Elevation with Steven Furtick - Unschedulable Blessings

Episode Date: July 27, 2020

Your blessing is still on schedule. In “Unschedulable Blessings,” Pastor Steven Furtick encourages us that just because God’s plans aren’t predictable it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t trust in them. Even if you feel behind, held back, or like you’re not where you wanted to be, you can have hope that God is working something better – it may just be on a different schedule.See 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 is moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. How great is this? Just to have another opportunity. We don't take it for granted. The opportunity to worship God, to give him glory, and to receive. from him. Come on, somebody, just say right there in the chat, I'm here for it. Whatever you want to do, Lord, I'm here for it. I'm here for it. You just fill in the blank. I'm here for healing.

I'm here for restoration. I'm here for instruction. I'm here for direction. But above all of that, God, if you want to correct me, that's fine. If you want to come from me, that's fine. But I'm here to worship you. Are there any worship? In the chat, are there any worshippers on YouTube, Facebook, Roku? I'm here for it. I'm here for it. And be more specific. Where are you here from?

Please, in the chat right now, if you haven't had the opportunity yet to just identify yourself on a basis of first name, city, state, township, hamlet, village. We've got them all represented today. Praise the Lord. Everybody in the room shout your name and your location. Do it on the chat, name and location. Whether you're watching it right now, whether you've been slacking and you have to catch up later in the week, whatever. God's word is not bound by time. I believe that he is going to customize this word to the exact continuity of the circumstance that you are facing to remind you that you are not going anywhere that he is not already there.

you have not been anywhere that he did not bring you through. If it's behind you, it's covered. If it's ahead of you, it's covered. All you got to do is be here right now. Somebody say, I'm here for it. I'm here for it. I'm here for it. Who's here for it?

Wave at me. Wave at me. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. I want to get right into the Word of God. Get your Bible, paper, digital, papyrus. It doesn't matter the format. What really matters today is that you clear out a little bit of space in your very distracted, busy heart, fearful heart,

uncertain heart. Are you saying all those things about me? You don't even know me. Maybe I'm just autobiographical right now. I have a fearful heart, anxious heart, distracted heart. So, we just make this space for God. We welcome them into this in every moment. I want to read you a scripture.

Play while I read the scripture. And then let's just see where it goes from there. Somebody asked me one time, do you plan, when you're preaching sometimes and the music comes in, it scares me. It comes out of nowhere. You got a guy back there and he starts playing and it scares me. It comes out of nowhere. But we don't plan it, do we?

We don't plan it. The best parts are not planned. I've noticed that. The best parts are not planned. So anyway, I don't know if you were planning to watch today, or if you accidentally got clickbaited into this sermon. We ought to start doing that with our YouTube videos to leave people to Jesus. Amen.

We'll put a thumbnail that says seven ways to get a girl, and then you click on it, and it's me preaching about holiness or something like that. Just con people to Christ. I'm kidding. Kind of. Acts chapter one is really cool and really confusing. Not for us, but certainly would have been for the disciples. On one occasion, while Jesus was eating with them, this is Acts 1, verse 4, by the way.

I should have said that. Sorry, Acts chapter 1, verse 4, NIV 2011. One occasion, while he was eating with them, he, I'm sorry, I can't skip over that phrase, but I didn't plan to say, on one occasion. Not a special occasion. Just one, any old Sunday morning, any old Monday afternoon, you know, on one occasion, he would give them the instructions that would really explain to them his kingdom in a way they'd never seen.

And he gave them the greatest promise of the greatest gift that they would ever be. that they would ever know. Okay. On one occasion, we'll have to go a little faster than this if we're going to get through it. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, this is Jesus eating with his disciples, he gave them this command, do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift. Wait for the gift. My father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. In a few days, you will receive the greatest gift. It's not going to come in the form of a car or house or bonus or something like that. It's going to be the Holy Spirit. The greatest gifts come from within. Waiting on an amen. I'm waiting on an amen like they were waiting on the Holy Spirit. But then watch this.

This is the part I want us to jump from today. We have a lot of ground to cover, but let's jump from here. they gathered around him and asked him. Here's what they wanted to know. He's speaking about the gift that he wants to give them, the Holy Spirit. He's already died on the cross, risen from the dead. He's about to send to heaven, but he said, I'm going to give you a gift and you have to wait. And then they gathered around and asked him, Lord, are you at this time, at this time, going to restore the kingdom to Israel? At this time. Somebody say at this time? At this time. He said to them, it is not for you to know the times.

or dates, the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power. Here's the guarantee. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. This is the word of the Lord. Be seated. Somebody lift your hands in the chat.

Just say, I'm ready to receive it. I'm ready to receive it. Both hands. Both hands. I'm ready to receive it. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. Shout out to my 15-year-old son, Elijah B. Ferdick. The B stands for beats. He's a beatmaker.

He's a producer. Do the Dash is his YouTube. And I'm sure he would appreciate a subscribe. Happy 15th birthday. To my oldest son, the one who changed my name to Daddy and then changed it again to Dad. I'll never forget the day he dropped the day. Y off the end. It was a horrifying moment. And just even saying my 15-year-old son, do you know how archaic that makes my bones feel?

My knees started hurting. I just felt like automatically old when I said it. I was feeling sprightly, and then all of a sudden I started feeling saggy, just starting to say I have a 15-year-old son. But his birthday was yesterday, and I love him so much. And he's watching right now, he better be if he wants to use his phone this week. I'm going to quiz him on the sermon. He's my number one conversationalist.

He's my workout partner now. He's getting strong. The bee stands for beast too, down there when we're working out together. And we have a good time. And I love talking to him about my sermons. He is a great blessing. Children are a blessing. Chris, you didn't say amen, and you have a couple, so I'm worried what's going on at the house.

