Elevation with Steven Furtick - I Wasn’t Left, I Lingered (Stephen Chandler)

Episode Date: June 13, 2022

If God hasn't revealed what's next, He may still have something to show you right now. In “I Wasn’t Left, I Lingered,” Pastor Stephen Chandler of Union Church teaches us how to stay focused on our purpose when we feel like we should be further along. If you’ve just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: http://ele.vc/tIepfrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. I'm excited. God has something super natural in store for you. Elevation. Are y'all doing well today? Man, it is the honor of a lifetime to be with you guys today. I'm going to have you stand for just a few more minutes because we're about to go crazy and honor your pastors,

Pastor Stephen and Pastor Holly Ferdit. Come on, can you put your hands together? that we're grateful, grateful, grateful for them. A few weeks back, Elevation Nights was in Washington, D.C., which is kind of like my home region, so like, all whole church, all a union church showed up. And I mean, it was unbelievable. And I was in that atmosphere.

And I ain't going to lie, I was bawling my eyes out. I was a complete mess. And I began to think, in the Old Testament, every time God would do something amazing for people, they would grab stones and they would build an altar. And they would worship in that moment. And what that altar was for is as years went by when they walked past those stones, their kids would ask,

Dad, Mom, what are those stones about? And dad would say, let me tell you about the time when our God parted the ocean in front of us. Let me about that time when giants fell, because our God is awesome. Here's the thought that crossed my mind. Here in the New Testament church, we don't stack stones,

but songs are almost like modern-day altars. I promise you you have a worship song that's connected to a victory or a loss that you've experienced in your life. And when you hear that song, it brings you back to the place where God delivers you, where he covered you,

where he kept you. And I was just thinking, I am so grateful for this house. I'm so grateful for Pastor Stephen and Pastor Holly and the songs that have come out of this house has carried me and hundreds and thousands of people closer to God through trials,

through hardship, through setbacks. And it's because you have pastors that hear from God that are humbled before the Lord and are leading according to the will of God. So just one more time, Can you put your hands together? Can you go nuts for your pastor? We love you.

Pastor Stephen, Pastor Holly. All right. Let's preach. Go ahead. Grab your seat. Grab your seat. Turning your Bible to Luke, Luke, chapter two, Luke chapter two verse 41. I have with me the greatest thing that has ever happened to me on planet Earth next to salvation.

And that is my beautiful African queen. Zai Chandler is in. of building my beautiful wife. Y'all, her birthday was on Friday. Can y'all shout happy birthday? Come on. Type it in the chat, whatever campus you're at, make her blush. I think they have a picture of my family. You can see how much we love each other because we got cheering and I always feel bad showing this picture because it makes everybody feel bad because they realize that my family is more beautiful than theirs. And that's really mean and offensive, but you see the picture. It's true. standing next to me is my beautiful daughter. Her name is Zoe. She's five on my lap is my twin,

my homie. He's four. His name is Roman. And then holding, my wife's holding our youngest, our 10-month-old. She looks like an angel. She is a fallen angel. She does not know Jesus. And she likes to remind us at about 3.30 in the morning that she is a heathen. So pray for Jade Mariah that she is. she would get some Jesus and some Holy Ghost, or at least a little bit of sleep, so that we can enjoy, enjoy our rest. We're blessed. We're grateful. We're really blessed because we left them home, so we had some great sleep.

Oh, before I preach, y'all, I've got a book coming out. Come on now. It's called Stop Waiting for Permission, and I'm asking, man, grab that book. It will change your life. one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture is Proverbs 252. Proverbs 252 says it's the glory of God to conceal a matter and it's the glory of kings to reveal a matter. Here's how I interpret that verse, that God is hidden greatness inside of you. You may not realize this, but there's a genius inside of you.

There's an anointing. There's a gifting and God is hidden it inside. Why do you hide it? Because if you find it without him, you'll abuse it. But when you find it in him, you will realize that there's something inside of you that will transform this world. And that book literally is a step-by-step guide. It really is what God, the journey God took me on of just thinking that I'm kind of a nobody and invisible in all this. And then realizing that there's so much that God has placed inside of me. So you can

pre-order that wherever books are sold. All right, we're done with the QVC commercial. Here we go. Luke Chapter 2, verse 41. If you're ready for the word, somebody say, yeah. Come on, here we go. It says this. His parents, and this is Jesus's parents, Mary and Joseph, went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days as they returned, the boy Jesus lingered. Now, I need you to say lingered. Somebody say lingered. Come on, type it in the chat. Somebody say lingered. That's the whole message. Jesus. Jesus. Lingered. Now, I need you to say linger. Come on. Type it in the chat. Somebody say lingered. That's the whole message. Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem.

