All In (Larry Brey)

Summary

Elevation with Steven Furtick

Episode: "All In" (Guest: Larry Brey)

Date: October 12, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode, featuring Pastor Larry Brey and hosted by Pastor Steven Furtick, explores what it means to be "All In"—fully committed to Jesus in every area of life. Drawing on Matthew Chapter 8 and Peter’s origin story, the message challenges listeners to examine the “rooms” of their lives where they may not have allowed Jesus access, and encourages deep trust, surrender, and purposeful action rooted in faith. Larry shares personal church stories, biblical insights, and engaging challenges to help believers move from passive spectators to active, all-in disciples.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Celebrating Ministry, Volunteers, and Gratitude

• 20-Year Anniversary of Elevation Church (02:07)

  • Pastor Furtick thanks the original families and foundation volunteers, emphasizing volunteer commitment as the “secret sauce” for the church’s impact.

• The Heart of Volunteer Service (02:36)

  • "All those heroes...[online and in-person]...we didn’t know if anybody would want to jump on board, but they did." – Pastor Steven, 02:36
  • Story of John & Rondi Mullin serving on the First Impressions Team—showing the power of saying “I’m all in” and following through.

• Pastor Appreciation Month (03:52)

  • Brey honors Steven and Holly Furtick, sharing how their leadership has been significant both in celebration and in sorrow.

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Scripture Foundation & Central Message: Matthew 8:14-16

• The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law (05:00–06:29)

  • Jesus comes into Peter’s house, sees Peter's mother-in-law sick, and touches her, bringing healing.

• Personalizing the Story

  • Brey names the woman “Rachel” for relatability, exploring how people approach Jesus either as a first option or a last resort (07:04–07:35).

    • “Sometimes Jesus is a first option. Other people, like me, often Jesus is a last resort.” – Larry Brey, 07:04

  • The deeper message: Many are living “laid out” by problems until Jesus is invited in.

Posture Shift: From Laying Down to Serving

• Response to Healing (09:14–09:18)
  • “She gets up and she illustrates the sermon. She begins to serve him.”
  • Reflects on active response: If you say Jesus healed you, where are you now serving Him?

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Opening the Doors of Your Life to Jesus

• Ownership and Access (09:52–10:51)

  • "The owner determines the access. Who owns your home: you or God?"
  • Challenge: Most welcome Jesus into presentable areas but hide dysfunction.
    • “Jesus cannot touch something He’s not been invited into.” – Larry Brey, 10:38

• Barriers & Disappointment (11:23–12:28)

  • Illustrates how disappointment causes us to “nail shut” the doors of our hearts—prefer this over repeated hope and pain.

• The Need for Openness and Vulnerability

  • “Holy Spirit, show me the rooms I’ve not let You in.” (13:02)
  • Jesus is a gentleman; He knocks, He doesn't force entry (Revelation 3:20 referenced).

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The Ripple Effect of Going “All In”

• Miracle as a Spark for Community Change (14:07–15:39)

  • After the mother-in-law is healed, the house (and Peter) open up to even more: the demon-possessed and marginalized.
  • “In our faith journey...every step we take in following Jesus, it will test our ‘all in.’” – Larry Brey, 15:56

• Practical Application

  • The story explores faith’s daily surrender, not a one-time act.
  • Using the marriage vow analogy: “I do—that’s easy. But ‘I will’—that’s harder.” (16:03)

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Peter’s Origin Story: From “A Little” to “The Deep”

• Reading from Luke 5 (18:00–22:53)

  • Furtick and Brey recount how Peter (Simon) was first called, emphasizing the journey from small, hesitant steps (“push out a little from the shore”) to deep, risky faith (“put out into the deep”).

  • “Don’t confuse proximity [to Jesus] with intimacy.” – Larry Brey, 21:47

• Obedience Beyond Understanding

  • Peter obeys even when tired and spent:
    • “‘Because you say so, I will.’ That’s your next tattoo.” – Larry Brey, 22:52
  • Highlights the tension between trusting what’s familiar and taking faith-driven plunge.

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Story Progression: The Three Kinds of Followers

Based on Matthew 8:18-34

1. All Talk (Theoretical Commitment)

• Teacher of the Law (26:24–27:31)
  • Says, “I will follow you wherever you go,” but Jesus exposes his lack of depth.
  • “He wanted everybody to be impressed with his language, but he didn’t have the lifestyle.” – Larry Brey, 26:38
  • Analogy: Christians with the gear but “no game.”

2. All Excuse (Conditional Commitment)

• Disciple With an Excuse (28:03–29:07)
  • Wants to delay obedience for a legitimate (but secondary) concern.
  • “Let me pray about it” as a spiritualized excuse.
  • "Are you aware of where the excuses are that are keeping you from getting in the boat?" – Larry Brey, 29:04

3. All In (Immediate Obedience)

• The Committed (31:20–32:17)
  • Upon Jesus’ command, these are the ones who bring a boat and follow—no conditions, just response.
  • “To the committed, [God’s instruction is] a command... Are the orders of God optional?” – Larry Brey, 31:28
  • Faith often means acting without full understanding or comfort—“battleship, not cruise ship” analogy (32:10).

