Elevation with Steven Furtick - The Restriction Has Been Lifted

Episode Date: December 12, 2022

Who are we to deny what the Lord can do?  In “The Restriction Has Been Lifted,” Pastor Steven Furtick reminds us that despite what our current situations look like God still has the ability to do exceedingly, abundantly, and above all that we ask or think. If you’ve just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: http://ele.vc/tIepfr To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: http://www.elevationchurch.org/giving/ Scripture References: Exodus 40, verses 33-38  John 1, verse 14  Luke 5, verses 17-25See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Okay. The scripture that the Lord led me to, as we complete this season, it didn't seem like to me a Christmas scripture at first, but I think it is. It's in Exodus chapter 40. You're like, isn't the Christmas story in the New Testament? Jesus is all up in your Bible.

You just got to, he's like, where's Waldo? You just got to know how to spot. But in Exodus 40, there is something I want to show you today. Verse 33, let's go, then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle, an altar, and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out.

But if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day. Fire was in the cloud by night in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels. So the Lord gave me good tidings of great joy to preach to this Christmas season. My title is an announcement. Get ready to shout. God said to tell you, the restriction has been lifted. Open your mouth, hold your teeth, and shout unto God. The restriction has been lifted.

Put it in the chat right now. The restriction has been lifted. Tell your neighbor you can move around the room. The restriction, you are now free to praise him. Now be seated. I had fun doing that on the road. We were going out on elevation nights all around the country, and I would make a joke when I would get up in these different cities.

I'd say, hey, now I know that some of y'all haven't been to church in two years ever since 2020. or 2020 and it's 2022. So I've got two years of makeup church to have with you tonight, so I'm going to preach about three hours, and they kind of laugh, and you could see people looking at each other, like, how does he know I hadn't been back to church?

Because for the longest, and I don't mean to do any, I'll put a trigger warning on this real quick, okay? Because that phrase, the restriction has been lifted. It takes us all to a certain place. And this is not a political message. This is just an illustration that I want to use to get you into the Christmas message. So relax. I'm not going to say anything that's going to get us banned or canceled or arrested or anything like that.

All right. Now that we got that out of the way, the illustration is this. A man walks up to me and asks me a question. This was about three months after they lifted the restriction where we could start gathering again for church in person. and he sees me in a public place and he says, yo, pastor, are the restrictions lifted? Are y'all meeting in church now? And I said, yeah, we've been meeting for three months.

And I've been preaching the whole time. And we've been putting the sermons online. And he goes, oh, cool. Well, I'm coming this Sunday then. He walks off. He turns around, walks back. walks back over to me and looks guilty and goes, I can't lie to my pastor. I knew y'all were having church again.

I follow every account on Instagram that Elevation Church has. I just hadn't come back yet. So I am going to be there Sunday, but I couldn't lie to you about why. It didn't that I hadn't come back because I didn't think I could come back. I just didn't come back and I hadn't come back. I'm like, it's all right, man. Give me a hug. We can hug now.

The restrictions are lifted. Give me hug. And so as a moment, there was a teaching moment for me, not about pandemics and viruses or any of that stuff. It was a moment to me about human nature. There was a moment for me to realize that sometimes the restriction is gone, but the conditioning remains. to where he said, hey, I just got used to not doing it. So I'm not doing it. And I have an excuse as I can't do it.

This is not a sermon for all of y'all who are watching online, by the way. I think it's great to watch online. This is not saying don't watch. I wouldn't put the sermon online if I didn't want you to watch it online. But what the man said to me was powerful. He said, I knew I could come back. I just haven't been coming back. But rather than say I hadn't been coming back,

and deal with why I haven't been coming back because I got into the habit of not coming back. I wanted to ask you, can I come back? Because if I ask you, can I come back? It gives the impression that I'm confused. And then I can blame my complacency on my confusion. He said the restriction has been lifted, but my routine has been established. And the fact is, I need to get back. Why are y'all in the room looking convicted?

Y'all are here. You should be shouting about this part of the sermon. It's not even about whether you're in this room or not. It's really not. It's about whether you're in faith. It's about whether you're in the place God has called you to. And it's about whether or not you're allowing God to lead you in this season of your life. Which is exactly what I gave you a picture of from Exodus chapter 40, where the Lord is leading his people.

