Steven Furtick - This Might Be My God Moment

Watch
Audio
Donate

Welcome. Y’all messed up our Easter service. It was supposed to be nice and calm, dignified. How many people love Jesus in this place?

Father, we thank you for your presence now. We thank you for your power. We thank you for the ways you’ve provided for us. You’ve seen us through so many seasons, and we call you faithful. We thank you for this day we celebrate. We celebrate that the God of miracles triumphed gloriously, with scars in his hands declared victory over the grave. We thank you for blood that was shed so we could be spotless. We thank you for breaking through the barrier of death itself so we could be justified, raised to life in your name.

Now I ask you, Jesus, the Jesus who rose from the grave, the Jesus who lives in my heart… I ask you to speak to every person who came today a personal word, a personal word that can turn their life around. A personal word. A personal word that can bring hope in the darkness. A personal word. A personal word so specific that you can shout it or whisper it. We lean in now, declaring that you are Lord of all. I thank you for the enthusiasm of the faith of the people around me. They were not dancing because they’ve never been depressed; they were dancing because they are delivered from depression. They were not dancing because they’ve never been down; they were dancing because you got up, you reached down, and you lifted us with you. So, we praise you today, great God. Now, Lord, with all that you showed me in your Word, help me to have the miracle of talking fast, and help them to listen fast, as well, so that you can say all you want to say. In Jesus' name, amen.

Remain standing. Put your hands together if you know that our God is God and beside him there is no other. Thank you, choir. Thank you for coming today. God bless you. I’m glad you’re here. Remain standing. I’m going to read our Scripture and then give you our topic for today. I’m going to be sharing from John, chapter 20, and I want to go from verse 24 to verse 29 and share something with you that I believe is very pivotal and powerful on this, the most pivotal day in human history. Now, when I read this to you, don’t be confused. Jesus, at this point in John’s gospel, has been up from the grave for a week, and the Bible says he appeared to his disciples. He went to the women first. All the women make some noise. He went to the women first. He did. That’s just a fact. He went to the women first, but then he showed up to the disciples. The Bible tells us about one of them.

Now, the reason I believe the Holy Spirit selected this passage today is because he wants to speak to each one of us. This is not a public appearance of Jesus as much as it is a private audience that he has with the disciple named Thomas, the one you mistakenly have called all your life Doubting Thomas, but I’m going to show you why it’s a mistake to label him that way in just a moment. The Bible says in John, chapter 20, verse 24, «Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.'»

Now, give him some credit. This was before AI. Thomas feels like this is unlikely that this has happened just like they said. But just after he says, «I will never believe» (put that back up in verse 25, please…"I will never believe»), the Bible says, «Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them…» Y’all missed a great place to shout, because although the doors were locked, Jesus came. How many are thankful that he came anyway? He came anyway through locked doors, through a broken heart, through a divorce that you went through last year. He came anyway. Even though you were trying to push him back and tell him «No,» he came anyway. He came through locked doors and stood among them and said, «Peace be with you».

Then he said to Thomas, «Hey, I heard you’ve been talking about me, so let’s do this». «Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe». Thomas answered him with one of the greatest confessions in all of Scripture: «My Lord and my God»! Now I want you to turn to your neighbor one more time and tell them my title. First of all, just introduce it and say this. Say, «Today, please forgive me if I seem a little focused». Tell them, «I can’t talk to you for the next 30 minutes. Don’t bother me for the next 30 minutes». Now give them my title. Say, «This might be my God moment». This Might Be My God Moment. In Jesus' name, amen.

Be seated. «So, what did I miss»? Thomas asked Peter after not coming to the little prayer service on the Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead. Peter said, «Oh, man, Thomas. You picked a bad time to miss prayer meeting. Jesus came». Thomas is like, «Shut up. Quit playing. For real, though. What did I miss»? He’s like, «You missed it. He came. Jesus came». «You mean, like, his spirit»? «No. Jesus came. He showed us where they put the nails. He showed us where they pierced his side with a spear. It was him. I know it was him, because I would recognize that voice anywhere. It’s the voice that told me 'Come' over choppy waters. It was him. I know it was him, and if I wasn’t certain by his voice, I was certain because I saw his scars».