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Bringing Your Whole Story—Even the “Unpresentable” Parts

• Three Scenes, Not One (30:13–30:40)

  • Brey stresses not to get stuck in one season or scene of pain or regret; God’s purpose unfolds across multiple chapters.

• Turning Shame into Empathy and Ministry (34:17–36:17)

  • As the story continues, those who know shame and struggle become best placed to welcome and serve others with empathy.

  • Modern parable: A girl named Rachel, wrestling with shame and isolated by her choices, finds hope and belonging through someone who’s “been there.”

    • “That part of you that you want to hide...is the very thing that Jesus needs in the boat.” – Larry Brey, 36:17
    • “Healing comes with a touch, but purpose is found through trust. And healing isn’t the absence of pain, it’s the presence of purpose.” – Larry Brey, 35:09

• Purpose Flows from Surrender

  • The invitation: Let Jesus into every “room.” Bringing your wounds turns pain into ministry—what disqualified you may be the very thing He needs.

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Final Invitation and Call to Response

(39:20–42:42)

• Two Invitations:

  1. Surrender a “room”/area of your life you haven’t let Jesus into.
  2. Begin a relationship with Jesus—move from routine or religion to authentic faith.
  • “An unnamed enemy will never be defeated.”
  • “He’ll come in and He’ll touch you. It doesn’t mean the pain goes away, but it does mean you can find purpose in it.”
  • “If you just placed your faith in Jesus or you’re coming back, boldly shoot your hand into the air.” – Larry Brey, 42:24

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Jesus cannot touch something He’s not been invited into." (10:38)
• "Don’t confuse proximity with intimacy. Just because I’m sitting in a seat doesn’t mean I’m in the boat with Him." (21:47)
• "Because you say so, I will… Not Simon says, because Jesus said." (23:07)
• "All talk: You’ve got the T-shirt and the blingity bling. You’re all talk." (27:03)
• "Let me pray about it—you know you’re not going to pray about it. You’re blaming God for your disobedience." (28:46)
• "Healing comes with a touch, but purpose is found through trust." (35:09)
• "That part of you that you want to hide...is the very thing that Jesus needs in the boat." (36:17)

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Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• 20th Anniversary and Volunteer Celebration: 02:07–04:47
• Scripture Reading and Sermon Theme Intro: 05:00–05:49
• The Power of Invitation and Openness: 09:52–13:02
• Faith Journey—Peter’s Origin Story: 18:00–23:07
• Three Types of Followers (All talk, All excuse, All in): 26:24–32:17
• Pain Turned to Purpose: Story Application & Call: 34:17–36:17
• Response & Prayer: 39:20–42:42

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Summary Statement and Takeaways

"All In" challenges you to move beyond surface-level Christianity, to invite Jesus into every area—especially the hidden, hurting "rooms" of your story. Healing comes from a touch, but purpose is found when you trust, surrender, and bring your whole self—flaws, mistakes, and all—to the mission of God. The invitation for every listener: Go from spectator to participant. Let faith transform your pain into purpose by going all in.

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Transcript

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

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[Pastor Steven Furtick]

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[Elevation Church Podcast Host]

Hey, this is Steven Furtick. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Man, you picked a great day to be in church. You picked a great day to log in online. Why? Because this is the day the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad to in it. Hey, you might not know this, but.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

We'Re celebrating 20 years of ministry this.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Year at Elevation Church. My wife and I had the privilege of being one of the original core families with Eric and Nicole over here. And when we look back over 20 years, people ask, like, how do you explain all that God did? Well, God is that good. He's that gracious, he's that kind, he's that loving. But also, I think our pastors are that anointed and that gifted and that talented. But I would be remiss if we didn't take a second to celebrate the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Secret sauce of Elevation Church.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

All the volunteers that make this place happen, if you're at one of our physical locations, if you're one of our volunteers, raise your hand. Valentine. If you're one of those volunteers, hey, help me celebrate all those heroes. All of our online volunteers, we're not limited by location, man. When we started the ministry 20 years ago, we didn't know if anybody would want to jump on board and be a part, but they did. And I remember everybody early on is like, I'll do whatever you need. I'm all in. And then I'd ask them to do something.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And maybe not.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

They're quite so all in. But I had this couple 20 years ago, John and Rondi Mullin show up. They were just trying to find a.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Church for their daughter, but when they.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Walked in, they looked at each other.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Said, I think we found a church for us.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And I had a team. I started back in the early days. It was called the First Impressions Team. They would get at Providence high school at 6am to clean the bathroom because it smelled like high school. And so anytime someone would ask, like, I'll do whatever you need. I'm all in, I'd say, well, would you be a part of my First Impressions team? Now? Many people would say, well, like, I feel as though my gifts could be used somewhere else. But when I presented the opportunity to.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

John and Rondi, they said, we would be honored. Thank you for the privilege.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