And Joseph and his mother did not know it, but supposing him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey and sought him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem seeking him. Now, I got to pause because y'all not catching the tension in this passage. y'all Mary and Joseph lost God how you are maybe you're one of those people you don't lose anything you know where your car keys are your wallet all the time I lose things I lose car keys I lose wallets, I lose children sometime, I have never lost God. Listen, you're panicking when you check your pockets and you realize God ain't there. Says now so it was that after three days that they found him

in church. He was in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. So when they saw him, they were amazed, and his mother said to him, son, why have you, why did you put us through this? Why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought you anxiously. And he said to them, y'all, you got to understand he was God, but he was also 12. He's like, what you're looking for? He said, why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my father's business. This is a moment where Mary had to decide,

do I grab the Messiah by his ear? Or do I just say, yes, Lord? But they did not, they didn't know what he was, they'd understand the statement which he spoke to them. Let's pray, Father God, we're grateful. God, we're grateful and we don't take for granted your presence. God, you said, wherever two or three are gathered in your name.

There you'll be also, God, there's two in the room, there's two at every campus, there's hundreds and thousands of people watching across the world. And God, you, you wouldn't show up and not transform and not speak and not heal. So God, we say, have your way. And God, when you speak, we will obey. In Jesus' name, we pray. Somebody shout, amen. Amen. At the end of 2021, the last week of December, December. I've been doing this for years. I just took about a week off between Christmas and New Year's and kind of just get some time away to pray to plan my next year

and all that other good stuff. And this year, it was different. I'm fasting, I'm praying, I'm spending time with God. And God gave me a specific word for 2022. Now, it's not super deep or super spiritual or whatever. So I don't want to set you all, you got a prophecy. God just gave me a word. And before I give you that, you just got to understand.

This doesn't happen to me often. I'm not the guy that has a word for every single year. This is 2019, the year of harvest. 2020, the year of abundance. Didn't see that coming. I'm just not the guy that gets a word every year. So this was just different for me. But I just felt this still small voice that God said,

2022 is the year of purpose. He said, Stephen, this is a year where you can't afford to waste a lot of time. This is a year where you have to be intentional. You have to be focused. You have to know what I've called you to do and you have to be about. 2022 is the year of no. Come on now. That says someone, y'all free.

No, I'm sorry. I can't make it. No, I'm sorry. I can't do that. No, I'm sorry. I'm not even sorry, actually. I won't be there. It's a year where God says, if people would lock in on their calling,

lock in on their purpose, would be intentional about their life, they would see a wind of favor sweep behind them. You'll see doors open that you didn't even know could open because you're not just live in a happenstance life or let's see how it goes or what happens, but I'm locked in on who God's called me to be and what he's called me to do. Somebody say purpose.

There's nobody that's walked a planet that has lived a life of more purpose than Jesus. You've got to understand. Even before he was born, it was documented and prophesied the purpose on his life. The Bible says this in Luke chapter 1, verse 32, talking about Jesus, it says, he will be great. Let's not even go any further. Can you imagine the pressure? Hey, no pressure, but you have to be great. If you're not great, your life is a failure.

He said, he will be great and will be called the son of the most high. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants. Watch this. Forever. His kingdom will never end. Now, that's a great Bible, but that's a lot of pressure for a three-year-old. I mean, let's be real.

You are the king of kings, the Lord of Lords. You're taking over David's throne, and your kingdom can never end. Could you imagine the pressure that Jesus lived under? Could you imagine the focus, the intentionality, And can you imagine he couldn't say what everybody else was saying? He couldn't go where everybody else was going. He couldn't do whatever.

Could you imagine being 14, knowing that there's a cross in your future? Can you imagine the pressure of being the Messiah and having to pick a prom date? You can't just go to prom with anybody. Like there's a calling on your life. There's purpose. You have to live with a focus and an intentionality. Now here's the thing. We look at Jesus.