It’s amazing sometimes how when even words can’t convince you, wounds will. Some of the things in life that you and I have to learn, we have to learn not through words but through wounds. Sometimes you have to touch the hot stove to realize why your mom told you not to. Yet in the Scripture, we don’t see Thomas learning from his own wounds but by the wounds of Jesus Christ. Let’s clap our hands and thank God that by his wounds we are healed. The message of the cross and the resurrection is that I don’t have to do everything stupid in order to receive what God has for me. In this particular passage of Scripture, Thomas is missing on the day Jesus appears. Since he missed the experience of seeing Jesus, it is hard for him to believe what he has never seen.

Now, the Bible says in verse 26… And I thought this was a very anointed verse. «Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them». In other words, he said, «I am not going to miss it again». I believe there are some people listening to me preach on this Easter celebration that feel like you missed it. You feel like you missed it. You feel like you missed the opportunity to really be there for your kids. You feel like you missed the opportunity to really be what you could have been. It could have been a mistake you made or it could have been a distraction that had you pulled to the side, and you missed what God was doing. «I missed it».

The spirit of Thomas in this passage is someone who said, «I’m not going to miss this again,» in the same way that some of us feel drawn to church today. We were not dragged to church; we were drawn to church. Let me tell you my theology. Even if somebody dragged you, God drew you. Even if they made you come, God got you here. Even if your mom told you she was going to beat you within an inch of your life if you didn’t get dressed and get in the van, that was God speaking through your mom, threatening a beating through your mom, using your mom as the instrument of his wrath so he could bring you to the place of his mercy. It’s amazing how moments can happen in the presence of God that can supersede all of the moments that came before it. That’s what we celebrate on the cross, that every sin that was committed up until that point in human history was on the back of our Savior, and in that moment, when he died for you and me, it made a way for all of us to be forgiven.

Let’s clap our hands again and thank our Savior that he made a way for us. I’m making you clap today because I don’t want you to miss it. I want you to celebrate the resurrection. I don’t want you to miss it. Some of y’all, when I came out here… I was dancing, and you didn’t dance. You missed it. You could have gotten your church and your cardio all in one package deal, but you missed it. If we dance again at the end of service, I want you to get ready, because you’re not going to miss it again, if I have to come out there and dance with you. If I can dance with my limited rhythm in front of thousands, you can dance too. «I’m not going to miss this». Thomas said, «I’m going to be in church next Sunday».

This shows us a very important lesson, because I think as much as Thomas has become a villain for those who doubt, I believe he is also an archetype of those of us who press through doubt in order to find true faith. Thomas shows up on a Sunday, eight days after. Now, they counted the days from… It’s complicated, but it’s basically been a week. The first Sunday that they met together was the Sunday Jesus got up from the grave. It’s been eight days in the way the Jewish calendar runs, and it’s Sunday again. Thomas says, «I’m coming to church with you». «Yeah, but you said you didn’t believe». «I don’t yet, but I’m coming». Here’s the principle: sometimes you’ve got to show up unsure. I said that just in case you’re here today feeling like, «I don’t know if I really believe this».

The fact that you showed up is enough for God to show up and show you who he is even though you’re not sure. Sometimes you’ve got to show up to work unsure. Sometimes you’ve got to show up to a doctor’s office unsure what the diagnosis will be. Sometimes you’ve got to show up in prayer unsure, even wondering, «Lord, are you listening»?

Now, I won’t ask you to raise your hand, but have you ever been praying about something and wondered, «Lord, are you listening»? Somebody pull out your phone real quick. How many believe your phone is listening to you? Raise your hand if you believe your phone is listening to you. How do you know? Because stuff shows up because you said something, but you didn’t type anything, and you weren’t even talking to the phone, but five minutes later… «How did this hair replacement pill get on my phone? All I did was look in the mirror and think, 'I’ve got a little spot back here.' How is this on my phone? It’s listening to me. I’m convinced that it’s listening. I don’t know who’s spying on me or what they want, other than to sell me stuff, but it’s listening to me».

Now, hold up your phone. You believe it’s listening? You believe there is technology that was invented by man that can know your thoughts from afar and can show you stuff you said? You have more faith in your phone than you do in your Father who made you? The phone was made by a man, but man was made by God. If my phone can hear me talk about going to Disney World and put it on my Instagram feed, how much more can God hear? I’ll prove it to you. When Thomas said, «Unless I touch his hand, I won’t believe,» Jesus wasn’t in the room. So, it means he’s listening even when you’re not looking at him. He’s listening even when you don’t fully feel him. He’s listening even when you don’t have the courage to say what you think.

