay, so here's the story. So I'm in college, probably my sophomore year, and this dude is walking with his girlfriend. And I can tell, just by the way, he's walking that it's like puppy dog love. You know, those early stages love, that's a real mystery right there.

That kind of love, you know? They're walking. and he's just got way too much swag in his step, you know? Fallen in love is crazy. Because how many, you know, like guys, we all have a different voice when we're falling in love? Dudes are all like, yeah, what's up, bro. Ha, ha, ha, ha. All right, all right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you? By the way, you're like, what did you just say? Every guy in this room knows what I just said. But all of a sudden the phone rings, you know? And it's like his new girlfriend. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Hey, babe, what's up? Have you experienced it as like an upper octave? Hey, what's going on? Yeah, hey, cool. Yeah, no, I'm just hanging with the guys. Yeah, just hang with the guys. My wife and I, we just celebrated 18 years of marriage.

Holler at your boy. And I remember when I was an 18-year-old falling in love with her, we were on the phone at night. Yeah, I miss you. No, I miss you. It's like, all right, we got to go. No. No, no, no.

Never say no. No, don't go. All right, we got to hang up. Oh, I hate it. Okay, on three, we're going to hang up. You promise? I promise. Okay, babe, no, I miss you.

Okay, ready? One, two, three. Are you still there? It's falling in love. It's mysterious. So this dude is totally in love, okay? They're walking. How do I know they're in love?

Because he's walking. They got their fingers laced. That's always a sign, right? How many all know? You only laced fingers. with your girl. You ever been in a church service the pastor's like, hey, join hands with your neighbor. You're like, nah, bro, I'm married. I don't want to lace fingers with me. You know, like that's, stop. They're walking. This is true story. They're walking. Gets to the crosswalk. He's like, all right,

I'm across the street. Bye, girl. Walks out on the crosswalk, way too cool. A car, a car hits this man. When it hits him, he rolls over the hood. He rolls over the hood. hood falls and somehow by the grace of God lands on his feet. The only thing is, is he tried to act like he didn't get hit by a car. He tried to walk it out like nothing just happened. You can't do that. You can't be walking up over the thing, land on your feet. Now walk it out. Now walk it out. I'm way too petty for that. I had to run across the street like, bro, you just got hit by a car. And what he said to me has always stuck with me. He said, I know I didn't see it coming.

And so many of us, that's how life happens. I didn't see it coming. I wasn't expecting it. I didn't anticipate it. I didn't see that suffering. I didn't see that pain. I didn't see that affliction. And there is no doubt that pain can hit your life fast.

But I want to encourage you today that God can hit your life even faster. We know we serve the God. of suddenly that when God shows up, he shows up without warning. When God wants to do something in your life, he does so in an unexpected way. In an instant, he can invade your darkness. All at once, he can interrupt your funeral. And he can show up and say, I've come to cancel the funeral. Somebody give God some praise in this place.

He cancels funerals. I know a name. So here's this moment. it's not a coincidence. Fifteen minutes earlier, 15 minutes later, he would have missed them. One crowd's headed to the cemetery.

Jesus is headed to the city and it's not a car crash, but rather it's a collision with Christ. She didn't even see it coming. She wasn't even expecting it. And the Bible says that when Jesus sees her, his heart begins to break for her. In fact, he looks at this woman and he says,

don't cry. This is the heart of Jesus. please notice she hasn't even opened up her mouth. This woman's crying and I think that we ought to just take a moment and say she's got good reason to cry. As we find out, this isn't her first funeral. This isn't her first setback. She's already buried her husband, which in that time period to not have a husband is one of the most difficult, tragic things you could go through because all of your power, position,

all of your livelihood would have come from your husband. But this woman has a plan. she has a one and only son that all of her hopes, all of her dreams are in this boy, but now her plans have died. What do you do when your plans and your dreams die? Oh, can I encourage you today as believers in Jesus? Our trust is not in a plan.

Our trust is in a man. I know his name. Guys, watch this. This woman doesn't know it, but her only son is getting ready to me. meet God's only son. One is alive and he's destined to die. The other is dead, but he's destined to live. Oh, the mysteries of God. God works in mysterious ways. Someone's like, yeah, that's right, pastor, my Bible says. God works in mysterious ways, except for the fact that it doesn't say that.

That's nowhere actually in the Bible. Now, the word mysteries all. over the Bible. Colossians would remind us that we have this mystery, which is Christ in us. Revelation would remind us that God will accomplish his will, and it's a mystery. Mysteries all throughout the Bible, and although this phrase never shows up in the text, we can see this truth all over it. The phrase actually comes from an English poet in the light 1700s. His name was William Cowper. And William Calper, as he tells his own story, was dealing with a deep depression. He was stuck in affliction. and one night he decided he was going to end his life,

and so he marched down to the river Thames, and he was going to drown himself. But while he was there, he kept seeing a figure walk on the ridgeline. Somewhat feeling like he wasn't in a place of privacy, he decided I'm going to go back to my house, and I'll do the deed in my own home. And as he recounts his story, he would say that three different times he tried to take his life.

