Uncover the True Power of Faith: Moving Mountains

Welcome to Friendship Vallejo. I'm Pastor Justin, and this is the place where everybody's welcome. Nobody's perfect and anything is possible. Matthew 17. We're going to read the first 20 verses and then we'll jump into the Word of God. After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And there he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I'll put up three dwelling places, three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. And while he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them. And a voice from the cloud said, this is my son, who I love, and I am pleased with him. Listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell face down, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them and said, get up, don't be afraid. They looked up. They saw no one but Jesus. So they're coming down the mountain. Jesus instructed Peter, James and John, don't tell anyone what you've seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. The disciples asked him, when do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first? Jesus replied, to be sure Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come. But they don't even recognize him and have done to him everything they wish. In the same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. And the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. Lord, have mercy on my son, he said. He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him. Jesus said, this, you unbelieving and perverse generation. Jesus replied, how long shall I stay with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring the boy to me. And Jesus rebuked the demon. He came out of the boy and was healed in that moment. Then the disciples said, jesus, why couldn't we drive it out? Jesus said, because you have little faith. I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to that mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Verse 19. Why couldn't we drive it out? Why couldn't we drive it out? I want to put a tag on this text and talk for a couple minutes. A question that I raised to my students and I want to give to you as well. Well, did you ask a good question today? You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Did you ask a good question today? One of the most oppressive things that I'm starting to recognize is unsolicited advice. We decide that we want to lead people and tell people things about them from our assumptions, without knowing things about people. How many times have you received it or have you given it? Because we love having the answers. And so instead of engaging with people, we just tell them how they ought to live their lives based upon my assumptions about you instead of knowing who you are. Unsolicited advice is ridiculous. Unsolicited advice is insulting. Because what I've learned in my life is the best leaders, wise people are not the ones who always have the answer. Wise people are the ones who know how to ask the right questions. This is what's happening in this text in Matthew, chapter 17. And I want to get up here and talk about disciple making and tell you to do the things that we see earlier in Scripture and the previous Chapters of Matthew 15:16 that Jesus is telling his disciples, go heal people. Go drive out demons. You're going to do all this amazing stuff because you are, are a disciple. Can you put yourself in the feet of a disciple? These men, these brothers, some older, some younger than Jesus, were simply fishing. They had a very successful physician's business. They had a very successful attorney. They were successful tax collectors. They were doing it very well. They went to school to be very successful at what they did. And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this man from the ghetto of Nazareth shows up with long hair, who used to be a stonemason, said, the Lord sent me, and my cousin John the Baptist came before me. And y' all heard about Crazy John. He's out in the wilderness eating locusts and honey. So now here's what I need you to do. Leave your successful fishing business, leave your successful attorney's office, leave your successful place of work and come and follow this crazy man named Jesus from the ghetto of Nazareth. And then here's what I'm giving you the ability to do.

We, when you follow me, here's what.

You'Re going to do. We're going to encounter sick people that you don't want to touch, but you have the anointing to heal them. And then we're going to encounter demons.

And then you know what you're going to do to demons?

Remove them. Now that's awesome in concept, but can you imagine what these 27 year old brothers who've worked their entire life to take over, like Zebedee sons who've worked their entire life to take over Zebedee's business. All of a sudden this man from the ghetto shows up talking about, go heal the sick and remove demons. What you want me to do? What I've been working all my life to take over daddy's business? I've been working all my life to be a successful doctor. I've been working all my life to be a successful attorney. And you want me to give up all of this to follow you? And not just follow you, but you want me to encounter sick people that can make me sick. And you want me to remove demons? You want me to remove demons. There's a human side to this disciple making that I don't think we often talk about. Because if I yell and scream about. Shout, scream. Because you heal. We got to think with the reality and the truth that sometimes it's frustrating to recognize how gifted you really are. Sometimes it's not easy to own the truth of what Jesus sees on you. And this is this encounter in Matthew 17 is this two conversations that Jesus has with his disciples where they recognize again what they have on them. The gift of God that is on them, and the frustrating tension of being a disciple. When my flesh gets heavy here in this text. Look at the text. The Bible says that they go and Jesus seals away with Peter, James and John. He goes up to the mountain, the mount of Transfiguration. And on this mountain, Jesus gives his disciples acts to a side of Jesus that no one on earth has ever seen. They get to the top of the mountain and Matthew says, on the mountain, Jesus is changed. He is transfigured. And he begins to have a conversation with Moses and Elijah. Now notice Peter, James and John don't sit there and go into worship because they see Jesus and all his splendor.

