It only takes a glimpse of God’s glory to motivate us to move, but our “yes” requires sacrifice. Are you willing to work it to get from here to His there? Are you humble enough to serve when it means not making a name for yourself? Or are your feelings getting in the way of what He put in your hand? It’s not about our mantle, but God’s mission. God can take you from nothing to suddenly, but He has to find you working it in the meantime. Passing the test doesn’t always mean winning, but staying — even when we don’t feel like it.
[Music]
we are going to first kings chapter 19
verse 19 through 21
and then we’re going to second kings
chapter 2 verse 7 through 18.
oh the offering
oh i forgot i forgot i forgot pass it
all the way down to the left
this for the kids
lord have mercy
i made all that appeal and broke that
sweat and dance and everything and yeah
they’re giving it over their phone and
over everything you all responded
oh i love you so much
thank you for helping me help other
people
thank you jesus
you’re fabulous
[Applause]
father you said you would bless them
that bless us and curse him and curse us
i thank you for the reciprocity on this
seed as we saw it right now in jesus
name we pray amen give god praise
god i got the breakdance and stuff i
thought i was michael jackson
i forgot
okay so we’re going to first kings
chapter 19 verse 19 through 21 and 2nd
kings chapter 2
verse 7 through 18.
let’s go
so elijah went from there
elijah watch this closely it’s a
familiar passage of scripture but watch
me close
so elijah went from there and found
elisha
son of shaphat he was flying with 12
yoke of oxen
and he himself was driving the 12th pair
elijah went up to him
and threw his cloak around him
elijah
then left his oxen
and ran after elijah
let me kiss my father and mother goodbye
he said
and then i will come with you go back
elijah replied
what have i done to you
so elijah
so elisha left him
and went back
he took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered
them he burned the plowing equipment to
cook the meat and gave it to the people
and they ate then he set out to follow
elijah
and became
his
servant
oh my god that’s good now go to sucking
kings right quick
and and and we’re gonna put this
together
this is years later
elijah and elijah have walked together
for a while 50 men
from the company of the prophets went
and stood at the distance facing the
place where elijah and elijah had
stopped at the jordan
elijah took his cloak
rolled it up and struck the waters with
it the waters divided to the right and
to the left and the two of them crossed
over on dry ground
imagine that
hanging around a dude that bad
yeah that’s what’s up
when they had crossed elijah said to
elijah tell me what can i do for you
before i am taken from you
he said let me inherit
a double portion
of your spirit
elijah replied
you have asked a difficult thing elijah
said
yet if you if you see me
[Music]
when i am taken from you it will be
yours
otherwise it will not
as they were walking along and talking
together
suddenly
a chariot of fire and horses of fire
appeared and separated the two of them
and elijah went up to heaven
in a whirlwind
elisha solved this incredible father my
father
the chariots and horsemen of israel
and elijah saw him
no more
then he took hold of his garment
and toyed into
elijah then picked up elisha then picked
up elijah’s cloak that had fallen from
him and went back and stood
on the bank of the jordan this is
critical
he took the cloak that had fallen from
elijah
and struck the waters with it
and said where now
is the lord
the god of elijah he has
when he struck it
when he struck the water it divided to
the right
and to the left
and he crossed over stay there stay
there i want to read that again he took
the cloak that had fallen from his
teacher
and struck the water with it
and said where now
is the lord the god of elijah
the question we always want to know
is what
is what i am being taught
effective for me
will it work for me
it’s nice to hear about it and to get
sermons about it and to shout about it
but in the back of our mind there is a
mental block that says that’s nice for
you
but will it work for me so when elijah
says
where is the god of elijah
he doesn’t even call him the god of
elisha
he calls him the god of his teacher
where is the god of my teacher
and then he took what he had
and struck the water
and it divided to the right and to the
left
and he crossed over
and i’m gonna pause right there i’m
gonna read a little bit more but i’m
gonna pause right there
and tell you what my subject is
it’ll work if you work it
[Applause]
look at somebody say it’ll work if
you’re working
give me the rest of that give me the
rest of that text
the company of the prophets from jericho
who were watching said the spirit of
elijah is resting on elijah and they
went to to meet him and bowed to the
crown before him
look they said we your servants have 50
able men let them go and look for your
master perhaps the spirit of the lord
has picked him up and set him down on
some mountain or in some valley no
elijah replied do not send them
but they persisted until he was too
embarrassed to refuse so he said send
them and they sent fifty men searching
for what was who searched for three
days
but did not find him
when they returned to elisha who was
staying in jericho he said to them
didn’t i tell you
not to go
when it’s over it’s over
i want to talk to you from the subject
it’ll work
if you work it let’s pray spirit of the
living god
we are at the point
with our church
we have taught them about faith
but we have not thought about works
and faith without works is dead being
alone
if we leave it in the euphoric
atmosphere of just believing
and don’t bring it down to the
practicality
of the works that are required
to follow in the footsteps of the mighty
we would have failed them
illuminate their minds and captivate
their spirits and hold them over the
next few moments as i discuss with them
what you have discussed with me i thank
you in advance for what you’re about to
do have your way great god that you are
in the name of jesus we pray
somebody who believes god shout amen
on your way to your seat look at
somebody say it’ll work if you’re
working
this is somebody’s word i don’t know
whose but this is some
