Be Careful What You Copy

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. What if your soda actually did something for you? Introducing Skypop Protein Soda. Skypop Protein Soda has 10 grams of complete protein, zero sugar and real delicious soda taste. Skypop Protein Soda. Reach for the sky. Get your Skypop Protein Soda now at Target. Toyota's easy choice sales event is on. Whether you're looking for the performance of a camera, the versatility of a RAV4, the efficiency of a Corolla,

1:00or all electric driving in the BZ. There's a Toyota that's just right for you. And with great deals across the lineup, now's the time to find yours. But hurry, these deals won't last long. Toyota's easy choice sales event and soon. We make it easy. Toyota, let's go places. Hey, this is Stephen 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 as moving in your life. Enjoy the message. Before we get into the word, let me mention that we're getting really excited about Elevation Knights. We're going on tour October 26th through Thursday, November 3rd. Now listen up. Everybody online. Put in the comments in the chat where you're watching from today. What city? What state? And let me tell you where we're coming. It's going to be me. And I might like Chris Brown.

2:00Come. I hadn't cited about it yet. You think I should let him come to me? You want to share a bunk with him? You want the top bunk? So we'll be in Atlanta, Georgia. Nashville, Tennessee. Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fort Worth, Texas. Houston, Texas. Orlando, Florida. Sunrise, Florida. And Jacksonville, Florida. If you are within 500 miles of Atlanta, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee. Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fort Worth, Texas. Houston, Texas. Orlando, Florida. Sunrise, Florida. Or Jacksonville, Florida. We would love to see you. That's October 26th through November 3rd. And you can go to ElevationNights.com to get your tickets and information. And we'll be there. I was thinking today. Other people would drive 200 miles for what we have right here in our backyard. The presence of this amazing community of believers.

3:00And I'm excited today. One lady told me one time that she drove 12 hours to come to church. And she said it was on my bucket list. And I stood up until the church. You see what's on her bucket list is in many of our backyard. So you just have to keep that perspective. God is doing an amazing work at all of our locations. And all around the world. Give God a praise. Come on, let everything that has breath. Praise the Lord. That has new significance in the time of COVID, right? Let everything that has breath. That we appreciate more that God gave us another day. And that we're here to praise Him. And we want to take full advantage of that. Are you ready for the word of God? Doesn't matter if you are I am. So excited enough for all of us. I want to share with you from Hebrews chapter 8 today, verses 3 through 7. I think I'm going with you all. Thanks. Hebrews chapter 8.

4:02I've had a long decay. I'm going to take a look at the last chapter. I'm going to take a look at the last chapter. I've had a long decay. He brews chapter 8, verse 3 through 7. Ready? Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. And so it was necessary for this one, Jesus, to also have something to offer. If he were on earth, he would not be a priest. For there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle.

5:03See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. But in fact, the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator. Is superior to the old one. Since the new covenant is established on what better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. They serve the high priest in the Levitical line from the lineage of Aaron. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. So this is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle. They serve in a sanctuary that is a copy. This is why Moses was warned. See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

6:07The Lord told me to give you the sermon in the form of a warning today. And the warning is be careful what you copy. Be careful what you copy. You may be seated. Be careful what you copy. I didn't say not to copy. People will tell you sometimes, don't copy. Be an original. No, you need to copy a little bit. You need to copy through certain developmental stages. Our kids copy. Our kids copy. That's how they put one foot in front of the other. Learn to walk. Walk around on your hands. They copy. They copy sounds phonetically. It's a part of the developmental process to copy. If you're learning an instrument, you would copy the scales.

7:09If you're learning a language, you would copy the alphabet. You don't make up a new alphabet. You just, you shouldn't stop with the copy. That's the thing. Right? If anything, you shouldn't just stop with the copy. So, in raising three of my own now, I'm sitting here thinking, what do I want them to copy of me? And what do I want them to cast out? I feel like, since they have my genetics, it's my job to help shepherd them through some of this stuff. And it's really important that I've discipled them as a dad. I want to disciple my kids. Not through a class. I don't really think they need another class for me, especially since I'm a preacher. They get to hear my words a lot. But in what I do and what I show them.