We know he's the Messiah. and we're like, well, of course, he had to live with purpose because the whole world was counting on him. But what we don't realize is you have purpose as well. That God called you and knows you. It has a specific, unique purpose for you here on earth. The Bible says in Acts 17 that God picks your city. He picked the time in the calendar that you would be born. He picks your family.

He sets you up for the kingdom purpose that he has for you. There's even prophecy about you in scripture. Jeremiah 1-5, it says this. God says, I knew you, Stephen. I like doing it. Can you just put your name in the Bible? I knew you, whatever your name is, Gabe or whatever. I knew you before you were formed within your mother's womb.

Before you were born, I sanctify. What does that mean? He said, I set you aside for special use. He said, you are appointed as my spokesperson to the world. Listen to me, there is purpose on your life. God said, before you were even born, I knew you, I called you, I planned you to have an impact on earth that nobody else could have. I know your parents told you that you were a surprise. They didn't see you coming, but hear me, you were not a surprise to God.

God had purpose for you before you knew you. Watch this. God had purpose for you before you made your biggest mistake. So many people, all we can see is the biggest moment of shame in our life. And we say, well, because of that, God can never use me. Watch this. God is all knowing and he planned your purpose, knowing that that mistake would be in your story. And yet he still said, I have purpose for you.

He still said, I want to use you in a way that you will not even imagine. Somebody say there's purpose on my life. Now here's the problem with purpose. The problem with purpose is I don't get to do what everybody else does. The problem with purpose is I can't go where everybody else goes. I can't say what everybody else says. And watch this. I have to go through some things that other people don't have to go through

because they don't have the same purpose on their life. So I have on my life. I'm a huge football fan. We're getting ready to go into football. season and we like watching football on TV or high school games or whatever it may be. But before it gets to TV, before they get to the game, they have August. Come on, I haven't played football back in the day. August is the worst month of the year for a football player. Why? Because there's no games,

there's no television, there's just heat and practice. My football coach, you would say, Stephen, go run this hill until I remember you exist. And we are out there suffering. Not everybody is going through what we're going through, but not everybody gets to play what we play. Hear me. I know I'm not, I'm like three minutes in my message. I don't want to tick you off or anything like that.

So I'm going to talk about myself instead of talk about you. I'm going to just throw myself into the bus and you could jump under the bus with me. But I find myself complaining about how difficult life is sometimes. Am I the only? Why don't I have to go through all that? It is not fair. I go past to this church and these people are crazy. I call it prayer time, but I'm actually just complaining.

And I feel like the Holy Spirit, you've been jacked up in your prayer time at some point? I feel like the Holy Spirit said, yes, you're going through things that other people don't have to go through, but I'm using you in a way that I'm not using other people. So do you want to be normal and unused? or do you want to go through some difficult seasons, but be used by God in a great way? Hear me. Some of you have been looking around at your life

and saying, my siblings aren't going through the same drama that I have to go through. My coworkers aren't running into the same setbacks. Why? Why? Why? Here's why. Because you're cold. Because there's purpose. Because there's destiny.

Because God's hand is on your life. Because you're favored. Yeah, you're going through things that other people don't have to go through, but God's going to use you in ways that he's not using. Somebody shout, I have purpose. I want to preach a message. You may have thought that I was preaching. I haven't started preaching yet, but I want to preach to the message today called I wasn't left. I lingered.

I wasn't left. I lingered. My sophomore year in college at the University of the University of the University of the United States. of Maryland College Park, the greatest university on planet Earth, fear the turtle. It's like the worst mascot ever. But sophomore year in college, it was just, I was running like a madman. I was taking over 20 credits because I was trying to get out of school as fast as possible. I was working for my dad's company like 25 hours.

I was the student pastor at the church 45 minutes away, so I'm driving up to Maryland. So I was just kind of running ragged. Plus, I loved Jesus. What do you mean by that? I mean that my idea of college was not being drunk every Friday, laying in a bush on Route 1 on campus, wondering where my room key was. That just wasn't my idea of a college experience. And sophomore year, I didn't have classes on Friday.

So every Thursday night, I'd jump in my car, I'd go to work, I'd go home, and I'd be at church leading worship over the weekend and all that kind of stuff that I come back Monday morning. And almost every single Monday morning when I come back to my door, my roommate was saying, Stephen, man, you missed a party. Man, this weekend was crazy.

