It has been a minute since I've done one of these little videos setting up the sermon for you, but I wanted to let you know that by the time you see this, we are probably already well under way with Elevation Nights, and I want to invite you to join us (elevationnights.com) in the following cities: Seattle, Washington; Vancouver, BC; Sacramento, California; LA; Anaheim; Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City; and Denver, September 24 through October 3. It's going to be an amazing night of worship and the Word and me and Holly and the team. We want to see
you there, so go right now if there's still time and get a ticket and meet us there. I wanted to set up the message for you today personally because I believe there is a word for those of you who have been dealing with the discouragement or maybe even just the deceit of the Devil in your mind. Put in the comments, "The battle is in your mind." That's where the battle is. The truth of God's Word has something for you for the battle in your mind. We're going to be in two Scriptures today, Acts 14:26-28 and
Matthew 4:8-11, and some other ones too, but we'll get it as we go. If you're ready for the Word of God, put it in the comments right now. "I'm ready." Let's go. "From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples." Now, I know I'm
dropping you in the middle of that passage and not telling you much about it at all. It doesn't even say who the characters are. It just says, "They, they, they." I'll come back to that. Let's look at one in Matthew, chapter 4, before we officially begin the sermon. Matthew 4:8-11. This one should be a little bit more familiar to you, both in the Bible and in your own life. "Again, the devil…" You know him. That is a character who needs no introduction. "Again, the devil took him [Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.' Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."'" Verses 8 and 9 are where a lot of us have been living lately, where the Devil has been talking to us and taking us places in our minds. Verse 11 is where we want to get today by the time I'm done preaching. Verse 11 says, "Then the devil left him, and angels
came and attended him." How many want to get to verse 11 by the time I finish today? "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." I like to give my messages fun titles, titles that are fun for me. Sometimes I like to have you say them to your neighbor. Basically, what Jesus told the Devil was, "Get out of here," so I'm going to have you say to your neighbor what Jesus said to the Devil. Just tell your neighbor, "I know you're not the Devil. I love you, but for the purpose of illustration…"
Now, the next thing is my title. Say it to them really nicely. Say it really politely, but say it firmly. Look at them like they need to leave, they've overstayed their welcome. Tell them, "Let me show you the door." That's my message. This is an international ministry, so idioms don't always translate across cultures. That is a polite way of saying, "You've got to go." "Let me show you the door. I'm making a call. You need to go now." Look at your other neighbor and say, "Let me show you the door. In Jesus' name." Put that
at the end so it sounds nice. Jesus ran that Devil off. "Away from me, Satan!" In the King James Version it says, "Get thee hence, Satan." That's basically saying, "Let me show you the door. You've got to go now. I've got something to do." Jesus ran the Devil off and made him flee because when the Devil came to him with three different temptations… Each time the Devil came at him, he had the perfect comeback. That's what we need to develop in our lives: a comeback strategy for when Satan comes at us. When accusation comes at
you, I want you to have a comeback strategy. Have you ever had a perfect comeback, but you couldn't say it because you calculated the damage it would do, and you realized you were not in a position to take the shot? Maybe it was your boss or maybe you just didn't want to have to mop it up later or maybe you knew if you said what you were going to say, they had something they could say. (This is not a marriage seminar, so I'm going to move quickly through it.) You have the perfect comeback and you
can't use it or you have the perfect comeback but it's on a delay. You think of it on Thursday, but it happened Monday, so it would be kind of awkward to go back and say, "Hey, say that thing again. Say that thing again. Say it again. I'm ready for you now." It was on a delay. There's actually a term for that. They call it staircase wit. It's when you have to go all the way down the stairs and are almost out the door, and you think of what you should have said and turn back around.
