REWIND
The podcast "REWIND" features a collection of past sermons from Organic Church. Each episode takes listeners on a journey through the teachings and messages delivered during previous worship services. The content is a retrospective look at the spiritual guidance and insights shared by Pastor Michael and visiting guests!
Listeners can expect to revisit powerful sermons, meaningful scriptures, and impactful messages that have been shared in the past. The podcast aims to provide a convenient and accessible way for the church community and new audiences to engage with the timeless wisdom and spiritual teachings presented during earlier sermons.
Whether it's a reflection on a particular theme, a series of teachings, or a selection of sermons covering various topics, "REWIND" offers an opportunity for individuals to deepen their understanding of the faith and find inspiration in the timeless messages.
The podcast may also include commentary or reflections on the historical context of each sermon and how it continues to resonate with the present-day congregation.
REWIND
Here I Am Lord (February 9, 2025)
Have you ever considered how ancient stories reveal the presence of divine plans in our lives today? Join us as we unravel the powerful narratives found in Psalm 34:18 and the intricate tale of Samson and Delilah from the book of Judges. Through laughter, personal anecdotes, and heartfelt examinations, we explore themes of faith, resilience, and divine intervention. Together, we reflect on God's unwavering goodness and the comfort found in knowing He is near to the brokenhearted, guiding us through life's struggles and triumphs with a mantra that echoes throughout: "God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good."
Our discussion takes an exciting turn as we delve into the whimsical events surrounding Samson's marriage and his infamous riddle challenge. Experience the humor embedded in his story as we compare his adventures with relatable personal stories, such as a lighthearted tale about Easton and trash popcorn. We unpack the layers of desire, secrecy, and unexpected divine purposes intertwined in Samson's actions, elevating the narrative to an engaging exploration of how these ancient experiences resonate with our own lives today.
As we venture further into Samson's journey, we confront the dramatic consequences of betrayal and the cycle of revenge that ensued. By examining Samson's tumultuous life and the supremacy of God's will, we invite you to reflect on your own life, encouraging an appreciation for the blessings and challenges that shape us. We conclude with a celebration of God's acts of goodness and our responsibility to foster a compassionate and generous community. Through prayer and gratitude, we aim to inspire a life lived with passion for God's will, acknowledging His sovereignty and the freedom found in serving others.
I believe, I believe, I believe. I believe that when God put this word on my heart, he knew what was coming. I did not know what was coming, but he did and I'm excited about that. We're going to start in Psalm 34. Psalm 34, chapter 18, or verse 18, I'm sorry, chapter 18. I got tech team all scared back there. They're like you've already messed it up enough today. Can you keep it on the straight and narrow? Psalm 34, verse 18. It says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Amen. The Lord is close to the broken. Do you have nursery today? I'm really disappointed. Real quick, before you leave. Before you leave, just stay for just a second. God is good, and all the time. God is good. That's in my sermon about a hundred times today and I felt like you needed to be here for it. So I wanted to make sure you got it at least. Once my wife, her uncle, passed away on her dad's side, so it's not family that she's super close with. She went to the funeral and they did that a bunch and it's one of those things that, like it, doesn't happen in today's church very often. So we got excited about it and I was like we're planting this. This is happening Anyhow.
Speaker 1:Back to the scripture. It says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Amen, write that down in your notes. Also, you are going to want to remember, for those of you who don't know, that God is good all the time and that all the time God is good. You're going to want to remember that. You're going to need to hold on to it for today. Okay, all right, let's flip to Psalm 57, 17. Yes, yes, no, indifferent, I'll get there in my bible. Then, 57 17 well then, what did I write down? Well, whoever wrote this stupid and so I'm blaming somebody else for that that's sis's fault. Tech team, they just can't get it together.
Speaker 1:I want to talk about Samson and Delilah this morning, and I want to talk about them specifically, because I want you to understand how God truly works. So that's in Judges 16. We're not going to read the whole story. I'm going to paraphrase quite a bit of it, but then we're going to go back to 14. So just get to the book of Judges and keep your finger there. That's where you're going to want to be. Get to the book of Judges, all right, are you ready?
Speaker 1:Yes, samson was an Israelite and he was dedicated to God from birth and his strength was tied to his very long, uncut hair. Amen, we know that. Right, uzziah. He cut his hair, so his strength's all gone. His strength is all gone.