How many believe the Lord leads his people? That's one of the identifying marks of knowing that you belong to God that Jesus said, my sheep know my voice and they listen. And so not only do they hear it, but they go with it. And so one of the marks of my maturity in God is that not only is he speaking, but that I am in step with him, that he is leading me, that he is leading me to be kinder, more generous, that he is leading me to be kinder, more generous, that he is leading me to be more disciplined in the areas that matter.

In fact, that's the word that Holly and I are putting on our offering today. Just a few moments, people from all over our church, our global community, and even online, are going to be giving to the work of God through this ministry. And every year, we challenge every person, every family, pick a word, my kids all have a word. Their words are just as unique as they are as people. I'm telling you it's hilarious because they were all making fun of each other's words at the table last night. And I was like, you don't need to stop making fun of each other's words. And we need to set an example for the people of God and give as a family.

We can't be fighting like this as we're trying to set an example of faith. And so my word that I told Holly, because sometimes I ask her and then sometimes I just tell her. And she trusts me. So she lets me be the leader of our home. I said, our word is actually leadership. Our word is leadership. Because there are two things I'm becoming more convinced. about with every year God leaves me on this planet. One is that he is leading me. And the other one is

that I need it. How much stupid stuff have I done? How many relationships have I wasted my time investing in? Because I didn't let God lead me. Think how much money you could have saved on first dates if you would have listened to the Lord and let him lead you. Touch the person next to you and say let him lead you. It's not like he doesn't want to. It's not like God is cruel up there trying to hide his will from you. It's not like God is some kind of masochistic master who wants to put you in situations and not show you what to do. I mean if you need further prove that God wants to lead you. Look to the extremes which he was willing to go to lead his people through the wilderness in Exodus chapter 40. If you don't think God wants to lead you,

watch this example. It's brilliant. God says, I'm going to give you a place called the tabernacle. You could put it right in the wilderness. At the base of Mount Sinai, I'm going to give you my commandments, ten of them. And even when you break them, I'm going to give you the tablets again. So you can have another start because I am the God of new beginnings and second chances and I will lead you even when you lead yourself astray If you are faithless, he will remain faithful for he cannot deny himself and when you get done with the commandments Build a tabernacle a place for my glory to dwell a place where there can be an altar a place where there can be a basin for the priest to wash their hands in a place where there can be a A cherubim where the presence of God can dwell in the most holy place. After you get through the curtains and the lampstand and the table of showbread,

all which are pointing to the ultimate revelation of God in Jesus Christ, our Savior, born on Christmas Day. God said, I'm going to put a provisional tent in the wilderness so you'll have a place to meet with me. And when you mess it up, you'll have a place to make it right so you don't get so far off track that you can't come back because I am your leader. So he did something very cool, I think is cool, to get them where they needed to go. He gave them this cloud that would settle over the tabernacle, and then it would lift. And when it lifted, that meant it was time for them to move.

And when it stayed, that meant it was time for them to stay. And all they had to do was obey. and I kind of wish that this Christmas, God would give me a cloud like that cloud. Wouldn't that be cool? Come on, wouldn't that be amazing? God just telling you, nope, don't take that job. Come over here, stay right there. That would be awesome.

I would love it. But the only thing is, if he gave them a cloud to lead them, which would be a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Now, let me explain this for a moment before I tell you why the cloud wouldn't be as cool as you think it would be. Because it wouldn't be as cool as you think it would be, and I'm going to show you why in just a moment. But first, let me say this. The cloud looked like one thing in the daytime and another thing at nighttime. So God never changes.

Thank God that he never changes. However, our relationship with him does. God is always leading you, and God is always leading me. But he will lead me through different things in different seasons. And it doesn't mean he's changed. It doesn't mean that he's less faithful. It doesn't mean that he's forgotten. It doesn't mean that he's punishing me.

