WEBVTT 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:04.639 Welcome to the celebration currently window. 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:12.560 We're gonna church. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:13.119 How you guys doing? 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:14.160 You guys doing good? 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:16.160 Yes, yes, yes, yes. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:17.839 I'm loving, I'm loving the energy. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:25.920 Uh, I gotta tell you, I was so tempted many times to just run up on stage and start preaching in the middle of worship because I I feel a sense of there's some hungry hearts in here. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:30.640 Maybe some hungry stomachs, depending on where you are in the fast, but there are certainly there certainly are some hungry hearts in here. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:31.679 So I really couldn't wait. 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:33.200 I was just pacing back and forth. 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:37.920 I just couldn't wait to get up here and share um the word that I believe God has me to deliver to you today. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:42.320 So if you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to join me in 1 Samuel chapter 16. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:44.560 That's where we're gonna be spending all of our time at. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:50.240 While you're turning there, I want to give you some some context and some updates on some things that you can expect to see here at the church. 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:56.159 You kind of heard a bunch of different things, so please get plugged into um social media so you can kind of see where we are as a church. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:58.399 We would love for us as a community to stay connected. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:02.479 But but one of the things I want to highlight is that we are kicking off our awakening series. 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:05.200 And what we've entitled it is it's awakening taking ground. 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:10.319 And we truly believe that God has called us as a church to take ground, that God wants to see us advance. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.480 And the Bible talks about the kingdom of God advancing. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:19.920 So that really is our vision and our dream and what we're believing God for for us as individuals, but also for every one of you as a church. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.319 We're believing that the yes is gonna be a year of vision. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:32.079 The yes is gonna be a year of clarity and God's gonna show you some things, but but I also believe that God is not only showing you some things, but he's gonna allow us to walk in the things that he's showing us, and we're gonna take ground. 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:35.439 Every time you come to church, you're taking ground one service at a time. 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:39.040 Every time you pray, you're taking ground in your spirituality, one prayer at a time. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:42.719 Every time you read your Bible, you're you're taking ground one scripture at a time. 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:47.599 Our goal is to do this as a family and watch us all take ground and watch the kingdom of God advance. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:49.120 So that's the that's the season that we're in. 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:58.000 And there's a couple of things that you can that you can plug into while we're all taking ground, while we're we're capturing this momentum that we believe that this beginning of the yearslash decade has for us. 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:01.200 And and all of us as a community, we're we're fasting and praying together. 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:06.400 Now, I realize that fasting and praying, it can seem very overwhelming, it can seem intimidating even. 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:07.840 And some of us may not have started. 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:08.879 We kicked it off on Friday. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:11.360 We're gonna let you know that you can start at any time. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:14.800 Like you can jump in right now, you can step, you can start with us tomorrow. 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:19.759 All fasting is is simply saying this: saying no to something in your flesh and saying yes to something in your spirit. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:25.280 It's saying I'm gonna disconnect from some things and remove the clutter so that I can hear more clearly from God in this season. 00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:28.560 So there's a food fast, which many of us are gonna be engaged in. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:30.800 That's a Daniel fast, that's fruits and vegetables. 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:35.520 Others are doing liquid fasts, others are doing a modified version of that, but but really lean into this season. 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:41.680 I've I've never, I've never regretted moments when I've said no to something that I wanted to do so I can engage the presence of God even more. 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:44.479 I believe that there's there's benefits and blessing on the other side of that. 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:46.560 So that's what we're believing God for for this season. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:48.800 We'll be doing that for the next um 21 days. 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:50.719 So that's the season that we want to invite you guys into. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:54.960 And so we have our Bible reading plan, we have our our how to study the Bible seminar that's coming up. 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:56.000 So just get plugged in. 00:02:56.080 --> 00:03:00.800 I really believe that this will be your best year ever, if it is your best year spiritually. 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:06.319 The Bible tells us in Matthew 6.33, it simply says this that when we put God first, everything falls into place. 