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- [00:02]
Steven Furtick
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 When I was praying about how to start the year and the theme we should start the year with, I was led to 2 Samuel 19, a scripture that originally I was.
- [00:28]
Rick Parker
Attracted to from a leadership perspective, but.
- [00:30]
Steven Furtick
I think it has implications for our church. As I set this image before you, I invite your attention to 2 Samuel.
- [00:37]
Rick Parker
18. Let's go to 1833 and get the.
- [00:41]
Steven Furtick
Context and read down to chapter 19.
- [00:44]
Rick Parker
8.
- [00:46]
Steven Furtick
I know we were done with David because we preached a whole series about him last year called Bars and Battles. I asked him would he come over.
- [00:52]
Rick Parker
To 2018 and help us start the year. He said that he would, but there's.
- [00:57]
Steven Furtick
Going to be a real dramatic difference between the David we saw in 1 Samuel 19 and the David we see.
- [01:01]
Rick Parker
In 2 Samuel 19.
- [01:04]
Steven Furtick
When we saw him in 1 Samuel 19, he was on the come up and God was really blessing him and he had a lot of courage. But now we're going to see him at a place that is very unfamiliar to someone of his caliber. David's confidence is shaken. This would be a very strange thing if you just picked up the Bible and you heard about David from Sunday school and he was killing Goliath and ripping off the heads of Philistines and driving back the enemies of Israel. But now the scripture says, in 2 Samuel 18:33, the king was shook. I put it in a little bit.
- [01:43]
Rick Parker
Of a modernized translation, he was shook.
- [01:48]
Steven Furtick
And he went up to the room over the gateway and wept as he went. He said, o my son Absalom. O my son, my son Absalom. If only I had died instead of you. O Absalom, my son, my son. Way to pick out an inspirational scripture.
- [02:07]
Rick Parker
To start the year with Furtick.
- [02:09]
Steven Furtick
Chapter 19, verse 1. Joab was told the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom, for the whole army. The victory that day was turned into mourning, which is exactly the opposite of what God does. God turns a day of mourning into.
- [02:27]
Rick Parker
A day of victory. Don't believe me?
- [02:31]
Steven Furtick
Just ask those disciples who were gathered together in sorrow and shame one Sunday only to get the news that what looked like hell's final defeat of heaven was actually the starting point of salvation. God specializes in turning your day of mourning into a day of victory. The enemy, however, would desire to turn your day of Victory or your position of strength into weakness and sorrow. That's exactly what has happened here. The whole army is experiencing mourning in a time of victory. Did you know that you can experience mourning in a time of victory? You can experience depression in a place of provision. You can experience what feels like failure.
- [03:12]
Unknown Speaker 1
In a season of success.
- [03:14]
Steven Furtick
So much of life is determined not by the event, but by our ability to process the event on the correct level as to be blind to our own blessings. We have many instances, but here David has lost so much in the course of the battle that he cannot celebrate the victory he lost his own son. We'll see how that affects him now. The troops had heard it said, the king is grieving for his son. So the men stole into the city.
- [03:44]
Unknown Speaker 1
That day, as men steal in who.
- [03:48]
Steven Furtick
Are ashamed when they flee from battle.
- [03:51]
Unknown Speaker 1
They actually had defeated the enemy, but.
- [03:56]
Steven Furtick
Their heads were hung in shame. There would be no parade this day, for the king covered his face and.
- [04:02]
Unknown Speaker 1
Cried aloud, o my son, Absalom.
- [04:07]
Steven Furtick
O Absalom, my son.
- [04:10]
Unknown Speaker 1
My son. His focus is so narrowed to what he has lost that he is about.
- [04:17]
Steven Furtick
To lose what he has left.
- [04:21]
Unknown Speaker 1
He cannot get over what's gone, and he is about to step right over.
- [04:26]
Steven Furtick
What is and miss it.
- [04:28]
Unknown Speaker 1
Because waiting for his support are all of the troops and the resources for him to reclaim his throne and get back where he belongs.
- [04:37]
Steven Furtick
But he's not ready yet.
- [04:39]
Rick Parker
He's weeping in isolation over the gate.
