Elevation with Steven Furtick - How Did I Get Here? (Travis Greene)

Episode Date: September 24, 2023

In “How Did I Get Here?,” Pastor Travis Greene of Forward City Church teaches us not to allow what we can’t see to silence our praise. If you’ve just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: http://ele.vc/tIepfr To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: http://www.elevationchurch.org/giving/ Scripture References: Mark 10, verses 46-52 John 9, verses 2-3See 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. Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these new sermons every week. I hope you're blessed today. Elevation Church. Wow, wow, wow.

So first of all, what we're not going to do is act like you don't have the greatest pastor in the world. Come on. Can we get real noisy in this building and all around the globe for the pastor Steven Ferdick, Holly, Elijah Graham, apps. Love you. I'm excited to be here. I'm black. And that's just how we're going to start. We're going to start there. And my roots. are Pentecostal. And Pentecostal that like it's a fraternity or something. They'd be like,

that's my dog. It's not a frat. But I was going to use a headset today so I could dribble with my left hand. But I woke up feeling preaching. So I told them, give me a handheld because we about to go up elevation. And I love Pastor Stephen.

He is a songwriter. He is a architect. He is the greatest communicator in the world. And so to be on his platform is beyond a blessing. But something funny happened to me. I told myself that I would be validated as a good preacher when he invited me. And let me tell you how gracious God is. He refused to allow me to be invited. as long as I believe that. Because when heaven wants to affirm you, it doesn't use opportunity. It used opposition. I know you're anointed, not by the stages, but by the scars that you got. I need you to high-five your neighbor

like you in Valentine and tell them, I know I'm anointed. The struggles that you overcome reveal your anointing. We know that the all-on-David worked, not from the throne he sat on, but by the giant that fell at his feet. And if open doors can make you,

then closed doors can break you. Quit waiting on man to validate you. And I'm afraid that in our churches, heaven believes in us, and I'm going to tell you something you never heard before. Hell believes in you. This is why the devil and all his imps and whims have been coming against you

because he knows how much you carry. He doesn't bother you if you're not a threat. But if the devil's been trying to come against you and your family and your neighborhood, I need you to give God 10 seconds of praise like you know, no weapon for him to get you to me to. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name.

And so I have a very prophetic word for elevation. It's really for the Columbia campus, because they're up the street from me. But at the shoe fit, you can wear it in here, or Orlando or Greenville, or wherever you're watching from. I told them to send me a list. It was too long. What y'all do have.

have is some campuses. My God. We're going to be a market. It's my custom to share the title after I read the scripture, but today I'm going to share it before. Because I believe God is about to bring your name up. I don't know how it happened for me. I was minding my business. And Chunks text me and said, are you available? And I'm wondering, how did my name get brought up? God's about to bring your name up. Because this is a season. Hear me. that God ain't looking for gifts. I got degrees, but I'm going to talk how I want to talk. God ain't looking for gifts.

He's after hearts. There's so many people that can sing, man. We don't need another song. We need hearts like Chris and hearts like Jen and hearts like John South. Man, we need hearts. And God's about to bring your name up. Here's the title for today. How did I get here?

How did I get here? Let me preach because my wife tell me. I'll take too long to transition. I'm not going to show a family picture. They're all on the ground, but my wife is a dying piece on the front row. I love you. Mark 10, Mark 10, 46.

Then they came to Jericho. I teach at Fort City that you can't just read the Bible. Oh, snap. You got to read the Bible. It's a second read. Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with the large crowd,

were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus, which means son of Tomeas, was sitting on the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, Jesus rebuked him. Those you hate when you're sitting next to the loud one. You're like, okay, I get it. You're grateful. I am too, but my God, they told him, be quiet, fam. You ever brought your mama to church? I said, Mom, I'm preaching the elevation. Do not come. My mom will be tearing the whole row up in the back. I said, be quiet, man.

