It Will Come Together

This sermon by Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church, titled “It Will Come Together,” explores the theme of God’s presence and purpose even in difficult seasons of life (0:00). The sermon emphasizes that God can bring all things together for good, even when circumstances seem fragmented or negative (9:03).

Key takeaways from the sermon include:

• Trusting God’s Plan: Viewers are encouraged not to judge their life’s narrative prematurely (16:03) and to understand that God doesn’t build their lives on people who have left (18:25).
• Finding Purpose in Adversity: The sermon highlights that even when things feel bad, there is still a purpose (31:10), and God is present in brokenness (36:45).
• God’s Unfinished Work: A core message is that if something is not good, it means God is not yet finished with it (42:53).
• Accepting the Whole Package: The sermon also touches on the idea that everything desirable often comes with aspects that are less appealing (51:29), urging listeners to consider if they truly want what comes with it (55:52).
• Trusting God’s Will: Ultimately, the sermon calls for trusting God’s will and His ongoing work, even when His actions are not immediately clear (58:20, 1:01:11, 1:03:50).

The sermon uses Scripture references from Ruth 4:9-17, Ruth 1:16, and Romans 8:28 to support its message.

How does faith apply? 

Faith is presented as a crucial element in trusting God’s process, especially when circumstances are unclear or difficult. The sermon encourages trusting God in moments of uncertainty (1:03:50) and believing that He is working things out for good, even if it’s not immediately apparent (58:20). It emphasizes having patience and faith to see God’s plan unfold, even when it feels like “it will come together” is hard to believe (9:03, 31:10). The message suggests that faith is about not judging your life too soon (16:03) and understanding that God is with you in your brokenness (36:45), signifying a belief in His constant presence and ultimate purpose.

How does God’s purpose supersede human plans?

Why are “mixed blessings” essential? 

“Mixed blessings” are essential because they prevent you from missing the blessing itself by preparing you for the reality of how blessings often manifest (28:09). The sermon explains that we often “experience the ingredients in isolation” (26:46), and if we only focus on the negative or unappealing aspects (the “grease” in the cooking analogy), we might misinterpret or reject the overall good that God is orchestrating (40:59).

Pastor Furtick illustrates this by stating that in God’s mind, “your life is a meal” (26:49), and just as baking powder tastes bad on its own but is essential for the finished product, difficult or unpleasant experiences (“grease”) are necessary ingredients that contribute to God’s purpose for your life (31:10-31:31, 40:59). Therefore, understanding and accepting mixed blessings allows you to appreciate God’s providence (19:21) and recognize that if it’s not good, God is not done (42:53), indicating that the perceived “bad” is part of a larger, unfinished good.

What’s the significance of “grease” in life? 

The “grease” in life, as explained by Pastor Steven Furtick, is a metaphor for the difficult, unpleasant, or painful experiences that we often want to remove immediately (40:59-41:06).

However, the sermon emphasizes that this “grease” is essential for God’s recipe for our lives. Just as cooking grease is necessary for making certain dishes taste good (like eggs in the sermon’s example), the “grease” of our weaknesses, pains, and disappointments serves a crucial purpose in the finished product of our lives (41:09-41:26).

Key significances of “grease” are:

• Purposeful Ingredient: It’s not inherently bad, but an ingredient that God uses to “mix” with other aspects of our lives, like joy and gifts, to create something good (41:52-42:26).
• Part of God’s Kitchen: We are told to “get out of God’s kitchen” (41:43), meaning we shouldn’t try to remove these challenging elements because God knows how to use them effectively.
• Source of Strength: Weakness, which is equated to “grease,” is where God’s strength can be found, transforming it into something beneficial (42:33-42:46).

In essence, “grease” represents the unpleasant but necessary components that God integrates into our lives to fulfill His ultimate purpose, highlighting that if it’s not good, then He’s not done mixing (42:53-43:12).

How does Ruth’s story challenge expectations? 

Ruth’s story challenges expectations in several significant ways:

• Her Origin as a Moabite: Ruth was from Moab, a place not traditionally aligned with Bethlehem, where Jesus was born (20:40-20:46). Moabites were not even seen as favorable in the eyes of the Israelites (20:50-21:06). The fact that a book in the Bible is dedicated to a woman from Moab, positioned between major books of covenant, is unexpected (20:36-20:42).
• Her Unwavering Commitment: Despite Naomi’s bitterness and the hardships they faced, Ruth made a covenant to stay with her, declaring “wither thou goest, I will go” (11:22-11:47, 34:46-35:05). This commitment was unexpected, especially when Orpah, the other daughter-in-law, chose to leave (18:05-18:15).
• God’s Use of the Unexpected: God uses Ruth, a woman from a detested place, to bring about a blessing for Naomi and to continue the lineage that leads to David and eventually Jesus (38:16-38:21, 44:50-45:30). This demonstrates that God’s plan isn’t limited by human prejudices or expectations about who He will use.
• The “Mixed Blessing” Aspect: The story of Ruth, like Rachel and Leah, shows that blessings often come with complexities and difficult pasts. The people blessing Ruth wished her to be like Rachel and Leah, who “together built up the family of Israel,” despite their own internal struggles and rivalry (25:07-26:26, 46:36-47:50). This challenges the expectation that blessings are always straightforward or free of complications.

Be Encouraged

Remember, just like the “grease” in a recipe, the challenging moments in your life are not there to break you, but to make you stronger and contribute to a beautiful, purposeful outcome (40:59-42:26). God is still at work, meticulously mixing every experience—the good and the seemingly bad—into something extraordinary for your good (31:10-31:31, 42:53). Don’t judge your story before it’s fully written (16:03). Trust that every piece, even the painful ones, has a place in His grand design. You are not alone in your journey; God is with you in your brokenness and bitterness (36:45-37:47), transforming your “mara” (bitter) into a blessing (28:45-29:01, 38:06-38:16). Have faith, for “if it’s not good, then He’s not done” (42:53-43:12)!