Elevation with Steven Furtick - Where Restoration Starts (Robert Madu)

Episode Date: June 7, 2021

You cannot change what you cannot see. In “Where Restoration Starts,” Pastor Robert Madu teaches that true growth begins when you look inward.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 fate. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life.

Enjoy the message. And I'm excited to share the Word of God with you today. If y'all feel like hearing it, like I feel like preaching it, something's going to happen in here. Go with me. Go with me to Mark Chapter 2. Mark Chapter 2. As a matter of fact, could you stand to honor the reading of God's word?

I know you were standing earlier. It feels like spiritual aerobics, but it's the only one I'm asking you to stand up for every other one. That's on you. Mark chapter 2, and I'm going to look at verses 23 through 28, and then we'll probably read down into chapter number 3 as well. When you're ready to read it, say yeah. If you're not ready, say, hold up. I heard a faint hole up, and I'm going to wait for you to find the gospel according to Mark chapter 2. And it says, starting in verse 23, one Sabbath, Jesus was going through the grain fields,

and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath? And he answered, have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? And in the days of Abiathar, the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions. Then he said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the son of man is Lord, even of the Sabbath. Another time Jesus went into the synagogue and a man with a shriveled hand.

Another version says, withered hand was there. and some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. So they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. And Jesus said to the man with a shriveled hand, stand up in front of everyone. And Jesus asked them, which is lawful on the Sabbath, to do good or to do evil,

to save life or to kill? But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger, and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts and said to the man, stretch out your hand. He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. Pause, I don't want to preach before I preach, but isn't that interesting how two people can be in the same environment, but have two totally different experiences. Here's a man's hand who has

been completely restored. I imagine the place erupted, giving God praise, but not the Pharisees. They saw this man's healing as an opportunity to begin a plot to kill Jesus. This man's healing was the impetus. It was the catalyst for the plot that put Jesus, on the cross. I was playing around with titles before I preached this. I almost started to call this message When Healing You is Killing Me. That would have been a good title.

That would have been a good title. It's not my title. And some of y'all ain't been saved your whole life. And you've been to Vegas. So I almost titled this message. Almost title of this message, How to Win with a Bad Hand. Some of you get that tomorrow. You don't like that. You don't like that.

But it's not my title today. It's not my title today. I am amazed by the ability of our Savior to completely restore his hand, completely restore. Our God is a God of restoration. I want to preach today, just using this as a title, where restoration starts. Where restoration starts. Would you bow your heads with me, Epham, wherever you are, some of y'all are still in your bath row. listening to this message. Father, thank you for your word. Speak to us today. He may be seated in the

presence of the Lord. Where restoration starts. Elevation fam, I'm fully aware that we are immersed in a new year in 2021. If I'm honest with you, there are some lessons that I learned in 2020 that I am still walking out today. 2020 told me some lessons. It taught me a myriad of lessons. Matter of fact, first lesson I learned in 2020, first lesson I learned in 2020 as I was sheltered in place for several months

with our three little humans who are six, four, and three. The first lesson that I learned in 20 as I was sheltered in place. Couldn't go nowhere with our six-year-old, four-year-old, and three-year-old. First lesson I learned in 2020, is that our teachers are grossly underpaid. Grossly underpaid.

I'm telling you, if you got a stimulus check, send it to a teacher, okay? It's hard out here in these streets. That's the first lesson I learned in 2020. The second lesson I learned in 2020 is that sometimes your greatest ability is your adaptability. Your ability to adapt. How do you know, God can use somebody that knows how to pivot, that knows how to shift? Somebody that's not so married to what has been and what was, that they don't know how to move into what God is doing now. I'm telling you, God can use you if you understand the power of adaptability.

The third thing I got from 2020 that I didn't really learn, but I was reminded of, that is that the church of the living God is not optional. It is a necessity. The church is essential. How many of you know, we need the church. I know it looks crazy in the world right now and it's dark days. And that has reminded me of the truth and the fact that we need the church of the living God. We need something that'll be light in the midst of this darkness. We need people that will stand up and declare the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'm telling you, we need the church. Oh, this is essential. It is essential. I can live with the bad barber. I'll just have a bad haircut. I can live with a bad dentist. I'll just have a bad toothache. I can live with a bad plumber.