They showed up that next Sunday at 6am and they cleaned those bathrooms. And they've been serving faithfully for 20 years. Thank you, John. Thank you, Rondi. Thank you for all the volunteers. Volunteers faithfully serving. Hey, you might not know this, but also, October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Help me appreciate our pastors. Pastor Stephen, Pastor Holly. Man, we love you. We honor you. I've got a. I've got an album on my phone that whenever I get a message, a text or a voice memo from Pastor Steven, I dump it in there. And I got messages that are in.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Great seasons of celebration, but I also have moments of great seasons of sorrow. And I'm so grateful that our pastors.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Walk with me through the seasons of.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Celebration and the seasons of sorrow. I honor you, Pastor Steven. Pastor Holly, thank you for faithfully standing.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

In this pulpit 20 years preaching the word of God. All right, let me give you our scripture for today. Let me give you the scripture. I'm so excited. All of you saints, open up to Matthew, chapter 8, verses 14 to 16.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Is where we'll begin.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

If you're not a note taker, Maybe today would be the day that you begin writing something down. I want God to do a new thing. He says, well, bring me a new rhythm. If you start a new rhythm rather.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Than standing with your arms crossed, maybe.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I would bless you. Maybe you'd write down one thing. God wants to speak to you today out of Matthew chapter 8. Starting in verse 14. It says, When Jesus came into Peter's.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

House, he saw Peter's mother in law.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

She got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to him and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. Here's the title for today's message that I want to give you. I want to say it to your favorite person in the room. You only get to pick one and.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I want you to say it with the two. I'm with some gustosham's foots in you say this, say all in. All in. Now look at your second favorite choice and tell them all in. Hey, thank you worship team for leading us today. You can give somebody a high five on the way to your seat. E fam, drop in the comments all in. This story that Matthew's gonna bring to us comes in three scenes and we're gonna start in this opening scene that Matthew wants to weave together three scenes to tell a story of Jesus. And in this opening scene, we've got these two characters. We've got a woman that we know that she's got a fever and she's.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Peter's mother in law.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Now Jesus is gonna come into the house and it says that Jesus came.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Jesus saw, and Jesus touched.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Whoo. I think God's gonna do that in our hearts today. I think God came into this room, I think he sees you and I think he's gonna touch you. How many of you need a touch from God today? How many of you got a space in your life that God. I need you to touch it. See, healing happens with a touch. Now I have no idea if this woman, let's give her a name. Whenever I read the Bible and have an unnamed character, I like to give him a name. Cause once you give them a name.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

It just, it hits a little more personal, doesn't it?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Let's call her Rachel. Everybody say Rachel. So Rachel is laying in bed with a fever. She might have been a woman of faith or this might have been her last thoughts. Cause sometimes Jesus is as a first option, some of you faith filled people something Happens you take it to Jesus first. But other people like me, often Jesus is more of a last resort. I don't know, maybe you're in church today and this is a first option. Let's get to the Lord, let's get to the house of God and others of you. We've tried to do all that we can. All the king's horses and all the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

King'S men can't put our marriage back together again.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

So let's try church. I don't care if it's your first option or your last resort. Thank you for logging in. I'm glad you're in the room today. I'm just glad you're here. And Peter, this was Peter's house. It might have been a first option. He might have been pulling in favor saying, yo, Jesus, since I have access to you, could you heal my mother in law? Could have been first option, could have been last resort. Listen, we had to move this woman in six months ago. Jesus, you better heal her because I need her out of the house. Sometimes it's faith and sometimes it's frustration. I'm just glad you're here today. And when I see the story of this woman, Rachel, and I look at the cadence of the text, it says she was laying in bed with a fever. And when I look at those words at other places in the New Testament.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

It suggests someone on their deathbed.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

It's not a simple little symptom where she's got a little bit of a fever. No, it suggests that we are at the end of our life issues. Some of us sitting in this room today or watching online today, you've got a space in your life that you know it's about to die. You got a space in your life. You might have a new outfit, but it's an old problem that's been making you limp for 32 years. And sometimes it becomes so debilitating it just doesn't make you sit down in it, it makes you lay down in it. Picture the woman, she's just laying down and I got nothing. And some of you, that perfectly describes the posture of your life today. And I want you to see the sermon this woman is going to preach with her posture. Cause some of you, like Jesus touched me, but you're still sitting down. I want you to consider the text and would you adopt the mentality of Rachel because Jesus, when he comes into.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

The room, he touches her and she's healed. And what does she do?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

She gets up and she illustrates the sermon. She begins to serve him. Woo so if you come up to me and say, jesus touched me, I'm gonna say, and where are you serving him at? I'm all in, Jesus, to go back to my car, to go back to my dysfunction, orally change the direction of my life because my posture changed. Rather than sitting under it, I'm gonna stand up over it, and I'm gonna bring it to Jesus. I'm gonna serve Jesus with it. I'm all in. I have no idea what the issue was in her life, but I'm so glad that Peter decided to open up.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