Touch your neighbor and say, «My God listens». He’s a good listener. My God is a good listener. My God doesn’t break eye contact with me. My God was listening when I was singing to him today. My God likes to hear me sing. My God loves to hear me praise. My God listens to me. He not only hears the song I sing; he hears the groans that are within me. When I have a groan that is too much for a word, his Spirit intercedes for me. God listens. Even when I don’t see him, he’s listening. Even when I can’t discern him, he’s listening. Even when I cannot trace him, I can trust him, because I know he hears my prayers. We serve a Lord who listens. So, when he shows up to Thomas, he says, «Hey, Tommy, I heard you want to touch right here. Go ahead and touch right here». «I heard you want to touch this one too. Go ahead and touch both hands. I’ve got time».

By the way, speaking of time, realize that God transforms lives on his timeline, not ours. Not ours. Especially if there’s somebody you’re praying for who you care about who you know is far from God. God knows the right time to show up and touch their heart. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean he doesn’t hear your prayer. I want to say that to a parent. Just because it hasn’t happened for your child yet doesn’t mean he hasn’t heard your prayer. I want to say it for a wife who’s praying for her husband, and he wouldn’t come to Easter service. A lady told me the other day… I met her out on tour. She said, «You’re the only preacher I can get my husband to listen to. Please keep preaching. I can’t get him to go to church with me yet, but he’s listening». I said, «If he keeps listening, God will keep speaking, and it is only a matter of time,» because God transforms lives on his timeline, not mine. His timeline, not mine. Put it in the chat. His timeline, not mine.

«Lord, are you listening»? «Yeah, I’m listening». «Well, Lord, you’re a little late». And the Lord said, «I’m listening. I’m not late. I’m waiting eight days on purpose». Which begs the question… If he waited eight days to come and tell Thomas to touch him, why would he waste eight days when he’s only going to be on earth 50 before his ascension? That’s almost a tenth of the time that he is going to be on earth that he wasted waiting. Now, here’s the beautiful thing about this passage, and I’m going to tell you why I chose Thomas for our Easter sermon. We’ve been in a series in our church called Called. Very creative. The series is called Called. I’ve been doing this 20 years. I’m running out of ideas. I just called it Called. But in all seriousness, it’s been, for me, one of the most rich studies in Scripture I’ve ever done, because I’m going through different people that God called by name, but specifically, he called their name twice.

Now, if you’ll notice in the Scripture, Jesus didn’t call Thomas' name, but Thomas' name means twin. It says that in verse 24. «Now Thomas, one of the twelve…» Watch this. He’s still one of the Twelve even though he doesn’t have faith. God knew it was going to take him awhile when he called him. He called him anyway. He’s still one of the Twelve. Now, Judas… That didn’t go so good, so it’s technically Eleven. Judas is going to be replaced shortly. But he’s one of the Twelve, and watch this. He is called the Twin. That’s literally what the name Thomas means: twin. There’s widespread speculation amongst scholars as to who Thomas' twin is. If you research that question, you’ll get many different answers, none of them satisfactory.

The Bible doesn’t tell us who his twin is. But I want to suggest to you that there is a twin in Thomas that reflects the twin in you, because regardless of who his actual brother or sister was that was his twin, we see a man swing in this passage from «I will never believe» to «My Lord and my God» in just a moment. Furthermore, he said, «I’ll never believe unless I touch Jesus' hands; I’ll never believe unless I touch Jesus' side,» but if you’ll notice in the passage, the moment never came where he actually touched Jesus' hand. Because in spite of all he thought it would take for him to trust in God, seeing Jesus alive was enough. So, Thomas, who you call Doubting Thomas… The Bible does not call him Doubting Thomas. Nobody called him Doubting Thomas until a few hundred years ago when the church began to canonize his dysfunctional moment and make it his identity.

