God creates the water and we dig wells.
the enemy seeks to stop the wells by covering it with dirt. the wells become
dry and the dry wells become prisons. from the days of John the Baptist until now
the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.
the world we live in is dying out of thirst. the church is the well where
rivers of living water flow to bring life to people, break through to finances,
peace to families, healing to physical bodies and freedom to souls. join us as
we go digging. I'm gonna preach today about digging wells part six and we're
gonna read the story of Samuel. I'm gonna pick and choose few verses to
read from but the story of King excuse me prophet Samuel began with his mother
who had a passionate prayer life and it contrasted Samuel with the sons of Eli
whose dad was very passive toward God very old and very passive, very cold
toward God and from the beginning when I would look at story of Samuel I see that
Samuel's passion for God was birthed in his mother's prayer closet and the
sons of Eli's corrupt life resulted in their father's cold attitude toward God.
Cold parents produce corrupt children, praying parents produce prophetic
children. we all know Moses but if you read Hebrews 11 Bible is very clear that
Moses's calling did not start with Moses, it started with his parents. it
first highlights the faith of Moses's parents as the ground for Moses's
calling. Parents, never underestimate your commitment, your faithfulness to God and
even if you will not go to great places you create a platform for your children
to be used by God. that's why Paul said to Timothy he says the faith that is in
you he says it didn't originate in you. it was in your mama. in fact it started
with your grandma and the reason why you are
Timothy today is because of somebody laid a foundation. if you are paying a
price and not seeing results that means someone else will reap the benefit. but
if you are did not pay the price and reaping results that means somebody else
paid the price and never saw the fruit and you are reaping that fruit. that
reminds us those of us in here today who are parents. your children will carry
your spiritual passions. what you do in moderation they will do in excess. that's
why if you do social drinking don't be surprised if they will take it a notch
higher. that's why if you gamble, if you watch pornography, if you engage in
illicit and immorality and things that are compromising your consciousness and
grieve the Holy Spirit, you're not only hurting your future, you are giving a
next generation a bad example. Eli did not know that his cold attitude toward
God produced a corrupt generation that God eventually removed. God wants us as
parents, mentors and guardians to give the next generation the highest possible
platform because if they have a good example they have a good start. they have
a head start. but if they have a bad example they still are without excuse.
parents, excuse me children, if you have good parents you have a head start in
life. if you have parents who are not divorced, if you have parents that are
praying, if you have parents that are saved, if you have parents that remind you to
live pure and holy in this generation you have a head start in life. now you
have a chance to run with that head start or play dumb and stand there and when
the gun goes off just stand there. you still have a choice but you already have
an advantage. now for those of you who say Vlad but my parents are not
necessarily didn't give me a good example, you still don't have an excuse.
Bill Gates said if you were born poor that's not your fault.
if you die poor, it is your fault because your parents they
determined your history, your mentors they determine your destiny. no matter
where you came from choices are stronger than statistics. who you surround
yourself with, which experiences you choose to be engaged in they will trump
anything you came from and how I know that because Samuel though his mom gave
him a good heritage of faith Samuel took it a notch higher. he was a prophet. he was a
man of God yet his kids contrary to his example chose to take bribes and live
corrupt life which tells me you can have a bad example and still choose to do
what's right or you can have a good example and still choose to do what's
wrong. we all have our choices. do not blame your parents for the disadvantage
that maybe you're experiencing right now. it's how you were born but it's not how
you have to die. it's how you started it's not how you gonna finish. why?
because you will make a choice that me and my house will serve God. what they
did was their choice. what I will do is mine and I am responsible and it is my
decision and I stand by that decision. somebody give God some praise right now!
you have the power. the ball is in your hand right now, it's in your court.
you make a decision. stop playing a victim, stop blaming, take responsibility.
yes you didn't have a head start but you still don't have an excuse. I see that in
Samuel. he has something was passed on to him. his mom already helped him by having
that praying life. it's already in his DNA. it's in his blood
to pursue God but he still makes a choice. I want to highlight three truths
from Samuels life that I believe will help us to be people who will dig
wells, people who will not only experience God but experience abundant
life. if you have a Bible I'm gonna only read one verse and that's gonna be 1st
Samuel chapter 3 and verse 1. Now boy Samuel, historians and theologians believe
that at this time he's 12 years of age, boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before
Eli and the word of the Lord was rare in those days and no widespread revelation
and I'm gonna pause on that and explain just a little bit more in just a moment.