body’s word it is somebody’s word it
will work
if you work it
the text before us has been one of the
most abused texts
in the old testament in some cases it’s
not just abused it’s been misunderstood
but whether it’s misunderstood or
misappropriated
it has been the catalyst through which a
spirit of covetous entitlement has
stopped us from grasping
the power
and the intent of the text itself
this is not about blabbing and grabbing
this is not about coveting what somebody
else has and getting up under them so
you can get an opportunity it is my hope
to share
insight
that will
contextualize
the powerful
and brief relationship
underlying brief relationship
through which god
in his providence passed the mantle and
the mission
from one man to another to accomplish
his purpose not their agenda
his purpose not their agenda this is
about what god has purposed to do
not what you have decided to do
god has purpose accomplished his purpose
and agenda by using these two men
who walked together
for a brief six years
and
he was gone
this is about that
this isn’t about the transference of
property or platforms
nor is it a background deal where
influence is conveyed
it’s not about ego and ambition this is
about the will of god’s eternal purpose
it isn’t about the ambition of one
generation for the goods of another
he wasn’t asking elijah for his stuff
this is deeper than that god chose
elisha to be a prophet in elijah stead
it is the mysterious influence of the
holy spirit
and his ability to transfer the unction
of the holy spirit’s work throughout
ages for his glory and it is not about
elijah’s ambition ego or career
are you with me
because of god’s ability to use whomever
he chooses his work has never been void
of a representative never
god will always have somebody from
say from moses to joshua from elijah to
elisha from saul to david from david to
solomon god’s purpose will always have a
successor
no man being moved will stop god from
doing what god is about to do
god will find somebody else and use that
person for his glory and his honor do
you hear what i’m saying
no elijah is irreplaceable i don’t care
how gifted you are never allow the devil
to make you think that you are so gifted
a speaker a teacher a singer a draftsman
a doctor a philosopher an engineer that
god doesn’t have somebody else in the
wings who can do what you do like you do
or better than you do no elijah is
irreplaceable
no elisha
is self-appointed
no elisha is self-appointed you can’t
just sit there and decide to be me
number one you don’t know what all goes
along with being me
this this hour or so on the stage is the
tip of the iceberg the real work is
beneath the surface
if you watch the swan from the top of
the water the swan is just moving nicely
across the water but if you look up
under the water it’s flapping like crazy
to keep things going you want the flow
but you don’t want the flap
this is the lord’s doings and it’s
marvelous in our eyes i i feel good
y’all in trouble i don’t know what y’all
gonna do this one because i’m feeling
good first king shows us how god spoke
through the prophets of old it reminds
me of hebrew
hebrews when it says god hebrews 1 when
it says god who at sundered times and in
diverse matters spoken to us by the
prophets but having these last days
spoken unto us by a son and first kings
and sucking kings you are seeing god
speaking to us through the prophets
tearing down kingdoms destroying
idolatry to bring his people into right
standing through his infallible word
that’s what he was doing through his
prophet god’s word is sovereign
it’s sovereign it’s psalm arranged it
rules it’s the boss it’s in charge it is
absolute his word pre-existed pen and
paper when i say god’s word i’m not just
talking about bible
[Applause]
god’s word predated printing machines
god’s word predated pens and pencil
in fact the bible said in the beginning
was the word and the word was with god
and the word was god so when you say the
word is infallible you’re not talking
about the book you hold in your hand
you’re talking about the integrity of
god the god’s word if he said it he’ll
bring it to pass do you understand what
i’m saying glory to god glory to god the
word pre-existing pen and paper his word
is his integrity
it is his integrity whatever he speaks
is true
he’s greater than any doctrine stronger
than any opinion more powerful than
human creeds boards or bishops
he will use whomever he chooses
he is sovereign
he is god
he will use the jawbone of an ass
do you hear what i’m saying
he will speak through a goat
he will use a woman or a man
he will use a child and a little child
to lead them you don’t get to decide who
god uses because god is god and god can
use whoever he wants to use for his
glory
he will use the professor and the
intellectual and he will use the
illiterate look at the dichotomy between
paul and peter paul is an intellectual
and
peter is an unlearned man
and yet god used to both
this is not flesh at work
this is the holy spirit at work
the two texts i have chosen
are dealing with how these two men met
an appointment with
destiny it is about the passing of the
baton
see them as bookends
the first story
is one part of it
and the last text is the end of it the
first story shows how it started
the next text shows how it ended
elijah is outside
working in the field
he is oblivious
he is oblivious
to the fact that his entire life
is about to change
he has no idea that today would disrupt
all of his family and change the
trajectory of the rest of his life it’s
just another day
of getting up early in the morning and
perhaps having the breakfast at four
o’clock in the morning my grandmother
would get up before day morning was dark
and you ate breakfast in the dark
because work in the field starts in the
dark before it gets hot
and elijah is just working in the field
working in his parents field
working in the field of the dreams of
his parents
working in the field that he will
inherit
working in the field that he will order
that he will own his life is set
it is nice it is neat it is traditional
it is orthodox
he is in it this is just another day he
has no
idea that god is about to disrupt his
entire life
one text can disrupt your entire life
one phone call can disrupt your entire
life one meeting of one person can
