Elevation with Steven Furtick - There Is A Throne (Priscilla Shirer)

Episode Date: May 17, 2026

Sometimes, even when you’re trying to do all the right things, you still end up in a dark place. But there is a King on the throne, and knowing He is with you can make all the difference in the world. Priscilla Shirer preaches from Revelation 4 to show us God’s invitation to lift our eyes to heaven and fight from victory in His Name. If you’ve just made a decision for Christ, please respond HERE: http://ele.vc/tIepfr  Scripture References: Revelation 4, verses 1-11See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God as moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. First of all, I want to thank you for being the absolute, in my correct, humble opinion, a most amazing church on the planet. And it's so good to see you today. Because I believe that you are the greatest church on the planet, I feel it's my job to bring you the greatest preachers on the planet. So any given Sunday, you might get to hear a word from Holly Ferdick on Mother's Day. That might happen.

You might come one Sunday and you might get stuck with me. But today, you get to hear from Priscilla Shire. And I'm telling you this because you must have done something right. Touch her neighbor and say, you must have lived right to get to hear Priscilla. She and Jerry are two of the greatest generals for the kingdom of God. We are so thankful to have them here with us today. We are ready to preach you down, woman of God. Thank you for your ministry touching millions around the world.

elevation for the first time. Help me welcome. Priscilla Shire. Before you sit down, you need to know that the Lord must love you. Listen to me. That he has entrusted the state of your spiritual growth and your soul. To leaders who actually have integrity. Listen to me.

I wish I could tell you that at every church it is that way. It is not. So God must have. a thing for y'all that he has allowed your spiritual development this side of heaven to be attached to people who actually love Jesus would you celebrate stephen and holly ferdin thank you thank you thank you for loving each other thank you for loving your kids and thank you for loving the house of god we're so grateful y'all i'm so grateful to be with you I don't want you to stand up too long, but you're going to have to stand up while I read this scripture.

You're going to want to stand up while I read this scripture. Because the presence of God is so thick in this room, and I believe he's going to put an exclamation point on his presence in these moments. We're going to read together from Revelation chapter 4. I go to the kind of church where sometimes we just stand up for the reading of God's word, just to remind ourselves that every single time we come to the pages. of the book, God is speaking, that we should expect to feel the warm breath of God brushing across our cheeks as he speaks a present word over our lives. Revelation chapter 4. John says, After these things I looked, and behold, there was a door standing open in the heavens.

And there was like the first voice which I had heard before, the sound of a trumpet speaking. and the voice said, come up here. And I'm going to show you some things which are to take place. And verse two immediately. I was in the spirit and behold, a throne was standing in the heavens and one sitting on the throne. And he who was sitting on the throne was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance.

And there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance. And around the throne, there were 24 smaller thrones. And on those thrones I saw 24 elders, and they were clothed in white garments, golden crowns on their head, verse 5. And from the throne there preceded flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. There were seven lamps of fire burning around the throne, which are the seven spirits of God, verse 6. And before the throne, there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the center and around the throne, there were four living creatures full of eyes. in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf,

the third creature had a face like a man. The fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them, having six wings full of eyes around and within all day and all night long, they did not cease to say, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God come? And when the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever. The 24 elders just started taking off their crowns and setting them at the feet of Jesus, casting them before the throne. And they said, worthy are you God? To receive glory. And for you, they exist and were created. Lord, the church says worthy. You alone are worthy of the praise. And Father, we will not let the rocks cry out in our place.

We will voluntarily say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. We are your sons and your daughters. We are in your presence to hear from you. Speak, Lord, we are listening. In Jesus' name, everybody agreed and said amen. Amen. You may take your seats. Say it was three decades ago that I was in a little small women's retreat.

Can't even call it a conference. There were probably about 38 of us in that little room. There was a woman that stood up to give her testimony. I will never forget. I was in my 20s at the time. She probably was in her 60s. Her name was Dory Van Stone. We called her Miss Dory.

