Elevation with Steven Furtick - One Life (Jabin Chavez)

Episode Date: June 20, 2022

God wants your “yes.” In “One Life,” Pastor Jabin Chavez of City Life Church reminds us that when we submit our plans and problems to God, it creates space for Him to show up in our situation. 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. Hey, everybody. How are we feeling? Just while you're standing, I want to say what an honor it is to be here today. What a privilege. You know, that little phrase, Jehovah Jira, the first time it was used, was used by Abraham. And the Bible said that when God provided the ram and the thicket and spared his son Isaac, that

Abraham called that place. Everybody say that place. That place, Jehovah, Jira, the Lord is my provider. God is a god of places. He's a god of people and he's a god of seasons. Places are important. Your place is important. And I can honestly say, of elevation church. This is my place. It's the place that God has provided over and over and over again for me. Can I get a witness from anybody in the house that would say, this is my Jehovah Jira place. This is the place that God has spoken to me, met with me, provided for me, led me, guided me. and I'm so grateful for our pastors today. I'm so grateful for Pastor Stephen and Pastor Holly Ferdick.

I'm grateful for their yes. I'm grateful for their love for God. I'm grateful for their love for each other. I so appreciate them. I appreciate what they've said yes to so that we could all enter into. And they're worthy of double honor. And I just felt led today. to pray for them before we get into our word as they're taking a few days to rest and recharge

for the rest of the year. I think it is right to pray for our pastors. Can I get an amen, everybody? So at every location, eFAM around the world right here in Valentine, why don't we lift our hands together? Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for our pastors. We thank you for our covering. We thank you for this amazing man and woman of God that you have raised up for such a time as this. We thank you for Pastor Stephen and Holly. We pray that even now you would meet with them, that even now you would refresh them, that even now, Lord, you would begin to speak to them about the future. I thank you that the greatest songs they've ever written, the greatest books they've ever written, the greatest sermons they've ever preached are still in front of them. I thank you

that their future is brighter than even their past. That all you've done in their life and through their life and for their life. Lord, over these last years, Lord, I thank you that the best is still yet to come. I thank you, Lord, for vision. I thank you for divine protection. I thank you that even now you begin to bless Elijah and Graham and Abby, that you begin to speak to them in their youth and lead and guide them in their youth and into their future. We pray, Lord, that you would bless them. And as you bless them, that the oil would start at the top and it would flow all the way down Lord, we thank you for the peace of God that's ruling and reigning right now, the provision of God, the favor of God, the hand of God that is upon them for the seasons ahead. We thank you for all

they've done for us. And Lord, you said, if we would refresh others, we would be refreshed. We pray for all the refreshing they've done for us. Now, Lord, would you refresh them? Lord, would you pour back into them? Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. We thank you for it in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you agree with that prayer, can we give God the best praise we've given him all day, every location? Oh, come on, clap your hands, all you people.

And check with a voice of triumph. Amen. Amen. High five, your neighbor while you're being seated. Tell him you look good. You sound good. I'm glad I'm sitting next to you. Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord. Hey, as Pastor Larry said, I am from Vegas. And so who's ever been to Vegas? Can I see your hand? Okay. Oh, okay. I don't know if I was ready for that many hands to go up. But if you're ever in Vegas, witnessing street evangelism, I don't know.

I don't know why you go to Vegas. But if you're ever there, come say hi to us over at City Light Church. our commitment to you is if you had a rough weekend, we're not going to judge you. You just get to the house of God. We will lay hands on you. We will cast the devil out of you. We'll anoint your head with oil. We'll send you home like nothing happened.

Just like, man, it was great. But if you had a good weekend in Vegas, remember your boy and bring an offering. Amen, to the house of God. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. But we are a four-year-old church. We're just a little toddler church, just a baby church. that has been so impacted by this ministry and so blessed by this ministry,

both with prayers, advice, wisdom, so many phone calls with chunks. I pray for chunks the amount of times that I've had to call that man and ask for help and wisdom and also financial support of you as you have sown into our city and what God is doing here in Vegas. So thank you, thank you. Genesis chapter 12. I'm going to read just three verses to you and I'm going to share a few thoughts. Genesis chapter 12 we're going to start in verse one

the Bible said that the Lord said to Abram leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family and go to the land that I will show you, I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you, I will make you famous and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those that bless you

and I will curse those that treat you with contempt. All of the families of the earth will be blessed through you. Everybody say through you. Because that's the point of the blessing of God that it wouldn't just stop with us. God does want to do something for you, wants to do something in you, but then it must go through you into the world. And I believe God has a plan for you to be a blessing to the world, and to your world and to your family and to those all around you.