But he shouted all the more. I love that. On me. I really want to preach this next verse, but I got something else to preach. But the next verse says, Jesus, stop. There is a DB, if you're in the audio. There is a frequency. There is a shout that is packed with enough desperation

to get a busy Jesus, a focused Jesus to stop. Oh my God. Are there any praises in the room that know how to get them to stop by? Come on. The only reason I'm in church today is because he stopped by. The only reason I'm in my mic, the right mind, because he stopped. The only reason I didn't cut somebody this week is because he stopped. He stopped by.

He stopped by. When he stops, anything is possible. Who am I to deny? what the Lord can do. Whatever's impossible for you is easy for him when he stops by. All right, let's keep reading. You're ready to sit down. He stopped by and said, call him.

I like that. So they called the blind man. Cheer up. On your feet, he's calling you. Now, the way my imagination works, I wonder if these are the same people who just told him to hush. That's why you can't listen to people. One second, they're saying, hush. Next second, they're saying, cheer up. Cus, what do you want from me, dog?

I mean, throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet, came to Jesus. Here's Jesus. Jesus is really funny. He said, hey, what do you want me to do for you? Blind man's like, ah, let me see. He said, Rabbi, I want to see, man. I like this. Go, Jesus said.

Your faith has healed. You your shout has healed you your resilience has healed you somebody it took your last 20 to get to church today That's the thing that healed you the fact that you believed in spite of what you were facing And the Bible says I like this word immediately I feel it coming all of a sudden Immediately this ain't for everybody this is just for 50 people and a two-year-old that can give them a praise and say, that thing is about to happen quicker than you can even imagine immediately. Immediately.

He received this sight. Follow Jesus along the road. How did I get here? Lord Jesus, I'm a prayer, prayer. You ready? How did we get here? Amen. You can take your seats.

How did I get here? How did I get here? How did I get here? This past week, I went to Northmortal Beach. That's where my dad is buried, where my mom is from, and we went there to visit. My grandma, my grandma is 92 years old. Yeah, yeah. Her classmate was Harriet Tubman.

My grandma is so old. She's seen many presidents. And I walk in, and my grandma, she's like Isaac. Her sight is felon hers because she's up in age. She's sitting there with her snuff. You're not from the country if you don't know what snuff is. No teeth, but stuff. nothing. I say, grandma, my grandma

had 14 kids, y'all. After 10, you don't even feel them anymore. There's another child. They just, she got 14 over 40 grandkids. And I walk in and I'm like, Grandma! And she's like, boy, who's that?

Get over here. And I go over to her and I say, Grandma is me. And I can't talk, y'all. I got speech impediment. If you laugh. You laughed. And I was not a joke. She's like, I thought it was just me. And my speech marks me. So my grandma, she knew it. And she was like, Travis! I spent some time with her. Something about when your sight is feeling,

your senses are heightened. And what's interesting about this text, I learned this from Pastor Ferdit. You preach every line in the text. So the first thing I want to acknowledge in this text is that the blind man is in Jericho. The word Jericho means, fragrance or to smell. Isn't it an interest in that he's blind, but he can still smell the roses? So I want to tell you, don't allow you a low place that calls you to Mr. Beauty of the season you're in. He's in Jericho. This is not a mountaintop message because most of the people who are asking, how did I get here, aren't on top. You feel like you're at the bottom. You're asking, how did this happen to me? How did I get here? My last great minister,

memory was a wedding photo and now I'm a widow. That was my mom at the age of 29 when my dad died on a Sunday morning. I was five years old. How did I get here? How did I get in the back of this police car? How did I get in divorce court? Come on, y'all, don't look at me in that tone of voice. How did I get here? My life was heading in one direction and then one decision, one thing caused me to get into an uncertain, unfamiliar, and unexpected place. How did I get It's here. How did I get here? How did I get addicted?

How did this happen to my child? How did I get here? And you may think, you may be sitting here thinking like, man, my situation is rough. Listen to me, your situation cannot compare to being blind in the first century. Fam, that was the lowest of the lowest. They had nothing. There was no braille for reading. There were no guide dogs to help.

