Yes You!

Here's the message. Most of all, Lord, we ask you to give us the faith to receive your grace in this moment, and we believe that it's already ours in the name of Jesus. Put it in the chat, say it with your mouth. It's already mine right now. It's already mine, right now. Come on, clap your hands like you know your father. Let do some goodness Taiah. Lord. You know what I feel, dude, I feel that free tour anointing. It's that free tour anointing. We're getting ready. Man.

By the time you see this, we'll probably already be in Atlanta. We're taking Elevation Church on the road this week. How many of you will pray for us at least once? Come on, now, you can pray once. You pray over your French fries. Once. We'll bless these potatoes to the nourishment of my body. That's a miracle. But just pray for us this week. We want to have a good time. I don't want any of them fighting on the buses.

And you know what I mean. I don't want Jenna and Johnson having marriage problems when they get back from tour. What happened to your marriage? We went out to lead worship, y'all? Sharing a bunk? You should talk to somebody. Yeah, that'd be pretty good strategy. Share a bunk, you know what I mean? Right, I get the cuddle. But it's gonna be amazing. It's gonna be amazing and will be for

those of you who still want to come. There are still some tickets left, and if you know somebody in the following areas, there's still time to tell them to come out. Atlanta Tuesday one month, is this October twenty sixth, Nashville the next night. Then I don't want to give them the nights, just the towns Tulsa, Dallas, Houston. So that's gonna be awesome because when I'm in Atlanta Tuesday, I'm in the Seco Braves. When I'm in Houston, I'm gonna say go Astros because I'm an inmphocrit rry. I

will pander, I will. I won't even know I did it. I guess they will now, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Houston, Fort Worth, Houston, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville. So if you can make it Elevation Nights dot Com, we are gonna bring. It's gonna be Game seven every night. The World Series, the World Series of Worship. That's what we should call the tour, the World Series of Worship. But no, seriously, we're so excited. Pray for us. Gonna be amazing, absolutely amazing.

And today, guess what, there is a word from the Lord for you in the house. I'd like you to say that by faith and say there is a word from the Lord for me. Now look at somebody else and say there is a word. Put it in the chat. Why are you not putting it in the chat? All right? Everybody in the room saying I'm on every location, there is a word. Look at your neighbor. You can't catch coronavirus looking at him. Y'all are so insulated. There is a word from the Lord for you. Yes you, yes you.

That's my title today. We're going deeper. We're gonna pick up on last week. We're going deeper. This message is calm. Yes you, look at somebody else, say yes you. You may be seated, Yes you. Did you get to hear the word from last week? He's noddy, he really heard it. That was the message. It was about the God nod, how God chooses you. Yes you, dirty you, sorry, beautiful you. I want to affirm you today. But seriously, it took me back to I'm gonna be in Luke five one

through eleven to start with again. That won't be where we end, but we'll start there. The best sermon I think was ever preached here was the one Holly preached for the church anniversary. It was still before everybody was able to come back in the room fully and all of those things. So you know, it's weird times. But I'll usually come over with her when she preaches and listen to her do the sermon before she does it,

and then I culture afterwards. But I've learned not to try to coach here, to preach it like I would preach it just to help her find, you know the best. And yes, there have been tears during those coaching sessions, and we have gone home in separate cars before after those coaching sessions. Now I'm just kiddingessed it's usually pretty good. But when I came for that one, I don't remember what she called the message, but I remember one part about it where she was standing in the pulpit looking

so attractive and annointed. They're not mutually exclusive, and she said, in the middle of her message, she's preaching about Gideon and God calling him a warrior when he felt like a whim and he's and he had to become what God saw that he already was. And she said during the runthrough, she said, yes you, and I couldn't. I couldn't take any more notes after she said that, because you know, you've ever been in church where it felt

like God was speaking just to you. And so when she preached it, she said, put it in the chat, yes you going to do it right now? Put in chat, yes you. And when she said that, I thought they can put it in the chat all they want, but that's my word. She's talking to me right now. I think what made it powerful really was not only what she spoke, but who spoke it, because I also know what it cost her to stand in front of our

church and preach with such power. I go back to like these outtakes in my mind of her telling me, I'll never preach like so and so. Oh, I know that I should be able to be a leader, but you know, I'm really not a leader like so and so. And to see that one I'm not gonna lie, y'all. It was kind of sexy and spiritual at the same

time to see her up there going yes you. But I knew that for her to say that to the whole church, she had to first say it to herself that she had to push through all of these preferences and even push through what she considered to be her own personality, to step out of her comfort zone and to walk in her calling yes you. But it hit me right in my heart. I struggle with the same thing,

like I tell you all the time. And it was like we were just right there and she was saying, you are the one that God has chosen to do the thing that God assigned for you to do. Yes, you, she just said. It is one line. I'm gonna make a whole sermon out of it today from Luke chapter five, verse one through eleven. And I want to read it again. And if you come out to Elevation nights, I might still be in Luke chapter five, because this is really

