Everybody's standing. How many are excited about Elevation Nights. We are weeks away. Come on, Holly, Holly is gonna tell you well, speak of the angel. I love a girl, come here, get a wide shot on her. I love a girl who can rock, plaid and petty. That's tom petty, plaid, petty and praise. She does it all. But right now, look in that camera. Tell them where they need to go and where we're going to be. Okay, So I was thinking about how people watch online every week and
they wish that they could be here. Telling you Elevation Nights is like Elevation Church came to your city. Only there's one thing that's better. Yes, we still have you the Elevation Nights. So that's amazing. Favorite Pastor, we will sing all of your favorite songs, single one. If you come to Valentine, we're only going to sing four songs. You come to Elevation Nights, We're gonna sing every single one of your favorite songs. So here's where we're going.
We're going Austin, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver, Saint Louis, Fort Wayne, and Toronto, Ontario. We're coming your way in just a few weeks Austin, Texas, Austin, I gotta wait till they back up on the screen. Here we go, Here we go. You thought I memorized them. Austin, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Denver, Saint Louis, Fort Wayne, Toronto. And can we tell them, tell them that we added some dates for the fall? The fall, you can get those two
elevation Nights dot com to talk. Yes, we might be coming close to you. Those aren't yours. We might be Just check, just check elevation. Somebody say the angels are coming. The angels are coming. Somebody say, Holly's coming, That'ster Steve's coming, Elevation Worship's coming, Johnsal's coming, John Sale. Are you an angel? Maybe some days you sing like an angel. But Jenna said, sometimes you act like the bibble. She told me that it's true. Let's see if you got the angels on
the tour bus on day seven of Elevation Nights. Holly and I have so many wonderful friends in ministry. Today. Pastor rich Wilkerson us here with us to bring the Word of God. He pastors the Great Cool Church based out of Miami, Florida, Touching the world for Jesus Christ. I asked him to take this pulpit and preach God's word to you today. Let's tell him we're ready to receive it. Let's stop. Church. Welcome Ridge, welcome to Well,
come on church. Anybody happen to be in the House of the Lord today, Hey, come on from around the world, right here in Charlotte, North Carolina, wherever you're at, watching at home, whatever device you are watching from, can we just go ahead and give the Lord a big shout of praise. I'm telling you what. There's something in the
atmosphere here. And I would just say to anyone who's watching, who's not here in the room today, if you can be out one of these nights, you need to be here because the spirit of the God, the Spirit of God is moving in this place in a mighty way. And I was thinking just as we were worshiping, because man, there's just such a tangible sense of God's presence and it's beautiful. Where the spear of the Lord is, there is freedom. Religion makes you proud of you, but the
Gospel makes you proud of Jesus. And I don't know about you, but I came into this house for one reason, which is to give the One True God. Come on all the praise, and it's worthy of all of this recalls. Lift it up. Let's get them a shout all over the room today. We love you Lord. We magnified your God. You're crazy, Rod. The angels are coming about to change my whole message. Turn it into angel in the outfield. You got an angel with you now, that'll preach, that'll preach.
Do me a favor of find a few people around you, just say you look better than I remember. You can you can grab a seat. It is good to be in God's house today. If you have a Bible with you, quickly reach for it. If you don't have it, we'll have it up on the screens for you. Turn with me to the Book of Mark. Mark. Chapter six is where I want to share some thoughts today. The Lord
has really put a message on my heart. And I believe that we are all here today, and I believe He's gonna speak to us in a great and mighty way. And I just got to be honest with you. It's always such a priv and a real honor to get to come and preach behind this pulpit. This church is touching the world. And it's not just touching the world, it's touching me. And I'm so thankful for the ministry and the leadership of your pastors, Pastor Steven and Holly.
I just think that the world's finest. Not only are they just incredible preachers and leaders, yeah we can put our hands together, but have been just very very good friends to my wife and I the children. We just admire this family. I think you need a vision and a reference for all areas of your life. Vision is that thing that gives pain purpose. And you need vision for marriage, you need vision for pastors, you need vision for your business, and you guys are just a huge
reference point in our life. And we're just so thankful. Thank you for loving us, thank you for encouraging us. I heard some dialogue in a movie the other day and it was this question was asked, what's more important the journey or the death the nation? And the man thought about it and he responded the company. That's how I kind of feel when I'm around them, that I
don't really care what we're doing. I want to be a part of it, whatever, wherever elevation's at, whatever Pastor Steven's doing I just want to be around you guys, and thank you so much for your life, thank you for who you are. Can we really put our hands again? Can we just thank God for them today? Just amazing, amazing. Come from Miami, Florida. That is where Jesus lives. If you've been wondering. Pastor of church called Food Church, married
to my wife Dontree. She sends her greetings, and today I want to preach from Mark chapter six, starting in verse forty five. Let me lay some groundwork and then I'm going to preach this thing. This is what the scripture says. Starting in verse forty five, he says, immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsadia, while he dismissed the crowd, and after leaving them, he went up on a mountain
side to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake and it was alone on land, and he saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them walking on the lake. He was about to pass them by, but when they saw him walk on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately, someone say immediately, immediately spoke to them and said, take courage.