I like to share these little stories that we share as preachers because they're funny. Forgive me if you've heard this one. There is a story of a lady who went to a church, and she was not used to going to church, so she didn't have a lot of church clothes, and it was a really traditional church. So she went in what she had. She went in her clothes, but they weren't very modest, and they weren't very nice. Everybody there was dressed very modestly and very nice. So, the lady sat through the service, and she was
moved by it. When she was leaving the church, the preacher was waiting at the door. It was a very small church, and he would always shake everyone's hand on the way out the door. When he saw her, he took the opportunity to tell her, "We're so glad to have you as our guest today, and you're welcome to come back here, but before you come back, I want you to pray and ask the Lord what he would have you to wear when you come back to our church." So she left pretty embarrassed by that. She went
home, and she came back the next week. She sat through the service, and this time people were a little bit more offended and annoyed, especially the pastor, because the whole sermon he's thinking, "Woman, I told you." So he's waiting for her at the door when the service is over. He said, "Hey, I thought I told you to pray and ask the Lord what you should wear to this church before you came back." She said, "Oh, I did." He said, "But you're wearing the same thing you wore last week." She said, "Uh-huh." He said, "Well, didn't
you pray and ask the Lord what to wear before you came back to this church?" She said, "I did." The preacher said, "Well, what did he tell you?" She said, "He told me he didn't know. He'd never been to this church before." That is the power of a perfect comeback. Shut that down. What do you say to that? Three times, Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Three times, Jesus had the perfect comeback. Satan said, "If you're hungry…" Because Jesus had been fasting for 40 days. "…turn these stones into bread." The Bible says God can do
anything. Jesus said, "It's also written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" The perfect comeback. "Okay. Well, let me get you to prove God's power. If you're really the Son of God, throw yourself off this high point, and the angels will catch you. Doesn't the Bible talk about angels? The angels will catch you. Right? Prove that you are who you say you are." Jesus said, "I don't have to do that, because I know what the Word says. It is written…" Each time the Enemy came to Jesus, each time Satan spoke, Jesus had
the perfect comeback. The third time is the one we referenced just now in Matthew, chapter 4, and it's so beautiful. Jesus doesn't even bother to argue this time. He just says, "Let me show you the door. Get thee hence. Away from me, Satan." And it works. The Devil leaves. So, there are three things that are happening in this passage that may be happening in your life, and it's what I want to talk about for our lesson today. The first one is the Devil led Jesus. The second one is he lied to Jesus. The third one
is he left Jesus. So, he led, he lied, and he left. Now, it occurs to me that a lot of us are stuck in the first two. In your mind, the Devil is telling you stuff, and he is leading you, and he is lying to you, but you can't figure out how to make him leave. Thankfully for us, Jesus gives us the perfect comeback. Isn't it amazing, though, that a lot of people, when you talk to them about "The Devil is talking to you" or "The Devil is tempting you…" They kind of have a "Not
me. I don't know what you're talking about" attitude. Let me just say this in the very beginning. It is possible that the Devil is not talking to you. It may be that you are a more advanced Christian than Jesus. Maybe Jesus had to fight this, but you don't. Maybe you have matured more than Jesus. Or there is a second possibility. I can illustrate the second possibility this way. You say, "Well, the Devil doesn't discourage me. I never think I'm not good enough. I never think I don't have what it takes. I never think I can't
do it. I never think I should change." All of this. You know how on your GPS (this is just an illustration) you put in a destination, and then you put it… Some people leave the narrator on where it says out loud where you need to turn and stuff like that. The person on the GPS does not talk unless it wants you to turn in a different direction. You can run the GPS as much as you want, and if the GPS likes the direction you're headed, it won't say anything. So, maybe the Devil isn't saying anything
to you… Maybe he likes the direction you're headed in. So, if the Devil is talking to you, that tells me something about where God is taking you. If he's not, it shows me that he doesn't want to waste any resistance on a Christian who doesn't have any forward momentum. If he's not discouraging you, you are not being pushed past your comfort zone. He will feed you. He will comfort you all the way into complacency, but if you ever start making progress… It is significant for a lot of us to realize that Jesus was tempted by
the Enemy on the verge of his earthly ministry. He was the eternal Word of God. He was not new to the scene, yet this was the moment the Word made flesh was about to begin his mission to the cross. So the Devil starts talking. The fact that the Devil is talking to Jesus tells us that God is taking him somewhere. God is taking me somewhere. Tell your neighbor, "That's why I've been struggling. God is taking me somewhere." See, I used to just give in to every sin, but now I try to resist it. I'm struggling
now, but the struggle I have now is proof of the fact that I'm headed somewhere I wasn't headed before. The fact that I'm struggling more now does not mean… I need to preach this for somebody, because the Devil has been telling you the exact opposite. The Lord has been talking to me about the fact that the Devil has been talking to you. "You are worthless. It's too late. It's over for you. Nobody even cares. Nobody would miss you if you were gone. It would be better for them if you were gone. You are actually the