Because they had gotten so used to.

Jesus, they forgot the truth that Jesus was Jesus. How many times do we get numb to the truth about Jesus? That when Jesus shows us himself, we want to call it praise and worship. When Jesus shows him us himself, we call it the end of a sermon. But really those are your emotions.

Have we gotten so numb to the.

Presence of Jesus that we've dumbed Jesus down to 10 minutes? During worship they saw the transfigured body.

Of Jesus, that Jesus is who he said he was. And what was Their response, they saw Moses, they saw Elijah, they saw Jesus.

And Peter, James and John said, oh, let's build a church. Let's construct a dwelling place. Because what I don't understand, I've got to box in. It's amazing because their first response to the very presence of God was not worship, it was to build a church. I think it's. I think they're a lot like a lot of us in the building today, that when God shows us God's self, our. Our goal is to box God in and take it where I want to take God. Because I'd rather control God than to worship God. I'd rather box in this moment. Call it nostalgia. I'd rather box in this moment and play the song over and over. I'd rather box in this moment and listen to the sermon at my leisure. Because it's uncomfortable to me to be in worship when I didn't plan to worship God. Because I'd rather put God into something smaller I can control. Peter says, let's build the church. How many times have you responded to the presence of God and said, God, this is uncomfortable. I just need to have church. One of the reasons I believe the world doesn't respect the local church is because we're so confused to building ourselves that when God shows up, we tell God, stop it. We got to go have church first. God looks at Peter, James, and John and says, don't you dare insult my presence. God stops this moment and comes and says, this is my son. Listen to him. Because their minds had not been open to the fact that Jesus can do everything that Jesus has said that he can do. And I'm talking to somebody in the building. I want to remind you, maybe Jesus is who he said he is. Maybe he's a healer and you just have an axe for healing. Maybe he really is a waymaker, a provider, a mirror. Maybe he's everything you sing about. And maybe it goes from you singing about it to you believing he is who he says he is. The text says this. When God began to talk to the disciples, they began to bow. But they didn't bow in worship. The Greek there is interesting. They bowed because they were terrified at what God would do to them. Because they realized what they said was disobedient and disrespectful to the very presence of God. They didn't bow to worship. They bowed because they didn't want to lose their lives. They get access to God. They see Jesus transfigured. They hear God's voice. Voice. And they still, don't bow in honor. They bowed for the wrong reasons. And I love it because Jesus does something to them that I believe he's doing to a lot of us in our faith. Jesus looks at these men and says, get up. Don't waste your energy. You're not bowing with the right intention. You're not bowing with the right purpose. You not on your face to honor me. You're on your face because you're afraid I'll hurt you. Jesus says, don't insult my Father's presence. Don't insult my presence.

Jesus says, get up.

And I'm talking to some of us in the building.

I want you to change your posture from what you think you're supposed to do and begin to respond when God moves because what your heart tells you to do. Have our hearts not broken for the things that God breaks our hearts for? Or are you just coming to church because you're supposed to do it? Are you dressing up because you're supposed to supposed to do it? Are you on your face because you're supposed to do it? Are you talking to people because you're supposed to do it? Or are you saying, I can't live without worshiping God. I can't live without being on my face for God. Because if you're doing it for the wrong reason, Jesus looks at you and says, quit wasting your time.

Get up. He takes this moment and says, you.

Have God in front of you. You have the transfigured body of Jesus in front of you, and you are so into yourself, you can't even worship me from your heart. He says, get up. I'm talking to people in the building that when God gave you what you prayed for, you decided not to thank God. But you got to go to church. Jesus says, get up. When God opens a door and you don't tell him thank you. Jesus says, get up. Because God would not have brought you on that mountain if he didn't think you could handle the glory. God would have not have blessed you with what he blessed you with if he didn't think you could handle the glory. I'm talking to your ego. I'm talking to your arrogance. I'm talking to your confusion. I'm talking to your insecurity. It's time to get up. That access, that relationship, that opportunity, you are worth it to God. But do you see yourself clearly?

Because if not, you'll slap the very presence of God in the face. And Jesus says, get up. Quit exempting yourself from the opportunity for God to do something new. Because you want God to keep showing himself the same old way. You are with Jesus and you tell Jesus, we gotta have church. I'm talking to somebody. You are with Jesus and you tell.