It'll just mess up my house. But I need a church that's alive. I can't have a dead church. I need a church that's alive that will stand up for truth and speak. God is telling you to speak. Oh, I'm telling you. I love the church of the living God. I was reminded of that.

I'm thankful for the church. I'm thankful for the Word of God. It was awesome today. Just being able to worship with you today. I'm telling you should have heard y'all singing, I'm going to see your victory. Some of y'all were off-key, but it was cool. I loved it because there's something about when the church comes together and worships. I'll be honest with you.

I'm lonely on this stage. I am lonely. Ain't nobody but me and you, bro. We're the only ones up here. It's lonely on this stage, but it is not as lonely as it was. During the pandemic last year, when I was preaching to empty sanctification. Just looking to the lens of a camera speaking into the abyss of darkness Hoping that what I was saying was resonating on the other scene side of the screen.

I'm just so glad that there are people in here. I'm glad I can see your face right now. Actually kind of got me thinking. Because I have an interesting vantage point right here on this stage. Because I can see you. You can see me. If I look at these incredible screens, I can see myself. What's interesting to me is that you can't see you.

Just think about that for a moment. Like, you don't have a clue what you look like right now. Even those are your e-fam. Like, don't go to the bathroom in your house. No, you don't know what you look like right now. But I do. Ooh, I can see you. You don't have a clue what you look like.

You know what you looked like before you came to church. You know what you looked like if you stopped in the bathroom before, but you don't know what you look like right now. Oh, and I can see you. You can't see you. I can see you, to think that you would have the nerve, the audacity, to say, oh, I'm going to change some things in my life. I'm telling you, this is going to be a new me. You can't even see you. How are you going to talk about there's a new year? Because you can't see yourself. And how many

you know, you cannot change what you cannot see? See, all change in your life must be preceded by recognition. You have to see something before you can actually change it. Many of us want God to restore some things, but perhaps before the restoration, we actually need recognition of the things in our life that are broken that we are unaware of that he wants to restore. Because you can't see yourself. You don't know what you look like. Come on, am I the only one ever experienced this phenomenon where you had a kale salad? You know, you're trying to do better. Summer. You're trying to do better. You had your kale salad at 12 o'clock in the afternoon. You get to your house about 6 o'clock in the evening, okay? You look in your mirror, in your bathroom, and see, the biggest,

piece of kale in between your teeth. And you think to yourself, wait a minute, I had that kale salad at 12 o'clock. I talked to 63 people right after that lunch. Did nobody want to tell me that I had a big old piece of kale in my mouth? Oh, I need new friends. Because you would have got it out if you can see it. But you cannot change, but you cannot see. I never forget talking to a leader, a very influential leader. And I was just asking them all these questions about leadership. And he said, Robert, there's actually a question that I ask other people as a leader that's formed my leadership. I said, man, give me the question. He said, I asked this question of my wife. He said, I ask this question of the people that I lead. He said, I even asked this question of close

friends. I asked them, what is it like to be on the other side of me? What is it like to be on the other side of me? That's a good question. He said, I asked that question. because I have blind spots. I don't know what it's like to be on the other side of me. That is the only thing I don't have perspective on. I don't know what it's like to be on the other side of me. He said, so I have to ask people that I love,

and then I have to sit back and listen to what they say and not get defensive when they say something that they notice. I have to hear what they say because I can't see myself. See, some of y'all listen to this message. You're like, oh, I don't need this message. I'm good. I'm good. You know, my marriage is good. I know this. I know this. I'm a good husband. And I would say to you, how do you know? You've never been married to yourself? There's some parents. You ever seen parents? Like, I don't know what's wrong with these kids. These kids have lost their mind. I know one thing, I'm a good parent, right? Y'all got electricity, don't you? I'm a good parent. I know that. How do you know? You've never parented yourself. I'm just saying, you don't know what it's like to be on the other side of you because you can't see yourself. So when God wants to restore something, the first thing you need to ask of God is, God, help me to see what I cannot see.

Show me the things that are broken in me. Don't let me spend my entire life looking at what's wrong with everybody else, then I never take the time to address the things that are wrong with me. God, help me see me. Don't let me live my life like the Pharisees, who were real good at seeing what was wrong with everybody else. they could never see what was wrong with them. This is the problem of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were real good at microscopes.