I want you to notice this, Samuel has a miraculous birth. he wasn't supposed to
be born because his mom was barren Miraculous, supernatural beginning in his
life. I believe you were like Samuel too because when you got born again
you also had a miraculous birth. you were born second time supernaturally,
spiritually. you had a bad heart, God gave you a new heart. you had a bad nature God
gave you and me a new nature and a new name. can somebody say amen. that's why
people who say you know I was born bad, get born again. some people say one
time person came to me and said I was born gay, I said Jesus says to be born
again. I said I was born a sinner. Jesus tells me to be born again too. all of
us were born bad the first time, that's why we have a second chance to be born
again and the second birth is miraculous birth. he gets born again.
Samuel doesn't get born again he gets born first time supernaturally. his mama
puts him into the temple. now there's only one problem is the temple she puts
him into was worse than the house she could have kept him in. think about it,
the temple that she put him into was so messed up it was the place you don't
want your kids to be in. it was supposed to be a good place but it was so corrupt.
the Bible says the sons of Eli lived sexually immoral life. they did not know
God meaning they had no appetite for God and thirdly they despised sacrifices.
they broke their priestly duties meaning temple was the worst place you want to
send your kid to and Samuel did not have a good example. he did not have an older
brother. Samuel did not have a great mentor. Samuel had only mom and dad
visited him once a year to bring him brand new clothes but I want you to
watch this, being in a corrupted, toxic, horrible environment Samuel did not
blend in. Samuel did not get corrupted. he was a boy. he was a
little child but he did not become what temple was. the temple system that year
after year, toxic environment did not change this boy's convictions and
commitment to God and he was alone. he had no support system. there was no home
group unlike Daniel who had three other bodies
he had nobody with him there. he was by himself and one day Daniel excuse me
Samuel he changed the temple system. one day all of those guys were gone and the
system changed in the temple. I want to remind every person here today before
God will use you to change your environment God will test you whether
your environment will change you. before you will go to change your world you
will be tested not to be changed by the world you are in right now. the toxic
family situation, the difficult time at work, perhaps it's in your college school
right now where everybody is doing something with a norm. it's something
that is against your convictions. whether it's popular to do what is against the
Word of God, where there is a pressure in the culture to conform to the culture
but my Bible makes me to understand is that before God can transform a man a
man makes a decision not to conform to his surroundings. God cannot transform
God cannot use you to transform your environment until He first tests you
that you don't get conformed to your surroundings and that's where many of us
are saying I'm gonna change the world. How if you watch what they watch, listen
what they listen, go to where they go, smoke what they smoke, drink what they
drink, sleep like they sleep. How? what are you gonna change if you're just
like them? how are you gonna stand out if you're so busy fitting in? if your whole
goal is to be accepted by the popular crowd? the Bible says the flower fades
and the grass withers meaning trends they change, fades. those things that are
popular today they're no longer popular in five years but the word of our God
endures forever. meaning when you decide like Daniel in the Babylonian culture I
cannot change Babylon but I will be refused to be changed by the Babylon. I
will not eat what they eat. I will not watch what they watch. I will not live
like they live. I will stand out. I will stand for God. I will stand for my faith.
I will stand for my purity. I will stand for my conviction. I will stand for the
truth. guess what happens when you stand up for God, God stands up for you. guess who
God used to change Babylon? the one who wasn't changed by Babylon. guess who God
used to change the temple? the one who wasn't corrupted by the temple. before
God lets you change your world he will test you whether your world will
change you. Titanic did not reach its destination because the water the
Titanic was on got inside. if the world you are around gets inside of you you
will not change your world because you become a byproduct of your world. you
will become a salt that lost its flavor and the Bible says it's useless and
nobody needs it and they trample on the ground when you lose your distinction,
when you lose your separation from the world as a Christian you're useless to
the world. the world doesn't need you. the world doesn't care about you because
you're like it. you hurt the same, you bleed the same, you can't offer a
solution if you're in the same hole with them.
that's why Bible says be separate. it doesn't mean that we run away from the
world. it means that we are in the temple but the temple world is not in us and as
we see the corruption we see the hypocrisy, we see the popularity of the
ungodly things being popular, we see the trends, we see all of this stuff and we
love people when we say you know what I am not here to blend in because this
will pass. it used to be popular to kill people for
sport and that passed and this will pass. killing babies in the womb that will
pass too why? because God's Word will endure forever. making fun of God that
will pass too. you should ask Stalin, you should ask other dictators who made
fun of God, where did they end up? that will pass and you will stand your ground.