good to me. Of course, we were noticing some things about the text last week, but let me just read it through briefly. One day, as Jesus was standing by the lake of Ganes Sarette, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. And he saw at the water's edge two boats. How many boats? Also, he can get in either one he wants to, but

he got in the one belonging to Simon. Now, notice what it says They were left there verse two, part B by the fishermen who were washing their nets, mending their nets, kind of like calling it a night. You know, we didn't catch anything. Ah, let's just get the nets ready. We'll go again. You know, get them next time, slugger, good game. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon. That's the phrase right there, the one belonging to Simon. The one belonging to Simon, whose

name was changed later to Peter. Okay, so if you're a little confused right now, you're like, wait a minute, I thought that Jesus used Peter's boat. He did, but he's still Simon. Because you know, we sing a song at church haar Lot called Waymaker miracle Worker. We didn't write it. I wish we did. That's a good song, but it says a promise keeper. It lists all these things that God is. He's a waymaker, he's a chain breaker. But I'm gonna tell you what. We could write another

verse on it. He's a name changer. He's a name changer, something people have called you all your life. God will get down on the inside of you and show you that your something else, something totally different. Name changer, miracle worker. I like it. Let's work it up. But he gave an instruction, and this is cool. Look at verse four. It's what I was just describing. When God speaks directly to you. When he had finished verse four, when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, So that's the

personal word. You got to listen for that. When the sermon ends. Sometimes that's where God will speak the most to you. So Jesus is teaching all these deep things. All The Kingdom of God is like a pearl. The Kingdom of God is like. The Kingdom of God is like And then he turns to Simon and says, there's something that I want you to do based on what you've just heard. And a lot of times when I stop preaching, you stop listening, and that's where God would

give you the breakthrough. So you got to listen real good, and be careful who you go to lunch with after I preach, because they'll be talking about something so stupid and something so off subject. And sometimes you need to be like I need fifteen minutes, I need fifteen seconds. It doesn't even take God long he's speaking. The Kingdom of God is like. He sits down in the boat. He teaches the crowds, and then he turns to Simon. I'll later be named Peter, but he's already Peter. But

he's still Simon. And the process of discipleship is not God changing you into something else, it's him revealing who you've been all along. So he tells Simon, amen, if you put out into the deep water and let down the nets. There's something down there. You can't see it, but I can't. And so this is kind of freaky because God sees things we don't see. Notice he didn't speak the fish into the water at that moment. He just knew they were already there. It wasn't about God

putting something there that wasn't there. It was about him alerting Simon to what was there beneath the surface. And that's how it is in your life. There are things that God is bringing forth. Everybody say bring forth. That's what God spoke to the earth. He said, bring forth, vegetation, bring forth. He didn't speak something that wasn't there to the earth. He brought forth what was in the earth all along. And he's doing that in your life right now.

He is bringing forth. Even the word parent is from the Latin, which means to bring forth. And our job as a parent is not to make our kids a better version of us. It's the partner with God in bringing forth the unique thing that he put inside of them. If one more person tells me abb he's going to be a preacher, I can tell you can't tell nothing. She might be, she might run, she might be the president. I'm not going to limit her potential based on what

I did up here shall bring forth. God has been bringing forth in your life lately, some stuff that you really didn't want to see. God has been bringing forth in your life lately, some issues you didn't want to deal with. But He brings those things for a greater purpose. And this is what we see with Simon. Y'are with me so far. I'm just reading my scripture reviewing from last week. There is a word from God for you. Yes,

you right now. So he goes, Simon, if you'll do what I say, you can have what I see that you can't see. And so Simon answered, Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. And when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signal The word is nod because their hands are full. So Peter nods at John, Hey get over here and

help me. Man need some backup. And by the way, some of us can only receive so much of what God wants to do because we don't have the right partners, or we don't have the right network to use a little play on words. The nets were breaking, well, you need more nets, y'all weren't ready for me today. But the partners came over to help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sing. And when this is the surprising part of the text. Okay,

and this one I want to pick up. When Simon Peter which one boat, the one that he was before he met Jesus and the one that he can be as he follows Jesus. Simon Peter. You thought that was like a first name in a middle name. Ah, He's a name changer, a miracle worker. And the miracle of it was that God saw the Peter in Simon even before Peter did. And God sees the patient, kind, loving, joyful,

free you before you even believe that you exists. And the surprising part of the text is that Simon Peter, they're both in the same boat. Kind of represents the flesh and the spirit to me when I think about it. When he sees all the fish in his boat, you would think he'd be happy, Oh, thank you Jesus, PTL praise emojis. But he he fell at Jesus's knees and said, first, say go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man.