So, who we call Doubting Thomas only doubted for eight days. He went on to be one of the most effective disciples that ever lived. So, my question for you today is…Shouldn’t we give him a better name than Doubting Thomas? Because Doubting Thomas also had a twin, and his name is not Doubting Thomas but… Watch this. I am renaming this disciple today on the spot. Jesus didn’t name him Doubting Thomas. People did. You say he’s Doubting Thomas. I say he’s Trusting Thomas, and I say he went from Doubting Thomas to Trusting Thomas because Jesus loved him enough to show up, and not only show up but to show him the scars where the nails had been to remind him of the price that had been paid. When Thomas saw the print of the nails, and when Thomas saw the wound in the side, he makes a confession that is very meticulous, and we should observe it for a moment on Easter Sunday. He says, «My Lord and my God».

Now, you say, «That’s not a big deal». It most certainly is for a first-century Jew. To call any man Lord would have been considered blasphemy unless that man was God. Furthermore, throughout the ministry of Jesus, many people called him Lord. It was a title given of respect. So, Thomas says two things when he sees the proof of the wounds of the one who won his salvation. He says, «My Lord and my God». Now let me show you why I call him Trusting Thomas. John’s gospel starts, and John 1:1 says, «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God». John’s purpose in writing his gospel was to declare the truth that Jesus is God. Not just a good man…the God man. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh to dwell among us (John 1:14). «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God».

But it is not until John, chapter 20, when Thomas sees the wounds of the Savior, that Jesus is called God by another person. Isn’t it interesting that the one who was latest to see Jesus after the resurrection made the greatest confession of faith in the entire gospel of John? Tell your neighbor, «Don’t count me out». «I’m a little late, but don’t count me out. I’ve got some issues I’m still working through, but don’t count me out. I’ve got some things that are really dragging me down and dragging me back right now, but don’t count me out. I’ve got a little something I’m working out over here on the side, and I’m not exactly as holy as everybody on this row, but don’t count me out. Don’t judge me just because you met me as Doubting Thomas.

I have a twin. My twin is Trusting Thomas, and after Jesus gets through with me… After Jesus gets finished doing what he’s doing in my life, he who began a good work in me will be faithful to perform it». The truth of the matter is every Thomas has a twin, and everybody in here praising God has a twin that we might meet on Tuesday if we encounter you in a different situation. So, it just depends on when I meet you that determines how I identify you. «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God».

So, God does not label me by my lowest moment. God does not label me by my doubts inside. God does not label me by what I missed out on. God does not label me by the shame of my past. He says, «I heard you were talking about me, Thomas. Now I want to show you something, because I was listening to you, like a phone listens to you when it’s not in the room. I wasn’t in the room». «Jesus, how did you get in»? «I don’t really have a problem with locked doors». Hey, anytime you can walk out of a sealed tomb, a locked door is not a problem. The thing you are worried about… God is like, «Really? You think that’s going to keep me out? Really? You think that’s going to stop my plan for your life? Really? You think that’s going to derail the destiny I planned for you»?

Eight days he doubted, and after eight days he made the greatest confession: «My Lord and my God». Nobody has called Jesus God up until this moment, and it was the one who doubted him the most. Is God saving the best for last in your life, and could it be that the darkest moments reveal the deepest truths about who he is? «My Lord and my God». Put that verse back up there. Say it. «My Lord and my God». That was Thomas' «My God» moment. «You’re my God. You’re not just my GPS that tells me where to go to feed the multitudes». Thomas had followed Jesus for three years, but this was the moment that he saw Jesus as what he always was. He said, «You’re not just my guide; you’re my God. You’re not just my guy». «Jesus is my guy».

No, he’s not your guy. He is not just a guy. He is my God. He’s not just the one I worship and serve when he does it the way I wanted him to do it, when I wanted him to do it. He is my God. He is God. He’s either God or he’s not, and if he’s God, I’m going to have to accept what he gave me and accept what he didn’t give me. If he’s God. Notice, however, it’s not just that he calls him God, but this is really the heart of the matter, isn’t it? He says, «My God». My God. This is personal. «My God». It’s one thing for you to serve the God you were told about growing up in church, but Thomas said, «My God». I believe there are people that God brought here today who believe in somebody else’s God but have never experienced him as their God. This could be today your «My God» moment. Not just where you take what you’ve heard about him as truth because you heard it from the other disciples, but where you say, «My God».