Children are a blessing. Amen. Amen. And when you're getting ready to have kids, they get a good. you all kinds of advice. We were talking about the birth of the church, and I was talking about the birth of my firstborn son. But when you're having your first one, since you don't know what to expect, all the experts come out of the woodworks telling you how they raised their kids. They don't tell you that the one they're telling you how they raised

and giving you advice based off of winter rehab three times, but they just start telling you all this advice, and they'll tell you, oh, and they'll tell you it perfectly. They will prescribe for you, perfectly, like kids are blenders, you know, and like you can put them together and plug them in. They were telling us with Elijah the whole time, put him on a schedule. Put him on a schedule. What you want to do what you want to do? What we did with our kids when we were your age?

Now our kids are grown, but what was really helpful for us that just really helped us establish, just order. And it's very good for the child, and it's good for you. Just put them on a schedule first. Elijah was unschedulable. Is that a word? Unschedulable. If it's not a word, it needs to be.

Come on, how many agree? After the year we've been having, I don't know how you do this, but if anybody knows Webster and we can get a word added to the dictionary, I looked it up before I came out. I don't know how we're going to spell it, but I want to suggest that we get a word. it after the year we've been having. I want to add, after being a parent of three kids, I want to suggest we get this word in the dictionary as soon as possible, unschedulable. Everybody say it, unschedulable.

My firstborn son was unscheduleable. I mean, you can set the schedule, but he doesn't give a crap about your schedule. He does not care for sleeping, for eating, and my kids still don't. They do not check my schedule. Y'all are looking at me like your kids do. Like you can schedule. My children, oh, you know what else? My sermon preparation process is unschedulable.

I don't know how to spell it, but that's what it is. I was thinking of a way to explain it to you. It's like, you know, I set aside time to study, right? And then I'll just sit there and look at the Bible. I'll get five Bibles and spread them out. And none of them make any sense. And then while I'm trying to go do something else and I got something else going on, then the sermon will just come, you know, walking through the door like, hey, here I am.

I don't care that you're on a date night. How many movie theaters have we been in trying to have a date on a Thursday night? And I'm like, I'm sorry, babe. You have to tell me what happens to Tanya Harding on the ice skating movie. I got to write this down real quick because the sermon doesn't check my schedule. I wish it did. That's why I sent you all these scriptures five minutes before I walked out. And I just sent you all of them.

Because I had ten. I've been working on ten of them. Ten. And I sent them all to you. And I said, I don't know where we'll start. I'm not the one setting the schedule here. I went to seminary. They taught me how to prepare sermons.

You should have from seven to nine. Just like people telling you how to be a parent, telling you how to be a pastor. You said it from 7 to 9 and you're going to study. That's great. I do. I have study time. I believe you ought to prioritize what's important to you. And if it's not on your schedule, it might not be your priority.

And that's good for working out. That's good for dating your wife. That's good for taking time to be alone. We talked about this last week as well. But some things don't check your schedule. That's how my friend from London says schedule. I don't care how you say it. But certain things in life do not condone.

consult your calendar. In seminary, they taught me that God was immutable. These are big words. Write this down. P-Wag, what's wrong with you, man? This is like $80,000 education I'm giving you. I pay you. Write this down.

Immutable. You can't change God. How many are glad you can't change him? If he called you, he called you. You know why you're not clapping? you don't have anything wrong with you. So for me, sometimes I think God might have changed his mind about me when he sees what he got when he drafted me.

He knew all my injuries. He knew all of my susceptibilities. He knew all of my vulnerabilities. In fact, some of the stuff he picked me for is stuff that I'm trying to get out of my life, but he wants to take that weakness and fill it and turn it into something that can be called strength. He's immutable. Another word they taught me in seminary is that he is impeccable. Holy, it's perfect.

That's another thing I'm not. He's impeccable. He's other, he's separate, he's set apart, he's holy, he's impeccable. Another one, Philip, this is a good one too. You got this one? Yeah, write all this down. There's a lot of these attributes of God that you learn. You learn that he's immutable, impeccable, incomprehensible.

You can know God, but you can't totally know God. He doesn't change, but the way that you see him better change. Or you're not growing. You're not growing. He is, like we say, mysterious, faith is mystery, not mechanics. When people say the Bible's an instruction manual for life, what a horrible analogy to boil the living word of the living God down to something that can help you put together a scooter. An instruction manual for life? No, it's an invitation to mystery.

Because he's incomprehensible. I don't want to add anything to the theology book, but might I add that not only is he immutable, impeccable, and what's the other one I said? Incomprehensible. He's unschedulable. God is unschedulable. And what I have to say to you over the next 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 minutes today may mess with a category or two that you have about God. But I want you to stay with me because some of you are off schedule, but you're right on time.

Some of you, your life is off schedule, but you're right on time. And the reason I chose to start with Acts chapter one is because the disciples have been through a lot with Jesus that they didn't understand. Have you? Have you been through some seasons with God that made no sense to you? So they want to know, okay, now that the cross is over, and now that you did that thing on the third day that we'll still be singing about in 2,000 years. Now that that's over, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? So Jesus spent three and a half years teaching these boys about the kingdom of God, but they were still thinking about the kingdom of Israel.

And that's important, but what drew my attention today is the idea that Jesus said, it's not for you to know the times. Now, let's notice a few things that God does give them, because God does speak. Amen. He speaks specifically. God will show you things that you don't even know how you know it. He never did it out loud for me. I never had that experience.

I have friends who say they have. Honestly, they're the kind that are a little bit, you know, just different personality than mine. With me, it's a wisdom within. It's like how Elijah the prophet heard a whisper in a cave. And at his weakest moment God spoke. And so the Lord speaks to us in ways. I mean, we have a lot of specifics to go off of, by the way.

Well, I don't know what God's will is for my life. I mean, everything's crazy. See, love your neighbor as yourself. Forgive us, Christ also forgave you. Do everything with out bitterness or complaining. For this will of God, Christ, Jesus concerning you. And when you master that, come back and I'll give you the extra credit work, all right? I wonder if God sometimes is laughing, you know, while we make our plans and our schedule.

Don't you know God was just laughing his head off in heaven? I looked to see if there was a time when Jesus laughed in the scripture, and there's not one where it says that he laughed, but you know he was laughing while he was watching Peter try to fish all night. You know he was laughing while he watched him like, I'm about to mess with his whole theology of fishing. I'm about to mess with his whole concept, his whole system. I'm about to blow wide open his whole idea of how the water works, because I'm the one who walks on water. So I don't need the laws of water or the laws of economics or the laws of politics. Or the laws of politics. or the laws of medicine to regulate what I'm going to do.