- [04:43]
Steven Furtick
Then verse five says, Joab, his general, had the guts to go into the house and say something to the king nobody else had the guts to say. Sometimes you need to thank God for the people in your life who say stuff you don't like to hear. Those are the ones who often really love you. Sometimes you need to. I see every parent in this room looking at their teenager. I caught. You look at somebody and say, tell me the truth. You are not my friend if you.
- [05:14]
Unknown Speaker 1
Don'T tell me the truth.
- [05:17]
Steven Furtick
God uses Joab to give David the gift of confrontation. You see how nobody said amen? If I would have said the gift of comfort, you would have gotten it. But sometimes the gift of confrontation is greater than the gift of comfort. Joab challenges. David goes in the house of the king and says, today you have humiliated.
- [05:39]
Unknown Speaker 1
All your men who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Why do you keep attaching yourself to.
- [06:01]
Unknown Speaker 2
Stuff that is doing you no good?
- [06:04]
Unknown Speaker 1
Why do you keep running back to things that hurt you. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Why do you keep chasing that which is trying to walk away at the.
- [06:16]
Unknown Speaker 2
Expense of that which God has given you?
- [06:21]
Steven Furtick
Or as David asked Samuel about Saul, how long will you mourn over what God has rejected? You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord, if you don't go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come on you from your youth till now.
- [06:48]
Rick Parker
So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. The king got up and took his seat in the gateway. That's our theme as we begin the year.
- [07:05]
Steven Furtick
Look at your neighbor and say, neighbor? And force them to make eye contact with you. Before you go any further, tell them.
- [07:15]
Rick Parker
Get back in the gate. Get back in the gate.
- [07:26]
Steven Furtick
If they're looking at you crazy, it was the wrong neighbor. Turn to the other one and say.
- [07:29]
Rick Parker
Get back in the gate. Get back in the gate.
- [07:41]
Steven Furtick
So we could understand why David is shook. Because we are seeing here the inextricable connection between character and confidence. It is impossible to sustain your confidence with a faulty character. You can hype yourself up, chest bump yourself in the mirror, you can even get abs and feel good about those. But without the deep seated core of character to sustain you in life, it is impossible to maintain a sense of real confidence.
- [08:16]
Rick Parker
He shook.
- [08:18]
Steven Furtick
He has allowed some things into his life that are now overpowering him. He let some things in little by little, and now it's been years and years of dysfunction. It wasn't so much the dysfunction that brought trouble to David, it was the way he dealt with the dysfunction. God knew he was dysfunctional when he picked him out, and he knew that he had father issues when he picked him out. And he knew that he was quite lustful when he picked him out. None of those things stopped God from choosing him and so they couldn't stop God from using him. It is never your dysfunction that stops God from using you. It is how you choose to deal with the dysfunction. When David fought Goliath, he fought him from a distance, which was a strategic thing because if he came close to him, he would die by his sword. Goliath was skilled in hand to hand combat, but David was a slinger. That was the way he Fought Goliath. And it was the way he had tried to live his life in certain situations. It worked for him until it came to the point when you may remember this story. It's not told in Vacation Bible School because it's rated MA it's more like a Game of Thrones episode really than a Bible story. When David should have been at war and he wasn't, it wasn't where he was, it was where he wasn't that got him in trouble. It wasn't what he did, it was what he didn't do that brought him to a place. Until he had enough freedom of capacity to entertain thoughts, he wouldn't have thought if he had been doing what he.
- [09:59]
Rick Parker
Should have done, he wouldn't have been tempted to do what he did. Since he did what he did and.
- [10:04]
Steven Furtick
Ended up sleeping with a lady who was taking a bath named Bathsheba. The Bible is full of these happy coincidences. Where he messed up wasn't necessarily his sin, which was wrong, but it was the way he compounded his sin because he responded to his shame rather than receiving God's grace. So rather than deal with the dysfunction and the decision of his disobedience, he piled several layers of shame on top of his sin and ended up having her husband killed. When Nathan the prophet came to David, he said, because of the way you've acted, because of the decisions you've made, God is going to forgive you, but you're going to experience some consequences. Please write this down. If you're under the age of 18, you can pick your decisions, but you can't pick your consequences. He received grace, but it left a residue. The aftermath of David's sin would play out through the course of his family line. When his son Amnon raped his half sister Tamar, and you thought your family.