So with that in mind, I want to talk from this subject, one life, one life. What could God do with one life completely surrender to him? What could he do with one life of faith? Let's believe that God's going to speak to us now. Father, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the moments we share. I pray for a tailor-made word for your people. for every person in the room, every person,

and every auditorium, every person online, I pray that you would go beyond me, preach past me, and give people what they need today. Our hearts are open. We're listening, we're leaning in, and we believe you're going to speak to us now in the mighty name of Jesus. Everybody said amen, amen, and amen.

Thank you, guys. Can we appreciate the worship team? One more time, clap your hands for them. This just past June 10th, I celebrated my 24th year of being a Christian. Jesus saved my life, June 10, 1998. And this September, I'll celebrate 20 years of full-time ministry. And here's what I want to tell you. After 24 years of walking with the Lord, 20 years of ministering to the body of Christ,

I love Jesus. Anybody else? Am I in the right room? Okay, I love the Lord. I really do. I love church. I love coming in here. I mean, I just cried through worship.

Just cried. Just watching Tiffany sing and John sing and the team. I just love, I love church. I love God. I love the kingdom. I love what God is doing in the earth. And I love the Lord. I love the Lord for a lot of reasons.

But one of the reasons that I love God so much is that he uses us. That's amazing to me. That he doesn't just save us, but the Bible said that he saves us and he calls us with a holy calling. It is so unfair to be a Christian because we not only receive Christ, not only receive forgiveness, not only receive new life, but we receive purpose. That God does something with our life, that God makes something of our life. that God brings honor and dignity to our name and to our family tree and to our future. He even redeems all that we've gone through and makes something beautiful of it.

This is the God that we serve that in our immaturity and in our imperfections and in our issues, in our sometimes bad attitudes. He calls us and he anoints us and he uses us for his glory. This is amazing to me that we don't just. watch God move, but we get to be a part of his move. The Bible said in 1st Corinthians chapter 1, remember dear brothers and sisters that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose those things. We are those things. The world considers foolish in order to shame those that think they are wise. And he chose

things that are powerless to shame those that are powerful. This is our story, that God can take just one person, that God can use one life for his glory, and literally change nations, change communities, change the last name of your family, that God can do something, that what God did with Abraham, Abraham is the father of our faith, that he is the model of our faith, that the same way that God used Abraham, God can use us. The same way that God changed Abraham's family, he can change us, the same way that he brought a great, beautiful plan and purpose to his life. He can do the same thing with us. This is who God is. And you're sitting there going, but I'm not good enough. And I don't think I pray enough. And I definitely don't

feel like I know enough. I just want you to know. You're exactly who God wants to use. God doesn't use perfect people because they don't exist. We still think they do, but they don't. we're still convinced that we're messed up but they're not but that's just not the truth some people are just better at covering up their issues than other people so it's not perfect people that god uses because god doesn't have any so he uses me and he uses you and he uses us to do something amazing in the earth god does not call the qualified he qualifies the called and if god is called you no one can cancel you. Ah, yes, yes. And if God has called you, don't wait another moment to step into that call. All God needs is a yes. Use what you got and let God use you. And you're going, yeah, but I can't, but I can't preach like Pastor Stephen join the club. None of us can. I ain't even trying. I gave up on that.

But I can't sing like them. None of us can. That's okay. But if we all just do what God's called us to do, see, this becomes powerful when we're in partnership. When we all do what God's called us to do, this is what happened to Moses, right? In Exodus chapter 4, God says, Moses, I'm going to use your life. And Moses says, you can't use my life. I can't talk. And God says, I don't need your mouth. He said, what's in your hand? Because I'll take, I'll take whatever your gift is. I'll take whatever your talent is. I'll take whatever your ability is. I'll take whoever you are and I'll use it from my glory. I'll take something natural and I'll put my spirit on it and I'll make it supernatural. And your gift can only take you so far.