I mean, the party was lit. The cops showed up. They were shooting rubber bullets. It was, I don't know why every party of Maryland ended with rubber bullets from the, he's like, he's like, where were you? And it happened week after week out and he got so frustrated

that I was missing all these parties. Y'all, they staged in intervention. Y'all, I walked in my dorm one Monday. There's a bunch of dudes like, Steven, sit down. I'm like, what's going on? So, Stephen, we're worried about you.

You're missing out on the college experience. You're missing out on life. And I'm like, I'm having a college experience. I'm getting seasoned east just like you all. I'm in the professor's office begging for seven percentage points of. I'm having a college experience.

He's like, no, no, no. He said, you'll never get to have this season of your life. He said, he got so mad. He said, Stephen, this is you and this is life passing you by. He said, you're getting left behind. I think I ticked them off because I started laughing. I don't think that's the response that he wanted, but I didn't know how to explain to him,

hey, my entire existence, doesn't revolve around four years at this university. Like, I'm glad that I'm here and I'm going to have a good time, and I'm actually having more fun than you think I am. But I have purpose. I have focused. There's some... I wanted to tell them my life is going somewhere, but that was a little bit ignorant because then it would imply,

so I didn't... But I kind of did. Because I had seen something further ahead, I wasn't overwhelmed with the fact that I may have been, missing out on what everybody thought that this moment was all about. Here's what I've discovered. People of purpose are not concerned about being left behind. There's this angst, there's this anxiety of men.

I've got to keep up with life. I got to make sure that I'm relevant. I got to make sure that I don't get left behind. But when you realize that there's a purpose on your life, being left behind is no longer you're concerned. And this passage it says that Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. They were there for seven days, which lets us know that Mary and Joseph, they were church folks. Not church folks. They were church folks.

The religious law only required them to be there for two days. So for them to have been there for seven days, they were like, oh, we're going to church every time the doors are open. Seven days, they would feast and they would worship, and then they would celebrate. And then the last day, it says that they left, but Jesus lingered behind. Now, because we have all the scripture, we're able to look at it, it's very easy to judge people in the Bible. Like, come on now, how do you lose God? Like, that's not that. Just keep an eye on God.

But you got to understand, because it was such a long journey, they were probably traveling with aunts and uncles and cousins and Graham. There's probably 50 to 100 people they were traveling with. They probably just assumed, oh, Jesus is with his uncle. or Jesus is with his aunt. And it wasn't until three days went back. And Jesus didn't come to bathe. He didn't come to brush their teeth. He didn't come asking for more money that they're like, okay, there's a problem here. Three days, they search all of Jerusalem. And they find him sitting in the temple talking to adults and rabbis and explaining scripture and debating theology. And Mary said, how could you do this to us? And Jesus says a statement. He said, don't you. you know, I must be about my father's business. Here's what he was saying. He said, there's a purpose on my life. You got to understand, I'm a little ignorant, so I only see ignorant things in scripture. I feel like Jesus was saying, and making my mama happy is not the number one purpose in my life. You got to see the awkwardness of this moment. He said, I must be about my father's

business. And Joseph, do we call him a stepfather? And Joseph was like, I don't got no business. Jesus understood there's a call of God on my life and everybody around me may not always understand it. But that's not my problem. A problem is to be locked in on what God's called. I'm going to give you just three quick thoughts, three quick thoughts of how do I stay locked in on the purpose that God has for me? If you're taking notes, write this down. If you are not taking notes, write this down. First thing is this, purpose cannot be left behind. Purpose cannot be left behind. You may not realize it that they all live with this anxiety of next, next, next, next, next, what's going to happen next, where do I go next? What's my next opportunity? And that cycle started before you

even realized it. Do you remember being 12 years old? Somebody's 12, like, I am 12 right now. Remember being 12? The only thing you can think about is I can't wait to be 13? I'm a teenager. I'm a teen. And you go from 12 to 13, you realize that you are 13 and powerless. Being 13 is about as useless as being 12. Now, I can't wait to be 16 because I'm going to get a drive. license and I'm going to get my freedom and then you turn 16 you have a driver's license and a curfew. You realize 16 ain't all that great. Can't wait to be 18 because when I'm 18 I'm out of here. I'm going to college.