It is I do not be afraid. Then Jesus climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely someone say completely, They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened. If you got a pen or something, maybe underline that passage. Their hearts were hardened. When they had crossed over. They landed at Genisrat and anchored there, and as soon as they got out of the boat, people
recognized Jesus. They ran throughout the whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was, and wherever he went into villages, towns or countryside, they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. How may'll know there's more to the story. Anybody been enjoying the teaching and the preaching of your pastor these last few weeks. I
just love it when he gets on. I love when he gets a word from God, because all us preachers we get a word from God. There certainly is more of the story. I think story and narrative is so important. The story you tell yourself will be the life that you live. What story are you telling yourself? But today I want to kind of draft off where you guys have been as a house. And this is what I know. I know that there's more of the story. But every story has a storm. But every story has its purpose.
And I want to preach for a few moments day from that subject. The storm has its purpose. The storm has its purpose. Look at your neighbors, say, neighbor, the storm has its purpose. Look at you, o, the neighbor, the one you don't like so much. Hopefully you talk to your spouse first. Oh, dear God, say the storm has its purpose. I love the passage of scripture that we're reading today. This is Mark six. This account of this storm takes place also in Matthew's Gospel, but here
in Mark chapter six. This is the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is interesting. I was just there recently, but it sits seven hundred feet below sea level. About thirty miles to the north is this big mountain range called Mount Herman that sits high up in the air, and the cold air from that mountain will mix with that warm air from the sea. And if you go there, they'll tell you that there's quick, fast storms, massive waves
that can kind of come out of nowhere. And I actually just got to go finally for the first time, to the Sea of Galilee back in November. I went Miami to the Sea of Galilee. Now, just saying that, right, it just sounds so easy, Miami to the Sea of Galilee. But how y'all know, it ain't that easy. We took a flight Miami to Tel Aviv and I flew with my three children, ages five, three, and one and a half in economy to tel Aviv. Now it's funny because people start the year it's like, yo, Lord, I really
want you to stretch my faith. Very very easy, very very easy. You want to build your faith. In twenty twenty three, get three toddlers, take an international flight. The whole experience is just challenging. You get on the airplane and I can literally see people as I'm passing by the row side. Let thank god they're not sitting next to me. Paris on what I'm talking about. I have one friend that when they travel with their kids, they bake cookies the night before because they pass it out
to all of the passengers around them. People are like, thank you for the cookies, Like this is a peace offering. And we took off. You know what, it's a fourteen hours some flight and you know it's just these kids are going crazy just trying to get to the Sea of Galilee. And on the way over there, we hit turbulence. You ever hit turbulence that's so heavy that you start confessing hidden sin? I'm talking about We were hitting turbulence with these kids, Like I'm just repenting, going God, if
you're going to take me, take me now. You know some some turbulence gets so bad, right, Like you ever been in that kind of tournaments where like you could take a stone cold atheist and they become a holy spirit tongue talking and Hanecostal. There ain't no god turbulence. He shun the little bush. I mean, like, bro, it was that kind of turbulence. I was sitting on the front road and as man, it'd be coolf we can bring turbulence to church. Sometimes worship team would love that
introducing a new song not going so good. Turbulence offerings kind of low. Try turbulence, you know, alter call turbulence bro. I mean it would work right. The storm has its purpose. We landed, got the bags, got on the tour bus. I mean, it just took so much time, so many delays, finally to arrive at the Sea of Galilee. And I sort of just say that upfront as an illustration that
it sounds easy, Miami through the Sea of Galilee. But how may I'll know if you want to get to the Sea of Galilee, You're gonna have to go through some stuff. It's just the reality. We live in a time right now where everybody wants to arrive, but not everybody wants to take the trip. I think we all want a life of purpose, but very few of us really want to walk through the process. If you want to get to, you gotta go through. This is a biblical principle that you must get deep down in your heart.
God is taking you to some stuff, no doubt about it. But more often than not, in order to get to you're gonna have to go through. I believe God is gonna take you to mountaintops. You go from mountaintop to mountaintop, but you gotta go through the valley. He's gonna take you from blessing to blessing, but you're gonna have to walk through sacrifice. You're gonna go from glory to glory, but you gotta walk through some suffering. And you're gonna go from mirror a miracle. But how y'all know you're
gonna actually have to go through the storm. The storm has its purpose. I don't know who I'm preaching you today, but as you walked into this house, I just sense it. As we were singing. Many of you in this room you are headed to a breakthrough. Some of you are headed to a promotion, some of you are headed to a miracle. Some of you are headed to a brand new season. But if you're gonna get to you gotta
go through. Somebody said, Amen, in this room, we might have to bring some turbulence in this room today because I believe today God wants to speak to you. I think through is one of God's favorite words. It's what Isaiah said. He said, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through
the fire, you will not be burnt. Anybody in this house day, can you testify that you're walking through something right now, but you believe in fai God is gonna get you to the other side. If there's anybody like that in the room today, go ahead and give God some praise in this house. He's taking you through. As
we go through, we face some stuff. But we're gonna have to get a new perspective on our storms, on our obstacles, on our opposition, on our challenges, because it's not a question of if it's a question of when you will go through storms. You will go through difficult moments. But the story is bigger than you could ever imagine, So don't give up in the storm. Mark chapter six is the most beautiful illustration of this truth. Because here's Jesus.