You know, microscopes, you look with detail at the specimen, what's wrong with everybody else. But they were horrible with mirrors. They could not look at themselves, but they could see what was wrong with everybody else. Oh, I see. I see what you need to fix. I see what's wrong with you. That's the problem with the Pharisees. You know you're a Pharisee when you're talking about what I see.

I see what's wrong with you. That's why they're Pharisees. P-H-A-R-I-S-E-E. I see what you need to fix, and you got a lot of things that are wrong. It's horrible when you're really good in microscopes, but you're terrible. And pulling a Michael Jackson and saying,

I'm looking at the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. The Pharisees couldn't see themselves, so Jesus had this incredible, uncanny ability to help them see themselves. And they hated it. they couldn't stand that Jesus would show themselves to themselves. That's what made them angry and mad.

And that is what is in my text today. Are y'all good? I feel like preaching this message. Before I even start talking about the Pharisees who caused the tension in our text today, I also find it intriguing that nobody ever typecast themselves as a Pharisee in the Bible. Have you noticed that? You ain't never in your life while reading the Bible said, that's me, that's me, I'm the Pharisee. Isn't it funny that the people that regularly attended church, people who today regularly

attend church, never think they're like, the Pharisee, come on, you're always the person with the withered hand, come on, you're the woman with the issue of blood, you don't want to just got issues that if you could just get to Jesus, he would fix it. You never, you never say, I'm the Pharisee. Come on, the Pharisees are like your caters who don't agree with you, but you never say, I'm the Pharisee, but I'm going to remind you, you can't see yourself. So perhaps another question you should ask besides what's it like to be on the other side of me is, could the Pharisee be me?

Nobody typecast themselves at the Pharisees, and the Pharisees couldn't see themselves, and Jesus would show them to themselves. And Jesus is interesting. Their problem with Jesus, they had a lot of problems with Jesus, but you know, was that the root of their problem? They were jealous. They were jealous of Jesus. Oh, jealousy is something else.

How many of you know when you are effective at doing what God has called you to do, people are going to be jealous. I don't know who this is for today, but somebody is stepping into the effulgence of your purpose, and you're getting a lot of negativity, and you're getting a lot of haters, and getting a lot of critics, and they're blogging about you, texting about you,

and tweeting about you, and you're about to shrink back from the call of God on your life because you've got some resistance, because you got some jealousy. But God told me to tell you, you need to walk in the totality of what he's called you to be. When you are doing what God has called you to do, people are going to hate. People are going to be jealous.

People are going to talk about you. Learn to live with the criticism. The only people that don't get criticized are the people that never say anything, never do anything, and never become anything. But if you start stepping in your call, people are going to be jealous. Just learn to live with it. Get you some tough skin and keep a soft heart. I'm telling you, people will be jealous. jealous. One writer said that jealousy is the trophy that mediocrity gives to excellence.

I'm saying that again, so maybe you could tweet it later. Jealousy is the trophy that mediocrity gives to excellence. Because when you are excellent and flowing in your call, people get jealous. They were jealous of Jesus. Not only that, they didn't like the claims of Jesus. Because Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, the son of the living God. They're like, hold on, Jesus. Nothing good comes out of Nazareth. We know where you came from.

You ever met those people? Then any time you start stepping in your call, they remind you of where you came from and remind you of who you were. They didn't like the claims of Jesus. They also didn't like who Jesus hung out with. You know, Jesus had a reputation. He had a reputation for hanging out with people

that had bad reputations. And the Pharisees were like, if he was really holy, if he was really a man of God, he would know how terrible and deplorable and despicable those people. are and he wouldn't hang with him. Oh, they had so many issues. But none of those aforementioned issues are what got Jesus on the cross. You know what got him on the cross? You know what their hot button issue with Jesus was? They couldn't stand that he kept doing stuff on the Sabbath.

That's it. That's what got him crucified is that he kept doing stuff on the Sabbath. Read your Bible. The only time they got all hot-headed and all mad. It was when Jesus kept doing miracles on the Sabbath. They got so frustrated all throughout his ministry. They're like, what can't you just heal people on another day and leave our Sabbath alone? That was the issue that got him on the cross, is that he kept doing stuff. It was almost like he did it on purpose. Like, yeah, I remember restore stuff on the Sabbath because I know it's going to make you mad.