disrupt all of your plans and everything
about it and put you in conflict
because all of a sudden he has to
wrestle with
what he has imagined to be his destiny
all of a sudden evaporates through one
meeting
and what about the expectations of his
parents
the pressure that’s on him
to be who they raised him to be
they didn’t raise him to be gallivanting
across the country with this weirdo
they raised him to run this farm
he was their legacy he was their future
he was their destiny and all of that was
fine until he was exposed to something
exposure will bring about conflict
exposure will bring about the
disalignment and confusion and can you
imagine the pressure that’s in him to
live up to the expectations of the
people around him and can you imagine
the pressure that’s on you
to live up to the expectations of people
around you the expectations of people
will make you cut your hair it’ll make
you grow your hair it’ll make you get
your teeth replaced the expectations of
people will make you go back to school
the expectations of people will make you
lose weight or gain weight the
expectations of people will drive you
crazy the pressure to be everything that
everybody wants you to be is killing us
[Applause]
the pressure we put on ourselves
because we don’t want to face the
disapproval of the people we love
all of this has come into play god has
not spoken to elijah
god has spoken to elijah
back in the cave
and told him that elisha would be a
prophet in his room
but god did not speak to elijah
god has spoken about him
but not to him
what has god spoken about you
that he has not spoken to you
and there you are focused on what’s in
front of you
god always chooses somebody who is
focused on what’s in front of him
because if you can’t focus on what’s in
front of you
you can’t focus on what’s ahead of you
if you’re not faithful over what’s in
your hand
you’re not going to be faithful over
what’s in god’s hand
every time god ever called anybody they
were busy
they weren’t laying on the couch
watching soap operas they weren’t laying
on the couch reading magazines they
weren’t playing with gaming they weren’t
sitting around every time god found
anybody they were focused on what they
have some of you have decided as soon as
i figure out what i’m supposed to be i’m
going to focus you’ll never be anything
you got to focus on what’s in front of
you whatever is in your hand focus on
that and if you focus on what’s in your
head your future will find you
[Music]
your future finds you you don’t find it
elisha’s not looking for elijah
he’s looking how to plow this field
before the sun gets hot
elijah is looking for elisha
but elisha was not looking for elijah he
was just plowing on the 12th yoke of
oxen this is a big field it’s a lot of
property his parents have a lot of land
it’s how they eat
and he’s young enough to work
and they need him
to be
who they expect him to be
and there are some of us right now that
we cannot get loose from people who need
us
to be
what they expect us
to be
and it was all cool and organic and
orthodox and natural and normal until
elijah shows up
and he he messes everything up
because he exposes elisha
to something that we all
secretly need it wasn’t just his mantle
elijah saw somebody
who was like him
and isn’t that what we all really want
to find somebody who gets us
and whatever we’re doing while we’re
waiting
is just filling space
until we have an encounter with somebody
who gets me
who speaks my language who understands
where i’m coming from
somebody who represents the
possibilities of what i could be
this plow is my father’s plow
these oxen are my father’s oxen
i’m busy doing what they expected
and i i’m talking about having the
courage
to be yourself
the courage to be yourself
sets you in conflict with your
environment
do you hear the words that are coming
out of my mouth
the courage to be yourself sets you in
conflict with your environment because
your environment is predescribed and
predisposed for you to function in
predictable ways
and now here comes elijah and he throws
off the predictable pattern of elisha’s
life and puts him in conflict shall i
stay
with the people who have invested in me
all of my life and try to be their dream
filler
or shall i go for myself
and go after my own dream
oh i want to stay there i’m going to
stay i know this is going to be hard for
me because i want to stay there because
some of us are stuck
in in that place
in prison
by expectations
you’ll be surprised at the things people
do to keep peace
the jobs they don’t take
the careers they don’t pursue
the entrepreneurial pursuits they don’t
go after the churches they won’t attend
the religion they won’t embrace all just
to keep peace because i want to be what
you expect me to be so you’ll be quiet
keep everything nice and keep everything
neat and keep everything quiet and all
of you people who need everything to be
nice and need and be quiet have
contorted yourself and distorted
yourself into a mere caracature of who
you could have been because you lack the
courage to be your own person
[Applause]
i love you but i gotta be me
you love me but you gotta be you
and the only reason our marriage has
survived is that we have finally grown
to give each other the permission to be
different
instead of trying to make me be her or
me make her be me we finally realized
that god didn’t make a mistake when he
made her the way he made her and he
didn’t make a mistake when he made me
the way he made me
and i am through
shutting my mouth
to fit in to anybody’s expectation
[Applause]
i want you to see
how difficult it is
for elisha
to make this next move
all of the hopes of his ancestors
is on him plowing in this field
stay right here
this is what we designed for you
we are living in a we are teaching out
of a patriarchal society
where the father’s word was law
and if daddy didn’t approve it it didn’t
happen
and all of a sudden instead of him
living up to the expectations of his
father
he has to have the courage
to confront them
and be himself you’ll never be
successful at being me you’ll only be
successful at being you
you have to figure out who you really
are aside from who you are expected to
be and ask god to bless who you are
because god does not even know who you
pretend to be
adam where art thou doesn’t mean you
disappeared it means you lost your