Can I just tell you something? God is laughing at some of the stuff that we're stressed out about. Because while we can't figure it out and we don't see a way, he's just about ready to walk up. Watch this. Behind schedule and show us something that we could not see in our own strength. Somebody told me the other day, you're going to look back and laugh at this one day.

I said, you know, you're going to, I didn't say this, I just thought, you're going to look, you're going to look back and cry when I punch you in your nose for telling me I'm going to because it's not funny right now. What I was going through was painful. You look back and laugh. You look back and laugh. Abraham. That's who the nation of Israel started through.

Abraham. He didn't have fancy, seminary words for God to go off of. He came from Er of the Chaldeans and he was called out of everything that was familiar to him to follow a God that he could not see visibly or predict. It's kind of similar to Acts chapter one, but instead of starting the church, it was when God was starting the nation. And there's a lot of parallels. And I'll show it to you real quick. In Genesis chapter 12, verses 1 through 4, 4, 8, and I'll show you how. Give me the scripture. The Lord had said to Abram, go from your country, your people, and your father's

household, to the land I will show you. Keep going. Next verse. I will make you into a great nation, which implies what? Process. So there's a promise, and then I will make you is a process. That means just because I spoke it to you doesn't mean you will automatically see it. But just because you don't automatically see it doesn't mean I didn't speak it. Who am I preaching to today that you're waiting for something to be revealed and manifested that God showed you? He said, I'm going to make you a great nation. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

And then, of course, you know about how the nation of Israel came through Jacob. He was generational promise that God was making to Abraham. I got so much to share with you. Can you check your schedule real quick and see if you have anything after this? You good? You good? You good? You good?

You good? You got a minute? Okay. So I said, I'm going to make you a great nation and I will bless you. I will bless you, will bless you. I might use your job to pay you, but I will bless you. I might use somebody else to encourage you, but I will bless you. I did not thank the pan that she cooked in last night for the food.

I thank the one who used the pan to cook the food. And it's important, especially in this season of your life, that you remember the source of your blessing. The source of your blessing. He is immutable. He doesn't change. He is also impeccable. He doesn't make mistakes.

At the same time that he is immutable and impeccable, he is also incomprehensible, which means that you don't always know how, even though you know who. But he said, I will bless you. And then he says something really crazy, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. You will be a blessing. Blessing is not something that I get. Blessed is who I am. And so blessing is what I do.

I can bless and not curse because I know the source of my blessings. This is an an anointed word. Share it with your aunt, share it with your uncle, share it with your friend, share it with your brother, share it with your cousin. Hit the share button on this word and be a blessing. You know the best way to be blessed? Be a blessing. You know the best way to be happy?

Encourage somebody else. You know the best way to receive the Word of God? Share the Word of God. You know the best way to reap is to sow, even in a famine, even in a drought. God is my source. He is my supply. He is my shield and my exceeding great reward. more giving praise if you know your blessings come from above. Your blessings come from beyond.

They said, I'll bless those who bless you and whoever curses you, I will curse, and all people's on earth will be blessed through you. See what God can do. And then it said, Abraham went, as the Lord told him, and Locke went with him. Could stop there, but it probably would do justice to the text. Abram was 75 years old. And you know, I, Isaac that we were talking about, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, he's not even born yet. So God makes an appointment with Abram to make him the father of many nations a little bit behind schedule. A little late. The devil's been telling somebody under the sound of my voice, it's too late.

It's too late. It's too late. Back in February, you could pray for that, but it's too late now. Back before you started, you know, you're over here now and you're wrapped in the chains of this addiction. If you wouldn't have done that, then you could have been used. This is too late. And I wonder if God showed us that he does not need a human schedule to accomplish a divine

purpose. And you're like, that's fine, pastor, I'm 19. When Timothy was getting ready to minister in Ephesus, which was a heart, you're hard place. Paul told him, let no one look down on you because you were too young. When Jeremiah got ready to prophesy, God said, I formed you in the womb. Before you were born, I set you apart. See, I ordained your days before any of them came to be. He said, don't say I am only a youth. What that means is God is not bound by human timelines. What that means is, God is not looking at 2020 and saying, well, I can't wait until December 31st, where I can turn it all around for my glory.

Next year will be better, guys. Hang in there. God said, I don't need to check your schedule to bless you. My God. I don't need to check your schedule. If you come into elevation as an intern, I can raise you up to tour the world leading worship. John Sal has been in Europe, worshiping God, leading. people into the presence of God.

He's been in places. What's that place in Ohio they always route you all through? Canton, Ohio, leading people into the presence of God. From Canton to Cambodia, I just said it because it's alliterated. Lift your hands. Do not be limited. He said, all people, all people, all people, all people, all people, all people, all things, all people.

I will bless the Lord at all times. Is it a good time to praise him? Well, do it then. Do it then. I will bless the Lord. Come on. Check your schedule. Did he wake you up?

Did he give you another day? This is the day. Check your schedule. This is the day that the Lord has made. It's a good time to praise him right now. Fifteen seconds. Do what you got to do. Come on in the chat.

Come on in the chat. Come on in the chat. It's only two times to praise them when I feel it and when I don't. I was young and now I'm old and I've never seen the righteous forsaken. I'm sorry. Is it a bad time? Is it a bad time? My kids never asked that.

I'm sorry, is it a bad time? It's a bad time, Dad? Unless they want something, then they want to catch me in a good mood. Then they might ask me it is a bad time. Never. Unschedulable. God is unschedulable. So he doesn't ask, is it a bad time?

Is it a bad time for me to be your provider? Actually, if he asked that, it's only for the purpose that it's going to make him look that much better when he does it. They missed what I just said. If God ever ask you, is this a bad time? I hear somebody saying, it's a bad time for a blessing. It's a bad time. I can't be happy right now.