No more curfew. I'm free. And you turn out to be 18 and you have freedom and you're broke. All of a sudden you realize 18 ain't all that great. Now I was like, I can't wait to be 22 because I'm going to get out of college. I'm going to get a job. You get out of college and you got a job and you got bills. and you're still broke.

Too ain't that great. Okay, now I need to get married so I get somebody else to help me pay these bills. It's the only reason you get married. And then the second you get married, you sign that marriage certificate, the ink isn't even dry. And that auntie's saying,

so where the baby's at? She's even made it to our honeymoon yet. And as soon as the babies come, then you want them to grow up. Can't wait until they leave. Wait, I thought you couldn't wait for them to come. And then as soon as they leave, when y'all going to get married? And as soon as they get married, when are you're going to make me some grandbabies?

And it goes on and on and on. It doesn't matter where we are. We're always looking at next. Come on now. You just got a promotion. And you're already thinking about what the next one is. You're making more money today than you've ever made in your life, but you can only obsess on the next thing that you can't afford.

It's next. It's next. And here's what we don't really. It's a prison that torments us. And then we begin to obsess over, why haven't I made it over there yet? Why hasn't this opportunity? I was just thinking this prison of next. It's literally a jail cell that has four walls. One of the walls of that tormenting prison is the wall of delay.

It's just this nauseous feeling of I should be further than I am right now. Man, if only I had taken that opportunity, if only I had that favor, if only this, if only that, and we end up obsessing over why we aren't where we should be, we feel delayed. Another wall of that prison is the wall that I call of denied. Man, that person turned me down. I'd be further along if they had hired me. I'd be further along if they had opened that door. I'd be further along. They just didn't like me, and that's why I'm stuck here.

Another wall of that prison next is the wall that I call destroyed. They had not been from that car accident. If I hadn't gone through that sickness, if that divorce hadn't taken place, if we hadn't gone through that pandemic, I'd still have my business or whatever. There's some event in my life that has kept me from the next that I think I deserve. And then the last, well, I'm doing well, y'all. They're all d's. You see this?

I put my work in today. delayed, denied, destroyed, and discouraged. I don't deserve next. I've made too many mistakes. I've blown it too badly up. I've messed this up. I've messed that up. I've messed that up. And we find herself in this prison of obsessing over where we think we should be.

Instead of looking around and seeing, wait, where am I right now? Hear me elevation. If God has not moved you to a new season, it's because there's still miracles that are untapped in your current season. If God hasn't opened the door for next, it's because there's more that he has in the now that he desires to do in your life. Hear me, there's miracles that are waiting for you in July. There's miracles that are ahead of you in 2023, but June's still got some miracles in it. I'm telling you, God still has some open doors that he's bringing in 2022. There are some things that God is looking to do in your life.

Somebody say now. But we're so often, we're so obsessed over next. We miss the fact that there's a supernatural move of God in the now. People who don't realize that there's purpose on their life. They will actually leave the call of God. just to stay relevant. Just to feel like, man, I found they will leave where God told them to be. Just because I found something that looks like it'll take me forward and move me where I want to go.

People of purpose are not concerned about keeping up with the Joneses. But realize that if this is where God has me, there's something that he's looking to do now. Ecclesiastes 3-1 says this, to everything there is a season. a time for every purpose under the sun. If God hasn't opened the next door for you, it's because there's something that he's looking to do right now. As I was in college, I knew that God had called me to the ministry. I knew that this is what I was going to do for the rest of my life.

I just didn't know what doors would open or how it would happen or whatever. So I just started looking for jobs after college. Now, everyone was like, you know, what were you passionate about? What was your purpose? What were you going after? I was passionate about a paycheck. What industry were you called to, whichever industry would pay me. I applied to every single company that showed up at that job fair.

And I'm telling you, in that interview, I was so passionate about what they were doing and building. Oh, I love that. I'll give my life to this. My paycheck shows up on the first and the 15th. And I actually got a job that was, and I'm not trying to put myself down, but if you see my GPA, you'll see he's telling the truth. that was beyond my resume. Like, it was a miracle. I got a job from one of the top oil companies in America.