reason they are that way. You can't recover from that. You didn't recover from the thing before it. What makes you think it's going to be any different now?" It is very instructive for me to realize, as a preacher, that I'm not the only one up here talking. I'm not the only one who's saying words to you right now. At the very moment Jesus is about to do the most good, he is the most tempted. Coincidence? I think not. What happens is you get so distracted by the conflict you don't see the progress. You get so
distracted by the conflict you don't see the potential. Wouldn't it be just like the Devil to kill you in the wilderness where Jesus was when he fasted 40 days and 40 nights? We know this Devil stands no chance against Jesus, but we're not so sure about us. What I want you to realize today that took me a while to figure out is when I am coming into the season of my greater impact, when I'm coming into the season of greater surrender to God… Which is the goal of a Christian. Right? The goal of the Christian
is not just our eternal and everlasting preference being met at every turn. When I'm coming into that season when God wants to do something new through me, I should expect the following. For every door God opens there will be opposition. Listen to me. No door God opens will be unopposed in your life. No door he opens to your growth, no door he opens to your relational intimacy, no door he opens for you to be a witness for Jesus Christ in your sphere of influence… No door that God opens will be without opposition. The greatest way
you can deal with the opposition is to realize God opens doors nobody can shut. If he opened it, they can't close it. If he opened it, your IQ can't close it. He knew the exact number of your IQ and your SAT score when he called you into your situation. So, if the statistics can't close it, if the haters can't close it, if the sickness can't close it, the only thing that can close it is if you get distracted by the conflict and give up on the progress, which is why Jesus said, "Away from me. I'm
on the verge of something God sent me to do. I'm on the verge of fulfilling my mission to forgive the sin of all who would believe in my name." God is not the only one who opens doors. The Devil does too…doors of discouragement, doors of disappointment, doors of dysfunctional behavior that were planted in your heart sometimes in early developmental stages of your life. When I heard about Jesus saying, "Away from me, Satan," it gave me hope to realize he's giving me an example. Every door he opens will be opposed, but it cannot be closed by
anyone other than him. Jesus had the perfect comeback for the Devil. He said, "Away from me, Satan." Sometimes we don't come back at the Devil like we need to. In fact, instead of telling him to go away, we tell him, "Keep coming," and we don't even realize we're doing it. Now, I know this message is not comfortable to hear. Do you think it was comfortable to prepare? I don't preach what I want to preach; I preach what God gives me to preach. The Lord told me the Devil has been talking to you, telling you, "It's
just one time; it doesn't matter"; telling you, "Everybody does that. It's not abnormal." Yes, it is, for you. You're a child of God. Your family has different customs. You're a citizen of a different kingdom. I wanted to share with you an example of how, as God opens doors in your life and in my life and in the life of our church, there will often be opposition. Go with me to Acts, chapter 14, the Scripture I read first. I want to show you about two people God really used. One of them I know you've heard of.
His name is Paul. The other one you don't know as much about. His name is Barnabas. When the Bible says in Acts 14:26, "From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed…" That verse to me is so rich I don't want to skip it. It says they went back to the place, Antioch, where the center of the church was really beginning to be molded and melded. Jews and Gentiles all coming out of the church at Antioch, the third biggest city in
the Roman Empire. It was positioned in such a way as to be a sending hub, and the first missionaries who were sent out from the church at Antioch were Paul and Barnabas. Now, when it says, "They had been committed to the grace for the work they had now completed," it really spoke to me, because sometimes I do the opposite. I try to complete the work without getting the grace. There was a period where the church at Antioch was fasting and praying, and they wanted to send two believers to the Gentiles, those who weren't Jews, those
who were not included in the old covenant but were being grafted into the new covenant through Jesus Christ. They knew they wanted to send Paul, because Paul was uniquely gifted and graced for this assignment. I want you to remember, when the Devil starts talking to you, God will never let you go where you are not graced to be. You can go there on your own, but he'll bring you back. He'll bring you to a place where he'll show you you are not graced for that. Paul was graced for it. Every time God says, "Go," he
gives grace for everywhere he says go. In this season of your life, you may be trying to grind without grace. That would be a problem, because when you try to grind without grace, you leave yourself wide open to the Devil. It's possible that life could open a door to you, but you don't have the grace to go through it. Until we get sensitive to the Spirit of God, we will find ourselves going into situations we don't have grace for because we've seen others go there, because we thought we had to go there to prove something,
just like the Devil was tempting Jesus. You know, "Throw yourself off the highest cliff. Prove you're the Son of God." Jesus said, "I don't have to prove anything to you. I was just baptized in the Jordan where my Father said I was his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased." So, Jesus had the grace to do it. Paul had the grace to do it. Barnabas had the grace to do it. When the Enemy comes to you and tells you you can't do it, tell him, "I've got grace for this." "I can't explain it. I've
