Elevation with Steven Furtick - The Other Side Of The Promise (Larry Brey)

Episode Date: June 17, 2019

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This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Welcome to the Elevation Church podcast. Today, Larry Brigh, the Elevation Matthews campus pastor, shares a special message called The Other Side of the Promise. We hope you enjoy this message. I want to speak today on the subject of promises. If you remain standing for just a few more seconds,

I'm going to get to my text. And I specifically want to speak a message to anybody who feels like God's made you a promise and you're on the outside of it looking at it. I just feel like there's some people under the sound of my voice, maybe in Colombia, that are standing outside of something they feel like God called them into. I don't want to speak specifically to you today. The main text we're going to jump into is going to be in First Chronicles 11, verses 1 through 5. It says this.

It says, all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, You are our own flesh and blood. In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel under military campaigns. And the Lord your God said to you, you will shepherd my people Israel. and you will become their ruler. When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel,

as the Lord had promised through Samuel. David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem, that is Jebus, the Jebusites who lived there said to David, you will not get in here. Nevertheless, I love that word. Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, which is the city of David. The title for today's message is this,

the other side of the promise. Say to your neighbor, the other side of the promise. Look on the other side of your neighbor and speak over them, the other side of the promise. Hey, why don't you high five at least three people on your way to your seat?

Thank you, worship team. And I want to jump into this topic of promises today. And it's interesting, the text we have going on in First Chronicles, There's actually two promises that God is fulfilling in this moment. One of them is easy to read because it's said in the text. And the Lord fulfilled his promise to David as he had spoken through Samuel. And so the first promise that was fulfilled in this is the one that David was walking in.

The other promise is a promise that God is fulfilling to nation Israel. Two promises going on in the same moment. Do we sometimes realize that as we're going through life? God is doing more than just me? Sometimes I'm going through life. I get so focused on me. I don't see the bigger picture that God is drawing in the world. And all of us are individual threads that God is weaving together

to put together a beautiful tapestry of his glory to the world. And all of these promises are happening. One was in motion for 20 years. David, the other one, 480 years. On your row today is somebody who's walking in a promise today. Somebody who's going to see a promise fulfilled or something's being spoken over them. It might have been something that was spoken over them 10 generations ago that will find fulfillment today. All of God's promises are yes and amen in Christ. I believe that. And some of us

have forgotten the promises that God has spoken over our life today. And actually, actually, the first word I want you to write down is the word promise. Write down the word promise. Say promise. I have a 32% participation here at Valentine. Let's try it again. Say promise. Much better. You need to get a little attitude about it because you're blessed. You're highly favored. some of you are taking way too much of a passive voice in the promises of God, and you're standing back. Maybe if it, no, no, no, God's promises that you would step into something. And that's what I'm speaking over with you today. But this story in First Chronicles 11 did not start in verse, in First Chronicles 11. It actually started back in Exodus chapter 3. I want to rewind a little bit

to give you some context for the story we're going to look at today. In Exodus 317, it says, and I have promised to bring you out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, Amorites, Parasites, Hibites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey. God heard the cries of nation Israel as they were under the oppressive thumb of the Egyptian slave masters. And he heard their cry and he said, I'm going to do something about it. I will take you from slavery and into the promise life. That is a promise that God has spoken over you, over you too. He's going to take you from those slave habits, those slave thoughts, and he's going to take you into

promise land thinking and his promises yes and amen and he's spoken it all for you and it's flowing with milk and honey i love that when i first came to faith in jesus some of you career christians would talk in ways that i would not understand i would simply ask how you doing today blessed and highly favored brother and i'm like what i got to understand the lingo what do you mean and they would use things like i just can't wait to get to the other side milk and honey baby it's flowing with milk and honey. I'm like, what on earth are you talking about? Flowing with milk and honey. Oh, it's this thing of when I get to the other side of this thing, life gets better over there. So if I get to the other side of this, life is better over there. And what I took that to mean for

Christianity is, it will just suck here. Until I get over there, this is just going to be miserable. No, that's not the life you are called to live under the authority of Jesus Christ. Oh, I reject that thinking. The other side of the promise. If I can just get to the other side of the promise, life is going to get better over here. And what I would speak over every one of you is to remind you that God has made you promises. I want you to think very personally about a promise that God has made you. It might be some of you are here today and the promise you feel like God has made you that you will have that child.

