It’s not too late. In “Fighting The Battle Within,” Pastor Steven Furtick reveals that if you’re still breathing, there’s more that God has for you — so don’t give up! This is an excerpt from ” Tricks Are For Kids”. To watch the full message from @elevationchurch , click here: 
• Tricks Are For Kids | Pastor Steven F… #faith #peace #hope #stevenfurtick #elevationchurch Chapters: 0:00 – Where The Deceit Lies 3:21 – I’m Growing Out Of This 5:22 – Wrestling With Yourself 8:07 – Deficiency In Your Spirit 10:41 – Don’t Make Decisions When You’re Hungry 13:01 – It’s Not Too Late Scripture References: Genesis 25, verses 23-34
The first question Jesus asked in
the New Testament was, “What do you
want?” So, apparently, desires are not
something to be bypassed in our lives.
The deceit is not in the desire. The deceit
is what the Enemy tries to get you to do to
get the desire. That’s where the deceit is.
“Oh, no. You just settle for that. You just
scavenge for that. All you’re ever going to be
is that. All you’re ever going to get is that.
All you really can do is that. All you ever have
done is that. All you ever have been is that.
You’re trash. That’s why they walked out.
You’re trash. That’s why it hasn’t happened
yet. You’re stupid. That’s why you haven’t
built it yet. You’re an idiot. That’s why
all of your friends make that and you make
this. You suck.” But if you are growing in
Christ… The more you grow in him, you get
the ability from the inside to notice it,
evaluate it, and look him right in
his eyes and say, “Silly Devil…”
“You should have tried this on me before I got
back to church this year, because I’m growing this
year. Tricks are for kids, but I am a new creation
in Christ. I’ve got the book! Silly Devil,
that’s for kids. That’s child’s play. That’s how I
thought when I didn’t know God. That’s how I spoke
when I didn’t know God. That’s how I came running
when I didn’t have a liberator named Jesus.
That’s how I struggled in my sin before I had
his name to call on. I have help now. I have a
new self and a knew self. The me God saw in
eternity is the me that I see in the future,
and I’m moving into it. I’m growing into it.
I’m going to be it because I am it.” Yes,
Lord! Touch somebody and say, “Silly
rabbit.” Trying to eat kids’ food,
trying to do kids’ stuff, trying
to get people to notice you.
What are you, fifth grade? Saying,
“I can’t change.” What is this,
seventh grade? Somebody wrote in your
notebook, “Never change,” and you took
their advice and raised hell over the summer,
and here you still are pitching a fit over
what you didn’t get when God has given you
the riches of Christ and the Spirit of God
and the fire that came down on the day
of Pentecost is burning in your belly.
“I’m growing now. I’m growing out of this.
This addiction will not be able to hold me
another 10 years. I’m growing out of this. It
might take me some time. It might take me some
tears. It might take me some tough decisions,
but I’m growing out of this. I will not stay in
this prison, not one more day. I’m coming
forward!” Somebody should have told Esau,
“The stew is not that good.” Do
y’all know about Jacob and Esau?
Do you know about Jacob? The God of Jacob.
It wasn’t supposed to be the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. It was supposed to be the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau. He was the oldest
brother. He had the right to the inheritance,
just like you have an inheritance in Christ.
What is it? Every spiritual blessing in heavenly
places, reconciliation with God, the ability to
be at peace with him and others, the love of God
shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
You have that. So why do we not sing, “I’m calling
on the God of Esau,” apart from the fact that it
doesn’t rhyme with generations, which is the next
line in that song? Why? Because he got hungry?
Because he saw a bowl of… Was it cereal or stew?
Stew. Jacob was cooking stew. It’s interesting,
because all the way from Rebekah’s womb they’d
been wrestling each other. Jacob’s name means
deceiver, trickster. The funniest verse in
the Bible if you know how to look for it… If
the Bible is boring to you, you’re boring. The
Bible is not. God is interesting. You’re basic.
What is the one I gave you in Genesis 25
where it talked about the nations wrestling
in her womb? The Lord said, “The nations
are wrestling in your womb.” Two nations,
two natures, two “yous” wrestling in the
womb of what God is doing in your life.
The old one that was put on that is being
corrupted and the new one that’s the real one that
was created in the image of God that he sent his
Son to bring you back to. He said, “Two nations
are in you, two peoples. One will be stronger
than the other. The older will serve the younger.”
“When the time came for her to give birth,
there were twin boys in her womb.” Right now,
there are twins in the womb of your
mind, your heart, and your desires.
I’m not preaching this in an allegorical way.
It said it in Ephesians. I’m illustrating it to
you. That’s exactly what Paul said.
I want you to notice it didn’t say,
“Make sure you don’t take off the new
nature and put the old one back on.”
The old one was the first one that is
mentioned, which means your natural
state of mind is not your true nature.
In order to put on what God gave you,
you have to take off what he didn’t and stop
accepting any old attitude as being you,
because that’s not you. Oh, I notice it. “There
I am again blaming people.” I notice it. “There
I am again catastrophizing.” I notice
it. “There I am again,” but I’m not it.