His home to let this woman in. It's really awesome.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And when you think about your home, when you invite guests to your house, do you let them see all the rooms in your house? No. You only let them see the ones that are presentable, the ones you've cleaned up, the ones that are socially acceptable. You don't let them see the dysfunction behind the door. You've got the closets where you've kicked stuff in it and you're shoving stuff in it. You're like, no, you can't go upstairs. But the reality is the owner determines the access. Who owns your home, you or God? I wonder what rooms you've not let Jesus into. Because if I consider our story, if Jesus. The only way that Jesus can touch.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

It is if he's invited into it.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Jesus cannot touch something he's not been invited into. I wonder what rooms in your life you have not let Jesus into. I wonder if it's your finances.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I wonder.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

It's the room of your relationships. I wonder if it's an unforgiveness issue.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

For a father in this room. I wonder if it's a friendship.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I wonder if it's a marriage. I wonder if you've got what doors you have closed. And I remember when my kids were little, like six, they would put, like, make these signs and put it on the door. No one allowed. And when they get really mad at dad, especially dads, I wonder what rooms. You've got a sign on it that said, jesus, you can't come into it.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And you show up Jesus.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And Jesus, I want you to heal it.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Because I can't heal it, because I've.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Not been invited into it.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Because until I'm invited into it, I cannot touch it. Healing only comes with a touch. And what I realize is some of.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

The times I'm telling Jesus, like, jesus, would you heal this thing? And I think I've opened the door, but I'm standing in the way, like, Jesus, when are you going to do something about this. And he says, as soon as you get out of the way. Because I can't get into the room because you are in the way. What rooms does Jesus want to have.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Access to in your house right now? Sometimes the reality is disappointment becomes a nail gun.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And the reality is some of the doors I close in my life, not because I hate God, I just kind of despise myself. And rather than be disappointed, I would rather nail the door shut. So I'm no longer disappointed. It happens with careers, it happens in relationships. And there is somebody here today that you've been wanting a child for such a long time, and you've opened the door, and you've opened the door, but you're so tired of opening the door.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And the only thing harder than opening the door is keeping the door open. And as I was praying for our church yesterday, there's a man that you had an affair in the past. I don't know who you are. God wanted me to tell you it's time to open that door because you're living in this place of a hard heart. And rather than bring that into the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Light, I'll just close the door and.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I'll nail it shut. I wonder what rooms that Jesus wants to have access to.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Say this with me. Say, holy Spirit, show me the rooms. I've not let you in. Say it again.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Say, holy Spirit, show me the rooms. I've not let you in. Because Jesus is a gentleman and I.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Love the fact that he is not gonna kick down the door. But Revelation 3:20 tells us about the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Kind of Savior that we serve.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

It says this, it says. It says, here I am. I stand at the door and I knock. And I said, if you let me in, I will eat with you and I'll have fellowship with you. God is standing at the door of your life. I know that you can't open it because of disappointment, but Jesus is not looking at you with disdain. He loves you. He's longing for you. He's showing up at that door again and again and again. He said, I want to heal it, but I can't heal it if I can't touch it. And I'm so glad that Peter is the kind of man that will let people into his house, because this is kind of crazy. Some theologians believe that the reason that.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Peter denied Jesus is because Jesus healed his mother in law. That's an old preacher joke, you know, That's a preacher joke.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

That's good. But the story in the first verse there, it says that she gets Healed. And then in verse 16, it says.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to him. So the healing happens sometimes during the day.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Now, all the people that are in the house are overwhelmed with joy.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And they say, Jesus, we are all in.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And Peter says, yep, I'm all in too. So all the people that had been in the house, what did they do? They go out to the streets, they go out to the highways and the byways and the overlooked, the marginalized, the ones that nobody sees, they go and find it and they drag them back to Peter's house. And now it's a good old demon party. Look at the story and picture Peter out in front of his home as he sees and he hears all of.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

These demons being brought to his home.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Could you ever imagine something like happening in your house? Or is your house only available for what you want? Jesus, I'm all in. Really. Would you let that person in your car or are you worried about how it would smell? I'm all in, Jesus. Because the reality is, in our faith journey, we will all come to these places that every step we take in following Jesus, it will test. Are all in. Yes, it is a one time when you place your faith in Jesus, you get eternity. But to trust him, to follow him as a day by day must deny myself daily. Pick up my cross and follow him. I'm all in for the next 20 minutes, Jesus. But you see Peter, he's opening up his home and now all the demon possessed people are flooding and he's like, no, no, open up the living room. Open up that second living room, whatever.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

We call that thing.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Open up the kitchen, the closets. Oh, second floor. Let's flip all in. Let's get everybody all in, say all in. All in. Jesus, I'm all in, as much as I know. But what do I do when I come to the place? I'm like, I don't know if I'm all in for that. It's like when you get married, I do. That's easy, but I will. That's harder. But what would compel Peter to live.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Such an extravagant life that he would be all in? Because the demon, I mean, can you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Picture that sound in his home?