got grace for it. I can't break it down for you in a formula. I've got grace for it. It makes no sense on paper. I've got grace for it. I didn't even think I was that good at it, but I've got grace for it. I know there are more people who are more qualified, more smart, more educated, more intelligent, more tall, more broad, more strong, more holy, more righteous, and have better beards, but I'm graced for it." In the grace God gave them at Antioch with the confirmation of the elders of the church at Antioch,
they went out. I want you to notice three things that are going to help you have the perfect comeback for the Devil. When he comes at you this week, you are not going to get to the bottom of the stairs and think, "Oh, wait!" You are not going to wait until next Saturday night to say, "Oh, I've got to go back to church. I've got to go to Elevation." You are not going to get stuck at the bottom of the stairs this week, thinking, "I've got to get back to church to get a word for
the Devil." You are going to have the comeback for him at the door the moment he knocks to try to tell you what you're not. Jesus had a comeback for the Devil. "It is written…" He knew the Word of God. He had a comeback for the Devil. I thought it was interesting how in the passage we read, they were coming back to the place where they were sent from. They were coming back to the grace they started with. I thought that word comeback was interesting, kind of like a double meaning. They're coming back to Antioch.
They have gone 1,200 miles of travel in the 12 months of time that has passed, and they have seen some amazing things. So, the Bible says they came back. I kept reading, and I was like, "I want to talk about the comeback, but I also want to talk about the connection." I noticed, and I want you to notice, how many times in this passage (Acts, chapter 14) the word they appears. It says, "From Attalia they sailed to Antioch…" They sailed to Antioch. "…where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they
had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them." What God does through you is a lot of times determined by the they you are connected to. If anybody could have done it alone, it would have been Paul. For all of you who try to do it alone in your own strength, maybe you're a better Christian than Paul and Jesus, but the rest of us need a they. So, imagine they're picking. Like, "We've got to send Paul because he's learned and he's of the tribe of
Benjamin, and he can really speak to the Jews and the Gentiles. He has a Roman citizenship, so he's very able to be very fluent in both languages, not only the language of faith in Jesus but the language of Judaism. And who should we send with him? Barnabas." You said "Silas"? No, Silas went to prison with him in chapter 16. Silas could sing, but Barnabas had a very special gift. His name means son of encouragement. Does this say something about what Paul struggled with that the one they sent with him was one of these guys? They
looked at Paul. "Paul, you're a powerful preacher. You're an amazing preacher. You're a man of God. You're anointed and you're called and you're chosen." Now, Barnabas was not only an encourager, but he was the one who brought Paul into the fold to begin with. They were scared of Paul. Paul was the one who would go and have the Christians executed before he became one, before the Lord smacked him right off his beast and told him, "I'm Jesus of Nazareth. Who do you think you're messing with? I'm about to show you how much you must suffer
for my sake, because you're my vessel." That's where Paul was, and the people were like, "You want us to have the guy who was the terrorist on our team?" Barnabas was like, "Yeah. He's changed. Let's give him a chance." Thank God for Barnabas. Barnabas was "hopethetical." Barnabas was optimistic. Barnabas was able to see the best in Paul. He was able to see the Paul in Saul. So, I want to talk about your connections today, because the fact that they made it through everything they made it through was the fact that they were they. I believe
the reason the Devil doesn't leave your life a lot of times is because you try to run him off alone. There comes a point where you can't fight this in your own head. There comes a point where you can't fight this with your own personality. If you could have gotten you out of this, you'd be out by now. So what are you still doing here? Maybe you are waiting on the right connection. Perhaps the reason we feed some of our insecurities sometimes is because we stay in isolation where there is nothing to prove anything to
us other than the words the Devil is speaking. The Lord told me to tell you there may be a Barnabas you are missing in your life that is causing you to remain stuck in the loop the Devil has you in. There may be. And there may be some people in your life who are the opposite of Barnabas, some people in your life who really aren't headed where you're headed. I would like to refer you back to my title. You may need to send them a text right now and just send them, "I'm listening to a
sermon, 'Let Me Show You the Door.'" That will be code for you to have the conversation you need to have. You cannot fulfill a Paul-sized mission without a Barnabas-sized encouragement. Sometimes it will be a BYOB situation. That stands for "Be your own Barnabas." Sometimes the people you need to encourage you are having a bad week too. Guess what? Maybe you need to do what David said. David said, "I encouraged myself in the Lord. I know what's written in the Psalms because I wrote them. I'll quote my own psalm back to myself when I'm struggling." This
is so important so you don't get stuck at the bottom, talking about, "Oh, I need to get to church. Oh, I need to get around the right people." You do, but there's a lot of time between Sunday and Sunday, so there will be situations in your life where you need a connection to something, you need a connection to someone, you need a connection to people who can remind you of the purpose God put inside of you. Comeback. Connection. Isn't that good? Paul and Barnabas. I want to act this out, because I really want you to