And, I mean, the job was so sweet. The salary came with a signing bonus. I thought only athletes got signing bonuses. I'm looking at this paper like, Mama, we made it. I mean, biggest salary I've ever seen, company cars. It was amazing. only problem was I had to move to Louisiana. That's where the message gets a little icky

because I can start trashing Louisiana right now and get a lot of emails and all that other good stuff. There's nothing wrong with Louisiana. I love Louisiana. I'm good friends there. Great food. Cost of living is less than D.C. Only problem is God told me to stay in Maryland.

The problem is the Holy Spirit said there's something I've called you to do here in Maryland. I'm sitting and I'm wrestling. I'm like, God, look at this job. I could tithe off of this job. You could always bribe God with money, right? I was like, clearly this is the will of God. And the more I try to pray my way into it, the more discontent I felt. And then I said, okay, God, you told me to stay fine.

I'll stay. Where's the other job in Maryland with a comparable salary? And my signing bonus. Silence. God didn't even say, wait six months. He said, nothing. Do you know how awkward it is turning down a job? You don't have a good reason?

They literally said, tell us what the other company offered you and will beat their offer. They offered me half. You want half more? No, the job I'm taking is paying me half. They're like, this guy's not bright enough to hire. I'm glad we missed that.

I'm always in trouble. Is it bad to say that God's a job? annoying? It is, it is, it's. I'll say it, you won't. If he hits me with lightning, you're far enough away. Here's the annoying thing about God. And I say that with all reverence and all fear. Gives you all the details. Stephen, stay in Maryland. Don't leave this state. Why? Abram, go to a land. What land? I'll show you. You'll know. I mean, here, eight years or 12 years later, How many of years it's been? Union church, people, campuses and all that.

Now it makes sense why he had me stay in Maryland. But back then, when I say nothing was going on, it's just like, and I realize that people of purpose are willing to be left behind just because God said, I have something for you here. If I live in it, and stuff, got to get to next, got to get to next, got to get to I will find myself outside of the will of God. Here's what the Bible says in Matthew chapter 6, verse 34. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now.

And don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Watch this. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. I feel like God is saying through this verse. Why are you so excited about tomorrow? It doesn't get easier. It's not like tomorrow's a cakewalk. I'll help you with tomorrow when we get till tomorrow.

But there's a miracle that is still here today. Y'all want to have some fun? Y'all ready to shout? I'm reading this passage, and here's the thing that blows my mind. Jesus wasn't left. He lingered. Here is Mary and Joseph feeling guilty that they lost God. they didn't lose him he ditched them he probably acted like he was in the caravan and when they

weren't looking he slipped away Jesus wasn't left he lingered I find there's so many people that that they live in this position of guilt they live in this position of regret because there's an opportunity that you missed out on man man if I had just taken that job if I had just moved to that If I had just done this, if I had just done that, man, I wish I can have that chance back. I would do it differently. Three days into their journey when they realized that Jesus wasn't with them. What did purpose do? Purpose turned around and it went back to get what it left because it realized I can't go where I'm going without the person that God has called me to go there with.

Here's what you need to understand elevation. When there's purpose on your life, your opportunity cannot leave you behind. And even if it does leave you behind, it's got to come back and get you because God has called that for you. And when God says it's for you, it doesn't matter who says that it's not. Hear me, there's some opportunities that you missed out on that are going to come back and find you. There's some open doors that you walked by 10 years ago. and that door is going to open again if it's the door that God has for you. There's some dreams that you've given up on.

And I'm telling you, God's going to start stirring that dream in your heart again. Because when you're a person of purpose, somebody say, I can't be left behind. Destiny has to come back and get you because it's the call of God in your life. The second thing is this, write this down, write this down. Purpose leads you to learn. Purpose leads you to learn. Now, here's the fun thing about preaching. Every time you preach, you're preaching to different people.

Not everybody in the room has the same personality, the same place, all that other good stuff. So when people are shouting, everybody's shouting for a different reason. And when people aren't shouting, they're not shouting for a different reason. Now, there's some of you that you're like me. You're just like moving forward. You're ambitious. You like kicking indoors. And then I'm telling you to get left behind.

And you're like, I don't know who these guy is. Bring back the real Stephen. This is black. I don't want to move forward. There's some people that are shouting, yeah. I don't mind being left behind. You're not shouting, yeah, out of faith. You're shouting, yeah, out of complacency.

