This Isn't Working

Summary

Elevation with Steven Furtick: Episode Summary – "This Isn't Working"

Release Date: May 2, 2025

In the episode titled "This Isn't Working" from the Elevation with Steven Furtick podcast, Pastor Steven Furtick delves deep into the theme of recognizing when aspects of our lives are no longer functioning effectively. Continuing his impactful series "Savage Jesus," Furtick explores the biblical narrative from Mark's Gospel (Mark 3:1-6) to draw parallels between Jesus' actions and our personal struggles with unproductive systems and situations.

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1. Extending the "Savage Jesus" Series

[01:03] Steven Furtick:
"We're continuing in a series called Savage Jesus. I planned the conclusion of this series to align with Easter. But when I found out that we were learning so much and having our paradigm of Jesus challenged and really starting to see him in a fresh way, I thought we would continue for a little while longer."

Furtick introduces the episode as part of an extended "Savage Jesus" series, highlighting the profound insights that have emerged, prompting a deeper exploration beyond the initial plan.

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2. Biblical Foundation: Mark 3:1-6

Furtick centers his message around Mark 3:1-6, where Jesus heals a man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He contrasts societal expectations with Jesus' unconventional approach to solving problems.

[04:45] Steven Furtick:
"They were looking for something not to like about our church. It's okay, I understand it."

[05:23] Pastor Furtick:
"This isn't going to work."

He emphasizes Jesus' frustration with the religious leaders' rigid systems that prioritize rules over compassion, illustrating how Jesus chooses to fix the underlying system rather than merely addressing the immediate situation.

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3. Situations vs. Systems

A central theme in the episode is the distinction between transient situations and systemic issues. Furtick argues that often, what we perceive as isolated problems are symptoms of deeper, flawed systems within our lives or communities.

[07:06] Pastor Furtick:
"Don't make me guess when you look at me smug when I say we all have situations, it makes me want to ask God to show me what you did last week so I could start saying your situation."

He challenges listeners to look beyond surface-level issues and identify the systemic problems that perpetuate these situations. By addressing the root causes, we can implement lasting change rather than temporary fixes.

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4. Theological Insights: Romans 8

Furtick draws on Paul’s teachings in Romans 8 to reinforce the idea that no situation can sever our connection with God.

[08:36] Steven Furtick:
"It's a theological impossibility for my situation to separate me from God."

[09:57] Pastor Furtick:
"Who shall trouble, who shall hardship, persecution..."

He methodically lists the challenges mentioned in Romans 8:35 and expands on how faith in God’s supremacy ensures that these adversities cannot isolate us from divine love and support.

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5. Personal Anecdotes and Analogies

To illustrate his points, Furtick shares relatable anecdotes, including experiences with his son and observations from his personal life.

[07:10] Steven Furtick:
"Likely he would have been excluded from synagogue worship."

[12:00] Pastor Furtick:
"If you can't set the man's hand back in place on the Sabbath, that's an exception God allows."

Through these stories, he underscores the importance of aligning actions with intentions, both in personal development and spiritual practices.

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6. Overcoming Prejudice and Confirmation Bias

Furtick addresses the human tendency to prejudge situations and people, urging listeners to adopt a witness mentality instead of a judgmental one.

[20:25] Steven Furtick:
"When you wake up believing that all things work together for my good and that nothing can separate me from the love of God, here's how good it is."

He explains how confirmation bias leads individuals to seek evidence that supports preconceived notions, thereby hindering genuine growth and understanding.

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7. The Sabbath: A Gift, Not a Burden

Exploring the concept of the Sabbath, Furtick emphasizes its intended purpose as a gift for rest and rejuvenation, rather than a rigid set of constraints.

[32:48] Steven Furtick:
"Jesus said, you missed the entire point of the Sabbath which was a gift."

He critiques the overcomplication of Sabbath laws by religious leaders, advocating for a return to the Sabbath's foundational intent—resting in God’s provision and grace.

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8. Practical Applications and Encouragement

Furtick wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to take actionable steps in their lives, urging them to recognize when something isn't working and to have the courage to change it.