get the story in your heart. Abbey… Abigail means father's joy. Sit down with me. Be my Barnabas for a minute in the illustration. Remember I told you Paul and Barnabas… It says they went from Attalia to Antioch, which is not like going from Marvin to Ballantyne. This is a 300-mile trip in itself. Remember, I told you they've already been 1,200 miles in 12 months. Now they have a decision to make on the way back because they have to give a report to the church on how it went. The part I didn't read you was everything
that happened before Acts 14:26-28, kind of like I didn't read you how Jesus fasted 40 days before the Devil left. I just got straight to "The Devil left." The angels came, and that's exciting, and we all want to get there. But realize, if we put ourselves in the historical context of this passage, that Paul and Barnabas have 300 miles to travel, and they have to figure out, "What are we going to tell them when we get back?" Barnabas was probably keeping good notes and stuff like that, because Paul was the one who was mostly talking.
So they have 300 miles to figure out together, "When we stand in front of the church that sent us, when we get back to Antioch, what will we report?" I'm not saying Paul was a pessimist, because I don't believe he was. He wrote amazing verses like, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and "Now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more." So, I am not throwing Paul under the bus, but Barnabas had the gift of encouragement. So I think while they were going back, they were probably going through their log
of everything that happened over the last 12 months. "Okay. What are we going to tell them when we get there, Barnabas?" They're going through their notes, because how do you condense 12 months into one talk? It said they gathered the church together and told them. I imagine the first place they realized they had to talk about was Cyprus, when they got to Cyprus, the island called Cyprus. That's in Acts, chapter 13. While they were there, God was using them. Paul is like, "Do you remember that guy, that sorcerer in Cyprus?" Barnabas is like, "Yeah. What
was his name again?" Paul is like, "Oh, I'll never forget his name…Elymas." His name literally means sorcerer. Barnabas is like, "Oh, yeah. I remember now. Elymas." Even Barnabas couldn't see much good in Elymas. He's like, "Yeah, he was a bad dude, because right when we were going to have an audience with the governor of that city, Elymas started trying to interrupt us and distract from Jesus. Just when it looked like we were going to make progress with a very important governor, Elymas stood up and distracted him." Paul is like, "Yeah, that guy. He got on
my nerves. I hate Elymas. If I ever see Elymas again, I'm going to tell him…" Barnabas is like, "Wait now, Paul. Do you remember what you said to him?" Paul is like, "Kind of." Barnabas goes, "I've got it. I've got it written right here." Now put up Acts 13:8. Look at what happened. "But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the [governor] from the faith." He was about to receive Jesus, which would have been a major open door for the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a
Gentile and a governor. Remember, right on the verge of God doing something amazing in your life, right when you are at the threshold of it, right when you are at the door frame of it, there will be a devil. The Devil doesn't mean the door wasn't real. The Devil doesn't mean God wasn't in it. The Devil at the door might mean you are headed in the right direction and he's trying to get you to turn around. Barnabas says, "Paul, you looked at Elymas and told him, 'You are a child of the devil and an enemy
of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit. Will you never stop perverting the ways of the Lord?'" Paul is like, "I said all that?" He's like, "Yeah, you said all that. You called him a child of the Devil. It's kind of mean, Paul, but it was the perfect comeback for the situation." Watch what God did in verse 11. Suddenly, after Paul spoke up; suddenly, after Paul confronted the opposition; suddenly, after Paul refused to let the Devil block his door… I'm looking for somebody today who refuses to let the Devil have
this one. He said, "'The hand of the Lord is against you. You're going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.' Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand." Look at what happened in verse 12. "When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord." "So, maybe when we get to Antioch in a few days, we'll tell them about the sorcerer at Cyprus, and we'll tell them how we
faced resistance, but we'll tell them that after the resistance came a revelation." Paul said, "We're going to tell them about the sorcerer?" and Barnabas said, "Yeah, but we have to make sure to tell them that if the sorcerer wouldn't have been struck blind, the governor wouldn't have seen Jesus." Let me show you the door. The resistance was the starting place of the revelation. Now what resistance? Imagine this. The resistance you're facing in your life right now might be the door to a revelation of how great God is. Maybe. Let me show you the door. You
want God to take the resistance away while you're simultaneously praying for him to make you strong? How will he make you strong with no resistance? How will he show you who he is if he doesn't let you find out who you're not without him? "Remember that, Paul, when you looked at him and said, 'You child of the Devil'? That was the perfect comeback. So, when we get back to Antioch and we're in front of the church council, let's make sure we tell them there was resistance, but it led to revelation. Then we should tell them
about the pettiness in Pisidia." I like to alliterate it because I believe Paul would have done that. Paul says, "We have to tell them how when we got to Pisidia, there was so much pettiness that these Jews who were jealous started trying to stir up trouble." Barnabas is like, "Yeah, but, Paul, you handled it great, man. You handled that so well. When they were trying to stir up trouble against you and they rejected you, do you remember what you said, Paul?" Paul is like, "Yeah, kind of, but tell me about it." Barnabas goes, "Oh, yeah.