Jesus, I don't want to see this. So Moses and Elijah, we've been praying about you all for hundreds of years.

But if you can just get in this box for me, I can take you to work with me and show off how much I know about Jesus. How many times have you left worship to show off how much Jesus you know instead of inviting people who don't know Jesus to know Jesus to God is not confined to what you think. You serve a God who can do immeasurably more, but yet we pray for and expect measurably less. Jesus says, get up. Don't you waste this moment in my presence. Get up. Don't you waste this time on your face.

Get up.

Don't you waste your time in your Bible. Get. Why are you wielding my word to harm somebody?

Get up. Jesus says, don't you dare waste my glory on your ego. He says, get.

I'm talking the people in the room. Get up. You are not going to exempt yourself from the glory of God. Get up. You're not going to exempt yourself from the movement of God. Get up.

Get up. Out of your own dysfunction that you choose to stay in. Because when God shows up, your ego showed up bigger. God says, raise up. Get up and trust me, because I wouldn't have brought you on the mountain.

If I didn't think you could handle it. So that's what's happening on the mountain. The text says, they come down the mountain and he says, don't tell anybody what you said saw, because in a couple of days I'm going to die. They come down off the mountain. The text says, there's this crowd of people. And now remember this two chapters earlier, about four days earlier, Jesus had given his disciples the ability to do two things. Number one, you can go heal the sick and you can go remove demons. Well, now they come down off the mountain. The other disciples are on the bottom of the mountain. Jesus, Peter, James and John come down off the mountain, but get to the bottom of the mountain. And what do they find when they get there? A brother who is epileptic going into shock. Daddy comes up and says, hey, my son is sick. Jesus says, the man's afflicted with a demon. Now hear this. They have the authority to heal the sick and remove demons. A couple of days earlier, Jesus sent them out two by two. What did they do? They drove out a bunch of demons and they healed a bunch of sick people. They have done this before. They have healed people before. They have driven out demons before. But now, when the past. I'm sorry, not the pastor. When Jesus is gone, they tell the sick man, wait for the past. I mean, sorry, wait for Jesus.

Because we would do it, but we.

Have no one to show it off to. So just wait for Jesus to show up. Because when Jesus shows up, he'll heal.

You, even though we have the authority.

Hallelujah. To heal the sick. How many people have you stayed sick with because it inconvenienced our reputation? No, come here. How many people have you allowed to stay sick and afflicted because a deacon wasn't available? Come here. How many people in your family, on.

Your job, on your home, have you.

Waged that I can call my pastor even though I've been equipped with authority to do the very thing you came to me to pray for? They get to the bottom of the mountain. The rest of the disciples who've been.

Equipped to heal and equipped to rebuke.

Demons, they don't do the one thing that Jesus has given them the authority to do. And Jesus looks at them and he says this in the scripture. He says, you unbelieving and perverse generation. He doesn't talk to the crowd. The Greek there is. He talks directly to his disciples. And he says, you have an opportunity to do the very thing I'm showing. Because integrity is not what you do. Hallelujah. When your boss is watching. Integrity is what you do when no one is looking. And when no one is looking, you said, I don't want to do the very thing I'm called to do. Because you're a deacon on Sunday, but you put the title down on Monday. You're a worship leader on Sunday, but you.

You cuss on Monday. You're a preacher on Sunday, but I.

Don'T know who you are on Thursday.

You go to church on Sunday, but.

You don't want the camera on you.

Because you don't want your co workers to know that the person they drink with on Thursday is the person that's on the altar on Sunday. And Jesus comes down and says, you are too anointed to rebuke your gift when sick stuff shows up in front of you. He says, you unbelieving and perverse, generous.

It's amazing that the Greek there is so powerful. He says, apistos di estramina. It's very deep, emotional words that Jesus was deeply, emotionally hurt. Because he sees Calvary in his future.

And he says, I'm about to die.

For people who don't trust me. And their lack of faith wounded Jesus deeply. I take Peter, James and John up on the mountain and they want to have church. I come down off the mountain and y' all won't heal a sick person? Are you serious? I brought y' all to see my daddy, and y'. All. Y' all don't want to talk to him. Then I come back down here and y' all don't want to do the.

One thing I called you to do. You are wicked.