I can't have peace right now. I can't be content right now. It's a bad time. I'm single. It's a bad time. We just got married. We don't have much money. It's a bad time.

Our kids are little. It's a bad time. Our kids are toddlers. It's a bad time. kids are teenagers. It's bad time. My kids are gone. When would be a good time? When would be? One time I read a book on sales, and Eric is a salesman, a recovering salesman. And they said, never ask them, can I come see you? They said, when would be a good time? When would be a good time? You don't ask them, can I? You just say, when would be a good time? God doesn't ask that. In fact, God's like,

You need to illustrate it from the text, or do you just want me to tell you? You want a text? I already gave you Genesis 12. You're so greedy. John 11. John 11. Lazarus, the one you love, is sick. When he heard Lazarus was sick, he waited where he was.

Two more days. Check me out in your Bible. You think I'm making this up. You're like, oh, no, pastor's been locked in an empty auditorium with 40 staff members too long. He forgot that God is an on-time God. Jesus was like, oh, yeah, he's sick. All right, let's wait a little bit. We've got to wait to us a bad time.

It's a bad time. If you go right now, it'll be a good time. It'd be the right time. But I want to show up at the wrong time. I want to bless you at a bad time. I want to show you how powerful I am in a bad time. All right. Jesus, you've got to stay on schedule.

The ministry of Jesus must have been so frustrating that it's like, hey, Mary and Martha are major donors, Jesus. It's not good form for you to not go to Bethany. That demon-possessed man that you just healed, you probably could have left him off the schedule. You can tell what's important to someone by what they schedule. And just because it wasn't on the disciple's schedule, what makes us think it wasn't on Jesus' schedule? Just because you didn't see it coming doesn't mean it didn't come from God. Thank you, Lord. I received that for my own life.

You know, that God isn't going to check my schedule to do His will. Is this it? Are you going to get them now? Is this the time? Are you going to restore the kingdom? That's what the disciples wanted to know. Remember when you remember this, JJ? Mark 5, Jiris comes and he's a synagogue leader.

He's important. You can tell what's important to someone by what they schedule. His 12-year-old daughter, I have a 12-year-old son. Graham is 12 right now, so I can picture this. His 12-year-old daughter is about to die. This is an urgent need for Jesus to go and heal this little girl. And some of you have an urgent need with your kids right now. So that's why I wanted to bring this scripture into the conversation, is that Jesus was

on his way to heal Gyrus, who was an important official. This is a political figure. He has a lot of power. And he's asking Jesus to come to his house. On the way, a woman stops Jesus, who is uncleaned by society standards. He stops because she thinks, if I can touch him, I'll be made whole. And what she said was true. She touched him. He stopped. She was healed. Jiris' daughter died. Now, I don't know that I ever saw it this way before. Some of y'all, especially with what we're going through right now, you're real worried about your kids. Because your kids are off schedule right now. I need every mom.

I need every mom who needs to know whether your kids are going back to school in the chat. I want you to put in the chat the following prayer request. I need details, Jesus. I need details, Jesus. I just need to know if it's going to be Ferdic Education Academy this year. I want to apply for my nonprofit status if I'm going to have to educate these kids again. Come on, because it's crazy. Some of y'all are watching this message in the year 2035.

So you're watching this at a weird time in history. We have had an unschedulable year. Life is unschedulable. We laugh at each other now. Hey, man, let's get together next big. If the world isn't over, we put an asterisk by everything right now. Hey, man, I'll see you tomorrow. If Armageddon doesn't come, and we're only halfway kidding.

Right? I can't wait to watch the Clemson Tigers if they ever play again. How will I know it's fall? if there are no college boys in tight pants with painted helmets to signify the season. I don't even know what time it is. It's unschedulable. And now I'm supposed to prioritize God, but I'm not even allowed to go to church. You keep your priorities when life wrecks your schedule.

While Jesus was healing the woman, the little girl died. The little girl died. And the servant said something that's been going through your mind to. They told Jairus, don't bother the teacher anymore. The girl is dead. It's too late. He got off schedule. Peter tried to get that woman away.

She were away, but she was persistent. Jesus healed her anyway. Jesus was always stopping for stupid stuff. Let the children come to me. Jesus, the children don't have any money to put in the offering account. Come on, let's go back to Beth. and heal Lazarus. Why, you stop him knock-knock jokes with the kids? Come on, Jesus. You can tell somebody's priorities by what they schedule. Now, if that's true, and God still has you here in

this season at this time, if God has you parenting those children, if God has you in that position, if God has you in that assignment, that place, that city, that time, if God put you here right now, you must be important to his purpose. If God is speaking this word to you right now, you can tell what's important to someone by what they schedule. Just like he stopped for a woman who most priests wouldn't have touched for fear of defilement. Just like he stopped for a leper who he could have stoned. Just like he sat on a well to speak to a woman from Samaria, a place the Jews would walk

around to avoid having to confront people that they hated. God has stopped this moment to speak to you. I'm not closing. I got more to say. When I talk soft, I'm scared he'll start playing beautifully, but I'm not done. As a matter of fact, check your schedule right now. Can I tell you one more thing? Do you have time to hear from God?

Some of you, for the first time in your life, you've had time lately. And now you've crowded out your schedule with even more crap, and your bored and your mind is busy, and you can't figure out why. You want to compartmentalize God, you know? Jesus was still on schedule. Come on, put it in the chat. He's still on schedule. He's still on schedule.

Don't touch your neighbor. I don't want to get sued by my own staff, but look at him and say, he's still on schedule. He's still on schedule. Oh, Jesus, you want us to go to the other side on the boat? Okay, we'll go. Wait, wait, there's a storm. It's going to throw us off schedule. No, no, no, no, no.

You're still on schedule. In fact, even the storm has an appointment. has an appointment. Even the trial has an appointment. You don't hear me. Even the thing that we did not put on our calendar is a part of our calling. Don't you believe he's sovereign? Don't you believe he's immutable? So if he can't change no matter how much the world does, he doesn't. But maybe we need to reset our schedule. Reset our schedule. So when Jesus finally gets to the tomb of last Lazarus, and he's going to raise his friend from the dead, but he's late. And if he would have gotten there on schedule, Lazarus never would have died.