I notice it, but I’m not it, because I have
learned the truth in Jesus and a new way of
life. So, I’m taking that off and putting
this on. I’m growing out of that old one
and growing into my new one. The future
me is God’s familiar me. That’s what I’m
becoming. Since my life had its origins in the
mind and heart of God, nothing can stop it.
Just ask the stone what can stop God. Therefore,
when we look at Jacob and Esau, we see a picture
of us. We see that they were wrestling from the
womb. I told you I’d give you the funny verse,
and I haven’t yet. “The first to come out was
red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment;
so they named him Esau.” That’s not the
funny one. It sounds funny. He was hairy.
They named him Esau, which means red,
because he was red. Real creative, Isaac.
“After this, his brother came out, with his hand
grasping Esau’s heel…” That’s Jacob grabbing
Esau’s heel. That has been you a lot of your life
too. That has been you trying to… “I want to be
first. I need to be that. Oh, no, I need to be
that.” Now watch what happens. “…so he was named
Jacob [trickster]. Isaac was sixty years old when
Rebekah gave birth to them. The boys grew up…”
That’s the funny verse, because they
didn’t. Physically they did. Esau
became a skillful hunter. You’ve
accomplished a lot too. No, no,
you have. I’m not saying that sarcastically.
You’ve learned a lot. You’ve become a lot.
You’ve overcome a lot. I want to pause
and celebrate your progress to this point.
I’m not setting you up. You have that
hesitant clap, like, “Is he about to
tell us we’re really filthy rags?” I’m not,
but I’m saying it’s possible for you to grow
in your skillfulness and be deficient in your
spirit. So, Esau is a good hunter. He’s grown
up. They’re both grown up, but they’re doing
the same crap they did when they were little
boys. They’re still fighting. Jacob is
still tricking, and Esau is still stupid.
I mean, he’s good at hunting, a man of the
open country. Jacob is content to stay home
among the tents. Isaac had a taste for wild
game and loved Esau. Rebekah loved Jacob.
Now watch this. “Once when Jacob was cooking
some stew…” I think it’s no coincidence that
stew is the beginning of stupid, because
this is worse than a pack of cards. This
is worse than any house you ever bought.
This is the worst deal in human history.
Jacob is cooking some stew. “Esau came
in from the open country, famished.” Now,
the first thing Esau needed to do was
notice. “I’m hungry right now. I am in
no position to make decisions right now.” “I
am in no position to respond to this email
right now. I am in no position to have this
conversation right now. I’m hungry. I need a
minute. Even if I have to fake like I’m going
to the bathroom, that’s what I’m going to do.
I’m going to stand in the bathroom
and call on the God of the bathroom,
and he’ll meet me in the bathroom. He’s the God
of the mountain. He’s the God of the bathroom too.
I’m going to shut this stall and pray before
I sell my soul for some stew. She’s not that
pretty. She’s not that gorgeous, not to throw
away what God gave me. I need a moment to notice,
‘I’m hungry right now.'” I’m trying to make
this real where it can live where you live.
He said, “I’m famished,” and then watch
what he did. Because he did not notice it,
he responded to it. He responded to his hunger
now in a way that he would hate later. I’ve done
it many times. “Quick,” he said to Jacob. “Let
me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”
“I’m famished,” not “I’m feeling hunger right now,
but let me deal with it the right way.” “I
am what I feel.” Look at me, church. “I’m
famished. I’m exhausted.” That’s why he was
called Edom (red). Verse 31: “Jacob replied,
‘First sell me your birthright.’ ‘Look, I am
about to die,’ Esau said. ‘What good is the
birthright to me?’ But Jacob said, ‘Swear
to me first.’ So he swore an oath to him,
selling his birthright to Jacob.” That’s why we’re
calling on the God of Jacob…for a single meal.
So Esau despised his birthright for some
bread and lentil stew. He ate, drank,
got up, and left and despised his birthright.
I thought that’s strong language. It doesn’t
say he hated his birthright, but when you are
hungry, you will make decisions now that will
create a life you hate later. This year, God
brought you to Elevation Church and our eFam
online to tell you it’s not too late for
you to change. If you’re still breathing,
you still have a birthright. If the blood is still
running warm in your veins, you have a birthright.
The blood Jesus shed for you purchased it back
from the Devil. So, we have the Book, we have
the blood, and we have an opportunity this year,
this moment. Forget about it. This very moment,
you have the opportunity to make an exchange…your
unrighteousness for his righteousness,
your sin for his salvation, your no for
his yes, your filthiness for his purity,
your ashes for his beauty. This is
the greatest exchange that has ever
been made…not with Jacob; I’m talking about
Jesus…the great exchange of love and grace.
You don’t get it through grinding. Tricks are for
kids. You don’t get it through effort. That’s for
the perfect people, but for the children of
God there is a grace for this moment, a grace
to change you, a grace to call you forward.
It’s pulling on you now. That’s why you feel
it. It’s not me speaking; it’s him speaking. I’m
teaching you Jesus, and Jesus is showing you you.
How many times are you going to give the
Enemy your desires and let him
tell you how to fulfill them?