- [11:16]
Rick Parker
Was dysfunctional, you could write a parenting book compared to David.
- [11:20]
Steven Furtick
I mean, David's son raped one of David's daughters from another wife. Are you following this? Do you feel like you left church and went to Jerry Springer 1992? Hello? Absalom had to do what David wouldn't do. Because David wanted to deal with it.
- [11:39]
Unknown Speaker 1
From a distance rather than confront the dysfunction.
- [11:43]
Steven Furtick
He kept it out here, but you can only keep it out here so.
- [11:47]
Unknown Speaker 1
Long, just like he did with Bathsheba.
- [11:50]
Steven Furtick
He kept it out here, but only for so long. It's just a matter of time before the dysfunction shows up on your doorstep once you let it through. So now it's working his way through his family.
- [12:02]
Unknown Speaker 1
And because David will not stand in his place and make a decision on how to deal with it, even if it's the wrong one. He makes the greatest mistake to become passive. The greatest trouble in David's life came when he became passive. Or you might say disengaged. Disengaged.
- [12:25]
Steven Furtick
I have an Instagram account, and every month our social media team brings me reports for the engagement on our Facebook, the engagement on Twitter, the engagement on social media. It's how we measure effectiveness, how many people are commenting and liking and looking and sharing engagement. Even our EFAM online. What's up, efam? Maybe you got here because somebody shared the link with you. It's called engagement.
- [12:50]
Unknown Speaker 1
I don't think there's ever been a time in the world where we've been.
- [12:53]
Steven Furtick
More engaged on the surface and more disengaged in our souls.
- [12:58]
Unknown Speaker 1
Because we have.
- [12:59]
Steven Furtick
All these fake connections and fake friendships and fake sexuality and fake relationships and.
- [13:05]
Unknown Speaker 1
Stuff that won't do you any real good when the devil fights you in your life because you are not engaged. Now Absalom has taken matters into his own hands. Years ago, he killed Amnon himself. He went running. He wanted to come back. David wouldn't see him. He kept him at a distance. Now the battle has arrived on his doorstep because he would not deal with it at the gate. He would not deal with it when it showed up. So now it has gained power. Absalom has actually tried to overturn his own father as king. Absalom was pretty smart.
- [13:39]
Steven Furtick
The Bible says he was really good looking. Had a lot in common with Rick Parker, except one thing. Rick, he had so much hair.
- [13:51]
Unknown Speaker 1
The Bible said his hair was so long, when he would cut it off.
- [13:53]
Steven Furtick
Every spring, it would weigh two pounds. So he would stand by the gate with his luxurious locks. When people would come to see David.
- [14:03]
Unknown Speaker 1
He'D say, oh, dad is busy.
- [14:04]
Steven Furtick
If I were king, I'd help you out. I would hear your matter if I were king. But I'm not. Well, four years of that and he won their hearts. Be very careful who you let stand at the gates. You have to be really careful who you let represent you. Over the course of time, the Bible says the hearts of the people were with Absalom. It ended in a bloody result in.
- [14:29]
Rick Parker
The woods of Ephraim, where Absalom was.
- [14:34]
Steven Furtick
Riding through the forest with his militia, trying to overtake David's men. David has crossed the Kidron Valley. He has left the throne. He is on the run.
- [14:45]
Unknown Speaker 1
Just to survive.
- [14:47]
Steven Furtick
Absalom's men catch up with him. There's Only one problem. Absalom's hair gets caught in a tree, snatches him right off of his horse. Why? Because the thing that makes you great outwardly makes you vulnerable inwardly. He gets caught up in the thing that made him so attractive. As he is hanging there, Joab decides to end his life. Threatening three knives in him, calls 10 men to slice him up. They send the nudes to David.
- [15:16]
Rick Parker
And he is shaken.
- [15:19]
Steven Furtick
He's shaken like any father would be who lost a son, but perhaps even.
- [15:23]
Rick Parker
More deeply because he feels responsible for it.
- [15:28]
Steven Furtick
I kind of wish sometimes I could talk to my dad. Just one more conversation. I know he's probably listening to this sermon on heaven. I know he's part of the Efam.
- [15:38]
Rick Parker
Eternal Fam.