Everybody was hanging on every word that Miss Dory shared with us because as she gave her testimony, it was so riveting and disturbing that it was hard. to wrap your mind around. She and her sister were neglected and basically abused at the hands of their mother, the one who was supposed to love them and take care of them. She would leave for days on end, leaving her at five years old to take care of her two-year-old sister. When mom did return, most of the time she was frustrated and just angry that she had kids to begin with, she would tell

them that to their face. They knew they were not loved. They knew they were not valued. And because of her anger and frustration, she would often just close the door of a closet, put them inside, and leave them there for hours that would oftentimes turn into days. Dory was recounting how she was trying to figure out how she was going to eat, how she was going to feed her little sister. The bumps in the night would terrify them because they didn't feel protected and covered. She remembers one day her mom coming home and saying, hey, we're going to take a little drive. They got in the car thinking that finally this is a day when mom's doing something with us to just enjoy some time together as mother and daughters. They took a drive, a long drive that ended up at a

driveway that was long and windy. And that long driveway ended up at a front door where there were stone steps that went up to two huge doors, pillars on either side. Mom rang the doorbell and then Dory at seven years old can remember that before anybody had even answered the door, she turned around and noticed that her mother had already gone back down the stairs, had gotten in the car and was driving away. And that was the day they were dropped off at an orphanage. Those two girls suffered more abuse in the orphanage than they had at home. From there, they were transferred from one foster home to the next foster home and their lives really didn't get any better. Along the way, she described the fact that there were some missionaries, some college

students really from a university neighboring who came by to share Jesus with the kids in the orphanage and she remembers giving her life to Jesus. And as she described to us on that day, her life from that point forward, she said, the truth is, my circumstances didn't really change any time soon after I met the Lord. She said still to this day, she's in her 60s, still to this day, I don't know why the Lord let those circumstances, those difficulties go on as long as they did. But she said now in hindsight, looking back, there is something I recall that I couldn't put a finger on then, but now I know what God was doing. She said there were oftentimes where I'd be in the dark corners of those closets that I had been locked in. And she said, the only way I can describe it is that

there was something of a window that seemed to open up, a little veil that was torn down between earth and heaven. She said, I couldn't describe it when I was six, but now I know that the Lord was giving me opportunity to know that his presence was with me. She said, I would feel a peace that passes all understanding, I would know that I was not alone, even though physically I was, somehow at six and at seven and at eight and nine years old in devastating circumstances, the Lord let this window allow me to know that his presence was with me. Knowing he was near changed everything. I took a break during the lunchtime at that conference.

I'm 24 years old, maybe 25. I grabbed one of her books she had written. I don't even know if it's in print anymore, called The Girl Nobody Loved. I sat in the corner with my little box lunch reading through that book, and I'll never forget watching a shadow come towards me and realizing as I looked up

that Miss Dory was watching me read her book. She walked over to me, she put her hand on my shoulder. Then she took the other hand and wiped a tear that she saw falling down my face as I read the details that she hadn't been able to share with us in the spoken word. But on the page, what this woman had gone through in her childhood, I could not believe. She saw me crying, walked over to me, wiped the tear.

She put her hand on my shoulder and she said, sweet girl, don't you cry for me. God was with me the whole time. Knowing he's with you makes all the difference in the world. John is in a dark closet. It's called the island of Patmos. He is in the middle of devastating and difficult circumstances. And this is John Jesus' disciple we're talking about. This is the one who had walked with Jesus, who had talked with Jesus.