8:09And not just about Bible verses. I don't just want to disciple my kids in what they think about Greek or Hebrew and Bible text. The original word is Epochara Doquia. I want to talk to them about some other words too. Some words that we might not be allowed to say in church, especially now. Grants 13 and Elijah 16. One thing I really thank God for is I've had the opportunity to work out with Elijah the last couple of years. And I'm glad that it's going to be at least two more years before he can catch me on bench press. But I kind of turned the workout room that's in our house into a little bit of a seminary study, like a laboratory where I'm not only showing him how to do certain exercises, but I don't know if I told you this way. I've been taking him through the top 100 rock albums of all time. Right. Train up a child in the way that they should go. And the way that they should go is Led Zeppelin.

9:10Right. We listen to graves into gardens to an old church basement. But sometimes we listen to other albums. Something funny happened the other day where we were listening to Jimmy Hendrix, Little Wing, one of the greatest guitar intros of all time. I learned it when I was 14. And L.J. Elijah says to me, this guy sounds like Pearl Jam. He thought Jimmy 1969 was copy and stone gocer and Mike McCready 1991, because he didn't know who was copying who. And I said, no, boy. You don't have to grow up and be a Christian, but you will know that Jimmy Hendrix. There are some things that are not negotiable. They're copying Jimmy. They're not copying them. And give me that what I handed you before we walked up. I disciple him in so many different ways.

10:10I'm pretty proud of myself. I show him technological advancements that have happened in the field of audio recording. I explain to him how, like, downloading songs or streaming songs is a relatively new phenomenon. And that when we wanted music from our friends, we had to copy. But where it was bad, you would put this cassette tape in another cassette with it, a blank one with it. That wasn't the problem. The problem was when you had to copy a copy of a copy of a copy. Because every time you copy a cassette tape, the quality drops of the copy. In Hebrews chapter 8, you'll thought this was story time. This is story time. This is my setup for my sermon. The writer of Hebrews is understanding that as generations have passed from Moses,

11:13the quality of faith has dropped within the religious system of his day. And he does something kind of crazy in order to bring these new believers into an understanding of the process of imulating and imitating Christ. He points to somebody that they never met, Moses, to explain about somebody that they never personally met Jesus. He talks about a tabernacle. You gotta remember, these people never saw the tabernacle that they carted around the wilderness. It's been many years since they were setting up that tabernacle. It's been replaced now, not only by Solomon's temple, but that one's been destroyed. There's been another temple built. So they are generations removed from Jimmy. I like Pearl Jam. I'm a Pearl Jam fan, but he realizes that with every generational transference, there's been a loss in quality. And he says things in Hebrews like, you need to persevere.

12:13Y'all give up too quick. It's only going to fuss in Adam, so he brings in examples. He talks about in Hebrews chapter 11, different people in the faith who endured. Some people who were cut in half for their faith. And so he's kind of trying to say like, you think it's bad because somebody didn't like your comment on Facebook. It's been a lot worse. And if I could talk to you today, I would use this subject, be careful what you copy. Because what happens to a lot of us is we're not even conscious of what we're copying in our behaviors and even our faith. And even our concept of God. Sometimes came through so many generations who put their own concept of God on top of the biblical concept of God. You got to think, somebody did that to them, who did that to them, who did that to them, who did that to them. And by the time it gets to them, they say, I'm not sure I want anything to do with God, but it's not God that you want nothing to do with.

13:13It's the copy of God. The copy of the copy of the copy of the copy of the copy of God through all these generations. So he's pointing to something that they've never personally seen. Get this. And experience they never had this tabernacle that God commanded Moses about to build with very specific dimensions. And when God called Moses to build a tabernacle, he did it while Moses was on a mountain, he spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks. Well, actually, he spoke to Moses, but then Moses had to go speak to the people. And sometimes when Moses would speak to the people, what God had said, as he would say what God had said, they would twist it and make it something else. That has now been happening in Hebrews chapter 8 for hundreds of years. See, he talks about the covenant that was given, the old covenant, the covenant of Moses that God promised to be with his people if they kept his commands.