God will use a man to change the world who makes the decision not to be changed
by the world. and Samuel the first victory Samuel had is not to become the friends
and influenced by the sons of Eli when he had no friends and it's hard to do
when you're alone. it's hard to do when you don't have a clique to support you,
when you don't have a squad to uphold you. it's hard to do when you don't have
a group, it's hard to do when you don't have support but it's still possible. if
a boy could do it so can you with home groups, with podcasts, with Bible reading
plans, with books so can you with Sunday morning sermons, so can you. with your
parents cheering you on, so can you. with your pastor preaching to you, so can you
with prayers and fasting. if boy can do it you and I can do it. Can somebody say Amen.
I know that not conforming to the culture will cost you something. this
is the biggest problem is that you lose something if you refuse to conform to
the culture. but watch this, if you do conform you lose everything.
if you don't conform you lose something if you do conform you lose everything.
Samuel lost his childhood. he didn't spend it with kids, you know what he
played with? Ark of the Covenant. how was your childhood?
well I memorized every closet in the temple. how was your childhood? I learned
about showbread and the candle light sticks. how was your childhood? oh I read
Book of Leviticus. he had no childhood. he lost his childhood but he had his
destiny. sons of Eli had a fun life which was cut short and they not only
disappointed God, the Bible says I think the only instance in the scripture what
I could remember where God spoke of his people that he wanted to kill them and
that was the sons of Eli. you will lose either everything or something. you just
decide what do you want to lose. you will pay now and play later or you will play
now and pay later but you will pay. you will either live with the pain of
discipline or with the pain of regret but there will be a pain and the best
pain is the one you can control. the best pain is the one you can choose not the
one that's inflicted on you. the best pain is when you hold your horses, when
you hold your purity. the best pain is when you control yourself. the best pain
is when you hold your virginity. the other pain is when HIV hits you and now
you can't stop. the other pain is when you go from broken relationship to a broken
relationship and that you can't control and that doesn't stop and that keeps
hurting you and hurting you. the best pain is the one you control and choose
and that's the pain of picking up the cross, following Christ, denying yourself and
following him where he goes. can somebody say Amen! I know some of you came here
today and you you were hoping I'm gonna pat you on the back. before we get to
that part we need to remind you many of us are have come too many times to the
cross but God is calling you to get on it and die on that cross to your
interests, to your desires. be separated because God cannot bless a mess. God can
only bless someone, God can only use someone who will be separated to him in
this day and in this hour and Samuel first
he was pure from the pollution of his surrounding. he was separated from his
surrounding. he didn't change it, he refused to be changed by it and then God
gave him the authority to clean up the temple. God will give you the authority to
change that toxic environment. your family will be different, your business
will be different. either way you will rule and reign in your environment
in the future will be different why? because you were not corrupted in your
testing period. the second thing I want us to notice is not only Samuel refused
to become like them but the verse we read it says Samuel ministered to the
Lord so not only Samuel refused to be like
them but Samuel ministered to the Lord but if you read a little bit earlier in
chapter 2 of verse 26 it says the child grew in stature and in favor both with
the Lord and with men. somebody say growth and somebody say favor.
so as Samuel is separating himself from the toxic environment of the temple
without running from the temple, God already is granting him two things,
growth and what's the second one... favor. but i want you to see that in spite of
growth and in spite of favor Samuel in chapter 3 verse 1 it says Samuel
ministered to the Lord. A... don't settle in success that your separation has invited.
when you begin to separate yourself from the world it attracts God's favor. for
some weird reason you don't eat the food of the Babylon and you're ten times
smarter than the rest of the guys. for some weird reason growth begins to
follow your life. for some weird reason your grades get better. for some weird
reason while the rest of the people trying to deal with their abusive
boyfriend's, you're finishing your master's degree. for some weird reason
while everybody's trying to prove everybody wrong and you already got your
own house. for some weird reason God's favor and God's growth begins to mark
people's lives who don't try to please the world and be friends with the world
but be separate to God. I can't explain it but maybe it says in Matthew 6:33
seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added.
