Elevation with Steven Furtick - Stretch The Truth (Tim Somers)

Episode Date: March 12, 2023

There’s life on the other side of the let down.  In “Stretch The Truth,” Pastor Tim Somers challenges us to trust that the same God who raised Jesus from the grave wants to breathe life into our situations. To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: http://ele.vc/TI55jRSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Let me know where you're joining us from. I want to see it in the comments. Let's go to the Word of God. I love the flow that our pastor's in right now. there's so much more to the story. And obviously you can tell I am not Pastor Stephen. Just in case you didn't know, I'm not him. What you've got to understand about our pastor is,

you know that there are only two people in this world that were ever given the vision of this church. The weight of this church, the weight of this vision. And I would be remiss to think that I would ever understand what that means. at all. And so the opportunity to be able to get on this stage and talk for the next two and a half hours, it's not that. Oh, I thought that was a deal. Okay, 39 minutes, 39 minutes. Man, I don't take it lightly. And we have some incredible pastors. I don't just say that because I work for him. I want you to know that that man is a hero of my life and a hero of the faith. And he's the real deal.

He really is the real deal. And the little that I do get to know about him, he is the real deal. And it's incredible. We need people like that. We need people like that. Like heroes of the faith that we can actually look to. You know what I'm saying? Top shelf leaders, right?

Top shelf leaders, the ones that who last, who go to the whole. way, right? Who don't just like call it quits 20 years in, but who keeps going? And so I'm so grateful for this house and the pastors of, of this house. And I really believe that this series is one of the series that will really never forget. But I'm going to be honest with you. Three weeks in, you know, he's in the book of Joshua. And I told chunks about a month ago, I said, yeah, I think I won't be in Joshua with them. And after about those, three weeks he preached. I said, okay, he's getting every nook and cranny of Joshua. I'm going to stay away from it. But I'm going to stay in the same vein. There's so much more to this story.

So here's what I want you to do. How many of you brought your Bibles? You believe in the Word of God? Anybody believe in the Word of God? You brought your Bibles with you? Okay? No. You must be familiar with this place because we put it on the screens for you. No worries. go to second kings chapter four second kings chapter four verse eight second kings chapter four verse eight i'm going to give you a second you found it

if you need time say hold up okay hurry up okay this is what it says second kings chapter four verse eight it says one day everyone say one day elisha passed through shunum a leading lady of the town

talked him in to stopping for a meal. And then it became his custom. Whenever he passed through, he stopped by for a meal. I'm certain, said the woman to her husband, that this man who stops by with us all the time is a holy man of God. Why don't we add a small room upstairs, furnish it with the bed and a desk, a chair, and a lamp, so that when he comes by, he can stay with us.

This is the first Airbnb of the Bible, okay? And so what happened That the next time Elisha came by He went to the room, laid down for a nap And then he said to his serving Gehazai

Tell that Shunamite woman, I want to see her Called her and she came to him Through Gehazia said You've gone far beyond the call of duty and taken care of us What can we do for you? Do you have a request we can bring to the king Or to the command of the army?

And she replied No, I'm good I don't need anything I'm secure satisfied in my family. And Elisha conferred with Gehezai, man, there's got to be something we can do for her, but what? And Gehazai said, well, look,

she ain't got no children, and her husband's an old man. Don't look to your left. Don't look to your right. You're okay. They might be old. It's all right. Call her in, said Elisha. He called her, and she stood at the open door. And Elisha said to her,

this time next year, you're going to be nursing an infant son. Ooh, my master, holy man, she said, don't play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies. And the woman conceived a year later, just as Elisha had said, she had a son. The child grew up, and one day he went to his father, just like a teenager, working with the harvest hands complaining. My head, my head, you see how there were no laughs, just because y'all ain't parents, teenagers yet. my head my head his father ordered a servant did just what a wise man would do said take him to his mother servant took him in his arms and carried him to his mother he laid on her lap until noon and died

and she took him up laid him on the bed the man of god shut him in alone and left she then called her husband said get me a servant and a donkey so I can go to the holy man I'll be back as soon as I can He's like, yo, why today? This ain't a holy day. This ain't New Moon. This ain't Sabbath. She said, don't ask questions, man. I need to go right now. Trust me. She went ahead, saddled the donkey, ordering her servant, take the lead and go as fast as you can.