Lean in, I've got to tell you something. He said, Martha, Martha, he met her at the gate. He said, do you believe? She said, if you would have been here, he wouldn't have died. Jesus said, let's reschedule. I know I didn't show up when you wanted me. I know I didn't do it by the time that you thought I was going to do it. But I hear God saying, can we reschedule?

I know this year hasn't gone like you thought it was going to go. I know you don't know how to teach your kid algebra and you're worried they're going to grow up dumb and can't count. But can we reschedule? I'm going to make up lost time. God is a good driver. God knows the back roads. God knows how to get there anyway.

knows how to reroute an expectation. And this is a faith word. This isn't a sit there and cry cause it's overword. This is a Martha, your brother will rise again. And she said, even now, somebody shout now. That's the magic word. God said, can we reschedule? I know you've been stuck in the past, worried about what you should have done by now. I know you've been stuck in the future, wondering what's coming next. Can we reschedule? My name is the great I am. I am in this moment.

Hey, Moses, take off your shoes. I know you didn't schedule a meeting with destiny, but this is holy ground. Let's reschedule. Come on, let's reschedule. God said I will restore the years that the locusts have eaten. I will restore the years that depression has stolen. I will restore the joy that fear has robbed.

I am. Resurrection. Resurrection works on a different schedule. Resurrection has faith to know on Saturday. Let's reschedule. I'll meet you on Sunday. I'll meet you in the Valley. I'll meet you in the storm.

I'll meet you in the pain. I got your kids. I got your money. I got your mind. I got your nation. I got you. Let's reschedule. Let's reschedule.

I didn't miss church this morning. I just moved church. My living room is the anointed apostolic holy temple of the First Baptist Methodist Presbyterian Elevation Church location. Let's reschedule. Let's reschedule. He didn't give him a schedule. When ain't going to come up with that vaccine, man?

I don't know. Do I look like a doctor? Doctors don't wear sweaters this trendy. I don't know. But he did not give them a schedule. Are you at this time? He didn't give Abraham a schedule. You know what's really going to mess you up?

Sit down because this is depressing. Abraham was 75 when God told him, I'm going to make your father. And his wife's womb was barren. So he gave him the source of the blessing, I will bless you. The scope of the blessing, all people will be blessed. But he didn't have a seed. He didn't have a son. And he wouldn't until he was 100 years old.

And in case you're that one that can't do math that I was talking about. That's 25 years that God did not tell Abraham about, but he was right on schedule. How can I make you feel this? That's longer than we've known each other, Holly. We hadn't even known each other 25 years. That's older than y'all put together. 25 years. He didn't tell him the schedule.

How many of you think I could trust you better, God, if you show me the schedule? It's not a trick question. You're allowed to want it. It don't mean he's going to do it. He's not going to show you the schedule. You can't handle the schedule. I promise you when Jesus said right after they caught fish, hey, follow me, he left out some details. That part about the cross.

He told him that a little later. He tells you some stuff a little later. He's an unschedulable God. And so he doesn't tell him, hey, they're going to try to kill me. You are always going to be on the move. Always going to be on the run. I'm going to do PR nightmare kind of stuff that's going to get us in the headlines every day. It's going to be terrible.

Follow me. He said, hey, you like those fish? Follow me. That's all he told him. Aver, go to the land. I'll show you. Now, my wife never would have gone along with God on this one, because she loves details. Oh, yes.

I am much more like God than Holly in this area, because I don't need the details. I don't need the details. I just want to know what time are we picking up the kids. I don't need to know which of their friends might be coming with them. I don't need to know if that friend's parent is mad at the other friend's parent. I don't need to know whether or not they're saying about switching schools. I don't need to know whether their great uncle had a coronavirus test. They came back negative, but they thought like she loves the details.

I don't need all that. It's like, I don't need all that. You said you blessed me. You said you'd be with me. You told me the source, you told me the scope. You handled the schedule. But in about year 11, it started getting kind of sketchy. Now, God is sketchy with the details, and I'm going to prove it to you.

That sounds heretical, but I promise you, God is sketchy with the details on some stuff. on some stuff. He told them to build the tabernacle when they were in the wilderness, right? He told them what kind of yarn, what kind of curtains, what kind of brass, how high, how why. He gave them all the dimensions, but he left out a few details. Because this was the place where in the tent of meeting that God's glory would fill in the middle of the camp.

They're wandering around in the wilderness, they need a place to meet with God, right? Can I show you this? Numbers chapter 9. Watch how sketchy God is with the details. said the historian is recording, how it would work, how God would guide his people. How many of you want God to guide your life? Just raise your hand right there in the chat. I want God to guide me. I want a GPS, a God positioning system, right? Because I want to be where God wants me to be, and I want to know what He wants me to know, and I want to do what

he calls me to do, because everything else is a waste of my time. All right, this is how he would guide them. On the day the tabernacle, the ten of the covenant law was set up, the cloud covered it, from evening till morning, the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. You got the picture? Here's the tabernacle. He told him how to build it. He told him how high, how wide, how long, all the dimensions. But then there would be a cloud above the tabernacle which represented God's presence,

mark it presence. It represented his presence. And this is how it continued to be. It went on like this. The cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Next verse. I'm going to roll through all of them. Just go quick.

Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out. Wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. This is the system how God guided them. At the Lord's command, the Israelites set out. At his command, they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out.

Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days. At the Lord's command, they would encamp. And then in his command, they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning. When it lifted in the morning, they set out, whether by day or by night, wherever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year. Whoa.

That's a wide range. So you're following this presence of God. And I'm not telling you to be flaky. God, I can't stand when people are just flaky and they call it faith. calls you to quit every job after three months. Once everybody that works with you sees how dysfunctional you are, so you just transplant your dysfunction to another place and you just move it around like it's some kind of, like you could just avoid having to give attention to your issues. I lost every amen in Charlotte, North Carolina. What's wrong with y'all? I'm not

talking about just moving. I'm talking about how God guides us in our daily life, how we experience him. You're listening to me? I'm not talking about everybody just moving all around and just chasing the next feeling and just chasing the next trend. But what they had to do was they had to pay attention to what God was doing in that moment. They had to pay attention. Watch us. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and set out.