This is the one who had been in the presence of Jesus. This is the one who said about his own self in his gospel. I'm the one who Jesus loves. This is the one who had seen Jesus. Jesus performed miracles. I mean, John was right there when lame folks started walking and blind people started seeing and the death started hearing. He heard Jesus preach and teach words coming out of the mouth of the Son of the living God right in his presence. They had heard preaching and teaching before from the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. But when Jesus opened up his

mouth, something was different. They ain't never heard nothing like this. Think about how you'd feel if Jesus were your Bible study teacher. John was there. He had walked with Jesus in the flesh, but by the time we meet John, in the book of Revelation, his circumstance has completely changed. He is now in what some would call the dark night of the soul. He has been exiled to Patmos for his allegiance to Jesus Christ, for his refusal to bend the knee and to go in opposition of Christ in his kingdom. He has been sent to basically what was a place that had been relegated by the Roman government to be for criminals and enemies of the state. And there he sits on Patmos in the midst of difficulty, discouragement,

and complete devastation. And in Revelation chapter 4, he said, something happened to me on this particular day. The Lord opened up something of a window, a door between earth and heaven. So even though I was in the midst of difficulty, hardship, devastation, and darkness, I had opportunity to see what was happening in the heavenlies, to catch a glimpse of God's presence and to sense his peace and his power and his joy. And knowing that God was there, John says, that makes all the difference. Patness was a rock quarry. They would send people there that were a threat to the Roman government they perceived to be.

A rock quarry meaning all day, all they did was hammer at those rocks to basically do work and hard toil. It would have been devastating for their physical bodies, devastating for their souls, not being able to get off of this island, which was 10 miles off of the coast of the mainland in the Aegean Sea. There was no escape, no means of reprieve. The rock quarry would have been like, think Nelson Mandela on Robin Island. you saw or could see the deterioration to Nelson Mandela's body after he was there for those 27 years. How the sun reflecting off of the rocks that were all around caused there to be a glare in their eyes that would deteriorate their eyesight. How breathing in all of the dust that was gathering off of those rocks would cause there to be a deterioration in their lung capacity.

In other words, John was deteriorating from the inside out. His circumstances were completely devastating and there was no escape. And he was not in that situation for doing something wrong. He was there for doing something right. I suspect that in a room this size with this many people in this room and on the other side of the screen, there are so many of you who are amongst hard things on a rock quarry. There's hard things everywhere you look, difficulties everywhere you step. And no matter where you look, it seems like there is absolutely,

no means of escape and what makes it hard relationally or financially or in your health or in the raising of kids or in the business or in the ministry this year on Pactmas in your life, what makes it more difficult for you to swallow is not that you have been perfect, but you have been purposeful. You've been out in these streets trying to follow God, trying to honor him as a husband or as a wife or as a single person or a parent or a teenager or a university student or a business builder or a ministry leader. You haven't been perfect, but you've been trying to follow God and you've ended up on Pat Miss anyway. John knows exactly how it feels to be out here honoring God and life be hard. John says, look up. He says, when I looked up Revelation chapter 4 verse 1,

there was a door standing open in the heavens, which means there is access always to God's power, to God's presence, to God's peace, to God's perspective in the midst of difficult circumstances. He says there was a door and the door was standing open. It was set in the open position, which means there is always opportunity for you and I to lean on the throes of heaven, even while we're standing in the difficult things of earth. The door was standing open. The reason why this principle, this little principle of the door standing open, y'all, is so important for believers like you and me to get a grasp on.

The reason why it is so weighty right here in this verse is because just several verses earlier, the end of chapter 3, verse 20. Jesus is describing a church at Laodicea, the lukewarm, indifference, apathetic church. and here's how he describes them. He says, I'm standing on the outside of their door, knocking. I'm hoping somebody's going to open up this door that has been closed. He is writing about the church. And he says the door of the church has been closed.

How did Jesus standing on the outside of the door of his own church? Jesus says, the church has closed the door to me, which means it is possible for us to be in here. and him to be out there. It means it is possible, y'all, for us to be so consumed with personalities and with programs and with platitudes and we don't even realize that the presence of God is not even in the room. Because we close the door through our indifference. We close the door through our apathy.