but there is a blessing that is going to follow you. there is favor that is going
to follow you there is God's grace that is going to
follow your life. there is a mark of God that's gonna last on your education, on
your business, on your family when you follow God. somebody give God some praise
right now. If you want that blessing give God some praise right now. the challenge remains of course is when the blessing comes
because of our separation when we become settled in that blessing instead of
ministering to the Lord in spite of the blessing. see in the first point Samuel
was distracted by other people who were supposed to do good but were bad but the
second thing is when the good things that follow your life become your own
distraction there was a boxing yesterday I went to
get a haircut and I was watching a guy Andy who was boxing Anthony and in June
1st of this year Andy fought Anthony who is the heavy
champion of the world who beat Vladimir Klisko and they became friends after
that and so this guy he's a Mexican boxer and he challenged a worldwide
champion in New York on June 1st and knocked him out, knocked him out and so
of course he became very very confident in himself and they scheduled a rematch
which was yesterday. so I'm getting my haircut done and the guys kind of
updated me told me the whole story and so I got very interested you know
guys beating each other. I mean what could be better than that and so as I'm
watching and of course that my Mexican friend he got kicked out of school
because of fighting so now that became his career and you can see the way his
fighting skills is like street fighting and so and and the guy from London you
know he's a pro he knows he knows how to dance in that thing he knows how to box
and of course the the guy from London who lost the championship won yesterday
again and I watched the interview yesterday of the Mexican champion and he
said this he says three months of party cost me this fight.
he says I gained so much pounds and I loved his honesty because most people are not
gonna be they're like oh referees are the ones, the judges are the ones. he was very
very honest. he says you know what? I took my victories so seriously
that I thought I was invincible. I did not know I had another fight and he says
I gain so much weight, I partied so much. he says I came to this ring unprepared. the
other guy took his defeat and went to the gym like there was nobody nobody's
business and he came hungry and they asked him they said what is your secret?
he says no matter whether I am a champion or a loser, two things I never
lose... my hunger and my humility and I just want to remind you if God graces
your life with growth don't lose your hunger. if God graces your life with
favor don't lose your humility. don't lose it.
don't lose it why? because God wants to make you a prophet to the nation's. he
doesn't just want to give you favor he wants to give you nations. he wants to
give you a new thing. he wants to give you what he promised for you but if you
lose your hunger and if you lose your humility you will get stuck at one level.
you will settle at one success level. touch your neighbor and say stay hungry my friend. touch your other neighbor and say stay
that's your other day be safe stay humble don't settle in a success separation has
invited. the favor you have on your life is not final. it's never meant to be
final. the growth you've experienced right now it's not meant to be a
destination. the miracle of seeing Pharaoh drown and ten plagues is not
what God promised to Abraham. He promised land with flowing with milk and honey.
what we see today is not what God has promised. this is just a step. when Joseph
experienced favor of Potiphar it was not what he saw in the dream as a
kid. what he saw in the dream was the stars. what he saw in the dreams was the
nation's. he's experiencing a little favor and a little growth but Joseph
refuses to give in. Joseph refuses to lose his purity
and his passion. just because he experienced a little bit of that he says I
will stay humble I will stay hungry. I will minister to
God whether he blesses me or not because my
God my God my God my God will supply all of my needs according to his riches of
his glory. my God he will do more than I imagined. more than I think, more than I prayed and more than He promised. somebody
give God some praise if you have a dream if you have a calling, if you have a
promise, if you have a prophecy stay hungry and stay humble. Samuel the Bible
says he ministers to the Lord can I highlight one more thing stay fascinated with God even after
you're familiar with the things of God even after you know every corner in the
temple. even if after you know the whole procedure of how the services go.
Samuel already knew about the candle lights. he already knew about the
tabernacle articles. he already knew about everything in the temple but
little boy is ministering to God because I yes I am familiar with the
temple but I am interested in God. I am fascinated who he is. I am a little kid
in a candy store. I am curious about his character. I am curious in his glory. see
Moses saw the power, he saw the palace, he saw the miracles but he gets lost
in the glory of God. he says God show me your face. but Moses, you already hear God.