It hurts Jesus when we don't utilize the gifts that Jesus has given to us. I'm gonna say it again. It wounds Jesus deeply when you know where you're gifted and slap Jesus and don't use it. Here's my woe. Woe unto gifted people who weaponize their gifts. You were given a gift. You can't weaponize what you don't own. Amen. Woe unto gifted people who refuse to activate their gifts when it could possibly change their reputation among people who were not invested in you in the first place. It deeply hurts Jesus when you. When Jesus knows what he put inside of you and you don't do what you are called to do to every gifted person in the building. Woe unto us when we sit on our gifts waiting for somebody to ask you to use them. If somebody has to ask you to do what Jesus died for to give you, you aren't insulting them. You are insulting Jesus. Woe unto us for wanting to have meetings to wield power without your gifts instead of being powerful with your gifts. Woe unto every gifted person who complains about ungifted people working in the area. You're gifted because you refuse to bring the best out of them. Woe unto gifted people who only use your gift if American dollars are tied to it. Woe unto arrogant gifted people who are not humble enough to let somebody massage.

And grow your gift.

Woe.

Woe unto gifted people who say, I'm going to wait for somebody else to do what I'm gifted to do. Jesus says, you are wicked and perverse.

Because I ain't talking to demons. You can heal demons, but you've gotten comfortable living with demons that you have the authority to remove. You've gotten comfortable living with demons that you have the authority authority to remove. And so you want to have prayer service and you want to come and have everybody lay hands on your family.

When you have the authority to remove the very thing you Maybe you like the demon.

I ain't scared of none of y' all in this building.

I said maybe you like the demon because you have the authority to rebuke it. But you like the comfort of knowing what you can do but complaining about what you won't do because you want to be mad at other gifted people who can do it too, but don't have the authority because God didn't give them the oil to remove it. He gave it to you.

And Jesus says, it wounds me deeply when you don't use what I put in. That's why the last couple of weeks, I've been coming hard for gifted people. I'm tired of silent gifted people. So imagine how the disciples would have felt. Some of you probably feel like this right now. You. You probably think I'm talking to you. And I am not. In a weird way, Trust me. I'm not talking about no petty church stuff. I'm talking about your gifts. There are preachers. There are leaders. There are. We need a person to lead the seat. We need people to lead things around here. And I'm doing too much work because gifted people are waiting for me to come beg you to do what Jesus has called you to do. Valeo needs gifted people. And you waiting for the city council to call your name.

They ain't gonna call you. Jesus did.

So their egos were bruised. Imagine how these men felt. Who does Negro think he is? You're from Nazareth. Sorry, I almost said something. Negro, we know people from Nazareth. No good thing comes out of Nazareth. Who you think you are telling us we wicked and perverse and what they did? But I like this, because here's where growth comes. They get away from this moment with Jesus. They go to a private place with Jesus and the text says something powerful. They didn't have a church meeting to remove Jesus. They didn't revolt against Jesus. They didn't try to kill Jesus. The disciples knew that Jesus was speaking truth about them. And the disciples said this question, Lord, why couldn't. Couldn't we drive that demon out? Because wise people don't have the answers. Wise people ask the right questions to every dreamer, to every innovator, to every change agent in this building, to every creator, to every leader, to every gifted person. There comes a time in your life where you stop and you bring your brokenness, your frustration, your. Your lack, your raw, unresolved questions to Jesus. Why couldn't I do what I've been anointed to do? Why is my son this way, Jesus? Why is my daughter like this. Jesus, why is my community like this? Jesus, why are my finance. I don't understand it. I can't figure it out. And I can sit up here and tell you to heal, deliver, step, set free, jump, scream, shout. Because that's what disciples are called to do.

But on the other side of that.

Are true disciples who didn't believe they could do what they're anointed to do. Disciples who had questions about the gift. Jesus said they had. Disciples who were confused. Disciples who didn't want the responsibility of delivering demons and healing the sick. Without the coverage of Jesus being visible in your life, every disciple in this room will find yourself at a place where you are, are gifted. But you're saying, God, listen, you can take this gift from me because I don't want this responsibility. I don't, I don't want to have to dress differently. I don't want to have to walk differently. I don't want to have to change my talk. I don't have to change my surroundings. I don't want to change my friend group. Jesus, I love you, but I'm good on being gifted. Jesus, I like you. I just want to go to church on Sunday. I want to give my $2. I want to go home and watch the Raiders. I don't want to have to lay hands on people who insult me.

I don't want to have to care for people, Justin.