Speaker 1:No, the Philistines, the enemies of the Israelites, bribed Delilah to seduce Samson and discover the source of his strength. Amen, we remember that. He lies to her a couple of times, tries to convince her that it's not accurate, and then he finally tells her the truth. Amen. Once Delilah knew his secret, she allowed the Philistines to capture him, blind him and put him to work grinding grain. Amen. But God is good, and all the time God is good. You guys are catching on, man. I'm liking this today, hallelujah.
Speaker 1:But I think we have to back up and judge us to understand Samson's struggles. Right, because is it true that each and every one of us have a backstory? Right? We're not standing where we are today because all good things have happened in our lives. We've all seen some struggles, we've all been through some stuff, amen. How many of us been through some stuff? Amen, okay, hallelujah.
Speaker 1:Now, again, I like to remind everybody, for those of you who are visiting today. Those of you who maybe don't know, we are a charismatic church, right? So I like it when you shout back at me, right? Thank you, thank you Like this. We should be excited about who Jesus is, right. We should be excited about the word of God. If we're just sitting there, what are we doing? Are we really taking it in Like click and subscribe? I mean, come on, guys, like we're supposed to be invested in the word of God, amen. And every day that you listen, read or hear the word, you should have revelation, knowledge, right? Okay, so I'm hoping for revelation today, all right. So if you've still got your finger in Judges, I want to go back to Judges 14. Is that an actual part of like? I got that one right, it's Judges 14. All right, that tech team, they just can't keep it together back there and we're going to start in 14, and we're going to read for a little while and I'm not reading to lull you to sleep, I want you to hear the words that I'm reading, okay.
Speaker 1:It says one day, when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. Oh, how cute, right? How cute. Look, emmett's even got his Bible out. That's what I'm talking about. When he returned home he told his father and his mother a young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her, get her for me, get her for me. That's just that easy. His father and mother objected Isn't there even one woman in our tribe or among all of the Israelites that you could marry? They asked, why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife? But Samson told his father get her for me. She looks good to me. Amen, right, hallelujah, come on, guys, you get it right. Like I want what I want. I want it now. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory right. Like we're starting to get that vibe, like Like I want it and I want it now.
Speaker 1:His father and mother didn't realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines who ruled over Israel. At the time, as Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. I love that they use the word Timnah in this passage of Scripture probably a million times, like somebody should start counting, because it's a lot. At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him and he ripped the lion's jaw apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. Let's all just process that for a second. How many of us have ripped apart the jaw of a young goat? How many of us have done it to a lion? I didn't figure many of us right. Kind of a strange thought. But he didn't tell his father and mother about it. When Samson arrived at Timnah there it is again he talked with the woman and was very pleased with her. Later, when he returned to Timnah there it is again for his wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion and he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass.
Speaker 1:This is a strange story. Like, can we be honest? Like, where are we going with this? How many of us have actually read the book of Judges thoroughly? Not many of us, right. Yeah, it's a pretty boring chapter. Joe has. I can assure you of that. He sent me a text yesterday. I don't even remember how many times he's through his Bible already. He scooped some of the honey into his hands and he ate it along the way. He also gave some to his father and mother and they ate it, but he didn't tell them that he had taken the honey from the carcass of a lion. That's probably information you want to know, right? I'm going to pause for just a second to tell a story.
Speaker 1:Easton loves food, right? He loves snacks. He loves all of the stuff. Was it Easton that was the trash popcorn giver? Yeah, so we had thrown away some popcorn in the trash can and Easton's walking around just eating popcorn. He's giving it to the other kids. It wasn't until he told them that it came from the trash that they decided they didn't like that popcorn anymore. Everybody's eating fistfuls of popcorn. Where did you get this? Out of the trash, right, easton? Did you take the popcorn out of the trash and give it to your brother? Look at him. He's like don't you tell that story? Yeah, they liked it, didn't they? They were eating it until you told them it came out of the trash. It's important information to understand, but all right, are we done with that? Okay?
Speaker 1:After his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, samson threw a party at Timnah. There it is again. As was custom for elite young men. When the bride's parents saw him, they selected 30 young men from the town to be his companions. Samson said to them let me tell you a riddle. If you solve my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give you 30 fine linen robes and 30 sets of festive clothing. But if you can't solve it, you must give you 30 fine linen robes and 30 sets of festive clothing. But if you can't solve it, you must give me 30 fine linen robes and 30 sets of festive clothing. All right, they agreed. Let's hear your riddle. So he said out of the one who eats came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet. Three days later they were still trying to figure it out.