There was no ADA compliance. You were just stuck begging. And that's the circumstance that this man is in. But I want to preach to the people who feel like your place that you're in is a surprise to you. The good news is that what is new to you is old to your God. Your future is his past. Your life is a rerun to him. He watched a movie with a friend of mine named Carlin.

Clearly he's white. There's no black people named Carlin. And Carlin and I was watching this movie years ago, years ago. avatar, the first avatar. And this thing, you know, people were bragging about how beautiful it is. Guys, I'm scared of everything, okay? All creatures here below. Don't invite me to your house. Have you got a dog? I hate coming to your house. You be like, oh, I forgot to tell you. I got a dog. You don't forget to tell somebody black you got a dog. First of all, second of all, second of all, don't forget. Let me just. And then don't tell me he don't bite. No, he don't bite to you.

He don't bite. He just nibbling. Get, he got a taste for dark meat. And this. This is, he doesn't bite. And this. This is, so I'm scared, I'm scared of all animals, right? So I'm watching Avatar. I'm freaking out. These are creatures, they blue and running around. It's supposed to be beautiful. I'm freaking out. I got my hat.

I'm covering myself. Colin grabs me. He says, wait, don't leave. I said, Colin, you wait, because when black folks get scared, we get violent. That's what happens. We don't know. We just, and I, calling me, he said, trap, trap, don't leave. It gets better.

What qualified calling to tell me this is because he already saw the movie before. So when God gives you a word, I don't care how it looks. He's confident in the word he gives you because he already saw your life before. Do you hear what I'm telling you? He's not just alpha. He is Omega. My God. And so there's nothing that you face that's new to him.

He saw it coming. Tell somebody he saw it coming. He saw it coming. He saw it coming. coming. And so here's this blind man. And maybe he didn't know this was going to happen as his life, but God did. And he had a plan for him anyway. Even in the low place, there is a plan. Even in the low place, there is a plan. There's another story in John chapter 9 about another blind man. This story is interesting because this man was blind from birth. Right. And the disciples,

here's something that happened in the first century because they didn't have medical understanding. So they thought, they thought this, if you were blind, you were cursed. Clearly. you did something wrong. This is what they believed. They believed it so much so that Jesus' 12 thought the same thing. They walk up on this blind man in John 9, and they ask him, they say,

hey, who sinned? Him are his parents? He was blind from birth. That's a dumb question. How are he going to sin before he was born? Dumb. And so Jesus answered them. He answered them in verse 3.

He says, hey man, no one's sinned. Get this verse right here. But this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Can I tell you something? What this means, ladies and gentlemen, is that it's all a setup. In order for a way to be made,

that means that a way has to be blocked. And if something is standing in between you and promise, then it has to be a setup. If there's something that you see that does not match what he said, it has to be a setup. The red seat for Moses was a setup for God.

Jericho's wall for Joshua was a setup for God. Goliath for David was a setup for God. Death for Lazarus was a setup for God. And so if it's in your way, tell your neighbor, it's just a setup. I wrote a song years ago called

Made Away. And I wrote this song. Here's what's significant about this song. I wrote it when we desperately needed a way to be made. So my wife water broke halfway during her pregnancy of our first child. The doctor literally told me, Mr. Green, I'm sorry, we're going to take the baby. You guys can go home and try again.

Obviously, he's not going to make it. But we know a God who's still a healer. I know some people think his power stopped in the Bible. But we know a God who is still able to turn your situation around. We know a God who blood still works. Does anybody know this Jesus that I'm talking about? And so we started praying. We started praying.

My son was born at 28 weeks, two pounds. He was in the incubator for two months. My wife was in the hospital for two months. Her legs was withering away. I mean, this was a desperate situation, but this is why I need you to hear. This is where I wrote the song, you made a way. I did not write a song that said, you'll make a way. I wrote it in past tense.