For he and his companions were astonished at what God saw beneath the surface and brought forth to his boat. They were astonished at the catch a fish they had taken, and so were James and John. Nobody expected this, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, don't be afraid. From now on, you will fish for people. That's not what you want him to say, you know you want him to be like, don't be afraid, Peter. From now on, I'm gonna go fishing with you every time,

and I'm gonna show you every spot. You're not gonna have to fish all night and catch nothing anymore. You have some five minute fishing trips. I'm gonna just tell you where to put down the next and boom. Because that's what we want God to do, right, That's what we want God to do right. No, Pastor Steven, I want God to take fifteen years to fix my problem, No Pastor Stephen. But I give Simon credit. I give Simon Peter credit for his self awareness. Self awareness is

a wonderful thing. Self awareness will save you from doing stupid things. But self awareness, as you're about to see in this text, it can only take you so far. Because Simon is aware of his sinfulness, but he is not yet aware of his peterness. I'm making up a word just to make a point. Simon says, go away from me. Lord, I'm a sinful man, and he's scared because you would be too. Like, how did you see that at the bottom of the ocean. We've been fishing

here all night. We've been fishing our whole lives. You're a rampi, you're a carpenter. You know more about the water than we do, and you've worked with what your whole life. If you saw that beneath the surface, I wonder what you see in me. Most of us are still scared of God. We are. That's why we pray.

Fake you. You you use some words when you pray. Well, I just never heard you use those words till I ask you to say the blessing that was thou ist pray That is mightiest goddest I pray is that Thou wast with visitist us usn't in this moment? Just what is this superlativist neestness that you are. I've never even heard your voice drop that loh, Oh, Mighty God. You are a soprano. You're a basis faith prayer. You pray God. I just want your glory. You're glory, God, You're glory. Now.

You don't now yet. You have to start where you are when you come to God. I praise Peter for his awareness of how simon he still is. His first instinct was not, that's right, Jesus, you pick the right boat this time, brother, and I'll tell you what. This boat's gonna carry you all around. I'm gonna take you places to preach. You pick the right boat. Jesus, you got the right captain, he said. I'm I'm a sinful man.

I'm a sinful man. You spoke about what was beneath the surface of the waters, but I don't want to. I don't want to let you too close. You might see what's beneath the surface of me. I don't get to see the real you when I'm preaching. I see the surface Sunday, Sanctify, you're sitting in that seat. My preaching began to change when I realized I'm really preaching to to us Simon and Peter, help me, precious please. The Peter was praising God in you during worship. You

turned graves into gardens. The Simon, you will try to turn a garden into a grave and kill something that God is growing in your life before it has the opportunity to manifest. And this is why we spoke last week about the importance of knowing that both are in the boat. And what attracted me to the text was not like, oh, pull up the mets and you'll have a catch. Pull up the mets and praise them and

you'll get a promotion. You might, you might not. That's not what attracted me to the text for our study. It was the contrast. It was the contrast between Jesus, who knew everything and needed nothing, and Peter, who needed everything and knew nothing. He didn't know, He didn't know the fish were down there. He didn't know that the power was in him to be a rock that God could build on. As he took the Gospel to Cornelius, which unleashed the Word of God into the gentile world.

He didn't know any of that in that moment. And yet Peter was already in the boat. Purpose was already in the boat that that creature that was in Peter. He was in the same boat with Simon. But but you know, you could spend your whole life playing. Simon says, like we said last week. Not Simon says, touch your nose. Simon says, touch your ear. Simon says, touch your head. But Simon, my inner. Simon tells me much worse stuff than that, you know, Simon says, cuss him out. Simon says,

don't call him back. Simon says, don't try to do it. You're gonna look stupid. Simon says, give him a piece of your mind. And we use excuses. Here's what we do. We use excuses and say I'm just being me. You are being the me that you have seen. But that's Simon, and Simon doesn't get to say who you are. That's called immaturity, not self awareness. Now I'm a fan of self awareness. I think it's great if you brush your teeth.

I think it's great to have people who will say, you know, your zippers down, or you're talking too loud, you're talking too much. That's great. Self awareness is amazing. It'll make you walk in the room and go you know what. I'm probably taking this the wrong way right now. They probably don't mean anything by it. Self awareness is a wonderful baseline. A lot of us don't really know ourselves.

We're filled with prejudices, like Peter was when he was Simon, when he thought it was only for the Jewish people, and he didn't know that God wanted to use him as an instrument to the gentiles. Yeah, you, the you you knew before Jesus is not the only you that you can be God. This is so good, This is so good. I'm so glad. Self awareness will tell you about your proclivities. It'll tell you about your past, it'll tell you about your background, it'll tell you which way

you lean. Self awareness is an awesome baseline so you can know where you're starting. But it's a horrible ceiling to show you how far you can go. Now, this is what I put on a pink sweater to say today, like pink, you haven't really met you yet. No, no, no, that's not a golf clap line. You haven't really met you yet. You know what I'm clapping. I'm excited to meet the meek Domseys. All right, all right, let's work on this turn to somebody say, nice to meet you,

Nice to meet you. But I understand, as I'm meeting you, I'm really meeting two us. I'm really meeting two us. I'm meeting the nice, polite you. They just looked at me and said what the pastor said to say. But I understand. If I get stuck behind you on forty five tomorrow in traffic, I might meet Simon. A lot of preachers, they're sermons are so plastic, so candy coated. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. But we don't need to just preach to Peter. I gotta talk to Simon because you gotta walk this out.

