Rise Above the Way Down | Rise Above | Pastor Jurie Kriel | Shoreline Church | Message

[MUSIC] Good morning, shoreline church. It's good to see you guys. It's good morning to those of you that are joining us online. It is really great to have you with us as well. And happy Labor Day weekend, right? Labor Day tomorrow, we are so celebrating all of our labor that we're taking the day off, right? That's what I'm hearing. So let's hope that it's a restful Labor Day, which feels like a contradiction of terms, but we'll take it either way. It's a big day for shoreline today. And the reason it's a big day is because as we are together here in the North Campus, at our South Campus, a transition is taking place. Pastor Sam and Pastor Kenny, that's been leading there for a very long time. As the campus pastors for the South Campus, they are actually transitioning. And Pastor Sam's coming up here to be a part of Maine's ministry and actually helps with the groups and the community context within the whole of shoreline. And Pastor Luke and Emily is going to take over as campus pastors of the South Campus. So Pastor Rob and Laura is there praying for them and celebrating this moment with them. But we pray that it'll be an incredible transition, and we're excited for what lies ahead for our South Campus, right? You guys excited? Okay, can I invite you guys to stand with me for a moment? You can stand right now and we say a couple of phrases together every week if you're visiting here today. We say these out loud because these are some truths we live by. Are you guys ready for the shoreline creed? Okay, I'll take that as a yes, let's do it. I am loved by God. I cannot earn it, I cannot lose it. I am forgiven and made brand new. In Christ, I live with passion and purpose.

I am empowered by the Spirit to be the church in the world and to love this love revolution. Amen? Over the course of the last couple of weeks, Pastor Rob's been taking us through a portion of the Book of Judges and taking us through the life of Gideon, and we've been studying his life. And it's been an incredible series, if for whatever reason you've missed it, you don't want to miss the series. It's been an incredible lesson and last week we kind of got to the victory moment where the final victory was won and the media night army was defeated by the 300 men together with Gideon and it was an incredible message. If you miss it, get it. Today, we're actually going to pause at what happens after the victory and how we actually when we're done, we're not quite done, right? So we've been speaking about this whole series, about rising above certain things, and today we're going to speak about rise above the way down. Rise above the way down. Sometimes when we get to a summit, the summit or the mountain top experience isn't the end of the story and the same is true for Gideon. When he got to the top of the mountain, when he defeated the media night, it wasn't the end of his story, it kept going, but here's the thing. You can't listen to today's message and miss next week's message, okay? So by you continuing to stay in your seat and listen or joining us online, you're making a commitment to hear Pastor Rob wrap up the series next week because I want to tell you what I say today is the prelude to what he's about to say next week. And that really is the conclusion of this series, and it's going to be incredible. You don't want to miss it. It's not the way up that kills us, it's the way down. If you, I've been fascinated by Mount Everest for as long as I've known about it, okay? It's this mountain that is 29,000 feet high in the air, okay? So just imagine for a minute, next time you take an airliner and somebody comes up and

they say we've reached our cruising altitude, have you guys heard that on a plane before? Okay, look out the window and imagine that that's the height that somebody stood at when they stood at the top of Mount Everest, okay? OK, so it is incredibly high. It's 8,849 meters. But it's something happens at 8,000 meters. You enter what they call the death zone. Have you ever heard of the death zone? It sounds as ominous as it is. OK, it's the death zone. Because at that point in time, what happens is you're essentially walking so high above the earth that you're walking out of the layer of oxygen that's around the earth. And by the time you enter the death zone, there's about 1/3 of the oxygen in the air. OK, so for every three breaths, you get the oxygen, you get at one breath right here. OK, so just to put it in perspective, we're at 149 meters above sea level here in Austin, right? And then if you go to Mount Rainier, which is kind of the highest mountain in Washington, you're at 4,000 meters. And then base camp for Everest is higher than Mount Rainier. So if you've ever seen Mount Rainier from the plane window, when you land it in Washington state, and you would have seen that it's a pretty high mountain, right? It's above the clouds often. But that's lower than base camp for Everest. Then the death zone, then the summit, that's as high as an airliner, OK?