You ready? Because anything God's about to do, he's already done. Did you hear what I just said? Anything God's about to do in your life is already done. And ladies and gentlemen, this is the difference between reactive praises and proactive praises. A reactive praises wait till they see the solution. Wait till they see the victory. Wait until the x-ray is turned around in their favor.

But a proactive praises that I walk in with, I entered this gate with Thanksgiving. I entered this course with praise. I got enough history with God to know that he's able to do exceedingly above. Or I can ask or think I praise them in advance. Are they proactive to just make a way? He's already made away because it's a setup. Praise them when you turn around and Pharaoh's army is drowning.

That's elementary. Ooh, the enemy gone. But it takes. A ride or die. Radical. Crazy praiser to see a sea clothes in front of you. Our army coming behind you and say, God, you're still worthy? Because I know you didn't free me to leave me.

God, you're still worthy? Because if you did those 10 plagues, what is this sea? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine? What is cancer? What is depression? What is anxiety? For my God, it's easy. It's easy.

So God has. been conditioning the unconditional worshiper in you. Our worship is too circumstantial. If I feel like it, don't let Starbucks run out of your favorite drink on your way to church. Oh, my whole day just ruined. That's a conditional praise. But maybe God has had you in Jericho to teach you how to worship him. Here it is, even when you don't feel like it.

Even when your head hurt a little bit. Even when your child didn't show back up home last night. Even when Bank of America, what are you telling me right now? Come on. I just need 10 people. I got to move with this message. I'm not going to be greedy. Give me 10 people.

I got Elijah up top. That's all I need. I need 10 people that have given them a praise in advance. Because you know God's about to pick them off the door. I feel it. I feel them turning it. I feel them shifting it. I feel them moving it.

In your favor, it's all a setup. Because men's setback is God's set up. Hey, hey, can you trust God in the setup? Can you trust them in the setup? See, the problem with new school Christians, y'all can sit down. I'm about to offend you. We act like God owe us something.

That's why I like those three Hebrew boys. They said, even if he don't, praising him because he will, I'm praising him because he can. So even if it don't happen like I wanted to, that does not change the consistency of his character. Proactive, proactive, proactive. What's interesting about this text is that every gospel account speaks about the blind being healed. Every one of them. Matthew Mark and Luke, John. They all talk about Matthew Mark and Luke. They all talk about Blind Bartameas. But Mark's account is a little different. Mark's account goes straight from Blind Bartameas to the triumphant entry. This is a climatic event for Jesus'

healing ministry. Next is Passion Sunday. Next, Palm Sunday, you know what I'm talking about. Next, he's riding in. What's interesting, I didn't really come to talk about Bartamaeus, I came to talk about Mark. This guy John Mark is a very interesting character. Here's why. His mom is the one who hosted the prayer meeting for Peter's miraculous prison break, which means her house was big enough, which tells me Mark was privileged, like me. You can judge me. I'm not from the hood.

I'm a military brat. I don't know what government chief is. I have my own bathroom since I was five. I got everything I wanted for Christmas. This is Mark. His cousin is Barnabas. So Mark is out with Paul on the first mission trip. And Mark is like, you know, you get hiked up and you're like, I'm going all the way.

That was Mark. He was like, I'm going all the way. They get out of that. Mark was like, Paul, you crazy, dog. It's cold. I'm hungry. Shipwreck. I ain't from the, Paul.

Paul's talking about it. It's good that we suffer. Mark is like, man, I am going to the crib. I got to get up out of here. So Mark drops. out. Paul gets offended. He starts calling Mark a coward. Barnabist says, hold on now, though. Barnabist from University City. He's like, listen, listen, Cush, what we ain't going to do is be talking about my family like that. I mean, I know you are knowing there. Damascus. Listen, that's still

my cousin, man. You can't be talking about my little cousin. And so the Beatles break up. This is a true story. They break up. He's like, yo, I'm out. They leave. I'm going to tell you two reasons. I'm so glad that Mark left Paul. I'm going to give you the second one later in about 10 minutes. The first reason I'm so glad that Mark left him is because Mark now is hooked up with a man named Peter. If Mark don't leave Paul, Mark don't get connected to Peter. Why is this important? I don't know if you know this or not. But Mark's gospel is actually Peter's gospel.