Speaker 1:On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father's house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor? That's intense. Get your husband to tell you, or we're going to burn your house down and you're going to die in the fire. What do you think she's going to do? She's going to try to figure it out, right, okay?
Speaker 1:So Samson's wife came to him in tears and said you don't love me, you hate me. Exactly. That's a great strategy. Right, if you don't tell me, you don't love me. That's messed up. He says it sounds like Ashley. We won't tell her she ain't here today. We won't tell her it isn't forever on the live stream. It's fine, she's going to listen to it, because we're going to prompt her to listen to it.
Speaker 1:You have given my people a riddle, but you haven't even told me the answer. I haven't even given the answer to my father and mother. He replied why should I tell you? So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. Can you imagine how tiring that would be?
Speaker 1:Every time you're with someone, they're crying because you won't give them what they want. It's like taking your kids to Walmart and going down the toy aisle. They haven't even played with that thing. They don't even know what that is, but they want it right. This is one of the things that my kids will do. They go and they sit on the floor and they play with the toy and they're like dad, I've always wanted one of these. Well, what is it? I don't know. Then, you haven't always wanted one of these? Amen, look, noah's like. I've been there, I've done that. He's like I know that trick.
Speaker 1:So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration and at last, on the seventh day, he told her the answer, because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men. So before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer what is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? It's my favorite line, my favorite line. If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have solved my riddle. Men, as a word of advice, don't use that line. It's not going to end well for you or anybody around you. Okay, then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him and he went down to the town of Ashkelon I'm having a hard time reading that, that's a really small scripture up there, killed 30 men and took their belongings and gave them their clothes to the men who clothes, to the men who solved the riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened and he went back home to live with his mother and father. How many of us have been in a position in a relationship where we've ever been so mad? We're just going to go leave. I'm mad, so I'm not going to put up with it. So he goes to live with his mother and his father. So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson's best man at the wedding. That doesn't feel good. Later, what would you say? This is a good book. It really is.
Speaker 1:Later on, during the wheat harvest, samson took a young goat as a present to his wife. He said I'm going to my wife's room to sleep with her, but his father, but her father wouldn't let him in. To sleep with her, but his father, but her father wouldn't let him in. I truly thought you must hate her. Her father explained. So I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister is even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead. Something doesn't work out here.
Speaker 1:Samson said this time I cannot be blamed for everything that I am going to do to you, philistines. Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all of their grain to the ground. This is rough Dude's not happy right. Who did this? The Philistines demanded Samson, was the reply, because his father-in-law from Timnah gave Samson's wife to be married to his best man. So the Philistines went and got the woman and her father and burned them to death. Wow, so back up for just a second. The threat was if you don't find out the answer to the riddle, I'm going to burn your dad's house down with you in it. That sounds rough, amen. But even though she did it, she still ended up meeting a fiery death.
Speaker 1:But God is good, and all the time God is good. Now it's hard for us to understand what's happening, but here's what we know the will of God is much stronger than the will of us as the will of the flesh. Amen, and that God will always make things work together for his good. If you choose to be part of the plan, that's wonderful. If you choose to be obstinate, that's fine too. He's going to work around you. He's going to find a way to accomplish his will, with or without you. It is a choice on whether or not we operate inside of the will of God. Amen, okay, because you did this, samson vowed.
Speaker 1:Samson's mad again. When Samson gets mad, it doesn't end well for anybody. Amen Samson's mad because they killed his wife, his cheating wife. He's mad about it and he says because you did this, I won't rest until I take my revenge on you. So he attacked the Philistines with a great fury and killed many of them. Then he went to live in a cave in the rock of Edom. The Philistines retaliated, setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lehi.
Speaker 1:We're going to stop for a second. I'm going to go to my notes, because I've missed a lot. I'm sure of that. Let's face it His life's a mess, amen. How many of you are living in a mess today? How many of you are feeling that mess? If you're not putting your hand up I get it it's probably because you're embarrassed to admit that you're a little bit messy today. Right, listen, I'm messy every day. Sometimes I wake up and I think something that I shouldn't think, before my feet even hit the floor and the very first thing I have to say to God is please forgive me, lord. I know it's early in the day, I haven't had a cup of coffee yet. It's no excuse, but can you just forgive me early and often, amen, amen.