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:08.400 And that's what we believe that this season is for us. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:13.599 Just real quick, I want you to write this passage down, just kind of having a notes for a later moment. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:16.319 But Isaiah 58, verses 6 and 7. 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:18.960 I'm not going to read it all to you, but I'll just summarize it real quick. 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:22.319 But it's the idea of what do we expect to see in this season of fasting. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:29.919 And when you read that passage, no matter which translation you read it in, it's a it's a fast that speaks about the power that God provides to his people when they seek him. 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:31.520 And ultimately talks about freedom. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:33.680 It talks about chains being broken off of us. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:43.039 So we're believing, I'm believing for this church that in this season of fasting and praying, that we're gonna get we're gonna get some clarity, we're gonna get some strength, we're gonna get some strategy, but we're also gonna get freedom. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:46.159 And that is what I'm praying for all of us as we go into this season. 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:46.960 Amen? 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:47.840 Amen. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:52.319 All right, if you have um, if you have Samuel uh 16, say, I got it. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:55.039 If you need some more time, say, wait up. 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:57.199 I gave you like 10 minutes, bro. 00:03:57.280 --> 00:03:58.400 Like I don't know what else I need to do. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:03:59.039 I'm just kidding. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:03:59.520 I'm just kidding. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:00.639 It'll it'll come up on the screen. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:01.680 Okay, here's what I want to do. 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:03.120 I want to I want to give you some context. 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:08.319 So, so actually, if you're writing this down, I want you to write down 1 Samuel 15, verse 35. 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:14.639 I'm not gonna read it, but I'll summarize it for you because that's gonna give us context as we jump into as we jump into chapter 16. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:20.480 Ultimately, what's happening there at verse 35 and previous chapter is that God has moved on. 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:22.319 He's moved on from Saul. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.519 Saul was Israel's original king, their first king. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.160 But he's made a lot of mistakes, and we'll talk about that in a moment. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:29.680 And God has he's moving on. 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:33.600 So what it says is that he regretted that he even made Saul the king. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:38.800 And so Samuel now has the responsibility of going to find and identify the new king. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:41.279 The scripture actually ends and says this. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.160 It says that Samuel grieved over Saul. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:49.759 Remember, Saul is a previous king, that Samuel was heartbroken about the fact that that king was not successful. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:54.240 And so when we jump in here at verse number one, starting at chapter 16, it says this. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:58.480 Then the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you grieve over Saul? 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:03.439 Since I have rejected him for being king over Israel, fill your horn with oil and go. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:08.480 I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided myself a king among his sons. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:10.160 And Samuel said, How can I go? 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:12.240 For if Saul hears me, he will kill me. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:24.079 And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come the sacrifice to the Lord, and invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do, and you shall anoint for me him who I am among I will declare to you. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:26.959 Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and he came to Bethlehem. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:31.600 The elders of the city came out to meet him, and they were trembling, and they said, Do you come peaceably? 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:34.319 And he said, Peaceably, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:37.600 Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:42.240 And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:43.199 Verse number six. 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:48.879 And when they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:55.439 But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or his height or his stature, because I have rejected him. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.079 For the Lord sees not as man sees. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:02.319 Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord he looks at the heart. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:08.800 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and he made him pass before Samuel, and he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:13.680 And then Jesse made Shema pass by, and he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:21.040 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these. 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:24.480 Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:29.680 And he said, There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he's he's keeping the sheep. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:33.040 There there remains the youngest, but but he's so insignificant. 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:35.600 We didn't even bother to invite him to this party. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:38.879 There's there's yet the youngest, but he is so annoying. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:42.800 He he he talks a whole lot, he he's so ambitious, like he really gets on a nerve. 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:44.000 So we didn't really want to invite him in. 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:45.040 He's not really fit for this. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:46.720 There's yet the youngest, but he's not here. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:49.120 Some of you are wondering which translation of the Bible am I reading from? 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:50.319 I'm just summarizing it for you guys. 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:51.120 Stick with me. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:54.560 He said, Man, like he he's not he's not fit to come in here. 00:06:54.720 --> 00:07:01.680 And Samuel said to this, he said, he said, send and get him, for we will not sit down until he comes here. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:03.040 That's powerful. 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:08.639 And he said, and they sent and they brought him in, and now he was a he was a ruddy and he had beautiful eyes and he was handsome. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:11.680 I'm not sure why we're getting that description about David, but I guess it's relevant somewhere. 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:16.319 It says that he was handsome, considering God said, I don't look at the outward appearance, but never mind, let me move on. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:17.600 Okay, it says he was handsome. 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:21.759 And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.959 The Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:29.040 And the spirit of the Lord rushed on David from that day forward. 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:32.240 And Samuel rose up and he went to Ramah. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:34.079 In other words, Samuel went back home. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:40.319 He he was paralyzed in a moment of grief, but the moment that God had given him next step, he was able to go back home. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:44.800 Today I think that there's some things in this passage that can serve as an encouragement for us. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:48.959 Because when I look at the life of David, we we often hear about his exploits. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:53.279 If you've been around church, and even if you haven't, there's certain things that just transcend culture. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:55.759 There's this idea of David versus Goliath. 00:07:55.920 --> 00:08:01.360 We even see that with people who don't believe in understanding the idea of when you're facing against an obstacle that's bigger than you. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:05.680 So we we are familiar with the life and the story of David in some in some degree. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:16.560 David has gone on to do some incredible things and there's some challenges that he's faced, but nonetheless, we see that even Jesus decided that he wanted to be, that he wanted to be birthed through the lineage of David, so it's a really big deal. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:20.560 So it's easy for us to look at the success of David and think that he had it easy. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:27.199 But I believe that this passage of scripture shows us really clearly, and even other scriptures have followed, that he wasn't very well treated in his family. 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:31.759 He was often ignored, he was often forgotten, he was often put on the lower shelf. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:38.159 I believe that God has a word to encourage some of us because if we're not there now, there are seasons where we do feel like we're on the bottom shelf. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:40.720 So if you're taking notes, I want you to write this message title down. 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:42.320 Started from the bottom. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:43.360 Now we're here. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:44.080 Let's pray. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:45.360 God, we thank you. 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:47.039 We thank you so much for your word. 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:52.480 We thank you, God, so much for your people, God, and we thank you for an opportunity for us to gather and to declare your name. 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:55.919 Father, I pray over the next few moments that I decrease and that you increase. 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:58.639 So, Lord, give us open eyes that we can see you. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:06.159 Give us open ears that we can hear your truth, God, and I pray for open hearts that we can receive what you want to speak to us, regardless of the challenge. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:10.240 God, regardless of the adjustments we need to make, God, allow us to embrace your truth. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:11.919 It's in Jesus' name that we pray. 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:14.080 Amen and amen. 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:17.840 I'm not I'm not sure about you, but I I love this time of year. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:28.720 One, you know, we're in a fast, it's a new year, it's a new season, there's a lot of expectation, but but I love this time of year because as a as a sports fan, I I love watching kind of like the trajectory of different teams. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:34.720 The basketball season is well underway, so you kind of get to see this momentum and teams that have like these playoff aspirations. 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:38.000 But even in football, like we're in we're in playoff season now. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:51.440 And the thing that I love about playoff season when it comes to football is that you typically learn a little bit more about the people that are playing on the teams because you know it's a it's a brutal sport, they have on helmets, so a lot of times you don't get to know the personalities unless they're like a megastar. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:10:01.679 But around this time of year, whenever they're in the playoffs, because it's been reduced down to just such a few a group of people, you get a chance to hear some backstories, you get a chance to hear a little bit of background. 