14:18But he sang how Jesus brought a better covenant. So he didn't tell us to build a tabernacle. He became the tabernacle. He was the dwelling place of God. And rather than a high priest bringing an offering like an animal or a bull or a goat to shed the blood of something else to a tone for your sin, Jesus shed his own blood. He offered himself as a gift. He is a great high priest, a better high priest, a better covenant, but he understands something about the people that they are attempting to copy a lesser covenant. A covenant that depends on your behavior, not grace. And let's be honest, they came by it honestly because we are all influenced by culture. If you don't believe me, I'll say this, the same way that we sometimes can't even get from church to Monday morning. You know how church you can sometimes have these mountaintop experiences and Lord, I'm going to serve you and I'm going to pray with my wife and my kids.

15:20And I'm going to wait on you. And then that message doesn't even make it through Monday traffic. You don't even get to the office, right? From the mountain to Monday, I could preach about that. How do I get God from the mountaintop of inspiration to Monday morning? So he's understanding that they're going to need something to help him get there and he understands that you have to be careful what you copy. Because when Moses went up to get the instructions from God on the Ten Commandments, remember those? Come on, you broke all of them, I know you remember them. You have to understand, by the time Moses got back down, they weren't waiting on the Lord, they were worshiping a cow that they made out of golden earrings. He was only up there 40 days. They would wander in the wilderness 40 years because after they came out of Egypt, they couldn't get Egypt out of them.

16:21And I'm concerned that sometimes we are so controlled by culture, this is what God said, see to it, pay attention, it's a warning. He said Moses was warned, see to it, that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain because when you get down off the mountain, the children of Israel are going to be naked dancing around jewelry. So you have to sow here from God and know what he showed you and know what he spoke to you and know what he is doing in your life, not somebody else's. Nobody is doing in your life, not the neighbor next door to know what he is doing in your life in this moment that you build that. So be careful what you copy from the culture around you. Be careful what you copy from the culture around you that keeps you from discovering the kingdom within you. Preach faster for Nick, I'm preaching, I'm already doing it.

17:25Now we copy culture around us and what we don't realize, see we don't realize that we're copying crazy. I know this because when I tell people that I don't watch the news very much, they look at me like I'm irresponsible. Well, just because people want to make money off a 24-7 news cycle doesn't mean that I have to submit my mind to the stress that it causes you. I'll have to. Well, then you won't be informed. Yeah, but I also won't be insane. Preach to me, preach to me, preach to me, I need this, I need this. They call it breaking news because it's breaking your brain. Breaking news, you can't put out a bird feeder. Did you see that? It was breaking news on my screen.

18:27The birds are dying now and we got to take our bird feeders down. Well, maybe we do, but that's not breaking news about a bird bath. That's not a pandemic about it. Did you see this? Did you see this? It's crazy, but we copy crazy. And so if everybody's a zombie on the walking dead, if everybody's staring at stuff and never looking at each other, be careful what you copy. From a golden calf, from something that watched this, that you got out of the Egypt that God delivered you from. And by the time Moses got down the mountain, this is why God warned him in Exodus 25 because God's telling him, that's not killing, that's not committing adultery, and that's not coveting. And if you live the way that the first commandment tell you to, you won't covet anybody else's life because you'll be so content with your own, that you won't have to take your neighbor's wife, you won't have to take your neighbor's ox, you won't have to take matters in your own hands.

19:29And by the time he gets down talking about contentment, they're dancing around a calf. And I can relate so much to copying culture. And then I miss Christ because the kingdom is within me. But does the Old Testament test you? Actually, no, it's not. It's in Hebrews in the New Testament. And he said in the New Testament that you need to be warned sometime that if you don't build when you come down the mountain in your everyday life, what God spoke to you in those moments where he touched your soul, you will miss the kingdom by copying the culture. Now, people can twist anything so some people will say like, well, then you shouldn't have drums in church because that's from the devil and from the world. You want air conditioning in church?

20:30Because that's not in Exodus either. That was... It's a way of thinking. It's what the Bible calls the patterns of this world that we conform to. And the world squeezes you into its mold so that you start trying to have conversations with 280 characters. And then the medium becomes the mold that we get squeezed into. So we can't know each other as people who are created in the image of God because we are conversing with each other on a platform that was designed by people to get us to argue. Too much too soon? This is point number one. Be careful what you copy from culture. I'm not saying you have to dress like you're out in 1933 to be a Christian. I'm not talking about external stuff. Neither was the writer of Hebrews. He was saying the external covenant is gone. It's the internal one that matters now.