Speaker 1:Okay, some of this was, in fact his own fault. He was blessed with great strength from birth, but sometimes that blessing can make us a little cocky. See, samson is blessed from birth and he says I want that woman, amen. And it spirals out of control. How many of us have told God I want that and we demand it of him? We expect God to give us exactly what we tell him we want. And then what happens? Your life feels like it's falling apart. And when it falls apart, who do you blame? Am I talking to myself today? Are you guys afraid of admitting that we screw up on occasion and that God will give us what we want in order to make a point in our lives? Amen, hallelujah.
Speaker 1:I've been there, I've lived it, I've seen it. You know, when I was in high school I used to I think I've told this story before, and every time I tell it I always say I'm never going to say this person's name because if they ever hear it they would just die. But there was this girl in high school. I was just. I just thought she was the most beautiful thing in the whole wide world and it wasn't my wife, believe it or not and I just thought you know, Lord, if you could just allow me to marry her, I would just be so happy, so happy. And now I see her out and I'm like that girl is a mess, right.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine if God would have given me what I asked for in that moment? Like, listen, I'm a mess. Now I can't imagine what I would be like if God would have given me what I asked him for back then, right, because I thought that I knew what I wanted. I thought that I had an understanding of what life would be like. Listen, I did. I still don't know what life is going to be like. I still haven't figured it out.
Speaker 1:It is different every single day. When we wake up, we're faced with new challenges and new people and we have all of these things that we have to experience. But let me tell you, I know for a fact that when God pours out a blessing in my life, that I have to be humble, because when he pours out a blessing, listen. A couple of weeks ago I preached a message and I got about a hundred people telling me that was a great message. Good job, pastor Michael. It's not me, that is all. God. I don't want your praise, I don't want your accolades. And the reason that I don't want it is because when you give it to me, whoop. Anybody else like that on occasion. Right, it happens because we're flesh. I know that when God blesses me, I have to remain humble, because if I get cocky, bad things are going to happen.
Speaker 1:Sometimes, whenever we have a blessing, it makes us think that we're better than other people, right? Sometimes we turn into a little bit of a showboat. Amen. How many of us ever been like that? Right? Look what God has done for me oh, he didn't do that for you. But guess what he did for me? Oh, he's still doing it for me, right? Listen, we were at the basketball game yesterday. Easton makes a basket and he runs down the court like Curry I'm like dude, you made one basket the whole game, you ain't Curry. I'm like dude, you made one basket the whole game, you ain't Curry, you ain't him, right. But here's the thing Sometimes, when something good happens in our life, we get a little bit cocky about it, right, because being humble is not what the world would expect of us. We've got to be able to be flashy, we've got to be able to show it off.
Speaker 1:God has been good to me and so I need to show you how good God has been. Listen, I can show you how good God has been. By the way I live my life, right. You know that God has been good to me because I will give abundantly. I will give freely of my time, of my energy, of my prayers, of my thoughts, my emotions, whatever you need. I will give it to you freely, because God has been good to me. Amen. We strut around like we've got more than everybody else. We believe that that gift from God is only resting on us today and that nobody else has anything that God has done for them. Amen.
Speaker 1:And then it turns into a battle of wits. Well, god gave me X and oh yeah. Well, god did that for you. Guess what he did for me. Anybody have a friend that one-ups them on everything, right? The worst part is that sometimes they one-up you on the bad things, like listen, I had to go have a colonoscopy. Oh yeah, I got two in the same day, right? Am I preaching the truth? We know people like that, right? We know people who always want to do better than we will do.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you, god is good, and all the time. God is so good, so good that I don't have to compete with you for the blessings of God. I don't have to compete with you for who God is or who he wants you to be. He is omnipresent. Do you know what that means? He is everywhere all the time. That's hard to believe, right? When God is with me at my house while I'm playing a game on my phone in the bathroom. He is with you in your bathroom while you're playing a game on your phone too, right? God is with you wherever you go, so long as you choose to take him. That means that I don't have something better than you have. I have the same God yesterday, today and forever, and that God will continue to pour out blessings on me so long as I choose to live inside of the will of God.