They didn't like it. How many know the Pharisees took the Sabbath serious? They had been given a mandate by Moses on the Sabbath, which means to cease from work, to rest. The problem is Moses didn't say what did that look like. So they started adding rules, adding rules, because that's what religion will always do. It adds rules because religion needs a mark that says if I do this, this, this, and this, then God will accept me. But grace doesn't say that. Grace says you are the recipient of something that you don't deserve.

You are the recipient of somebody that paid a price for your life that live the life you were supposed to live and died the death you are supposed to. to die and you don't have to deal with karma. That's what grace is. Grace says, even though I messed up because of the blood of Jesus, I can receive his. They were mad because they had added all kinds of rules and regulations to the Sabbath. They're like, Jesus, if you're going to heal somebody, do it on another day. The Sabbath. Oh, they took the Sabbath. Serious. Oh, y'all sit down. We're just talking. Help me know. Jews today still keep the Sabbath very serious. I learned this the hard way. I learned this a hard way. Elevation fam. I went to Israel. I went to Holy Land.

And I'm perusing the Holy Land, having a good time. And I'm walking around, and I want to see everything. Because I'm walking around the whole land. I was drinking a lot of water. It was hot. And I missed the bathroom break. I missed the bathroom break. That's on me. I was having a moment in Bethlehem. And I missed the bathroom break. And get back to the hotel, and I got to go. I got to go. And I run into the hotel. And I go to the elevator.

the elevator opens, and I'm like on the ninth floor. I walk into the elevator. This elevator, I kid you not, stopped on the first floor, stopped on the second floor, stop on the third floor, stop on the fourth floor, stop on the fifth floor, on the sixth floor, I passed out. Stop on the seventh floor, eight floor. It finally gets to the ninth floor. I get off in exasperation, go into my hotel, come back out, catch the same elevator all the way back down, stopped on every single floor. By the time I got to the lobby, I had an attitude, okay? There was no fruit of the spirit in my life. I was mad. I said, where is the manager? I paid a whole lot of money to walk where Jesus walked, and they can't fix the elevator in this hotel and stopping

on every single floor. I got to talk to the manager immediately. And so I'm walking to talk to the manager. And somebody from our tour was like, Robert, where are you going? I said, I'm going to talk to the manager because that elevator stopped on every single floor. You don't want to know what happened to me on that seven floor of the elevator and it stopped on every single one. They said, Robert, it's the Sabbath. I said, I don't care what day it is. They need to get a technician to fix that elevator. They said, no, Robert, Robert, that's the Shabbat elevator. I said, I don't care if it's the Shazam elevator. Somebody needs to do something and fix it. It stopped on every single floor. They said, Robert, no, bro, it's the Sabbath. And the reason, and the

The reason it stopped on every floor is because to push a button would be work. You have to cease from work on the Sabbath. Oh, you think that's crazy. You need to see all the rules the Pharisees added in the day of Jesus. Oh, my, they had all constant. People, you could only take 1,999 steps on the Sabbath. You took that 2,000 step, that was work. You couldn't carry anything that weighed more than a fig on the Sabbath.

If you threw something in the air, you better catch it with the other. the hand because if you caught it with the same hand, that was work on the Sabbath. You couldn't light a candle on the Sabbath. You couldn't write a letter on the Sabbath. You couldn't take a bath because you might spill water and try to clean it up. You're walking around musty because you're trying to keep the Sabbath. Holy! They had all kinds of rules and regulations. They had added to the Sabbath. And how many, you know, you sure couldn't heal anybody on the Sabbath. You sure couldn't restore anybody on the Sabbath. You sure couldn't open up blind eyes on the Sabbath. And here comes Jesus in the midst of all of their rules and all their regulations and says, I am God.

I'll heal who I want to heal. I restore who I want to restore. I know you got your rules, but I came to seek and save that which is lost. And anytime I see something broken, I'm going to bring restoration in spite of whether you think is right or wrong. Oh, somebody that's ever had God restore something in your life, I dare you to take 10 seconds and give them some praise like you know he restored. Come on, you know your marriage wasn't always like that. You know your kids weren't always saved. You know you didn't always have the money.

But how many are thankful that God stepped in and restores? I feel like preaching. He restores. He can't help himself. That's what he does. If something is broken, he has to bring restoration. He's attracted to the brokenness. How dare you hide your brokenness?

in the presence of our God. How dare you walk in with shame thinking God can't restore or redeem your life? That's what he specializes in. He specializes in taking broken things. And he brings restoration. So the Pharisees couldn't understand. Why does he keep breaking the rules on the Sabbath?