He gets done doing this big miracle where he feeds five thousand some people, He stole a kid's lunch, fed everybody, sends the disciples in a boat to the other side. They finally get to the other side. When they get to the other side, Jesus starts healing people over there. But in the middle of these two great miracles, they have to face a storm. It's interesting because I've read
Mark six so many different times. But it's important that when you're reading the Bible that here's the most important rule about reading the Bible. Three rules really context, context, and context. You have to put the text in the context. And many times I used to always just kind of read devotionally in Mark chapter six, and I saw these guys in this storm, and it's really really interesting, no
doubt about it. But you need the full context of what's taking place, because I don't know if you see this, but when you go back in March chapter six, we see that Jesus does a miracle to the masses, and then they go into a storm, and then Jesus gets over there and again a Sarah and he does a miracle to individuals. But in between is a storm. And it got me kind of thinking, are you in a
storm or are you just in between two miracles? Are you in a storm or are you just in between the thing that God started and the thing that God's gonna complete? D you, if you will choose in your spirit today, I'm not gonna back down. I'm gonna keep moving forward. Do not place a period where God has placed to comma. He's taken you through. This thing will not take you out. You're gonna get to the other side. The storm has its purpose. Are you in a storm?
Are you just in between two miracles? I've just decided recently, when I'm in turbulence, Oh, He's taken me through. I've just decided, I'm gonna tell myself over and over again, I'm just in between two great things that God is doing. When I look at the text, there's just a few
basic observations that can help you. We could make lots of observations, but let's just make a few today, because if you're in a difficult moment, if you're in the middle of your story and you're thinking about quitting, or you're wanting to give up the war of the Lord for you today is simply this. The storm has its purpose. It's not that I think that God plans all of our storms, but I certainly think that God will use
all of our storms. He will use what you are going through, and He will bring meaning and purpose if you'll look a little bit deeper. The first reason why I believe that God lets us go through storms and the purpose of the storms that storms make you realize you're not in control. The scripture says that he sends the disciples in the boat to the other side. And that little passage right there, mark chapter six, verse fifty, or yeah, immediately, let me see it. I don't have
it right there, mark chapter six. It says that they were straining at the ors. I don't know, have you guys him? Bring that verse up? They were straining at the oars with all of their might. I love that picture because here's this picture of these disciples trying to get to the other side. But as they put all of their effort, as they put all of their energy, they unable in their own strength to get there. How mel No, it's one thing when you fail and you
didn't really try. It's another thing when you put your heart, your soul, all of your focus into something and you came up short. These disciples are doing everything they possibly can in their effort to get to the other side. That's what Jesus had promised them. That's what Jesus had told them. Jesus said, get in the boat and go to the other side. They're just obeying. Isn't that amazing? You can obey Jesus and it can lead you into
a storm. I think sometimes were like, oh, my goodness, if I just follow God, everything's going to be perfect and easy. Read the words of Jesus. A wise man built his house on the rock, and a foolish man built his house on the sand. And when the storm came, the wise man's house stood strong, and the foolish man's house collapsed. Did you catch it? This doesn't prevent storms. You can be wise, you can be educated, you can be at church every week. You can do all the
right stuff and still have to face a storm. I don't get to control it. All I get to do is prepare my spirit and my foundation for it so that when the wind does come, and when the rains do come, this house it might bend, but it's not gonna pray. And some of us in this room today we need to be reminded we are not in control. And it's only in a storm that you realize, Oh wow, I'm telling you. You You can have all the money in the bank account, you can be educated, you can have
the dream job, dream girl. But all it takes is one little storm. All it takes is a phone call from the doctor. You have cancer. I don't care how healthy you are. I don't care how many sit ups you can do. You can't stop cancer. I don't care how much resource you have. There are certain things that push you back and go I'm not in control. But there is something about our God that he loves it. When we realize and we are reminded we are not in control. The scripture says that there they are, they're
straining at the oars. You gotta love Jesus. Jesus leaves his place of prayer and he walks out under the water to them. I just and these guys go, ah, it's a ghost, which is hilarious because the only thing worse than being in a storm is having a ghost in your storm. This is a bad day. It's a gouse. But it's it's not a ghost. It's it's Jesus. It's not a ghost, it's it's Jesus. But they're in the storm, right they're they're dealing with the financial pressure, they're dealing
with with with the breakup. They're dealing with the heartache, they're dealing with the addiction, they're dealing with the pain. We got all these things that start clouding that we can't see Jesus, and the rain's coming and the wind is blowing and it's dark outside, and I can't see Jesus. I can't I can't see Jesus. And Jesus is coming to help me, but I don't feel like helps on the way. I'm scared. I'm trying to be I'm trying to row, I'm trying to get there, and all the
while Jesus is looking right at them. The old preacher one time came through and told a story, said the house was on fire, and the father came home, and when he got home, he saw his little boy up in the window. And the little boy was standing in the window two stories up, and the smoke is rising. The place is on fire. And the dad shouts out to the little boy, son jump. And the son's up there, says Dad, is that you. That says yes, son jump, And the sun says, but Dad, I can't see you
through the fire. And the dad said, son, I know, but I can see you. And I felt like I wanted to preach to someone today that you might be in the middle of the storm and you might be saying I can't see Jesus. I hear you. But the good news is he can see you. He's walking through it, and he's on the way to you. He sees you. The storm has its purpose. You are not in control.