Speaker 1:Listen, I'm going to tell you something. Sometimes I see the tithe checks that my wife writes and I don't like it. That's my money, I worked hard for it, right. And then I look back and I'm like, yeah, but if I didn't, how am I honoring what God has called me to do? Amen, listen, you give all you want. I give above and beyond, but I tithe my 10% because I know that if I want God to continue to be good in my life, I have to be willing to give him everything. That means praise and worship in all things, good, bad or indifferent. You know, when I meet somebody I don't like, I have to be willing to give him everything. That means praise and worship In all things, good, bad or indifferent. You know, when I meet somebody I don't like, I have to be able to give it to God, right?
Speaker 1:How many of you ever been pulled over and then blamed the cop that you were going too fast, right? Yeah, courtney, that's her thing, man. She gets pulled over three times a week. I don't, but we? The speed limit wasn't marked, right? Well, that tree was blocking the stop sign. Well, I didn't know the cop was sitting there, right? We blame the world or we blame other people for living outside of the will of God. Listen, there are rules inside of the will of God. We don't like them. Why don't we like them? Because it requires us to be held accountable for our actions. Amen, and listen. Hell is very real and some of us are going to end up there because we choose to live outside of the will of God.
Speaker 1:I'm not talking just about praise and worship. I'm not just talking about money, I'm talking. Talking just about praise and worship. I'm not just talking about money. I'm talking about the way that you serve your community. How many of you go out and pick up stray cats off the side of the road? You don't pick them up on the side of the road. They come to your house because they've all talked to each other and they know that your house is the only place they're going to get fed, right? But here's the thing. But here's the thing. The world needs people like Margie to take care of those cats, right? The world needs people to take care of the children who don't have anyone to take care of them, amen. The world needs people to take care of the hungry and the homeless. The world needs all of those people.
Speaker 1:But see, we can't say well, god has blessed me because I'm doing these things, you're doing those things because God blesses you, right? When God pours out blessings on me, I can't help but give it away. I've got so much I don't know what to do with it at this point. I just keep giving it away. God, you have been so good to me. I want to be good to other people. Amen. I want to do good for other people. It is my passion. It is my passion to see a community that we live in so riddled with drugs and hate and heartache.
Speaker 1:Listen, I know those of you who live in New York so you don't like your mayor. Pray for him. Please Pray for him every day. Do you know why? Because those, listen. I saw this lady. She said that she was. She was praying one day and God said to her who was praying over your husband? And she sat there quietly for a second and she responded to God and she said I don't know. And he said exactly Without you, he may not be covered in prayer. Without you, your government officials may not be covered in prayer. Without you, your government officials may not be covered in prayer.
Speaker 1:Did you guys see that President Trump started a I don't know what's it called office of prayer or religion or something like that, and the purpose behind it was that there would be regular prayer in the White House, so on and so forth. And my favorite part of all of that and listen, I don't care how you feel about politics my favorite part of all of that was when I saw the lady who he appointed, whether you like her or don't like her. She speaks in tongues and I'm like, I'm all for it, let's go, baby, right, because that means that she is filled with the Holy Spirit and if she is filled with the Holy Spirit, she can make a difference in our country. But can I tell you, each and every one of you who are filled with the Holy Spirit can change what's happening in your community. Amen, okay, we're getting somewhere. Now. We're getting somewhere. We might go to 1130.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Okay, where was I at? Does anybody know? Yeah, but, like in my notes, does anybody have my notes that they could bring me up to speed? Yeah, that's about three-fourths of the page, all the way down. Yeah, samson's mad. Yeah, yep, it seems like that's a theme, though, right, kind of starting to think like okay, all right, the last line which is moot now is the good Lord giveth and the good Lord taketh away. Okay, all right. The last line which is moot now is the good Lord giveth and the good Lord taketh away. Okay, so Samson is making a bet with the Philistines. After the nagging and the boohooing of his wife, he loses the bet, he goes out and he kills 30 men in order to make good on that deal, right, that's extreme. I ain't killed one person, let alone 30 people. Right, I ain't trying to make good on any bet that's going to require me to take the life of somebody else. This is a different time, but still All right.
Speaker 1:He became so enraged at his bride that he left and went and lived with his mother and his father, leaving her behind. When he came back, she had been given to his best man for marriage. Again enraged, he ties the foxes together, sets torches on their tails, burns everything down. They were so angry that they killed the woman and her father. Guess what? He's enraged again, he vows revenge upon them and ultimately we find out that Samson marries Delilah, the love of his life. Sweet Delilah. I was going to sing hey, marries Delilah, the love of his life. Sweet Delilah. I was going to say hey, there, delilah, for you. No, I'm just kidding, we're not doing that. Okay, just stop it.