We close the door through our rebellion. We close the door through our stubbornness. And Jesus in his grace and in his mercy and in his goodness. and his kindness to us. Even when we close the door, he's so merciful that he stands on the outside of it still knocking to have relationship with us. So the reason why chapter 4 verse 1 is so important is because where we close the door in chapter 3, he opens it back up in chapter 4 verse 1. Even when you've closed it, you need to know that the door of heaven is still open. It remains in the open position for you and me. standing on earth with access to heaven. Then John says, I heard a voice. The voice was loud and clear like a trumpet.

And the voice said, come up here. The invitation of a lifetime. That if you and I can grab hold of this invitation, it changes the way we relate to all the hard stuff of earth. Because there you are, stepping on all the rocks of Patmas, all the difficult conversations and the difficult people, the difficult people, the difficult. problems, the difficult realities, the things that jolt us and stagger us and disappoint us, the betrayals that hurt us and break our hearts, the different things that we face in life that we cannot believe that life holds. Because I don't know if y'all noticed or not, but life is out here lifeing. Me and my girlfriends get on the phone and we be like, life is ghetto. Earth is kind of ghetto. Can I get one witness? You're going to need to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit saying to you, come up here, which means it is possible. It is important and necessary

for believers in Jesus Christ to live in two places at the exact same time with your feet firmly planted on the realities of earth, but your mind fixed on things eternal. It's going to be imperative. It's going to be necessary for you and I to make it to accept this invitation that we're always coming up here. Like we're in the argument, we're about to say that, but first, we're going to come up here. We're about to comment that, we're about to post that, but first, let me pause and come up here. We're about to make a decision about our finances, about our parenting, about our marriage, about whether to stay, about whether to go. But first, before I choose, before I walk, before I decide, before I make that choice and decision, I'm accepting the

invitation to come up here. Through worship, through the reading of God's word, What is your perspective? How do I reflect your character? How do I say what you would say and act how you would act and respond how you would respond so that I don't just wait to get to heaven to experience heaven? But I bring heaven to earth right now so that I'm experiencing it and offering it to everybody that's around me. John says I heard the invitation and the invitation changed my life. Okay. Access. Invitation. John says, just in case, life's been so hard. The rocks, the hard stuff of Patmos have so overwhelmed you recently that you're going to have a hard time picturing this door. You're going to have a hard time setting your eyes, fixing your eyes on Jesus. You're going to have a little bit of a hard time. You admit it doing what Paul says in Colossians chapter 3, verse 1. If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth, for you have died and your

life is hidden in Christ with God. He says, just in case you know that right now, because life is out here doing the most, you're going to have a little bit of a hard time capturing what it is that I'm describing. He says, elevation, would you just for this Sunday morning, come grab my hand and let me take you to this door? Even if you can't make it on your own, he says, just sit with me for a moment. Let me take you to the door. Because if I can show you what's on the other side of this door, it's going to shift the way you relate to everything happening here on earth.

He says, grab my hand and let me show you, verse two, that immediately when I was in the spirit, he says, behold. Now, can I just, I didn't even get to the thing behind the door yet, but I just got to tell y'all, anytime you see the word behold in scripture, it means get ready. It was the best word that the English translators could come up with for what the original writers were trying to describe. It means sit on the edge of your seat. This is the time with your chin in your hands, your eyes peeled, your mind fresh. Get ready to look and see what is on the other side of this door. John says, take my hand and let me take you to the door. And behold, the very first thing I saw, verse two,

was a throne. He says, if you don't see anything else on the other side of this door, I'm going to need you to know that the very first thing that captured my attention when I look through this open window into heaven that the Lord gave me access to is that I saw there was a throne and it was set in the heavens. With everything else being so shakable and so unreasonable and so it unstable, he says, I was so relieved to see. There was one thing that. had not changed. And that is that there was a throne and it was set in the heavens. It is unmovable. It is unchangeable. It is untouched. It is unbothered. It is unaffected by the things of earth. There is no coup that is powerful enough to overthrow it. There is no person influential enough to usurp it.