Some of you need to change your perspective of God. Because you think that God is in heaven waiting to hit you upside the head when you break a rule. It's not the Jesus of the Bible. He broke rules to restore you. He broke rules to redeem you. He restores. He restores. It's interesting, you peruse the pages of your Bible.

You'll see that he does it on the Sabbath on purpose. Remember Luke chapter 13? There's a woman. who has a spirit of infirmity. Don't miss that. It's a spirit of infirmity that is affecting her physical body. Which means there are some things

that manifest in your body that start in the spirit. I'm thankful for doctors. I'm thankful for all of it. I go to doctors, I got a counselor, I got a therapist, I love it all. But there's some stuff you don't need a doctor for. You need deliverance from. There's some things that got to be cast out. Can I preach this like I feel it?

The Bible says she had a spirit of infirmity, and that spirit was affecting her physical body, to the point that for 18 years she's crippled, bowed over. Can you imagine for 18 years not being able to pull yourself up? Not being able to stand up straight. I think it's a picture of humanity, because how many know you can't pull yourself up? You can't get yourself together. Have you not figured this out yet? How many New Year's resolutions?

You've got to break. You can't fix you. You want to hashtag jack up to fix yourself. That's why you need a Savior. 18 years, spirit of infirmity affecting her physical body until Jesus says, daughter, be freed from your suffering. And this woman stands up straight for the first time in 18 years. Only problem was he healed her on the seven. John chapter 5, there is a man who sits by a pool, a layman, who sits by a pool called Bethesda. And every so often, the waters would be stirred and whoever got in first would get their healing. And for 38 years, this man missed his moment. I don't know who this is for today, but some of you right now have that feeling, that weight of I've missed my moment.

and the enemy is loud in your ear saying, ooh, God could have done a miracle last year, maybe the year before last, but now, no, sorry, you've missed your moment. 38 years this man sat by the pool and never got his healing, never got his breakthrough. Now I'm going to keep it 100 with you and tell you a little story. I preached this text before, like when I was young.

And I thank God this sermon is not on YouTube. Because I, I preached this text with an attitude. With an attitude. Because I don't have no empathy for this, dude. I'm like, homie, 38 years? Like, you couldn't get close to the pool for, 38 years. I'm like 30 a year. You could at least shimmied your way close to the pool. Oh, I had no compassion for home boy. I was like, come on. And I even preach that Jesus talked to him with an

attitude. Because, you know, we don't get vocal intonation in the Bible. So I preach, Jesus comes to him and says, do you want to get well? So I preached it like Jesus had attitude and came to him like, do you want to get well? Like, Jesus was annoyed with the people that he was about to I preached that when I was young, but now I'm coming up on 38, and I know what it's like. Oh, y'all not going to be real. I have some issues that you're like, yeah, it's me again, Lord. You know, I'm still trying to figure this out. I got grace.

I got compassion now because I'm getting close to 38. I know what it's like to have some stuff. You're still working out, so I'm so thankful that God didn't look at that man. Jesus didn't look at that man with a vocal intonation of annoyance. Talking about, do you want to get well? he spoke to him in a vocal intonation of expectation, saying, do you want to get well? Because I know you think you missed your moment. But when it comes to me, you can never miss your moment because I'm the God that can restore the years that the enemy took from you because I bring restoration.

Somebody ought to praise him if you're thankful that he can restore even the years that you wasted. God's the only one that can redeem time. He thought he'd missed his moment, so Jesus says, do you want to get well? Get up and take your mat. He gets up, takes his mat. He starts walking. The problem was he was walking on the Sabbath. You bored yet?

John chapter 9 is another man who the Bible says is born blind. He's born blind. And who Jesus and the disciples roll up on this man. And the disciples. Oh, the church staff members Ask the most asinine question Of this man who was born blind The dumbest question to ask.

They say, Jesus. Who sinned? Who sinned? Him or his parents for him to be born blind? Which one? You see how narrow that question? It had to be one of those two. See how narrow that question is?