21:33So our distinction and what makes us different is not that we look weird, but that we refuse to conform to crazy. Put this in the chat. I refuse to conform to crazy. When I say put it in the chat, you say it out loud too. It's kind of a arrangement we have. I refuse to conform to crazy. Be careful what you copy from a culture that has lost its ever loving mind and is controlled by the prince of the power of the air. You all believe in the devil? If you don't believe in the devil after the last two years. Be careful what you copy. Be careful who you envy. Some of us envy people who are secretly miserable.

22:33But you don't know that. This is my second point. Be careful what you copy from other people because you don't see the full picture. I remember watching a documentary last year. I got so jealous of the person that the documentary was about because he had won something like 16 Grammys. I don't know if you ever do this. I sit there and compare my accomplishments to his accomplishments. And it's like, yeah, but pastor, you touch souls for the kingdom. Well, I want a Grammy too. So I'm sitting there. I'm sitting there going, I never won one Grammy. He's got 16 or whatever. And then it was like the Lord spoke to me in the middle of the documentary and said, Wikim. So I put him in my Wikipedia app and I donate to Wikipedia because they helped me so much with my research every year.

23:34And I put his name in the thing and I saw yes, he has 16 Grammys, but he also has had five wives. So I didn't judge him. I didn't turn off the documentary. I still admire him. But I realized that what I had done in the process of admiring his accomplishments, I had not considered the cost of those accomplishments. So I want the Grammys, but I also want less than four divorce proceedings. And no judgment on the guy, but isn't that what we do? We crop and copy. You know, you crop a picture. You know how when that person in your life is no longer in your life and you crop them out of the picture. We do that when we're comparing ourselves to other people, right? Because we're copying something that's cropped. They're showing you what they want you to see. Now you are copying a picture, a form, a shadow,

24:39a crop picture. So you see what they did and you go, well, I'm not doing that. I'm not as good as them. I can't be accomplished anything like them. And here's what I noticed. Some of the people that we want to be like are burning out. Influencers. Influencers that we see on social media. And after we have bought all their makeup product and all their diet product and all their fitness stuff. And then we see their posts about, y'all, I just wanted to come on here today. People have been asking, that's how every influence or post I've ever seen starts. And I'm not even on social media that much, but I got that one memorized. I just wanted to come on here, y'all. And I have people have been asking, nobody's been asking you. Two people asked you. But now they're on a confession. Now here's what's crazy. I've been copying somebody who comes on and tells me I'm actually depressed. And I've been copying you. I'm actually feeling like I'm losing my mind. I can't eat. I can't sleep.

25:46I was so busy inviying your bag that I didn't realize that at the bottom of it is a bottle of pills that you can't function without. Now, who? I always suck at feeling energy y'all are putting on me right now. Is it better to remember walk on my come over there? It's not far. Be careful what you copy from another person's life because you don't know what it costs them. I told you I told my father-in-law he's a cool guy. So I get to tell him everything. I told him when he said amen. I'm not going to copy this humility though. I'll tell you that right now. He said he said one time we were talking about this one pastor and we were talking different people that discourage you along the way from ministry and one guy that I met who had traveled the world.

26:47And when I was like 20 years old my dad had me go to promise keepers with him. It was actually in Charlotte. So I was in college and my dad was still a month's corner. We met in Charlotte for promise keepers. You have to volunteer behind the scenes and I was running the clock and I already knew I was called to be a preacher. So this very famous preacher was back there and I walked up to him. I said I don't want to bother you before you preach. He said yes you do. Apparently you do because you are right now. I said no I just wanted to know can you give me a piece of advice as somebody that I admire you've written so many books and you've shared the gospel with so many people. What advice would you have for me for somebody who aspires to do what you do. He said you don't want to be me. And I thought it was rude at first but he was trying to tell me something. He was trying to tell me about the surcharge of sacrifice. That what I saw in his books that I admired I don't know who this is for. You have to be careful that you don't set the blueprint of your life based on the part of somebody else's life that you see because they might be cropping out stuff that you don't want to copy.