But every time, listen this, every time he attempted to take his life, he said something was stopping him from doing it. He described it as the invisible. hand. Some years later, he got saved. He ended up being discipleed by Jonathan Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace, and Newton would encourage him to take his gift of poetry and give it back over to God and to begin to write melodies by putting theology to melody. And his greatest hymn is a hymn called God moves. And the first stanza of that hymn is, God works in mysterious ways. I don't know if it

ministers to you, but it ministers to me because the invisible hand is a great way to disarm. It describe God at work. Who else placed the stars in the sky? The invisible hand. Come on. Who else sets the tides in motion? Who else has them rise and fall? Who set the clock? The invisible hand did. God is at work. I just look all over nature and see the mystery. You ever thought about a butterfly? I don't know if you know. You know what butterfly starts as a caterpillar? No, Rich, we didn't know that. Well, you ought to know it. But who told this caterpillar, yo, can you see the catapar? I don't think I belong in the dirt. I think I'm called the fly.

Really? Who told you that? And then the caterpillar goes from the dirt and he wraps himself up in a cocoon, but it's the invisible hand. And after 21 days, this ground little insect comes out like a beautiful, colorful butterfly flying in the air. What about a seed? A seed gets buried in the dirt. and it looks like the story is all over. But then the invisible hand reaches down into that dirt

and reminds that seed, you're not buried. Come on, somebody, you're planted, and I will bring you out. David said, and he lifted me out of the myri pit, out of that slimy pit. He put my feet on a solid rock. He put a new song in my mouth. Anybody got a new song today?

Go ahead, lift up your praise. the invisible hand is always at work. It's mysterious. But in Luke 7, the invisible hand materializes into the physical hand of Jesus Christ. For just the right moment in this mysterious way, he shows up to this funeral party, and he looks at this woman and he says,

don't cry. I would encourage you, if you go to a funeral, don't look at somebody and tell him not to cry. That would be insensitive. But when Jesus says it, he's not being insensitive. It's because he plans to turn the situation around. He plans to turn it around. Here's what I notice.

I don't know if this will minister to you, but it so speaks to me. This woman never even asked Jesus for help. What if I told you his love for you outweighs your faith in him? What if I told you that Jesus even acts even when you don't ask? My Bible says he's close to the brokenhearted. He's always with us, but I think when you're in pain, when you're in suffering, he gets even closer. Some of us today were people of faith. I believe faith speaks. I believe faith talks. I believe faith proclaims. But I just want to remind you about a God who's always been acting on your behalf long before you ever asked him to do anything. You didn't ask him to rise the sun this morning. My Bible says it reigns on the just and the unjust. You didn't ask him to put air in your lungs, but every breath you take, he put it there. That's what I love about praise and worship. We're just giving God his breath back. That's why I got to say something. That's why I got to sing. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. When we were cursing his name, when we were

running from him, Jesus Christ hung from that tree, shed his blood. We stretched him wide, we hung him high, but he said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they're doing. Somebody thank God if you're grateful that he acts, even when you don't have the strength to ask. And he walks over. And as he walks over, the Bible says that he touches the stretcher. The invisible hand becomes the physical hand. It's mysterious. And everybody stops.

What's happening? Wait a minute. You can't touch this dead thing. This is the theology of the day that a rabbi can't touch something dead because that would make them unclean. The only thing is that Jesus is not some regular rabbi. The only thing is that Jesus is not just some mere man. The only thing today is that we haven't gathered for principles. We haven't gathered philosophy.

We've gathered to encounter the living God that Jesus Christ is the son of God and he can do what he pleases. And when he touches the stretcher, He's telling you and I, I'm not afraid of your affliction. I'm not afraid of the thing that's decaying, the thing that you've been hiding. I know some of us, we've exposed our hurts. We've exposed our pains and people have run from it. But Jesus says, with just one touch, I can handle your pain. I can touch your mess.

In fact, God works greatness through our mess. And he touches the stretcher and everyone stops. Watch what Jesus says. Jesus says, get up. Someone say get up. Someone say get up. Because this is a prophecy for your life today. Get up.

You do know that when God wants something done, he just speaks. Like when God wants to create something, he speaks it to you. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and void and darkness was over the earth.

And what did God do? God said, let there be And with his words, nothing became something. One night he's on a storm and he's asleep on a cushion and the disciples are freaking out. Oh, we're going to die. We're stuck. We're stuck. This is bad. Where's Jesus? They find Jesus asleep. Do you even care if we drown? Jesus wakes up. Doesn't shout, comes out in the front of the boat. Peace. Be still.