But when they lifted, when the cloud lifted, they would set out. Is that the last verse? At the Lord's command they encamped, at the Lord's command they set out. You see in the pattern here, they obeyed the Lord's order. in accordance with His command through Moses. Here's the whole thing I got up here to tell you, okay? And it ties together with Acts chapter 1 where he said, I'm not going to tell you when, but I will tell you who?

The Holy Spirit. I'm not going to tell you when, but I will tell you what? Power. I'm not going to tell you all of the details, but I will tell you the scope of the blessing. I'm going to use you to do way more than you could ever picture. Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you this from Numbers Chapter 9. God's presence is unschedulable. I'm not sure about that, preacher.

I read my Bible every morning at the same time, and the Lord speaks to me. I'm sure he does. But you can't leave him with your coffee cup in the sink when you go out the door. You've got to move with him. You got to move with him. The cloud would stay, and God knows how we are as humans. If he did it at the same time every day, they would worship how he did it and lose sight of him.

So when we're working out, Andrew, they always talk about muscle confusion. If you do the same exercises over and over, you won't get stronger. I call this miracle confusion where God knew, I'm going to teach you to move when I move. I'm going to teach you to obey when I speak. I'm going to show you not how to set your schedule and worship your schedule. God is not a monument. God is not a formula. God is not a concept. God is not human logic. No, no, no. God does not check your schedule. And by the devil, neither does the devil. The devil doesn't look and see, would be all right if I stop by 3.30 Tuesday afternoon and visit you with depression, anxiety attack, panic attack, and shortness of breath. No, you've got to stay in a place where you know how to breathe in the presence of God. You've got to stay in a place where you are looking at the presence of God. When Psalmist said, I lift my eyes to the hills. My help doesn't come from the north, the south, the east, or the west.

My help comes from the Lord. Now, who does your help come from? Who does your help come from? And if God wants to reset your schedule, will you let him? If God wants to move, he's like, hey, I know all your other friends are over here doing this, that and the other, but I got something different for you. God said, can we reschedule? I know you had all this stuff that you were going to do this year.

Can we reschedule? I almost hear the Lord saying, let me make it up to you. I almost hear the Lord saying, I'm going to do exceeding abundantly above what you had on your schedule. I almost hear the Lord saying, let me get you ready for what I have scheduled. See, to really trust God, we can sing. about that and quote about that. But to trust in the Lord with all your heart means that you have to move with him. You have to move with him. And life has come along this year and

interrupted your rhythm. I know it. It sucks. I'm not saying you have to like it. But what are you going to do with it? He didn't promise you a schedule. He promised you a spirit. See, that's better. That's better. That's better. Because the spirit will give me the ability to step out if I need to step out or to stay put if I need to stay put. So this is for you if you feel behind schedule.

I should have more money in the bank by now. I should know more of the Bible by now. It does not matter what your schedule was. It matters what God spoke about you before you were born. Do you get it now? You can be 75. And 11 years into waiting, Abraham tried to have a baby with Hagar because he got tired of waiting for the schedule.

I'm glad that the disciples waited for the Spirit. And whatever you're waiting for today, I just needed to make it clear as clear as I can. I can't make it as clear as I saw it. I'd never be able to do that. I just saw God saying, stop trying to schedule me. Build your schedule, but realize that some of the best things that I'm going to do in your life are not going to be on your schedule. Can anybody testify that one of the greatest blessings God gave you, the greatest blessings

are unschedulable? And if you are so stuck on what you thought this stage of life or what you thought this day would be like, I'm telling you are going to miss the gift. Wait for the gift. I'm waiting for the gift. If that's your word, you can put it in the chat or you can just put it on a post. I'm waiting for the gift. I'm waiting for the gift, and I'm looking for the gift, and I'm looking for the

call. I can't schedule God's presence. I can't schedule God's presence and say, you should have done this then, and you should have done that there, and you need to give me details then. I'm sorry, you're not going to get all the details. God will tell you what to build, but he will not tell you when to move it. He wants you to depend on him. This is the most anointed word I've preached all year, because God is resetting our schedules.

And what we are calling interruptions are really invitations. Praise him for it. Praise him for him. Jesus said to Jairus, don't be afraid. Just believe. When he got to the house, the little girl was dead to the other people. She was sleeping to Jesus because he has his own schedule. Heaven has a schedule.

Heaven has a purpose. Heaven has a blueprint. Heaven has a process. Have you submitted your schedule to the Lord? Just to say, Lord, I want to reschedule. I thought you were going to do this, but let's reschedule, Lord. I thought you were going to heal Lazarus, but, hey, if you want to raise them from the dead, let's go to the tomb. Let's reschedule.

I'll roll the stone. Yeah, I've been disappointed. I've been depressed. I've been stressed out, but less reschedule. I've been confused, but I've been trying to control the timing. And you've been calling me to trust you. I received power. I receive power.

I receive power. I receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on me. And I'm going to be a witness wherever I go. Father, I thank you in this moment. for the unschedulable, unschedulable, God help me say it. That's what happens when you make up a word, you mess up your prayer, the unschedulable blessings that are coming to your people. All over the world, the unschedulable blessings, the testimonies that are coming, because

you are an unscheduleable God. You give a hundred-year-old man a baby. You can bless us behind schedule. At the same time, you can be interrupted by a woman with the issue of blood. You can bless us ahead of schedule. You can do anything because you're God. You can prepare a table in the presence of our enemies. You don't even have to get rid of the problem to bless us.

You're unscheduleable. It's not for us to know the time. We can't control anything. We can't even control our kids' little league schedule. We certainly can't control how things unfold in our life, so we're just going to wait, not because we're lazy, just because we know you love us. Some of the best stuff that God will do in your life will not be on your schedule. Brandon, I was in your neck of the woods on Sullivan's Island in 2016, on vacation.