[37:30] Pastor Furtick:
"Whatever you do, touch somebody, say, don't fold. God is about to change the entire system through the most desperate situations."

He highlights the importance of active faith—taking steps of obedience even when outcomes are uncertain, trusting that God will work through these actions to bring about meaningful transformation.

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9. Conclusion: Embracing Change and Faith

In his closing remarks, Furtick reiterates the necessity of aligning our actions with God’s purpose, encouraging believers to trust in His ability to rectify and elevate their circumstances.

[46:40] Steven Furtick:
"Jesus healed him in an unusual way at an unusual time, on an unusual day. Do you know when God is going to do it? When you least expect it."

He leaves listeners with a powerful reminder that divine intervention often occurs when least anticipated, fostering a sense of hope and readiness to embrace God's timing.

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Key Takeaways

• Identify Dysfunctional Systems: Recognize and address the underlying systems in your life that perpetuate unproductive situations.
• Faith Over Feelings: Trust in God’s unbreakable connection despite fleeting emotions or challenging circumstances.
• Restoration Through Action: Actively participate in your own restoration by taking deliberate steps of faith.
• Sabbath as a Gift: Embrace the Sabbath as a divine gift for rest, avoiding the pitfalls of rigid legalism.
• Overcome Prejudice: Shift from a judgmental mindset to one of witnessing and understanding, fostering genuine relationships and spiritual growth.

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Notable Quotes

• [05:23] Steven Furtick: "This isn't working."
• [08:36] Steven Furtick: "It's a theological impossibility for my situation to separate me from God."
• [20:25] Steven Furtick: "When you wake up believing that all things work together for my good and that nothing can separate me from the love of God, here's how good it is."
• [37:30] Steven Furtick: "Whatever you do, touch somebody, say, don't fold. God is about to change the entire system through the most desperate situations."
• [46:40] Steven Furtick: "Jesus healed him in an unusual way at an unusual time, on an unusual day. Do you know when God is going to do it? When you least expect it."

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Final Thoughts

In "This Isn't Working," Steven Furtick masterfully intertwines biblical teachings with practical life applications, challenging listeners to evaluate and transform the systems governing their lives. By fostering a deeper understanding of faith, grace, and proactive change, Furtick empowers believers to navigate their struggles with resilience and divine assurance.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker 1]

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[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. We're continuing in a series called Savage Jesus. I planned the conclusion of this series to align with Easter. Then when I found out that we were learning so much and having our paradigm of Jesus challenged and really starting to see him in a fresh way, I thought we would continue for a little while longer. We're in the bonus round today of this series from Mark's Gospel. I'll pick up at Mark3.1. Now that you've rested for four minutes, stand up for the reading of God's Word. Thank you so much. Another time Jesus went into the synagogue and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him. On the Sabbath, Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, stand up in front of everyone. Then Jesus asked them, which is lawful on the Sabbath? To do good or to do evil? To save life or to kill? But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger, come on, be nice, Jesus, you say nice for what? He looked around in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, stretch out your hand. He stretched it out and his hand was completely restored. Then the pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. This is going to be a fun title to tell the person next to you. So look at them like you're frustrated with them and disappointed in them. If you could do that for me. And just look at them and say really slow, real deliberate, this isn't working. Now shake your head and sit down. Have you had anything in your life lately that doesn't seem to be working? I mean, maybe it worked at once. I'm not talking about a washing machine or something like that. I'm talking about real stuff, like a relationship that sounded fresh. It really takes courage to admit that a relationship isn't working, especially if it feels comfortable to you. I preached one message called dysfunctional comfort and how sometimes it's easier to stay in familiar bondage than it is to embrace uncomfortable freedom. To admit that it's not working requires a certain amount of courage to say it used to work, or it may appear to others to be working, but this isn't working. Just coming to that point alone can be difficult from time to time because sometimes we don't really know if it's going to work if we keep doing it, if we just need to give it more time and it will work, which is typically what we preach. Just keep trying, just keep moving. But I've been to the gym. The way some of us work out, we can keep working out until the rapture and it will not work. Not the way we're working. Our form is off. We take more breaks than we do reps. Yeah, this isn't going to work. That's what my 12 year old, my man Elijah, the one I raise and pay for, he was saying the other day, he's starting to try to lift weights. So we put him on a little program, didn't we, Buck? After two days, he came to me and said, this isn't working. He wants pecs real quick. What he didn't understand is process, touch. Somebody say, no process, no pecs. Or if you don't want to, tell them that, that's really weird. What a cringy toucher neighbor. Now listen to the Bible. The Bible says, another time Jesus went into the synagogue and a man with a shriveled hand was there. There were some people there who were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. I'll stop there. What we have in this passage is a. Let me see how I want to say this. A failed system and a frustrated savior. Really what bridges the gap between the failed system and the frustrated Savior is a man who was there that day. The Bible calls him this. Mark calls him this. He says he was a man with a shriveled hand. In verse one, they're announcing his presence in the synagogue. It says, Jesus, who was the most important person in human history, was in the synagogue. I'm expecting for it to be a man with $100 million net worth. I'm expecting, if we're going to take time to call this guy out by name, it would be a man with a Grammy. Or it would be a man, you know what I'm saying, with a contract.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