And they are both in the same boat, both in the same body. Pull out your phone. You got apps on there that can grow you in your faith. You got apps on there that can lead you off a cliff. Go to your contacts. You got contacts in there that can strengthen you in faith. You got contacted. You got Delilah in that phone somewhere who will cut your hair and leave you shaken and blind. Yes, you do, in the same phone, in the same boat, in the same Stephen. Now let me tell you this is how it works

for me. It's not all this face for me either. It can be like before I came out here today, I was walking around the green room, speaking in tongues, just wanting to get out here so bad. Three minutes later, I thought, oh god, I don't know. Before I could even get the microphone on, my batteries wanted to die. Not the batteries on the microphone, the batteries in me. But that doesn't cancel what God spoke, because Peter Simon had enough sense to say, because you say so, it

doesn't matter how I feel about it. I can go off your word. Oh yeah, By the way, I want to tell you something. Jesus didn't need Peter's vote. That's why it was so powerful. When hollyod was looking talking to me and y'all were listening, she said, yes you y'allre like, oh, that's my word, and I'm like, that's cute. It's my word because what I heard in that word was he wants you. That's hard for me to believe. People don't use you because they want you. They use

you because they need you. I give Peter credit for a self awareness. I'm a sinful man. Now. That's exactly what Jesus knew when he went to the cross. All that was in you, that's what he died for. He's going to take care of that in Jerusalem. But for now, and I may say it this way. On Elevation Nights tour this week, he stepped in grace, got in the boat knowing, knowing Jesus needed nothing, knew everything. He knew. Peter would sleep in the garden of Gemini while he

was over there preying light drops of blood. No, no, not how it is for us. We wouldn't let people close if only we had known what they were going to do. So Peter signon. Peter is like Jesus, go away. If I let you close, I will let you down. Go. If I let you close, I will let you down. Jesus said, let down the nets. That wasn't the only letdown in Peter's future. Jesus knew at the moment he got in Peter's boat that Peter would deny ever knowing him. Why I praise God is he got in anyway fully

knowing what Peter thinks. He's telling Jesus. No, Jesus, you don't know. I'm a sinful man. You should get in John's boat. John will lean on your chest. At the last supper, I'll cut off an ear. I'm a sinful man, I'm a crazy God. Get away, Jesus. You don't want to know, as I promise you. My boat's good, but my heart isn't. Because I want, I want. Can I prove to you that Jesus didn't need Peter's boat because I know you don't believe me. You're like he totally

needed the boat the crowd was pressing. It says that in verse one he needed the amplification to be out on the water because there was no microphone or battery pack. He totally needed Peter's boat. But I saw in Matthew fourteen something, just that one little verse in Matthew fourteen, give it to me real quick, Give it to me, real quick, real quick, real quick, real quick. This is later in the Ministry of Jesus, shortly before dawn. Jesus

went out to them walking on the lake. So I know this might not feel good to say it, but say, God doesn't need me. That sent me free man, because when I thought he needed me, it felt like a burden to serve him. When I thought he needed me, I thought I'm letting him down. God needs me so much. Not really, not really, he wants me, haha, won't you hear that devil? He wants me. Stephen first, Larry Stephens Verdick Junior, he wants me. He wants me. That is

a revelation. Yo yo yo, yo yo yo. Y'all, self awareness can only get you so far. You need divine guidance. You need a god who spoke the sea into existence to show you where the fish are. You need a god who need you together. In your mother's womb before you were born, I formed you and set you apart. Simon. I got in your boat knowing. I got in your boat knowing I wasn't feeling my way around. I didn't need him any miney Moore. I knew what was in your boat. I knew what was in your heart. I

knew what was in your bloodline. I knew what was in your background. I knew what was in your temperament. I knew what was in you. And I got in because I wanted to. When you can walk on the water, you don't really need a boat. Be a much more effective way to preach if you were standing on top of the water versus sitting in the boat of the dude didn't even catch anything five minutes earlier. And he got in and he sat down and he said something. And when Peter did what he said, Simon saw something

that scared him to death. Now, I don't know if I've been explicit about this, So let me make sure I get my point across. He's still Simon, and he's already Peter. You already got it, You already got it. Go away from me. I'm a sinful man. I'm a petty person. And then we brag about it. Oh, that's just how I am. That's just how I am. And so Simon says, throw a fit. You throw a fit because that's just how I am. Simon says, for you to isolate yourself and you know, hide and just kind

of like set yourself over here because you're defective. That's just how I am. That's just my lot. That's just the way it's always been. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no look at all. But he's permanently Peter, temporarily Simon and so and so. God brings the partners, God mends the nets. All the things I talked to you about last week, did you hear last week, God gives you the nod to say, yes you, I'm gonna mend your nets. I'm gonna bring you partners. I'm gonna