identity
oh god help me help me help me i’m
talking to somebody i don’t know who it
is
[Applause]
elijah passed by that boy
and threw his mantle on him
for a moment and it was
it was a glimpse
it was a glimpse
i preached a few weeks ago about
glimpses
have you ever caught a glimpse
just a glimpse of something that that
didn’t even fit your surroundings and
didn’t fit your environment and didn’t
fit your paycheck i didn’t fit your
pedigree it didn’t fit your degree and
didn’t fit your background but you got a
glimpse
and it was so
attractive
it was so alluring it was so dynamic it
was so magnetic it was so sexy
that all of a sudden that once you have
been exposed you could never be
unexposed
[Music]
that’s why the devil doesn’t want you to
be exposed
because once you know you can never
unknow what you know once you know it
you know it once you know it you know it
there was something about this mantle
that spoke to him in such a way that he
gathered his courage
to go with elijah
wait a minute
elijah didn’t know
that elisha was going to follow him
because god had told elijah to anoint
elijah
but he didn’t say he was going to have
to live with him
and elijah said look dude
i’m just supposed to anoint you
and now you have upped the ante you want
to follow me
what have i done to you go away
god doesn’t give either one of them all
the details
and some of you are waiting on all the
details before you make your next move
you will die an old lady and not have
all the details
god fills in the blanks as you activate
on what he has already given you to do
day by day the steps of a good man are
ordered by the lord and he delighteth in
his way
away with all your questions and what do
we do when we get there where are we
going to stay and what do the people
think and what and what and what you
have spent years asking questions rather
than obeying commandments
i’m talking to somebody i don’t even
know who it is
god is not going to give you all the
details for the just shall live by
good god almighty i feel some about to
happen in this place i feel a stirring
in the spirit this was the call on his
life
this was the call a call to something a
call is in front of you not behind you
if i say serena come here i have to i
can’t be there and say come here
a call is futuristic
because put you in conflict
because in order to answer the call
you have to leave there
to come here
[Applause]
separation come on
it means you had to leave the familiar
it means you had to leave the comfort of
the chair it means you had to leave your
surroundings it means you have to leave
your position it means you had to leave
how you knew yourself it means you had
to step out on something you didn’t even
know i was going to do when god calls
you you don’t know what’s going to
happen next you didn’t know i was going
to call you you didn’t know what i want
you for you don’t even know what i’m
going to do now you just obeyed because
i called you give god a prayer that’s
what he wants that’s what he does that’s
how he moves that’s how he works that’s
how he speaks that’s how he delivered
you got to have courage to walk away
from everything that’s comfortable to
you and do what god called you to do i
call you elijah come here
somebody pray thank you baby somebody
praise it if you understand what i’m
talking about
glory to god type on the line he called
me he called me he called me he called
me he called me he called me and all the
while you’ve been praying about where
you’re sitting
and the reason god isn’t answering you
is because it ain’t about where you are
it’s about where you’re going stop
praying to me about the feel and the ox
and the plow cause i’m calling you
if you have the courage
to detach yourself
[Music]
[Applause]
from the expectations
of others
do you have
the courage
to be yourself
i’m i’m asking do you
have
the courage to be your authentic self
how long do you think you can play this
role
how many years of your life are you
gonna waste
playing a role
just because that’s where you are
that doesn’t mean
that’s where he called you
and i want you to see
how much
elijah
sacrificed
to say yes to god
type on the line sacrifice how much he
had to sacrifice he had to risk his
relationship with his mother and his
father he had to risk being made to look
like a fool he had to risk everything in
his life
[Music]
to follow elijah
an elijah on the other hand
didn’t notice dude is gonna start
following him
elisha goes from
being the leader in the field
to being a servant
with the master
oh god leader servant leader servant
leader servant
am i gonna be a big fish over here or am
i gonna be a servant over here and
because you can’t humble yourself to
serve over here you lead in a small pond
rather than to serve in a big park you
lead in your history rather than to
serve in your destiny servant leadership
means you have to have the dexterity and
the ability to transition from being the
boss
over a bull
to being the servant of a prophet
and most of us will never respond
because we lack being a boss
over
a pond over a little place
rather he gave up being in charge and
his inheritance
and he gave up being a boss to serve
because the secret
to leadership
is always servitude
and until
you can wash feet peter
you cannot be my disciple
as long as you see being disciples at
stages and lights and camera and action
you’re not fit to be my leader because
you’re not willing to be a servant if i
your lord can switch from being lord to
washing feet how much more are you to be
able to make the transition somebody say
i got a switch i gotta switch i gotta
switch i gotta serve my way up i gotta
serve my way up i gotta serve my way up
i gotta serve my way up i gotta serve my
way up so it’s gonna require sacrifice
and it’s going to require service
and so when he asks elijah
can i go with you
said no
elijah goes back
and burns up the ox
and the plow
do you know how long it took to raise an
ox
he cooked him
he burned up the plow
he cooked the ox
to say to elijah
there’s nothing to go back to
[Music]
i want you to shut the door
on your exit strategy i want you to shut
the door on your back-up plan i want you
to shut the door on your safety net if
you really believe that this is god it
is time for you to shut the door
and go who am i talking to i feel like