Jesus, who don't like me. I don't want to have to deal.

With individuals who disrespect me, who won't like me, who will talk about me.

I don't want to change how I dress.

I don't like being gifted. Jesus, if you would take this gift from me, why couldn't I do it? Because frankly, I don't like being gifted.

I'm talking to gifted people.

You're sitting on your gift. Because I don't like what you put in me. Jesus, why couldn't we do it?

Because frankly, we didn't want to. Jesus, why couldn't we? We're talking to gifted people. God, why? Why couldn't I? Because I don't want this. Because wise people are not the ones who have the answers. Wise people are the ones who ask the right question questions. And I'm not telling you to question God's existence, but there comes a time in your life where you stop fussing with people and you start fussing with God. That's deep, introspective, contemplative, mind shifting prayer. Because too often the questions we need to bring to God, we take to people. Come here. This is one of those sermons where either you going to choose to grow up or you going to stay stagnant. I'm trying to help somebody grow today. There comes a time in your life where you stop fussing with your sister, girl group or your brothers and you fuss with God.

And you like Jacob, God, I'm not going to leave you until you bless me. Because I'm not going to fuss with. I'm not going to take my oil.

And fight with people when God, you're the one that can really handle me. Too often the questions we need to bring to God, we take to people. Because there's power in moving from just accepting what you hear and engaging with God on what. Because here's the thing I want to give you. Conversations are the genesis of new seasons. If you are headed to a new season, your conversation has to change. Okay. Because you trying to be married, having single conversations. Mm. You talk about I'm gonna be a millionaire, but you have an hourly rate. Conversations. You got six Amazon packages showing up at your door every day. I don't know why I ain't got no money. What? Sorry, Sorry. You're on QVC or Home Shopping Network. Because we bougie up in here. Too often. The things we need to go to God with, we bring to people who don't have insight and answers. So you go to different people. Let me tell you this. The same God that other people talk to, you can talk to to. And the problem is I don't like God's answer to the things that I take to God. So it's easier for me to bring it to a person because I can get mad at a person because the same God that person talked to that gave me the answer I don't like. I can be mad at them. There are so many times as a pastor, I've been doing this for 10 years now. I've been in full time ministry for 15 years. People will come to me. I reveal heaven to them and they get mad at me. Leave the church because they didn't like the answer God gave them. Two years later, it comes to pass. Passer. I'm sorry. I knew because I'm telling you this is what God said, not what Justin says. I'm human. You're human. But it's easier for me to be mad at a human. So we leave churches cause we mad at a deacon who prayed for you, told you the future, you didn't like it, then God does it. No. Why don't you Talk to God about it. Because real, great prayer moves you from being one of the many to being on your face in front of the Father. This text is a call to be intentional about your walk with God and your faith. With questions that don't have immediate answers, questions that are not immediately answered, that make you go to a place of reflection, questions that bring you to a faithful ecology where you're focusing on your entire body. Now, it's not just my two hours on Sunday to be in relationship with God, but I want a lifestyle that never leaves the very presence of God. Because your Christian walk is informed by the rhythms of your existence. You are what you encounter to learn, to reflect, to practice, to see and to engage. And my question to you in your times with God, have you asked God a good question? What does the Lord require of you? Because sometimes it's more than you expect. But do you trust God with the hard parts of your own existence? Prayer catapults you into the wild, the wilderness of your spiritual life. And the closer you come to the heartbeat of God, the more you see your need to become more like Jesus. And in real prayer, I begin to think, think differently, live differently. Because I love the things that God loves. And even though I don't always like the things that God wills, let me give you this truth about God. God is not sitting in heaven looking to be frustrated with his children. I'm gonna say it again because a lot of us love this mad God who's trying to punish you. And no, no, no, God is not sitting in heaven to be frustrated with you. The the entirety of scripture is God trying to make a dwelling place with his people, Eden. God wanted to dwell with us and we decided, nope, God, we'd rather have this tree of life till we can be like you instead of rejoicing that you're walking in the garden. He gave us the temple. We have the temple. We decided to bring. God wanted to send his presence in the temple in the Old Testament. We decided to bring unblemished offerings to slap his presence in the face. He sends Jesus. What did we do to Jesus? We killed him. Then he gave us the church.

What did we do to the church? We made it a social club.

The entirety of existence. God has been trying to come and.

Be with his people.