I'll tell you if you're going too fast. And so off she went. And she came to the holy man at Mount Carmel and the holy man spotting her while she was still a long way off, said to his servant, Gahezi, look out there, why is a shunomite woman quickly now ask her. Is something wrong? Is she all right? Is her husband okay? Is her child all right? And she said, fine. He reached the holy man at the mount. She threw herself at the feet and held tightly to him. And Gaheisai came up to pull her away. But the holy man said, leave her alone. Can't you see she's upset?

God hasn't let me in on why. I'm completely in the dark. And then she spoke up, did I ask for a son, master? Didn't I tell you, don't tease me with false hope? Let's go down to verse 32. Elisha entered the house and found the boy stretched out on the bed dead he went into the room and locked the door just the two of them in the room and prayed to God he then got into the bed with the boy and covered him with his body mouth on mouth ands on hands everyone say mouth on mouth eyes on eyes hands on hands you're going to need that for later as he was stretched out over him like that the boy's body became warm and Elisha got up and paced back and forth in the room. Then he went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. The boy started sneezing. He called Gehazai and said, get the Shunamite woman in here. He called her and she came in and Elisha said, embrace your son.

She fell at Elisha's feet, face to the ground, and Reverend All. She embraced her son and went out with him. I know that's a long passage, but you needed that whole story because I wanted to get to verse 26. quickly now ask her is something wrong are you all right it's your husband okay is your child okay and she said everything's fine that title my message today stretch the truth now some of y'all are like oh my mama told me different boy I know your mama be saying do not do not do not stretch the truth. Look at your neighbor and say, you know what?

Come on, look at your neighbor and say, you know what? Maybe mama was wrong. Y'all got nervous when you said that. Y'all never said, stretch the truth. Stretch the truth. You can find your way to your seat. Thank you, team. Stretch the truth.

You know, I think the world has given this phrase in negative connotation, stretch the truth. How many of you got teenagers? Man, you know, I come up on this. I preach here four times on a Sunday. This is crazy, my fourth time. Each time, I realize I've always talked about Genesis. And so I say, you know what?

I ain't doing it this time. I'm going to talk about my older son, Brody. I got a 16-year-old. And man, this man, wild because six weeks ago, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not stretching the truth at all here, okay? This is serious. six weeks ago. My son, he's really good

at basketball. He really is. He's got the height. He's got a frame that's way different than mine. Like he can take a hit. I can't. And he eats a lot, okay? And he's really good at basketball. And so we got him into AAU. And, you know, we're like those, we're like, like, church

is the first priority, but you can still play sports. You know, but we're not like a two sport family. That's too much, okay? You know, you do you, but we're going to do us, okay? And so two sports, like, yeah, you know, you got to pick. And so he's always been, like, good at basketball. And so we're like, yeah, let's do that. So we got him into AAU.

Well, this year, at the end of February, tryouts are coming up for AAU. You know, he made it last year, so we're excited. We're pumped, you know. And about four weeks before tryouts, my son comes to me and say, hey, dad, I want to get in shape. I'm like, you already are, but okay. So, yeah, I want to get in shape, want to stay in shape. I want to just, you know, do some of the workouts with a football team. And I was like, okay, cool.

You know, just like a father, don't ask any more questions, right? And so I was like, yeah, you want, that's cool. Yeah, you know, everyone's invited to come and work out with the football team. And I was like, okay, sounds good. Feel free to do it. So he does it. And it happens every day after school. Well, two weeks go by, and I'm heading to Ohio, and I'm like, son, you're coming with me to Ohio.

You're going to miss school on Thursday. He's like, what? And I was like, that's weird, 16-year-old. I'm saying, hey, I'm taking you out of school. You know, we're going to play a little hooky. You know, like, let's go. We're going to Ohio. I thought he would be excited, you know.