i’m talking to somebody i don’t know who
it is but i knew when the lord gave me
this word he would give me the right
people to deliver it to
somebody in this room god is talking
directly to you
he cooked
the ox
he burned up the plow
he said i’ve got nothing to go back to
i honestly believe that when the
children of israel crossed the red sea
and pharaoh chased him down to the water
that when the red sea closed in and
drowned pharaoh
it didn’t just drown pharaoh
it closed up any possibility of them
ever going back to egypt
because sometimes when you follow god
you get scared and you want to go back
to what’s safe and you want to go back
to what’s familiar
but in order to follow god you got to
close up your exit strategy and make up
your mind for god i’ll live and for god
i’ll die i’m throwing all my chips in it
i’m throwing everything i got at it and
i shut the door
[Applause]
you praise god for the doors he opened
i praise god for the doors he closed
i praised god for the doors he closed so
i could never go back to that just cause
times got hard i wanted to go back i
missed it i longed for it but he shut
the door
if for the word of god is speaking to
you this morning take 30 seconds and
give him crazy praise
[Applause]
[Music]
honey come bring me some water
honey no i don’t want you to do it i
want her to do it come on
honey come bring me some water
[Applause]
you mean you gave up being first lady
[Music]
[Applause]
just to give me some water
[Applause]
pour the rest of it on my hands
just pour it right let it go on the
floor just put it right on my hands
he poured water
on the hands of the prophet all of it he
poured water on the hands of the prophet
he poured water on the hands of the
prophet he poured water on the hands of
the prophet no recognition no name for
himself he just served the man of god
the anointing you serve is the anointing
you receive the anointing you said is
the anointing you receive the anointing
you serve is the anointing you receive
did you hear me on the screen the
anointing you said is the anointing you
receive you can’t be it if you can’t
serve it
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
it’s just water it’ll be all right it’ll
be all right what i want you to see
is that the true essence
of leadership
is servitude
i am the leader of the potter’s house it
is true
but in reality
i am serving you now
i am serving you
right now i am pouring water on your
hands water on your dreams water on your
prophecy water on your potential water
on your possibility i am pouring water
on your hands right now if you have the
willingness to receive it i am pouring
water on you right now that’s why paul
said one man plants and another man
watereth and god gives the increase good
god almighty hallelujah
all we are are water pours watering your
dreams watering your prophecy watering
your future watering your potentials
[Applause]
[Applause]
i want to water seeds that are in your
ground that you didn’t even know you had
i wanted water potentials that you
didn’t even recognize i want to water
dreams that will blow your mind i’m
watering them right now i’m watering
through my preaching i’m watering
through my doing i’m watering through my
business i’m watering through my
entrepreneurship i’m watering through my
foundation all of that is pouring water
on your drink water i didn’t know that
was possible i never thought about doing
that i didn’t know you could be two
things at the same time you could be ten
things at the same time according to the
grace that worketh in you don’t do it
just to imitate me but if god gives you
the grace for it and you have the same
kind of spirit i am just modeling the
possibility that you don’t have to be
locked into one dimension that you have
the freedom to be
your authentic self
[Music]
can i go just a little bit further
so sit with me
he
followed elijah
as a servant
for six years
for six years
for six years
he goes from gilgal
to bethel
from bethel
to jericho
from jericho
to jordan
because after
everything is said and done you have to
have sacrifice
you have to have service
and you have to have stability
[Applause]
stability
means i have passed this church
when i felt like it
and i have passed it to church when i
didn’t feel like it
means i have preached with power when my
heart was broken and i had preached with
power when i was on the top of the
mountain i had preached and sometimes
you didn’t even know it i was hollering
up at you from the valley stability
means that i don’t take you on the
roller coaster ride of my personal
experience that i am professional enough
to function in my capacity with
stability and the reason god can’t use
you is that you are too into your
feelings you’re talking about how you
feel about this and how you feel about
that and how you feel about the other
god’s plan cannot be hindered by your
feelings you love to feel anything you
know you have crazy you’re schizophrenic
anyway you can’t do this according to
feeling you have to open up the business
and be open when it’s good and be open
when it’s bad and be open when you’re
happy and be open when you’re sad be ye
steadfast unmovable always abounding in
the work of the lord god wants you to
have stability
if you can’t say amen say ouch
[Applause]
you don’t understand sometimes you pass
the test by staying
it’s not about winning it’s about
staying it’s about being stable preach
to word timothy be instant in season out
of season reprove rebuke with all
long
suffering for the time will come that
men will not endure sound doctrine
they’re going to be flaky but don’t you
be flaky preach the word be stable be
steadfast be unmovable oh my god who am
i talking to you in the middle of a test
of your stability you’re not stable
[Music]
how can you leave if you are not stable
for what god was getting ready to lay on
elijah
he had to pass the test
of six years
of stability
stability gilgal
the place of cutting the place of
separation
stable
at bethel
the house of god
you’re not even stable about the house
of god
and yet you want god to be stable about
blessing you
you if you’re not preaching you’re not
coming
if the choir is not singing you’re not
in it
he had to be stable
at bethel
to the house of god
that means you got to worship in the
hospital
you got to worship in grief you got to