- [15:43]
Steven Furtick
But I wish I could sit down with him for real. I would only tell him one thing. This would be the whole conversation I've thought about a lot. Now I'm raising my own kids. There are ways I judged him when.
- [15:54]
Rick Parker
He was raising me.
- [15:56]
Steven Furtick
I would love to go back and say to him one thing. This is what I would say the title of our talk would be.
- [16:03]
Rick Parker
I get it now.
- [16:07]
Steven Furtick
When I became a teenager, my dad went from coaching my teams to going out drinking. I didn't see him much over those years. I really thought he was, to be honest with you, a pretty poor father during those years. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the fact that he did not have a dad to show him how to do it. His father committed suicide on his ninth birthday. He found his father dead without any frame of reference. He stayed around to raise me.
- [16:42]
Unknown Speaker 1
But what I would tell him now.
- [16:45]
Steven Furtick
Is I get it now. Because even as much as I love my wife, which is more than you can possibly imagine, I love my kids and I am grateful for them. And we enjoy some wonderful times together. But there. There have been times I have pulled.
- [17:01]
Unknown Speaker 1
Into my garage, gotten out of my Nissan Maxima, walked into my house, and.
- [17:08]
Steven Furtick
Fantasized about getting back into my Nissan Maxima and going back to work so I could get some rest.
- [17:16]
Unknown Speaker 1
I get it now. There are times when the challenge of responsibility will make you walk away from something you actually love. People will judge you in that moment, and they will think you're walking away because you're lazy. But you're not walking away because you're lazy. You're walking away because deep down inside, I don't know if I have what it takes. This is the danger of disengagement. It is when you find yourself in a state of shame or fear or Trauma or exhaustion. And you walk away from what God.
- [17:55]
Rick Parker
Gave you because you don't know how to manage.
- [18:00]
Steven Furtick
Is the danger of this engagement. It is the danger of showing up in body and not in mind.
- [18:11]
Unknown Speaker 1
I've learned there's a big difference between.
- [18:13]
Steven Furtick
Coming to church and being in church.
- [18:17]
Unknown Speaker 1
I've learned that there is a big difference between coming home and.
- [18:22]
Steven Furtick
And being home. Y'all aren't going to say nothing to me all year?
- [18:27]
Unknown Speaker 1
Is that how it's going to be? Are you going to look at me crazy all year like that? There is a big difference between having a child and being a mom. Sometimes the temptation is not to exactly run away, but to just disengage. I'm disengaged not because I don't care, but just because I'm afraid. I don't know if I have what it takes. David was shaken. The death of Absalom represented his own failure. Did you hear him? If only I had died instead of you.
- [19:11]
Unknown Speaker 2
It's my fault. I didn't give you what you needed.
- [19:15]
Unknown Speaker 1
And it's my fault you're dead. And now it's caught up with him.
- [19:18]
Rick Parker
And he's shaken and he's disengaged.
- [19:22]
Unknown Speaker 1
He's not defeated.
- [19:24]
Steven Furtick
He's disengaged.
- [19:26]
Unknown Speaker 1
He has the victory, but he's not acting like it. He's the king, but he's not where the king is supposed to be. He has lost his sense of passion because he has moved from his position. In ancient times, the cities were well guarded by gates.
- [19:46]
Steven Furtick
Now David is in Mahanaim, which is not Jerusalem.
- [19:50]
Unknown Speaker 1
The capital city, Absalom is there and he's going to drive him out, but not yet. The first thing he has to do is relocate himself around the city. Are two gates. Our theme for the new year is gates. I want you to pay great attention right now.
- [20:05]
Steven Furtick
This is very important.
- [20:07]
Unknown Speaker 1
In each city there would be an outer gate.
- [20:09]
Steven Furtick
Everybody saw. We all have one of those. We all have the outer gate that people see. It's our personality. We project into the world so people won't judge us, so we will appear successful.
- [20:23]
Unknown Speaker 1
Then there is the inner gate.
- [20:25]
Steven Furtick
It's the second line of defense. We all have one of those too. It's our actions.
- [20:31]
Unknown Speaker 1
Two gates. Two gates.
- [20:37]
Rick Parker
Two gates. 2 gates.