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

All the shrieks and the shrills and the celebration, all a mixture together of.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Praise to God as he's healing people.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Most of those people would be the ones we would have driven around, but those are the ones that the disciples are driven towards.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And they brought them into the house.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Who brought them? The people that had been touched by.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Jesus, I'm all in.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And they respond by bringing somebody back in. Are there any single ladies? Raise your hand.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

You might have a single guy around you who might be looking.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I don't know.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Let me give a little bit of dating advice. Don't date boys. That's good advice. Don't date boys. See, boys want to get something, men.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Want to bring something.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

That's good preaching, lb. Tell them, Tell them for the people in the back, don't date boys. And some of you are brand new to the faith. Just keep showing up. Just keep showing up. Just keep showing up. Just keep showing up. Others of you, God is blessed way.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

More than what you're bringing to him. Are you the bride of Christ? Are you coming to get something? Are you coming to bring something? When's the last time you brought a broken praise? When's the last time you brought an offering? When's the last time you brought your service?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

When's the last time you brought a.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Guest to experience a miracle standing next to you?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Because if I'm only showing up to get my word, what am I saying.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

About the bride of Christ?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I am glad that you can get a word of God here.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

But to mature, to get in the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Deep end of the faith pool requires us to be a follower. That says I'm all in, which means you have access to everything and I'll bring it all into your. I wonder what doors you said. Jesus, you cannot get behind that one. I'm all in, Jesus. But what would compel Peter to live such an extravagant life?

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And it's.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I want to go back to the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Origin story of Peter real quickly.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

This is out of Luke chapter five.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Because I think today is somebody's origin story.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I love the fact that today is the day that someone are going to see Jesus in a brand new way.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And it's going to be the origin.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Story that will ignite something in your life to be a person of faith.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

That you desire to be.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

It says this one day, Jesus was walking by the lake of Gennesaret. The people were crowding around him and.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Listening to the word of God.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

He saw by the water's edge two boats left there by fishermen who were fishing, who were washing their nets. Then he got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. This is early on in Jesus ministry. He's about to begin his recruiting trip to recruit his disciples, his initial followers. And you realize that the word disciple isn't just defining the 12 people that followed Him. Those were the apostles. And in fact, they were disciples. But there were 70 disciples that Jesus.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Sent out on a ministry trip.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And then when Jesus returns, there were 120 disciples in the upper room. Disciple is anybody who says, I want to be a follower of Jesus. And if you're a follower of Jesus, guess what? You're a disciple too. And this origin story is where Jesus is going to show up. He's going to preach to thousands, but.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

He'S got an audience of one. It's Peter. Because this is a story about his selection of Peter.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And I love the fact that God.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Is preaching to thousands at the same time, but he's preaching to you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

He sees you, he calls you, and he is preaching a sermon just for you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Cause he wants to get your attention. He wants to show you something.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And now he says there's two boats by the edge of the water. And he gets into the one belonging to Simon.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Wait, I thought his name was Peter.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Well, yeah, it's a little complicated because Peter, you know, that's his one name. But then Simon, that's his bc, that's before Christ. That's Simon is the part of you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

That on Saturday night, you're raising the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Red solo cup like, hey, hey, whoo. Peter. That's the hand raised in worship on Sunday morning. Hallelujah. Hey, Hallelujah. You got little Simon in you, and you got little Peter in you. You played the game when you were a kid. Simon says, act like a fool. That's Simon. You still got a little Simon in you. And he shows up and he's fully Simon in this point. And there's two boats sitting there. And Jesus just goes and sits in his boat. Try this after church, just go sit.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

In somebody's random car in the parking lot.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And he just sits down. Okay? And I love the fact that Jesus.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Is coming to him, but he's only going to come so far. And Jesus is coming to you. The boat that you don't want to get into. He's not intimidated by that door, that.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Room of your life that you wouldn't.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Want anybody to see. He already sees it. And he says, I'm not uncomfortable in that place. I know you are. And he sits right down in it.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Why?

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Because he loves you. He sits down in Peter's boat and he says, hey, Peter. Simon, let's get his name right.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Simon. Push out a little from the shore. Just say a little. Come better participation Valentine. Say a little. And that's what he's asking you to do today. And here's the story. Let me illustrate it for you. What would compel Peter to live a life who's all in? Say all in. All in. It began with a little step. He gets in his boat. It is anchored up on the shore. So Peter's got to push this thing out.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

He's like, I've been out all night fishing. I haven't slept. I stink. And like, are you kidding me? Okay.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

So he pushes his shoulder into the boat and he pushes it out a little bit and he starts walking the boat out into the water. And each step he takes, the water's.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Getting a little bit higher on him.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And he pushes out a little.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Say a little.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

There you go.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Thank you, Ballantyne. And now he's holding the boat about waist deep. He's in proximity to Jesus, but he's not in relationship yet with Jesus. Confuse proximity with intimacy. Just cause I'm sitting in a seat doesn't mean I'm in the boat with him.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And I love the fact that Jesus.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Is preaching to the thousands, but he's looking at one the whole time.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And I wonder if Peter's like, oh.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

My gosh, what am I doing? What a waste of time. Who is this guy? Preacher boy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And maybe he would hear every third word or every fifth word or maybe that would be kind of cool. But love the fact that Jesus kept preaching, but yet he still knew his audience, his audience of one.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And now the relationship is about to go to a different level.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