So that's how high up Everest is. And for years, the whole planet believed it was impossible to climb. So in 1921, 22, they start climbing, and they start to try to go up Mount Everest, and different people are trying to do it. But you've got to understand, is at this point in time, they're doing this with like wool sweaters, right? So you're speaking about a wool sweater, a knitted sweater, and maybe a heavy leather jacket that they're trying to climb Mount Everest with, right? So in the 1920s, they tried to climb, and there's multiple expeditions that just kind of passes through the clouds, people wave them goodbye, never to be seen again. We have no idea what happens to them. They just disappear on the mountain. So at some point, people started wondering if even this was possible. But they kept trying and trying and trying. And in 1952, actually, just about a year and one day before somebody makes it to the top, there's a Swiss expedition that makes their way up, and they get to about two and a half football fields length from the summit. So just imagine you're making your way up, and you're literally like you can see the summit. It's right there, it's about two and a half football fields. It's about 350 meters from where they were to the summit. It's a Swiss expedition.

And in 1952, this Swiss expedition turns around, and they go back down. Which brings us to 1953, the first summit of Everest, May 29th, and Edmund Hillary, a beekeeper from New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, a sherpa, is attempting to summit. And they actually make it all the way to the top. But now you've got to remember, back then, it's not like today, I'm sure you've heard of people submitting Everest. More than 13,000 people has made the climb since. But they're making it with modern equipment. Back then, it was a completely different story. They were climbing. There was no ladders over the ice fall. There was no ropes that was laid in. Nobody's been there before. There was these massive crevasses that you had to make away over in. And you couldn't carry the equipment to get over those things. People had to carry a 30-pound oxygen set, which, if it failed, you died, right? It was as simple as that on top of their equipment. It was a different thing than what it is to climb Everest today, as great as it is for someone to do it today. It was a completely different story back then. Today, a lot of people climb Everest. In fact, they've had to limit the number of people that can climb Everest, because this is what it looked like in 2019 on top of Everest.

They were different people climbing the mountain. And this is a picture of them actually lining up to try and summit. OK, this looks less like Mount Everest. And it looks a little more to me like the line at Bucky's for Labor Day weekend, OK? Or maybe the athletes tomorrow for a Labor Day sale, right? But the reality is a lot of people attempted right now. It wasn't the case in the beginning. It was this impossible feat that people didn't even know if it was possible. So Hillary-- and they make it to the top of Mount Everest. 29,000 feet. And as they stand on the top, they take one single picture. It's Hillary taking the picture of Tenzing is Sherpa. This is what the picture looks like. It's the only picture that they took that day on the top of Everest, right? So they only took one picture of themselves. Today, I don't know about you guys, but today people are like live streaming from up there, and the selfie generation treats the top of Everest a little different. Can you imagine making it to the top of Everest and only taking one picture? I mean, and then Hillary isn't even in a single picture. There's no picture of Hillary at the top of Everest. The only way we know he was there is because he's the one taking the picture of Tenzing

standing on top of Mount Everest. That's the first ascent of Everest ever. But climbing Everest is one thing. Getting down from Everest is a completely different thing. See, if you look at all the scents and descents from 1921 to 2006, then what you'll find is that only nine people died in the death zone and the way going up, but 53 people died on the way coming down. So you are six times more likely to die on the way down from the summit than the way up the summit, and isn't that so true about life? Isn't it true about life that most of the time, the most dangerous time, is not when we're about to go to a big moment in our lives, when we're about to go to the mountaintop experience, when we're about to have that moment, but it's the time after that really counts. It's the way down the mountain that really matters. You can't say that I've climbed Everest if you made it to the top and you died on your way down, you didn't make it up in Mount Everest. You died in the process of trying, and oftentimes in life, that's where it goes wrong. It's when you think I'm gonna make it, when you think I'm gonna succeed and you make it to the mountaintop, the way down is the deadliest moment. Just after a great success is the most dangerous moment in your life.