- [20:43]
Unknown Speaker 1
The action happens between the gates. The Bible does not say, put my verse up again. It's my theme verse that David took his seat at the gate. It says he got up and took his seat. Now up until this point, he has been near the gate, but he wasn't in it. He was in isolation above the gate. Like a lot of us, live our lives watching events unfold, but not taking responsibility for our outcomes. When we live online in an ecosystem of pretension and narcissism and opinions, but don't really make a commitment to make a difference in the world, and we show up in the places that are most convenient to our ego, but refuse to confront the issues that sabotage our soul. The action happened between the gates. Not outside and not inside, but often between the gates. Transactions would be made. It was like a marketplace of the day, but between the gates of the city. There would be buying and selling and negotiation between the gates. Prophets like Amos would prophesy to maintain justice in the gates. In the gates. When Ruth, if you remember the Old Testament story, was claimed by Boaz, her kinsman Redeemer, he did the deal in the presence of 10 witnesses in the gate. When Abraham bought the burial ground for Sarah in the Old Testament, he bought it in the presence of witnesses in the gate. It's where the witnesses were. It's where the judges would sit. It's where negotiations happened. It's where the conscience of the nation was developed. It's where Absalom would stand at the gate. And before people could go through, turn them back.
- [22:48]
Rick Parker
After he had promoted his own agenda, everything changed for David when he did something so simple. The Bible says that after all he had lost and after all the tears he had cried, and after all the mistakes he had made, he did something so simple and so profound. The king got up, left his chamber.
- [23:20]
Unknown Speaker 1
And took.
- [23:23]
Rick Parker
His seat in the gate. In other words, I hear David saying, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, I'm back. My heart is broken, but I'm back. I made some mistakes.
- [23:54]
Steven Furtick
But I'm back. I wish I could go back and change some things, but I can't. But I'm back. I'm devastated about what happened, but I'm back. I'm uncertain about the future. I don't know where it's going to go from here.
- [24:14]
Unknown Speaker 1
I'm a long way from home, but I'm back. What I picture in my mind is today, thousands of people who have gathered to hear this message online or in person at every location. I see you getting up from the failure, the shame and the regret that has kept you paralyzed and taking your stand in the Gate of Praise and entering his gates with Thanksgiving. I wish 70 people would jump up on your feet right now and shout at the top of your lungs, I'm back.
- [25:01]
Unknown Speaker 2
I'm back. I'm Back. Let the devil know I'm back. Let condemnation know I'm back. Let my past know I'm back. I'm not perfect, but I'm back. I don't have it planned out yet, but I'm back. I don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring, but I'm back. High five, everybody you can reach, tell em I'm back. I'm back in it. I'm back in it. I'm not going to stand over my life blaming people for the next 20 years because of the last 20. Get thee behind me, Satan. I'm back.
- [25:56]
Unknown Speaker 1
And when the enemy comes with his.
- [25:59]
Unknown Speaker 2
Accusations and his excuses, I want you.
- [26:04]
Unknown Speaker 1
To look him square in the eye before the year even gets started. Good. And tell him, devil, this seat is taken.
- [26:15]
Unknown Speaker 2
I said this seat is taken. No room for you to run my life because I am seated in heavenly places with Christ. I'm back. I'm back in position. I'm back in purpose.
- [26:43]
Unknown Speaker 1
Get back in the gate. Get back in the gate. You cannot change what you tolerate. Get back. You cannot change what you won't face. Get back in the gate. You can't change it by complaining. You can't change it by if only. But now if you will take your seat. God has prepared a place for you in the presence of your enemies.
- [27:17]
Unknown Speaker 2
He might not rid you of your problems, but he has given you his presence. Get back.
- [27:32]
Unknown Speaker 1
I'm back. I'm back. I'm back.
- [27:42]
Rick Parker
I'm broken. And I'm better because I was broken.
- [27:57]
Steven Furtick
I learned how to fight the battle.
- [28:02]
Rick Parker
In between. It's not what happens to you. It's not what they say about you. It's what happens between the gates. That's what I want to study with you for the next four weeks.
- [28:15]
Steven Furtick
I want you to invite every jacked.
- [28:17]
Rick Parker
Up person you know.
- [28:20]
Steven Furtick
Because we're going to get our gates back. Back.