I don't think God is mad at us. I think we're frustrated with God. That's why Paul says in First Corinthians 3 and 9, for we are co workers in God's servants. You are God's field. You are God's building. Paul says, we are co laborers. We are working with God, not warring with God to determine the outcome of what goes in our lives. So when the disciples came to Jesus and said, jesus, Lord, teach us how to pray, they were saying, jesus, we don't know what to do. Can you expand our minds? They come to Jesus and say, jesus, we don't know what to do. Why couldn't we do it? Jesus says, here's what I need you to understand. You have faith is too small. You have the authority church to move mountains. You have the authority to raise water out of the sea, to cover mountains by having faith the size of a mustard seed. Why couldn't we heal the man? You don't have faith. So maybe the challenge is Jesus. How can I increase my faith? Do I want better faith? Do I want stronger faith? Do you want to heal the sick? Do you want to send mountains into the sea? Do you want to remove demons? Or do you like sick things? Do you like demons around you? And do you like climbing mountains? Maybe we do. Maybe you like climbing mountains. Maybe you like the struggle. Maybe you do, because if you didn't, you'd have faith the size of a mustard seed to tell the struggle to shut up. Maybe we really like being anxious because it makes us feel good. Popular because I'm anxious and it's popular now. Ever since COVID it's popular. I go to therapy. I love it. I don't want to heal. I just want to keep being sick. Oh, my God. No, I don't want healing because I can just pray for healing. No, I like sickness. So I don't want faith. I just want to sing songs about having faith. But I don't want to move mountains. I like climbing mountains. I like difficult marriages. I like difficulty. I want to climb my mountain. I want to live in valleys. Even though I can raise up the valley. Isaiah 40. I raise valleys, but nope, I want to live in the valley because I want my faith to stay strong. Smaller than the size of a mustard seed. Because if I have faith, I tell mountains, get out of my way. If I have faith, I tell valleys to rise up. You're wasting my time. Rise up. If I have faith, I tell seas to split open. You're wasting my time. If I tell. If I have faith, I tell Anxiety. Cast out of this my life. I hold everything captive and make it obey Jesus. If I have faith, I cast those things onto God's shoulders. How. How small is your faith? Good, because that still moves mountains. Do you have Faith at all. So let's expand our imagination of faith today. Ain't about a whole lot of hooping and hollering. I told y', all, I ain't doing that till 2024. So if you came for me to twirl around in circles, I ain't gonna do it. But I'm hoping today that we can grow our faith, because here's what I want to give you. Let me give you the first principle of this. Jesus says if you're going to have faith the size of a mustard seed, you have to create a tension between what you think you can handle and what God can handle using you. I want you to change your language about God to stretch God's engagement where he puts you. So here's the first principle. Number one. New knowledge comes with the admission of old ignorance. That is good. New knowledge comes with the admission of old ignorance. The disciples come to Jesus and they reveal that they don't know everything, but they're open to knowing something else. Why couldn't we remove the demon? Because we want to. How big is your want to? I want that to sit for a second. How big is your want to? Do you really want to see your children differently, or do you just want them for Instagram? Do you want to see your grandchildren differently, or do you just not want them to embarrass you? Grandma on Facebook? Do you want to see your church differently, or do you just want a place to come and socialize on Sunday? Do you want to see your community differently, or do you just want something to complain about? How big is your want to? They don't know everything, but they want to know. How can we make sure, Jesus, that we don't have to have you in the flesh to remove demons that come in our presence? They realize that something in them was forbidding them from being and doing who Jesus had gifted them to be. And what Jesus shows them is who they were in this season won't work when Jesus has gone to heaven. Who they are in this season won't work in the future because let me give you this. You cannot improve your future without disturbing your present. I am. I am dropping gems all day today. I said you cannot improve your future without disturbing your present. You have the capacity to write the future, but you cannot write where you haven't visited in your faith. And it starts with this. What do you have to disown to own something new? What do you have to remove? My wife and I are doing a lot of fall cleaning right now because we did spring Cleaning. And now we got to do fall cleaning. Because if you. You're anything like us, like, there's a lot of things you just decide to buy, and then you lose weight or you gain weight, whatever it is. And now we got a bunch of stuff that I can't fit no more. And so I'm cleaning stuff out, and I didn't want to do it. So I had this T shirt I bought, and I like this T shirt. I look good in this T shirt if it went right on my arms. But, you know, I've been working out my arms a little bit bigger now. And so now it don't fit on my arms like it used to because I've been working out. I can now bench press like 400. Try me if you want. Want to. And so I got my weight up, and now I'm sitting here, my arms are too big because I can't fit the shirt. Not because I gained weight, because I gained muscle. You can tell me it's fat, but it's not. It's muscle. And so I gained all this muscle. And I came to my wife, I spent $50 on the stupid shirt, said, babe, I can't fit it. She says, I can sleep in it. I said, you're not going to sleep in a shirt I spent $50 on. And I had to disown something because I've become someone different. Are you wearing a baby onesie and you're 70 years old? Sounds silly, doesn't it? Have you grown in your faith? Are you still donning old things from when you first met Jesus? Because your body's gotten older, your mind's gotten older, but your faith has stayed the same. What do you need to disown to own something new? Here's some challenges. Here's four challenges I'll give you on this. Number one, observe the world around you. If you want to stretch your imagination, look at the world around you. Who's the person that smiled on Friday at work? Observe it. Look around you. Because if you're looking at the same thing, you're going to see the same things. But if you look around you, you'll see new things. Number two, discover available opportunities. You know what's amazing to me? Let me say this. I'm writing a book. So a lot of this stuff is coming from my time with God. I'm writing a