So now Mark is his student. and the whole book of Mark is Mark writing, but Peter's speaking. This is why it's the shortest gospel. This is why it gets straight to the point, because Peter was a straight shooter. This is why it's the only gospel to talk about Peter walking on water.

Nobody else talked about it. Peter was like, don't miss this one part, because Bart was like, gotcha. It's the only gospel that talks about Peter denying Christ three times. So tells me, Peter also wanted us to know his flaws. It's the only gospel to talk about getting money from fish. So Mark gets exclusive content.

It is director's cut. This is straight from Peter, y'all. Peter wasn't just one of the 12. He was in the top three. This is a man who walked with Jesus everywhere. He was in the inner circle. And so Mark now got the inside scoop, and he's taking all of these notes,

all these cliff notes, getting them down. And this is why, who, you ready for this? This is why I'm so glad that Mark wrote this. y'all this thing sent me all the way up i'm so glad mark wrote this because you got to understand the context of the context mark is actually feeling like a reject mark is at home scratching his head wondering is there any ministry left in me mark is like i came from a woman of faith and here i am a ministry dropout is god's hand still on me is that have you ever felt like that before has got hands still on me here i am talking about i believe

God and I'm pregnant and I'm not married. Is God's hands still on me? Can God still use me? I was an entrepreneur known for taking risk, but I dropped the ball. I gambled and I lost everything. Can God still use me? This is Mark. He's wondering, how did I get here? And Peter sees him and says, there's still value in you. How does Peter know that? Because Peter also was a dropout. Peter knows what it feels like to drop the ball. And so he invites Mark in. And Mark starts writing this, and here's the reason I'm glad Mark wrote it. You ready? Because Mark knows what it means to be marked by God.

If anybody knows what it means for God's hand to still be on you, Mark knows it. Here's the significant part. You ready for this? Mark is the only one who names Bartimaeus. Imagine with me. Mark's sitting there taking notes. Peter talking, and he leans over and said, Peter, but what was his name? And Peter said his name is Barnamaeus.

Y'all, this thing jumped out at the pages and hit me in the heart. Because this is God's way of telling us, when you're marked by God, he'll bring your name up. When God's hand is on you, it does not matter what hand is against you. Somebody knows what I'm talking about. When God is for you, it doesn't matter who posts stuff against you. There were so many haters that thought elevation was going to close in year five. But look at us. Not started from the bottom, now we're here.

When God marks you, it doesn't matter what giant, what disease, what famine, what hater, what devil try to rise against. I need you to punch your neighbor in the kneecap and tell them you're marked by God. That's why the car wreck couldn't take you out because you're marked, my God. The point the disease had to stand back and wait because you're marked, my God. That's why you didn't take your own life because you're marked by God. I've been marked. Don't count me out. Don't count me out.

Don't count me out. I'm marked. I brought a prop. You can't preach a elevation without a prop. Marked. Marked. Blind Bartimaeus was marked without even knowing it. Because even when you can't see Jesus, he sees you.

When you're marked, he has his eye on you. When you're marked, he has his eye on you. So glad for the stick. Some of y'all like, oh, Jesus, this can go real bad. That's how I felt last week in Fort Worth. She's when God gave me this message. I was in Fort Worth with my little sister who lives there. And she said, I got to take you to stockyard.

Anybody from Texas? Good for you. She said, I got to take you to stockyard. Y'all, we went to stockyard. I said, what in the Andy Griffin? It was crispy white. Cowboy hats. I said, I'm one wrong move away.