show you where to fish. And by the way, I'm not gonna just show you how to catch more fish. I'm gonna teach you to fish for something different. I'm gonna teach you how to fish for what really matters. That's what you're going through right now. God is drawing out, bringing forth. God is parenting you. They say that Jesus was teaching Peter, but really he was parenting Peter. He was bringing forth Peter. Peter means petross, Peter means rock, Peter means solid, and that's you, yes, you not John

this time. I don't think Peter ever really understood this though, because after Jesus rose from the dead, said Jesus looked back at John, who was kind of like stalking them. John's kind of creepy, you know, and saying something a lot of times, calls himself the one Jesus loved and stuff like that in the scripture, and the Lord is telling Simon Peter, he's still both You know, you ain't can come this point in your life. I don't know,

maybe maybe you never thought this. I'm gonna come to a place where I'm gonna be completely Peter, completely solid, completely on Christ, the solid rock I stand. And that's be wonderful. And if you have the book that tells me how to always be Peter, would you please autograph it Jesus and hand it to me and I will buy it. I'm so sick of fake pe Mike thing like they are never Simon. I wish I had five minutes to find your Simon and then I could expose you in front of the Holy fam. But but Jesus

is so good to Peter. He said, don't be afraid. Give me verse ten from now on, Luke, five to ten from now on. There you go from now on. Yeah, he's already Peter. But if he stays stuck in Simon, he will never see Peter. Jesus sees Peter in every assignment. Yes, you, Jesus sees the Peter. You think he can see the fish at the bottom of the lake of Gannessaret and he can't see the Peter at the bottom of you. But he's going to have to draw it out. Peter

looked back at John and said what about him? And Jesus said to Peter, what about him? You leave that to me? You must follow me? You yes, yeah, yes, yeah. Do you have a little thing in you? Says not me. I do. Sometimes I'll hear somebody, even another preacher, will be saying you're more than a conqueror, And my innersignment is like now you. I think that's a good place to start, because it puts you on your knees, like Peter at Jesus' feet, which is something God can use.

But I think it's a bad place to stop. And the Lord gave me a message today to preach to somebody who feels stuck where you started, stuck where you started stuck in Simon stuck. I'm a sinful man, you are, But he died for you, so that's what you were. Now you're a saint, a holy saint. Still got some patterns. That's called the flesh. Simon never leaves. You just have to tell him where to sit. I'm glad I learned this. I thought if I had doubt in the car, I

couldn't go anywhere. I found out you can have doubt in the car. Just don't let it drive. Just don't let it drive. Look at somebody and say, just don't let it drive. I'm confiscating your driver's license. All the lies you've been telling yourself, all the limitations you've been telling yourself, all the labels that have been given you, all the sinfulness that is keeping you from See. You can ride, Simon, but you can't drive. You can stay around, but you can't tell me how far to go. You

can have anywhere, but not the last word. And see, this is the season that some of us have been in. We've been stuck where we started. But God said something very powerful to me. He said, remind them you're not stuck where you started. You're stuck where you stopped. Play my own Oregon. You are not stuck. I'm a sinful man. But Jesus said, don't be afraid of what you were. That's what you were before I stepped in your boat.

Knowing exactly what you are, knowing exactly what you did, knowing exactly where you've been, knowing exactly what you're enough, I want the boat belonging to Simon. Yes you see, Simon. Yes you you're not stuck where you started. I'm a sinful man. Yeah, but you are also the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, because what happened on that cross was more than a physical act. It was a new name. Wow, Wow, you are only stuck where you stop. I just gotta

be me. Well, there's a new me I need to meet. Oh man, Peter has so much potential. Simon has so much baggage. Peter has so much purpose. Simon has so many problems. And they're both in the same boat. So all we gotta been telling Simon sit down. Peter needs to pilot this boat. That's what Jesus called him. It's Peter. Okay. So Simon says, you are the Christ, the son of

the Living God. And Jesus said, flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, Simon, son of On, But I tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I'll build my church. Let's clap that he gave him the no name the noon. All right, but y'all look in Matthew sixteen later today. A minute later, Jesus said, I gotta go to Jerusalem. I'm gonna need about three days for y'all to think everything went wrong, and then I'm gonna get up out of the ground. Peter said never, Lord,

this isin't gonna happen to you. Jesus said something real weird. Now He's already called him Peter just a minute earlier. But then he looked at him and said, get behind me, Satan. Oh god, we're going backwards. This is the wrong direction, all right. I started as Simon, then I was Peter. Now I'm Satan. Lord, this is going the wrong way.

You've been feeling like you've been going backwards lately, right right, I was like it it's somebody, maybe not everybody, but somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody. I just feel like I'm going backwards. Oh god, I'm feeling like more now. Oh God, I'm feeling like it's harder. Now, I'm feeling less sure. I'm feeling less certain. I don't know what to do. I used to know. I don't know anymore. You're not going backwards. That's called the sifting.