And immediately, someone say immediately, the storm settles. In fact, the text says that they were afraid in the storm, but then they became terrified when it was completely calm. Afraid in the storm, terrified in the calm. Why would that be? Maybe it's because they just witnessed the storm's match. I need to speak to someone today who's hurting. God is not mean, but he is dangerous. And storms have to stop when he simply speaks.

He doesn't have to let out more than a whisper, but if he whispers into your situation, that which is turbulent, that which is full of obstacles, that which looks like it is dead, Jesus can whisper, and that thing can settle, that thing can come back to life. I need to build your faith today. Can you clap your hands and make a little bit of noise if you're receiving this word? Jesus gets word that his best friend is so sick he's about to die. They send a letter, the one you love, is about to die. And Jesus says, this sickness will not end in death.

And then he waits two more days. See, can you trust that God is working even while you're waiting? He waits two more days. When he finally shows up to the home of Lazarus, we discover that Lazarus has been dead for four days. And when he gets there, Martha's going, if you had only been here, my brother would not have died. I love the scripture. It's the shortest scripture. If you're looking one to memorize, you can still memorize one in 2024.

Jesus wept. It's a powerful scripture. because what you see is you see Jesus say, before I exercise my authority, I'm going to exercise my empathy. Because authority without empathy is cheap. I don't know what you're going through, but Jesus weeps. You might be going through hell and high water, but Jesus weeps, he knows how you feel. He senses your pain. He's drawn to it. He cares about it. And he looks at Martha and says, yo, Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. What does that mean? It means I don't just do. Do resurrection? No, it's my very nature. When things get around me, I don't care how long

they've been dead, four days, 50 days, 20 years, they have to come back to life. Am I preaching to anybody on a Sunday morning? Dead things coming back to life. And he gets to the cemetery and he says, roll the stone away. And then he looks into that tomb and what does he say? Lazarus, come forth. It's important that he was so specific with naming Lazarus. Had he not named Lazarus, every dead thing in that cemetery would have come walking out like a Michael Jackson thriller video. I'm trying to preach to someone. Dead things are coming back to life.

At his word! It's mysterious. I can't explain it. It's unthinkable. It's unimaginable. God works in mysterious ways. And what does he say? He says, get up. And imagine that boy just sat up. Notice this because this is practical.

That many times when God says, get up, what is he saying? He's saying, you have to change your position so I can shift your perspective. See, there's some people in this room that have caught a revelation that I clap my hands, I lift my hands. Sometimes I stand up on my feet. Why am I doing? I'm changing my position so I can shift my perspective. So much of life wants to bury you. So much of life wants to usher you to the funeral. But have you ever noticed, like, down here? Down here, I can't see all that good.

Down here, I have one perspective. Down here, I feel the weight of the world. I'm not going to make it. I'm overwhelmed. But then God says, get up, and I get up. And I say, wait a minute, greater is he that is in me. than he that is in the world. Down here, I'm just trying to survive.

Oh, Jesus, bring Friday. I got to get to the weekend, yo. I'm not going to make it. But then God says, get up! And I go, wait a minute, I'm not a survivor. I'm more than a conqueror. I'm going to preach it until somebody else feels this. Down here, I don't have the strength.

I'm not enough. I feel thin. I feel anxious. I'm too weak. But then God says, get up. And when I get up, I get his perspective. Wait a minute. I can do all.

I said all things through Christ who strengthens me. Oh, we're going to get someone today. Down here, I'm overcome by fear. Down here, I don't know what's going to happen to America. Down here, I don't know what's going to happen to my family. Down here, I don't know what's going to happen to my kids. But then God says, get up. And when I get up, my perspective is,

shifted. Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of love and of power and a sound mind, baby. Someone say, get up. Oh, I know about a God who's taken me to mountaintops. I know about a God who's taken me to grace. I know about a God who's taken me to miracles. But I also know about a God who's taken me down into the valley. But let me testify from the valley. He's only ever taken me to the valley. He always has brought me through. He always brings me to the other side.

Anybody got some faith? God's bringing you through. You got to get a new perspective. You can grab a seat. I promise I'm finished. I'm finished, but grab a seat because I'm going to really preach it. Get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up. I can't help but lift my hands.

I'm not lifting my hands because I feel it. I'm lifting my hands because I know it. I can't help but shout. I'm not shouting because I've got goosebumps. I'm shouting because I'm putting my faith as an exclamation mark in a declaration that although it's not done yet, I believe God is working. He's mysterious.