Not like there's anything in Ohio, but who cares? You know, it is what it is. It's still a trip, okay? I know it's not Barbados. But still, it's Ohio, okay? And he's like, with that, I can't miss. I can't, I can't miss. I said, why you can't miss?

He's like, I got, I got practice. I said, hold up. Practice. What's you mean? Practice. You know, like the thing I'm telling you about, like with football, you know, like, I got practice. I said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. What you told me was you were going to work out with the football team.

Now you're saying it's practice. He said, yeah, yeah, yeah. And if I miss, I can't be on the team. I said, team? What team? He's like, I think so. I think I am, Dad. I think I am.

I said, they don't have tryouts. He's like, no, I said, just like this generation. I ain't even got to try out. You know, that's a whole other thing. But I said, wait, you really are on the team? He said, yeah, I am. I'm on the team. And now he starts, like, getting confident.

He's like, he's going to want a man out. He's like, I'm a grown man. I'm 16. Here we go. He's like, yeah, I'm on the team. I said, see, you're not doing basketball? He's like, no, I'm not. I'm not doing basketball.

I said, when were you going to let me in on that? He's like, well, I thought I did when I said I was going to play football. I said, you didn't say you were going to play football. I said, in that a little bit of a stretch, my guy? So apparently now we're a football family. I don't really care for it, but, you know, it's what it is. I'm excited. No, literally my heart sunk.

I'm like, man, I remember when I played football, the first time I got hit, I said never again. I said, I had seven people blocking for me, and I got hit. Heck no. I said, all right, man, good luck. Have fun. I love you. Believe in you. I love you.

But I say, man, that's a little bit of a stretch. Everyone says stretch. That's a little bit of a stretch. And I want you to go with me here because if I'm honest with you, I like to think that there is a lot of power in stretching the truth over your entire life and not just parts of your life. In fact, the way that I would like to say it is that if you are not stretching the truth over your entire life, you might be living a lie. You might be living a lie. So I want to talk about stretching real quick. How many of you have ever felt like you have been in a season

of stretching? Anyone ever been there? Maybe you're in there right now, right? Now, here's what you've got to understand. I'm not talking about just like negative stretching. Okay? Like, oh my gosh, it's like, it's crazy. The bills are just piling up. There is that kind of stretching. But there's also that positive stretching. You know what I'm saying? Like some of you all are being stretched into success. Some of you, some of you, this year alone, you're being stretched into your destiny. For some of you, you're like, you know what?

I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. God's been telling me, God's been telling me to quit my job and start this business. And you're being stretched, right, into your full purpose, right? And so when I talk about stretching, don't just negate that to being just a negative thing. But how many you know that the stretching can be a blessing? The stretching can also be a burden. Right?

This is a real thing. The phrase that I love to say all the time is that oftentimes the most anointed people are the most attacked people. Right? If you've lived any kind of life, you understand that. This is very, very true. Because you know something's working when you got some tension. Right? How many of you ever worked out before?

I'm going to put my hands down. You ever done this? I own it. I'm okay. I know. I know I need to work out. Pastor keeps telling us all this stuff. You got to be disciplined.

I'm like, mm-hmm. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it one of these days. Right? But when you work out, when you work out, what's coming your way? Tension? Right? Like, we all want to be ripped.

Like, y'all are thinking about it right now. It's March. You're like spring break's coming up and summer's happening. Am I going to go to the pool with my shirt on or with my shirt off, right? I'm like, okay, as a man, obviously. So, this is, like, we all want to be ripped. But do we want the resistance? Right?

Like, I've always thought like, man, people, let me be honest with you. Like, you can't spell diet without die. That's why I don't do it. I don't want to live. I'm like, you want a diet? No, I don't want to die. Oh, ew. So gross.

Why do I want to eat that? It's chalky. No, absolutely not. Right? You all ever felt this before? I just need a little counseling session, you know? It's just helpful for me. Right?