God, I'm this close to elevation. Don't let me get killed. I almost made it to the mountaintop. Let me at least let me get through next weekend. True story. There's an old black man, blind. He was walking with a stick. He was just close to the road.

And I wanted to pull over and help him. And right before I did, a cowboy couple came and grabbed his hand. And I said, oh my God, this is a preach. Because when you're in the dark, you're not picky about who help you. Oh, yeah. When you're in the dark, you're not selective about who decides to give you mercy. That's why I'm grateful for elevation. Because it's a safe place.

There's some black people that's been going here and your family are like, how are you following that white man? And you said, child, I was blind so long I'm not selective about who leading me to the light I'm not selective about who's helping me I'm not selective about who sees value

in me as long as he believes in and here he is who think that the only darkness is sin that's not the darkness to beware of you ready it's lacking vision

and there's so many people here who's been lacking vision you're wondering where are you God? What happens when I obey him? And it feels like he disappears. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you haven't lived long enough. Even promises, but my situation don't look like what I've been declaring. And I'm wondering, where do I go from here? Where do I go from here? How do I get out of this? And ladies and gentlemen, this is Blind Bartow Mayas. He's stuck in a cycle. He's stuck in a cycle. He's stuck in a circle. He stuck going around lacking vision. There are people watching today from all over the

world. Pastors who are trying to build a church that won't grow. Businessmen who has this business plan that won't get off the ground. Parents that's believing God for your teenager who won't listen. Can I get an amen? Lacking vision. What's interesting about this, let's go back to Jericho. Bartimaeus's ancestors got into Jericho with a lot. shout but Bartameas got out with a shout who he got out with a shout and he shout until Jesus stopped and the Bible says my favorite part that he followed him he followed him I like this because Bartameas he refused to stay where he listen I may be here but I don't have to stay here I may be in this abusive

relationship but I don't have to stay in it I don't know who I'm preaching to you You too embarrassed to tell your parents that that guy been hitting you, child, you better get you and your to Wawa and get to stepping. I might be in here, but I don't have to stay here. Bartimae says, I'm following Jesus. Here we go. Here we go. Verse 48. Many rebuked him, told him to hush, but he shouted all the more.

Son of David, have mercy on me. The haters try to silence him. I like Barty. He didn't talk to them. He didn't speak about them. He spoke above them. When God is taking you somewhere, oh, let me just park here just for one second. We're feeling like you got to reply to all the haters online.

The battles that you engage in reveal the level you on. Did you read that? Yeah, but I'm above that. I'm above that. I need you to hit somebody telling him, you above that. You above that. And so he shouts, son of David. This title, son of David, was reserved, hear me, for the Messiah exclusively.

So it wasn't just the fact that he shouted, is what he said. What he was saying was that Jesus, you're surrounded by a lot of people. Hear me. But they don't see you like I do. He says, I see you. I see the real you. They see you as a miracle worker. I see you as Messiah.

They see you as a problem solver, but I see you as a promised one. They see you as a leader, but I see you as Lord. I see you. I see you. And his title to Jesus got Jesus to stop in his tracks. He stopped because the only thing worse than physical blindness is spiritual blindness. Here we go. Verse 49.

Jesus stopped and said, call him. And said, cheer up on your feet. He's calling you. Hey, you may feel stuck, but he's calling you. You may feel disqualified, Mark, but he's calling you. You may feel under, but he's still calling you. Favorite part, verse 50. Throwing his cloak aside.

Throwing his cloak aside. He got up and ran to Jesus. You know why this is significant? Because the cloak is the only thing that marked you as a legitimate beggar. when I throw this on you fall out so they think I'm anointing it. That's where I came from, man. He threw his cloak aside. He threw his cloak aside.

He threw his cloak aside. He took off the thing that marked him as a beggar. Hear me, this is where it gets crazy. He took it off before he was healed. We got to crank up just for a second. Just for a second. He said, I don't know what you're about to do, Jesus, but I know I won't need this no more. I got to take this off of me.