Here comes Jesus walking on water. And when he shows up, sometimes Jesus says stuff in the Bible that you actually have to just let it sink in because it's hilarious. And also it's like, bro, it's not cool at all. That's not cool. It's not what I need right now. What does he do? Walks in the water? DA take courage? It is? I do not be afraid. Like it's funny, and it's also kind of like mean, like, bro, our boat is sinking, the wind is block I know, LA, take courage it is, I do not be afraid. This
is fascinating because this is our story. Many times, when Jesus shows up, we want him to steal the storm and then we'll take courage. It's not how faith works. Where's all the control freaks? What are he's feeling me? You know, I don't know. I don't you ever interview an uber driver? Control free? You know what's your record? Bro? Let me say a license. We're control freaks. We want to be in control. But look at Mark chapter six, verse fifty. This is important Jesus says, immediately spoke to
them and said, take courage. It is I do not be afraid. Notice when Jesus shows up on the scene, he doesn't say, da la control. It is I do not be afraid. That's what we all want to do when we're in a storm, when we're like feeling out of control, when when pains in our life, when when something's coming our way, our knee jerk reaction is I need to take control. But that's not the faith journey. You don't get to take control. You get to take courage.
And a storm reminds you you're not in control. So what do I do? Rich When you're in a storm, you don't take control, you take courage. Control is God's responsibility. Courage is mine. I'm gonna face this thing head on, believing that the storm has its purpose. You take courage. Watch God what God will do. I've just seen it. I can testify about it over and over again. God comes through. Take courage. What is courage? Does that mean I don't have any fear? Nah? Courage is simply the
ability to face your fear. I'm done running from it, I'm done carrying it. Today's day I'm gonna walk through it. He's taking you to the other side, but you're gonna have to go through some stuff. This scripture says that Jesus says, take courage. It is I don't be afraid. And then the Bible says he gets into the boat and immediately the storm settles. See, I think the purpose of the storm is not just to ride us that we're under control. The purpose of the storm is always
at a give way to new revelations. Oh, if you could get this today, Bible says, immediately the storm settled. In fact, I think we've got it Matthew, chapter fourteen, because I just want to cross references. This is important. This is like the first time that the disciples even realize that Jesus is divine Matthew fourteen, verse thirty two. And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down, and those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, truly,
you are the son of God. It took a storm. It took a storm for the disciples to realize Jesus is divine. Immediately the wind and the waves died down. You ever notice that we're obsessed with suddenly and immediate type of things. That's what's going on, bro, Like right now, God, do it now. You know I want it now suddenly. I grew up in Pentecost church suddenly, and I'm all for suddenly. I'm all for immediate. Fact. God could do
something immediate in your life today. But what I have learned more often than not is that God, who does suddenly, immediate, right now type of things, is usually on the heels of people who are patiently, slowly, faithfully, consistently pursuing him. God moved suddenly for those who pursue him patiently. Why because this is what nobody told me when I was eighteen getting into the ministry, is that God is slow fast. This is so important. God is so slow. It's like
slow bro, slow bro, so slow. It's just like it's so slow following God. Like here I am at church again. My call time an hour before here we go. We're gonna sing some songs so we can get the offering. Were a word, okay, imitation and e group and you know watch online and slow slow ho hum ho hum slow slow slow and then boom whoa whoa immediate. I remember the first time I met down Stree. I'm just slowly following slow front row kind of a service like this,
look up, immediate boo, who's that? I saw her? I choose you. In one moment, I changed all of my doctrine. I named it and claimed I choose you because following God, you gotta get This is so slow, and then it's immediate, and then it's breakthrough and the it's wow, there's the idea. Oh there's the song. Oh that's the word I was looking for. Oh that's what I needed. Oh there's my healing. Oh there's my promotion. Oh I got to the other side.
Because God is slow, come on somebody, and then he's fast. You need God do something immediate, Just slowly pursue him, faithfully follow him, because the scripture says, these guys are straining at yours. We are not in control in all of our mic, with all of our flesh, I cannot get to the other side. But thank God for Jesus, here he comes walking on the water. Don't take control, take courage. Face the storm gets in the boat, and immediately the storm settles, and then they start worshiping him.