They're about to change the Facebook status. Because when he finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into the deep.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And let down the nets for a catch. Say the deep. Jesus is calling you from the little to the deep. Simon answered, master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

But because you say so, I will by s siw by because you say so ssiw. Because you say so, I will by s siw Some of you, that's your next tattoo.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Put it right here on your wrist. And then when you're driven by Simon. Hey, Simon. No, no, no. Because you say so. Not Simon says, because Jesus said.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I'll do that. Because you say so, I will.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Now picture the rest of this story.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Of what Peter has to do, what Simon has to do to be obedient to the commands of Christ.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Okay, I got the water at waist deep, but let's go out into the deep. Meaning I'm comfortable right here. Cause I can hold onto this and I can put my feet firmly on what I know, what I trust, what's reliable to me. But every step I take, the water's gonna get a little bit deeper. It's gonna make me a little bit more uncomfortable. Oh, my gosh, what's about to happen? What's gonna happen on the other side of this thing? And every step I take the waters and he's hanging onto the side of the boat. But he's not all he had to come to this point in his relationship with Jesus, said, I cannot place my faith in what I know, what I touch, what's familiar to me. I gotta get all in with Jesus. And that's where he wants you to come today, the place that you would get all in in the boat. He's not intimidated by it, but you won't get into it. What keeps you from getting into boats? What keeps you from getting in the boat? That's a key question. Because some of you, you haven't done that. And I want to ask you, and I want the Holy Spirit to speak to you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

What is the reason that you aren't getting in that boat?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

So if we go back to our story of the demon party, remember that demon party? That was the first scene.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Now we're going to come to the middle scene. This is going to be in verse 18.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

It says, When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

To the other side of the lake.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Then the teacher of the law came to him. As teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Jesus replied, foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man is no place to lie his head.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Another disciple said to him, first, let me go bury my father.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Jesus told him, let me follow me and let the dead bury their own dead.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Savage Jesus here.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

It says when Jesus saw the crowd around him, some theologians believe that crowd.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Would have been up to 5,000 people.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

The crowd is filled with lots of people.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And Jesus is very loving, but he's also very divisive.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Jesus will have these moments that he.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Says in John chapter six.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

He says, unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, you'll.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Have no part of me.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

In John 6:66, it says many disciples departed him and followed him no more.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Why?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Because they followed as far as their understanding would go. I'm all in to the end of my understanding. And when it doesn't make sense, then I'm not gonna continue on the journey because that doesn't make sense. Jesus. And Jesus is always separating the crowd from the committed. And I love the fact that all are loved. Everybody on that shore is loved. But not everybody will discover purpose.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

See, you're healed with a touch. But you only find purpose when you get in the boat. And he's now gonna divide the crowd. Say, guys, we've gotta get to the other side of the lake.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Let's go to the other side of the lake.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

We gotta go. I wonder what's so important on the other side of the lake.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

He says, we gotta get there. We gotta get there. But he's gonna divide the crowd. And there's one group, the first group is this.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

In verse 19, it says, Then a.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Teacher of the law came and said, teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. He's a teacher of the law. He's saying it loud for everyone in back to hear. I will follow you, Jesus, because he.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Wanted everybody to be impressed with his language. But he didn't have the lifestyle.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

He's all talk. He's all talk. I remember my high school football coach.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

His name was Harvey Crabel.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

He looked like a walrus. And when he would talk, his jowls would jiggle. It was amazing. And we went and played this rich town. They had new white shoes and white gloves. I got stuff that's duct taped together.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I've never had anything new in my life.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And my coach, all Walrus of him, 6 foot 5, gets off the bus, waddling. And he's like, hey, boys, they got all the gear, but they got no game. That describes a lot of Christians. You got the T shirt and the blingity bling. You're all talk. Teacher, I'll follow you wherever you go. And she's like, snowflake there no five star bnb where we're going.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

You don't even know what you say.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Holy Spirit, convict us when we're all talk.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

We got the language, but not the lifestyle of being a follower of Jesus.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Show me.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Don't tell me. You see Rachel, she got up and she served. She showed Jesus the healing, showed Jesus her faith. Sometimes Christianity turns into one of those dolls. You pull the string and out pops one of five Christian phrases.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Blessed and highly favored. He's all talk.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

But then in verse 21, another disciple came.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Said, lord, let me first go bury my father.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Now this second group, if you're taking notes, you could title it this All Excuse me All Excuse.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Now, here's the reality.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

That could have been a legitimate excuse. It could have been.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

His father could have just literally died.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

But Jesus says, this assignment is for living people. That's already been taken care of. There's somebody on the other side of the lake that's alive and we gotta go, and they need you on the boat.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I wonder what excuses are so familiar.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

You don't even recognize they're coming out of your mouth.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Here's one of the greatest excuses, Christianity.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

That we carry as Christians. Let me pray about it.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

You know, you're not gonna pray about it. You're blaming God for your disobedience because you come so familiar with the excuse, you don't even know it's leaking out.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Holy Spirit, make these excuses bitter that we would have a visceral response when they come out of our mouth.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Are you aware of where the excuses.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Are that are keeping you from getting in the boat?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

What keeps you from getting in the boat? Jesus is looking at the crowd. It's a mixture of people, people that had been healed the night before that still smell like demon, whatever that smells like. But you have people that have been following him for a season, and everybody gets the same invitation to get in the boat. You don't need the religious elite. You don't need to memorize the book of Philippians. He just says, will you follow me? Will you get in the boat? And some of the people that are most resistant to get in the boat are the critical Christians who are so familiar with the text. We already assume what God says. And he's saying, I've got to get to the other side of the lake, and I need the committed. I need those that really want to follow me to jump in and be all in. Oh, all talk.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

What phrases are keeping you?