But it's been 15 years. some of you the promise that God has made you is your marriage will be fruitful some of you feel like the promise that God has made you is that that son that's on that opioid addiction he will be freed from those things some of you the promises that when you lay your head down at night you won't be dominated by the shame that's been this dark cloud over your life for all these years and sometimes what happens is the longer we live outside of something the more we believe we don't belong in that thing I want to remind you that the promises of God are yes amen. He has spoken it over you. And in fact, 2 Corinthians 1.20 says, for no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ. And so through him, amen is spoken to us by the glory of God. I want to remind you, what is the promise that God has made over your life? Is it joy? Is it peace? Is that he'll never leave you, never forsaken you? For me, the promise that God has spoken to me that I've been claiming for a long time in my life is forgiveness. What's yours? What's your promise? And I want to remind you today that you need to start getting an attitude about yourself,

that you will see that promise come to pass in your life. You don't need to settle for second-rate, second-class Christianity. You are his first choice. You are not leftovers because of your choices. You are our first option because you are the bride of Christ. But milk and honey, baby. Milk and honey. It's funny.

Because if I teach you a very shallow version of Christianity, it would be that it's just milk and honey. Come to Jesus and everything gets better. That's not real. It's supposed to be milk and honey. And then you get slapped with a problem. They're like, whoa, what was that? I didn't.

It's kind of like when I got married to my beautiful wife, Janet, almost 19 years ago. I walk into this beautiful thing and we became wedded. And I'm looking like, baby, milk and honey. Let's go. And then we got married. I'm like, with some misery. Like, not you, but this came with problems. And some of us walk away from promises because you're expecting milk and honey.

and you get something that looks very different. Second word I want you to write down is possess. Say possess. God gives you the promise, but he wants you to possess it. Because there's another side to this promise. In Deuteronomy 7, 1 says, When the Lord God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you, Mini Nation.

Now, who's going to drive them out? God will. God said he'll drive him out. Who needs to possess it? You and me. Our job is to possess. God's job is to drive out. But he said many nations, the Hittites, the Gurgishites, Amorites, Canaanites, Parasites, Hibites, Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you. Time out now. God, you said I'm going to get into the promise land, but there's a problem with the promise.

Because the promise land is inhabited by nations larger and stronger than me. Oh, I thought it was milk and honey, God, but you're telling me it's actually larger and stronger. And some of the reasons I think we walk away from promises is because I'm expecting milk and honey and I don't know what to do when I get larger and stronger. Because God said this is the promise land, but you're standing in it. You're a big dude. I'm like, I'm supposed to stand in that land, but there's a big problem in the land. The other side of the promise is it's larger and stronger. And some of us that have been following Christ for a while know that when you get into this new opportunity, it comes with a new opponent. It's got seven nations larger and stronger

than you. And actually, the way that the text is written, it goes from big to bigger. And it's like, nations like, oh, I'm exhausted before I even show up. And some of us are defeated. And that's why we don't move towards possession is because we're looking at the enemy rather than the promise. We're looking at what's inhabiting it rather than the one who gave it to me. Seven nations. And each one, he's big. He's real big. And then I'm up here praising on Sunday.

The Lord is in. And then like, where's my devil? Like the enemy. I got you. But then the closer you get, you're like, oh, snap. He's a lot bigger. The closer you get to it. And some of the reasons we don't possess the promises were intimidated by the inhabitants

that are in the land. And God. God says, this land is yours. I've promised it to you, but there's a problem with it. It's not, yes, it's flowing with milk and honey. But yes, they're larger and stronger than you. That's why the Israelites, where they got into problems, they came out of Egyptian slavery, and they were going to go towards the promised land. Moses dispatches 12 spies. All 12 of them came back after surveying the land and say, yep, milk and honey, absolutely milk and honey. Only two of them thought they could actually inhabit the land. God said, I didn't ask you all that.