I think these guys kind of got some of it right, Like it's good to worship Jesus. But I want to be a person and I want to build a church that doesn't worship Jesus on the other side of the storm. Come on, I want to worship him like I'm in the middle of the turbulence, believing that he is the Son of God, that at any moment, even though the ground beneath me is shaking, my faith is being fortified and solidified. And I'm gonna worship you for who you
really are. I got a revelation that you're in control of the storm. Somebody give God some praise. Let's bring some turbulence in the room today. The storm has its purpose, and the Bible says. The Bible says that when the storm sets, then they worshiped him as the son of God. Wow, now I know who you are. In fact, look at this Mark chapter six, verse fifty one. Then he climbed in the boat with them, and the wind died down.
They were completely I love this, completely amazed Ah, for they had not understood this is so good about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened. You gotta see that, because some of you day you think if you could see some miraculous sign, You think if you could just wow, then you would be worshiping. Remember the context just a few
verses earlier. He feeds thousands of people with five loaves and two fish, but the disciples had already forgotten about maybe one of the most ethnic miracles the humanly has ever seen. How may'all know our faith suffers when we forget, and this is we could I could come back into a five week series here at Elevation Church because God has been faithful to this house. God has moved in ways that many of us have never ever seen. And some of us we think we need a new word
from God. But in reality, and you just need to get back to that old revelation of awe in wonder. I know what He's done in the past. My faith suffers when I forget. And there they are in the storm and their hearts have become hardened because they forgot about the loaves. And just so we get some clarity, because this is really important, because there's always more to the story. The scripture says that he feeds five thousand, or like probably fifteen thousand people, and then if you
can remember, the scripture says that there was leftovers. Your mama did not invent that at Thanksgiving. Jesus is lord of the leftovers. He's not the god of enough. Whoever's watching online right now, he is the god of more than enough. Can somebody give him some praise if you believe He's got everything you need, more than enough. Any Bible nerds in the house, remember exactly how much more enough there was? There was twelve baskets left. Any other
Bible nerds, how many disciples did Jesus have? Hey, guys, I'm doing a miracle over here. It's for all the masses. What was one to let you know you're about to enter into a storm. Don't worry. I've packed you lunch. You've each got a basket full of food, so that when you get into that storm. I want to remind you I've already got a solution to the problem you didn't even know existed. I want you to worship God to day in faith. Maybe you're in the middle of
turbulence right now. Maybe you're in the middle of a storm right now, But there is more to the story. The storm has its purpose. Storm has its purpose. Many of us we would never know he's a healer until we got sick. Many of us would never know he was a restorer until our heart was broken. You want to know he was a deliver unless you got addicted. We can go through it. The storm is revealing something about his character and nature that you need on your journey.
It has a purpose. I was in Chicago this summer and we preachers. If you don't know, just everywhere we go, even on vacation, we're just collecting sermons. And I was taking this tour of Chicago, which is notably one of the best or most impressively designed cities in all of the world. It wins architecture and all sorts of awards every year. They have a three layered highway. I mean, it's remarkable stuff. And I'm on this tour with my family and this tour guide is just she's blowing my mind.
She's up there just she's like an art history major and she's just dropping truth. I'm like, dang, this is She said. You know, Ko has more skyscrapers than any other city. And what's amazing about skyscrapers, if you don't know, is that they're built in such a way that they're made to sway so they don't snap. I was like, you want to preach it? My church. This Sunday got that sway annoying, not going snap sway, sway with it in the storm. You gotta sway. But she told me
to look at somebody all love that calm down. She told the story of if you don't know about it, eighteen seventy one was the Great Chicago Fire. It's like the largest urban fire recorded ever and it burned up about three square miles. Three hundred buildings destroyed, or seventeen thousand buildings destroyed, three hundred some people lost their life.
It's a really, really wild story because the fire began, but then it jumped into the river, and the river was so polluted that it kept burning through the river and it ended up hitting a paper mill. That's not a good place for a fire to hit, and with it it just spread and it devastated and destroyed the city.
I mean, complete annihilation, complete destruction. But what's fascinating as you study the history of Chicago is that devastation probably became the reason for all of its innovation, because would you believe that just fifteen years later the skyscraper was invented. Do you know where it was invented? Chicago? Why? Because so often in devastation. When all of a sudden things come through. I get a new revelation, I get a
new idea. I discover who my God is. And I just felt it in my spirit today that God has big things in store for you. There is more to the story, but you need to lean into this moment right now. You're not in a storm. You're in between two miracles. He's taken you from glory to glory. He's taken you from miracle to miracle. But you've got to go through the storm. I don't know what awaits you on the other side, but God has something good if you believe, as somebody puts your hands together all over
this room, the storm has its purpose. The storm has its purpose. As the worship team makes their way up here, it's just storms their mindus. We're not in control. Storms give away to new revelations, but storms also create the perfect stage for an audacious response. I just I know this is a word for some people here today. Problems are platforms for God to show off. We all want miracles, but we don't want problems. Problems are a prerequisite to a miracle. Your storm is a stage for God. He's
going to show off. We wouldn't never have the story of Jesus walking on water if there wasn't a storm. But what's amazing about March chapter six is you fourteen tells the same story, but there's some other information given to us in Matthew fourteen. We see it. It's not just Jesus who walks on the water, but so does Peter Peter. Some of you are like he. Peter ain't smarter than you. Peter's not more theologically sound than you. Peter, Peter sin just as bad as you. Sin isn't amazing.