Well, I wrote it down." Look at Acts 13:44. I'm trying to get you to see that what the Devil is telling you tells me something about where God is taking you. I want you to get your stack back in your hands. I want you on your 300-mile journey with your Barnabas, whether the Barnabas is a friend, whether the Barnabas is this sermon because you're watching it alone on YouTube, whether the Barnabas is your own spirit because you've been consulting your flesh, your feelings, and your past too long… "Greater is he who is in you than
he who is in the world." I want you to remember the pettiness in Pisidia. "We got to Pisidia. We were preaching, man. It was amazing. We left the island of Cyprus. We got to Pisidia. People were listening." Acts 13:44: "On the next Sabbath the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord." "Paul, you were preaching, man. The Jews saw the crowds, and they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what you were saying, and they heaped abuse on you. They said things about you that weren't true, man." This is Barnabas talking. Word
to the wise: let Barnabas talk. Quit listening to the Accuser all the time. Let Barnabas talk. Let the God who believes in you speak. Paul was having abuse heaped on him. "Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly…" Barnabas got in on this too. "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles." Let me ask a question. How many of you are not Jewish by birth? Raise your hand. This is how you got here. Think about it.
They rejected Paul, and because they rejected Paul, Paul reached you. Maybe Paul and Barnabas decided on that 300-mile trip back to Antioch, "When we get there, let's make sure to tell them that rejection can become redirection." High-five your neighbor and say, "They didn't reject me; they redirected me. That was my GPS talking. That was God using that to get me on a different path, because I would have always stayed in that place if I didn't feel a rejection." Paul actually turned to the crowd and said, "We were preaching to you, but now we are turning
to the Gentiles," because rejection can be redirection. "So, let's make sure we tell them about the pettiness in Pisidia and the sorcerer in Cyprus. But, Paul, I also think we need to tell them about the lynching you went through in Lydda." When they got to Lydda, Paul was doing miracles. I want you to get it, because if you don't get this part of it, when I read you a verse that says, "The Devil left Jesus" or "Paul and Barnabas stood up and reported how the Lord opened a door," you'll think the door opened without difficulty,
and you will be surprised when you struggle. You will think you are not a saint because you struggle. You may even begin to believe the Devil that you are not who God says you are. When they got to Lydda, Paul performed miracles to the extent that one who was crippled from birth got up. Now, when he got up, the crowd went crazy, as crowds do when people who have never walked before start to walk. They took it a little too far. In fact, they started saying, "Paul and Barnabas are gods. Barnabas is Zeus; Paul is
Hermes." Paul was like, "No. No. No. No. We're servants like you." They were like, "Oh, yeah. We know who you are. You are Zeus and Hermes." See, other people can't tell you who you are when you know who you are. When you know who you are, you don't get too high and you don't get too low, because your hope is built on what Jesus says about you. So, Paul wasn't too swayed by the lows. He wasn't too swayed by the highs. He said, "We are just men. We are servants who have come to tell you
about Jesus. That's all we are. We are just the ones who open the door. We're not the door." So they started preaching that, and the people were going crazy. Then watch what happened in Acts 14:19. It says, "They stoned Paul…" What happened? Some people came in who were jealous. Some people came in who were mixed up. "They stoned him and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead." Maybe Paul says, "We've got to tell them about the lynching in Lydda," and then Barnabas says, "Yeah, but we have to make sure we tell them what
happened next, Paul, because it was amazing. They stoned you and left you for dead. They turned on you, they condemned you, they accused you, they buried you, they maligned you, and they hurt you. It looked like it was over." But it is written, "But after the disciples had gathered around him…" After the help came, after the connection came, Paul got up and went back. I don't know who needs this in your section, but be a Barnabas for five seconds. Tell them, "Get up and go back." The report isn't in the rocks they threw at you;
it's that you rose up after the rock. You might have to BYOB for a second, but take 24 sanctified seconds and praise God that you got up and you went back. I'm going through my list. High-five your neighbor and say, "We got up and we're going back." "I'm not staying in this place. I'm not staying under these rocks. I'm not staying under this debt. I'm not staying under this crippling anxiety. I'm not staying under this bad report. I'm not staying under this weight of depression. I'm not staying under the shame of my past. I'm not