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:12.559 And if you want to see somebody get all up in their fields, watch me watching like an episode of like 3030 or anything else on ESPN where you get a little bit of background on somebody and all the stuff that they've overcome. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:17.120 Like to me, that that stuff always blows my mind because I know some of the challenges that I've had. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:24.639 My my biological father walked out of my life when I was four years old, and I remember some of those challenges that I had with, but feeling rejected and overlooked. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.480 I I know some of the challenges that go with that. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:33.519 So when I get a chance to see some of the obstacles that some of the people face, and yet they still are over able to overcome it, it inspires me. 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:38.320 So around this time of year, you always have like a good, feel, good story that'll get me all up in my emotions. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.279 So there's this one that I came across and it it it caught me. 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:42.480 It got me it got me real good. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:43.200 So check this out. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:45.039 There was this there was this young lady. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:47.759 This is back in like the mid to late 70s. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:49.919 She got pregnant, she was 16 years old. 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:54.720 No, at that time, she she knew that she didn't have the resources to provide for her son. 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:56.320 She knows she didn't have the resources. 00:10:56.399 --> 00:11:01.200 And so what she wanted to do is that she decided with her family that she was going to give that child up for adoption. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:04.159 That was a decision that she made very early in the process. 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:07.840 So back in those days, you could like kind of like hide somebody away. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.159 They could have a baby, give it away for adoption, then come back. 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:16.720 So she literally left town, had the baby, gave the baby up for adoption, came back in town, and no one even knew that she was pregnant. 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.519 They must have just thought that she went to like an extended summer camp or something. 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:21.039 Like she was just she was just gone. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:23.440 So she comes back and she goes on to live her life. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:27.919 Well, that that small child, he went on to be adopted into a wonderful family. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:29.440 He was only six weeks old. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:33.919 Unfortunately, for the family that he was adopted into, that that couple, they didn't work out. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:36.480 So now he's only being raised by just the mother. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:42.559 When he's about third grade, his his his adopted mom begins to talk to him about the fact that he's adopted. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:44.000 She's like, hey, I want to let you know. 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:49.600 And she walks him through the process and saying that I didn't give birth to you, but you are my son, I love you, and and walks him through it. 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:58.960 So as a third grader, he began to grab and understand just the love that his adopted mother had for him, but he really didn't feel like there was any significant void in his life. 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:01.440 He felt very well provided for and very well protected. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:02.480 It was really good. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:11.600 Well, he gets a little bit older, and now that he's old enough to start playing sports, he's recognizing that some of his friends have their fathers at the games and there's no father to be found for him. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:15.039 He's he's recognized, he begins to acknowledge that, man, there is something missing. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:17.279 I'm very well provided for, I'm very well taken care of. 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:21.600 But there is there is this little thing that's off in my life, but I'm not gonna get consumed by it. 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:27.039 He continues to go on, and as he gets a little bit older, he then begins to kind of attach himself to one of his coaches. 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:38.000 His coach turns out to be just this incredible mentor who actually becomes like his father figure, tells him what college he needs to go to, literally helps coach him through college, even when he goes pro, is there in his life. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:41.279 So this coach became like this staple father figure in his life. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:48.080 So he had kind of moved on and had a sense of peace with, okay, I've I've resolved it, I've moved on, my life is fine, I'm about to get married myself. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.600 Well, he's at this point in his life where everything seemed to be going well. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:13:00.879 He had a great career at college, had a great career in the NFL, and now he's going back to coach, so things are going well, and now he's about to move his life forward, he's about to get married. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:06.240 So there's this moment where he and his wife are meeting with the doctor, and the doctor has them filling out paperwork. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:10.080 And of course, with that paperwork, it becomes like, Can you give us some family history? 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:18.320 We want to know a little bit about your wife's background, a little bit about your background, so we can know what the baby may be at risk for, just so we can have some understanding. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:23.519 It was there that he began to realize that he didn't have the answers to those questions. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:31.600 It is there that he began to recognize this void that he had probably had ignored all this time, that he truly didn't know where he came from. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:42.559 He didn't know how he ended up where he was, and while he tried his best to ignore it, when he knew that he couldn't answer the simple questions about his health and about his family's background, it was something that paralyzed him. 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:44.559 He literally felt like he couldn't move forward. 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:46.480 It all came rushing in all at once. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.159 Where did I come from? 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:53.759 Why why did my b why did my birth family, why did they give me up? 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:57.759 He wasn't necessarily looking for closure, but he was looking for context. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:01.120 I think sometimes that's that's a healthy way for us to process through it. 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:12.320 I think there are moments in our lives that we have these these roadblocks and these these seasons where, man, like I just want to have a bit little bit of understanding, but we got to be careful that we're not trying to chase something that we'll never find. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.639 You'll never find closure, but you can get context. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:16.320 So he wanted to just get some context. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:17.679 Why, like, how did I end up here? 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:20.399 So he began to search and ask questions. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:26.240 And thanks to modern technology and the marvels of Facebook, he was able to find his birth mother. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:31.360 So he he he reaches out to her and he says, like, hey, um, I got a question for you, you don't know me. 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:37.279 But he begins to ask her a question about did you have a child back in 1974, whatever that year was? 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:40.960 Um, and did you give him up for adoption at this particular agency and all this stuff? 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:42.960 So she's like, Yes, yes, I did. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:45.440 He's like, I think I'm your son. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:47.519 So they end up talking on the phone. 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:59.519 And when he talks on phone, this void that he had had all these years that he didn't know, it was being filled now with this woman that began to give him context and clarity and purpose and allowing him to know how he ended up where he was. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:03.519 And she was so relieved to realize that he had such a promising and blessed life. 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:14.320 It's it's it's really interesting to think how there's these moments in our lives where we can have this void, but the moment that we can get some context, it can give us the peace to move forward and it gave him exactly what he needed to go forward. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:20.720 Because I think at the root of it all, all of us would probably love to have that question answered why am I here? 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:23.200 How how did I end up here? 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:28.639 Like, what are the what are the things that led up to the scenario that I'm finding myself facing right now? 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:35.600 And when he looked at his life, it all began to come together where he understood how each moment led to the next, and he now had a sense of peace. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:41.519 See, when we think about it, I think that David is probably not that different from you and I, and maybe even from this young man. 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:45.360 He he was raised in an environment where he was he was an outsider. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:47.279 He was raised in an environment where he didn't fit in. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:52.080 And so I can imagine that there's moments in David's life where he wondered, how how did I get here? 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:53.600 How why am I here? 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:54.879 Why am I walking through this? 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:56.320 Why am I ignored in my family? 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.879 Why am I why am I on the bottom shelf? 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:10.000 That may sound very, very familiar to some of us, and maybe in we're in a season right now where we feel like we're on the bottom shelf, where we feel like there's some areas of our lives that we, God, I don't understand why I had to go through that. 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:12.399 I'm I'm not sure why I'm on outer courts in this area. 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.320 I'm not sure why I'm struggling in this season. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:17.519 This is exactly the place that David finds himself in. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:22.879 What I think is so fascinating is that, but yet while he was isolated, he was still chosen. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:32.159 That even while he was out in the fields, he was still chosen, that while he was being rejected, he was still chosen, that while he was being ignored by his family, he was being sought after by God. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:34.240 Let me let me encourage somebody in here right now. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:41.519 Maybe you're in a season right now where you feel rejected, you feel dejected, you feel on an outer course of anything that you feel that God would have for you. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:46.480 I want to let you know that God is still pursuing you, that God has love for you, exactly where you are. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:50.240 So when we look at this passage of scripture, I think there's some things that we can learn from it. 