To play in the NBA.

[Steven Furtick]

But yet, when Mark gets ready to.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Call the role for who is in attendance that day, he does not mention.

[Steven Furtick]

A man with a BMW, a Mercedes, or a Maserati.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

He mentions a man with a situation that could have and should have prohibited.

[Steven Furtick]

Him from being there in the first place.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

With this kind of deformity, it is.

[Steven Furtick]

Likely he would have been excluded from synagogue worship. The good thing is he only had.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

A deformity in one hand.

[Steven Furtick]

When you have a deformity in one hand, that means you can shake hands with your good hands while you hide your bad one. Yet, much to this man's chagrin, it must have felt like a nightmare when Jesus called him out in front of anyone, stood him up, and used him as an object lesson.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Really, to say that sounds cruel, but.

[Steven Furtick]

Jesus will always use your situation to fix the system that created it. This is the premise of Mark 31 6. We all have situations in the place today. Don't make me guess when you look at me smug when I say we all have situations, it makes me want to ask God to show me what you did last week so I could start saying your situation. If I said every situation in this room, if I started throwing your real situation, not your Sunday situation, that's much different.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

I really didn't come to preach to Sunday, and neither did Jesus.

[Steven Furtick]

Jesus speaks to that place that is not working.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

He speaks to that place that is not functioning. He speaks to that place. You have learned to conceal and reveal feels his glory and his strength through your weakness.

[Steven Furtick]

One thing I'm grateful for, that I learned from Paul, who wrote a lot of the New Testament letters. He taught me that it is a theological impossibility for my situation to separate me from God. It's a wonderful list he gives us in Romans 8, if you're ever inclined to read it. If you're having one of those days where you find yourself in a situation that you don't Feel God, sense God, or maybe even believe he's there. Go to Romans 8:35, where you will find a list of situations that cannot, will not, may not, do not have the permission or the power to separate you from God. So Paul makes a list. And in his list he starts with trouble. It's almost like he's picking a fight. He says, who shall separate us from the love of God? Then he starts naming situations in personifying the situations. He wants us to understand the power of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's always greater than. That's why we say his name is above all other names. What that means is if you can name a situation, there is a name.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

That is greater and a work that is greater. And a savior that is greater. And a grace that is greater than your situation. Paul says, who?

[Steven Furtick]

Come on, get your owl on.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Who shall trouble.

[Steven Furtick]

That's a situation.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Shall hardship.

[Steven Furtick]

That's a situation.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Shall persecution. Who doesn't like you? Who talks about you, who doesn't think.

[Steven Furtick]

Well of you, who doesn't speak kindly about you.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

That's a situation. Shall famine. What you don't have shall. Nakedness or exposure to the elements shall Danger or trouble shall sword shall. Watch this. We're going to raise the stakes. Death or life, That's a situation. Or angels or demons. That's a situation you can't even see. Or the present, what I'm dealing with, or the future, what I'm worried about, that I don't even know yet. Shall height nor depth. Watch this clause or anything else in all creation. See there? Paul gets it. He wants to close it all in. He says, if you can name a situation, I can point you to a grace that is greater than your situation. So then I don't care what you did, what they said, what you lost, what you don't have, where you've been or where you're going. It is impossible for your situation to separate you from your source. Now shove somebody and say, it's just a situation. It's not my identity. It's just my situation. This man has a situation, but his.