Speaker 1:Samson finds himself in a place of comfort, but Delilah has also been tainted by the people in Philistine. She desperately wants to know the secret to his strength and, because of past experiences, he chooses to lie. Samson lies to her about what is the source behind his strength. If I'm tied up with brand new ropes, then I will be rendered hopeless, not true? He gets up and he knocks their heads together, but she nags and she boo-hoos and she whines and she cries, and eventually he tells her the truth. And when he did, she lulls him into a false sense of security, asleep in her lap, and all of the sudden she's cutting his hair.
Speaker 1:And the Philistines show up and they arrest him. And when they arrest him, what's the first thing that they do to him? Gouge his eyes out. So now the dude's bald and he ain't got no eyeballs and he's going to jail. He's going to go thrash wheat. That's a hard job. None of us have ever done it right. I didn't think so. It can't be easy work. It's going to be hot and sweaty and probably pretty stinky, dusty Not a job that any of us would desire to do. But we're going to jump to Judges 1628. Judges 16.28. Judges 16.28.
Speaker 1:Now what's happening is the Philistines have had a party and they're all wicked drunk and they have decided that they want Samson to entertain them. And so, as they're walking out, samson asks for one thing Place my hands on the two pillars so that I can rest upon them. And it says then Samson prayed to the Lord, sovereign Lord, remember me again. Oh God, please strengthen me just one more time With one blow. Let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes. Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple and he pushed against them with both hands. He prayed let me die with the Philistines, and the temple crashed onto the Philistine rulers and all of the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire life his entire life.
Speaker 1:But God is good, and all the time God is good. You see, scripture ensures us that God is with those who are weak, those who are broken. He is near the suffering. And what more can we really ask for? What more can we really ask for? What more can we really ask for? See, if you choose not to ask for prayer or if you choose not to receive healing, I have to ask is it because you're broken? Is it because you're tired, you're weary, you're weak?
Speaker 1:Well, let me tell you Abraham was old. Elijah was suicidal. Joseph was abused. Job went bankrupt. Moses had a speech problem. Gideon was afraid. Rahab was a prostitute. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. David was a murderer, jonah ran from God, naomi was a widow, peter denied Christ three times and Lazarus was dead. He was dead and God still used him. God did not just say oh, lazarus, you're dead, you will remain dead. God said Lazarus, come out. And what did Lazarus do? He came out because God is good. Are you excited that God is good and all the time God is good? Now let me tell you something. Let me tell you something God will use the broken to do the greatest things, because God is good all the time.
Speaker 1:Now, many of you have been led to believe that God is not using you because you're too old or you've done something that isn't pleasing. But in reality, if we're being honest with each other, it's because we only want God to use us in our gifts. We only want God to use us when we're on the mountaintop. We only want God to use us in the things that we know we are good at. Amen.
Speaker 1:I don't operate well in the prophetic. I don't. It's not my gifting. We're standing in the prayer room this morning and Pastor Holly says Michael, pastor, michael, whatever you've, she's never called me Michael, it's always Pastor Michael. Let me correct that. She says to me what do you got to say? I can see it all over you. And I said we're going to do something different. We're going to go straight into ministry time this morning and she spoke back to me. That was exactly what I had seen all week. See, that's the prophetic, and I just have to allow myself to operate in it. When God says to Amen, it is not my strength, but that doesn't mean that God won't use me, and I just have to allow myself to operate in it. When God says to Amen, it is not my strength, but that doesn't mean that God won't use me. It is not my strength, but it does not mean that God won't use me.
Speaker 1:You're sitting in your seat thinking I'm too old or I haven't done enough serving. I haven't done this for God. God's never told me to blank, god's never asked me to whatever. But let me tell you something. That's not why you're not doing it. You're not doing it because you are so focused on yourself, you are so focused on your gift that you want God to operate inside of that gift versus growing you, stretching you, making you stronger in the spirit, amen. I'm gonna tell you something. I've learned the hard way that there is never comfortable when you're living inside of the Spirit, when you're inside of the will of God, there is no such thing as comfortable. There isn't, because when you get comfortable, he pulls you outside of that. He doesn't want you comfortable. Because if you're comfortable, you're not growing. If you're not growing, you're not creating disciples. Amen.