book, so I hope you get it in like a year. But this, this, this, this, this. I'm. I took a globe, right? And you spin a globe. And oftentimes when we Start the globe. We start on where we are. So we start in California, you start in the United States. Did you know there's a whole nother side to the world that if you switch the globe, there's Africa, there's Asia, there's. There's Europe. Maybe the challenge for some of us is to change your map. Everything is not in your circle of friends. The world doesn't revolve around you. There's so much money out there for you not to have it. Discover available opportunities and a great place to start. Google. Number three, Break the rules. Let me give you this about rules. Often the things we consider rules are preferences for people who are in positions of power. Often the things we think are rules are just preferences for people who are in positions of power. Break the rules. I love breaking rules because we create new space when you break old rules. And thirdly, show patience and resilience. Let me give you this. The future favors the flexible. The future favors the flexible. Number two. Jesus teaches us this principle Number two. Let wise people motivate you, not intimidate you. Let wise people motivate you, not intimidate you. I was talking to a friend of mine. He played basketball in Marquette yesterday. We were on the phone, we were connecting and he was talking about his son. I was talking about my son. And I told him, I said, hey man, my goal for the end of the year is dunk. I said, I've increased my vert by three inches. I said, I feel good. I've been jump roping, I've been working out as I've increased in my verse. He said, man, Justin, I want to talk to you about what it means to be a dad. What are the things that you did as a father? And we're sitting here talking and I got off the phone and my wife said, I love to hear hear that conversation. I said, what? She said, justin, he says, you're really good at being a father and he wants to see what you do as a father. You know him for basketball and he's really good at playing professional basketball. So you guys are saying we're not intimidated by each other's strengths, but we want to help each other's weaknesses. You need friends in your life who you are not intimidated by, but you are motivated by get around people who don't intentionally try to wield their strengths on you, but want to cover your weaknesses by using their strengths. Hallelujah. Get if you have people in your life who are constantly wielding their authority over you because of what they've Earned in the world. You're in the Sunken place and you need to get out of it. Get around people who stretch you. Because the more limited your funds are, the greater your imagination has to be and the greater your friendship has to be because get around people who stretch the way you think. The disciples did not take this question to a broken community. The disciples did not have a church meeting to kick Jesus off the disciple board. They went to Jesus and they knew they had frustrated Jesus. And they did not let Jesus wisdom intimidate their weakness. Jesus covered it. They wanted to do something different, and they didn't let wisdom intimidate them. Can I tell you this? So if you want to know who wise people are, it's not age. Wise people never have to tell you they're wise. Like, I was hanging out in Meta a couple weeks ago, went to Meta, met some people at Meta, doing some stuff, and I was talking to them and I was went outside and I thought I was going to see like these people who are making like six figures, seven figures a year. I thought I was going to see Rolls Royce, Lamborghinis, all these type of fancy cars. I'm hanging out of Meta, you know, with all the cars. I saw a bunch of Priuses and Teslas. Because wealthy people don't tell you they're wealthy. That's what rich people do. Rich people show you ski. I got money. I got money, I got money. Rich people want to show you they got money. Every millennial just got the joke I just did right there. Rich people want to show you they got money. Wealthy people don't. Wise people don't have to tell you that. I know some wise 14 year olds. I know some old fools. I know some wise 70 year olds and I know some young fools. Be mindful of the people in your life who want you to be stronger by covering your weaknesses. Because wise people ought to motivate you, not intimidate you. Lastly, and finally, don't confuse opportunity with purpose. Don't confuse opportunity and purpose. If you're going to have a greater faith. Don't confuse opportunity in front of you with the purpose God is calling you to. Hear me, every opportunity is not an essential opportunity. Here's the principle on your sheets, if you have it. Opportunity is what you can do. Purpose is what you're called to do. Okay, what's our purpose? Colossians, chapter 3. To glorify God. That's our purpose. Does this glorify God? The measurement and the barometer of what God is calling you to do. Is this going to make God smile? Yes. Do it. No, don't. That's how you answer the question. Because let me give you this. Your values. Answer the question before the question question is even asked. What do you stand for? What do you stand for? Are you frustrated when you don't remove demons? Do you stand for? I'm a demon remover. I heal the sick. My family is important to me. Or will anything shake your foundation that comes in your way? Live into purpose, not taking advantage of every opportunity. The disciples came to Jesus worried about one thing, removing the demon and healing the sick. Because that's what they were called to do. And Jesus ended the conversation by telling them, you are bigger disciples than just demons and sickness. You can move mountains. Jesus expanded their faith by reminding them of their purpose. You move mountains. Friendship. I want to tell you this. You are not your last fit failure. You move mountains. You were not your last success. You move mountains. You are not your last relationship. You are not your next relationship. You possess the power to walk into mountains and tell them to get out of my way. Your prayer life has the authority to tell cancer to sit down. Your prayer life has the authority to tell that wayward child sit down. Your faith has the authority to tell your job. That's not making budget. Make budget. Matter of fact, not just make budget. Do exceedingly and abundantly. Be of all, show us clients we didn't even know existed. When's the last time you prayed abundance on your job? Or are you comfortable with getting to next week? Have you looked at your finances on your phone and laid hands on bank of America and said in increase? I don't know where it's going to come from, but my faith moves mountains. I ain't a magician, but I know what my faith can do. And I know my faith says cancer, you ain't welcome. Insecurity, you can't come to my job with me. Financial insecurity. You don't show up with me because.