The sifting. When Jesus got in Peter's spoke, he not only knew there were fish in that spot where there weren't a little while ago, he knew about the sin that was in Simon. And Simon's only speaking about the sin he knows about Jesus knows the future ones you didn't even think to include on your resume, and he still got in. So I want to take you for a moment to pass overnight before Jesus goes to the cross to die for Simon and James and John and Judas and you too, yes you well, no, we'll see

their preacher. I've been going to church since six years old. Mamma used to tick me over there to the vacation Bible school. I'm not really one of these sinners. You ever heard of self righteousness? That's a pretty good sin too. Now you can't see it on the surface, but if you let down the nets far enough, there's a signon inside all of us. Don't let him make you feel inferior, like you can't praise God, like you can't worship God, like God can't use you. Don't you ever let them

do that to you? And at the moment you think Peter is so self aware, he's seen miracles, he's seen blessings, he's seen healings. Jesus healed Peter's own mother in law. Did you know that that's why many scholars think Peter denied him. Okay, okay, okay, Joe just JOm just checking you up. So, but he really did. He healed his mother in law. He saw him heal blind people by spitting in the ground, putting mud on their eyes. Other times he see Jesus just speak a word anyway you

put it. Peter had seen a lot because God was drawing out what was there all along, drawing out Ah, yeahs a baby, stay with me, Stay with just a baby. Grind's all right. God was pulling out what was there all along. Now this is a blessing of what God brings up out of you. Here's something I never quite saw it like this before till I was studying for this message called yes You in Luke twenty two. Give

me that real quick, Luke twenty two. And I didn't mean to do a whole series on Peter in one week, but that's what we're apparently what we're doing today. Jesus looks at Simon, who has been named Peter but he's still Simon, and says, do you remember last week Simon Simon twice as covenant Simon Simon, who you were, your given name, who you were before I got in your boat?

Simon Simon. Satan has asked to sift you. That means to tear apart, to separate the useful from the useless, to separate who was truly the followers of Jesus from those who were just the fans. So now let's be Peter for a moment. Peter, Jesus just says to you, Simon, Simon. First of all, you're like, you're talking to I'm Peter. Remember you told me ceaphist Peter Dwayne Johnson the Rock. He's still calling him Simon because he's still Simon. You're

still flesh strong. Faith still has weak moments. He said, Satan asked to sift all of you. He's talking about the Cross, he's talking about the testing, he's talking about those crises of faith that we all have. Do I really still believe that God with me? Well? I really still follow even through the via dolorosa, the way of suffering. He asked to sift all of you as wheat. And then I'm thinking, Peter, you're Peter, you'd like and you told him no, right, No, I didn't tell him no.

But look at first starting two, all this beautiful. But I prayed for you, Simon. I'm gonna let you go through this season of sifting. But not alone, not alone. Just like I didn't leave your boat, I'm not gonna leave you. Now you're gonna be sifted, all of you. But I prayed for your weak place, Simon. It's one thing to pray for Peter, but how many thank God that you have a savior who will pray for Simon. Now, God said you needed to hear this. I have prayed

for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. But didn't it didn't Peter deny knowing Jesus three times? Didn't Peter look at the servant girl and say, I don't even know what you're talking about. I'm not one of them, Yes you, not me? Weren't you one of his followers? No? Not me, not me? He has gone from saying to Jesus, even if everybody denies you, I won't do They say, weren't you following this God? No, not me, one of your boat, knowing mine. And yet Jesus says, I prayed

that your faith survive the sifting. Receive this word. You will survive the sifting. God help me. I'm not playing with you. I'm not playing with you. I'm prophesying to you. You will survive the sifting. God said, I'm not gonna stop it from happening. I'm going to allow it, but you will survive it. Oh God, I feel like we should just praise God right now for what we're going to survive. And watch this, watch this, watch this who we're gonna be on the other side. Because Viesus said,

after you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. So God said, not only are you gonna survive it, you're gonna have strength to show for it. I'm gonna use Yes, Lord, I received that. That's my word. That's my word. That's just for you, Simon, Simon. I'm gonna get testimonies for this for months after I preach it. I'm the Simon you were talking to. I'm the shaking one. I was being sifted. The devil was coming after my kids. The devil was coming after my mind. The devil was coming

after everything I ever knew myself as. The devil came after my career. The devil came after my sleep. The devil came after my sanity. The devil came after mine, my memories. The devil came after everything I was carrying. And I survived the shifted. I survived the sifting. This is the sifting. And if you survive the sifting, Simon, you can be Peter. You can stand blackfooted and No, the rain fell, and the winds came, and the streams rose,

but the rocks stayed solid, and God is faithful. I gotta make it through this to find out who I really am. I gotta make it through this to find out who my kids can be. I gotta make it through this to set an example that you can survive the sifting and come out solid. You can survive the sifting and come out praising. You can survive the sifting. How else would God reveal Peter if he didn't sift, Simon, And even if he had to use the enemy to do it, he who began a good work in you,