Like, we want to be ripped, but we don't want the resistance, and we know, like, oh, do I want that? Like, tensions. Like, do I want that? Do I not want that? You've got to understand you're going to need that. People will be asking for miracles all the time, but they don't want problems. Miracle, then you're going to have some issues. Right?

Right. Like, the bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity for a miracle. Am I right? Pastor talked about this idea where you have a problem, heaven has a plan. Let me tell you something. Everybody wants the plan. But nobody wants the problems. Right?

This is very, very interesting because we've got to stop asking. for miracles if we don't want some issues. Okay? And when you talk about miracles, like you've got to understand the greatest miracle, like, ever is resurrection. Did you notice this in the passage? Right? Like, you can't have resurrection without a? Ah.

So do you want resurrection? Ah. Right? There's this stretch. that begins to happen. Now, let's talk about the truth, okay? Resurrection is in the forefront of this text, right? Elishes the prophet, right?

God uses them powerfully to bring this boy back from the dead. This is pretty amazing, okay? In fact, this is the first resurrection, okay? There's a lot, but you've got to understand there's lots of miracles in the Bible, right? Like, hopefully you've read the Bible a little bit, and you quickly realize that there are a lot of miracles, right? Blind people can see, deaf people can hear, lame people can walk, but resurrection, that's at the top of the list. Right? None of these are like resurrection. This is a whole other level. Why? Because it's final. Like, death has a finality. You know what I'm saying? Like, you can't undo death.

you know like like like let me say like this like you like have you ever tried to unbake a burnt brownie you ever try me neither you ever like trying to unstub your toe like once you stub that thing you're just holding your toe like oh my gosh right you ever tried to like unrun a red light yeah the officer let me just uh let me just take a loop back around one more time please this is this is It's final. Everyone say final. You've got the resurrection power in Elisha, and this is Elijah's ride or die. With you, heart and soul, BFF forever. And what you've got to understand is Elisha was a farmer.

He gets the call to roll with Elijah, leaves his equipment, burns it, right? And what you've got to understand about Elisha is that Elisha is not easily offended. That's a word for someone in this room. Elisha is not easily offended. Elisha has a fortitude. Elisha is the guy that you could not get rid of. Elisha was the one that stuck it out through absolutely everything. He had a work ethic that just topped everyone's.

And he was with Elijah all the way up until Elijah was taken up. heaven. And then he prayed this prayer that we all are very familiar with where he's saying, give me a double portion. Give me a double portion of what Elijah had. And Elijah got it. Right? Now, Elijah, Elijah was the first one to do resurrection. Well, then you got Elijah who resurrects this little boy that we just read in this passage. Okay. Pretty impressive. But remember, he gets a double portion. Okay, so many years go by and Elisha dies, is put into a tomb, okay? And there's a man that's thrown into that tomb, and when that man hit the grave, he came back to life.

You know you're bad to the bone when your bones have resurrection power. Right? That's that double portion resurrection, right? Double portion resurrection. Okay, now that's some context, because you're going to really need to understand that when we start talking about this Shunamite woman's little boy. The Shetamite woman says everything is fine. Her baby had just died, gone.

No breath, no life. And she's saying, everything's fine. This is interesting for me. And I want to speak on this for the majority of the time, because if I'm honest with you, the generosity of her hospitality is what actually started this miracle. So we're going to, we talked about resurrection, but I need you to know what came before the resurrection.

Okay? I need you to know what came before the resurrection. The first thing that happened was with their mouth. Verse 8. A leading lady of the town talked him into stopping for a meal. She's sending text to Elisha like, yo, I love for you to come over. Come on. I love you to eat. Let's go. Let's rock this. Oftentimes we won't even ask anyone of anything because it's easier to say no for them. And we've got to be careful about this. We're like, nah, they got too much going on. they don't care that much about me

they would never go to that church like ah you know what I'm good I'm fine they're fine we're all fine like right like we gotta stop fabricating responses in our mind before we start asking with our mouths

this is something that I watch people do all the time well yeah I'm not gonna even I'm not even gonna try I'm not even gonna but you want to know how she got her miracle it started with her mouth It started with her mouth. And so you got Elisha coming to dinner.