We think that if I can only get there, right, if I can only get that promotion, if I can get that promotion, everything's gonna be better, then you get that promotion and you forget that because you got the promotion, you've now got to do the job. Or you think if I can only get that job, or you're thinking if only I could graduate, if only I can make it to graduation, but you don't think about the fact that if you don't make it to that moment, that moment isn't the end, it's just the beginning. That's why they call it the commencement ceremony, right? It's the commencement, it's the beginning, it's not the end. The mountaintop is only the start or the process. When you make, I mean, for parents, commencements are a little different. You think it's the commencement of your kids being out of your pocket, but it's just the commencements of paying at a distance. I see some parents are feeding me with pain here, right? The thing is we think that that moment is gonna change everything, but that moment's the beginning of the hard work, right? You plan the wedding, and if you've planned a wedding, planning a wedding is a mountain to climb, and then you get to the top of the mountain,

and you're celebrating it, it's beautiful, and it's flowers, and it's vows. But how many of you know that a wedding doesn't make a marriage, right? That's when the work starts. The mountaintop is the beginning of the process, and that's exactly what happens to Gideon. And in chapter seven of Judges, Judges chapter seven, you'll see that it's the mountaintop, right? It's 135,000 mediumites get defeated by 300 Israelites, right? It's the mountaintop, Judges chapter seven. That's it, top of the mountain. But then comes the way down the mountain, Judges chapter eight. It's the journey down. It's the process after the victory. It's after the mountaintop to come back down the mountain. How do you rise above the way down? How do you overcome that? You'll see that these two challenges that he faces, two challenges Gideon faces, are the two challenges that we face on the way down. And I'm gonna show you these two challenges. The one challenge is the challenge outside of us. It's criticism, and you'll see how he gets criticized, and he has to overcome the criticism. But the second challenge is the challenge inside of us, and that's the challenge that we experience

as we're going through fatigue. And these two challenges, every one of us, has to go through, right? So as we come down from our mountaintops, as we have to walk out our process, as we walk out the vision, See, this idea of going through a challenge as you come down the mountain, the Bible is actually full of it. So if you go read about Moses, right? God calls Moses up to the mountain. He's on the mountain top. He's literally meeting with God on the top of the mountain. God gives him the Ten Commandments. He's on his way down the mountain. What does Moses do? He destroys the tablets. He loses it. When he sees Israel worshipping another God, when you look at the life of Peter, Peter is on the mountain of transfiguration. Jesus changes into his glorified state. Peter comes down the mountain and he messes up. He argues with another disciple about who's the greatest, and he tries to heal a boy that he can't heal in that moment. So he comes down the mountain and he messes up. Same is true for Elijah. Elijah has on the mountain, Baal prophets, great victory. He comes down from the mountain. He has one thing from Jezebel and wants to die. How are you doing with coming down from your mountain top experiences? What's happening in your journey? What are you experiencing as you're returning from that victory? You're going through those processes and you're suddenly faced with the reality on the other side. Those of you that have ever journeyed through a pregnancy, right? All eight months and a year of that pregnancy. You guys know that humans are pregnant for eight months in a year, right? It's the first eight months and then the last month that feels like a year, right? It's eight months and a year. That's how long a pregnancy takes. But you're going through the process and you're kind of in that last year of the pregnancy and you're just waiting for it to be over. You're just waiting for the end of it because then everything's going to be better and you're going to be able to sleep again. Some of you know what I'm talking about. It doesn't happen that way, right? So you have the mountain top experience, but there's a process after. And we've got to get better at the process after. The most dangerous time in your life is not when you're on your way to the top of the mountain.