28:03I wish this was inside elevation because I would tell all the pastors in this room there's some stuff about elevation church. I would not advise you to do. It's a great church to me it's the best church in the world. I love the church out pastor and you can't you can't talk me out of that. But come on man when we call the event inside elevation it's not really inside elevation. It's barely inside it's like lobby elevation it is not kitchen elevation. You're not going to see the real mess up it. See this is what we do. We want to copy one part of somebody's life. And what happens when we do that is we miss the bigger picture. I wonder have you been missing the bigger picture because you've been trying to copy somebody else and you saw one part of their life. They got more followers than you. But their kids aren't following them anymore because they're never there.

29:06I'm sure it's why don't do social media. I'm not just talking about the platform. I'm talking about the thing inside of us. You know what I mean where we we copy somebody who if you could really get them they said don't do it like that. That's crazy it cost me too much. If I depressed all enough the writer of Hebrews nobody even knows who wrote Hebrews but he's so brilliant because he's showing us Moses why is he showing us Moses and then Jesus because he's showing you that Moses could only take you so far. Even for the children of Israel I mean think about it. Moses led them to the edge of the promised land but he didn't get to take them in. Joshua did that. And when God called Joshua and now Moses was a great man no doubt about it. Moses was really actually gracious with the people that he led because God said one time well I'll just kill him and start all over with you and give you better people to lead.

30:09He said Lord don't do that it'll make you look bad you said you put your name on these people and your hand was on and bring them out of Egypt so if you kill him it's going to make you look bad. I probably would go I probably would would vote for you to kill him too but if we really take this into consideration it's not good for your reputation God even though it's my preference right now that notwithstanding Moses was so controlled by the focus group that he sent into the promised land that he copied the fear of the 10 spies who said we can't go in and he never got to lead the people. So by the time that Moses dies in Joshua chapter 1 God is giving Joshua a talk about what he's called him to do and he says something kind of cool because remember Moses really knew God Moses really knew God but look at this in Joshua chapter 1 verse 5 after he says I'm going to give you this land that I swear to the people Joshua 1 5 no one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life as I was with. Was with so I will be with now what does that mean that means I'm going to be present with you like I was present with him but your process Joshua will not be like Moses his process and another thing his limitations will not be your limitations where he stopped is where you're starting where he stopped is where you're starting you're not going to be like me.

31:33You're going to be better than me you're going to be so much better than me you're not even for the son I'm going to be a large a for the dad grand for the dad happy for the dad do you understand. When God calls you when he puts the spirit in you you are not limited by what you've seen that's not the end of your potential. So he tells Joshua I'm going to be with you like I was with Moses I will never leave you nor forsake you verse 6 be strong in courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swear to their ancestors to give them next verse be strong and very courageous be careful what's my sermon called. Be careful what you copy so Joshua listen I want you to listen like God's fucking to you don't be limited by what you saw Moses do Moses is not your model God is that's what the writer of Hebrews is saying.

32:38See the law could only take you so far that's why Jesus came the law was good but it could only get you so far the law was great but it was flawed in that you couldn't keep it there was nothing wrong with the law there was something wrong with me I'm the lead that kept me from going further when the law was my regulation so now what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature God did by sending his son the better high priest. In the order of Melchizedek whose blood weighs more than a million bowls and goats and dogs that's who Jesus is he is the arbitrator and the mediator of a better covenant my covenant is not with Moses my covenant is not with my past my covenant is not with others my covenant is not with my genetics my covenant is not with my depression my covenant is not with fear my covenant is not with tens of eyes. My covenant is not with the staff my covenant is not with Pharaoh my covenant is with my father I got a covenant a better covenant somebody shall better better better better better better it's gonna be better better better better so be careful what you copy from before when God is trying to bring you in

34:07to something better oh I'm so glad that I don't have to do it in this season like I did it in that season he said you're still okay you know how we talked about copy in the world when we started the sermon all those drug dealers and ticked talkers and all those evil that's not who the writer of Hebrews was talking to they weren't copying the world they were stuck in a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of worship it was external when that be hard like I can't even drive when I go to London

35:07London because they drive on the wrong side of the road that's right it's the wrong side of the road it's pounds not kilograms too while we're at it but you know that's that's hard for me to even drive on the other side of the road they're having to believe they never personally saw Jesus they're having to believe in that and let go of what they were always taught would bring them to God so if I can make this practical because I know that's a little abstract most of what we copy in relationships is not what we were taught but what we caught from the relational dynamics that we were around you know how coronavirus is contentious so is crazy and they don't make a mask for that yet if they could have been a mask for that how many of y'all would buy a $50 a hundred dollars some