And you know she was a good cook because it said he kept coming back. He ain't coming back for Tater-Tacerole Cacerole. It's a real deal. I don't know if this is the fifth time, the sixth time. I don't know. But you watch her now stretch from her mouth to her eyes. She realizes this wasn't just a meal that I'm having with Elisha. This is a moment.

She starts to see it a little bit differently than the way she saw it. She starts to see it the way that God has seen it. Right? She's like, yeah, yeah, this ain't about us eating. I don't think. I think this is about some kind of purpose, some kind of destiny. Let me tell you something. Some of you are too worried about getting fed here at church when your whole purpose

is to be led by the Holy Spirit. What am I saying? Don't they just looking at this like a meal. You got to look at this in a different way. You've got to look at this the way that God see this. In this moment right now, your whole life can change. Church is not just what culture just says it is coming to a building. It's just church.

Cool. Make you feel good. Check the box. No. It can change your future right now. It can change your kids right now. It can change your attitude right now. It can change his attitude right now.

It can change her. It can change you. This is a real thing. We don't just say church. I mean, this is, this is a lifeblood. This is the whole reason why Jesus gave his life was for the church. I can't have you missing moments because you think this is just a meal. But you've got to be connected to God to see that. You know that God can be doing something new in your life and you not see it? Isaiah 4319, for I am about do something new, see, I have already begun, do you not see it? The question this year isn't about whether or not God is going to do it in your life, it's about whether or not you are going to see it. She had stretched from her mouth asking now to her eyes. And now because she saw more, she could do more. Now she's stretching from her mouth to her eyes. And now to her hands.

Because she saw more, because she saw that meal differently, she could now do more. She begins to build this other level on this house, right? I was telling you, it's the first Airbnb of the Bible, right? She went to Home Depot. You know what I'm saying? Like some of y'all just sitting waiting on a blessing. I know we wrote the song, Wait on You. I'm going to wait on you.

you. I got a new song. I'm going to move for you. You can't, you can't just sit waiting for an open door. You can't just sit waiting for more answers. You can't just sit waiting for a miracle. You've got to show me your faith in action. You got to show me your faith in motion. Scripture says that faith without works is dead. Oh, she didn't call on Jehovah Jira in that moment, chunks. She called on Joanna and Chip Gaines. You know what I'm saying? Some of y'all walking in here and y'all want shandah bak kundraba do.

But some of y'all need to go to Home Depot. I'm just saying it's both and and you will never get the blessing of both if you don't stretch out. So she builds another level. In fact, you can say it she builds a new story. What story are you focusing on? What story are you focusing on? She had an opportunity to just focus on the wrong story. right no baby no nursery no new life but she stretches into a new story you know what's interesting is

elisha had never asked for this room but she did it anyways i think that's very interesting because does god always have to ask you to do something yeah yeah yeah that you pastor cane does god always have to be like always had to give you a sign If she's wearing pink shoes and a blue shirt, that's your moment. Just wait. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. If your kid comes to you and talks to you about signing up for youth X, then you can start talking to them about signing up for youth text.

All right, you know what's interesting about this. You know, shameless plug, because I'm the youth pastor. I'm talking about youth tax every single time. I know summer camp. All right. Okay. She made space for Elisha. We have to do the same thing.

with our teenagers. We have to make space for them to encounter Jesus. So when we talk about signing up and registering for youth ex and like that's very very important. That's very, very important. Like you're creating four days with their life could be radically changed, radically changed because you made space. So go to youthX23.com and register. So Elisha comes because she made space for him. And he goes, what can I do for you? And she says, I'm good.

I don't need anything. I'm secure. I'm with my family. In fact, she says I'm good, probably for the same reasons we say we're good. You know when people ask, how you doing? Like, yeah, I'm good. It's all good. Right?

Maybe she'd been believing for so long that she knew that it was going to actually hurt to believe again. She's like, yeah, no, I'm good. Everything is fine. Don't dig. Have you ever gotten to a place where you're just content? Like, but not the good content where you're just like, yeah, it is what it is. So I'm fine. I'm comfortable.

I've taken a deep breath. I've gotten over it. And everything is good. But I love Elisha because Elisha didn't quit. He says, Gahe, I come here. He's like, yo, we got to talk about this. He's like, yeah, man. I saw her Instagram.

I saw her Facebook. Here's a deal. I'll be honest with you. She ain't got no kids. Her husband, real old. By the way, it says real old. It doesn't just say husband old. Husband, real old.

Like, she posting, but she ain't living what she posting. She's saying everything is fine, but I don't think everything is fine. And the life shows like, you know what? Come here. Talk to the shoot-in-white woman. It says, this time next year, you will be holding a baby boy. Look at that

scripture. This time next year you will be holding a baby boy. Notice he didn't say this time you will be pregnant. He didn't say this time next year you will be pregnant. Why? Because pregnancy does not guarantee a child. He says, I know your faith has been so fractured.

I'm not just going to say a thing about pregnancy so you'll be stressed the entire time wondering about whether or not if this is actually going to come to pass. I'm going to speak to you about your future, and I want you to know exactly what is on its way. I asked how you were, mouth, right? I saw you had no baby eyes, and I'm going to prophesy to you that you will hold a baby boy in your hands. You are painting that room blue, girl. It's happening. And you know what I love

about this is Elisha spoke to her imagination. Isha spoke to her imagination. Have lost your imagination. Some of you have lost your ability to dream again. Some of you have lost that comprehension to dream and imagine and to have that belief in what God wants to do in your life. You've got to get your imagination back. The same energy that it takes to worry is the same energy it would take to imagine what would be. The reason that she didn't ask for a miracle was because she had lost her imagination. nation. She didn't ask for this miracle. Right? Here's what you have to understand. Asking and imagining are both connected. Okay, you don't believe me. Ephesus 320. Now to him who is able to do a measure more than all we ask or imagine.

We celebrate a measure with more all the time and forget that asking and imagining are completely connected. I can tell what you are imagining for based off of what you're asking. And you could tell she had lost her imagination because she wasn't asking for a miracle. And now she's holding her baby. And then it says one day he grew up. He began to complain, my head, my head, and this headache turned into her holding a dead baby boy. It went small to serious in seconds. Have you ever been there before?

Small to serious in seconds. You live in life and all of a sudden you get that text. Small to serious in seconds. No life in his body. But did you know that it is possible to have disappointment and hope at the same time? Pastor spoke last week that God's up to something upstream. And he talked about downstream disappointments. She was experiencing a downstream disappointment.

But God was up to something. something upstream. She didn't know resurrection was on the way, but God did. And she carries her dead boy to the room, shuts the door, and tells her husband everything's fine. Disappointment and hope, right there, living in the same space. Carried the dead boy into the room, shut the door, tells her husband, everything's fine. Gets to the assistant Gahezi and says everything is well with my soul. And then runs to Elisha. And the resurrection. begins to happen. It says that Elisha gets on top of this dead boy.

Mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. Chunks, I don't think they're getting it. Let's illustrate it real quick. No? It's okay, I'm not going to make you. Got real nervous. mouth to mouth eyes to eyes hands

to hands you want to know why I believe this resurrection happens is because she goes back to the one who made all of this happen she said move to the side husband move to the side assistant I need to go back to the one

for some of you in this room everything that I had just said prior to this you didn't need, but you needed this moment right here. For some of you, you need to come back to the one. You need to come back to the one who anointed you. You need to come back to the one who strengthened you in that season. You need to come back to the one who pulled you out of that deep, dark hole that you never thought you could get out of.

But then by the grace of God, he got you out. You need to go back to the one that loves you, that promised you, that anointed you, that appointed you for every season. you need to go back to the one. And for a lot of us, I believe that this is going to be a year of resurrection. It matters what story you tell. She could have been telling the story about no baby, no nursery, no life. Let me tell you something. It matters what story you tell.

God did not fail you. God has not forgot about you. He loves you. He is not mad at you. He has not misplaced you. In fact, God has uniquely set you apart for everything that is coming your way. He already knows what's happening upstream. And when it comes down, stream, he's got you covered. But let me tell you something. If all you focus on is death, death will be on its sweat. And death will be here to stay. Do you focus on that? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, move away husband, get my donkey, move away assistant, I need

Elisha. He spoke this into existence. He can make something happen now. This year, I want us to choose to stretch the truth over our entire life. Over our mouths, over our eyes, over our hands. I'm not saying to be naive, I'm saying to stop being negative. saying to be fake. I'm saying to stop forcing death into every situation of your life. Listen to me. We can't keep teaching the next generation that resurrection exists if we don't know how to get there.

Churches and we're like, but we go things that have no eternal value whatsoever. We ain't stretching the truth over our entire life. We stretch it over church and that's it, one and a half hours and we're done. This is what God wants. This is what the Holy Spirit yearns for everyone. every single one of us. And some of us have been standing for too long. We have been standing for too long in our own rights, in our own strength, and in our own minds. I'm here to tell you leaders, burnout does not exist. Burnout means you ran out. And that's exactly where God wants you, where you have run out and you have got to need Jesus. So what am I saying? Mout to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands.

to hands to eyes to hands what life are you speaking or what death are you speaking over your life eyes to eyes what example do people have

to see the working miracles of Jesus other than yourself hands to hands what are you doing just like the Shunamite woman this miracle started with her mouth

stretched to her eyes and stretched to her hands resurrection is not just a fairy tale you know what I think is interesting if I asked every single one of you to stand up and do that you wouldn't ah this ain't the place oh that's embarrassing

ah why would I do that why would you not because you'd rather stand and just fake it until you made it You'd rather just stretch the truth over this hour and a half rather than be honest with yourself and understand. This is what I need.

There are many people who are living their lives with dead parts. So let me ask you, are you really alive? Are you just the walking dead? That's not the life that God had intended for you. He wants you to live a full life. A blessed life, a strong life, a full breath life. I'll end with this, Second King's 1322. You don't have to bring it up, guys, but I told you a little earlier about the story of

Elishan, how he had the double portion resurrection, how he raises this boy, this shootamette woman's boy, then he lives a long life, then he dies. Elish is sent into a tomb. and these men pick up this man and they throw him on Elish's tomb, on Elisha's grave. And like I told you earlier, that man raised from the dead, just because of the power that was in Elish's bones. You know whose body that was? It is said to believe that that is the Shunomite woman's son. So the double portion that Elisha had prayed.

was not just for himself, but it was also for that shenomite women's. What am I saying? When you come into a right relationship with Jesus Christ, your life is no longer about you. It's one life on another, just like a life shouldn't that little boy. And just like Jesus, one life for another. And just like your life, one life, so that someone else can experience the true life. of Jesus Christ. One life for another.

One life. For another. One life. Said it's not death. It's just a shadow. I'm here to encourage you and let you know. The thing that you think's been dead, it might have just been a shadow.

And so today with every hand open like this, God, I pray for people right now that have been living with dead parts, that have been living with dead dreams that have been living with with dead moments God I pray that you would resurrect that God we believe in resurrection God we believe that resurrection

still exists it is not a fairy tale so we believe that you can resurrect the dead parts of our life God stretch the truth of your Holy Spirit over ever with it never happening again even those parts God God.

People would go into lunches today and they're talking about dreams that they haven't talked about in 10 years. There's some people in here right now. There's some people online right now that need to text their dad. Phone call to their conversation with their sister or with their son. Because they have believed the lie of the enemy that it is dead and it will no longer happen anymore. And I rebuke that in the name of Jesus Christ.

He is not against us. And God, we believe it. We don't just come in here, check off a box. We say right now, Lord, life over dead things. Life. Life. Some of you need to stretch out over a dead cold thing right now. Life.

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