worship in pain
you got to worship when your mama’s dead
you got to worship when your feelings
are hurt you got to worship when
somebody ticked you off you got to
worship when they got on your nerves you
got to worship when somebody cuts you
out you have to pass the test of
stability because of the weight of glory
that god is getting ready to lay on you
you can’t have that kind of glory and
fluctuate
[Music]
six years
[Applause]
the number
of man
it was on the sixth day that god made
man
six years god spends making elisha
a man
[Music]
forming
a man
six years of stability of forming
a man
forming him
in good days and bad days
in bleeding days they circumcised
at gilgal
the separation place
from gilgal
to bethel
away with your feelings
you cannot serve god out of your
feelings
god doesn’t care how you feel how do you
think he felt about going to the cross
and still
he died
he hated it but still he died
the bible said he despised the shame but
for the joy that was set before and
still he died
[Applause]
be steadfast
unmovable
always abounding always always abounded
always abounding always giving your best
always doing it to the limit always
leaving it all on the floor i’m only
happy when i walk away from this pulpit
and i feel like i left it all on the
floor i left it all on the floor i gave
it my all i’m not competing with anybody
else i’m competing against the voice
that’s down inside of me when i walk off
the stage i am only comforted when i
left it all on the floor
[Applause]
he was stable in the house of god
he was
then following him
to jericho
jericho
the place of possibilities the place
where it all started
the place where the promise became real
the place where the battle ensued
the place where the walls were high
the place where the challenges were he
followed him
even to jericho
and they’re having a walk
and jordan
they’re just walking along
and
elijah asked elijah
late in the journey
not the first year
not the second year
not the third year
not the fourth year
the fifth year
he says what shall i do unto thee
and he says
i would like to have
a double portion
of your money
oh i’m sorry
a double portion of your platform
a double portion of your contacts a
double portion of your stage
no he says i want a double portion
of your spirit
do you know what to ask for
are you asking for the wrong thing
are you asking for the thing
that is covetous
rather than prophetic
what you call faith the bible calls
coveting
you are not to cover your neighbor’s
oxen you are not to covet your
neighbor’s wife you’re not to covet your
neighbor’s state that is not what he
wanted from elijah he didn’t want
elijah’s stuff
he wanted his unction
i want the option i see the anxious if
you give me the option i can get my own
stuff give me the unction i want a
double portion of your upset i want a
double portion of your power i want a
double portion of the power of the holy
spirit and elijah says to him you have
asked a hard thing
because only god
can give a transference of spirit
you have asked
something that is beyond
my ability to give just because i like
you doesn’t mean i can make you what he
didn’t create you to be
so how dare you feel rejected of me
because you have asked me
for something that i can i tell you what
if you see me
when he shows up
[Applause]
if you’re still here when the boss shows
up
[Applause]
if you are still there
when he shows up and they’re just
walking along
and suddenly
the heavens opened up shut the books up
i don’t know who i’m speaking to but god
said you’re gonna get a suddenly moment
and when god gives you a suddenly moment
after years of service you’re gonna have
a suddenly service
suddenly service suddenly stability
suddenly nothing and then suddenly after
years you say it’s not working it’s not
working it’s not working don’t stop
doing what’s not working because it will
work if you’re working it will work if
you’re working it will work if you’re
working it will work if you’re working
it might not work on year one it may not
work on year two it may not work on
three year three but if you stick to
your gods it’ll work if you’re working
and suddenly somebody shouts suddenly
somebody shouts suddenly
somebody shouts suddenly
that’s how your prayers are gonna be
answered that’s how the door is gonna be
open that’s how the mountain is going to
be moved that’s how the way is going to
be there i don’t know who i’m talking to
but i’m talking to somebody in this room
god said i’m going to give you a
suddenly
does your neighbor say suddenly
after years of looking like you weren’t
getting anything after years of being
overlooked after years of being ignored
god said he’s going to give you a
suddenly
a certainly it’s going to break out in
your marriage and suddenly it’s going to
break out with your child a certainty is
gonna break out in your ministry
somebody give him a praise for suddenly
[Applause]
[Music]
suddenly suddenly suddenly
suddenly suddenly suddenly suddenly
suddenly suddenly i prophesied suddenly
i prophesied suddenly i promised i
suddenly a suddenly a suddenly a
suddenly a suddenly a suddenly after six
years uh suddenly
[Applause]
the heavens open up
the chariot came
now the guy who watch this
stand on your feet because if you don’t
i’m gonna keep going
stand up you gotta stand up
you gotta stand up cause i’m fired up
about this
suddenly
the guy who wants a double portion of
elijah’s spirit
when he got to the place that he could
get it
he suddenly realizes
i don’t want the mantle
i want the man
[Applause]
my father
my father
the chariots of israel have carried away
and now i realize what a privilege you
oh are god
i will see you
i will see you no more
i will have to walk the rest of the way
without you
he wasn’t crying out the mantle the
mantle the mantle
he was saying my father my father my
father
everything i learned i learned it from
you
everything i understand i understand it
from you
everything you taught me i had made me
who i am
and i will see you no more
oh
god i will see you no more
how can i do this without you
the chariots of israel
have carried my father away
you see i left my other father
and you’re the closest thing to a father
i have
and i will see you no more
forgive me
for valuing the mantle more than i did
the man
because it’s going to be hard
to be you
without you