36:14so one of the first things that me and Holly did when we sat down and this was after we had about three or four fights in our marriage with we started talking about how did your parents fight how did my parents fight what are we subconsciously copying from the way that we saw conflict handled that is good and what have we subconsciously copied that needs to go based on who we are based on our personalities based on our calling because I honor where I came from and I honor what I saw but I don't have to copy what I saw when it no longer fits what I'm called to I'm going to give you that again because you just miss that filet mignon what I say again I don't have to copy what I saw I can honor it but I'll have to copy it I can honor the tradition thank you Moses you built the tabernacle in the wilderness thank you high priest that's a line of air thank you for that there's nothing wrong with that in many ways it's a continuation of that

37:23but are you copying something that you're no longer called to and another thing this is what happened with the Pharisees you remember the Pharisees and the Sadducees they were sad you see because they they esteemed the traditions of men above the traditions of God that's what happened to them what does that mean that means that as the law is given from Moses the law is good but as it got copied a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy now here's what had happened by the time Jesus showed up on the scene they were still preaching God's commandments and copying those but they had lost God's heart to the point where if a man got healed on the Sabbath they would say you can't do that they copied the commandments Jesus said Sabbath was made for men not men for the Sabbath in copying it they lost the quality of it and a lot of our life growing up everybody over 30 makes them noise

38:23all right there's some stuff that isn't bad but you're standing in front of something better and if you copy the way you did it before and as God is trying to bring you better I'll give you an example from Moses is like he did this one time the people were thirsty one time in the wilderness Moses is like why God why like you're running carpool in a couple weeks okay why God why right and so so the the Lord's like well take that staff I gave you and strike the rock and then the water will come out and he's like really he's like really I'm going to show the people that I'm God and he's like all right so the same staff remember I preached a few weeks ago parts to see with it when I strikes the rock with it here comes the water and the people drink and God doesn't kill them and they go on to complain some more now you got to go all the way to the end because here's something says in Hebrews it says in Hebrews 13 seven look at it later remember your leaders have spoke the word of God concerning you and consider the outcome of their way of life

39:26now when we're looking at somebody's Instagram feed we're not seeing the outcome of their way of life we're seeing the snapshot even when you interact with people in church they do not always lift their hands like they were doing 35 minutes ago they're not always so peaceful and so worshipful and so holy so so don't judge yourself according to that but the scriptures as considered the outcome of their way of life and the reason that Moses couldn't lead the people in is because in his frustration about the people's grumbling this is crazy because I think I've done this before God told him the second time they were thirsty in the wilderness speak to the rock and the water will flow out but Moses didn't want to speak to the rock he wanted to do it how he did it before so in his frustration you've been frustrated lately and so what you've been doing this one Moses did it says he struck the rock pow that God told him to speak to

40:28I'm gonna do it like I did it before I don't care what you say God I'm gonna get my way right away I'm gonna do this the way that it benefits me I'm gonna do I'm gonna show you what I'm doing I'm gonna do I'm gonna show I'm the man I'm Moses and he didn't get into the promise because he copied the way God told him to do it before what I was wondering while I was praying because I pray for you all by the time we get together I've been with you all week I'm serious I've been with you all week and I thought about how you are praying about some things in your life right now you need water from a rock water in the wilderness that could be provision that could be an emotional need you have and if I take it all the way I see some of you trying to do what you did 10 years ago

41:28and it's not working so you are stuck because you are copying the way that you struck the rock and now God is giving you a new way to do it but you won't do it the new way as long as I copy the way that I did it back then I got a text from a friend the other day and he said I want you to understand you're in a new season as a preacher now I said tell me about it he said it's the season of a father you're no longer a 26 year old church planter so when you preach step into your role as a father now I said I got people in the church that are 20 years older than me he said it's not about chronology it's about calling so God is giving you permission to do it different to do it different say do it different tell the person you do it different you got to do it different you got to do it different if you keep hitting stuff the way you're hitting stuff if you keep doing things out of frustration if you keep trying to copy what you did before