Moses you already seen more and most men will all only dream of but see you don't
lose your fascination with the person of God just because you got accustomed to
the things of God. dear leaders in our church, dear pastors, dear directors dear
people who know how the things go who know when somebody crossed the line on
the stage, who know when some somebody said something they should have not said
when the camera is not pointing right direction, when the right
microphone is not on, when you know the flow of the service please understand
you don't have God figured out God is not in the things. God is above the
creation and a little boy understood I know the temple but I'm hungry for him. I
want to know him I will minister to God. I will minister
to God. stay fascinated with God even when you're familiar with ministry, even
when you're familiar with miracles, even if you're familiar with how everything's
supposed to go that's why when Jesus got baptized in water and the Bible says a
dove like a dove came Holy Spirit upon him. the heavens split then a voice came
and two disciples they were moved. they came to Jesus and said Jesus we're curious.
where do you live master? everybody else watched it and went back home but
someone had a curiosity and those were the men Jesus build that church on why?
because he's looking for the curious he's looking for the people who are
fascinated with him, who are curious about him in spite of the fact they have
Church figured out Samuel he served the Lord. Samuel he was
separated from the toxic toxic environment in the temple and
toward the end I want to highlight one more thing. what I read today is this is
that Samuel ministered to the Lord and I want to highlight you these two words
before Eli, before Eli is Samuel submitted to the authority that happened
to be flawed with bunch of mistakes and unfortunately really not good. this
authority was so not good that even God sharply rebuked this authority. in fact
Samuel's first visitation was not about his future but about the destruction of
the future of his authority and he felt so bad for Eli that he couldn't sleep at
night he didn't go in is like oh my gosh I
can't I can't wait to tell Eli that God's gonna kill him yeah. a
prophetic word. I was waiting. no Samuel felt bad for Eli because it's the man he
honored, it's the man he respected. yes this man had a lot of flaws, this man had
a lot of mistakes but it's the man that Samuel had in his life who helped him to
discover God. I want to share something about authority. 1... the fear of God causes
you to honor flawed authority not just the perfect one. the fear of God causes
you to honor authority that's not perfect. I'm carrying this verse in here
thank you Connect Church by the way, they sent me this, it says this... honor people,
love thy brother, fear God and honor the King. I believe if you don't minister to
God and you don't fear God you will despise authority based on what you see
in them. this honoring authority despising authority in 2nd Peter chapter
2 verse 17 it says these are wells without water, clouds carried by a
tempest and for them is reserved the darkness of blackness of darkness
forever meaning he's speaking of people versus
before people who despise authority people who make fun of authority and he
says these people become wells without water and the reason why I find people
in my generation feel like they have a permission to dishonor authority is
because they see flaws. recently I was driving with with a group of guys and
the police officer is beside us and he said pigs. I said what are you talking
about and he pointed to the police officer. I said did you know only
criminals call police pigs. I said you're a criminal. I said the Bible doesn't call
them pigs it calls them servants of God. you just disrespected a servant of God
and the Bible says they don't carry a sword in vain. there was a bullet there
for you bro. I said have you noticed that people who honor the law respect
the police and people who always break the law call them with names. I said where
in the Bible I understand the culture disrespects the authority but remember
what I said we are not part of this culture. we're a part of a different
Kingdom and in that Kingdom Apostle Peter tells the church honor the king
who killed people for sport. these kings they brought people in the middle of
their parties for sport. do you remember King Herod? he had a girl who did a salsa
dance. he said what do you want girl? and she says I just want the head of John
the Baptist. you mean you want us to draw his head? no I want us to cut his head
off. awesome. no board meetings. no I'll let us think about it. are you sure? what
did he do? he sends a text message and next thing happens right in the middle
of the party they bring the head chopped off from the head of John the Baptist
and this is the King Peter says honor him. how could you honor a man like that? you
don't honor him, you honor the position that he occupies. it breaks my heart to
see our generation looks at our president and calls him moron and then
they look at their parents and they call them stupid. they look at pastors they
call them con artists and
false prophets. they're proud. they're pastors not prophets, get it right. they
look at their mom and they call them slow and they call them with all kinds
of names. next thing that happens you have to understand is that your flawed
authority doesn't give you right to dishonor them. just because your parents
are divorced it doesn't give you a right to break the curfew. just because your
dad is in front of Netflix all the time it doesn't give you right to say you
know what I'm not gonna listen to you. why? you're not a good example because your
dishonor shows more about your character than the person you're dishonoring. God
treats dishonor seriously. when Ham made fun of his father who was drunk God
didn't punish Noah he punished Ham. when Miriam made fun of her brother for
hypocrisy because Moses said do not marry women from other cultures and then
Moses goes and finds him an Ethiopian chick and gets married to her. well
Miriam has a problem she's like Mo, you know you said not to do this. are you the
only guy? what is wrong with you and she rises against him and trust me she had
the right and God comes to Miriam and he says yeah Moses really crossed the line
this time he says Miriam how dare you and God
gives her a little gift called leprosy and says if you don't repent
you're gonna die of this. now I look at that and I'm like God did you approve of what Moses
did? no no God will deal with Moses as God did with Eli.