But God leads me in different ways, in different seasons. I had a conversation with this very thing about this very thing with my kids. I haven't had this conversation with Abby yet because it's a conversation that I had with Elijah when he became a teenager and Graham when he became a teenager and I'll have it with Abby here soon as well so you can get it early. Abby, I said, hey, I love you, but I want to talk to you a little bit about how our relationship is going to change as you grow and mature and you want more freedom. So I establish something and I don't know if this is good or not.

Maybe I can improve it before I get it to Abby and I can practice on the boys and then get it right on her. They already pick on me that she gets all of the benefits of my inexperience being worked out on them and now I am a much better dad for her. But this is what I said, and y'all tell me if you think this is good or not, I said, my love for you is set. I'm your dad. you get hooked on drugs or if you get a diploma.

I'm your dad. If you come home and you have to tell me the worst news ever, I'm your dad. I love you. I can't stop loving you. Even though I want to, I can't stop loving you. It's like sometimes I try to not love you and it just boomerangs back. So that is set. And if there is a level of my love for you, it's like level 11.

It's not even 10. It's like level 11, I love you. I love you more than I should love you. That's why sometimes I don't even see things that are around. wrong with you because I love you too much to see it. And that's why sometimes you get on my last nerve because I love you so much. And that was a conversation that my love for you is set. But your freedom is not set in this house.

Your freedom is contingent on your behavior in three specific areas. And I'm making all this up the first time when I gave it to Elijah. And I had it better when I got to Graham. I'll get it better when I get to Abby. I said it's three things. It's respect. You will respect me. You will respect your mom.

And if you're going to pick one of the two of us not to respect, disrespect me. Because if you disrespect her, you will find out what it is like to have me against you. I know this parenting style is very antiquated and everything like that, but it's just where I come from from my understanding of my role, my parental role. If you want my resource, you will. give me respect. So we talk about that. Then there will be responsibility. Like, you've got to get your crap done. Or I'm going to have to treat you like you don't know how to get your crap done. But if you can get your crap done, this is in the Bible somewhere too. If you don't get faithful over little, faithful over much. If you can prove to me that you can do a few things

well, I can let you do more things. But you know, it's like a leash. You've heard these parenting illustrations before. And how much liberty, how much license you get is not going to be dependent on how much I love you. Because I love you 11. But I can't let you 11. Just because I love you. I didn't put that in my notes, but I kind of liked it.

I love you 11. My love won't leave. But your privileges, your permissions, your liberty and your license depend on three things. And it's respect, and its responsibility, and most of all is trust.

If I can't trust you, I can love you, but I can't let you just because I love you. I've got to be able to trust you some. And then I said, how good is this parenting seminar? They ought to put me on focus on the family with this. I got something to say. I'm saving my parenting book till all my kids are 60. so I can see how it all turns out. But this is one thing I had to do in real time.

I'm like, it's changing. Our relationship is changing. I'm not changing. I love you. That's set. It's 11. It's not going to go to 9 Monday and 7 Tuesday. And oh, then Wednesday you win a big softball game.

We're back to 11. That's not performance base. My love is set at 11. Now, I want to tell you something. Get real real quick. clear before I move on in this message. God's love for you is set at level 11. Very rarely for a righteous man would someone die. But God demonstrates his own love for us through this, that while we were still screwed up, while we were still filthy, while we were still sin stain,

while we were still creating shame through our perpetual behavior that defied him. While I was still a sinner, Christ died for me. So that's set. It's not changing. What shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus? You can't take it away. It's set. You can't snatch it.

It's set. You can't soil it. It's set. It's set. It's protected. It's settled. It's pain. for is purchased in Bly his love for me.

No but, just that. And then out of understanding this, we get the opportunity to make the decision how much of his love do we want to live in? How much of his freedom do we want to experience? It says in Exodus that God gave the people, not only a place where he could meet with them, the tabernacle, but over the tabernacle came a cloud, and the cloud represented his glory and his presence. Let me show you something so cool.

I know you will like this, because I loved it when I saw it. In Exodus 4033, put it on the board, please. It says that Moses finished the work. You see that? Moses finished the work. Everybody say, so Moses finished. Go to verse 34. Well, this blessed me. It said, the Lord filled. Then the cloud covered the ten of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. So let's put those two together. Ready? So Moses finished. The Lord filled. Stop asking God to fill stuff that you won't finish. God doesn't bless good intentions. God doesn't bless your to-do list.