But if you would ever let God use your life. Ah, Jaben, I'm just to stay at home on. No, you're not. You're raising up world changers and history makers. Jaben, I'm just a barista. No, no, you're keeping us alive, dog. Like, we don't live without you. We need you.

I'm just a real estate agent. I'm just a... No, no, no. All together, our corporate, yes, changes the world. I want to be used by God. I want God to do something great with my life. In order for my one life to make a difference, number one, I need one word.

I need one word. Verse one said, The Lord said to Abram, our God speaks. please don't skip past this again and again and again in scripture god meets with this people and if you read the bible you're going to find this out god never shows up without a word if you're in the presence of god you will be in the presence of the voice of god that's why the presence of god is so important that's why it's so important that we get in church because when we get in his presence he always speaks

he never shows up and doesn't talk. God speaks. God loves to talk. God knows how powerful words are, and that is why he speaks because he knows something we don't know that with just one word from God, our whole life can change. God still speaks to his people today.

God will give you a word. He'll give you a word about your marriage. He'll give you a word about your future. He'll give you a word about your ministry. God will speak to you. I'm not talking about being flaky or kooky and telling people, yeah, God told me what to wear today. No, God didn't tell me to wear black. I'm just trying to be a little more slimming. Amen.

Pastor Stephen eats protein, I eat carbs. Praise the Lord. We balance each other out. It's the, it's the unity and harmony of the faith. Praise God. That's funny. It's that God will speak to you. God will lead you. God will, God will talk to you about your kids. You better listen up, teenagers. God will start talking to your parents about you. He'll start They'll start telling on you. God will lead. God will guide. If you feel like you're hitting a wall right now, if you feel like you're hitting a glass ceiling right now, you need a word from God. And notice who spoke. The Bible said, the Lord spoke. This word the Lord is the Hebrew word Yahweh, or also translated Jehovah. Yahweh is God's most holy and appropriate name. It's his most holy and appropriate. name. Yahweh means the uncreated one. Pre-existent one. I've just always been. God above all, small G. God's, Lord above all, small L. Lords. God says, Abraham, this is the first time they meet. I want you to know my name. God has a name. See, God is not a name. God is a title. I'm a human,

but my name is Javan. God is God, but he has a name and it's Yahweh. And when he introduces himself to Abraham, he says, I need you to know my name. I need you to know my name. I need you to know who I am. I am Yahweh God. The reason that this is important is because Abraham was a polytheist, just a little fancy word for it. He had many gods. And God is letting Abraham know, I'm the God above all those little G gods that you've been serving. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So if Abraham needed water, he'd go pray to the rain God. If he needed fire, you'd go pray to the fire God. If Sarah couldn't get pregnant, he'd go pray to the baby God. If he needed food, he'd go pray to the food, God. If he needed, If he needed victory in battle, he go pray to the God of war. He had a God for everything.

And now the Lord shows up and says, yo, you don't need them anymore. Yes, yes, yes. You got me now. You need water. You come talk to me. You're in a drought. You come talk to me. Why can't get pregnant? You come talk to me. Need food. You come talk to me. Going into battle, you come talk to me. You don't need all these other little G gods anymore that are doing nothing for you. Yahweh is here. You don't need to settle. Stop settling for little G gods that are making you feel safe, but are actually keeping you small. Yahweh is here. Yawai wants to speak to you. Yawai has a word for you, and what you need is Yahweh. This is why when God would introduce himself to Moses in Exodus 3, he would use the same verb. But you would say, I am that I am. I am Yahweh. You need healing. I am. You need provision.

I am. You need wisdom. I am. You need a breakthrough. I am. You need help. I am. You need encouragement. I am. You need the healing of a broken heart. Whatever you need, I am. So stop running to little G gods that can do nothing for you. You God, I am. And I want to tell somebody here today, I am is here right here right now. And because he is, I am healed. And because he is, I do have everything. I'm. I think it's time for our first praise break. Somebody, thank God, that his name is Yahweh God. Some of y'all roll in your eyes because you're going, J, but I'm an American. I know there's only one God.

I got it. I got it. But we all settle for little G gods. We settle for the God of approval. And the God of the fear of man and the God of culture and the God of popularity. And the God of fear. and the God of greed.