It's a beautiful place. I love going there with the family. And Holly wanted us to go to some farmer's market at Sullivan's Island. And she somehow conned me into going with them. And you'll remember the girl, Addie Mae, who came over. And do you remember her? Yeah. Do you remember?

She had that, she had cupcakes and pastries and stuff. And she said she listened to the podcast, and could we get a picture together? And I had my hat on and my sunglasses. She was like, I thought that was you. I thought I recognized you. And she was so kind and nice. And then she said, you know what? My pastor is going to be jealous that I met you.

She said, he invited. invited you to speak at our church. This week we're having convocation at our church and holy convocation. They invited you to come speak and your office said you couldn't come because you were on vacation with your family. And I said, well, it's exactly what you're seeing here. You will be witnesses. She said, okay, okay.

And she brought over a box of sugar for my kids. that they could be crack addicts all night, which I greatly appreciate it. Thanks for taking a picture. Let me dope up your kids on sugar as a way of saying thank you. Appreciate your ministry. And she said, oh, yeah, she said, I just talked to my pastor. Again, he told me to make sure to invite you to come to convocation. I said, no, Eddie May.

I said, vacation. No con. You know, sometimes God will con you, right? I don't mean he'll trick you. you because he's deceptive, he's impeccable, remember. But sometimes you will think that you're going to the farmer's market, but God, he just knows the future, and you have to know that about him. He knows the future.

I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper, not the harm you, plans to give you hope in a future. So now, don't you want the one who knows the future to set the schedule? Don't you want him to bring the right people into your life? Don't you want him to get the wrong ones out? Shout over the second one. The second one is one to shout about too. Don't you want him to open the doors, the one who knows the future?

Don't you want him to close some too? So it's just a normal afternoon. She said, you should come to convocation. I said, uh-huh, sounds good. Now I'm trying to find a way to end the conversation. Now that this conversation went to convocation. I was trying to have a vacation. She said, we've got great speakers, and she named a bunch of people I didn't know.

And then she said, one of the nights that I did know, and I always wanted to hear him preach, I said, huh, suddenly got interested. And I thought, well, I'm still not going to go, but let me at least write it down. Maybe they have a live stream or something I can watch him preach. Maybe I could have lunch with him. Maybe I could skip church and meet him if he's coming this way. The church is just right down the road. And she gave me the crack, I mean the cupcakes for my kids.

And she wrote down the name of the church. and the date of the thing for convocation. And I didn't think much about it. I asked Jess, who is my assistant, to say, reach out to this preacher. He's coming to this church on this night and just see if we can say hello. We've talked a few times, but I never really got to beat him. It'd be good. And she hit me back and said, yeah, he wants to do it.

He wants to meet with you. And the next week rolled around, and I kind of forgot, I was in my vacation flow. You know, limited showers, no shaving or anything like that. And I was like, oh, this is the day I'm going to meet with the pastor. And just texted me, she's like, by the way, so-and-so had to cancel. Had emergency back surgery. He can't come. And you know how sometimes you'll get an idea. idea and it's not God. And you're like, I rebuke you, devil. I'm not doing that. And then sometimes

you get an idea and you will try to rebuke it and it remains. And the more you think about it, you're like, I think this might be what God wants me to do. Something inside of me. I believe it was the Holy Spirit. Because I don't think the Holy Spirit just gets you to speak in tongues. I think it gets you to take steps and do simple things. You better hear me. It's not always something sensational, it can be very simple how the Spirit can guide you. And this is what the unschedulable God did, okay? He spoke to me just in a kind of an impression. Call the church and offer to fill in for the preacher.

I said, Lord, that's creepy. Hey, you want me to come over and preach for you? I can come preach for you. I'm over here just wanting to preach. I got my Bible. I got a little Bible scripture. I can come from here. I got to call in the church.

And the Lord said, you were the one they wanted on that night. They couldn't get you because you were on vacation. Now call the church. I said, Lord, she didn't write down the number. The Lord spoke to me very powerful. He said, Google. He's very practical, right? You're asking God for all kinds of big stuff.

God just wants you to do practical things sometimes. I called and it rang like six times and no. Nobody answered. I said, thank you, Lord. Six is the number of man. And before the seventh ring, no kidding. And I remember, man, I'm in my, I don't have a shirt on, I don't have shoes on, I don't have church clothes.

I'm so glad it's three in the afternoon. I'm like, okay, Lord, it was like a ram in the bush. Like you remember when he called Abraham and he said, I sacrifice Isaac. Just kidding. Sacrifice the ram. I'm like, oh, cool. This was like one of those deals. And on the, after the sixth ring, the man picks up, says the name of the church.

I said, oh, hey, hey, it's called to speak to the pastor. So and so, he's not available. Can I take a message? I said, oh, no, I don't want to bother me. He said, no, the pastor would want you to leave a message. I'm like, okay, okay, all right. My name is Stephen Ferdy. I met a girl named Eddie Mae.

She gave my kids cupcakes to the farmer's market. She said there was convocation. I don't know your name of your church. I don't know your pastor. I've never met him before. Never even heard of him before. But they said they want me to come preach. I'm 30 minutes down the road and I'll come preach tonight.

Just tell him that." He said, I'll tell him. And here comes to call back five minutes later. He was crying. The pastor was crying. He said, I'm sorry we missed your call. We were in prayer meeting. We were praying God would give us a speaker for tonight.

I had three funerals this week. See, funerals don't schedule themselves. Funerals will come right in the middle of convocation. He said, I'm so out of energy. I was going to preach. but I'm dry, and we were praying. He said, did you know that you're the first person that we asked? The one we were having was going to be the second choice.

Do you know that we asked you first? I said, yeah, Adi Mae told me that's crazy. I said, this is the weirdest thing. I never invite myself to preach anywhere. I don't even invite myself over to people's houses, let alone to people's pulpits. But, man, do you want me to come? He said, yes, before I even got. He said, you'll come?

I said, I will. I said, but I don't have convocation clothes. I said, and really the dressiest thing I have is some pirate black yeasies. And he said, I'll wear my yeasies too. We'll both wear our yeasies. You'll come preach? And I went out that night, convocation. You hear me?