They're not going to like me after this one. Because being left behind is different than hanging behind. It's one thing to say, I don't need more to define me. It's a completely different thing to say, I don't want more. See, there's a major difference between complacency and contentment. Contentment is the next promotion doesn't define me. I'm defined in Christ and I am complete and satisfied in who I am today. But I will take that next promotion and when that door opens,

complacency is I don't want anything else out of life. And hear me, complacency is not of God. Psalm says this. He said, ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance. If I did not withhold my son, how much more will I not freely give you all things? God has more for you. So if I've been left behind, if doors aren't opening, if I'm in a season of waiting, It's not a season of complacency.

It's a season of God. What are you looking to do in this season? How can I maximize this season until next comes? And here's what Jesus did. Jesus learned. Jesus didn't just hang back and, you know, just eat food and hang out. No, no, no, no. Jesus went to the temple and he began to learn from the rabbis.

He began to debate. He began to unpack scripture. He began to learn and develop himself. hear me. If next hasn't come, there's something that God's trying to teach you in the now. If a new opportunity, if a door hasn't opened up in front of you, there's something that God is trying to unpack in your life right now. If there's something that you want, you don't have it. Ask God, what do I need to learn? What revelation am I missing? What kingdom purpose in this area have I not been made aware of? What am I not seen here that you're trying to show me?

And help me see it because as soon as I see it, I can get to where I need to go. If God's left you behind, it's because he's trying to teach you something where you are. I should stay out of trouble, right? No, I don't like to. Let's just go right up until the edge. We all were locked down in this pandemic for 12 months, 24 months, or whatever may be. Here's what happened. Some people sat and some people grew.

Some people sat in their house and twiddled their thumb. and did nothing. Other people said, well, since I can't get on a plane and I can't go all these, God, what is it that you're trying to do in me? What are you trying to develop in me? What are you trying to heal me of? What are you trying to grow me in?

God, since I got a half time on my life, let me use this time to grow so that when the doors finally do open back up, I'm not the same person that went in. And now that things are opening up, we're beginning to see. Not everybody spent the last three years the same way. I can either sit and complain about what opportunities are not coming my way,

or I can say, God, you're trying to do something in this moment. And you've got to catch this picture. There's a 12-year-old kid sitting with grown men. These were the most educated of the land. These were the most learned of the land. And he was holding his own. Why? Because purpose will always put you in rooms.

that are above your head. And when purpose puts you in a room that's above your head, you have two choices. You could either let insecurity overwhelm you. Or you can say, God has me here because he's trying to teach me something. I got to learn something. I got to see something because he's trying to take me somewhere.

I remember about eight years ago, I was at a pastor's round table at one of the largest churches in America. Probably about 16 pastors. And I'm telling you look around this table. And it was like the up and coming who's who. This guy got 4,000 people in his church. This guy got 10,000. This guy got 6,000.

This guy got 8,000. I had 250 people. You ever, you know, one of these things are not like the other. I missed half of the round table because I was just trying to figure out why I was there. And I'm sitting at this table and y'all, they were talking about concepts that I didn't even know existed. You're in a position where people are answering questions that you're not. you're not even smart enough to ask. They're sitting there talking about, yeah, we're going to build this campus.

It's going to be $20 million. And we're building this location. That's $30 million. And I just needed $300. To make the payment on the church's copy machine so the church's copy machine didn't get repossessed. And I'm just like, I'm driving for a $20 billion building. But how do I get $300 so I can pay this copy machine bill so that we could keep on printing out the bulletins that we can hang on people as they walk through the door? Can somebody answer that question?

We got to this one moment in the round table. We're saying, you need to understand the demonic principalities of your city and begin in purse circles around the demonic ten principalities of your city. And when you bind those principalities, you will be able to see growth and revival in your church. I said, prince, prince, prince, I got a demon in my sound system. How do you cast that? How do you make the feedback stop? But y'all, I'm sitting in that room.

And over three days, I took. eight pages of notes. No exaggerate. For the next three years, I just applied, applied, applied, applied, applied, applied, applied. And next thing you know, hundreds are coming, thousands are coming, revival breaks out. I learned what a principality was.

I start prayer marching. Instead of obsessing how everybody around me was ahead of me, I realized that we're not in a competition. This is not a race. I have my calling, you have yours. I have my purpose, you have yours. Your success doesn't intimidate me. Your success inspires me

because if God can do it through you, that God can do it through me. So I know you're ahead of me, but do you mind just pausing for one second and teach me something? You've got to teach me much. Just teach me, I promise you I'll apply it. Last thing is, write this down, write this down, right?