We all settle for little G gods that, again, they make us feel safe because we feel like any God that you can control your flesh likes. That's why the Bible says that we have to pull down strongholds. See, a stronghold is a fortress. That's one of the meanings of the words. So when we hide behind our stronghold, we feel safe, but it's actually keeping us small. But another word for stronghold is also casket.

burial grounds. So we think we're safe hiding in our stronghold, but it's actually killing us spiritually. Worshiping things that cannot get us what we really, we know what we want, but we're going to all the wrong places for it. Doesn't that sound like Mary when she went looking for the living Savior in the wrong place? And the angels said, why are you looking for the living among the dead? Why are you here? You're looking for the right thing, but you're looking for it in the wrong place. And Psalm 1115 says that we will be like what we worship. And Psalm 1115 says, be careful, because if you're not careful, you will end up worshiping gods that have eyes but cannot see and ears that cannot hear and hearts that cannot understand and hands that cannot move and feet that cannot walk.

And those who worship them will be like them. So if I worship dead things, I'm going to be dead spiritually. But I don't worship a dead God. I don't worship little G gods. I worship Yahweh God. He is alive forever. And because he's alive, we live. And because he rose, we can rise.

And Sarah, when you worship the living God, your dead womb will come back to life. An elevation church, when you worship the living God, dead dreams can come back to life. And whatever you need, he is. He is, I am. He is Yahweh God. He's got a word for you today. Somebody say amen to this preacher. I just want to remind you, our God is not an idea.

He is real. He's not a concept. He is alive. He is not a historical rumor. He is moving and active in our world and he is not distant. He is right here, right now. Our God can be known. His voice can be heard and his presence can be felt. You need a word from God. Secondly, you need one risk. They're not have to take a risk because here's what the Lord told him. leave i wish it was like abraham you're my son i'm your father i'm so proud of you let's just hang out it wasn't that'd have been great he says abram i'm the lord okay we got that settled yes sir leave leave your native country leave your relatives leave your father's family leave familiar what you know for what you don't know that I know. But we don't like risk. We like comfort. Now, at every campus right now, y'all are seated where you always sit because you like comfort. You know where to go. You like your angle. You like where you sit. We all like comfort. We all like

repetition. We hate change. And yet what God is calling us into is risk. God is asking us to let go of control to follow his call. Friend, you can have control or you can have faith, but you can't have both. That was the most pitiful clap I've ever heard at Elevation Church, and I've been watching for a long time. I was like, because we want control. And here's why some of you, I'll just say, are spiritually miserable, because you are trying to balance control and faith.

Because even the control you think you feel isn't really control anyway. It's just a false sense of control. And so you might as well lean into faith. You might as well lean into what God has for you. You might as well trust the plan of God for your life. You've got to have to take a risk. Somebody say, take a risk. Everything you want in your life,

every good thing you want in your life, every great thing you want in your life, every God thing you want in your life, is outside of your comfort zone. Not inside. Outside. The call of God. requires leaving leaving what you know for what God knows leaving your plan for God's plan

leaving your will for God's will and it's and it's it's so much better see before you've done it it sounds so scary but once you've said yes to God you realize oh that's where the joy is that's where the peace is that's where the contentment is that's where the life is it's in the following of God, not trying to get God to follow my plan, not inviting God into my plan, but finding out God's plan. I've, again, been in this now for 20 years, and I've seen so many people experience some level of connection with Jesus. They follow God on some level, maybe even go into ministry, and then they go back to their old life. I don't judge that. I get it. I'm not better than them. We're not better than them. I'll tell you, I think they go back because they just

couldn't leave familiar. They couldn't leave their country. They couldn't leave what they knew. This new life sounds really great on Sunday, but feels really awkward on Wednesday. This new life feels so hope filled when you're hearing Pastor Stephen preach, but by Thursday you're wondering what the heck am I doing with my life? Because I'm leaving what I've known for so long for something new. And the hope of it feels so good, but the walking it out feels so scary. Can I get a witness from one honest saint in the house? I didn't like my old life, but I knew my old life. I didn't trust my old friends, but at least I had friends. I'm not proud of what I used to do on the weekend, but at least I had something to do on the weekend. I don't like how I would respond to anger, but at least I knew what to

do in those moments. I knew how to act with my emotions. I knew how to act with my lust, and I knew how to act with my depression. I knew how to act with what I had experienced all of my life. And now I'm in this new life, and it's so awkward and it's so uncomfortable. And now I'm having a go to church and I'm going to church alone and I used to have a crew but I haven't found a new crew yet. So here I am and I'm walking into church and I'm walking in and there's sweet little people with science. It's like, I'm trying my best. I'm giving it a shot. And I don't like where I was. I'm so grateful for what God is doing but this new thing is so unfamiliar to me. so we can end up sounding like the children of Israel who go to Moses and say,