staying under the written record that was held against me." Y'all, thank God for Abigail "Barnabas" Furtick, and thank God for Jesus who is my Barnabas. Thank God for the greater one. Thank God for the holy one. Thank God for the anointing. Thank God that they threw their rocks but you rose up. High-five your neighbor and say, "You be Paul. I'll be Barnabas." Now encourage them and say, "You can make it. You've got this. God is with you. You have a grace for it." "You were made for it. You were born for it. You were formed
for it. You were filled for it. You have the Holy Ghost." I'm trying to get you to see your door is open. Go through your door. Verse 26 of Acts, chapter 14, says that on the way from Attalia to Antioch, where it all started… God said, "Let's go back to where it all started." He who began a good work in you will be faithful to perform it. If God opened the door, he will fill the room when you get in it. That's how I know. I'm so full of this word to help somebody who has
been hungry in the wilderness for 40 days, who has been lynched in Lydda, who has been stirred up in a place called Pisidia, or who has even had to deal with a sorcerer in Cyprus, to remind you that everything you went through was the door to who God knows you can be and who you can help. By the way, verse 27 says something so fascinating to me for our narcissistic culture that always wants to know, "Why is the Devil doing this to me?" or "When are people going to do something for me?" The Bible says
Paul and Barnabas got up and gathered the church together (that's connection) and reported all that God had done through them (that's credit). God did it through you. Give him the credit. There's the comeback, there's the connection, and there's the credit. Stop giving the Devil God's credit. What the Devil did to us to try to destroy us God turned into a door to develop us. Even some of the little things in your life that you call coincidence… Some of the things you call coincidence are just things God did that you haven't given him credit for yet.
The odds that you would be here, the odds that you would be you… The odds were against you, but God was for you. Give him his credit. He said, "God was working in the rejection. God was working in the resistance. If the sorcerer wouldn't have spoken against us, he wouldn't have been blinded. If he wouldn't have been blinded, the governor wouldn't have seen. If they hadn't rejected us, we would not have redirected to the Gentiles." And this church wouldn't have been here today. I'm trying to get you to show the Devil the door. How do
you get him to leave your life? Begin to list all of the things God did that you've been forgetting about. When I lift my hands like this, I'm not just lifting; I'm listing. "One, he brought me out of bondage. Two, he brought me out of sin. Three, he broke my chains and set me free. Four, he put my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Five, he spoke peace to my storm." Now it's your turn. You have a hand. What did he do for you? Begin to lift your hands. Begin
to list your victories. Begin to report the open door, the door he opened, the way he made, the time he came through. When the Devil shows you your deficiency, show him the door. You have the perfect comeback. Jesus said to the Devil, "Away from me." He was showing you what to do. He could do this because of who he is, and he's in you. Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. So, resistance is a door. Rejection is a door. Rocks are a door. I just have to stop and
remember who he is. Jesus said to Satan, "Away from me." Have you ever wondered why he waited till the third time the Devil tempted him to send him away? I thought about that a lot this week. First, I think he was setting an example for us to know that temptation isn't something you resist once and you're done with it. Secondly, I think he was doing it to show us the three types of temptation we all face: the lust of the flesh ("Turn these stones into bread"), the lust of the eyes ("Throw yourself off"), and the
pride of life ("Bow down and worship me, and I'll give you all of the kingdoms of the world"). Another reason, I think, is because of what the Devil said the third time. He said, "Jesus, do you see all this?" He took him to a high place. It says he could see all of the kingdoms of the world, which lets us know this was not a physical transportation. It was a mental one. There's no mountain high enough to show you all of the kingdoms of the world, so this was all happening in Jesus' mind, just like
it's all happening in yours. The real challenge is not to get back to Antioch physically; it's to get back to your grace. The Devil took him to a high place, and he said, "All this I'll give you." Now, remember, the Devil did three things. He led Jesus. I don't mean Jesus was following him; I mean he took him there. One translation says he led, and then he lied. Now, the first two times, the Devil quoted a Scripture at Jesus, but the third time was an outright lie. He said (verse 9), "All this I will give