42:44and see this is what gets me I heard a guy one time he was standing up to preach to his congregation and he said I wish I could have coffee with everybody in this church and share what I'm going to share with you today and I said there and thought well you could the church the church had 40 people in it so you could knock that out by Thursday if you're really motivated if you do three four days I think you could do that he had heard another pastor who pastored 30,000 people say that and he thought well that sounds cool so now he gets up in copies in his context what he saw somebody else doing a context that is not his context this is like remember when David put on the armor of Saul and he walked around for a moment and he's got a fight Goliath and he's like I guess he will give me whatever the guy wears who fights and so I was like here you go you can wear mine and David walks around in him a little bit and he's like this is heavy this is weird and this is not me right now I think I would be better off with my slingshot with what God called me to do I know this is how you were doing it

44:00I know this is how you would fight but I've got to do it different some of you as teenagers God is going to show you you don't have to go to every party because at the end of popularity a lot of the people who are so popular are going home so miserable I tell you I'm a dad right now I'm preaching like a dad and parents we don't have to copy the way everybody else raises their kids you have permission to break tradition with whatever does not fit your calling you have got to build in the valley what God showed you on the mountain in case you haven't noticed we live in a culture that worships our kids at the expense of our families so I had moments where when the kids were all playing sports where I said nobody's coming to your game tonight we're dropping you off and we're going to go on a date because I haven't been with your mom in two weeks and after you leave me she's going to be the only one I have left in the house and I'll pick you up and you can tell me about it and maybe somebody else to get a video

45:14so what I'm supposed to parent them like they're all Serena and Venus like I'm supposed to be Tiger Woods dad I know culturally inappropriate reference a lot of stuff comes along with all of this everybody has to do it the way God shows you to do it but what happens is we start building according to somebody else's blueprint whether it's the world whether it's the concept of God that you were handed it is not accurate to the scripture you need to read the Bible for yourself I'm I'm not your professional Holy Spirit I'm a preacher you need to get in Hebrews and say well pastor Stephen missed this part and this part was the best part he said that but that made me wonder about that because if it's just a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy I'm just Pearl Jam I'm not Jimmy I'm not Jesus

46:15neither is Moses and neither are your broke friends that you're taking financial advice from or your unmarried friends that are giving you marriage advice well I would tell him I bet you would you're imaginary marriage feel a spirit of Dave Ramsey coming on me anyway be careful to obey the word that I have given you Joshua you're gonna go somewhere they couldn't go you're gonna do something they couldn't do you're gonna break chains that helped them all their life now you do it and be strong and courageous stop copying crazy because you don't want to be weird I want to be weird if what I'm seeing in this world right now is normal God make me weird I want to be the weirdest one there is

47:21you're not let your kids listen to that rock and roll music and that rap music I'll tell you what right now that's that's bad they're devil I saw all the kids that went off after their parents didn't experience anything with them I got to decide how to raise my kid y'all I put a picture of me on a we might take this up before we put it on YouTube y'all check with me I put a picture of me one time with the kids we went to see God's team the Clemson Tiger sorry pal he's got a game caught shirt on and I had on a guns and rosy shirt now all the comments that on the picture said uh way where guns and rosy shirt that's worldly not as good you're spending time with your kids like you live in a monastery so so be careful what you copy be careful that you don't copy the condemnation that other people put on you and this is the last thing I'll tell you and then I will just be quiet and I will go baptized Graham and I'm

48:34going to have the best time doing it and I'm I'm baptizing I'm not in my name in Jesus name I want you to do it like Jesus did it because I wanted to tell you one more thing that God told Joshua be careful what you copy in your heart for it will set the direction of your life you already told Joshua he said meditate on this book of the law that Moses give you don't be like Moses you're different than Moses but I want you to take the same word of God that was given to him what a what a brilliant thought that what I copy in my heart he said I want you to meditate on what I spoke over you so that you can lead these people where I called you to go you see I'm meditation sets direction and a lot of us with what we do with different things that we've thought about ourselves said about ourselves agreed with about ourselves condemnation the enemies put on us we do a copy and paste