Moses, we miss the leaks in the onions of Egypt. Now here's the kicker. They gave it to us at no cost. No cost? About 400 years of slavery and abuse and humiliation and pain. No cost? See, because if you're not careful, you will sugarcoat your past. And you'll remember the good.

and ignore the bad. And that's what the devil will remind you of the good of your past, while ignoring the pain of your past. And you'll start, see, you'll start missing the spice of your old life, the garlic and onions of your old life, because now you're in a new life, and this new life is, it's manna and quail. I don't know, I don't know the last time you were going out on a date night, and you're like, you know, I'm really craving like some quail and crackers. Just like, Now, this is for another time in another sermon, but every time God would move Israel, he'd give them a new diet. So they went from leeks and onions and fish to manna and quail, but there is a promised land. I want to talk to anybody in a wilderness right now. I want to talk to anyone

who's left their old life, but hasn't entered fully into their new life. I want to talk to anybody that has left Egypt, but hasn't quite made it to the promise. There is milk and honey for you. There are vineyards. You're not going to have to till and houses you're not going to have to build and cities that you're not going to have to construct. There is better days for you, but you've got to make it through the wilderness. You've got to make it through the dark. You've got to make it through the manor. You've got to make it through the quail. You've got to make it through. I can still remember Egypt. I've never seen my promise land. And it's kind of easy for us preachers to get up here and preach this stuff because we're experiencing

fruit now. And some of you are still in seed form. So you're still in the dark. You're still wondering, what is this whole thing? But if you just won't quit. Can I get some help in this church right now? If you just won't give up in the ground, if you just won't quit in the wilderness, if you just won't quit in the storm, there is a land for you, there is fruit for you, there is good for you, there is breakthrough for you. But you're going to have to trust God. You're going to have to leave familiar. You're going to have to leave one place to enter into another place. God has a place for you, a people for you, but you have to be willing to leave where you are for what God has for you. I cannot break the curse and stay in the familiar.

I cannot change the future without first ruthlessly leaving my past. I cannot change my past. I cannot step into the new thing till I leave the old thing. So I must leave what is comfortable for the kingdom call on my life. And it won't just happen once. It will happen many times throughout your life where God will ask you to take a step of faith

and you're going to have to believe him and trust him and it's scary and it's new. I don't know if you've ever seen this offensive question in the scriptures. when Jesus would walk up to people and go, so do you want to be healed? Has anybody ever read that and you're in the flesh and you read that and go,

I'm going to start tomorrow. Again, I can't right now. Because it's like, what? But see, if you allow one way of doing life to carry you for so long, it can be challenging to now walk by faith. And I have to get to the point of going, I do want to be here.

I do want to grow. I do want to leave this for what you have for me. I do want to trust you into the unknown. It's going to be scary. It's going to be new. But God, if you're in it, I want it. I'm challenging someone to take the risk to leave familiar, to leave the comfort zone and enter into what God has for you. Friend, it was more comfortable for Abram to stay where he was. It was more comfortable for David to stay with. the sheep. It would have been more comfortable for Gideon to stay in the press. It would have been more comfortable for Elisha to tread his fields. It would have been more comfortable for Peter to stay in the boat. It would have been more comfortable for the apostles to stay in Jerusalem, but nothing great will happen in the comfort zone. And if God is leading you right now, if God is guiding you right now, if God is pushing you out of the nest and into what he has for you, say yes to it, because it's scary for a

moment, it's scary for a season, but the fruit of it is so amazing that I'm on the other side now at 38 years old, and I've seen the fruit of some of my obedience. And I go, thank God, I said yes, when it was scary. Thank God I left familiar when I didn't know where I was going, but I was trusting God. And now I'm walking, beginning to walk in a legacy that was so terrifying then. See, I call this a risk, but it's really not a risk because God is so amazing. It feels like a risk to us, but it's not to God. God is not like, hey, I want you to leave. We'll see what happens.