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:57.440 I I want to back up for a moment just to give us some context so we can understand fully the weightiness of what this text is leading us into. 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:01.519 See, we have to understand that Saul was the first king. 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:04.079 He was the very first king of Israel. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:10.640 See, God never intended for Israel to have a king, it was his heart's desire for him to serve as their king. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:18.319 So from the very beginning, from the time that they were led out of Exodus, God's desire is, I want to be their king, I want to be their leader. 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:24.559 And here's what a king basically is: it's provision, it's protection, it's covering, it's blessing. 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:28.799 Like that figure has a significant role in the lives of the people. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:31.519 But God wanted to be that for the Israelites. 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:36.079 But what happened with the Israelites is they began to look at the fact that they didn't have a king. 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:44.400 They began to look at this void that they believed that existed in their lives, and so they began to cry out to God, we want a king, just like the other nations have kings. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:48.960 They began to compare themselves to other people. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:54.480 And that comparison caused them to reject the very blessing that God had for them, which was Himself. 00:17:55.119 --> 00:18:00.960 We have to be careful about comparing ourselves because comparison it can corrupt us being content. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:06.480 It can it can remove our ability to be content and peace with where we are, because no matter where we are, it's never good enough. 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.440 So the Israelites said, We want a king. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:19.119 So for Samuel, who was the man who was the prophet, who was now responsible for anointing the next king, he was dealing with a little bit of rejection because he was supposed to serve as God's ambassador. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:23.039 But now he's in this spot where he had to go and identify the next king. 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:28.079 So scripture tells us that he that he goes and he identifies, he goes and identifies Saul. 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:29.680 Saul's gonna be the next king. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:31.039 He has the stature of a king. 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:35.279 The Bible talks about how tall he was, how good he looked, how good of a warrior he was. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:37.759 He had everything that a king should have. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:44.799 He had a king's swagger, he had the king's language, he had the king's dress code, like he definitely had everything that a king will certainly have. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.880 So the Bible says that the people selected Saul as their king. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:51.920 That's a really big distinction. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.079 The people selected Saul as their king. 00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:58.960 And let me tell you, Saul failed miserably. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:06.799 He looked like a king, he walked like a king, he talked like a king, but he didn't have the heart of a king because he didn't have a heart that pursued after God. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:10.319 So when God got tired of Saul, he's like, I'm moving on from him. 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:12.480 It's time for me to go and find another person. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:16.559 So in 1 Samuel 13, we're introduced to the idea of David for the first time. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:20.640 I'm looking for somebody who has a heart after the things I have a heart for. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:24.640 I'm looking for somebody who cares about the things that I care for. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:28.720 I'm looking for somebody who's gonna pursue the things that I'm pursuing. 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:32.160 I'm I'm looking for people that that are gonna pray the way that I want them to pray. 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:35.759 In other words, I'm looking for people that have a heart that's pursuing me. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:41.279 I think that's a I think that's a powerful thought, but it's something that we have to question ourselves with sometimes. 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:44.640 Am I pursuing the things that God pursues? 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:47.200 Do I care about the things that God cares about? 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:54.640 When I see people who are struggling and broken, do I respond the same way that Jesus did, or do I find a way to justify my lack of response? 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:58.319 God will always choose people who have a heart for the things that he has a heart for. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:01.359 And so David is now this kid who's been selected. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:04.240 So now we have we have poor Samuel. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:06.799 He was rejected from being their leader. 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:11.920 The person that he selected was now rejected, and now the Bible says that he was grieving. 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:16.000 He was all in his emotions because now he's dealing with the fact they didn't want me. 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:18.880 The person I anointed first no longer worked out. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:22.240 So now he's in his feelings, wondering, like, man, like, did I miss God? 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:24.880 He really wanted to believe the best for Saul. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:28.720 And now we wind ourselves right into the beginning of our text. 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:33.839 Because God says to him, How long are you going to cry about this? 