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

What excuses are keeping you?

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I'm stupid.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I never had a chance. This happened to me when I was 6. That's real, and that was horrible. But that does not define your future, because there's a series of three scenes strung together that tell a story.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Matthew is very particular about stringing these three scenes together. What I prayed for.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Some of you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Some of you are stuck in a scene and you think it's the whole story. Yes, there was the demon possession. Yes, there was the thing.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Yes, there was the thing that happened to you. There was a thing you did. Yes, that was a scene in your story, but it's not the whole story. And if you back up a little bit, you will see that Jesus is giving you an opportunity. But what keeps you from getting in the boat? I think some of you, the reason you don't get in the boat is not because you don't love God. It's you despise yourself.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And I think what Jesus is saying, that very thing you despise about yourself is the very thing I want in the boat.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Now, there's three groups in this story.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

We talked through two of them.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

The first one, it's kind of hard to see, because if we just read it, we skip right over it because it says this. It just when Jesus saw the crowd, it. He gave orders. In verse 18, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Now, this is the third group. This is the all in say, all in all. Because what they heard is, hey, let's get to the other side of the lake. What did these people do? They ran and they got a boat and they brought the boat back. Because if God gives an order, I respond with obedience.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

You see, the com, the crowd, the order becomes optional. But to the committed, it's a command, and they walk in obedience.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Are the orders of God optional?

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

What is the thing that God is asking you to do? The door. He wants into that. You're not letting him in. Because when the general gives the soldiers a command, they fall in military formation. But the civilians, they're like, yo, I'm going to go back to what's important to me.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And Jesus is saying, get in the boat. We gotta get to the other side of the lake. What keeps you from getting in the boat? Well, Jesus. Is there gonna be any food on the boat? Some of us are like, I want a word from God.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

No, you don't. You want an itinerary.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And your obedience is proportionate to a itinerary that's comfortable for you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And rather than getting on a battleship, you're looking for a cruise ship. I'm sorry.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Hello, Valentine? Is anybody here with me? This microphone might have been dead. I don't. I'm all in Jesus until I get to like, oh, but I was expecting, you know, Mai Tai's on the lido deck, but. And she's saying, get on the boat. But what about what's going to happen when we get there? Get on the boat. Get on the boat. Get on the boat. Just get on the boat. Because what I come to realize about us is if the boundaries of your.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Obedience is determined by your understanding, you'll never live in the land of faith.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

I don't understand. If you make it plain to me, then I'll get on the boat.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I have an if, then conditional faith with Jesus.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

If you give me the itinerary, then I'll follow along.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

He says, faith does not work like that. It is being sure of what you.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Hope for, certain of what you do not see there is something on the other side of the lake that we've got to get to. And I need you to be a part of it. I can't give you all the details, but I will give you a command and I will give you the option. Will you get on the boat? All of you are loved, but not everybody will find the same purpose.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Because the reality is that thing that you think disqualifies you from getting on the boat is the very thing he needs on the boat.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And if we stop the story there.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

We wouldn't see the fullness of it.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Because it goes on into Matthew 28.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Just the next part of this story. When he arrived on the other side in the region of the Garradens, two demon possessed men. Wait. Coming from the tombs Madden. Wait, no. 2 demon.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And I've read this story so many.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Times before and it never made sense to me because I was reading each scene. But picture the demon possessed person. Take whatever door that you don't want anybody to see behind that and you're looking at the boat saying those are for the people that really love you. Jesus and I still smell like last night, the demon possessed people. But they get on the boat and.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

As they're making their way to the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Other side, they first hear it in a distance, the cries of these demon possessed men. And it's the closer they get they can see the contorted faces of these men under demon possession.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And the faith filled people who have.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

Never struggled with demon possession standing at.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

The front of the boat, at the bow of the boat like yeah, Jesus. I sound like yo Jesus.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

And they start retreating to the back. But those that know what it's like to struggle with demon possession, they're like wait, now you mean they have empathy for somebody on the other side of the lake? The thing that they didn't want to bring on the boat is the very thing Jesus wanted to use on the.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Other side of the lake. That's what I'm telling you. Healing comes with a touch.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

But purpose is found through trust. And healing isn't the absence of pain, it's the presence of purpose. The only way you discover purpose is by being all in and by letting Jesus be all in. Let me give a modern day example of this. Let me, let me give you a hypothetical story. Let's say there's a 14 year old girl named Rachel who just moved to Valentine area of Charlotte, North Carolina six months ago because mom and dad got divorced and she had to move back with mom to move in. With Grandma. And she's lived here for six months, and she has zero friends. And she's lonely and she's filled with anxiety, and she wonders, God, where are you now? And some little boy invited her to a party. And normally she wouldn't go to this party, but Rachel, she just wants friends. And she says, okay, I'll go to the party. But she says, I promise I won't drink. Then at the party, the attention is feeding something in her that God wants to feed that just not that way.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

And she says, I'll just hold the cup.