49:37so we take something like you know that I'm unworthy we take something like that I'm not good enough that I'll never be that I that I that I that I that I that I and so then I copy and paste it I almost did an illustration where I wanted to show you what would happen to the screen if you copied and pasted that over and over again it would fill up I'm unworthy I'm and you know what apart from the grace of God we are but you know how they say sometimes on like on a walkie talkie they say copy that copy that copy that what God wants you to do is start meditating on his words not the ones that somebody else spoke and copy it in your heart he said I'm going to give you a new covenant is a better covenant and it's not written on tablets of stone because those break I'm going to put it on your heart and I'm going to give you a heart of flesh and I want you to take your I want you to take your Bible and I want you to take what God has spoken over your life and I want you to copy that I want you to find out what he called you what he gifted you to do what he put the seat of potential in for you and copy that

50:54and don't get so caught up in trying to copy something you're not that you never find out who you are you will have to be strong and courageous because you live in a culture that copies crazy and it'll take faith and it'll take focus on us but if God said that you are his child copy that copy that and when God speaks that I'm going to take even the mistakes that you've made in your life and I'm a whip them up into something that you'll be testifying about as a miracle three months from now can copy that I have these moments where God you are going to be in the world and I'm going to use this somebody to encourage me and my first instinct is to cancel it out all they just said that because they're being nice oh they're just complimenting me because they're sucking up because I'm the boss oh she just said that because she has to live with me and she doesn't want me in a bad mood I'll cancel it instead of copying it

52:02then somebody says something mean about me negative about me or they don't even have to say it I say it to myself and you want to copy that anyway when I baptize you in a minute can you come up we won't wrestle this time yeah just come all the way up were you all here when I wrestled Graham I am this is Graham he says funny stuff like how am I so ripped in every part of my body nobody else in our family is naturally muscular that's good he said but when I baptize you in just a minute be after the cameras are off and all that but I almost asked mom to get you here early today

53:07but then I decided just to do it now because the Lord told me to end my sermon this way because he would use it to speak to others I'm going to say it to you this Bible I started preaching from right after you were born I had given the big one the life application one to Elijah the one that sit by his bed and he's actually been reading it a lot lately so that's good and every time I preached a passage I highlighted it and I put what I preached and I've been saving it for you and I want to give it to you today and I wrote you a letter and I told you a story and you can read that later and I marked in it where where Jesus was baptized even Jesus was baptized you know he was setting the example and you're not Jesus you're not in close and I'm not John the Baptist but when you're going to be baptized as a symbol it's you emulating the death of Christ and the risen the resurrection of Christ and the washing away of your sin

54:16it doesn't save you but it says that you're saved and that you belong to Christ and in the note and I highlighted this for you and I put it on the letter but just in case it helps somebody else when Jesus is baptized a voice from heaven said this is my son whom I love with him I am well pleased I want you to copy that in your heart I'm concerned that the culture is going to copy of a copy of a copy of a copy and the devil will try to tell you all kinds of things through your life that you're not called or you're not chosen or it's not worth it or you're missing out by following Christ and all that's not true I want you to copy that because the craziest thing is God said that to Jesus before he opened any blind eyes before he multiplied fish and loaves before he did any of his miracles God said I love you I'm pleased with you copy that

55:42I am pleased with you Does awkward? No, it's good though when you go down in that water I want you to know that you can die to the old when you come up out of the water you're raised to walk in the newness of life copy that stand up on your feet scripture says in Ephesians 5 1 the imitators of God as dearly loved children when you didn't see the model of love is hard to recreate it when you didn't see the model of acceptance is hard to recreate it

56:46but today there is a voice from heaven speaking over you too there is a better covenant this is my child do I'm well pleased copy that Father I speak your word over every man and woman today from the ones that are ten feet away from me to the ones who are thousands of miles removed I pray that as your word comes from heaven like the rain that falls like the snow that comes down and accomplishes its purpose that your word would replenish and multiply the seed that is in our heart today we thank you that you are bringing us into something better than Egypt better than the world's customs we thank you that you are bringing us into something better than Moses you're better than we ever thought you could be

57:52when your word speaks one thing and our fear speaks another we choose to agree with what you spoke we will copy that in the name of Jesus I pray amen thank you for joining us special thanks to those of you who give generously to this ministry is because of you that this ministry is possible you can click the link in the description to give now or visit elevationchurch.org slash 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 at elevation church thanks again for listening God bless you

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