God we deal with Noah and God did with Saul when David honored him. it is not in
your place to begin to tell your parents and fix your parents. dishonor never
fixed anyone. it hurts the person who releases it. it doesn't hurt the person
and it doesn't help the person who receives it because my friend one day
you will have your own children. one day you will have your own grandchildren. one
day you will be a teacher in the classroom. one day you will be the mayor
in the city. one day you will be a leader of a home group. one day you will be a
pastor of the church and you will realize things
look different from this point. what looks like control is care. what looks
like they're taking my farm away its protection. what looks like hypocrisy is
something you just don't understand yet because things look different when you
switch places I want to challenge a generation here
today honor authority even if they're flawed, even if they're fake
why? because God will protect your heart he will use that to change them and God
will deal with the authority. now I do want to say if you are in a relationship
where the husband is physically abusing you you do have to report, you have to
call police, you have to get somebody to come and help if you are in the if
you're at home and you're one of the relatives is taking sexual advantages.
you have to report. honor is not performing to those things. if you are in
a company and there is dubious illegal things you have to report either to HR
or somebody or walk away from it. we're not talking about closing a blind eye to
an immoral and the criminal activity what I am talking about is character
flaws, little control there and there things that we use as excuses to say I
will never honor that man, will never honor that woman. David honored Saul and
Jesus honored his mom and dad. he came to the temple and his mom and dad says son
you were going back home and Jesus says excuse me? I am Yahweh. you know
beginning and the end and everything in between.
that's who you're talking to. I made you in your mother's womb. I know I came out
of yours but I made you and Mary looked at him said snap out son let's go back
home and Jesus the Bible says humbled himself. he had a world to save but he
also had a mom to honor and then when he did his ministry and he got so crazy and
big his mom and the rest of the family came and they said we're gonna take our
son home because he's crazy, he is out of his mind.
guess who created that story? his mama and Jesus kindly rebuked her and
continued to do his ministry yet when he was dying and his mom stood there cuz
most likely historians say that Jesus is dead
already passed away. that's why you don't see any mention of Joseph but Mary. Jesus
who was the job of the older brother to take care of the housing of his parents,
arranging housing for his mom while paying for my salvation says John can
you take her to your home? mom can you go to John? he's figuring out housing. if
Jesus did that for his mom how are you gonna answer the call of God if you
don't even answer the call of your parents? if you even honor your parents I
don't care if they left you at 5 or 6 what they did was wrong. your attitude is
worse. in Ephesians it says this I'm gonna read you that this verse and
we're gonna bring this to it to the end and I know this is where all the parents
say Vlad go deeper go deeper please go deeper. praise God my child is
in this room Ephesians chapter 6 verse 1 it says the
following... children obey your parents in the Lord for it is right meaning you
don't get brownie points, you don't get any money for that. it's because it's
right meaning it's it's because you don't get kicked out of the house and
then it says this... honor your father and your mother which is the first
commandment it's not the first commandment it's the fourth commandment
but it says it's the first in fact it's the only commandment with a promise and
I want you to see the promise what it says it says the promise it says that it
may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. isn't that the
reason why we go to college? isn't that the reason why we try to eat broccoli
and stay away from donuts? live long and have a good well life. well God says the
key the key to your assignment is not in how great your parents are it's in how
great your attitude is toward the parents you have. the key is in your
hands. they are the door. camera people I'm sorry the key that your destiny
what's behind this is your assignment little boy Samuel doesn't realize that
behind this door is Samuel being a prophet not just the priest but a
prophet. behind this door is Samuel and after do you remember two books of
Samuel written by Samuel so behind that so here he is a little boy just serving
in the temple but there is an author inside of him there is a prophet inside
of him. it's behind that door and the door is that authority is Eli. it's a
wooden door it's not a perfect door. it has stains
all over but it doesn't change the fact that if you got the key
the wooden broken not so decorated and nice doors will open if you have the key
and the key is your honor and the Bible says he served the Lord under Eli. in
fact he served under Eli so much that when flawed imperfect Eli he felt that
Eli was calling him at night. Samuel got up and says did you call me? he says no I
didn't call you son go back home. go go back to sleep. he goes in three times he
answers that call and you may say you know pastor Vlad, my authority,
my parents, my coach, my boss and my manager they're so mean the Bible says in the
New Testament that will honor your bosses even when they're mean but what
can I learn from them? the calling on my life is so much greater. did you know
that Samuel was not mentored by a prophet. he was mentored by an old
overweight flawed horrible priest who was a terrible father, terrible father. he
unlocked in him a prophet you might say how can my parents I want
to have a degree, my parents never finished high school.