I trust God too much to let.

My faith stay smaller than mountain moving faith. If a mustard seed of faith can.

Move a mountain, I want a pistachio size faith. Because if a mustard seed moves mountain, what canopy sty? Am I talking to anybody in the building? God, increase my faith to move the mountains. I've gotten comfortable climbing and that's why.

Some of you are so tired. Your faith is tired. You're burned out. You want to give up on God, you want to give up on church. You don't want to read your Bible. You don't want to listen to your songs anymore. And I'll tell you why. Because your faith is climbing mountains that you need to tell to go into the water. You are not a better Christian because you can speak in tongues. And you are not a worse Christian because you don't. You're not a better Christian because you lay hands and something happens. You're not a better Christian if you don't. You are a great Christian. When you say Jesus, I trust you and how do I do this? Jesus says some things only have happen by prayer and fasting. The challenge isn't if your faith can, it's are you trusting God too? Jesus can. You can't, but God can. Do you trust God to do by taking your hands off? Does not climb mountains to to let things that are dead Jesus brings them back to life. Do you trust Jesus enough to let Jesus be Jesus in your life? I teach ethics at a university this semester. I'm enjoying it. And one of the things we had talked about a couple of weeks ago was Socratic inquiry. The funny story about Socrates is Socrates, when he died, he was sitting in a room and. And all he did was ask questions. He was sitting around this young man named Plato. He was sitting around Plato and this began to begin. Plato began to write some works for ethics that we read even until this day. Allegory of the cave. All these great works came because Socrates was sitting Socratic inquiry was sitting down, asking questions, figuring things out. Because the question often is the answer for you in the room today. How can I increase my faith? How can I take the next steps in my marriage, my life, my finances? Jesus is the question. And Jesus is the answer. No matter where you are, what you've done, what gifts you have, what you feel you haven't completed, whether it's your finances, your home, your marriage, your body, your future, your past, your fears, your worry and your anxiety, let me give you the truth. Jesus is the question. Jesus is the answer. Bring your questions to Jesus. He'll give you the answer you need. Every head is bowed, every eye is closed.