End play. All right. I didn't even the best part. Number three, doesn't take things personally. I wanted to say purpose doesn't get offended, but I didn't. I said this. Luke 240 says this, so when they saw him, they were amazed, and his mother said to him, son, why have you done this to us?

Look, your father who's standing here and won't say a word. Have you ever noticed how Joseph never speaks? your father and I have sought you. Here's what Mary. She said, Jesus, why did you put us through this? It says Mary was, when they walked in, obviously it's church, they're not going to interrupt. They're watching from the side for a moment,

and they see Jesus going back and forth with the rabbis, and he is holding his own. It says Mary was amazed. Here's a problem with having purpose on your life. people who don't have purpose will be amazed at God's hand on your life and offended by it at the same time wow, it's amazing what God is doing through you

but you've forgotten who you are well look at the doors that are opening up don't get a big head now wow look at your family look at the peace look at the joy I wish I had a family like that what you think you're better than us people who don't

purpose are always offended by those who do. Here's the problem. If I'm a people pleaser and the purpose on my life is offensive to others, I will always live an apologetic life instead of a boldness of who God's called me to me. Jesus said, Mom, it's not about you. I'm not trying to cause you anxiety. I'm not trying to cause you fear. I'm not trying to do it. No, no, no, no, no. This is because that's my my father's business. I'm trying to set you up that if you're going to live a life of purpose, you're going to have to be okay with some awkward

encounters. People are coming here, hey, hey, hey, I got this business opportunity. We've got to go 50-50. I'll put it happy. We'll triple our money in the next six months. We got to do it. You got the money?

Mm-hmm. Are you doing something else with it? Mm-mm. Do you think this is going to work? Mm-hmm. And you're still not going to do it. You don't think I'm good at what you don't like? No, that's not what God told me to do. No, he has something else for me. I can't even explain it more than that because he hasn't really given me all the information, but there's a different purpose of my life.

Hey, hey, come on single folks. Hey, we should date. Mm-mm. Do you like me? Mm-hmm. You think I'm attractive? Mm-hmm. Do you have any other options? You're not who God promised me. A life of purpose is awkward. If you're a person that likes everybody to be happy with you, you will compromise on your purpose.

But if you live a life like Jesus lived, I love my mother and I want her to be happy, but that's not the primary purpose of my life. I love my kids and I want them to be great men and women of God, but they're not the totality of the purpose of my life. I like when people like me, but it's not the purpose of my life. I'm like everybody else. I love promotion.

I love new titles, but that's not my purpose. A purpose is to hear well done, that good and faithful servant. When you make a decision, I'm going to live a life to fulfill why he placed me here on earth. you're going to see a peace, a joy, and a purpose that you never thought possible. Father God, we're grateful. God, we're thankful. God, out of billions of people, God, you know us, you called us, you set us apart. You put purpose right where you're sitting, watching online, whatever location that you're at. Can you pray this prayer with me?

Say, Holy Spirit, what are you saying to me? And just give God a moment to make this message personal to you. maybe you're all stressed out about an opportunity that you're missed and God says you haven't missed anything maybe you're complacent and God's saying it's time to learn maybe you're worried about who doesn't like you or who's not pleased with your decisions and God says it's not about that or maybe if you'd be honest you would say pastor I don't know this God that you're talking about that you say has a purpose for my life here's the reality there's a great purpose for your life but you will never discover that purpose until you discover the God of purpose because your greatest existence is only in the palm

of his hand. Wherever you find yourself, you say, Pastor, I can't say that I know God the way that you're talking about, but I want to know this God who loves me and knows me and has a purpose for my life. You can make that decision right where you are. Not going to have you raise your hand or type in the chat or anything like that, but right where you are, just pray this prayer with me. say Father God, thank you for seeing me, for wanting me. Thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that all my mistakes, all my sin can be erased. Today, right now, I surrender. I give you all of me.

Be my Lord. Be my Savior. and use me for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen and amen and amen. Hey, can you celebrate for every single person that made the greatest decision ever? Well, if you enjoyed today's podcast, there are a couple things I'd love for you to do.

Make sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. You can also help us reach others by investing today at elevationchurch.org slash give. And thanks again for joining us on the Elevation Podcast. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.