in fact it’s going to be hard to be me
without you
everything i ever did i did it with you
everything i ever learned i learned it
from you everything i ever accomplished
i accomplished you got me in the gill
gal you got me into bethel you got me in
the jericho you brought me across this
jordan river we just crossed over
and i don’t even know for sure
that i know how to get back without you
and he ringed his garments
which in the old testament the ripping
of your garments is a sign of utter
grief
he ripped his clothes off
and he snatched
his father’s mantle
and he raised it high
and he said where
is the god
of elijah
where
is the god
of elijah
what that means is
will it work for me
[Music]
you have been hearing me preach for
years
but it doesn’t mean anything
if you don’t learn how to make it work
for you
will it
work
for me
and god says
nothing
back to him
he gives him no assurance
he gives him no promise
it’s not like joshua where he told
joshua as i was with moses so shall i be
with you god shut his mouth
and left him to discover
that it will only work
[Music]
it won’t work because you listen to it
it won’t work because you took notes on
it it won’t work because you shouted
about it it won’t work because you spoke
in tongues it will only work if you work
it and so what he did
he did what his father did
not just heard what his father said he
said let me see he he bound up the
mantle he took the path and he bound it
up like the old man had mounted and he
took it and he smote the water
and when he smoked the waters the waters
would hither and dinner
but they only parted because he wanted
and the lord told me to tell somebody
who’s been praying to him
i don’t know whether this is going to
work
he sent me through all of this
to tell you he heard your prayer
come on
come on
he sent me through all of this to tell
me
he understands
your anxiety
your insecurity
[Applause]
your uncertainty
but in order for there to be real
succession
[Music]
we we’ve gone through sacrifice we’ve
gone through service we’ve gone through
stability succession
it will only work
if you
walk it
how many years we’ve been married
39
39 years soon to be 40.
no no no
don’t clap for us
we haven’t been married 40 years because
everything’s been easy and everything’s
been good and everything’s been nice and
i’ve been the perfect husband and we’ve
always agreed and everything went right
and we didn’t have problems and we
didn’t have tests and we didn’t have
trials and i didn’t get on her nurse and
she didn’t get on my nerves no no no
we’ve been married 40 years because we
worked it
[Applause]
marriage only works
if
you
work it
i started my church with seven people
in a building
cooking ribs and chicken to pay the rent
[Applause]
that boy y’all brought out here the
other sunday almost wrecked me he was
the first face to walk through the door
of my storefront
ron smith and judy were the first people
to walk through the door
in my empty storefront and they were the
first people to join
my church
when they were calling me the boy pastor
and they were making fun of me
and said i would never be nothing
they were the first people to walk
through
the door
and i was working a job full-time
something that most young preachers
won’t do
they’ll raise an offering but they won’t
work a job i worked a job and i preached
on the side and i put my check in the in
the offering to keep the doors open and
whatever we had left we cooked up and
sold dinners to raise money to get
another month to fight again
and don’t you come here
45 years later
and asked me for the keys
when you haven’t done the time
until you have preached when you didn’t
have no car
until you have thumbed to bible class
and walked up the road like this with
your thumb out
and climbed across
the railroad tracks
and knocked pulled us off your pants and
went in and taught on the tabernacle to
a handful of people don’t you come here
with your cute suit on and tell me that
you are my successor because until you
are my sufferer you can’t be my
successor
it may not be the same way it may not be
the same story but in some area of your
life you have to earn
the right to be elijah
[Music]
every one of our children were born on a
sunday morning
and i was in the labor room with a
clergy caller
and my wife was pregnant
and would sleep
on the pew
in between the morning service and the
night service
waiting on the night service
so we could have church again
[Applause]
we preach with our lights off
we preach with our water off
to get to where we are right now and i
came to tell
you today
whatever it is you are trying to build
if you want sacrifice for it if you want
labor for it if you won’t be hungry for
it if you want thumb for it if you won’t
sweat for it if you won’t bury your
pride and put in the work for it and all
you want to do is high side and bling
and impress people for it you don’t have
the right to get it until you will stay
up at night and go to school while other
people are watching the game and read
and study and work and pray to get to be
whoever it is you are trying to be you
have not got the right
it will work
[Applause]
i said it will work what’s the rest of
it
it will work
it will work
it will whack
it will whack
it will work
[Applause]
there are nearly 60 000 people listening
at me right now around the world in
other tongues in other languages who
never saw me fry fish
they never saw my mama putting fish
in hot grease behind a wall
of the stage i was preaching in
am i telling the truth
you know exactly what i’m talking about
i got living witnesses right now but you
want to come in when the glamor is and
you want more glamour and you need more
guts
you need guts
you can’t be this without guts
[Applause]
and if you think i’m an easy takedown
try me
[Applause]
i preached a year and a half with in an
empty room
and i paid all my staff and didn’t lay
off not one of them
because i’m in my 60s but i’m still bad
it will work
it will work
it will work
it will work
it will work
it will work
this
is god’s word
forget about my dream what is your dream
what is your purpose what is your goal
and how much what will you put into it
in order to get what you’re trying to
get from god how much
it will only work
if you’re working
if this message spoke to you as a man
where my brothers are
[Applause]