He blesses your done stuff that you push through. Now, what does that have to do with restriction? It has everything to do with restriction. It has everything to do with the man who walked up to me and said, I knew I could come back, but I'm not coming back, because I got so used to not coming that my conditioning was set down here and my permission was set up here. And so I've been living at the level of my conditioning.

I stopped coming, even though I have permission to come back. And now there's a gap. And he said, I feel bad. And I said, don't feel bad. Just come back. You could come back. The restrictions are lifted. You can come back.

Come on back Sunday. I'll look for you. And I want to tell you he was here. Boy, I preached to that man that Sunday. I did good too. He sat right center. I guess he got here early and I never said a word about him, but I preached to him because he was here. And nothing changed about the situation. Only his decision. So the cloud had this little thing where it would come down and fill the tabernacle and then it would lift and when it lifted everybody say when it lifted oh say it with faith when it lifted that's it that's it god was saying to his people you can move now you can go now you can you can go forward now he wanted to lead them all the way to the promised land all the way to the land of canaan flowing with milk and honey The land where the grapes are so big, you need a partner to help you carry them on a pole. All the way to the land of Canaan, where they could have their own land and settle in it and declare the goodness of God as their inheritance. He wanted to lead them all the way to Canaan.

So he gave them a cloud, see? And when the cloud lifted, they got up. And when they got up and moved forward, the cloud took them until it settled again. And when it settled, they settled. And this was the system God gave them in the wilderness. And I'm thinking it would be kind of good if God would give me this for my wilderness. You know, let me know what to do. Give me clarity, God.

I just need to see. How many of you want God to show you something in your life right now? This or that, him or her, them or them, here or there, now or later? Yes or no, clarity, clarity, clarity, clarity, clarity, clarity. I need to see. I can't live in a cloud of confusion, not knowing, is this God? I've got to know it's God if I'm going to go. The only problem with that, the only problem with that is that God can give you clarity.

But if you don't commit, in fact, I'm going to go a little further than that. Clarity comes from commitment. Abraham, go to the land. I will show you. And a lot of us are confused because we're not committed. We haven't really decided to serve God with our whole heart. So now we're asking God, oh, show me. I want one of those clouds, Lord.

I want one of those clouds to lead me into a new career. I want one of those clouds to show me, God. Give me one of those clouds like Moses had. Moses had a cloud, God. Give me a cloud. And lead me, what good would it do? The cloud led them. around and in the wilderness

because when it finally got them to Canaan they didn't have the courage to go in and conquer it. Did you hear what I said? God gave them clarity. Okay, this is what I want you to do. This is where I want you to go. Here is who I've called you to be. This is what I want to give to you.

They had clarity, but they didn't have the courage to act on the clarity that God gave them. So we keep saying, God, I need more information. God, I need more knowledge. We don't need knowledge. We need commitment. Because the moment you decide I'm going to be free,

God will show you where the keys are. The moment you decide, not just dabble, not just test it, not just sometimes, not just once every three weeks, not just when you hear a sermon get fired up, The moment you commit to it, God will give you clarity. But clarity comes with commitment. The moment you decide, I'm going to be a better husband. God will show you how to be a better husband.

The moment you decide, I am not going to keep running to these drugs anymore. God will show you who to talk to that can help you make different decisions. The moment you decide, the moment you commit. And the moment that you're going to be. step is the moment that you're strengthened. So now we've got a conversation that we need to have. Not how much does God love you? That's sad.

And guess what? We don't even need to talk about is God with you. His presence is said. You think you can run God off? I just don't know, I just don't feel God's presence. What does that have to do? Feeling God's presence is not a factual indication. of whether God's presence

has left you or not. You know why you're not feeling this presence? Because you're not saying any prayers. Yes, I do. I pray every day. No, you close your eyes. You worry. You call it prayer.

Nice little Christmas message I brought you today. No, I want to help people. I'm past the point in my life of wanting to be like a religious entertainer. And the fact is, what I saw study in the passage, because I was so consumed with this cloud. I'm like, yes, Lord, lead me, God.