The beautiful thing about a «My God» moment… Have you ever had a «My God» moment, by the way? I mean that in a couple of different ways. Some of us are going through a «My God» moment right now. It is the moment where you no longer can walk by sight; you must walk by faith. It is the moment where you no longer can cling to your will, but you say, «Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done». Now, I think when Thomas said, «My Lord and my God,» this is an echo of something he heard Jesus say on the cross. You know, on the day Jesus died… The Bible says something really crazy in Mark, chapter 15. (Put it on the screen, please.) It says, «When the sixth hour had come…» This is noon. «When the sixth hour had come…»

I’m giving you a time frame for this for a reason. «When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour». That’s 3:00 p.m. We’ve never seen that before. It doesn’t get dark from noon till 3:00 p.m. Not on our timetable. But when Jesus was dying, the sun said, «I’m going to stop shining for a little while, because he is the Light». How much God do you have to be to tell the sun to take a break? How much God do you have to be that the solar system responds to your sacrifice? When they hung Jesus on the cross, it looked like he had lost control, but he was still sovereign. He was sovereign enough to tell the sun, «Stop shining, because I want darkness to know that it works for me. I want darkness to know that I am God».

From this stretched position of sovereignty on the cross, making a sacrifice for our sins… I feel like preaching the crucifixion of Jesus today, because my hope is in this moment. This is my God moment. This is when God sent his Son who knew no sin, and he became sin that I might become the righteousness of God. This is where Jesus died as if he had sinned so I could live as if I never did. This is where Jesus took my place. This is my God moment, not that I came to God but that he came down to me. This is what we got up for this morning, y’all. This is why we have a reason to dance on the grave we once lived in: because he died on the cross that we should have died on, and my sin is on that cross. Everything I ever did, every mistake I ever made, past, present, future… It’s all up there on that cross on him.

It was the ninth hour, verse 34 says, and when it was the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice. I’ve got to show you something. I’ve been studying this all week. I’ve been waiting to show you this all week. «Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? '» How much God do you have to be to still have the breath to scream while you are suffocating on a cross? How much God do you have to be? How much love does it take? How much pain would it be that you would press yourself up, the very last words? «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God». These are the last words of the Word. He said, «Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?» which means, «My God, my God, why have you forsaken me»?

«Lord, are you listening»? It’s okay if you wonder that, because Jesus did one time too. I know it offends you that I say Jesus wondered anything because he knew everything. So why did he quote Psalm 22, verse 1? «My God, my God, why have you forsaken me»? I think we all come to moments in our lives where if Jesus is asking «Why»? we will ask «Why»? too. Sometimes the best answer is «I don’t know». Sometimes, when somebody experiences something so horrible, the only thing to tell them is, «I don’t know why». Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to sit with somebody in their why and say, «I don’t know either». But isn’t it even more comforting to know that Jesus will sit with you in your why than another human who doesn’t know why? And that Jesus said, «My God, why»? What I love about it that is so powerful for our lives today is that even when he was asking, «Why»? he still said, «My God, why»?

So, even when I don’t know why, you are still my God. God has some of us in a moment, in a season, where it’s gone dark in the sky at noon right now in your life, but notice that when the light left at the cross that day and the Lord listened… «Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me»? The next verse says that many who were hearing it said, «Behold, he is calling Elijah». They went to get some vinegar or some sour wine on a sponge, and they put it on a reed to give to him to drink. They said, «Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down».

Now, this seems strange. What does Elijah have to do with the Savior dying? This is what I was studying all week that I was trying to figure out. Why were they talking about Elijah when Jesus was dying on the cross? Elijah lived 800 years before Jesus. Elijah was a powerful prophet, no doubt. He called down fire on Mount Carmel, no doubt. He was a man of God. He prophesied a drought and a famine resulted. No doubt there was power in his words, but why are they talking about Elijah while Jesus is on the cross? Well, for one thing, Eliyahu is the name for Elijah in Hebrew, and Jesus says, «Eloi»! If you’re shouting from a distance, it sounds very similar. «Eloi»! «Wait. Is he calling Eliyahu»? «Eloi»! «He’s calling Elijah». «Eloi»! «He’s calling on Elijah to come get him down».