- [28:23]
Rick Parker
We have been too flooded with images.
- [28:27]
Steven Furtick
And points of view that do not promote peace in our lives. We are practicing the habits of worry.
- [28:36]
Rick Parker
And we are living in the state of anxiety. The place of power is when you take your seat.
- [28:44]
Steven Furtick
Watch this. David got up, took his seat in the gate. He wasn't healed yet, but he's here. I'm hurting, but I'm here.
- [29:00]
Rick Parker
It's going to be hard, but I'm here.
- [29:04]
Steven Furtick
You know what's cool? You already have perfect attendance for the year in church.
- [29:10]
Unknown Speaker 1
Celebrate yourself.
- [29:17]
Steven Furtick
To get everything he needed, all he had to do is what Kendrick said. All he had to do was sit down. When he sat down all of his.
- [29:29]
Rick Parker
Men came to him.
- [29:32]
Steven Furtick
Your weapons are waiting for you to take your place. You're waiting for your weapons to come.
- [29:44]
Unknown Speaker 1
Your weapons will not come until you take your place. This is the place of responsibility.
- [29:49]
Steven Furtick
This is the place of owning your story.
- [29:53]
Unknown Speaker 1
This is the place of dealing with your dysfunctions. Not from a distance. This is the place of power.
- [30:02]
Steven Furtick
We fight the enemy in the wrong place and we wait for things to appear that are waiting for us in our assignment.
- [30:09]
Unknown Speaker 1
I feel the spirit of God on me this year to teach this message on the gates of change. Each of us is standing at a gate of change, and there are four.
- [30:22]
Steven Furtick
Gates I want to teach you about.
- [30:23]
Unknown Speaker 1
Over the next four weeks. Here's the key.
- [30:25]
Steven Furtick
This gate only opens from the inside. It only opens from the inside. This battle has to be fought at the gate. Keep that camera shot on me real quick.
- [30:39]
Rick Parker
I want to show them this.
- [30:40]
Steven Furtick
Keep that tight shot. Yeah, the tight shot right there. Do not move that camera no matter what I do or no matter what you are trained to do. I am overriding your training right now.
- [30:46]
Rick Parker
Do not move that camera.
- [30:48]
Steven Furtick
The only way for us to get the back of his head off the bottom of that screen is for me to get back where I belong.
- [31:06]
Unknown Speaker 1
Watch this.
- [31:07]
Steven Furtick
The camera is not broke.
- [31:10]
Unknown Speaker 1
I'm just out of place. Oh, no. Let's get a new camera. No, you need to get a new attitude. You don't need a new wife.
- [31:24]
Unknown Speaker 2
You need a new mindset. You need to get back in the gate. You have a good wife. That's why you married her. If you would get in the gate.
- [31:31]
Unknown Speaker 1
Maybe I don't want to run them off. Week one. They just got back.
- [31:42]
Unknown Speaker 2
Somebody shout, I'm back. I'm back. When he got back in the gate, everything he needed came to him. You don't have to chase it. Goodness and mercy will follow.
- [32:05]
Unknown Speaker 1
Get back, get back, get back, get back.
- [32:09]
Rick Parker
You don't have to be perfect, just be present. Isaiah said, I want us to think about this, and I'll start here next week. Are you coming next week? Tell somebody. Get back. Do what you have to do to get back. You should cancel some stuff just to.
- [32:30]
Steven Furtick
Let the devil know this year that God is your priority.
- [32:31]
Rick Parker
And be in church.
- [32:34]
Steven Furtick
Set six alarms if you have to.
- [32:36]
Rick Parker
To and be here. The word you need might be here. Hold the camera shot tight. Hold the camera shot tight. If you're over here, you will miss the word that was waiting for you. So I have to be here because Isaiah said, stand.
- [32:55]
Steven Furtick
I'm closing.
- [32:58]
Rick Parker
Isaiah said, God will be. Oh, I have so much to teach you.
- [33:04]
Steven Furtick
I can't wait. This is just a syllabus.
- [33:06]
Rick Parker
This isn't even the class.
- [33:09]
Steven Furtick
Tell somebody I'm coming back.
- [33:14]
Rick Parker
He will be. Listen to what the Lord Almighty is, Isaiah, who prophesied so eloquently of Jesus Christ. He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment.