whoa will be faithful. All I'm trying to say. If he got in the boat, he's not getting out, That's all I'm trying to say. And after you have survived the sifty, Simon, you know what's amazing. From the moment Jesus saw Peter's boat, he knew about everything that Peter would go through, and even at the worst moment. All right, maybe this word didn't for you Right now, put it on standby. Put it on stand by. I had a

pretty good week. I ate clean this week. I had a You know, I don't care about this week because I'm telling you fate fluctuates. And one more thing. Do you want this little teaching thing or you want me to go on to Atlanta and give it to them, because I got one more thing I want to show you, all right, but I swear man, I want to be obedient to the Lord. And there was one thing he showed me that totally surprised me from second Peter one Now,

so passing, why are you going to second Peter? Because I want to show you what was in Simon even as he sat by the fire and denied Jesus. Now listen to Peter, not sixteen year old Peter, not shakey Simon, senior citizens. Swag Peter, come on, praise God like you're eighty three and you already made it through all your trial. Come on, praise him like you got a bad hip, but you lived like jacob On into the promise. Ah. A lot of people that walk with confidence. It looks

like swag, but it's really a limb. All right. Now, when you've been through enough, you can say stuff like this, this is what God is doing in me and you to make it really clear, because we're not just talking about boats and fish and nets and metaphors. Ah, I'm talking about character. I'm talking about you. Yes, you, not the stuff. They didn't even eat the fish they caught. They left it on the shore and followed Jesus. When the bowel was in the water, it was a bowel

was in them. And here's Peter encouraging a struggling church in Second Peter. This this letter that he wrote after he'd insisted assignment, and after he had stood solid as Peter. He goes, for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith. How many have faith? I'm talking about even a little droppy, drippy, droppy faith, a little like boop, you got blood faith? Okay, if you got that much, fait j said, faith of a mustard seed size on that scale can move a mountain and watch

how it happens. This is the word. This is the word. You're not stuck where you started, Simon, You're stuck where you stop. Judas hung himself. Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. It is still not decided yet what your life will accomplish. You have no idea. You don't know any more than Peter knew when he said go away. I'm a sinful man. You don't know what's under your boat, right You'll know. You don't know what God's going to bring forth out of you in a future season. That's

why the enemy wants to kill you right now. But Jesus prayed for you, Simon. He prayed for you, Simon. He prayed for you, Simon. He prayed for you, Simon, he prayed for He prayed for Simon to bring forth Peter. And Peter's looking back on it, and he said, I want to encourage you every effort to add. Everybody say add. You're not stuck where you start it. You're stuck where you stopped. Add to your faith. Now raise your hand if you need a little help with one of these.

I'm a listed goodness. How many need a little more goodness? All the negative people like me who see the glass not half full but want to slap in the face whoever spilled it. All right, I don't see the glass half empty. I see it as spilled, and I want to know who did it. I can be very negative sometimes, but I need some goodness. I am preaching deeper than y'all are shouting today. I need a shouting simon on am good. I need some goodness? All right, all right,

you need that. It's in the water, but it's got to be drawn out. Because he said, you got the faith. If you've got the faith, you can get the goodness. Give me next one. This is just the Bible. I didn't make this list up. Add to your goodness. Go back to the other verse, y'all. There's somewhere in the

other verse. Yeah, yeah, and to goodness knowledge. How many of y'all did something stupid in the last six days since I last saw you in church, Something so stupid, I mean so stupid you don't even want to think about it again. It's like a Ah, I did some stupid. You can get smarter. You can read the book you bought that's still on your phone unopened. Lead the verse up. I want to show you this from the Bible. I'm not just making it up. I'm not a motivational speaker.

I'm telling you what is in you, by the word of God, the implanted word that's in you. But you gotta draw it out. You gotta let down the next for a catch. It's down in you. You can get more knowledge. You need more knowledge? How many need more knowledge? Any more knowledge? Because I know God, I don't even know what to believe anymore on the news or anything like that. I don't know what's true. I don't know who did it. I don't know who didn't do it.

I don't know if they're about to do it. I don't know if Elon Musk is gonna fly a car over my house and drop a kim trip. I don't know anything anymore. I don't know about any of it. But I need the knowledge. God said, I'll put my spirit in you and I'll give you the knowledge. But it's beneath the surface. Silence, Oh God, what else, Peter? What else? Peter? Peter's talking so so mature now and to knowledge self control? Is this, Peter? What you mean?