[Steven Furtick]

Situation is not him.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Somebody went through a divorce, but a.

[Steven Furtick]

Divorce is not you. Somebody is dealing with an addiction, but the addiction is not your identity. We know this because Mark calls him a man with his shriveled hand. Not the shrivel handed man. He's a man with an issue, but the issue is not the man. Y'all don't want to help me preach at all today. I feel so alone. Situation. But the Real situation in this text is not the man's hand, it's the people's hearts. Did you notice that? It's one thing to have a bad hand, especially in Vegas, but when you have a bad heart. What I saw when I was reading this very familiar text that is simple on the surface was a depth of understanding of five things Jesus came to fix. Now he's going to fix this man's situation. You saw it. The man left home with two good hands. But before he fixes the situation, he is going to challenge the system because that's what God does. The reason he does it that way rather than just fix the situation without addressing the system is because if he fixes the situation without addressing the system that created the situation, you will stay stuck in the same system that created that situation. Then you will have seven more baby situations that are worse than the first. Many of us live our lives going from situation to situation to situation to situation. We can't even find time to pray because when we go to prayer we feel like we have to get through every situation we're dealing with. We have to pray for our mom and she's sick. And we have to pray for the missionaries and we never even met them.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

By the time we get done praying.

[Steven Furtick]

With every situation in our lives, we're asleep.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

If you ever identify this is for leaders.

[Steven Furtick]

Do any of you own a business or lead a department? I want to share something with you real quick. This is a free Breakout Leadership John Maxwell seminar. When you run around fixing situations all day, you actually disempower the decision making ability in your organization.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

It's one thing to know when something isn't working. A lot of people are good at that. How many know?

[Steven Furtick]

It doesn't take a genius to see when something isn't working. All it takes is a Facebook account and you can spend your whole day.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Telling everybody who doesn't care what's wrong.

[Steven Furtick]

With everything you don't know how to fix either. Good thing I brought my own Holy Ghost today because y'all aren't giving me no love.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

It's one thing to know when this isn't working. I'm pretty good at that. It's another thing to know why this isn't working. It's one thing to know that this tennis ball isn't going over the net. It's another thing to know why it's.

[Steven Furtick]

Not going over the net.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

It's one thing to know I want to kill my kids. It's another thing to know why our communication is breaking down. As they are getting older and the approach needs to change. It's one thing to know I feel lonely. It's another thing to know, why do I feel lonely? Maybe it's not everybody else's fault. Maybe the system that is keeping me lonely is within my heart. See, we always want to point fingers at situations. But you might just find that the situation you're pointing at is trying to alert you to a system within yourself that God wants to deal with. Because God is not a situational God. God is a God of systems. God is a God who gets to root causes.

[Steven Furtick]

So he went to the synagogue, which was their system of worship. He went on the Sabbath, which was their day of rest. He found a situation and stood it up in front of everyone. And he used the situation to fix their system. The first thing he has to fix is their pessimism. There are five of these. Will we get to all five? Who knows? But I'll be here next week, she said, me too. Pessimism is the result of considering your situation before you consider your source.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

It's what makes you look at your.

[Steven Furtick]

Life and feel so overwhelmed by all your situations. I'm guilty of it. I'm going to be honest with you. I'm guilty of evaluating my situation without considering my source. When I do, I always feel overwhelmed.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

You will notice there were some there.

[Steven Furtick]

That day who were actually looking for a reason to accuse Jesus.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

They were looking for something wrong. Principle of the universe.

[Steven Furtick]

You don't have to be a Christian to believe this.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

You will always find what you're looking for. If you are looking for a reason to be offended, you will find it every time. If you are looking for a reason to be bitter, you will find one anytime. When you come through a church like this, I am well aware that in a crowd this size, there are many people here today who are looking for something not to like about our church. It's okay, I understand it. I understand it because we have almost been trained for it. We have been trained not to trust our politicians. We have been trained, and maybe for good reason in many cases. We have been trained, sometimes by our disappointments, not to expect much out of life. We have been trained by our insecurities not to expect people to like us. So guess what happens when we go around all day believing secretly that nobody likes us when we're telling ourselves before we even go out into our day, nobody really cares about me. Nobody ever checks on me. Nobody appreciates me. Nobody talks to me, nobody notices me, nobody texts me, Nobody friends me. Nobody Likes me. Nobody friends me. Nobody likes me. Guess what's going to happen. Your situation is going to reflect your psychology. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. So it's just a matter of time before your situation looks like your self. Talk. Now you've said it enough to yourself. You are looking for a reason to prove to yourself a verdict you arrived at before you even collected evidence. It causes you to look at people and situations and think it can't get any better because it has always been this way. But Jesus said, stretch out your hand. I came to speak a better word and fix what you say within yourself. Nobody likes me. Nobody touched me. Nobody up with me. Nobody done with me. Why are you surprised when they fulfill your prophecy?

[Steven Furtick]

Well, they always. And they never. There's the second thing. Jesus came to fix our prejudice. Yet there's nothing in the passage about the man's skin color. There's nothing in the passage about gender equality. There's nothing in the passage about his sexual orientation. None of that. Yet I still see prejudice in the synagogue on the sabbath in Mark 3. And this prejudice is not directed at the man. They are prejudiced toward Jesus. I see you. You look like you want to believe me, but you're confusing. Let's take the word apart. Prejudice. The definition is in the word prejudge. That's what prejudice is. It doesn't just happen racially or socioeconomically. Prejudice is when you put yourself in the judge's seat or the jury box. These men had the opportunity to witness a miracle.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

But rather than be a witness, they.

[Steven Furtick]

Wanted to be a judge.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Every day you and I wake up, we have an opportunity to witness resurrection power all around us. We get to witness it in the lives of others and we get to witness it on our own behalf. We get to witness, be a witness. But you can't be a witness if you insist on being a judge. What I'm trying to say is, have you already made up your mind how God can bless, who God can bless and when God can bless? Have you already made up your mind about how God can do it? To the extent you miss that the very author of life is right in front of you and they are trying to kill the very thing God sent to save them. Why? Because they've already made up their minds. We pray for wisdom and God tries to send it through our wives. But we are prejudiced. We prejudge the people God sends to help us. So rather than accept the wisdom, since we don't like the truck, it came in we'll send back the wisdom because, well, she's always like that. Well, she's the one God might use to show you your system. This whole chapter is worth preaching.

[Steven Furtick]

I wish we had all week. All right.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Touch your neighbor and say, fix the system.

[Steven Furtick]

Fix the system.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

They were looking.

[Steven Furtick]

I see it sometimes. I see people who look like they came to church as a favor.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Or like a last resort or something. Will you stop asking me if I come once.

[Steven Furtick]

Man? They are looking for something not to like. Sometimes you can feel the energy of somebody where it's just like, mmm. They will miss a revelation because one of the worship leaders had a rip in his jeans. I just don't know if I.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

God was trying to show you how holy he is. You missed it.

[Steven Furtick]

He was a threat to them. So they already made up their mind. They already had their verdict, and now they just needed to collect the evidence. It's called confirmation bias. When you wake up believing God is for me, you look for evidence to support that verdict. When you wake up believing that all things work together for my good and that nothing can separate me from the love of God, here's how good it.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Is.

[Steven Furtick]

When you believe that. When you are looking for a reason to rejoice rather than a reason to accuse, it causes you to weigh things differently. Like Paul said in Corinthians, he said.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

On one hand we're pressed, but on.

[Steven Furtick]

The other hand, we're not crushed.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

On one hand, we're persecuted, but on the other hand, we're not abandoned. On one hand, we're struck down, but on the other hand, we're not destroyed. In other words, what I'm trying to say is that if you would get out of the judge's seat and get a witness mentality, God, I want to see the good in people. I want to see the best in people. I want to believe the best about people. I want to see the opportunity and opposition. I'm looking for it. I'm not looking for a reason to be offended. I'm looking for a way to forgive. How many are glad that God looked beyond your faults and saw your needs? He could have accused you. He could have condemned you. He could have cast you down, but he didn't. How many are grateful for what he didn't do, for what he overlooked?

[Steven Furtick]

But they got it twisted. Instead of looking for an opportunity to meet a need, they were looking for a reason to accuse. Sometimes God puts you in difficult situations and you get it twisted. He puts you there to change it, not to complain about it. And you're out of order. I wish I had a gavel. This isn't working. The man can't work because his right hand. Luke tells us it's his right hand. It must mean it's his dominant hand. It must mean it's the hand of blessing. In Jewish culture, they use the right hand to bless. So he needs a blessing to be a blessing. Sometimes we try to be something we have not received from God, and it never works. Jesus stands the man up and he picks a fight. I'm sorry to disrupt your Mr. Rogers Jesus relationship with the Lord. You know the one where Jesus just walked around.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Come on, guys, stop it.

[Steven Furtick]

We're not finding that Jesus so far in Mark. Maybe he'll come later. The exasperated mom.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Guys, be nice.

[Steven Furtick]

He hasn't made an appearance so far. We're in Mark, chapter three, and he's still challenging their whole system. Two things I noticed. He could have taken the man to the side. He didn't. He could have easily been like Peter. Peter was always ready to do something. Grab that guy with the bad hand.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Do you want me to throw him out?

[Steven Furtick]

No, no, Peter.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Is he distracting you? No, Peter.

[Steven Furtick]

I want to talk to him after. I'm going to fix his hand. But it's the Sabbath, and we're not supposed to work on the Sabbath, and I don't want to offend anybody. I'll talk to him later when I wrap it up. Just make sure he doesn't leave. I want to see him on the Sabbath. Remember, it's the day of rest. Six days God created.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

One day.

[Steven Furtick]

God rested. It was the order of creation. The Sabbath is the only one of the Ten Commandments that reflects the order of creation. It's like a chance for us to be like God, how he rested. Okay, but notice. Work, work, work, work, work, work. Why am I sounding like Rihanna on this stage? I didn't mean to. Rest. Work, work, work, work, work, work, rest. Work, work, work, work, work, work, rest. Okay, so for everybody who wants to just pray, not rest, Rest, rest. Order. God rested from his labor. It's a shadow, though. It's not the substance. Because the real Sabbath is Jesus himself. It's his work that enables us to rest from ours.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

They are so consumed with their Sabbath.

[Steven Furtick]

That they are missing God's Sabbath. It's a perversion. I know we usually use the word prejudice for racial reasons and we use the word perversion for sexual reasons, but this is a perversion. A perversion is anytime a gift is used against its intention, that's a perversion.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Jesus heals him. Not only does he stand him up.

[Steven Furtick]

Publicly and call him out publicly, but.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

He does it on the Sabbath, which is understandable if the guy has a gunshot wound.

[Steven Furtick]

Okay, here's what the teachers of the law did. God gave them this gift called the Sabbath. He said, I want you to rest one day. When you rest like that, it is a picture of how I rested. It is a gift to you, and it is a shadow of a rest that is to come for the people.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Of God, where you can cease from.

[Steven Furtick]

Your works and receive by grace what you could not attain by labor.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

I want you to rest, to get into the rhythm of resting from your works. But they did what we tend to do with the gifts God gives us. When we don't understand the intention of.

[Steven Furtick]

The gift, we get it twisted.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Jesus shows up on the day where they're not supposed to work.

[Steven Furtick]

Little rules like this, they made. They had over 600 of them. There was one command, and they made 600 rules around it.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

They had a system for every possible.

[Steven Furtick]

Situation that could come up. If you need to take a journey, you can go 1,999 paces. But if you take a 2,000th step, then that's technically work. So you had to count your steps.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

If somebody has a dislocated foot or.

[Steven Furtick]

A dislocated hand, you can't set it back into place on the Sabbath. That's from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. Observant Jews celebrate the Sabbath in the same way today. Sabbat. You can't set the bones back in place on the Sabbath. But there's an exception.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

If the person is about to die.

[Steven Furtick]

You can do it. That's awfully nice of the pastors to make that exception.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

If you see someone about to die.

[Steven Furtick]

And you can save their life, you can do it on the Sabbath.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

It sounds crazy to us that they would take a gift God gave, like.

[Steven Furtick]

A day off, like a day to rest from their labor, and twist it.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

To the point where they forgot what Jesus said in Mark 2:27. When his disciples were working one day.

[Steven Furtick]

On the Sabbath, they were actually walking and they did something that was considered work. They took some heads of grain and they were hungry, so they rubbed the grain. The membrane, I'm going to call it. It's not called that, but I'm going to call it that.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

They rubbed that hard part off and ate the stuff they could eat. The. The Pharisees said, ah, they're working on the Sabbath.

[Steven Furtick]

Jesus said, you missed the entire point of the Sabbath which was a gift.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Because you were so caught up in.

[Steven Furtick]

Your system that you perverted and twisted the gift.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Watch what he says.

[Steven Furtick]

This is very, very strategic. That the Son of God would say.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

To the people he came to save.

[Steven Furtick]

The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath. I know it's a little difficult for us to get much meaning out of that because we don't celebrate the Sabbath in the same way. So let me try.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

This stuff was made for man, not man for stuff. The essence of the lesson is when you take a good gift and turn it into a God, it becomes destructive. Let me try another one. Sex was made for man, not man for sex. What the enemy loves to do is to take a good gift God gave you and twist it and disfigure it. Like this man's hand was disfigured. That's what had happened to the people's hearts. So they had taken a gift and turned it into a prison. They were serving something that was supposed to be serving them. When God sees you chasing material possessions, he says, that stuff is meant to serve you. Why are you serving what I gave to serve you? It's out of order. We have one man who can't work because he has a condition, a situation. We have a system of religion that won't work. Why? It's the Sabbath. We can't do it on the Sabbath. Jesus said, the Sabbath is for you, not you for the Sabbath. I gave it as a gift. Why would you twist the gift?

[Steven Furtick]

It causes me to wonder, how many gifts has God given me in my life that I have twisted? God gives you people in your life so you can encourage them. And then you become so needy you twist the gift and ruin the friendship. Now y'all are quiet. How many gifts has God given us? How many people will you sleep with before you realize that sex is a gift? It's a wonderful gift, but it's a terrible master. Within a certain context, it's a wonderful gift. But if you get it twisted, it begins to take over your life. You're out of order. You put the Sabbath before people. God puts people before the Sabbath. Religion always gets it twisted. We always tell you 10 things you have to do to be a good Christian. But God taught me that I don't change so he will love me. I change because he has loved me. This is the revelation of the cross. We love him because he first loved us. When you get that out of order, you will twist great gifts God gives you in your life. Jesus looked around and said, this isn't working. So he calls the man as an object lesson. Are you ready for this? He doesn't give a speech. He gives a lesson. He gives a demonstration. Faith is a demonstration, not an explanation. So stand up. He could have called him back tomorrow, by the way. I mean, the guy is not dying. He lived this long with a bad hand. He could live with another one. Oh, by the way, when life deals you a bad hand, let me tell you what to do. Don't fold. I know some of you are holding a bad hand today, and it's a terrible situation you're in.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

And I understand all of that.

[Steven Furtick]

And Christ has compassion for you.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

But whatever you do, touch somebody, say, don't fold. God is about to change the entire system through the most desperate situations. This is how hope works. He says, stand up and stretch out. Stand up and stretch out. If you keep procrastinating, this is the fourth. Procrastination will always keep you from experiencing the power of God. Always. When you wait until. I did it the other day. I'm almost 40 now.

[Steven Furtick]

I have some gray coming in. I'm not worried about that. That makes me feel like I've been a good pastor.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

If I could pastor this church 12 years and not a little gray on the beard.