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:35.119 How long? 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.480 Now, I don't know how long he's been crying. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:48.480 What I do know is that scripturally speaking, they say that 30 days is typically the appropriate amount of time that someone can grieve in a paralyzed state before, okay, it's time for you to move forward with your life. 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:57.519 So I don't know how long he was grieving, but what I can tell you is 1 Samuel chapter 15 ends with Samuel grieving, and then 1 Samuel chapter 16 starts with him grieving. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:00.079 So he's probably been grieving a little bit longer than God had intended. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:05.279 So God steps all up in his grill and says, like, yo, man, how long are you going to cry about this? 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:08.160 How long are we going to talk about this? 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:12.960 How long are you going to continue to cry about the thing that I rejected? 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:14.559 Let me let me make it a little bit more plain. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:17.680 How long are you going to cry about that broken relationship? 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:19.599 Come over here. 00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:25.039 How long? 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:27.359 Like, at what point can we begin to move forward? 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:30.000 See, the quickest way to move forward is to stop looking backwards. 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:35.519 And I'm a I'm afraid that many times in our lives that God wants to do a new thing in our life, but we keep discussing the old stuff. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:43.440 God is like, I wanna, I wanna do a new thing, I wanna move forward, but you keep paralyzing yourself in the pain and it's clouding you of the bigger purpose. 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:45.920 He says to him, Man, it's time for you to get up. 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:53.599 Like, we've talked about this long enough, we've prayed about this long enough, we we've discussed this long enough, we you've gone to counseling about this, we've done all this, man. 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:56.960 Like, how long are you gonna use that as an excuse that you're not moving forward? 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.759 This is the challenge that some of us have to process through. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:05.680 Because I sense that some of us are paralyzed where we are, believing that we have to have all these things lined up. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:09.279 And I would say to you that God is telling you, you have everything you need to move forward. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:10.319 It is time for you to move forward. 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:12.000 How long do we got to stay here? 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:14.400 Eight people are happy about that. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:16.319 The rest of y'all will get it later on. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:18.480 Because watch this, watch this. 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:26.319 What the scripture says is that God says, get up, take the horn and take the oil, and go to the place I'm telling you to go. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:33.920 So as long as, watch this, as long as Samuel was in a posture of pain, he was not getting the perspective of his next step. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:38.319 But the moment that God told him to get up, that's when he got directions on where he needed to go. 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:41.920 I think many of us are waiting for direction, but we're facing the wrong direction. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:47.839 God is saying it's time for you to stand up, begin to fix your eyes on me, and then I will give you clarity on what your next steps are going to be. 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:49.599 How long are you gonna stay there? 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:51.119 How long? 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:57.200 So, what scripture tells us is that Samuel didn't have to go and get the oil. 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:01.200 He didn't have to go and get the horn which was used as the vessel to pour the oil on. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:07.200 He already had it on him, which means this church, he already had everything that he needed in order to move forward in his life. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:08.640 He already had it with him. 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:13.759 I don't know who I'm talking to right now, but some of us are thinking I can move forward once I get these eight things in place. 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:15.119 No, how long are you gonna stay there? 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:17.039 You got everything you need right now to move forward. 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:19.680 You got Jesus, you got all that you need to move forward. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:21.680 How long are you gonna stay there? 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:25.279 So scripture tells us that he gets up and he's like, okay, fine. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:27.119 So he goes out into Bethlehem. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:34.480 Now he gets to Bethlehem, and so whenever a prophet showed up in a town, like it made people nervous because you never knew if God was coming there with judgment. 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:41.279 Like prophets had a lot of power, still do, but it was very powerful when a prophet would show up because you never knew the context of their arrival. 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:43.039 So they're a little bit nervous, understandably. 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:45.680 Like, okay, did you come here in peace or is this God's judgment? 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:47.359 He's like, No, man, we're about to have a party. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:48.720 We're about we're about to get lit. 