The Bible says the boy starts talking. I don't know what he said. Doesn't tell us in the scripture, but I imagine it's something like this. Thank you for all of our Spanish speakers. Grazie, my favorite nation in Brazil. Brigado. Put that in the chat right now. Abrigado. Brazilian flags all over the chat.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. They all started worshiping. The boy was resurrected. The funeral was canceled and the future was conceived. It's mysterious. And the Bible says they all begin to praise God. Because that's what you do. That's what we do on Sundays. When Jesus acts, praise reacts. I don't care if it's a new song or not. I got a song in my heart. It's not my song.

It's God's song. I can't stay quiet. I got to lift my hands. I got to lift my voice. Jesus has acted mightily in my life. They begin to praise saying, A great prophet has come. Let me draw your attention to Luke chapter 7.

This is Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, and it just spoke to me. I think it's going to speak to you. Luke chapter 7, see if you catch it. Verse 16, they all realized they were in a place of holy mystery that God was at work among them. Watch this. They were quietly worshipful and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves. God is back looking after the needs of his people and then the news of Jesus spread. it just lands right there for me that every week we gather this is mysterious we have no idea what God is doing right now in the supernatural we have no idea the seed of faith that's being planted in your heart

wherever you're tuning in from right now it's a mystery it's a holy mystery it's a mystery in Charlotte it's a mystery in the e-fam it's a mystery in Miami and notice the marks of a mystery quietly worshipful and the noisily grateful Do you ever notice this in worship? You ever notice this when God shows up? There's these times where it's just a whisper. God, thank you.

God, thank you. You saved my marriage. God, you saved my kid. But then there's other times, I don't care if you're Pentecostal or not. That you start getting noisily grateful. I can't help it. I've got to testify.

I have a reason to praise God. If I don't praise him, who! The rocks will cry out of my place. But other times, other times, Dylan, no, I know you're with me. I know you're here. I know you're at work. It's mysterious.

I know I can't see it right now. I know I feel stuck. I know I don't have the strength to shout, but God, I sense you. And then all of a sudden it flips around into a noisily grateful moment. Oh, I might not be where I want to be. But thank God, I'm not where I used to be. I was death. But now I hear.

I was blind. But now I see. I was lost, but I've been found. I was dead. It's mysterious, mysterious. Don't underestimate it. It's not hype. It's not sensationalism.

It's not emotionalism. It's the invisible hand sweeping through the room. It's touching you. It's catching your tears. God is working. God is working. In fact, can you help me? Grab a seat.

We're done. We're done. I promise. I promise. I follow the clock. I just want to try to illustrate this for somebody. This side of the room, you're going to help me preach. This side right here. Try this. Say, God is here. No, whisper, not you guys. You're way too aggressive.

Any Pentecostals in the room today? All right. You know your part. Dwarking. God is working. One more time. This side, Pentecostals. I'm doing that because I don't know how you need to hear it today. But God sent me from Miami to tell you whether it's a whisper or a shout. He's going to remind you he's mysterious. this is my life, this is your life. I remember when we first started our church. We couldn't find a place to meet. We're up in my apartment, just trying to start a church. It was scary. It was frightening,

but we had this sense. We were praying. We were hoping. All we could say is we finally found a building. We were so grateful, a little middle school in Winwood. We started with one service, and all we could say was, but that thing began to grow in the invisible hand. Started to build that church. For if we labor in vain, it won't work, but God builds his house. It went from one service to two service three, four, five, six. We had an 8 p.m. Sur, y'all, you haven't been to church until you went to church at 8 p.m. at night. Trust me, everybody at Voo church was shouting. I remember my wife when she turned 25 years of age. The doctor said it's going to be almost impossible for you to have children.

It was crazy for us to hear because she's one of seven. I'm one of four. And it was scary and we were crying and we were worried, but we had this sense. Years went by. It wasn't like one Sunday and wow, I'm good. It was, Word after word. It was Pastor Stephen, write another song. Pastor Stephen, I need another word. But we just kept saying, but after eight years, eight is the number of new beginnings. New beginnings hit our house. My wife became pregnant. We were shouting. And can I just testify today at the ripe age of 40 years of age. Four weeks from today, my wife will give birth to our fourth. We can shout one. My father, my hero, my pastor.

The man I've always wanted to be like got diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. It was scary. Who's going to take care of my mom? What's going to happen to his church? I'm not enough. But there was this sense. It wasn't a shout. It was a whisper.

And we prayed and we fasted. And all we could say is he went into a six-month quarantine. He had a stem cell transplant. And this past August, The doctors, not understanding at all. Unexplainable. Unexpected. They gave him a clean bill of health.

Trust me, everybody in Miami and all of the world is shouting. What are we shouting? What are you saying? What do you believe? So somebody can hear it's working in mysterious ways. And I sense something dead is coming back to life today. I know a name. Hey, sit your hands.

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