Somebody put it on me, but it's not my identity. Somebody put this label on me, but it's not my identity. He put his name on me. He took off what they. Now, I'm almost there. I'm almost there. I'm almost there. I'm almost there.

Now, he followed Jesus. Watch this. What's this? What's this? What's this? Out of Jericho to Jerusalem for the triumphant entry. Imagine. James, John, both of the James, Bethelomew, Judas is still there.

Imagine all the boys standing there watching Jesus ride in on a donkey. And the ex-begger. I'm sorry, when I do that, I feel the Holy Ghost. You got the Holy Spirit, I got the Holy Ghost. The ex-begger is standing there with the disciples, scratching his head, wondering, how did I get here? How did this priest us? because God wants you to know

I need everybody under the age of 50 to sit down 50 and older I want you to stand up because this is your word now there's somebody here in denial you are you've been 49 for 10 years stand your butt Stella got her group back

your boyfriend thinks that you're 30 you is 52 this is what God told me to tell you you may have missed some things in the past 50 years but God's about to open up your eyes and you won't miss his next move. Bartimaeus, I don't know what you haven't seen, but you're about to see him right in.

You're about to see the thing open up. And I want to talk to everybody who's half a century old and tell him you're about to see it. I don't know what you missed, but you're about to see it. Tell you, probably believe in God for everybody else. Told yourself, as long as my child make it, I'm okay. God says you have a child, but you're my child. child you're going to see it you're going to see it you wrote 40 years ago you're going to see it

get your vision back you're going to see it now i need everybody give god a praise like he's about to open up your eyes eyes haven't seen ears haven't heard what god's about to do in your life you're going to see it all right i'm done this is crazy what i'm about to say this is crazy what i'm about to say because i haven't preached yet I got four minutes to really preach. And I'm going to hit that clock because I want to come back. You ready for this? Tell your neighbor, get ready.

This is crazy. Mark left Paul. Because if Mark didn't leave Paul, the Beatles wouldn't have broken up. If the Beatles didn't break up, Mark would have been in the Philippian jail with Paul homesick on Paul's second missionary trip. If Mark was homesick in the jail, then the right praise partner named Silas wouldn't have been with Paul. So maybe God caused an eviction in that last relationship to create vacancy for the right partner. Did you hear what I just said? Silence had to be there.

Midnight. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Midnight. Hey, Matt, make it dark. I know you're able. Make it midnight.

at about midnight. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. Hey, hey, midnight is the darkest moment. Ain't it funny that Paul and Silas were blinded by their situation? But they refused to allow their sight to silence their shout. They never ask for freedom. What do you have to do is shout loud enough for Jesus to stop? And when he stopped, he brings everything you need.

And the Bible says, watch this, watch this. Bartamaeus took off his clothes. God took off their chains. The three. And I want you to shout for your vision to come back. When I count the three, we're going to shout. Matt, you're going to turn the lights up. And we're going to give God 30 seconds of a Pentecostal storefront praise

because you're about to see again, your family about to see again, your business. is about to see it again. The light is coming back to your head. Are you ready to shout? I want you to shout the name that silence shouted. The Bible says, not only their change fell, found them, how did I? Addiction wondering how did I get,

somebody pray for me, somebody prays for me. Lift your hands, Lord Jesus, for giving sight, giving sight to the blind. I receive this vision. I'm going to believe again. because a small vision is an insult to a big God. I'm going to see again. I'm going to believe again.

In Jesus' name, amen. Come on, give them a praise. God bless you. I hope you enjoyed the podcast. And if you did, make sure to share it and subscribe so we can get you all of these new messages as soon as they're available. I also want to take a moment and thank all of you

who are a part of elevation, whether you support us financially or serve with us. us or just share these messages, it's because of you that we're able to reach people all around the world. And if you want more information on how to be a part of elevation, click the link in the description. Thanks again for listening. Make sure to leave a review, share the message, and subscribe. God bless you. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.