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:54.319 Here's what I want y'all to do: go home, take a shower, get cleaned up, and then meet me at the at the at the concert hall, man. 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:55.519 We're gonna we we're gonna turn up. 00:23:55.680 --> 00:24:02.960 So everybody goes back knowing that it's about to be a party tonight, that Samuel is in town, he brought a sacrifice, it's about to get lit in here. 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:09.680 So everybody goes back to their respective spots, they take their shower, they put on the proper clothes, and they are ready to get it on. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:12.079 But then, but then Samuel does something different. 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:13.920 He goes over to Jesse. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:17.759 He says, Hey man, like um everybody's getting ready. 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:20.559 Um, and and we're gonna all meet at this at this banquet hall, man. 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:22.319 It's gonna be it's gonna be a great party. 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.519 Here's what I need you to do. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:27.759 I need you to make sure that all your sons are there, man, because I feel like I'm called to anoint one of these guys. 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:29.119 So make sure you guys are all there, man. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:32.480 Make sure you guys are all cleaned up, prepared, because it's gonna be a powerful night. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.480 So Jesse and his sons get cleaned up. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:39.519 It even says that Samuel helps them to get cleaned up, and now, and now the party's about to jump off. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:40.880 So there's this moment. 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:48.160 There's this moment where we're all in the banquet hall, the the music is going good, man, we're all laid back, we're all chilling. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:57.680 But then there's this moment where amongst the entire community that that Samuel calls for Jesse and all of his sons to come onto the platform, all eyes are on them. 00:24:57.839 --> 00:25:05.839 And so what scripture tells us is that he has the sons go by him one by one to determine which one is going to be the next king. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:06.960 It's a powerful moment. 00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:09.440 Now understand, no one really knew what was going on. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:14.000 They just knew that Samuel was in town, the party is turned, but now there's somebody who's about to get anointed. 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:15.440 They don't know what's about to happen. 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:21.519 Because what they did understand is that typically priests, prophets, and kings were the only ones who ever were anointed with oil. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:27.359 So their context could have been, well, man, maybe one of Jesse's sons is going to be anointed as a prophet. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:33.200 They didn't have the lineage of being a priest, so that was like really the only option because no one was thinking that there was a king among them. 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:40.160 So there's this moment where even as Samuel is looking at the guys up and down, he comes across the oldest one. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:46.559 And of course, back in those days, the the oldest was always the most prominent, they had the most value, they had the most significance. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:51.440 We see all throughout scripture that the oldest was always the one who was always propelled to the top. 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:58.880 So we see that this moment where Samuel looks at the oldest one and he's like, Man, surely, this is the one. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:25:59.839 This is the guy. 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:01.039 Man, look at look at him. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:02.079 He looks like a king. 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:07.759 Man, he has the height of a king, he has the jawline of a king, he has the vocabulary of a king. 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:10.880 You could tell that he's in the gym, he has a six pack of a king. 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:15.920 Like he he is definitely he is definitely the one that God has chosen. 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:18.000 His name is Eliab. 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:21.039 The name Eliab literally means God. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:26.799 So as Samuel is looking at him, he's looking at someone who definitely has the hand of God on his life. 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:32.400 And God like throws the whole thing for a loop when he says, I didn't select him. 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:35.119 See, let me teach you a lesson, Samuel. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:38.480 You're looking at the outside, but I'm more concerned about the heart. 00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:40.880 It it looks like me. 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:49.440 It may talk like me, it may sound like me, it may pontificate like you think I would pontificate, but I'm more so looking at the heart. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:27:00.400 Here's what it means it's possible that there are moments in our lives that we are looking at things that look like God, that sound like God, that walk like God, that talk like God, but it ain't Him. 00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:04.000 I'm gonna come over here. 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:11.839 There are relationships that look like God, they sound like God, they have the posture of God, but it ain't Him. 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:15.759 There are job opportunities that look like God, it sounds like God. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:19.039 The open door seems like it's something that God did, but it ain't Him. 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:24.400 There are moments where we find ourselves being invited into rooms that God never asked us to go into. 00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:30.880