There is no dictator that is forceful enough to seize it. He says, look, behold, there is a throne and it is still set in the heavens. This changes everything, because what it means is earth doesn't have the final say. This changes everything because it means that the stuff that is happening here that seems so unreasonable. And we wonder whether we're tethered to anybody's sovereign, whether there's oversight, whether somebody's presiding. Does anybody know, have they seen the tears that are falling from my eyes, the unrest that keeps me up at night, the things that give me anxiety and concern over my children or my marriage or my finances or my health. I feel like nobody's watching over me. John says if you'll just look through this door,

you will see. There is a sovereign ruler who is seated, unmoved and unchanged, and he's on the throne. Revelation is a overwhelming book for all of us. John can't. He don't even know what he's talking about half the time. He's trying to describe creatures. He can't find the words to describe. He's doing the best he can to pull images from that which he knows folks can at least kind of try to relate to to describe what he's. It's completely overwhelming. So there's a lot there that is intimidating to us when we read through the book of Revelation. We sometimes just steer clear of it. But there's one thing you can miss. Dozens of times throughout the book, 13 times in this chapter alone, John keeps saying, there's a throne. He says, you might not get all this other stuff,

but don't miss this. There's a throne. There is a throne. There is a seat of authority, a seat of ultimate sovereignty, a seat of ultimate power. He says, don't miss the fact that the central future of our future as the church and the central feature of our day-to-day life for believers, not just Christians that go to church on Sunday or, you know, read a verse a day to keep the devil away. Not that, no, I'm talking about disciples. I'm talking about kingdom-minded, on-mission believers for Jesus Christ. John says the central feature of all of our lives has to be there is a throne. Everything we do orbits around the fact that we are pledged allegiance to the throne, that we understand we have a king and he has a kingdom. He is seated on a throne and he has

sovereign rule. He has either orchestrated or allowed. Every single thing that has happened in our experiences, nothing has escaped his notice, nothing is beyond his grasp. Our lives are in the palm of his hand. The reason why this would have mattered so much to the first century believers that this letter was originally going to is because the throne of the emperor in Rome was so influential, so powerful, and it was Antichrist. To be a Christian in this time period was almost unthinkable. It would cost you your life. It was the whole reason why John was exiled to Patmos. Because if you were going pledge allegiance. If you were going to start living in the way that aligned with this new king, name Jesus, and the church that he had set up, and if you believed in the death, burial,

and resurrection, if you were going to reorient the way you did everything, the way you did politics, the way you did business, the way you did ministry, the way you steered your kids, the way you steered your education, if you were going to orient your life around the king and his kingdom, you had to go up against the government of the day and all of its systems. it was Antichrist. I don't know if you've noticed. Found us is Antichrist. If we're going to be dissent, listen,

where are the young believers in the room? Listen to your Auntie Priscilla. Where are you? You're 18 to 25 years old. Listen to your Auntie Priscilla. You're going to have to have some backbone. And you can, and you will. You're going to have to have some spiritual meat on your bones.

You're going to have some spiritual fiber to be able to stand first. against the schemes of the enemy. Because y'all, I mean, I'm not that old, but I'm saying to you a few decades ago, it used to be that people at least respected the moral compass of the scriptures. Even if they weren't Christians, even if they wasn't coming all the way with this Jesus stuff, they knew that at least this was the way to be a good citizen. Not anymore. If you make a decision to stand for Christ, you're going to have to stand alone, flat-footed,

by yourself, on your social media page, on your platform, on your job, and say there is a standard of truth that is non-negotiable and has not changed. You're going to have to have backbone for that. The first century believers know exactly how it feels to have to stand firm in an anti-Christ culture. And John says to them, there's a throne. They're not in charge. He is. John says, I looked up and I saw a throne. And not only did I see a throne that was situated, but I saw somebody sitting on the throne, a throne that is above every earthly throne, above all powers, above all human authorities, above all seats of influence, above all presidents, above all administrations, above all monarchs, above all kings, above all governmental systems,

above all institutions, above all establishments, there is a throne. It has not been replaced. It has not been moved. It has not been diminished in power. And John says it is also not unoccupied. Because I saw the throne and somebody was sitting on it. Because what good is the throne if ain't nobody worthy sitting on the throne? John said, can we find somebody worthy? Can we find somebody righteous? Can we find somebody who should be seated in this position of influence? He said, I looked down. And I saw Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, who was and is and is to come. All right. Amen.