Speaker 1:I don't want to grow a church full of sleeping people. I want to grow a church full of people who are on fire for what God is doing in their life, not just your life, but the life of the person you're sitting next to. You should be able to look at the person sitting next to you and say God is good all the time and all the time. God is good and you should really mean it. You should say whatever he has done for you today, I pray that he will double it tomorrow. You should say whatever he has done for you today, I pray that he will double it tomorrow. I pray that he will quadruple it the day after that and that by the time he is done with you, you have gotten all of the things that your heart could ever desire, rather than looking at that person and saying, well, why did you get a new car and I didn't. Why did God give you this and I didn't get it?
Speaker 1:Listen, the life of a Christian is not compared to the next life of a Christian. My walk is different than your walk, your walk is different than the person sitting next to you, but I promise you that God is good all the time and all the time. God is good, whether you like it or not. He is going to continue to bless those who live inside of his will. But here's where we really get dangerous. We don't want God to expose our weakness to the world. We don't want him to expose our frustrations. We don't want him to expose our sins, because if he does that, then we're accountable for it.
Speaker 1:Right, if I have a weakness in the prophetic, I have no problem telling you that. Why? Because my hope is that you're praying, that my heart will be open to whatever prophetic word God would give to me. When I stepped into this pulpit earlier and I was telling you guys about all of the things that were living around in my head, that wasn't me. Those things don't come from. I'm not smart enough to think those things. I know I'm not.
Speaker 1:God doesn't just put the word inside of me. He doesn't just say hey, pastor Michael, read this passage. He says I'm going to give this to you and I'm going to allow it to grow inside of your mind Amen. But if we're not willing to pick up the word, the seed will never be planted. Because, see, you come here and you listen to me and you hear me for 45 minutes or an hour or whatever I may ramble on for, and then you walk out of here and you do nothing with it.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you that God wants to do something big in your life. Maybe not for you, maybe for somebody around you, but he needs to use you as a vessel. He needs to use you as. Are you willing? Here I am Lord, use me. Here I am Lord, use me. How many of you pray in that today? Here I am Lord, use me.
Speaker 1:Now, here's the thing. I need you to understand something, dan when you pray that here I am Lord, use me. He is going to use you in your brokenness. He is going to use you in your weakness. Have you ever been put in a position where you're like I can't do that, but somehow you manage? It's because God is good and all the time raising them right. You know I need you guys to understand that when we come in here on Sunday mornings, I don't come here to beat you up. I don't come here to tell you all the things that you are doing are wrong. My hope is that when I'm preaching and when I'm delivering an anointed word, that you are hearing, that God is speaking to you Maybe not my words, but the scripture somehow is resonating inside of your heart and you're going. I want to take a hold of what God is doing today. Amen, I don't want to just hear it, I want to live it, I want to take it, I want to run with it. I really want to be invested in who Jesus Christ is in my life. Amen, because I'll tell you, god is bigger than anything that I could ever come against. God is bigger than anything that I could ever come against.
Speaker 1:God delivered Samson in a way that is just bizarre for us to think about. Such a story, isn't it? Such a story, such a prophetic story? But let me tell you that God doesn't do anything by accident. When he allowed Samson to be captured, he knew that he was setting him free. I am free in the mighty name of Jesus. There is nothing in this world that can capture me, that can make me its slave, because I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the one and only who can set me free. Amen. Let's pray together.
Speaker 1:Father, I just thank you and I praise you for a word that rested in this house today. Lord, I pray that you just give us a desire to get further into your word and to just understand just how good you really are. Lord, I thank you for the blessings that you've poured out upon your house today, for the healing power, father, those who had a touch of their body today that they're leaving this place whole and complete, and, father, that they will understand just how good you really really are. Father, this isn't about us. It's not just about what you can do. It's truly about who you are.
Speaker 1:Father, I thank you and I praise you for all of your goodness. Father, I pray that you continue to move the lives of your people In this building and beyond. Father, god, that blessings will just continue to be poured out. I pray for every pastor of every church in our community. Father, as we're moving into a season of Lent, that we would just understand that there is a great gifting inside of our community. Father, I pray that you just lift them up, give them a discerning of spirits. Father, just allow them to be just fired up for who you really are. Father, I thank you and I praise you. I give you all the honor and glory in the mighty name of Jesus. And the church says