When you're on your way to the victory. No, it's when you've got the victory that we've got to be better at coming down the mountain because if you don't come down the mountain, you haven't scaled the mountain. The real work is on the other side of the mountain top. And here's the two challenges that you go through as you're coming down the mountain. Number one is the challenge around you, the critics. The challenge around you, the critics, we all face criticism. When Gideon, he's defeated the army, he's done the thing, and then he starts to come back and judges chapter 8 verse 1 says this. It says, "The Ephraimites, those of the tribe of Ephraim, asked Gideon, why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight medium? And they challenged him vigorously, right? So they lose it. They're challenging Gideon. Gideon is still on the mountain. They're in the process of finishing this battle. They're just on their way down, and what happens is the Ephraimites come and they say, "Why didn't you call us? Why didn't you ask us? Why didn't you ask our help? Why did you do this without us? Why did you just take 300? Why didn't you take us? Because they're looking at him and he was successful. How many of you know that after success criticism comes?" Yes? After you achieved something great, when you got that promotion, not everybody was happy for you. When that guy asked you to marry him, not everybody was happy for you, right? That's the reality. When you get the job, when you take the step, criticism comes when you made a decision to start your own business, not everybody celebrated in that process, right? That criticism comes your way. And how we deal with that criticism will make or break us. So a couple of weeks ago, Karan and I were preaching in Africa, and I'm on my way there to go and preach with her,

and I'm flying three hops to get there in time, right? So I finished some meetings here, head to the airport, get on the plane, first flight, get to Atlanta, and we're circling above the airport. Now I know that I only have a short little time to make my connection. I've got 24 hours of flying ahead of me, okay? I'm one hour and 30 minutes in, and I'm about to miss my connection. This one hour and 45 minute flight becomes a three hour hanging around in the airport, eventually landing and standing at the gate, watching the plane that I'm supposed to get on leave the gate. So now I've missed my connection, and 24 hours becomes two nights of sleep. We eventually arrive where we need to be meeting off to meeting off to meeting. Sunday comes along. And on that one Sunday, between coronavirus self, we're preaching in three different locations, five services on one Sunday. Okay? So this is service number five of that Sunday, two nights of no sleep, meetings, five services, fifth service. I'm about to go up to preach and I'm getting my notes ready. And I'm like, I've got nothing left. So my total tiredness and my total spankness, I kind of look out and I say, well, guys, I need your help tonight. It's been a long day. I need you guys to cheer and to say amen and to preach with me. Are you with me? Okay, three of you. Okay? So I'm like, you know, and so I preach the message and you'll never believe it. God shows up in a mighty way and He does a great thing. And I'm done preaching. All five services done. I step off the stage. I go take my seat and as I'm back in my seat, I'm like, Oh, thank you, Jesus. And services over. And this young lady comes up to me, tears streaming down her face. And she says, Pastor Yuri, as you were speaking, I felt the Lord gave me a word for you. And I'm excited because I can see God's really touching her in a mighty way. So I'm like, Oh, wow, God, what have you done? She looks at me and she says, Pastor Yuri, remember in the beginning when you said we've got to cheer you on and we've got to say amen. I just feel like the Holy Spirit told me in that moment to tell you that it's not about you. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for your obedience. So I thank her. I walk her on. I'm so discouraged, man. I'm ready to quit ministry, quit life. I'm done clearly. I'm too prideful for this job. See, it's when we're in that state after the mountaintop that we're most vulnerable

to criticism. We're most vulnerable to the opinions of others. And in that moment, that word just made me feel terrible. You know, it's interesting as if you look at get in, as get in is coming out, right? So it's just 300 people, 135,000 medianites, victory. God shows up and he's on his way and Ephraimites come up to him and they say, hey, get in. Why didn't you involve us? What's wrong with you? Why didn't you invite us? They do the same thing with him and I'm sure he had a choice to be discouraged. But look at Gideon's response. Look at how amazing he responds in Judges chapter eight verse two, it says, but he answered them, whatever I accomplished compared to you. On the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvers of Ibi Israel. God gave R.E.B. and seeb the minionite leaders into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you? That this, their resentment against him subsided. You know what I love about this? This is a masterclass in how to deal with criticism. Look at how incredibly well Gideon does this. Number one, he listens to them. He doesn't just refute what they say. He's listening to them. He asks them a question. He says, what have I done compared to you? I love this because this is, this is the completion of the process. Do you guys remember what Hapos the Rob shared in the beginning when God called Gideon? How he said, oh, I'm the least of the least. I'll never do anything. This isn't that. This is him understanding who he is, but acknowledging who they are. And he's saying, hey, aren't you guys great? He's listening to them. Second thing he does is he honors them. The whole thing about the grapes, right? He says, hey, hold on a little. You guys do great things. So he's not just listening to them. He's honoring them. But then look at the third thing he does. He doesn't stop there. He actually goes on and he looks above their criticism and he says, hasn't God given you our Ebenzi, right? So he looks above them. He looks above the criticism. So here's the master class. When you receive criticism, listen, honor and look above it. Listen, honor and look above it. Don't get stuck in the criticism. If I did that when I received the word that it's not about me, I would have realized, hold on a little. I feel like I'm pouring myself out for God. And God comes and he says, "Yuri, it's not about you." Actually, it isn't about me. I'm not here for me.