So they devise a plan. «Let’s get some sour wine. If he gets dehydrated, he’ll die. Let’s give him a little bit of substance so he can make it a little bit longer, and let’s see…» Watch this. «Let’s see whether Elijah will come to take him down». Verse 37: «And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last». So, to the onlookers that day…hear me good…it looked like God the Father did not listen to Jesus, but if you read the next verse, the Bible says when he screamed and breathed his last… Next verse. «The curtain of the temple was torn in two…» But watch this. «…from top to bottom».

Why not from bottom to top? Because that would mean a person did it. You know, the Devil tried to tell me this message was too deep for Easter, but I told the Devil there’s somebody here who needs to have a «My God» moment this Easter in church. There is somebody here who needs God to do something not from bottom to top. I need God to do something from top to bottom. I don’t need a person to do this. A person can’t do this. If a person could have done it, it would be done by now. I need a God who can take the curtain in the temple that separates holy God from unholy man and tear the curtain from top to bottom.

So, let me tell you why I’m in his presence today. Because my God heard me when I called him. He tore the veil from top to bottom. Say it. He tore the veil from top to bottom. What is the veil? It separated the Holy of Holies from the next place in the temple, and nobody could go in, but Jesus, when he was dying, was going in. Why? Because he was representing you to the Father, and he said, «Father, don’t hold it against them. Forgive them. They know not what they do». This is the gospel. This is the good news. This is the moment everything changed. At the moment that it looked like God didn’t answer, the veil tore. At the moment it looks like nothing is happening, the veil tears. At the moment when it looks like it’s getting worse in your life… Don’t walk away now, Thomas. You need to come back, Thomas. You need to get here, Thomas. Jesus might be coming back. Jesus might be coming back. I don’t want you to miss it this time, Thomas. Jesus might come back.

The wounded one is risen with all power in his hands, and I don’t want you to miss this. This might be my God moment. This might be. The Spirit of the Lord is in this place today. The Spirit of the Lord is in your living room today. The Spirit of the Lord is in your recovery meeting today. The Spirit of the Lord is with you right now, lying there in your bed. You couldn’t even find the strength to get up. You missed church, but church didn’t miss you, baby. God doesn’t miss. This is your God moment. As a matter of fact, Jesus wasn’t calling on Elijah, because Elijah had called on Jesus.

The very first resurrection recorded in the Bible was in 1 Kings 17. The Lord sent Elijah to stay with a widow or a woman at Zarephath who had a son who was about to die from starvation because of the famine that Elijah had prophesied, and as he was there at that woman’s house, something very terrible happened. Her son died. The woman brought the son to Elijah, and Elijah said, «What am I going to do about this»? Now, I’ve already told you about Thomas' «My God» moment. I told you about Jesus' «My God» moment, but Elijah had a «My God» moment too. The Bible says in 1 Kings, chapter 17, verse 17, «The son of the woman became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him».

Watch how beautifully the Bible lines it up. There was no breath left in Jesus. There was no breath left in this woman’s son. This is the first recorded resurrection in the Bible. Give me verse 18. «And she said to Elijah, 'What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son! '» See, she thought, like so many of us mistakenly think, that when God comes into your life, it’s to punish you. That’s what she thought. She didn’t know God, but she was about to have her very own God moment, because watch what Elijah did. «He said to her, 'Give me your son.' And he took him from her arms and carried him into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed».

Verse 20: «And he cried to the Lord…» Say it out loud. «O Lord my God…» It’s the first time Elijah says it this way in all of Scripture. Every time you see Elijah prophesying, he’s prophesying about the Lord God, but this time he says, «O Lord my God,» because he’s confused about it, because he doesn’t know what to do about it, because it’s personal this time. Are you standing over a situation today that is too big for you? Are you standing over something today that is impossible for you? This is your «My God» moment. This is your moment to say, «My God, this is not something I caused» or «My God, it is my fault, but I need you now. God, I missed it, but I need you now». «'O Lord my God, have you brought calamity upon the widow with whom I sojourn by killing her son? ' Then he stretched himself…»

I don’t know about y’all, but when I saw that, I saw Jesus. «He stretched himself upon the child three times…» I don’t know about y’all, but when I saw three times, I heard three days. He stretched himself. He stretched himself. «I’m not confident in the fact that I can do it. This is my God moment. I can’t do this by myself. I can’t accomplish this by myself. I can’t save myself». But he stretched himself. He stretched his arms. He stretched his love. He stretched his compassion. He flung open the doors of salvation. He stretched himself three times and cried to the Lord, «O Lord my God…» O Lord my God. «'O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.' And the Lord listened…»

The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the Lord listened to the voice of Jesus, and the veil was torn. «And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived». Watch verse 23. «And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother». And acted like he had confidence the whole time. And acted like he didn’t just have a complete panic attack on that bed. And acted like he wasn’t just snotting and slobbering and wondering if God was going to do it too. And he said, «See, your son lives».