And Jesus is looking at them like, Dummies, neither. It has nothing to do with his sin or his parents' sin. See, this is why you have to be careful when you're going through suffering. Because when you go through suffering, the trick of the enemy will make you think that your suffering is a direct result of something that you did. So you'll spend countless nights thinking the reason I'm facing this is because I didn't do that. And the reason I'm facing this is because I messed up over here. Your suffering is not always the direct result of your personal sin.

not true. Oh, don't believe that lie of the enemy. Now, sometimes it is. Amen. Yeah, sometimes your suffering is a direct result of your sin. Sometimes you blame the devil and the devil's looking at you like, no, that wasn't me. That was you. No, you replied to that DM. I didn't do that. You typed it. You typed. Remember, it was Saturday night. You was lonely. You did that. Things that's you. Jesus says, that's not the case here. We live in a broken world. He said, and guess what? Even though this This happens so the glory of God can be revealed in this. That yes, he's going through it. He didn't do anything to cause it, but I'm still going to use it.

I'm still going to get the glory out of it. Come on, anybody can testify that you're going through something right now, that you know when it's all said and done, God is going to get the glory out of it. So you know what Jesus does. This dude spits in some mud, breaks all kinds of COVID-19 rules, and just puts it all in man's eyes. He tells him to go wash off, and that man washed off and got his sight for the first time in his life.

The only problem was he got his sight on the... So the Pharisees are noticing a trend. He keeps doing stuff on the Sabbath. Obviously, he doesn't care about our rules. So they took it upon themselves to say, well, we're just going to watch them. We're going to follow him and make sure he doesn't do any more healings on the Sabbath. Now I'm to my text. Oh, that was my intro.

So in my text, you've got to see this. They are in a grain field, in a grain field, following Jesus and his disciples. In a grain field, they're stalking Jesus and his disciples. In a grain field, stalks of grain. They are literally stalking. They're stalking him. They're stalking him. In a grain field.

Can you see him? In a grain field. stalking Jesus, following him and his disciples. This one made me laugh is that they don't like him. They don't like him, but they're following him. Like him, but they're following him. You know there's nothing new under the sun. Isn't it funny how today, how people won't like you, but yet they still following you?

Like, you push the follow button. I didn't ask you to follow me, but you're following me and you don't like me if you don't like me. But it's funny. How people won't like you. they still follow you. Face looking frustrated, constipated like they've been sucking on lemons all day. I'm being extra because I'm trying to paint a picture.

Because I want you to see, don't miss this, religion versus relationship. They're, be quiet, stalking Jesus and the disciples. Meanwhile, Jesus and disciples are having the time of their lives. They're just chilling. Oh, Jesus. Hey, Jesus, you were preaching today. On that Mount.

You can preach. You can preach. Now, you long with it. You long with it. But man, you can preach. Food. You were preaching so long. And she's like, when we're in the great field, if you're hungry, get some food. Like, okay. They're just eating great. Having a good time. Do you see relationship? You understand that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy. Some of y'all need to get your joy back. You cried too many tears last year. God wants to restore your joy. Hey, they're having a good time eating grain. Right when they eat that grain, the Pharisees pop up. I see. And Jesus and disciples are like, have y'all been there the whole time? Like, yes, we have. And we see.

And I can literally see the disciples. They still got food in the mouth. And Jesus is like, don't worry about them. I got them. Peter, calm down. Let me get them. Back up, back up. I got them.

Because I mean, this is the season to know what to respond to and what not to respond to. This is season to know what to type back to an email or what not to say back to an email. You've got to let the Lord fight your battles. If you keep stepping in to fight the battle, you're leaving God out of the equation. Sometimes you got to sit back and let him fight for you. I say, y'all back up, I got this, I got this. And Jesus goes, have you not read? Have you not read?

In the days of Ebyethro of the high priest, when David and his companions, were hungry and the ate of the consecrated bread that was set apart for the high priest. Have you not read that? I love Jesus because he is throwing shade. Because of course they read it. They got it memorized. The whole first five books of the Old Testament. Memorized.

You still skip Leviticus and your one year reading Bible play. Got this thing memorized. Of course they know it. What is he calling out? He's calling out their interpretation of the word. He's calling out the fact that you know the letter of the law, but you've forgotten the spirit of the law. He's calling out the fact that you know the word, but you don't know the author. And because you know the word or not the author, you have elevated your human tradition over people.