I didn't travel all this way, 36 hours to get here for me. I traveled all this way for someone greater than me. And it wasn't my preaching. It wasn't what I did that made the difference. No, it was God showing up. So I should have just listened, honored, and look above my circumstances and seen God in it all. And I would have looked at this entirely differently. Can I tell you something? If your mountain top experience is all about what you do and what you achieve and how you got there, then all the criticism after that, you've got to carry. But if your mountain top experience is all about God, then what God has done and where he's putting you, then all the criticism after that is on him. (congregation applauding) Because he did it, it wasn't you. You don't have to defend yourself. You can just simply remember that it's not about you. That's how you get down the mountain alive. You remember that it's not about you. It's about him, what he has done, who he is, and what he is up to. So Hillary and Tenzing, do you guys remember they made it to the top of the mountain? These two guys together, they walked up them. They must have bonded in such a special way. These two guys as they went up Everest. And when they were done and they were the first people ever to be at the top, everybody wanted to know

who was first amongst the two of them, right? Because on the one hand you had Hillary, he was the beekeeper from New Zealand, part of the British Commonwealth. He was British, and everybody wanted the Britain, which in 1953 was still a remnants of the British Empire. They wanted to say that he was the guy. He was the one that did it. The Westerner made it to the top. But the rest of the world was saying, all on Tenzing is the guy. Tenzing must have been first. He's the Sherpa and Nepal, where Mount Everest is at. And India and these countries, they wanted to say, oh no, no, it must have been Tenzing that was at the top. But Hillary and Tenzing refused to say who was first. And for a long time, they would just say, we arrived at the summit almost together. We got there almost together. And people would say, but who was first? And they'd say almost together. And they'd say, okay, but who was almost together in first position? And they said, no, no, almost together. So after about two years of this, Tenzing would write a book. And as he writes this book, he makes this statement. He says, Hillary stepped on top first. And I stepped after him. If it is a shame to be the second man on Mount Everest, then I have to live with that shame.

See, the reality was that the point wasn't who was there first. The point was that they got there together. There was something higher, something bigger than getting there first. And I want to tell you that that's the lesson for me in overcoming criticism. It's the same lesson that Posterob taught us when he spoke through Judges chapter seven and verse two, where God starts telling Gideon to make his army smaller and smaller and smaller. He says, lest you say that my own strength has saved me, Judges seven, verse two. You see, God doesn't want us to be able to say that it wasn't my strength. It wasn't my ability. I claim that mountain all alone and I conquered it. That's not the hard God wants us to have. He wants us to remember that it's not about me. It's about him. And that's how we get back down from Everest. That's how we overcome criticism. Proverbs chapter 15, verse one, a gentle answer turns away wrath. You don't have to get into a fight over criticism. You can listen. You can honor and you can look above when it comes your way, amen? That's the battle around you. What's the battle inside you? Because how many of you know that when the battle