Show me where the water is. Show me where the food is. Show me where the opportunity is. Show me the money. Show me the ministry. Show me, God. Show me, show me. And the Lord is like,

what good did it do them to have the cloud? Where I was taking them for the cloud. Ask for the courage to go forward and knowing that he's with you. Okay, Lord. I'll do it. Just give me a confirmation. Lord, I'm just waiting for a confirmation that it is your will for me to give in this offering. Okay, cool.

I confirmed it on Calvary when I gave my only begotten son. One guy was asking me, what do you do when you don't clearly know what God wants you to preach? And my answer was really surprising to me and to him. I thought. Because I do know what that feels like. I know what that feels like. And I said, I get my haircut. He goes, ah.

I said, no, that's, I just thought about it. What do I do when I don't know what God has called me to preach? I get my haircut. Because when I get in the chair to get my haircut, it symbolizes the decision that Sunday I'm expecting to say something. And that sends the signal to the Holy Spirit, oh, he's going to show up.

So now you show up. Because when I make the decision to be here, it's as simple as a haircut. I know that doesn't sound deep. I know I should study Greek. I know I should speak in tongues. I know I should do all that. But sometimes that doesn't work for me.

So I say, it's time for a haircut because of what the haircut means. The haircut means I'm going to do this. The haircut means I'm not staying in my pajamas and eating Oreos and having communion with Oreos and orange juice Sunday and calling in a guest. I'm going to preach. And then after I get my haircut, I pick out my clothes. And I put them to the side. You know, that little valet you gave me about seven years ago? I still got it in my closet.

It's my Sunday clothes. I keep it there. And when I go put over my clothes over on that little thing in my closet, the devil says, uh-oh. He's doing it. We tried to discourage him all week. Didn't work. You see that fresh fade? Ferdick is planning to preach.

Come on. You see them getting up and signing up for classes? That means they're doing it. You see them signing up for counseling. That means, uh-oh, it didn't work. Tried to keep them out. Tried to keep them down. Tried to tell them, go home.

It's over. But watch them. They're picking out their clothes. They're picking out their next course. They're sending the text. They're showing up. You've got to show up. You got to show up.

I'm showing up and I'm doing it and I won't be the same. Now, God, what are we doing? Because I'm doing it. So what are we doing? Even when the cloud came down. Watch what happened. Moses couldn't go into the tent when the cloud came at the door. Well, that's kind of weird, God.

You're trying to block your servant with your presence? But Moses had restrictions. Don't get me wrong. Moses is one of the greatest leaders who ever lived. But even Moses could only go so far. Even Moses could only do so much. I told you this was a Christmas scripture, and I'm going to prove it to you right now. I never realized until I saw Moses in the scriptures of Exodus chapter 40 how he was only pointing to the Messiah who would be born millennia after his life ended.

I will prove it to you succinctly, but thoroughly. Watch this. Both Moses and Jesus were babies. So far we have not narrowed the field much as that applies to most humans. Let's go a little bit deeper. Both Moses and Jesus were a part of a political threat that extinguished the lives of every Hebrew boy under the age of two. You remember how Pharaoh tried to kill every two-year-old and underboy that was born in the time of Moses? And do you remember how Herod in the New Testament tried to kill the one who was born King of the Jews?

But since he couldn't find him, he had to kill everything around him. The enemy will attack stuff around you and circumstances. But it's not about what's around you. It's about what's in you because Jesus, the Messiah, was born. And so they both had to survive assassination attempt before they were two years old. Moses and Jesus both had that in common and Moses was laid in a basket that was woven with straw and Jesus was laid in a manger that was filled with straw and Moses came up out of Egypt to deliver his people and Jesus came up out of Egypt to deliver his people and Moses brought the Ten Commandments for from the mountain and Jesus went up on a mountain and taught the ten beatitudes and Moses saw the glory of God. But this is where Moses is different than the Messiah.