I thought I was going to the farmer's market. Do you know what I mean? I thought I was just doing, you don't know what heaven has scheduled. And some of the best stuff doesn't come when you say, okay, well, this is where it's going to be. Your kids might not turn out like you wanted them to. God might do something better on a different schedule, right? Train up a child in the way they should go. And when they are old, they will not depart from it.

How old, Lord? He said, let me set the schedule. Some of the stuff I'm going to lead them through at age 17, I'm going to use it until they're 70. You let me set the schedule. You train, you obey, you show up. Look, that convocation that night, I did not know this until this year, but the pastor, who was just a delightful guy, we had the best night. I mean the best night. And his son was leading worship on the worship team.

He said, that's my son. He was proud. I was like, oh, he's amazing. What an amazing. It was your friend Chandler, Moore. Yeah. Yeah, it was your friend. Now, me and him have been writing songs with Chris.

And you know what's funny? You told me one time, and can I share this publicly, that when I was coming to preach at a church one time, he said I walked over. Brendan said I walked over and said to him, God's going to use you. in a great way. You're handsome. You got good hair, you're handsome. I'm real spiritual, you know. Man looks at the outward appearance. That's my job. God looks at the heart, not me. You can't see your heart. See your hair. I said the Lord, the Lord's going to use you or something. You told me, I didn't even know that. He said he was 16. God's got your kids. His dad's a great man of God. And I didn't even know who your dad was. Your dad was somebody whose leadership book.

I read. I didn't know any of that. It wasn't on my schedule to stop by. You know, before I was preaching, I think we were at Pastor Greg Surratt's church. Shout out Seaco's Church. You know, I went on my thing, my itinerary, stopped by and encouraged Samson on your way up to the pulpit. Wasn't on my schedule. Some of the best stuff in some of the blessings. God said to tell you, get ready for the unschedulable blessing.

blessing. Come on, spell it in the chat. If you're still with me, I've been preaching way longer than normal, but if you're ready for an unschedulable blessing, come on, I'm here for it, I'm here for it. I've got nowhere to go. I'm here for it. I'm waiting for the gift. I'm waiting for the gift. God, you give me the direction. I give you the details. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You'll give you one more thing. We were writing a song. You weren't there that day, but in the same studio where we wrote Graves Into Gardens, which by the way was the second song we wrote that day.

And it was the song that really defined the season for our church. Right. And we went and wrote me and Chris were in there a couple of months ago, and we had a songwriting appointment. You've got to show up, right? You've got to show up. That's the only way that you're going to be there. Sometimes God has scheduled something for you, but you're waiting on an opportunity.

The Bible says, on one occasion, on one occasion. And you never know when it's going to be the breakthrough. You never know when your kid's going to need. You're just going to be driving them to another stupid dance recital. And the conversation happens. So you don't know these things. So you have to show up. We were writing music one day, and we wrote a little song, and I still like it, and we haven't

done it yet. And the songwriting appointment was over. And I remember looking at my watch and going, okay, cool, I got time to get home for dinner. Great. Glad we finished up quick. Okay, let's get in here and let's set up the mics and let's record it real quick. Jack was setting up a mic. Jay Mix was in the control room, and I verified this with him the other day to make sure I I remembered it right, and I told Christy, we don't need dinner, we're done.

We don't need dinner, we're done. It's over. We're all going to go our separate ways for dinner. We got a song, we're done. As they were setting up mics, a little melody idea came to mind that we recorded. It almost sounded like a lullaby. It was, may the favor of the Lord be upon you. May the glory of the Lord be your strength.

the presence of the Lord, go before you. I don't even know what that line was going to be, and give you peace. I said, record, record, record, record, record, record. Okay, done. All right, let's go back to the other one. And other people in the room said, no, no, no, no, let's work on that. I said, you like it? We've got to go home, right?

No, no, no, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, no. Let's see, let's see, that might be something. Somebody put it in the chat, it might be something. It might be something. It might be something. It might be something. I never forget Cody Carnes started singing. I said, go to number six and see if we can sing it.

We could write a benediction. He said, The Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face shine upon you. Be gracious to you. The Lord turn us face toward you and give. We don't need dinner.

We're done. God said, I'm not. You can go home if you want to. But I want to bless you. You can give up if you want to. I want to bless you. You can write this year off if you want to. I'm going to bless you.

Then it's God said, ah, ah. You remember we sat there working? That's Carrie Job doing over there. She's saying something about your family and your children. And they're saying, well, in their children, in their children. I just thought it was significant that the blessing came after we thought the session was over. He wanted me to tell you that your ladder will be greater. He wanted me to tell you that just like a cana in Galilee, he saves the best wine until you

think you've run out. And don't you go home yet. And don't you bury that blessing yet. Don't you cast your confidence away yet. God said, I'm an unscheduleable. God, I made up a word. Paul made up a word. He said Apokorodokia, I expect a blessing in the unexpected season.

I'm not too young. I'm not too old. It's not too soon. It's not too late. Here comes the blessing. Man, I can't believe that I used all of those scriptures. I thought maybe I would Pick one or two, but it felt like a series, you know? Unschedulable blessings. That's what I'm calling that message and I just pray that you'll be looking everywhere this week for ways that God is trying to bless you and use you to be a blessing goes both ways, you know? whether you're handing somebody a cupcake or whether you're preaching a sermon grabbing a mic of your own God has a plan for you don't forget we have love week this week you get a love week elevation love week

no elevation outreach dot org forget everything else i said elevation outreach dot org and find all the opportunities to serve or if it's after love week and you're watching this later you can still go to elevation outreach dot org by the way thank you to all of you who give I talked about the power of showing up. So many of you show up regularly through your giving. And it's praying and it's serving. Right now it's the sacrificial, systematic giving of God's people that keeps us doing outreach, that keeps us flooding our communities with love when the world is flooded with so much uncertainty. I want to encourage you to keep on doing that. And thank you for showing up for these sermons. Share it, but just know that we love you. Our entire family is praying that your eyes would be

open as we continue to be blessed and be a blessing. I pray both over your life this week. We love you so much. Don't forget to subscribe. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.