around you is raging, there's a battle inside you. And the battle inside you is fatigue. If you look at get in and these men and judges chapter eight of us four says get in and the 300 men exhausted yet kept up the pursuit. They were tired and yet they kept on running. They were tired and yet they kept on going. That Hebrew word therefore exhausted is actually the word "faint." It actually refers to you being in a place where you have no strength left. Your faint, your spent, and yet kept up the pursuits. They were spent, and yet they kept going. If you want to make your way down the mountain from the mountain top experience, you've got to learn the skill of how to keep pushing even when you're faint, how to keep pursuing even when you're tired. You've got to have a warrior mentality that says, "I'm going to keep going even when I can't keep going." Remember I told you about Elijah that got down from the mountain? That mountain that Elijah was on was Elijah and the ball prophets. If you've ever heard the story, it's one prophet of God against the hundreds of prophets of Baal, and then God shows up and fire and does this whole miracle. I mean, what an incredible mountain top experience. Down the mountain comes Elijah. I'm sure still praising and excited. Jezebel says one word, Elijah throws a pity party. He crawls under a bush. This is what he tells God. He says, "I have had enough, Lord, take my life." His done, his spent, he was at the top of the mountain. Elijah's not making it down. He's messing it up.

He says, "God, take my life. I'm over. I can't do it." If you've had a mountain top experience, you've know how Elijah felt in that moment. But here's the thing, guys. God doesn't leave us in those moments. God doesn't drop us in that moment. He doesn't say, "Oh, sorry, you were trying to get down and you couldn't know." What does God do? God shows up and he gets him sending to eat for the journey is too much for you. I love that. Get up and eat for the journey is too much for you. Not stay lie down, stay there, sorry you couldn't make it. No, no, get up and eat. I know this is too much for you, but you can do it. Don't give up. Don't lose your victory on the way down the mountain. Don't lose your victory on the way down. Don't forget that God is able. 2006, David Sharp is on his way down Everest. And at 8,500 feet, just a little bit down from the summit he just made, he can't go on. The sad part is that as he sits on the side of the road dying, 40 people will pass him on the way up to make their summit rather than help him down. So Edmund Hillary would hear of this and he would famously make the statements at age 86 at that point. And he said that people just want to get to the top. They'll leave someone to die under a rock. It's a couple years later when Lincoln Hall, an Australian, is in the same situation. He didn't even make it to 8,500 meters above sea level. He's still at 8,700 and he was on his way down and he can't make it. And he Sherpas try and get him down.

They try and carry him down. They don't have the strength. Eventually night falls, they can't bring him down the mountain. So they leave him there and they come down the mountain. And they get to camp three and they tell the people that camp three, we're sorry, we tried. We did everything we could, but it's night now, it's dark, it's icy, it's cold. He's not going to make it through the night. So they actually use the phone, call his wife, tell him, sorry, he couldn't make it down the mountain, he didn't make it. The next morning there's a party of four led by Dan Mazul and they're on their way up to the summit. And as they're on their way up to the summit, they encounter this. This is a picture of Lincoln Hall sitting there making this statement. He says, "I imagine you're surprised to see me here." He survived the night all alone on Mount Everest. Dan Mazul, in his effort to make a summit, gives up his own summit attempt and him and his team turn around right there and they carry him down. This is what I want to tell you today. If you are faint, if you are tired, if you have no more strength, if you are unable, I want to tell you that God will send people your way that will give up their summit to carry you down. God can do for you what he did for Elijah. When they were faint, when they were spent, God came alongside Isaiah chapter 40 verse 20. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. God can meet you in your space of faintness. And God can strengthen you again if you would hope in Him. The word here for hope isn't a wishful thinking on God. No, it's a trust and a reliance on who He is. The God that got you to the top of the mountain is the God that can get you safely down.

He is able. (Applause) Back in Mount Everest. Remember I told you guys about the Swiss expedition? They got close to and a half football fields from the end. You guys remember that? What I didn't tell you about that expedition, which by the way was the closest expedition before the expedition that actually made it up to the top of Everest. Is that with that Swiss expedition? There was a Sherpa. His last name was Tenzing. And it was one year and one day before he would make the summit. He would make it to within 250 meters from the summit and turn around with the Swiss expedition. See, somebody would like to say that getting to the top is optional. But coming down is mandatory. See, Tenzing made it 97% to the top. But I want to tell you, 97%, 97% isn't the top. None of you can tell me the names of those Swiss explorers that were trying to make it up to the top. In fact, I had a tough time finding their names. They were just the Swiss explorers that tried and failed. What was different between those Swiss explorers and Tenzing is that Tenzing wasn't done. In fact, this was Tenzing's sixth attempt and it would only be the seventh attempt that he made it. Look at these dates over and over and over. He tried in 1935. Tenzing tried again in 1936.