- [33:27]
Steven Furtick
He gives justice when you are in.
- [33:29]
Rick Parker
The seat of judgment. He will be a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. A lot of the defeats you have.
- [33:50]
Steven Furtick
Been suffering have been because you've been.
- [33:52]
Rick Parker
Fighting them on the wrong level. You've been fighting them in the wrong place.
- [34:02]
Steven Furtick
But this is our year to stop it.
- [34:06]
Rick Parker
At the source he will be a source of strength.
- [34:09]
Steven Furtick
It starts with God, not with me. This is not self help. This is the overflowing, abundant spirit of God that empowers believers.
- [34:19]
Rick Parker
The spirit of justice, the Holy Spirit of God. He will be a source of strength to him who sits in judgment and turns back. The battle at the gate. If David had dealt with Absalom at the gate, Absalom wouldn't have had to die in the forest.
- [34:47]
Steven Furtick
Sometimes we let the devil come all the way in.
- [34:51]
Rick Parker
Then we pray to God to get him off of our backs.
- [34:55]
Steven Furtick
But the time to turn the devil.
- [34:56]
Rick Parker
Back is at the gate.
- [35:04]
Steven Furtick
The time to turn depression back is at the gate. There is a word from God that.
- [35:11]
Rick Parker
Will push back the darkness, but it has to happen at the gate. We're going to learn about these gates for the next four weeks. But it begins with the decision for you to take your place in the gate. We're going to start getting intentional about our thoughts so we win the battle between the gates.
- [35:42]
Steven Furtick
We're going to put Christ back on the throne, and then we're going to sit right there by him and guard our gates.
- [35:48]
Rick Parker
I am seated in heavenly places.
- [35:52]
Unknown Speaker 1
If you're hearing this word right now, rejoice where you are. Rejoice in your kitchen. Come on. When you enter his gates with praise, you drive back the devil before he ever gets a chance to sit down at your kitchen table.
- [36:07]
Rick Parker
We're going to turn back the devil and we're going to make some decisions early this year. We're going to set up some areas of our life where we're not going to negotiate anymore. We're getting back in the gate. The promise of God is that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
- [36:32]
Steven Furtick
There is so much revelation God wants.
- [36:35]
Rick Parker
To release, but this gate of change opens from the inside. I want you to lift your hands. Now. If you feel comfortable, stand to your feet. Some people think that lifting your hands is some sort of denominational thing for exuberant, emotional people, but really it's just for people who know they need God. I get it now, dad. Sometimes it's easier to run than to take responsibility. And sometimes you don't run because you don't care. You run because you're scared. You run because you're ashamed. You run because you've tried to change before. So you live your life in a chamber of isolation. God is calling you back in the gate. I know you've been embarrassed about some things. I know you don't really believe in yourself anymore and you haven't kept some promises to yourself so you don't feel like making anymore. I know some people around you have kind of boxed you in and they think they know how you are and you're not going to be any different. Jesus said I am the gate, not what people did, not even what you think of yourself. I am the gate. Lord, we come before you this year, some of us with heavy hearts, but all of us with expectation. You didn't leave us here for nothing. You didn't bring us into 2018 just to drop us at the gate. So we're going in. We're going to enter in your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise.
- [38:20]
Steven Furtick
God. We're also bringing some baggage.
- [38:23]
Rick Parker
We're bringing some pain and we're bringing some questions. We're bringing some anxieties. We're bringing some if onlys. We're dropping them off at the gate and we are entering into your joy.
- [38:36]
Steven Furtick
I thank you Lord for the revelation.
- [38:38]
Rick Parker
You'Ve given us today. It has been so sweet and meaningful.
- [38:42]
Steven Furtick
I thank you that chains have fallen now because of the sound of your word echoing forth from the portals of.
- [38:46]
Rick Parker
Heaven and doing what only you can do in the hearts of people. I believe this is just the beginning.
- [38:53]
Steven Furtick
And so I pray that this series.
- [38:54]
Rick Parker
Would be unlike any we've ever known. The gates of change open from the inside. You're a mighty God as we praise you today. We expect the best of heaven to.
- [39:10]
Steven Furtick
Empower us in broken places. Have your way, God. 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 at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless.