March 8, 2024 • 23 mins
The enemy only attacks what’s valuable. In “You Must Be Important,” Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church reminds us that if we’re going through a storm, there’s something important on the other side.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast.
I wanted to thank you for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving
in your life.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Enjoy the message.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
You know how I know you're important.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It takes boldness to call your sermon you must be important.
It takes boldness to call your sermon that. But I
know it not because of the car you drive, not
because of the house you live in, not because I
looked up how.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Many Instagram followers you have.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I know you're important because of your storm. See the
size of your storm tells me something about your importance.
The size of your storm lets me know the importance
of your assignment.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
The devil doesn't.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Start a storm for somebody who is not threatened by If.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
You're going through a storm, there's something so big on
the other side. And if you met.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
High five three, people say you must be important because
that big, bad devil's been huffing and puffing and he
thought he would blow your house down.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
But the trial to serve to prove your foundation.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Come on, my house is on the rock.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I can't. I was so confused for so long.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I thought the storm meant that God had left me,
you know, But in this passage, the storm means He's
on the way.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Did you hear what I said?
Speaker 5 (01:58):
If you're going through a storm right now, or if
one happens to hit on Thursday morning, I want you
to know that the storm is a sign that Grace
is on the way.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
The Bible says the storm came up suddenly the moment
Jesus started in the direction of the man, here came
a storm, not because God wasn't with him, but precisely
because he was headed.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
In his direction.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
All right, So if that's true, if what I just
said is true, that there is a storm that proves
nobody attacks what isn't valuable, I promise you if I
went to play Game seven today, Lebron wouldn't guard me.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I promise you.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
They would let me run all round that court and
do whatever I wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
They would hand me the ball gladly.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You only guard.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Why would you guard someone who wasn't in a position
to score?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
I know you're important. Look here, Brooke.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
When I prepared this message, I was like everybody won't
get this message because they'll do this thing. When I
get to this man called Legion and I say he
was living among the tombs and cutting himself with stones,
they would disassociate themselves and say, well, I got some problems,
but I'm not that bad. And when he says my
name is Legion, they'll back up off of him and
they'll disassociate in the text and they'll say, well, I'm
(03:53):
like the Disciples going through a storm, but I'm not
the man called Legion.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Really, are you so sure?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Because it said he lived among the tombs, so you
don't go to dead places?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Are you sure?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Are you sure this isn't you somewhere in here? It
may have a different demonstration, but it's the same dynamic
because they said they would try to chain him up
and he would break the chains and they couldn't hold
him anymore, and he would hurt himself. Are you telling
me there's no area of your life where you're out
of control? I started to study the text, thinking I
(04:40):
was like Jesus, and who do I need to go help.
The more I studied it, I thought maybe there's some
Legion in me. I don't mean demonic possession, But I
do mean oppression. I've got my own chains. I'll tell
you the greatest secret God ever showed me about you,
Yes you. He told me that all y'all are crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
True story.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
He knew the man was crazy when he got on
the boat. It didn't stop him from coming. That got
me excited. I figure maybe he knows about my issues too.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I am Legion.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
He said, Legion is six thousand foot soldiers. That's a
lot of demons. Jesus said, what is your name? You
know my name? Do you know yours? Do you know
who you are? Or do you have so many different
personas you know, because we're all Legion, we're all a
(05:54):
little bit of Legion. There are many means. Somebody told
me that looks just like me. They say she's your
mini me. I was like, you don't know how true
that is. There are many mes.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Huh. There's online you. There's Sunday Morning you. That's the
only one I ever get to see.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
But then I found out there's a Friday night You.
Don't make me interview your spouse, please, I will pull
them up here and give them the mic.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
There's a you.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Only she knows he knows there's a youth that only
you know, there's a youth that cries out there or not.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
You don't cut yourself with stones, I understand that.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
But sometimes you inflict pain on yourself and you can't
stop it, and you don't even know why you keep
pushing people away. You've been living among the tombs so long.
Somebody's tomb is them all. Somebody's tomb is pornography. Somebody's
tomb is an addiction that if we named it in
the room, you think surely that person wouldn't come to church.
(06:59):
You be surprised how quick the demons run to Jesus.
Those demons ran before Jesus and fell before him and said,
don't make us leave. Got it like we wanted here?
We got these people on lockdown. But they knew that
(07:21):
this man was important to Jesus, and they knew they
knew that they were about to have to vacate the
premises of this man's personality and his psychology, and they
knew that someone strong enough to subdue them had finally
showed up in the region of the Gharriceanes. Because you've
(07:43):
tried everything else, and you've run to everyone else. But
I declared today you were in the presence of a
greater grace. And what works couldn't do, and the law
couldn't do, and chains couldn't do, and shackles couldn't do,
God's about to do it in your life. Grace can
do what shames can't do. So now we get to
(08:08):
the part about the pigs. We hadn't even got to
the pigs yet. The pigs are the most important part.
This is the part where I'm wondering why the demons
wanted to get inside the pigs. And on the surface,
I understand that the devil never wants to give up
(08:30):
any ground. You understand once he has established a foothold.
How many of you don't believe in the devil? I
want to see who hadn't had kids yet? That's all
I'm trying to do. He doesn't want you to be
the first one in your family not to need drink
(08:51):
to feel good about yourself. He doesn't want you to
be the first one in your family to be able
to stay stable in a relationship rather than running around.
So what does he want? He wants to stand guard
in the area. And this is a brilliant strategy. I
gotta give it to these devils. The devils are smarter
than a lot of church people. They know how to
(09:14):
get information, they know how to accomplish a purpose, and
they know how to discern what is valuable.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
This is it? Stay with me? Are you with me?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Come on, We're on something.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Are you with me?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Lean into this word, the word you resist, This is the.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
One that you need.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Jesus is in this house. The presence of God is
in this place. The power of a mighty God is
in this moment. Now, So Jesus says.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
You gotta go.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Let that man go. He's important to me. I went
through the storm to get to him. I went through
the thunder and the lightning to get to him. I
went through bucketfuls of water, bail out of Peter's boat
to get to him. I came two hours across the
Sea of Galilee. And I've only got three years to
change the world. This, this man is a vip. I
(10:01):
know everybody else has forgotten about him, but I want
him now. Let me say something real quick. If he
went through the storm for this man, and he went
to the cross for you, how valuable must you be?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
How much is your life?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
For he said God, and Jesus said, okay, you can
go into the pigs.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
And they went into the pigs.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
And then they made the pigs trawl.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Because the demons know two things. One, pigs can't swim.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
But we all know that. What the demons know that
we don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I think the demons understood that the people in the
region cared more about.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
The pigs than they did about the man. This is
two thousand pigs.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
This represents a significant part of the portfolio of these
pig owners. This is a region that is known for
raising pigs. So what does the enemy attack? Whatever you
value the most, and yes, he knows what you value,
(11:32):
And yes, he knows how to hit you where it
hurts the most. And that's why he'll use people to
get to your relationship with God. What's really most valuable
is your relationship with God. But he knows if he
can get people to offend you, you will do what
the people did. You will send Jesus away because you
are offended by people.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
He knows where to hit you. He knows where your
insecurity is.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
He knows your playlist, what you say to yourself about yourself.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
He knows your proclivities, your perversions, he.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Knows what makes you feel ashamed, so he hits you
there to make you lash out in anger.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
He knows how to keep you bound.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And since he couldn't stay in the man, the devil
went into the pigs. If I killed the pigs, they'll
send Jesus away. Let me hurt Job. This is when
the devil had a meeting with God. He said, I've
been going to and fro looking for somebody to devour.
(12:42):
And God said, have you checked out my boy?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Job? Job's a bad dude. This is an updated translation.
It's a little more modern. Probably says it in your Bible.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And the devil said, he's only serving you. He's only
serving you because his herd is still intact. Let me
touch his body, let me touch his children. The enemy
will use anything to get to your faith. What he's
after is your relationship with God. But he will use
(13:17):
the pigs to get you to push away the presence
of God. He knows exactly where you're vulnerable. Guess where
you're the most vulnerable. Wherever you place the greatest value.
These pigs were worth two million dollars in modern money.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
He said, if I can.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Get in the pigs and make the pigs drown, in
the water. The people will be so afraid because they
lost their pigs that they will send Jesus away. I
wonder where the enemy attacked you. I bet it was
in the place of your greatest value. But guess what
I got good news. He only attacks what's valuable. So
(13:59):
if he has has attacked you lately, get ready to shallow.
Guess what that means about you? You must be important, you,
o God. The devil knows more about your destiny than
you do. There must be something on your life. Can
I preach this like God gave it to me? God said,
(14:22):
some of you are breaking generational curses and you don't
even know it.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
And that's why it's been so hard.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
And that's why it's been so strong, and that's why
it's been so dark, because you're so strong, and you're
so positioned, and you're so important to his purpose.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
You must be important.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
The devil wouldn't tie you up if he wasn't afraid
of what would happen if you got loose. I can't
buy an amen, but I don't need one. This is
good in my soul. I said he wouldn't tie you up.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
It's the opposite. I thought.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
The storm meant God had left me. I found out
it meant that Grace was on the way. I thought
the shackles meant God couldn't use me. I found out
that the shackles mean God is looking for someone.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Who knows how to break.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Says now, I just wonder, are there any chain breakers
in the house today?
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I mean, you see chain.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Breakers, rock hill shain breakers. If you're a chain breaker
and you know it, and you've been through some things
and you have some issues, and you forgot who you
were for a moment, but in the presence of God today,
you're starting to remember.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
I am a child of God.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Take a few moments and praise Him.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
For what's on the other side.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Come on, children, come on, come on, say breakers, come on.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
And praise him.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I don't care.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I'm on the screen.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Shall it to God with the voice of trial. I
don't care you belong to a country club. Shallah to
God with the voice of trial.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
I'm a sane breaker.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
You must be important. He threw you in the.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Fire so he could show never conniess her that he
is God.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
You must be important.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
He lets you spend the night with the lions so
he could shut the lion's mouth and demonstrate his strength.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
You must be important.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
He drowned all those horses in the Red Sea so
that the nations would know that he is God.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
You must be important.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Hot five.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Everybody looks happy and say you must be important.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
You gotta be, You gotta be.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
How else do you explain the fact that you're still here?
Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, so that
only that which cannot be shaken will remain. You know
what it means if you're still here. You weren't shaken.
The trial came the foundation's quick.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
But the house stood firm because it wasn't on the sand.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
This man.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Was so important that Jesus went through the storm to.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Get to him.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And you were so important that Jesus went through gethseemone
to get to you. You were so important that he
passed through the membrane of eternity into the construct called
time to come to you. Don't you ever let the
devil tell you against somebody else needs to raise those kids.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Don't you ever.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Let the devil tell you against somebody.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Else belongs in that spot.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
You don't.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
And the next storm that.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Comes, I want you to wave it on by, because
there must be something so great on the other side.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Listen. In my Bible, it says something very strange.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
It says that when Jesus set the man free, the
man went and got down in the boat because he
was like, you are not leaving me here with these people.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Look at verse eighteen. I didn't read it to y'all
saving him.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who
was demon possessed begged to go with him. That's like,
if you're in my car on the way home, that
would be weird. Now we got a contrast because the
demons are like, don't make us leave, and the man
(19:21):
is like, don't make me stay. And it's sexy to
want to step out into something new. And the brother
is clothed and in his right mind, and he's amazed
and he's grateful and he wants to be on Jesus team.
So he's like, I'm gonna come with you, all right,
(19:44):
that's cool. I promise no more of that cutting, chain
breaking stuff. Let me keep the books. I see that
guy you got Judas. I don't think he the devil
knows the devil. I'm telling you, let me be your treasurer.
But something happened so strange to me because I just
(20:05):
read in Mark two where Jesus called the disciples and
he said, come follow me. Leave what you know and
follow me, and I'm gonna show you how to do
something new for my glory.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
And they had the faith to go.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And it takes a lot of faith to leave a
situation you're familiar with. It takes faith to go. But
Jesus did something kind of strange. She looked back at
the man and he said, you can't follow me. Jesus
(20:40):
didn't let him leave, but said, I need you to
go home to the same situation that I delivered you in.
I'm not going to take you out of it. I
took it out of you. I changed your condition, but
(21:12):
I'm going to leave you in the circumstance.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Because I want these people to watch this.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Go home and tell them how much the Lord has
done for you. Give me my verse please thank you,
and how he has had mercy on you. I want
you to be a trophy. In fact, it's better than that.
Look at Verse twenty touch somebody say you must be
(21:40):
so important. I don't know why the ushers let me
sit next to you.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
You must be so important. And he went away and
begin to tell him to the capitalists.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
That's ten cities. The man became a missionary. You know,
we could call this sermon from maniac to missionary. I
need somebody crazy enough.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Because when the people see how much you've changed, they're
going to be amazed.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Sometimes God gives you the faith to go. Other times
he gives you the grace to stay. And I think
that's amazing too, because some of you are in a
difficult place and all you want to do is escape.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Jesus, take me with you, I mean, let me get
a new start.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
And sometimes in those moments, and you know, if you're
in one where you just want to escape the situation
or the pain of the trial, God says, I'm going
to give you something better than the faith to go.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
I'm going to give you the grace to stay.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
See, you are so important to me. And who wasn't
even living with the people, became the first missionary to
the Gentiles. He was the first one. Some of you
are going to be the first. You are going to
(23:12):
be the first to break a chain. None of your
friends have done it, none of your family did it.
Nobody around you believes you can do it. And you
didn't believe in yourself. But in this moment, the presence
of the Lord is in this place.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Because now I know who I am.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
I thought I was worthless. I believe that for years,
But now I know who I am. He came through
all that for me. Now I know who I am.
Because the enemy only attacks what's valuable.
Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast.
I wanted to thank you for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving
in your life.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Enjoy the message.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
You know how I know you're important.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It takes boldness to call your sermon you must be important.
It takes boldness to call your sermon that. But I
know it not because of the car you drive, not
because of the house you live in, not because I
looked up how.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Many Instagram followers you have.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I know you're important because of your storm. See the
size of your storm tells me something about your importance.
The size of your storm lets me know the importance
of your assignment.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
The devil doesn't.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Start a storm for somebody who is not threatened by If.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
You're going through a storm, there's something so big on
the other side. And if you met.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
High five three, people say you must be important because
that big, bad devil's been huffing and puffing and he
thought he would blow your house down.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
But the trial to serve to prove your foundation.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Come on, my house is on the rock.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I can't. I was so confused for so long.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I thought the storm meant that God had left me,
you know, But in this passage, the storm means He's
on the way.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Did you hear what I said?
Speaker 5 (01:58):
If you're going through a storm right now, or if
one happens to hit on Thursday morning, I want you
to know that the storm is a sign that Grace
is on the way.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
The Bible says the storm came up suddenly the moment
Jesus started in the direction of the man, here came
a storm, not because God wasn't with him, but precisely
because he was headed.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
In his direction.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
All right, So if that's true, if what I just
said is true, that there is a storm that proves
nobody attacks what isn't valuable, I promise you if I
went to play Game seven today, Lebron wouldn't guard me.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I promise you.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
They would let me run all round that court and
do whatever I wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
They would hand me the ball gladly.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You only guard.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Why would you guard someone who wasn't in a position
to score?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
I know you're important. Look here, Brooke.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
When I prepared this message, I was like everybody won't
get this message because they'll do this thing. When I
get to this man called Legion and I say he
was living among the tombs and cutting himself with stones,
they would disassociate themselves and say, well, I got some problems,
but I'm not that bad. And when he says my
name is Legion, they'll back up off of him and
they'll disassociate in the text and they'll say, well, I'm
(03:53):
like the Disciples going through a storm, but I'm not
the man called Legion.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Really, are you so sure?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Because it said he lived among the tombs, so you
don't go to dead places?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Are you sure?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Are you sure this isn't you somewhere in here? It
may have a different demonstration, but it's the same dynamic
because they said they would try to chain him up
and he would break the chains and they couldn't hold
him anymore, and he would hurt himself. Are you telling
me there's no area of your life where you're out
of control? I started to study the text, thinking I
(04:40):
was like Jesus, and who do I need to go help.
The more I studied it, I thought maybe there's some
Legion in me. I don't mean demonic possession, But I
do mean oppression. I've got my own chains. I'll tell
you the greatest secret God ever showed me about you,
Yes you. He told me that all y'all are crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
True story.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
He knew the man was crazy when he got on
the boat. It didn't stop him from coming. That got
me excited. I figure maybe he knows about my issues too.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I am Legion.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
He said, Legion is six thousand foot soldiers. That's a
lot of demons. Jesus said, what is your name? You
know my name? Do you know yours? Do you know
who you are? Or do you have so many different
personas you know, because we're all Legion, we're all a
(05:54):
little bit of Legion. There are many means. Somebody told
me that looks just like me. They say she's your
mini me. I was like, you don't know how true
that is. There are many mes.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Huh. There's online you. There's Sunday Morning you. That's the
only one I ever get to see.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
But then I found out there's a Friday night You.
Don't make me interview your spouse, please, I will pull
them up here and give them the mic.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
There's a you.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Only she knows he knows there's a youth that only
you know, there's a youth that cries out there or not.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
You don't cut yourself with stones, I understand that.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
But sometimes you inflict pain on yourself and you can't
stop it, and you don't even know why you keep
pushing people away. You've been living among the tombs so long.
Somebody's tomb is them all. Somebody's tomb is pornography. Somebody's
tomb is an addiction that if we named it in
the room, you think surely that person wouldn't come to church.
(06:59):
You be surprised how quick the demons run to Jesus.
Those demons ran before Jesus and fell before him and said,
don't make us leave. Got it like we wanted here?
We got these people on lockdown. But they knew that
(07:21):
this man was important to Jesus, and they knew they
knew that they were about to have to vacate the
premises of this man's personality and his psychology, and they
knew that someone strong enough to subdue them had finally
showed up in the region of the Gharriceanes. Because you've
(07:43):
tried everything else, and you've run to everyone else. But
I declared today you were in the presence of a
greater grace. And what works couldn't do, and the law
couldn't do, and chains couldn't do, and shackles couldn't do,
God's about to do it in your life. Grace can
do what shames can't do. So now we get to
(08:08):
the part about the pigs. We hadn't even got to
the pigs yet. The pigs are the most important part.
This is the part where I'm wondering why the demons
wanted to get inside the pigs. And on the surface,
I understand that the devil never wants to give up
(08:30):
any ground. You understand once he has established a foothold.
How many of you don't believe in the devil? I
want to see who hadn't had kids yet? That's all
I'm trying to do. He doesn't want you to be
the first one in your family not to need drink
(08:51):
to feel good about yourself. He doesn't want you to
be the first one in your family to be able
to stay stable in a relationship rather than running around.
So what does he want? He wants to stand guard
in the area. And this is a brilliant strategy. I
gotta give it to these devils. The devils are smarter
than a lot of church people. They know how to
(09:14):
get information, they know how to accomplish a purpose, and
they know how to discern what is valuable.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
This is it? Stay with me? Are you with me?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Come on, We're on something.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Are you with me?
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Lean into this word, the word you resist, This is the.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
One that you need.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Jesus is in this house. The presence of God is
in this place. The power of a mighty God is
in this moment. Now, So Jesus says.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
You gotta go.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Let that man go. He's important to me. I went
through the storm to get to him. I went through
the thunder and the lightning to get to him. I
went through bucketfuls of water, bail out of Peter's boat
to get to him. I came two hours across the
Sea of Galilee. And I've only got three years to
change the world. This, this man is a vip. I
(10:01):
know everybody else has forgotten about him, but I want
him now. Let me say something real quick. If he
went through the storm for this man, and he went
to the cross for you, how valuable must you be?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
How much is your life?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
For he said God, and Jesus said, okay, you can
go into the pigs.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
And they went into the pigs.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
And then they made the pigs trawl.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Because the demons know two things. One, pigs can't swim.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
But we all know that. What the demons know that
we don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
I think the demons understood that the people in the
region cared more about.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
The pigs than they did about the man. This is
two thousand pigs.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
This represents a significant part of the portfolio of these
pig owners. This is a region that is known for
raising pigs. So what does the enemy attack? Whatever you
value the most, and yes, he knows what you value,
(11:32):
And yes, he knows how to hit you where it
hurts the most. And that's why he'll use people to
get to your relationship with God. What's really most valuable
is your relationship with God. But he knows if he
can get people to offend you, you will do what
the people did. You will send Jesus away because you
are offended by people.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
He knows where to hit you. He knows where your
insecurity is.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
He knows your playlist, what you say to yourself about yourself.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
He knows your proclivities, your perversions, he.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Knows what makes you feel ashamed, so he hits you
there to make you lash out in anger.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
He knows how to keep you bound.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And since he couldn't stay in the man, the devil
went into the pigs. If I killed the pigs, they'll
send Jesus away. Let me hurt Job. This is when
the devil had a meeting with God. He said, I've
been going to and fro looking for somebody to devour.
(12:42):
And God said, have you checked out my boy?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Job? Job's a bad dude. This is an updated translation.
It's a little more modern. Probably says it in your Bible.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And the devil said, he's only serving you. He's only
serving you because his herd is still intact. Let me
touch his body, let me touch his children. The enemy
will use anything to get to your faith. What he's
after is your relationship with God. But he will use
(13:17):
the pigs to get you to push away the presence
of God. He knows exactly where you're vulnerable. Guess where
you're the most vulnerable. Wherever you place the greatest value.
These pigs were worth two million dollars in modern money.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
He said, if I can.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Get in the pigs and make the pigs drown, in
the water. The people will be so afraid because they
lost their pigs that they will send Jesus away. I
wonder where the enemy attacked you. I bet it was
in the place of your greatest value. But guess what
I got good news. He only attacks what's valuable. So
(13:59):
if he has has attacked you lately, get ready to shallow.
Guess what that means about you? You must be important, you,
o God. The devil knows more about your destiny than
you do. There must be something on your life. Can
I preach this like God gave it to me? God said,
(14:22):
some of you are breaking generational curses and you don't
even know it.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
And that's why it's been so hard.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
And that's why it's been so strong, and that's why
it's been so dark, because you're so strong, and you're
so positioned, and you're so important to his purpose.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
You must be important.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
The devil wouldn't tie you up if he wasn't afraid
of what would happen if you got loose. I can't
buy an amen, but I don't need one. This is
good in my soul. I said he wouldn't tie you up.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
It's the opposite. I thought.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
The storm meant God had left me. I found out
it meant that Grace was on the way. I thought
the shackles meant God couldn't use me. I found out
that the shackles mean God is looking for someone.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Who knows how to break.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Says now, I just wonder, are there any chain breakers
in the house today?
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I mean, you see chain.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Breakers, rock hill shain breakers. If you're a chain breaker
and you know it, and you've been through some things
and you have some issues, and you forgot who you
were for a moment, but in the presence of God today,
you're starting to remember.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
I am a child of God.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Take a few moments and praise Him.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
For what's on the other side.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Come on, children, come on, come on, say breakers, come on.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
And praise him.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I don't care.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I'm on the screen.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Shall it to God with the voice of trial. I
don't care you belong to a country club. Shallah to
God with the voice of trial.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
I'm a sane breaker.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
You must be important. He threw you in the.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Fire so he could show never conniess her that he
is God.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
You must be important.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
He lets you spend the night with the lions so
he could shut the lion's mouth and demonstrate his strength.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
You must be important.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
He drowned all those horses in the Red Sea so
that the nations would know that he is God.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
You must be important.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Hot five.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Everybody looks happy and say you must be important.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
You gotta be, You gotta be.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
How else do you explain the fact that you're still here?
Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, so that
only that which cannot be shaken will remain. You know
what it means if you're still here. You weren't shaken.
The trial came the foundation's quick.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
But the house stood firm because it wasn't on the sand.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
This man.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Was so important that Jesus went through the storm to.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Get to him.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And you were so important that Jesus went through gethseemone
to get to you. You were so important that he
passed through the membrane of eternity into the construct called
time to come to you. Don't you ever let the
devil tell you against somebody else needs to raise those kids.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Don't you ever.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Let the devil tell you against somebody.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Else belongs in that spot.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
You don't.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
And the next storm that.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Comes, I want you to wave it on by, because
there must be something so great on the other side.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Listen. In my Bible, it says something very strange.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
It says that when Jesus set the man free, the
man went and got down in the boat because he
was like, you are not leaving me here with these people.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Look at verse eighteen. I didn't read it to y'all
saving him.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who
was demon possessed begged to go with him. That's like,
if you're in my car on the way home, that
would be weird. Now we got a contrast because the
demons are like, don't make us leave, and the man
(19:21):
is like, don't make me stay. And it's sexy to
want to step out into something new. And the brother
is clothed and in his right mind, and he's amazed
and he's grateful and he wants to be on Jesus team.
So he's like, I'm gonna come with you, all right,
(19:44):
that's cool. I promise no more of that cutting, chain
breaking stuff. Let me keep the books. I see that
guy you got Judas. I don't think he the devil
knows the devil. I'm telling you, let me be your treasurer.
But something happened so strange to me because I just
(20:05):
read in Mark two where Jesus called the disciples and
he said, come follow me. Leave what you know and
follow me, and I'm gonna show you how to do
something new for my glory.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
And they had the faith to go.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And it takes a lot of faith to leave a
situation you're familiar with. It takes faith to go. But
Jesus did something kind of strange. She looked back at
the man and he said, you can't follow me. Jesus
(20:40):
didn't let him leave, but said, I need you to
go home to the same situation that I delivered you in.
I'm not going to take you out of it. I
took it out of you. I changed your condition, but
(21:12):
I'm going to leave you in the circumstance.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Because I want these people to watch this.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Go home and tell them how much the Lord has
done for you. Give me my verse please thank you,
and how he has had mercy on you. I want
you to be a trophy. In fact, it's better than that.
Look at Verse twenty touch somebody say you must be
(21:40):
so important. I don't know why the ushers let me
sit next to you.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
You must be so important. And he went away and
begin to tell him to the capitalists.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
That's ten cities. The man became a missionary. You know,
we could call this sermon from maniac to missionary. I
need somebody crazy enough.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Because when the people see how much you've changed, they're
going to be amazed.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Sometimes God gives you the faith to go. Other times
he gives you the grace to stay. And I think
that's amazing too, because some of you are in a
difficult place and all you want to do is escape.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Jesus, take me with you, I mean, let me get
a new start.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
And sometimes in those moments, and you know, if you're
in one where you just want to escape the situation
or the pain of the trial, God says, I'm going
to give you something better than the faith to go.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
I'm going to give you the grace to stay.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
See, you are so important to me. And who wasn't
even living with the people, became the first missionary to
the Gentiles. He was the first one. Some of you
are going to be the first. You are going to
(23:12):
be the first to break a chain. None of your
friends have done it, none of your family did it.
Nobody around you believes you can do it. And you
didn't believe in yourself. But in this moment, the presence
of the Lord is in this place.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Because now I know who I am.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
I thought I was worthless. I believe that for years,
But now I know who I am. He came through
all that for me. Now I know who I am.
Because the enemy only attacks what's valuable.
Host
Steven Furtick
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