He tried again in 1938. He tried again in 1947. He tried again in 1952. And then he didn't make it. He tried again in the same year before he made it in 1953. So this is what I want to tell you. Don't give up. Hillary, he made it on the first attempt. Tenzing took seven times to get up there. It doesn't matter whether you go up once, you go up seven times, or you go up a thousand times. What matters is that you get to the top and you get back down. Keep going. It isn't over until he says it's over. He will renew your strength. He will remind you again that he is able. It's not the way up that kills us. It's the way down. You know what's awesome about Jesus? Is he conquered the challenges of the way down? Look at this. Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 3. Consider him Jesus who endured such opposition. Criticism, do you see it? He endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow wary. Do you see the weariness and lose heart? Consider Jesus. Consider what Jesus had done. Yes, the Bible is full of stories of people that went up mountains and struggled on the way down.

But the Bible is also full of stories of Jesus that came down from the mountain and he didn't crush the ten commandments. No, Jesus came down from the mountain and he appointed his twelve disciples. And then Jesus came down from the mountain and he wasn't wary and lying under a bush. No, he came down from the mountain and he walked on the water. And then Jesus came down from the mountain and he wasn't struggling like Peter to do things or fighting about who's the most. He comes down and he heals the boy Peter struggled to heal because Jesus came down from the mountain and he walked in the victory top wasn't his. Jesus climbed a hill and it wasn't Everest but it was a hill called Calvary. And on that hill, on that mountain top, Jesus gave his life so that we might live any Conketson, and he climbed that hill and then he went down from that hill, he didn't just go halfway down. Oh no, he went all the way down, all the way down into hell and he conquered sin and he conquered death. Jesus went up the hill and he went down the mountain and when he went down the mountain and he conquered it all, he made this statement on the cross. He said it is finished. I don't know what you're facing, I don't know where you're at, I don't know if you're on your way up or on your way down, but this match I do know is I know he did it all so that you can live in victory. So would you grab a hold of his mountain top and his way down and would you rise up and rise above the way down? Rise above the difficulties on the other side of success, amen? Would you stand with me as we pray? You know, where every person within this animal voice is today, whether online or right here in the room, Lord, you know who are those who are climbing up the mountain, struggling Lord, you know who are those who are on their way down from a mountain top experience and struggling through the criticism, struggling through the fatigue that follows the victory.

Holy Spirit, would you come and comfort? Would you come and strengthen? Would you come and encourage? Would you cause them to hear the words that it's not about them, that hilltop was never about them, that mountain top was never about them, it wasn't for their glory then and it isn't for their glory now. Lord, may they be strengthened by the fact that you were the one that gave them the victory and you are the one that will strengthen them on the other side of the victory. Lord, may we make our way down and may we take hold of all of the victory that you want for us. I know that there are some amongst us here today, and maybe I've never taken a moment to accept what Jesus has done on the cross for you. Maybe you've heard about it, maybe you know about it, maybe you've heard others speak about it, maybe you've been in a space where you accepted it and walking the walk before but you've drifted away, today is your day and this is your moment to come back to Him, this is your moment to take hold of what He's done for you and to live the life that He has prepared for you, to not settle for anything less, so if that's you I would love the opportunity to pray with you today and if you would just raise up your hand right there where you are just as a sign between you and God to say, "God, I'm coming back to you, I'm taking this for myself today, I see hands going up all over, is there anybody else, I see you, see you over there, see you up there, see you guys, see you, can we pray out loud in at once, dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. I believe that I'm forgiven and made brand new. I accept your forgiveness and I will live from this day on forevermore in Jesus' name. Amen, amen, amen, can we give them a great hand? If you responded today there are individuals on my right and left, you'll see they have a sign called made brand new, they have got some materials for you that I want you to grab a hold of and get a hold of before you go here today. The prayer partners are coming to the front. leave yeah may i bless you with this statement may you know every day on the way up the mountain

and the way down the mountain that here's the one that said it is finished amen amen bless you have a great sunday