You're more concerned with people keeping a code of conduct than you are with having compassion. And human need transcends human tradition. I came to seek and save that which is lost, not for people to keep a conduct coat. Just so busy keeping the code of conduct, you don't even have a heart for people. He leaves them with it and then goes into the synagogue to preach. And they're standing there like, well, still a Sabbath. He gets in the synagogue and he's preaching. And I see the Pharisees following him into the synagogue.

And I see them scanning the synagogue. They perhaps to see broken people, because they know if there's broken people, he's got to heal them. I can see them scanning, looking through the sanctuary for people that are broken. I know, she got both her eyes. She got. He got both his legs. How many of you know, they're supposed to be broken people in the church? I don't know when the church became a place of a museum of perfection.

No, you're supposed to have some people that are still working some stuff out. You're supposed to have some people that you're like, did I just catch secondhand high from hugging him? You're supposed to have some people got some stuff on their breath that you're wondering what it is. This is what the church is for. It's a hospital for broken people. This ain't a museum for perfect people. This is a place where people who are broken and hurting know where the bread of life is. Not because we got it all figured out.

Because we know we need him. I can see him scanning the crowd. All of a sudden in the back. he walks in. They go, oh, got one. The Pharisees are like, who? Right there, third one from the back. He always comes in late.

Like, who is that? You know who that is. That's Willie. Willie? Yeah, Willie with the withered hand. That's him. He always comes at life. He's like, oh, that is withy.

I'm like that you laughed at that because isn't that what we do? We identify people by their issue. Which, by the way, his name is not really Willie, for those of you who are new to church, Epham, around the world. I want you to leave here saying, Pastor, where I preached that message on Mark chapter 2 about Willie in the Bible, but I just made that up. His name is not really, really.

I just want to clarify. It's funny how people will define you by your dysfunction to the point that you think you are what you did. And I came to tell you, you're more than your mistake. Stop defining yourself by your dysfunction. Some of you have let other people define you by your mistake. mistakes and what you did, Willie with the withered hand. They don't call him the man with one good hand or a man with two good legs. No, it's the man with the withered hand because people will define you

by your dysfunction and Willie walks in late because he doesn't want anybody to see. And I don't think Willie was expecting a miracle that day. Just like some of you, you're not expecting a miracle. You say, I'm just going to tune in the elevation. I ain't expecting. I'll see. I'll see. I'll see. Some of you came in a day. I don't think he was expecting a miracle. Because read your Bible, every person that got in the presence of Jesus, they knew he's 10 for 10. He doesn't miss miracle. They said something. Whether it's a woman in the issue of blood, she pressed her way through. Remember Ghetto Bartimaeus who was all loud saying, Lord, son of David, he was blind. Lord, son of David,

had mercy on me. And people around him were like, calm down, be quiet. He's like, oh, y'all can see. Lord, son of David, have mercy. He was God loud. because he knew Jesus would do something about it. He didn't say anything. You know why? He wouldn't expect in the miracle. Withered hand is different. It's not a lame leg. It's not a blonde eye. Your withered hand represents the thing that you've learned to live with.

The thing that you've lost hope. You're saying, God, you can't restore that. And God sent me on assignment to elevation to tell somebody today, he wants to restore that thing. the marriage you think is hopeless, the business that you think the pandemic has completely shut down and God can't use you in the business world. No, he wants to restore the thing that you've learned to live with. And Jesus notices Willie, and I can see the Pharisees noticing Jesus notice Willie. And I can say Jesus notices the Pharisees noticing him noticing Willie.

I can see this conversation with their eyes. I can see. See, the Pharisees looking like, you better not heal him. See, Jesus looking like, oh, you don't think I'll heal him. Stand up. Calls him in front of everybody. And then he turns to the Pharisees and asks them a question. What are you doing, Jesus? Well, he's about to do a miracle.

And you need to understand when you're a God that can heal all kinds of diseases, any kind of way, if you heal a unique way, that means you are teaching us something with the way you are doing that healing. Every miracle is a parable. When you can heal all kinds of ways, the specific way in which you heal is teaching something.

What are you teaching, Jesus? What does he do? Tells him to stand up and looks at the Pharisees and ask them a question. I love it. They came to trap Jesus. Jesus flips the script and traps them. Says, is it lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath? To save a life or to kill?