You nervous, Abram, me too. He knows what he has for you, Dad. He knows what he has for your family. He knows what he has for your children. He knows what he has for your future. So if it feels scary, do not be a fear. afraid better days are in front of you. Lastly, one move, one move.

One move. So first he says leave, and because we're hard-headed, we don't get it. Here's the next thing. He says, and go. Wonderful. That's me. I need the second one, too, because I'm... He says, leave your family, leave your native country, leave, leave familiar, and go. Watch where he tells them to go. To a land, I will show you. And I will make you a great nation. Abraham go.

Where? I'll show you. It's going to be really hard to convince the wife, Lord. Abraham, if I show you everything, faith will not be required. See, Abraham, in your going, there will be a making. Go, and I will make you. But if you go and you already know where you're going, there is no making. The transformation is not in the destination. Oh man, when I get there, without the process of the going,

I will get to where I want to go and still not be happy. Where there is clarity, faith is not required. And I love those moments. I love clear moments. But they're rare. Can I get a witness? Who's saying Amen to me over here. Yeah, it's rare. I love clarity. It just doesn't happen a lot. Most of my life is in the going and then God does the showing. And while I'm going, God is doing the making. And I have to trust him in that step by step day by day. God is doing a work in me while I go, not totally sure where I'm going, but believing that if he's leading me is for my good. So I'm going to keep walking. Not sure where I'm going, but I'm going to keep walking.

Not exactly sure what God has planned, but I trust this plan. And I know that even more important than where he's taking me, what is important is that I'm following him, that I'm trusting him. Because it is in that process that God is changing me. So in the following, in the going, in the moving, he is making. And I'll have the team come up. And I just, I want to talk to people because I know there's so much uncertainty right now in our lives and there's so many changes and there's so much unknown right now. I just want to tell every person who's listening me that in the midst of financial uncertainty, follow. in the midst of wars and rumors of wars follow in the midst of what's going to happen next follow in the midst of pandemics follow it feels like over the last two years it's just been thing after thing after thing there has been so very few things that have been consistent in our life over the last few years but there can be a consistent there can be a constant and that is following Jesus that is trusting God that is walking with God and God I just want to declare he will sustain us through this season he sustained you in 19 he sustained you in 20 he

sustained you through 20 21 he's going to sustain us in 22 he's going to sustain us through 23 24 and on and on our god is the same yesterday today and forever and when everything is changing i thank god for his sameness when everything is moving i thank god that he's unshakable i thank god that in the midst of so much fear and worry and god what is next i thank you God, that he is holding my hand, that he is walking with me, talking with me, and he's not just moving me, he's changing me, and in my going, he's making, and he's making me a great nation, and he's making your name a great name, and he's taking shame off of your name, and addiction off of your name, strongholds off of your name, curses off of your name. Your children will not know

the struggles you struggled with, the struggles, your father struggled with. The struggle your parents had to know, they will not know it. Because in your going, there is a making. Somebody say amen. So I'm going. And then here's what you've got to know. You never follow God horizontally. You always follow Jesus vertically.

Psalm 84 said, I'm going from strength to strength. John 1 said, I'm going from grace. to grace. Romans 1 said, I'm going from faith to faith. And the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3, and I need you to know this right now because there is so much uncertainty, there's so much fear in our nation, there's so much worry. Here's what you need to know. Even if you're going through a struggle like we saw in that video, you are going from glory to glory by the spirit of God. I'm following him up. following him into his will. I'm following him into what he has for me. And it's a little scary and it's a little new and it's, but he's making, I'm not who I was. I'm not who I, I'm not who I was. I'm not who I was. I'm not who I was told I was. He's, he's changed me, but he, but he changed me in the following. I can say this over 24 years. of so much life change, so much changing in my world over 24 years and even over just the last

two years, there's basically being one consistent. And it's him. I've just followed. And when the cloud moved, I moved. And when the cloud stopped, I stopped. And when he said, go, I went. I'm not saying I was perfect. I'm not saying I never made. I made a lot of mistakes. But if you will go, he will make you. And there's a lot right now. There's a lot of decisions. being made right now in our world. There's a lot of, should I do this? Should I do that? Should I sign this? Should I sign that? Should I sell this? Should I keep that? Should I? Would you follow him? And trust him to do the making? Would you trust him to lead you besides still waters? You know, that scripture doesn't say he leads me besides still waters when everything's good.