This is where Moses can only take you so far. This is where leadership can only get you so far unless it comes from the Lord. Because Moses said, show me your glory. And Jesus said, I am the glory of the glory of God. God. Do you not know? John 114. Word became flesh and dwell among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the Father full of grace and truth. Now the word dwelt literally means tabernacle. Don't you see what Jesus was doing that Moses couldn't do? Don't you see what Christmas really is as opposed to what we thought it was?

We thought Christmas was a nice comforting thought. We thought that Christmas was God coming to say, It's very nice to meet you. I'm sending a baby because who doesn't love babies? Don't you see this coming full form? Don't you see that the nation of Israel was in the womb of the wilderness, becoming the nation that God would bless the earth through? Just like Jesus was born in the womb of Mary to save his people.

from their sins and the word became flesh and dwelt among us? What does that mean? He tabernacled in the middle of the wilderness. He tabernacled in the middle of my sin. And he was born in the straw to save me from my sin. This is Christmas. It is God saying, because I am here, Emmanuel means God with us. That is his intimacy.

You don't have to go to a tabernacle or a church building or an altar to meet with God anymore. The restriction has been you don't have to sacrifice pigeons and doves and goats and bulls to be right with God anymore. But by offering your faith, God has already offered his son to take away your sin. That's what the Lamb of God does. The restriction has been lifted. Restriction has been lifted so much so that when God wanted to announce good news of great joy to all people, he did not announce it in a synagogue. He announced it to the shepherds. to let you know that God can do what he wants to.

God can use who he chooses to. And that includes you. But you've got God in this little tiny box, this little baby Jesus box, this little Ricky Bobby Talladega Knight's baby Jesus box. The spirit of religion is the Ricky Bobby spirit, by the way. And I'm not endorsing any movies or anything like that, but I think maybe you could do a Bible study around it how baby, baby Jesus. Go back to the conversation I have with my kids, all right? It's like God doesn't change, but Jesus didn't stay a baby. That's his incarnation.

That's how he came into the world through a virgin womb to show you that all things are possible. Once the dude comes through a virgin womb, all bets are off. That was the first announcement that God, can do what he wants to in your life. The cloud was kind of had a mind of its own in Exodus. It would move when it wanted to. The cloud didn't move on a set schedule, because even in the wilderness, God was teaching us that he is consistent, but he is not predictable.

He's consistent. He'll be there, but he's going to look like one thing in the daytime, one thing at the night time. And may I add, he's not going to move every Monday at 3 o'clock. Because if he moved every Monday at 3 o'clock, you would worship Monday at 3 o'clock. If he always blessed you through the same people, you're like, they didn't call me back. That's because God wants you to be a blessing to somebody else. And if he keeps feeding you through the same people, you will move.

He's consistent. His presence is set at level 11. If you make your bed in hell, he's there. If you're having a great day and polishing your halo, he's there. But watch this. Oh, this is so powerful. The cloud had a mind of its own. God's thoughts are not your thoughts, and his ways are not your ways.

And the stable was not the Airbnb that Mary and Joseph would have chosen to rest and recuperate after the birth of their baby boy. And he didn't stay a baby. You've met baby Jesus. You like baby Jesus. You carry baby Jesus, but there will come a point in your life where you need Jesus to carry you. So I want to go to the Christmas scripture that you've never heard before on Christmas, where we meet not baby Jesus, but breakthrough Jesus. In Luke chapter 5, the Bible says,

that he had come to Copernium. Now, the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Breakthrough Jesus, if you want to meet this Christ, he can be found in Copernum. That's where he based himself to do his miracles. And the Bible says when he got to Copernum, he was teaching and preaching. Why? Because he is the Word. Wouldn't you love to hear the word preach the word? I bet that would be good. I bet that would be awesome. To hear the word preach the word, it was such an attraction that they gathered and nobody could get in the door. They closed it and they tried to send these guys to overflow.