You could be so reckless that Peter just said everything he ever wanted to say when he was walking with Jesus. But watch this, You're not stuck where you started. Peter said, I used to have no self control. Jesus was praying on the amount of olives and I was sleeping. I ate the whole bag. Peter said, I was just gonna have one. I ate the whole bag, and stop saying stuff like this. By the way, Oh, I'm just not a morning person, or I'm just not a night person

or whatever they make caffeine for that. Y'all, you didn't get up. Stop saying I'm a sinful man. That's where you started. That's not where it stops. That's not where it stops. I feel a LRD speaking to me about that thing I've been saying lately. I'm not an author. I've been saying it again. It gets back in you. I'm not an author. I can't write. I hear the Lord speaking to me. It's not yours yet, Yes, oh god,

it's not yours yet. You don't know it yet. You haven't done it yet, you haven't broken it yet, you haven't been consistent with it yet. But if you want to put your faith in the water, there's a Peter on the inside assignment. I'm telling you that there's a Peter on the inside of side. I'm not a good dad yet, I can't keep a relationship together. Y'all are real slow to say what I'm telling you to say. Today, he said, I got some self control, and it would

have been this would have meant nothing to me. If John had said it, I would have said, yeah, you are one of those enneagram nines or whatever it's called the peacemaker or whatever. But when Peter is for my self control, I'm like, okay, I could get some too. Yeah, you could get some too. Just don't let the sifting kill you. Just don't stop here. Just don't say I'm a sinful man. Get out of the boat. Just let

the grace of God keep working in your life. Can I say something to everybody in the room, keep coming. You did good to come. You didn't come to church, you came to fish. God is pulling as I speak right now. He is pulling promises that you bury down jeep to the surface and to self control, perseverance. Every quitter in here who's hanging up your nets for the night thus said, drop him one more time. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't care. It didn't work five years ago. It's

not five years ago now. And you're not twenty five, you're thirty, and you're thirty. You can do it everything right. Just because the fish weren't there a minute ago doesn't mean they aren't now. And to perseverance, godliness. Peter, stay with it, Simon, because there is a Peter on the inside of you that Jesus died to bring forth. That he died to bring forth. So when Peter was sitting look twenty two sixty something, fifty something sixty something, I

don't remember. Can you put it up please, They took Jesus away to the house of the High Priest, and Peter followed at a distance. And when Peter had and when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. This is the moment I want you to see. While Peter was sitting by the fire denying Christ, and that may have been you lately. I don't mean you deny believing in God. I mean you are denying

his purpose in your life. You are denying what he spoke over you. You are you're not playing your part. You're not showing up. You're sitting by comfort fire, waiting to see what's going to happen next. This was crazy to me. This was crazy to me. I thought the message was prepared, y'all. I came out to preach it. The Lord said, look, one more time Peter sat by the fire next verse, please, And the servant girl saw him and said, this man was with him next verse,

and he denied it. Woman, I don't know him, not me. Yes you. A little later someone said you are one of them? He said, not me. Has that been the posture of your heart? I can't do it. God, I don't have that knowledge. I don't have that perseverance. I don't have that self control. I'm stuck. Nobody showed me how. A third time a little later, next verse, please another certain certain fellows with him, for he is a Galilean. Peter replied, man, I don't know what you're talking about.

Just as he was speaking, the rooster crow, this is what I saw verse sixty one, the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. What did he see, Peter, even as Simon sat by the fire, even in your addiction, even in your mistake, even in your denial. Oh, he can't deny himself if we are faithless, he is faithful. What did Jesus see when he looked at Simon sitting by the fire? He saw Acts Chapter two, verse fourteen.

I'm gonna tell you exactly what Jesus sees in that moment he looks at Peter, he doesn't look at him. What a failure, what a waste. I never should have saved him. I never should have gave him a chance. I never should have put him there. I never saw that come in. Jesus looks at Peter by the fire in the courtyard outside the office of the High Priest, and he sees the Peter in Simon, because at two verse fourteen says something amazing. Then Peter stood up. Then

Peter stood up. Only Jesus can look at Peter and see through the Simon that's sitting by the fire, and see the Peter who will preach the first sermon on the day of Pentecost that will build the church. So I wonder, will you stand up, Peter? Now? I mean stand up like right now I'm closing. But see, when

I finished speaking, sometimes that's when God starts talking. That's why I don't understand y'all who slip out when I'm doing this part of the message makes no sense to me, because when I finished talking, that's when God starts and he says, that was your word, Yes you, I'm gonna use you to preach on the day of Pentecost. And I see it even while you're sitting by the fire. So God, this is a moment for you to bring forth out of broken nets. Amazing glory, amazing purpose, amazing grace.

I have spoken today to the Simon, but you see the Peter. I thank you Lord that everybody under the sound of my voice right now is going to survive the sifting because you're praying for it, because you live to make intercession, because you are a great high Priest Jesus. And just lift your hands right now and say, I will survive the sifting. Not only that, but I'm gonna get knowledge and self control and perseverance. I went in Simon, and I'm coming out Peter, because God knows what's in me.

Yes me, yes you. I want you to claim it by faith right now. Say that word was for me. Now receive it, receive it, receive it, receive it, receive it, receive it, receive it. I'm already chosen. I know who I am, I know what you've spoken. Can I'm already love more than I could a man. Well, if you enjoyed today's podcast, there are a couple of things I'd love for you to do. Make sure to subscribe rate

and review this podcast. You can also help us reach others by investing today at Elevation church dot org, slash give and thanks again for joining us on the Elevation Podcast