[Steven Furtick]

Jerry, I'm sleeping. I said the other day, there are about three things in my life I really want to change. You have at least three things you want to change. Let me see if you've arrived and I'm just up here by myself trying to improve. I was like, yeah, so by the time I'm 40, it was the first thing I thought, it's a nice round number. By the time I'm 40. God said, why not now? Because it would require action, not theory. I do it all the time, the way I want the verse to work. The moment the miracle happens, I want it to work like this. He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed, their stubborn hearts. Remember what this man's heart looks like externally or his hand looks like externally. Their hearts look like inwardly. He's using the visible, the situation. That's what he does. Trouble, hardship, persecution, sword. The things that come against you. He uses those situations to show you a system, to fix the system. He looked around in frustration at the failed system. He had asked them a question because he's so savage. He answered a question they didn't ask with a question they couldn't answer. He's such a savage and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. Said to the man, stretch out your hand the way I want the verse to work is it up on the screens? I want it to say, his hand was completely restored and he stretched it out. In my mind, that's the way it should work when God changes my situation. He fixed the man's hand that was restored. And there, because the man's hand was restored, he stretched it out. What we find instead in the syntax is in the order it happens. There is a revelation of the way God works. The man stretched his hand and then it was restored. He did what he couldn't do, and in doing what he could not do, and in loving who you cannot love, in forgiving who you can't forgive, and in trusting and believing what your eyes cannot see.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

He did not stretch out his hand.

[Steven Furtick]

Because it was healed.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

His hand was healed because he stretched it out. We keep waiting for feelings, but feelings follow faith. You don't have to feel it to believe it. If you believe it, you will see it. The goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. God says to everybody, with a bad hand, because I know you come to church sometimes with your good hand out. I know you go through life sometimes with your good hand out. We have all these profiles and all these images and all these Personas and all these one sentence bios on our social media accounts. But God doesn't bless your bio. He blesses your brokenness. It is only when you lay down. Here's the fifth. Your pride. To stand up in the middle of controversy. To stand up in the middle of a hopeless, desperate, naked situation. To stand up in the middle of famine. To stand up in the middle of lack. To stand up in the middle of weakness. To stand up in the middle of discouragement. To stand up in the middle of failure and stretch out your hand and stretch out your faith and open hope in your heart and believe that he is here and all things are possible. You're not going to get this blessing with your arms crossed, waiting to see if God will do it and pretending like you don't need it. He stretched his hand.

[Steven Furtick]

Jesus healed him in an unusual way at an unusual time, on an unusual day. On the day they weren't supposed to do any work, the man's hands started working again. Do you know when God is going to do it? When you least expect it.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

You know who God is going to do it through? Through the ones who least deserve it. You know who's not going to get it? The one who just sit there waiting. But if you don't mind praising him right now, I would love to see you stretch your Hands. Clap your hands. Come on, Blakeney. Come on, Rock Hill. And lift your voice. Don't praise him because you got the blessing. Praise him because he is the blessing.

[Steven Furtick]

Jesus did what he shouldn't do so the man could do what he couldn't do. Right there with all the critics watching and all the people who didn't like it didn't matter because they were out of order. You keep going to people, you're out of order. But if you'll do what he told you to do, I promise you this. It's simple. Stretch your hand. Don't you know he was tempted to show him the good one? It's on the other hand, right hand. The hand you need to be a good husband, the hand you need to be a good father, the hand you need to get the disciplines working in your life. You have some things that aren't working, but you didn't know why. You keep running from situation and you're so stressed out from situation to situation to situation to relationship to relationship to relationship to thing to thing to thing to job to job to job, from high to high to high. It's a system. He said, I'm going to do this. Jesus found a loophole because he's a savage. He said, I can't set the man's hand back in place today because it's the Sabbath. I didn't come to break the law, but to fulfill it. So watch what he does. Jesus tells the man, stretch and he doesn't touch him. The Pharisees are watching. You can't do that. It's the Sabbath. No working on the Sabbath. Jesus said, oh, this. This isn't working. It's a word.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

I didn't stretch my hand. He stretched his. So now I know why he went to the cross, so it wouldn't be from my words. Now I know why he stretched his arms. Now I know why he did it, because I couldn't. Now I know it's by grace through faith, not of works. So I can't boast. The only thing I can do is live by hand.

[Steven Furtick]

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 to give podcast for more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe, you can share it with your friends. You can click the Share button, take a screenshot and share it on your social stories and tag us. Levation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

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[Unknown Speaker 2]

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