Peter and Judas same sin? What if Judas is just what a wait is one more day. Peter goes back to community, he's back to fishing. That cures him. Judas goes into isolation and it just intensifies his pain. Takes matter and he takes control. Scripture says that throughout on that water and Jesus walks out on the water, take courage. It is I do not be afraid some of you that you gotta take courage. And that's the right word. That's aggressive language. You gotta take it, you gotta put
it on, you gotta choose it. I gotta take I gotta take it on Monday. I gotta take it on I gotta take courage. Bible says, as Jesus is out there, Peter sees it, and Peter's in the boat. And when Peter season, Peter gets the idea, Lord, is that really you? And Jesus says it's me, And Peter goes, well, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water. I love it because here's the gospel in one word, those of you that are watching online. Jesus says, come, come,
everybody needs saving. Get to all who received him and believed in his name. He gave them the right to be called children of God. Come to me, all you are weird and heavy burden, and I will give you rest. Come. Whatever you're caring today, whatever your face to day, whatever you're walking with today, just come to Jesus. And Peter he doesn't think about it. He just listens to Jesus and he steps out, and my man starts walking on water. Peter,
the cussing sailor is walking on the water. The scripture says that when he started looking at the wind and the waves, he started to sink. And that's fascinating you can't even see wind. That's how this world works. The devil wants you to focus your attention on things that are not real, things that you can't even see. Imagination's in your mind, thoughts that he put in your brain. Here's how the Kingdom of God works. Close your eyes and open up your ears. Faith comes by hearing and
hearing the word of the Lord. Seventeen years of age, I got a word from God and I have been clinging to it now for twenty plus years. Get a word from God. Don't let anyone get in the way of that. I hear you, Jesus. I hear you, Jesus. I hear you, Jesus. I can hear Jesus. Peter, the water is liquid, but my word is solid. One step out of time, and the scripture says, he starts looking at the wind and the waves, and he begins to sink.
You see, adversity is always a great time for audacity, and Peter started right, WHOA, I'm in a storm, but maybe this storm could be a stage for the glory of God. He starts walking and as he starts sinking, he's freaking out. You gotta love Jesus because it's the picture of grace. He comes on over there and he puts his hand to him, and he helps him back up, and he says, Peter, you of little faith, why did you doubt? It's amazing because I've heard that preach so
many times in church. You gotta have great faith. Peter had little faith on my whole Tell me you ever walk on water? And good news to everybody who's here today who's not churchy, who doesn't know how to speak in Christianese. According to Jesus, Peter walked on water with little faith. What could you do today with some average faith. It's never been the size of your faith. It's always been about the size of your God. It's not the strength of your faith, friend, it's the object of your faith.
My faith is attached to Jesus. Adversity is a great moment for audacity, and storms create a wonderful stage for an audacious response. We're still telling the story of Peter. My kids were in Voot Kids last week in Miami. Whyt came on. I said, what'd you learn to church? He said, I heard about the man and walked down the water. I want to say when I get to heaven, Hey, Peter, I know that storm was scary, But man, what a story it turned out to be. What's the story without
a storm? What's the story without some struggle? Some of you curse in every struggle. God, just get me through this. Why not pray? God, give me faith, give me a capacity to face the storm, to keep moving. God, there's a purpose in the storm. There's a purpose in the storm. Here's what's amazing to me. I didn't see this till just recently. We're not reading Matthew fourthy, we're reading Mark chapter six. Just important for all the Bible people out there.
Mark was not a disciple of Jesus. Mark was a disciple of Peter. Almost all scholars and theologians believe that Peter dictated to Mark. The Gospel of Mark. Say, which, why is this important? I'm saying because in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew remembers that night, not just Jesus walking the water. He also says, Yo, I was there, and Peter walked on water too. I think was wild to me is that if I'm Peter, i won't be you. I'll be me. And I'm telling this story to my disciple. I'm like, yo, bro,
night was crazy. Everyone was afraid. I was a little, but everyone was freaking out. I was. I was little, but not as much as the rest of the guys. You'll see in a second. Why So we're out there and everyone's rowing so hard. I was praying, I was praying, was worshiping, and all of a sudden there came to celestial being. I knew, I knew it was Jesus. I just know God is good all the time, and all the time He's good, all right. And I saw Jesus and I was like, yo, Jesus, what you say I
come out there and hang out with you? And he said come. And so it was just, you know, one small step for humanity, but one giant step for the global Church of Jesus Christ. If I was Peter, that's how I would have told the story. Jesus is awesome. WHOA you should have seen me that night. But somehow we don't know for certain. Somehow, when we read the story, it seems as if when Peter starts telling his side of the story, it seems like he leaves out the
most important part. But maybe, just maybe, to Peter, the most important part wasn't him walking on water? Maybe just ab Peter had a revelation that the most important part was solely and simply Jesus walking on water. Can I tell you something today. Some of you are in a storm, You are in a crisis, you are in a challenge, you are facing real difficulty. But something tells me, if you will faithfully follow Jesus, you're gonna get to the other side of this thing. And one day you will
testify from your experience in the storm. And when you look back, you're not going to talk about your great faith. You're going to talk about the great grace of Jesus Christ, the God who came to you and found you and met you right there in the middle of your mess. The storm has its purpose, and it's the glory of God. It's the grace of God. I love preaching about faith from this text, but can we just all be honest.