I told you you were going to get in. Quit telling me what you can't do. Be it and start realizing what I've already done for you. Because your job is not to drive them out. I will take care of that. Because our pastor taught us that if it's bigger than me, it's not my battle. That's the Lord's. This is my land. And I'm going to possess it.

I know you're big. And I need to teach you to size up your opponent. Because every level is a new opponent. And at this level, with this opponent, this opponent will develop things in me that can only be developed in this level. At this level, at this level. How do you size up your opponent? Now, once upon the time, I'm a fighter. I'd be like, all right, how do I size him? I'm like, I can't take him. I can't give me four other guys. That dude's like bigger than the sun. He's like, Shaq. He's like, it's not my job to fight him, but to size him up.

The size of my opponent shows me the size of my promise. If you're that big, oh, I can't wait to see the size of the promise that's waiting for me right there. Thank you, guys. And some of you have walked away and you're not possessing the promise because you've been intimidated by the inhabitants. We get this in video games. We understand that in video games, every level gives you a new opponent. Each one's tougher than the last. The greatest video game of all time.

Mike Tyson Punch out. Oh, my soul. Absolutely amazing. Level one. Glass Joe. He's one in 99. Papp, bap, step back, bap, step. And that's how you beat him. Really easy. 32 seconds. You can do it every time. You get into the second level. Ah, now I'm von Kaiser. Then I'm going to move up to Piston Honda, bald bull. I'm working through all 14 of these levels just to get to Mike Tyson.

But I had played this game the other day with my son. And I let him know a secret that all of us gamers know about. that if you've ever played the game before, they have these codes, these cheat codes. There's a cheat code in Mike Tyson Punchout, 007-373-5963, that if you type that code in, it will cheat you through 14 levels and take you right to Mike Tyson. So I had this dad moment the other day that I'm like, boy, type in the cheat code and he did and he's standing there. Ding, ding, ding. The round starts. One punch three seconds. He's not. there are no cheat codes to the promises of God. You cannot bypass levels. You've got to go through every one of them. Deuteronomy 722 says this. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.

He's repeating it again. It's not your job to fight it, but it is your job to possess it. He will drive them out before you little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once. How do we possess the land? Little by little. Little by little. Because the Lord said, if I allow you to eliminate them all at once, you don't develop the gifts that can only be developed through that opponent. And if you bypass that opponent, you're going to miss a gift that I'm going to bring to you. And some of you get confused because you think when I get to the other side, then I'm standing in the promise. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. The very fact that I start playing the game Facing my first opponent means I'm already in the promise, baby.

And I go from promise to glory to glory to glory strength to strength. That's what it means to grow in the promise of God. I don't get to the promise. I grow in the promise. I grow in it. It's not when you get to the other side. You're standing in it now. I got to understand.

Milk and honey, larger and stronger. But every one of these builds a dependence upon the Lord. The greatest gift that God can give you is dependence upon him. Third word I want you to write down is the word persevere. Say persevere. First word was promise. Say promise. Second word is possess.

Say possess. Say persevere. Really well done here, Ballanty. I like that. Hebrews 1036, it says, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. because what I've realized in my own life is sometimes if it's not looking like I expected,

I'm expecting milk and honey, but I get larger and stronger, I will stand over here and say, God, did you forget your side of the deal here? Where are my promises at? You forgot? And I'm trying to remind him of the other side of the promise. And I get this picturing my head that God is standing over here. And he's looking back at me, say, I have not forgotten mine because it is yes and amen. and it is always available to you.

He says, I think you've forgotten you're a part of the promise, and you're part of the promise is perseverance. You're part of the promise is to keep moving towards the possession of the promise. But how do we persevere? Little by little. Little by little. Perseverance is one of the greatest gifts, and I'm praying as spirit of perseverance would bust out in this place today.

Perseverance towards the promises of God by the saints of God. perseverance because when I start interpreting the promises based upon the scenery I stop moving towards the possession I start holding my finger up the winds of promise where are they flown today well god I guess you're just not really in my favor today no no no no no no no god's promises are yes and amen in spite of in place of irregardless of what circumstances are going on around you and some days when it looks like milk and honey you're just skipping towards the promises of God you're just And some days, when it's larger and stronger, you just stop moving. Possession is not a passive experience.

It is an active participation. The other side of the promise is my perseverance. How do I persevere when I don't even want to keep moving? How do I persevere when I feel like I've been forgotten? I got knocked down God and he says, get back up. He said, I've been down for very long. He said, then roll forward. You just got to keep moving towards possession.

And for me, I think one of the things that I get real confused with perseverance is I think I've always got to have the greatest motives and motivations in life. Because imbalanced teaching will just say, well, you just do it all for the glory of God, brother. And I don't know. Do you know how the, some of you might struggle with this. Like, you ever get in a situation that you start telling us. a lie and you tell it long enough, you just start to believe it is the truth. Like, you might do that.

I struggle with that and the other side of it. Sometimes I will pray about something so long that I'll just assume it's a promise that God has made. I get promises, I get prayers, and I get my preferences all mixed up. And sometimes I get in a world that I cannot discern between my preferences and his promises. Here's what I do know. If he promised it, if it came from his mouth, it has the potential to be experienced in my life because it is yes and amen and it is available for me to possess but the promise he spoke that can be possessed i must persevere towards it i got to move towards if it's a prayer does he answer prayers sometimes like i want sometimes not like i want but none of those prayers will be experienced unless you persevere to possess it preferences i don't know does he answer some of those maybe

like i'm sure there's some young lady watching who's like my preference would be a guy who's like six foot four and, you know, loves Hallmark channels yet still manly enough to cut his own trees for Thanksgiving in the woods and, you know, make six figures and loves my cat, you know, like, I don't know, maybe God will give you that. Maybe the promise will come bald and five foot seven. I don't know. I do know this, that my God who's big enough to save me and redeem the world and bring Jesus back from the dead is also good enough to purify me. I don't know. my motives if I just keep moving towards him. He is good enough and he's big enough and he'll do that. I just got to keep moving because there is some guy. The only reason you came to church today

is some pretty girl invited you. Praise God. I don't care what guy you're here. He's going to meet you here. And maybe just maybe, even if I'm moving forward towards my preferences, I see God's promise and he upgrades my preferences to what he would prefer for my life. Maybe God is just big enough to do all that too. Maybe he can. And that's one of the reasons I think I love David, the character of David. I so resonate with him because in First Chronicles 11, this is actually the third time he's being anointed. The first time he's anointed is in his teenage years. Because at that point, about 20 years earlier, Saul had made some bad choices, who was King of Israel. God's like, yo, we have picking somebody else. He's like gone crazy. And so he tells us prophet Samuel, go to Jesse's house. And one of his sons,

to anoint king. So Samuel shows up at Uncle Jesse's house and Bo and Luke walk out, different Jesse. Samuel shows up and actually Jesse's oldest son, Eliab, is outside mowing the lawn. And the prophet sees him. And he says, God, look at that guy. He's tall. He's good looking. He's muscular. He's amazing. Let's use him. And God says, nope. I don't pick based upon you. your criteria. I'm looking at the heart. I know you're looking for who could play the part, but I'm looking at the heart. That's great dating advice for some of you. You're looking for somebody who could play the part rather than at the heart. Anyway, he says, nope, not him. And so now the prophet has all of these seven brothers parade by the prophet, all seven brothers. And God's

like, nope, nope, nope, and he says it seven times. And they get to the end and the dad's like, hey, this is all I got. And Samuel's like, sure, you got anybody else? Oh yeah, I got one boy. He's out in the back 40. He's with the sheep. He's like, bring him here. And he comes up. He's a teenage boy that hadn't even been invited to the party. And God says, that's the one I've picked.

He anoints him king over Israel. And he is king at that point, but he's still a teenage boy who's tending flocks. He had stepped into the promise, but for the rest of his life, he was going to grow into the promise. And the next scene you see from David is he delivers bread and cheese, basically a cheese pizza from Papa John's to his brother. brothers on the battle lines, and he drops off the pie, and he hears this giant taunting nation Israel. He's like, what? I mean, this Old Testament translation. And most people don't preach this story correctly. Because as David starts running towards his promise, he says, hey, what will be done for the guy who kills him. It is what's in it for me. The whole motivation was selfish.

It's what's in it for me. And then the guy standing around me are like, yo, you're going to get a lot of money, a really pretty girl to marry, and you'll never have to pay taxes. So basically this is a millennial's dream job right here. I'll sign up for that. And his oldest brother, Iliab, remember the one that he thought he was going to be king? He was already practicing his wave, the one who didn't get picked. He overhears what's happening with his brother. He's like, I can't believe you're up here. How dare you do that?

You look little punk and little d'all. And David, it says in the scriptures, he says, can't I even talk? He turned us back to his brother and he said again, what will be done for the guy who kills him? And the only reason, the primary motivation for him going to fight Goliath was selfish. It was all about what he was going to get

and it was about his promise. And God blessed him. And if you're moving with bad motives today, God will upgrade those as you keep moving forward. God's going to meet you right where you're at. That's why I love David. He was just moving. It might not have been the best motivation,

but at least he was moving. That's the thing I'm trying to speak over you. Perseverance keeps moving. It might be selfish. I don't care. God's going to upgrade as you go. That's as a teenager. The second time he's anointed.

He's in his 20s. About 10 years have passed. What had happened? at that point, Saul who had been king, dies. There were the 12 tribes of Israel, all decided each one of them to figure out who they wanted to be their king. So they have an election in their state to see who they want to be their king. And only two of the 12 picked David. Ten of them picked one of Saul's sons. Sounds a lot like the spies in the promised land, doesn't it? Ten of them got it wrong. And here's what I want to speak over you today.

Some of you are standing on the outside of a promise because you didn't get picked. I want to speak over you just because they didn't pick you. It means that God changed his decision about you. God's promises are still available to you, even if you've been overlooked, even if you didn't get picked. They are still yes and amen in him. And he is faithful. He's taking all of these small steps. Little by little, he is in his promise, but he's growing towards his promise.

little by little, and it brings us to First Chronicles 11. He's in his 30s right now, some 20 years of past between the first time he's anointed and this third time he's anointed. And what you see is the fulfillment of the promise. But what's interesting about this in First Chronicles 11, verses 3 and 4, it says, when all the elders of Israel had come to David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed King David over Israel as the Lord had promised through Samuel. David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem, that is Jebus. And what you start to see happening in the life of David is you start to see him come to realize is the only reason that God fulfilled his promise was so that the promise

that God had made Israel could be fulfilled through him. God blessed David to be fulfilled. God blessed David be a blessing to Israel. And the very first time he's anointed, he goes running towards his promise. Third time, he knows it's not about him any longer. And he walks and he marches with the Israelites towards theirs. He starts to realize, I know I'm on the other side of the promise when I'm not at the center. In Christ, we know we're on the other side of the promise when it's not about us. Why do I put myself at the center of every single promise?

I struggle with that. And as David is leading the Israelites towards Jebus, now the context of this story is seven nations larger and stronger than you, David, Israel. You can't defeat them, but I will drive them out little by little. 480 years have passed from Exodus 3 to this moment. Little by little. Twelve generations had passed by.

And God is faithful to fulfill his promises. Maybe just maybe some of the promises I feel like God has given me will be experienced in the next generation coming after me. That's what David's realizing. Maybe it's for the nation or maybe it's for the next generation. They don't all have to center around me. And he goes to Jebus, this seventh nation larger, and stronger. And if you look at the map, each one of these seven nations held a different part of

the town. The six, the Gurgishites, the Amorites, the Parasites, the Hivites, the Hittites, all of them had been defeated. There's only one nation larger and stronger waiting to be displaced out of the promised land. And it is smack dab in the center of Israel. It's Jibis. This is the hardest enemy to get out. been there for generations, thick, fortified walls, never been defeated before. They had been there so long, the Israelites as they're marching towards the city are probably telling David like, yo, David, you know they've been here forever, right? Like, you know that your mama's, mama's, mama's mama's mama struggle with this too? You know that this one, you're going to be just like your daddy? This one's been here forever. This one you'll never get rid of.

And David just, he didn't really listen to all that. It's funny because the picture of the physical land really represents the spiritual condition of a lot of our hearts. It's because there's one space right in the center of the promised land that's still enemy held. Parts of my heart, parts of my mind, parts of my relationships that are still enemy held territory. And God is saying enough, that is my promised land I've made available for you. I know nobody in 14 generations has lived in it, but you're going to. It's time for us to deal with that jeepus. that thing. I'm talking about that thing because the first six had been defeated and they're moving on

towards the seventh. I think they listen to Pastor Stephen Sermon. Don't stop on six because they're going right in to number seven. And it's fascinating. Seven means complete. It means whole. God's greatest promises that He will fulfill in your life for not the ones you drive, not the ones you cash, not the ones you live in, but they're the ones that make you whole. The enemy has been stealing your joy too long because there's enemy held territory that's right in the center and nobody will see it. Because this one looking from the outside, no one would even know. You look like you got it all together. You roll up in a nice car, dressed in the nicest things, but inside you're dying.

inside you feel like you're leaking inside you doubting whether or not god even exists i'm talking about that place god wants to make you whole that's his desire in this place he wants to make you whole and i identify with this because i think all of us have those battles we've been facing for a long time earlier i mentioned that one of the promises i'm believing god for is is this promise of forgiveness, very specifically forgiveness for the relationship with my father. You see, my dad was handed a generational thing of alcoholism because his dad and his dad's dad and you go back as far as we can look. There was this thing that when you see somebody living an alcoholic lifestyle, often the choices and the chaos and the calamity come with it. I grew up in a world that was extremely

chaotic and abusive. And I grew up a lot of my young adulthood hating my father if I'm being really honest with you. This isn't sugar-coated. And I grew up being so angry. And most of my adult life, I was working on trying to forgive my dad. And it was a desire of my heart. And it really felt like God had made me a promise to forgive my dad. But it had to go through these levels, these opponents of forgiveness, because forgiveness is not a moment. It is a process. It is something you walk out little by little. And it's taking me 40 years. Because it started at this level of just being angry at my dad. Then I moved into another level of just being angry at everybody. And it's like, that's not fun for anybody because now you're just angry at everybody.

You don't even know why you're angry. And then slowly you start to deal with your own anger issues. That's a level. And then there's a level of actually admitting that it wasn't right. And then there's a level of actually saying to your dad, this isn't right. But then there's a level of saying, get dad, because of your choices, I actually can't see you. So I went for about a four-year period where I didn't talk to my dad or see him. Because I said, because of the destructive behaviors you're choosing to live in, I can no longer let those be a part of my life. And it was a level. And that God said, no, you've got to advance out of that level because there's another level after that. And you actually have to forgive your father. You just can't pretend like it didn't

exist and separate. That's not forgiveness. That's forgetting. Forgetting will never get you into the promised land, little by little. And then I had to actually ask my dad for forgiveness. But then God said, now you need to ask him for forgiveness. Because I built up these walls and it was punishing everybody else around and had to say to my dad, Dad, would you forgive me for building up these. You see, it's a process. It's little, and it's hard. And my dad got, has some bad diagnosis a year ago,

and he went into some ill health, and I went to see him last November. This is a picture of me with my father. His name is Leon Charles Brigh. We share the same middle name. And that's the first picture that, I've ever taken with my dad that actually felt like I've forgiven him. It's the first photo I've ever taken where I actually love him. I wasn't embarrassed by him, and I wasn't ashamed of him.

And God really showed me in that photo, you're on the other side of the promise. The thing, the promise I made you, you're on the other side of it. It was a process. And you're on the other side of it. And that's the moment I treasure. And it was at noon that day. Six hours later at dinner, we're sitting at my mom's kitchen table, and we're looking through this book. This is a book my cousin put together of my grandma's journals, Grandma Agnes, my dad's mom. It's her recipe book. It's a journalist started back in 1959. Did it all the way into the 90s when she passed away. Simple farm woman from Minnesota. I mean, didn't get into her plumbing until the late 80s.

You know, some days the entries would be. It's 13 below. we picked the eggs, bailed the haves, things like that. And it was just fun. I'm sitting there going through this story with my mom. And it's just incredible to just, you know, live in that promised land. And I come across this entry from November of 1978. I would have been eight years old at that time. And it says, Dorothy calls at about 4 o'clock in the morning.

Dorothy is my mom. I'm like, mom, what's this? Like, what was that about? She goes, you don't remember? I'm like, Mom, no, I don't. What are you talking about? She goes, I can't believe you don't remember. I'm like, Mom, now you're kind of freaking me out.

She goes, that was when your dad was having the affair. Oh. And as she said those words, it's like a flood of memory. She's downloaded, and it started to remember all of the chaos that was around that moment. God had covered it so that I wouldn't see it until 40 years later. His grace covered me until it was ready to see it. But in that moment, if you don't understand the struggle, you won't possess the promise. In that moment, I felt like I forfeited all of this promised land territory, and I'm back at level one.

And God says, no, no, no. You have forgiven your father. And you've walked it out. And it's been a little bit, a little. And I know it's been 40 years, but you have forgiven him. And I'm not telling you, you lost all that territory. I'm just showing you more territory you can possess. It's little by little.

And I felt God speaking into my spirit saying this, this is a Gbis. This is a generational thing that's been there forever. And he says, this one is about the next generation. It has nothing to do with you. And God spoke into my spirit. It says, if you face this unforgiveness issue, because I didn't want to face it. My dad passes away two months later after that photo. I didn't get a chance to talk to him about like, why this happened, Dad.

I didn't get a chance to make that resolution with it, but God's working on me, and I didn't want to. And God said, listen, this isn't about you. This is about your kids. And it says, if you face this one, they'll never have to. And so what it means is you've got to take your kids back through all of these levels. Don't just pretend like it didn't happen. You walk them through that so that you can show them the next level they get to stand in. And I realize that I'm on the other side when I'm not.

at the center. That's what David realized with the Israelites. And he moves towards Jebus. And the Jebysites who live there said to David, you will not get in here. And that's what the devil has been telling you for a long time. You'll never stand in that promise. You'll never get there.

And I'm so glad that David was there in that moment because his response is our response. It is the attitude of perseverance, and it's the word that I speak over you. And this next word is the word that absolutely can change your life. This next word is the word that when you come up against opposition and you don't think it's ever going to happen, you speak to the thing as David did. And David said, nevertheless, nevertheless, I know it doesn't look like you should be successful. Nevertheless, I know you're tired and exhausted and frustrated.

Nevertheless, I will move forward. Nevertheless is the sound of perseverance. It is the attitude of a follower of Christ who's going to move into the promised land, who will possess the promises that God made for you. but you will never possess it if you don't persevere toward it. Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry. It's because of you that this ministry is possible. You can click the link in the description to give now

or visit elevationchurch.org slash podcast for more information. And if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe, you can share it with your friends. You can click the share button, take a screenshot, and share it on your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you. This is an IHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.