He said, I will create for you a space. It don't matter what's going on. I'll create a space of stillness for you, peace for you, a place for you. Stop saying when I get there, Abram, when I get there, it'll all, no, no, no, right now, in the going, I'm making. And he's doing something in me right now. It might hurt a little bit. It might be a little uncomfortable. It might be.

But I would so rather be a God-made man than a self-made man. I would so rather be. built by God than built by men. I would so rather be built by the unchanging hand of God than the ever-changing hands of culture. And then he says, and then he says, and it won't stop with you. It's going to go through you. So the blessing of God is not just for more stuff and bigger things and brighter, shinier toys. Not against any of that. Just not where it should end ever. He said, I'm going to do it through you. Abraham, you, don't even know it yet, but thousands of years from now, there's going to be a preacher

standing on a stage. Abraham would have said, what's the stage? You don't need to know right now, but he's, and he's going to be talking about you. And your faith is going to build their faith. And now, and now your faith is going to build your children's faith and your children's children's faith. Because what God wants to do for you, he wants to do through you. What's your move? What's your move? Is it serving in church? Is it finally jumping into Love Week coming up in July? Is that your move? Is it baptism? Is my hair going to get wet? Yeah, yeah, it's going to get wet. Yeah. Can I wear a shower cap? Sure. But yeah, you're going under. Where are people going to think we're going to be so happy for you? We're going to cheer you on.

is it marriage counseling? Maybe it's marriage counseling. Sir, if your wife is asking for marriage counseling, you need to go. Because she's been thinking about it for at least two years before she ever said anything to you. That's the word of the Lord for somebody right there. Is it getting alone with God for a few days, parents, because you can't seem to get a breakthrough with your teenager? Is it time to just go hide away and maybe fast for a couple of days and say, God, I need a heard from a girl. I need a word for my boy. He'll give you one. For many, your move is to give your

life to Christ. There's people in this room at every location online that have just never, they've never said yes. I want to give you that opportunity. The same prayer I pray, June 10, 1998, the same prayer, Pastor Stephen, Pastor Holly prayed at some point in their life, that prayer of surrender, that prayer of Jesus, I need. you. If you've never prayed that prayer, I want to give you that opportunity. Maybe, maybe you feel far from God. You know what, Javan? I was really walking with the Lord. I loved the Lord. I was serving God. And then, man, I just, I got distracted. I got, is it time to come home? Is it time to come home? He's, he's not going to meet you at the door. Arms folded. Where have you been? He's going to meet you

out in the street, arms open wide saying, come on, man. I missed you. I love you. crazy about you. I just wonder in this sacred space of prayer, would you just bow your head and close your eyes for a moment? Every location, if you're not driving, EFAM, just close your eyes for a moment as well. Jaben, I need Jesus. I need forgiveness.

I need to know that heaven is my home. I need to know that God is my father. Jesus is Lord. I need to know his presence is with me. I need Jesus. Did you pray with me? The Bible says if you would confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord.

If you would believe in your heart, God would save you. I've made too many mistakes. Nope, not for the grace of God. I'm a pretty good person. God doesn't want pretty good. Our perfect holy God requires perfection and that's only through the blood of Jesus.

This is for you. I've never given my life to Christ or I need to come back to Christ. Pray with me now. And I'm going to ask every person, every location online out loud, pray with me. Altogether say, Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you died for me and rose again.

I give you my life and I commit to following you, trusting you. I declare Jesus is Lord of my life. Now, still no one looking, no one moving, but if that's you right now, at every location, I'm going to count to three. And when I hit three, I'm going to ask you to raise your hand if that was you. Online, there's probably prompters as well. And I'll let those online give you those prompters. But if you're in the room, if you're in a room, I'm just going to hit three to give you a moment of courage and a moment of faith.

Jaben, that's me. I'm giving my life to Jesus or I'm rededicating my life to Jesus. If that's you, just as an act of faith, I'm going to ask you to raise your hand to begin this walk with Jesus. One, two, and three. Can you shoot your hand up high? All over here, here, here, here, here. All over here, all over here. Just keep waving at me.

I want to see anybody else. Anybody. Anybody right here, beautiful. I know at every location it's happening. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on one life. God is doing something in us.

In Jesus' name, let's say, oh God, I need you. Come on lift your voice safe. 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.