And I want you to watch what happened in the meantime. In Luke chapter 5 verse 17, the Bible says one day Jesus was teaching and the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you're not ready for this. They were sitting there and they had come from every village of Galilee, all the surrounding zip goats and from Judea and Jerusalem. And watch this. The power of the Lord was with Jesus. Well, of course it was. He's Jesus. And power is attracted to presence. So since he is God in human flesh, the word became flesh and dwelt among us. It makes sense that the power would be where the presence was. God is here and anything can happen. God is here and all things are

possible. God is here. Change might break any minute. God is here. Joy might flood your soul any minute. God is here. Something can happen right now because God is here. So the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Verse 18, let me preach this Christmas scripture. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. but they couldn't. When they could not find a way to do it, because of the crowd, what's what they did? They went up on the roof, and they lifted their friend. So when they said, there's no way you can't do it, the moment that they said there isn't a way,

it sparked creative faith in the minds of these committed friends, and they looked all around for a little while. And they tried to find somebody who was sleeping at the dorm, Maybe an usher who wasn't paying attention. But since they couldn't sneak past a sleepy usher, they devised another way on the roof. There were many that day who came to the same door needing a miracle from the Son of God. But they turned around and left, not because they couldn't find a way, but because they didn't commit to find a way. You quit too quick.

You give up too easy. You go home too fast. You get too discouraged by one person telling you, You look stupid. You quit too easy. You give up too fast. These men didn't leave. They lifted.

They said if we can't get through it, we got to find a way because our friend needs Jesus. So they go up on the roof. They went up around the restriction. You can't go in. And when they got up, they lowered their friend down and watch what. baby Jesus did. Let me hold you right here for a moment. You've been praying to baby Jesus. Little Jesus, you can carry around like a good luck charm. Talking about, oh, Jesus, I think you're your presence with me. It's just so good to know you're with me. I love baby Jesus too.

But I'm at the stage of my life, and I assume somebody is too, or else God wouldn't give me this message. I don't need to carry him. I need him to carry me. I don't just need him. To show me where to go. I need him to help me do it because I can't without him. Now this man in the passage is physically restricted. There is a physical limitation, but it isn't always. It isn't always a physical limitation. It isn't always a physical restriction.

Sometimes it is emotional. Sometimes it is familial. Sometimes it is the pattern of the way that you have processed your past experiences that will lock you up tight like a jail cell and say, you can't go out. But now this is not baby Jesus you're dealing with, is it? We beheld His glory. The glory as of who?

The only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. So when they couldn't find a way in, they went up. When they couldn't find a way through the crowd, they went on the roof. And when Jesus, I love this. part. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, friend, your sins are forgiven. Now watch these Pharisees how they think about Jesus. Verse 21. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law begin to think to themselves, who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone? They didn't know who they were dealing with yet. Their limitation was the very truth that Jesus was proving because he was God alone. So he can do this. So they're saying, you can't do that.

You can't heal him like that. You can't forgive him like that. But the restriction on God that you put on God only limits you. It doesn't limit him to deny what the Lord. Can do. And let me tell you something else. Even if people don't like you, they can't limit what God does through you. Trust me, I know.

If he can forgive you, he can cleanse you and he can save to the uttermost. Who you think you are, Jesus? Who you think you are? You're the carpenter's son. Who you think you are? You were born of a virgin. Nobody really even believes her story anyway. Who you think you are, Jesus?

show you who I am, he said, so that you may know that the son of man, I feel God on this, so that you may know that the son of man has authority. Get me to verse 25. This is my Christmas scripture this year. It's an unusual one. It's an orthodox, an unorthodox one. It's not a common one, but it's powerful. It said that immediately the man stood up in front of them and took what he had been lying on and went home, praise him God. Why did he do that? Go back to verse 24. Jesus said, Jesus said, I want you to know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the paralyzed man, I tell you, get up, take your mat what was restricting you and lift what you were lying on and walk out of here, healed and forgiven.

The restriction has been lifted. Yeah, Jesus said, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me. I'm preaching the cradle. I'm preaching the cross. I'm preaching the empty tomb. I'm all the way in Easter to tell you that the restriction Get up and live into what Christ died for for your life. That's Christmas.

That's Christmas. I'm talking about breakthrough Jesus. Not baby Jesus. Thank God for baby Jesus. Thank God for your baby faith. Thank God for the point that you met God at 17 years ago. Why are you still in that wilderness? Why aren't you moving?