i have no fear of how how she goes
or how great she becomes
or how much money she makes
or how successful she becomes
that is between her
and god
[Applause]
because
her
being great don’t take me down
[Applause]
you can either cower down
and give up
and let your wife become your mama
or you can stand up like a grown man
and handle your business
where my sister’s at
get out of your feelings
it’s not gonna come to you emotionally
people will not work for emotional
people who have meltdowns and freak out
and hold grudges you have to be bigger
than that
you might can do that at home but if you
come out into the corporate space and
the work world and the business space we
don’t have time to deal with your
attitudes so stop popping your neck
hold your head up get yourself together
get out of your feelings and get ready
to fight the good fight of faith
you can’t raise your children in your
feelings and you cannot keep nagging
your husband to death and wonder why he
left
[Applause]
it will work
it will work
oh you’re kind of weak now you’re kind
of weak now it will work
it will work
it will work
this is what i wanted i’m gonna go close
because i’m throwing a party for our
pastors
i want on this altar people who realize
that you have not thrown your best shot
that you have not slung your furthest
arrow
that you have faced your giants but you
have not thrown your best rock
and this message spoke to you today in a
prophetic way that you got some work to
do
i want those of you that are online you
cannot be physically but i want you to
indicate on the type on the line include
me in the prayer you spoke to me you
talked to me you made things clear to me
you answered questions that i’ve been
praying about i’ve been wondering why it
didn’t happen i didn’t realize he walked
with him six years i didn’t realize i
had to serve to lead i didn’t realize
that i had to be stable in the house of
god i didn’t nobody ever taught me how
much it cost greatness is expensive
succession is expensive
i want young people who are next in line
this does not work like your phone this
does not work like an app you have to
work it
and you have to work it a long time
and it doesn’t happen overnight for most
people yes there are one or two people
who put something on youtube and they
got discovered and they went famous but
out of millions of people those who only
wanted to the rest of us have to work it
clap if you know i’m right
i’m going to close out the service with
this prayer
but i want every entrepreneur every
business person every leader every
thinker every dreamer every person who’s
got to profess a prophecy on your life i
want you on this altar
i want every person who’s dealing with
something that ain’t working right
on this altar
i want you on this altar
i want you on this altar
it will work if you were every
discouraged person
every person who’s at their wits in
every person who’s been feeling like
it’s just not working it’s just not
working it’s just not worth it it’s just
not worth it it’s just not working i
paid my tithes i come to church i shout
i dance i speak in tons but somehow it’s
not working
this was your message
if i never preach again
this was your message
this was your message
this was your message
it will work
if you’re working
where is the god of elijah
[Music]
he’s right here
he’s right here
where is the god of elijah
[Music]
where
is the god
i believe y’all
we need to show dallas
where is the god of elijah
[Music]
it was not easy
it was heartbreaking
it was grieving
people died along the way
we cried along the way
we went through scandals and disgrace
along the way
you think you can wish your way up
you cannot wish your way up
you have to be steadfast
it’ll work if you’re working
it’ll work if you work it
[Music]
if i never see you again
remember these words
it will work
if you work it
i rebuke every giving up spirit
i rebuke every quitting spirit
i rebuke every spirit of depression i
don’t worship i rebuke every spirit of
depression
i rebuke have a spirit of fuller man i
rebuke every spirit of frustration the
devil is alive
he’s trying to talk you out of your
future
talk you out of your dream and talk you
out of your destiny and tell you you
cannot do what god called you to do
i call you out of other people’s
expectations
i break you loose from trying to please
everybody but yourself and your god
i speak to you right now in the name of
jesus
to cook your ox
and burn your plow
and set your feet like iron’s feet
this is a war this is a fight this is
not a game this is a fight it will work
if you work it it will work if you’re
working
i call you out of your emotions i call
you out of your frustrations
i call you out of feeling sorry for
yourself
i break every excuse
that you have given yourself to fail
my mother wasn’t there my father wasn’t
there my husband left me my wife forsook
me whatever lie you told yourself
as evidence of your right to fail
i take it away from you now
and i command you in the name of jesus
by the power of the holy ghost
by everything that lies inside of me
and everything that i’ve ever learned
about god
everything i’ve ever read in his word
to rise out of the ashes of your despair
it costs what it costs
it will take what it takes
let no man steal your crown
lift your hands up
a fresh anointing is coming up on you
a fresh anointing from god a fresh
anointing is coming from god oppression
ointing is coming from god
a mantle is falling in your hands a
release that’s coming in your spirit a
mantle from the divine a move of the
holy ghost a flow of the spirit it falls
on you now it falls on you now it’s
gonna go home with you it’s gonna get in
the car with you
i command you to get your fight back
i command you to get your fight back i
command you to get your drive back i
command you to get your dream back i
command you to stand up and respond to
what god created you to be
take me higher and right now
in the name
that’s been exalted
above every name
i release angels
over your house
over your business
over your car
open up your mouth and begin to praise
it here comes the glory
the glory of the living god
the anointing of god
from the crown of your head
to the souls of your feet
open your mouth
and receive
and receive and receive
a fresh anointing
a fresh anointing
i can’t hear you
[Applause]
[Music]
you