I realized that the gospel is in this passage, because Elijah brought a son down who was alive again, and God raised a son up alive again. So, when Elijah was calling on «My God,» he was calling on Jesus who is resurrection. So, when they said, «Jesus is calling on Elijah,» they had it backward. Jesus doesn’t call on Elijah; Elijah calls on Jesus. I want to tell you something today. Some of you, the Devil has it backward in your life. Jesus does not bow to sin; sin bows to Jesus. Death does not conquer Jesus; Jesus conquers death. Elijah brought down a son; God raised up a son. This is my God moment.

So, for everybody in here today who is dead in your transgression and sin, for everybody in here today who is at the dead end of your own hope or your own logic or your own conclusions, and you say, like Thomas, «I’ll never believe,» I believe God brought you here because this is your «My God» moment. This is your moment to give it over to God. It’s his situation. It’s his battle. It’s his fight. You’re his child. That is his assignment. That is his burden to carry. He paid the price for those sins. Don’t you carry another day what God gave his Son to remove from your life. This is God’s moment in your life. For the Bible says that 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.

This is your «My God» moment. You’ve seen what you can do without him. Now I want you to see what he can do with you. Thomas went from Doubting Thomas to Trusting Thomas without even having to touch Jesus' palms. I believe Jesus has touched somebody here today, watching at a campus, watching online, even watching me in a prison, even watching me in a hospital room, or watching me at the back row of Ballantyne. The Lord has touched you today, and this is your «My God» moment where he becomes personal to you, where it becomes real to you. It’s a pivotal moment for you, man. It’s a pivotal moment for you. I know you’re unsure, but you showed up, and so does he.

Everyone standing, no one moving. What a moment for the risen Lord who is in this place today. Thomas wasn’t the last one that he showed up to talk to. He’s here to talk to you too. Will you bow your head and close your eyes? How good is God that he would listen and hear the cry of a sinner, «Lord, be merciful unto me». The resurrection stands as evidence in our lives that nothing is too far gone for God. I just kept hearing the Lord speak to me when I was preparing. There’s somebody who’s saying, «It’s too late. It’s too late for me. I wasted it. It’s too late for me». If it wasn’t too late for Thomas, it’s not too late for you. If it wasn’t too late for that son who died in 1 Kings 17, it’s not too late for you.

Resurrection is what God does. It’s what he does. The one who was last to see him is the one who made the greatest confession about him. «My God, my God». And he’s not just «My God». He’s not just the God of Thomas. He wants to be your God too. The only job you have is to believe that God raised him from the dead. So, right now, with your head bowed and your eyes closed in the holiness of this moment, I’m going to lead you in a prayer that you can pray to Jesus. This is your «My God» moment. «My God, my God, why have you forsaken me»? Jesus was forsaken so you would never have to be. That’s why the veil was torn. «My God, my God, have mercy on me. My God, if you can save me, here I am». He can, and he will. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

So, right now, at every location and watching online, we’re going to pray a prayer out loud, as a church family, for the benefit of those who are coming to God for the first time or coming back to God. This is your God moment. Do not miss it. He brought you here, and you’re breathing. Do not miss it. He died for you. Don’t miss it. Repeat after me. «Heavenly Father…» Say it again. Say it with your heart.

Heavenly Father, today is my day of salvation. I am a sinner in need of a savior, and I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. And today I make Jesus the Lord 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 three, shoot your hand up if you prayed that. One, two, three. Say:

This is my God moment. This is my God moment, from top to bottom. This is the moment where God breaks through. This is the moment where grace breaks through. This is the moment where shame falls off. This is the moment where darkness flees. This is the moment that the light comes. This is the moment I’m born again. This is the moment I receive forgiveness. This is the moment my sins are rolled away. Come on, let’s have a moment of praise today for the great things God has done! In Jesus' name.