Why aren't you growing? Why are you still replaying that? The Bible says that when Jesus saw their faith, he said, I want to show you what I. So get up. I know you came in restricted. But I want you to get up. Get up. And what you were lying on when you came in is a lie, an excuse that is moving you away from the very gift that I died to give you.

So now when I tell you that Moses had a cloud that lifted up, but you have a Christ who came down, do you see why this is good news? Do you see why God had me preached this message to you before the year ends? Because the restriction isn't real anymore. Sin has no more power over you anymore. seeing that guy in my mind, he said, I can't lie to you. I told you that I didn't think I could come, but the truth is, I wouldn't. And the issue is that I won't. But if you, my brother, my sister, can receive this Christmas sermon and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus

from the dead, this could be the best Christmas of your life. not just to celebrate and spend and consume, but to really know that God is able to do immeasurably more than you asked or imagine. Oh, exceeding abundantly above. The limit that you put on God is a lie. I'm going to speak to a few. I'm too old. That's a lie.

Abraham was 100. Shut up. I'm too young. Timothy tried that. God said, don't let anybody say you're too young. I screwed up. Rehab was a prostitute. Shut up and do what God gave you to do. Oh, I'm not bold. I'm timid. Gideon was a wimp. God called him a warrior. The restriction has been lifted. Let me try one more. I don't have anything in me. Mary was a virgin. Shut up, get up, take your match and walk in the favor of Almighty God, the restricts. And he's here.

With the Lord, with the Lord. Proclaim it in faith say, you are. This is not for everybody. This is for somebody, though. You are more than a more. Yes, Lord. Above all you ask, or match, take the limits off of God. In just a moment, we're going to give our offering.

We're giving today in faith. We're giving today in obedience. We're giving today at every location and all over the world online and in person. We are not believing that we're doing God a favor by giving to him. We're stretching our faith to build his kingdom knowing that he has been good and he is worthy. Everybody who believes he's worthy, clap your hands and give him praise. I want you to get your envelope. No one leaving.

I preached short so we would have time. So get your envelope Short er preached in hour, bro That was short This is an opportunity This is an opportunity For you

To demonstrate the faith That you just declared Holly and I have prepared now our 17th offering Come here, Autumn, come here, Greg Come on Autumn sent me a text today I want you to pray Over this

Come on Holly Autumn sent me a text today. She sent me in Holly a text. She said this is our 17th year-end offering that we've given in. Isn't that amazing? The 17th offering. That's so cool. That bless me.

That bless me. That bless me. I thought about it. Who would have thought that we be speaking? You remember when you came for the first time at Providence High School? And now look at God all over the world. Venezuela, Brazil. Everywhere there's World Cup, there's elevation.

God is so good. Who am I to deny what he can do? Sometimes I get to thinking, well, maybe we've gone as far as we can go as a ministry. No, the devil is a liar. The restriction. We didn't even have multi-site church when we started. We didn't have epham. This is the greatest day of our church that we've ever been in.

Who am I to deny? So two things, your campus pastors are going to come in just a moment, and they're going to instruct you to give. It's a special time of giving. For all of you who tithe regularly to this ministry, I thank God for you. You are what enables God to move through this ministry. You're the vessel, you're the vehicle, and I pray a thousandfold blessing and a harvest of peace and righteousness in your home, in your family, in your business as you give. We also want to pray over your words so you'll have the opportunity to write down your word. And not only will our staff be praying that over you, but you will be believing for it.

Who am I to deny he's able? God is able. The message is coming to a close, but it's your move now. Has God blessed you to be a blessing? I want to invite you to be a part of this year-end offering and give a gift, a significant gift to help us preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. God never stops working and he invites us to be a part of that with him. You can go to elevationchurch.org right now and you can see all of the options. If you've never started to tithe, give God consistently, regularly, that first 10% of everything

that he's blessed you with, today is the day to begin. Or for those of you who want to give an above and beyond one-time offering, just to thank God and to trust him and to make a difference in the world. You can do that too at elevationchurch.org. You can find the promise year-end offering, or you can give to our regular ministry. But we thank God for you. Make sure you let us know what you're believing God for in this coming year so we can stand with you in faith and together see what God can do through you. God bless you. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.