you if you will bow down and worship me." Then the Devil left. He led, he lied, and he left. You ask, "What was the lie in verse 9?" The lie is that anybody was worthy of worship other than Jesus. So, when the Devil said, "Worship me," Jesus said, "Get out of here. I'm not the worshiper; I'm the worshiped." Now let me show you the door. For those of you who really know your Bibles, you will be familiar with John 10:10. "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that you might have
life and have it to the full." Or King James: "Have it more abundantly." Tell the Devil, "Get thee hence." "I have life. This is my life. God gave it to me, and I'm going to live it for him." But there's another thing Jesus said just before he said, in verse 9, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that you might have life" that I want to show you today. Jesus said, "I am the door." When the Devil shows you your failure this week, show him your door. When he tells you,
"You don't have a right to pray. You know how unworthy you are," show him your door. Don't even argue with the Devil. Don't tell him you're worthy, you're great, you're awesome, because you and I both know that isn't true. You and I both know that at your highest you're not God and at your lowest you're not the Devil. So, when the Devil comes to try to rock you with that stuff this week and try to get you to give up on what God gave you, show him your door. "Let me show you the door, Devil.
Let me remind you what Jesus did for me. Let me tell you how he bled for me. Let me tell you how he suffered on Golgotha's hill. Let me tell you how he sweat with drops of great blood until the point where he was in agony, saying, 'Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.'" When the Devil shows you what you're up against, show him your door. Your door is Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. When the Devil shows you your disease, show him your door. Say, "By his stripes I am
healed. I have a door." Walk the Enemy right to the cross of Christ in your mind and remind him that Jesus is your way to God. Right now, in his presence, there are at least 50 people in this room and probably hundreds all over the world watching online who need to give their life to Jesus right now, right in this moment. Not tomorrow. Not when you get your stuff together. Not when you get your credit score up. None of that. Right now, you need to come to the cross. He is your door. Not by works
of righteousness so that we can boast but by grace through faith we are saved. I want everybody to stand on your feet right now as I offer you this invitation to come to Jesus, to come to him and live. All of the accusations, all of the sins you've committed… All of these can be forgiven if you place your faith in Jesus. He is your door. Right now, in the name of Jesus who Paul and Barnabas preached, in the name of Jesus who defeated the Devil and sin and death and hell and the grave, I offer
you this abundant life, this eternal life, this life that cannot be taken away. Those of you who are here today and have been captive to the Devil to do his will, today is your day of liberation. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Right now, I'm going to lead you in a prayer. This prayer is for those who are coming to Jesus. Enough of what your past says. Enough of what your flesh says. Enough of what your good works can do. None of that can save you. Come to Jesus.
He will pardon. Come to Jesus. He is merciful. Come to Jesus. He is flowing with forgiveness. Right now, if you pray this prayer in your heart… The Bible says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. With heads bowed and eyes closed at every location, we're praying out loud together as a church family for the benefit of those who are coming to God or coming back to God. This is your comeback moment. This is your comeback Sunday. Now repeat
after me if God is speaking to you. Heavenly Father, today is my day of salvation. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, and today I make Jesus the Lord and Savior of my life. I believe he died that I would be forgiven and rose again to give me life. I receive this new life. This is my new beginning. I am a child of God. On the count of three, shoot your hand up if you prayed that. One, two, three. Shoot them up. I knew it. God bless you. Amazing. Come on, let's put a party
atmosphere in the place for them. Let's put an "angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner" party atmosphere in the place. Glory to God! hey thank you for watching the Elevation Church YouTube I want you to subscribe that way you can know when we go live and post new content make sure leave me a comment let me know what spoke to you today where you're watching from and what we can pray for you about and if you'd like to support the ministry financially you can click the give button now and help us continue reaching people around
the world for Jesus Christ thanks again I'll see you next time