Simple question that demands a simple answer. This is what God does. See, the Pharisees were real good at religion. Religion always takes that which is simple and makes it complex. It adds rules. It adds regulations. Religion will always take that which is simple. and make it complex. But look at what grace does. Grace takes that which is complex and it makes it so simple.

He asks a simple question because he is the personification of grace. And grace takes that which is complex and it makes it simple. Come on, that's what he did with the Ten Commandments. He said, if you're struggling with all ten and you can't even memorize them, then just take it to two. And love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. If you take care of those two, those two will take care of the ten. Because grace always takes that which is complex and it makes it simple. Which one is it? You're evil.

Save a life or destroy a life. Simple question. Really, Pharisees? You ain't got nothing to say? You were real loud about them picking grain. But you don't have anything to say about brokenness? You know, you're a Pharisee. where you're loud about certain issues, but you're quiet on other issues when people are hurting

and broken. Oh, God, give us a church that'll be loud about every issue that faces humanity, not just the issues that we want to be loud about, but anytime they're hurting and broken and suffering and lost people, God, give us a church that will stand up and say, we're going to be loud about everything because everybody was created in the image of God that carries the above of Him. God help us. It remained silent. Had nothing to say.

And he marveled at their stubborn. I see what you're doing, Jesus. They've got withered hearts. And he's got a withered hand. Their hearts had become hard. Was injured to an accident. The Greek tells us this wasn't born this way. Something happened in his past.

that now carries residue in his present. In the same way, they started with good intentions to uphold the law and keep it holy. The hearts have become so hard now. No wonder he looked at them first. He wanted to do two miracles that day. He wanted to heal and restore their hardened hearts and restored that man's hand.

Oh, don't miss the message. He loves them too. He loves the Pharisees too. He wanted to heal their heart. And that man's hand, you know why? Because your heart and your hand are connected. Anything you reach for with your hand, you started in your heart. Your heart and your hand are connected.

But since they refused, he asked the man to do what he wanted their hearts to do. Stretch forth. You'll reach out again. I can see the man going, Jesus. If I could reach out, I would have done it by now. Stretch forth your hand. Jesus.

know how long I'm good. Jesus, I can get around. Stretch forth your hand. Jesus, I can't. If I would have stretched it. I would have done it five years ago. If you're going to heal this marriage, you would have done it years ago. If you're going to restore this child, you would have done it. Stretch forth your hand. But I tried before. I know you tried before, but it's different now because I'm commanding you to do it. And anytime God command you to do something, how many you know, within the commandment will come the empowerment for you to do it. So, If he's telling you to stretch, stretch. If he's telling you to take a step of faith, take a step of faith.

Restoration came to his hand. And what happened to that man's hand could have happened to their hearts. Your heart and your hand are connected. Where does a restoration start? Starts in your heart. Some of you, this has been a difficult season to believe again, to dream again. And I wondered if you've been complaining about the thing in your hand. God actually wants to restore.

It wants to give you a new heart. Heart that can believe again. Heart that can hope again. Heart that can trust again. I know you lost some things last year. I'm not belittling what you've been through. But God's saying, can you stretch your heart to believe a kid? Oh, you walk away just like the Pharisees and miss the miracle that was.

right in front. As heads be bowed and eyes be closed. Father, today, I'm asking you to restore hearts. God, give us new hearts, hearts that believe again, hearts that trust again. Jesus restore our hearts. God, I know if you restore our hearts, then healing will come to our hands. Store what's on the inside. It will affect everything on the outside. This is what you do, Jesus. You heal us from the inside out. God, I pray from my birth. God, I pray for my birth. brother and my sister, who's having trouble, believe it again, or hoping again. Holy Spirit bring life. Where you are, just lift up your hands. I sense the presence of God in this place. He's restoring your heart to trust him again. Believe again. If he heals your heart,

it will take care of your hand. Father, our hands are lifted because we want you to do an inner work. Heal us from the inside out. Where does restoration start? It starts in our hearts. So we receive it today. God, I pray for the person who's never surrendered their heart to you today. And the enemy has lied to them and made them think that their issue is their identity. Father, thank you that because of your finished work on the cross. Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry.

It's because of you that this ministry is possible. You can click the link in the description to give now or visit Elevation Church. or slash podcast for more information. And if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe, you can share it with your friends. You can click the share button. Take a screenshot and share it on your social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.

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