Thank you, Jesus. I'm so grateful that he's on the throne. I do not know how people are making it. That do not know there is a king and he's on the throne. In the Middle East, the ancient near East, when there was a war or a battle raging, Kings didn't sit. When there was a battle that was in full swing, kings stood.

They paced, they watched, they wanted oversight. They did not rest. The only time a king sat down is once the battle had already been won. To demonstrate to everybody in the sphere of influence that the victory had already been secured. John says look through the door. If you look through the door, you're going to see. that there's not just a throne, but there is a king who's sitting down on the throne

to let you know that the battle has already been won. Not fighting for victory, we're fighting from victory. There's a throne. Sis, you win. Brother, you win. The enemy can try to form a weapon against you, but the weapon has no hope of prospering. There is no scheme of the enemy that can prosper about your life. Why?

Because the king is sitting down on the throat. And in the presence of the sitting king, every single creature that can't even fully be described, John said, I can't even give language to what I saw, but I know what I heard. They said, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. is to come. Facidity that had a crown on their head. They took it off as quick as they could. They laid it at the feet of the only one worthy

and said, worthy are you God? To receive glory and honor and power and authority. Why? Because you're sitting on the throat. Would you bow your heads with me, please? If you are in this room and you have not seen the throat, you do not have a relationship with Jesus. Life has been difficult and you are doing it unattached to the realities of heaven. Life's too hard for that, brother.

Life's too hard for that sister. You're going to need an anchor. You're going to need relationship with this throne. Relationship with the one who is seated on the throne. If you do not know beyond a shadow of a doubt that like John, you can look through this doorway and know that Jesus is here, that He is real, that He's got your back. I offer you Jesus today.

Do not leave without knowing that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the only thing that is unshakable in this very unstable, unshakable world. While every head is bowed and eyes are closed and believers are praying, if you have never made that decision, but you want to today, would you just raise your hand and lift your eyes so that mine meet yours? And I know that's a decision you need to make today. you want to get it fixed. Anybody? Just wave at me if that's a decision you need to make.

Yes, ma'am, I see you, sweet girl. Yes, I see you over there in the aisle. Anybody else? Just wave at me. Come on, yes, I see y'all. Don't be embarrassed. Don't be ashamed. Ain't nobody got time for that. Anybody else? Listen, Jesus is coming back soon. I see y'all. Time is short. Come on, y'all. We've got to stop playing games. Life's too hard.

I see you. I see you, young man. Amen. Anybody else? Just wave at me. Yeah, I see you up there. Dozens of hands are up all over the room. I see you, sis. Yeah, I see y'all. Hey, see you, brother. Okay, the Bible says, you confess with your mouth and you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. You shall be saved. He already did all the hard work. All you have to do is receive the gift. So I'm going to pray this prayer. You repeat the prayer after me, okay, out loud. In fact, the entire church, can we all pray this prayer together? That way we can build an atmosphere of faith for those who are praying it for the very first time. Okay? Let's pray together. Lord Jesus, I am a sinner.

In need of a Savior. And I believe that you are that Savior. So today, I place faith alone in Christ alone to remove my sins. take up residence in me in the person of the Holy Spirit right now in Jesus' name

in Jesus name come on everybody shout amen thank you for joining us special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry is because of you that this ministry is possible you can click the link in the description to give now or visit elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more information

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