[Pastor Steven Furtick (Assistant or Co-Speaker)]

I'll just have one. I'll just have two. And by the end of the night, that little boy gets her to compromise something she said she'd keep sacred till marriage. And when she's walking home to her apartment that night with Grandma, her dad gave her a promise ring when she was 8. She takes it off and she throws it in the woods because she feels like she's forfeited any future based upon that past mistake. And when she lays her head in the pillow that night, she cries herself to sleep. She's soaking the pillow with her tears. Can you hear her cries? That's the sound of the demons across the lake. And when she wakes up in the morning, she's praying that it was just a nightmare. But it wasn't. Because that little boy took photos and he already circulated him. And she's called every name you could ever imagine. And before her feet even hit the floor, she wants to kill herself because she feels like the only way out is that. But she realizes there was one other friend at school. She invited me to this place called Elevation Ballantine. And as somebody who normally sits in our student section and that little girl walks up to this building. Who better than you to welcome that little girl? And the reality is, that story is so familiar to so many in this room. And that part of you that you want to hide, that you never, ever want to share, is the very thing that Jesus needs in the boat. And if you don't let Jesus into that room, all it will ever be is pain. But when you put it in the boat now, you find purpose. Who better than you to be out front welcoming that little girl? That thing that you said, I got to take a step back. I got nothing to offer, is the very thing Jesus wants to put out front. Who better than you to lead a youth girls E group to comfort others with the comfort that you have received? Say, Holy Spirit, show me the rooms. I've not let you in. An invitation starts with an admission. What are the rooms that you're not letting Jesus in? What are the spaces that you've not let Jesus into? An unnamed enemy will never be defeated. And what do we do with an enemy? What do we do with a friend? We cover them. What do we do with an enemy? We expose them. The admission is to say, I've got this room, but somebody in this room is 45. And you're like, I can't. I can't tell anybody. What are they gonna think of me? You will help them go like, oh, that's why he's acted like that for 22 years. You give some understanding to stand to your feet at all of our locations without anybody moving. This is a holy moment. And I'm gonna give two opportunities to respond to this sermon today. The first one is for those that you've got a room. I've got rooms, I've got houses. But what's one room that you know that you need to let Jesus into? Maybe today would be the day that you let Jesus. You'd hear him knocking. I've been knocking for years. I've been knocking on the door of your life. Let me into that marriage. Let me into that relationship. Let me into that thing. He'll come in and he'll touch you. It doesn't mean the pain goes away, but it does mean you can find purpose in it. And then the second invitation is for those of you that have not placed your faith in Jesus. You know that you're separated from God. You've been playing religious activity, you've been checking boxes of going to church, go to the bank, go to the grocery store. But you've never confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. And believe it in your heart that he was raised from the dead. And if you need to begin that relationship with Jesus, I'm going to give you that opportunity as well. But bow your heads, close your eyes, put your hands in front of you like you're holding a gift. Make some room for Jesus in your hands. Is that room a space that you need to let Jesus into? You've covered it. Not because you don't love God. You just kind of despise yourself and he wants to come into that. Father, I thank you for your sons and daughters right now that are walking in boldness, fear. But I thank you that you're a loving God, that you will gently come in. You're not going to kick down a door, you're knocking on it. Why? Because you want to come in, in a fellowship with them and I thank you for the confession, the admission. There's a space in her life that we need you to touch. I pray that they would move beyond just this moment and they would invite another person into it today, somebody in this room or somebody online. May they share that room so they don't have to fight in isolation or being alone any longer. Now, for those of you that need to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, I'm going to lead us all into prayer for people to begin that relationship. To confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that he was raised from the dead. If you say these words and you believe it in your heart, you will be saved. Pray this with me, church family. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross and rose from the grave to forgive me of my sin. I give you my life. I give you my sin. I give you my shame. Forgive me and I'll spend my life following you with your head still bowed and your eyes still closed. If you just placed your faith in Jesus or you're coming back to Him. I am going to count to three and without hesitation, once I get there, boldly shoot your hand into the air. 1, 2, 3.

[Pastor Steven Furtick]

Shoot your hand up high across this auditorium. Come on, get all of our locations. All of our locations. Come on, get it high. One of our team want to get to you. Put a new Bible in your hands, signifying you're a new creation. Hey church family, let's celebrate that.

[Elevation Church Podcast Host]

Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry. It's because of you that this ministry is possible. You can click the link in the description to Give now or visit elevationchurch.orgpodcast for more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. You can click the share button, take a screenshot and share it on your social stories and tag us LevationChurch. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.

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[Pastor Steven Furtick]

This is an I Heart Podcast.