It is impressive that Jesus walked on water, but if he is God, don't we all believe he can walk on anything. He says, not a story about walking on water. This is the gospel right there before your eyes, that when I was dead in my sin, when I was at my darkest moment, when I was hating God, he saw me in all of my depravity, in all of my mistakes. And he said, there's no mountain too high, there's no valley too low. I'k on water just to get to you. He's taking you through. He's taking you through.
He's taking you through. He'll walk over the failed marriage, He'll walk over the broken business. He'll walk right through the addiction. He'll walk right on top of your anxiety. Your depression does not scare him. He can walk on top of things. He's on the way to you. He's coming to you because he wants to take you through. Storm has its purpose. The storm has its purpose. The storm has its purpose. The storm has its purpose. The
storm has its purpose. If I can just get you to think that way tomorrow at work, we have one today. If we get to Friday and you are still facing something, but you could just tell yourself, I got a little message. I don't remember all the message. I don't remember all the Bible verses, but I know this. The storm has its purpose. There's more to the story. Every story has a storm, and every storm has a purpose. We've won.
See when you're in a storm and we're closing how mey, No, it's hard to see and you start forgetting who you are. You know you're in a storm when you start praying prayers like God, I need a sign. You ever negotiate with God. God, if you'll just do this, I promise you, that's when you know you're desperate. This past summer, I was on a break and I needed I needed a sign. I don't pray this prayer as much, but I was
on this vacation. There was some stuff going on with our staff and our team back home, and I just know they needed their pastor. I know they needed a word from God. And I'm just sitting there on break watching Netflix shows, going God give me a sign. For three days, I prayed, God give me a sign. God give me a sign. And after like day three, I don't know, you know, we're just blind to stuff. This. I was renting this house and this is the sign that was above the television. We pulled it up. So
I'm praying this prayer, God give me a sign. God give me a sign, and above the TV. It's like took me three days. Like you know, sometimes I'm like, God is like, how dull are you? You know? He calls us sheep, study sheep, not smart animals. You know. Ah, God give me a sign. God give me a sign. Three days, God give me a sign. God give me a sign. Finally, day three, I'm like, there's a sign above the television. Wow, look at God. I didn't. I had no idea what it meant. To my knowledge, I
had never really seen it. But it's crazy because I was watching some TV show this summer about some navy seal. I spare the details, and in the background of the show, Day two is that exact same sign. I'm like, gott ever do that? Who? The next day, I'm on the lake, I'm at some restaurant and hanging on the wall is the sign. I'm like, WHOA. Day three. Sometimes I'm like, is Apple listening to me? Or is this the spirit
of God? Is this technology or prophecy? Because I gotta tell you this, because this is I got an email that popped up from twenty sixteen from my good friend Levi Leus goes it there, so I'm like it was an email he sent me that I had screenshot it because I liked it. I had done something with this. I was like, what is in the world. While I was finishing my vacation and I was actually scheduled to go preach in Montana. I walked into Levi Leusco's office
and look what's hanging on the wall. Can we go to the next one? Watch this? So this is what Pentecostal is doing this moment. I called our general manager because I was flying back for staff retreat, and I said, for staff retreat, by one hundred mugs that say, don't give up the ship. My guy goes pastor what does it mean? I said, I have no idea, but it's gone. After we had ordered the mugs, that decided what does this mean? And I found out the history of it.
In the War of eighteen twelve, Captain James Lawrence, they had been attacked and their ship was going down and he was dying on the ship. In his last and final dying words were don't give up the ship. That's cool. That's a good battle cry, you know. I guess today now it's become an anthem in the Marine Corps, Navy seals. You'll see it all over the place, and that's very, very meaningful. But I didn't understand, God, what do you mean, don't give up the ship? Don't give up the ship, Lord,
don't give up the ship. What am I? Are we going to battle this year? What's happening like? I don't know what are we talking about? And I just kept praying, kept thinking, don't give up the ship. Don't give up the ship. Don't give up the ship. Don't give up rich this year. Don't give up. Every story has a storm, Every story has a struggle. Don't give up the ship. Don't give up the storm. Don't give up the storm. Don't give up the storm has Don't give up. The
storm has its purpose. Don't give up the ship. Don't give up the storm has its purpose. So we have who church. We just started looking at each other and say, you're struggling, if you're struggling, if you're in a challenge. You can be struggling and becoming all in the same sentence. Are you in a storm, you are on your way to the other side. Do not forget who you are. Don't give up the ship, don't give up the storm has its purpose. There's a purpose in your struggle. There's
a purpose in your storm. And if I was at my church and I was preaching to my congregation, I would just get fancy with it. I just start saying all sorts stuff. I would say, don't give up the discipleship. I would say, don't give up the stewardship. I would say, don't give up the friendship. I would say, don't give up the worship, because you are a worshipper no matter what you're facing. And as you start to worship of God, you're gonna be made aware of his presence. He is
with you in every store. He is with you in every storm. And if he told you he's getting you to the other side, you not doubt in the storm what he talks you on top ground. Maybe you'll get through this thing. You're coming through this thing. There's all the story. There's a bigger mirror of flat place. Don't give up the ship. Don't give up. Come on, somebody give gone some place him, him, some morning him. Come on, come on, you hold my laughs, you about myself. Come on, Church,
You have called me for it. You dese sea. This makes your sight you He has his purpose. You take current these sept side. You report me for you God. This is because you're ready with me. You're working through me finely for me. God. It's not it's not you. You're reading with me. You're working to me. Finely tall me. God, he started dancing you reading with me. You're working to me. It's finding tall me. God, it's not against me or me erase me. You're working through me. Fine for me. God,
it's you, didn't me. You're ready with me, working through me. Find grass. He's not against you, he's not against you. He's for you. He's for you. He's for you. He has a plan, he has a purpose. There's purpose to the pain. This storm has a purpose. Don't give up the ship. Don't give up this week. Don't give up. This storm has its purpose. It has its purpose. You're not in control, but you could take courage. You're gonna learn something about God. You're gonna see something about him.
You're gonna discover something about him. The intimacy of your relationship is gonna grow because of this pain, because of this suffering, because of this heart ache. Oh, this is a perfect moment right now for an audacious response. You want that type of faith that walks on water. Then you gotta get out there in the middle of the storm. But you watch as your God shows up. He will never leave you, he will never forsake you. God. I pray over every person in this room right now. God,
who's struggling. God, any person who's in this room today, that walked in today watching online, about to give up on the brink of quitting God, may we hear it from heaven. There's more to the story. You're the God who does more than we could ever ask, think or imagine. God, we don't need faith for tomorrow. We need faith for today. Give us our daily bread. We're dependent upon you. If that's you, if you're just desperate for God, sometimes a
ward just has to unlock something inside of you. Just lift your hands right there, Just lift your hands with there, Receive, receive, receive. He doesn't encourage you in your strength. He encourages you in his strength. He says, I'm with you, I'm for you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Read the verse. It doesn't say the weapon won't be formed. It just declares mightily it will not prosper. I got a sense in my spirit that the enemy's coming to attack some people.
But hear the prophecy of the Lord that when the enemy showed up at your house, there is a sign, and it says, beware of God. This house is protected, this house is covered, This house he's fighting for you. God. We received, We receive, We receive, God, We receive, We receive, We receive. God. We cannot stop the storms, but Lord, may we prepare today, May we build on a solid rock. You're here today and you've never met Jesus. I'm telling
you what this is the gospel. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God to not send his son in the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. I don't know what somebody told you, but God is not mad at you. He is madly in love with you. He's the God who got up out of heaven, came down to this earth, walked in the middle of our mess, in the middle of the your sin, just to save us.
He's for you. He's for you. He's for you, but he gives you the opportunity to receive. If that's you today, all over the world today you might be in a storm, but maybe this storm has a purpose that you would meet your savior. If you're desperate today, if you're hurting today, he's here on the count of three and that you say, Rich, I need Jesus. I want to commit my life to Jesus. I recognize my sin and my mistakes. You don't need
a preacher to tell you how bad you are. You need a preacher to remind you about how good your God is. He's bigger than your sin. If that's you on the kind of three, just be bold. On the three you just lift your hand of high enough and long up just so I can see it. I want to include you in this prayer of solvation. If that's you, that's me, Rich, I want Jesus to be the load of my life. Online. Ready one, the Bible says, today's that day. Two. Don't look at your neighbor. It's not
about your neighbor. It's between you and Jesus. Ready one, two, three, that's you looked up. That's me, Rich, that's me. That's me. That's me. Thank you, Thank God, thank you, don good, thank you done, thank you Jersus, thank you Gene. Come on church. Can we all lift our hands towards heaven. Let's pray this prayeric say, dear Jesus, today, I give you my life. I repent forgive me. I believe you are who you said that you are today, I choose to follow you. Thank you for loving me. I confess
that my storm has a purpose. I'm not going to doubt. I'm not gonna quit. I'm gonna follow you. In Jesus' name. Come on, everybody said, come on, Elevation Church. Can we go ahead and get gone a big shadow grace? Come on somebody. Hey, thank you for watching the Elevation Church YouTube. I want you to subscribe. That way you can know when we go live and post new content. Make sure leave me a comment, let me know what spoke to you today, where you're watching from, and what we can
pray for you about. And if you'd like to support the ministry financially, you can click the give button now and help us continue reaching people around the world for Jesus Christ. Thanks again, I'll see you next time.