if you listen to your parents you'll have a degree because you will watch
less TV and do what they say. you say how can my pastor I'm called to be a
businessman and my home group leader he's not a businessman but if but the
things that they will teach you, all Eli did is says when you go back to sleep
and you hear the voice again this is what you say. I'm not a prophet but I
don't need to be a prophet to tell you how to activate the Prophet and then
Samuel activated a king never being a king. he activated one king. he activated
another king. please understand every boxer listens to a guy who's not boxing.
every football player is listening to a guy who is standing there screaming at
him. in sports they do that but in life many of us are so slow we're looking at
them and said but I'm the one fighting I'm the one praying I'm the one go to
school what are you gonna tell me to do? what they can I tell you to do can save
your life and Eli spoke something to Samuel. it opened his door. it opened
something in his spirit. he started to hear God and God used that. many people
come to me and they say pastor Vlad, it is very shocking and surprising to see how
you're under the covering of your uncle and I said what do you mean? I said I
don't see any other life than that they said well nobody a lot of people don't
know him, he didn't write a book, he doesn't travel all around the world. I
said you don't understand. that stuff doesn't matter. all of those things
my pastor doesn't have to be an author to activate an author. what activates an
author in me is not whether he's an author.
it's whether I have the honor in my heart for His grace upon his life. he
doesn't have to be all around the world preaching why? because if God placed it
in me I don't have to find a mentor who preaches around the world. I need to find
the mentor God placed in my life right now and some of you you have a mentor in
your life. it's your mom and it's your dad. it's your spiritual
leader. it's your parents. it's your spiritual elders and some of you you
threw the key out and you say God I want a better door and God says this one will
do. your assignment is waiting on the other side of you changing your attitude
toward the authority you already have you don't need to Facebook 20,000
people of all the people who have a million followers it can you be my
mentor you got one across the room. you got one
in your apartment. it's called your dad the one you're ignoring. it's your mom
who you're despising it's your pastor whose text messages you
don't respond to it's your police officer who you keep
calling pig. oh because I don't like this that I don't like that. God says your
assignment is laying locked because the key is in your hands and it's called
your attitude. honor your father and your mother. honor the king. please guys you
don't have to agree with our president. I didn't agree with the
previous president that we had because of him I had to pay a penalty of two
thousand dollars every year for not having insurance but it didn't change
the fact that he's my president. I pray for him and I honor him. I didn't agree
with some of his policies. you might not agree with some of the things that
Donald Trump does. he's your president and you are in this country
you gotta honor the king that's what the Bible said. you might not agree with some
of the things that are happening in the police and everything but it's your job
to drive according to speed limit and if they pull you over there in your knees
better be trembling and your voice better be stuttering with fear and
reverence and if he gives you a ticket you better say no no no sir I am
so sorry that I broke the law please forgive me
and I thank you for reinforcing it you play for your pastors because if you
gossip about your pastors in front of your kids I'm gonna tell you one thing
don't be surprised if your kids don't want to go to church later on. don't be
surprised if your kids don't want to know God because you trash every church that
you go to. our church is perfect of course they're not. your house is not
perfect how do you expect this one to be? we're an imperfect church because we
have people in this room and as long as there's people there's gonna be flaws
and that's where we learn like two other boys of Noah we cover the flaws, we pray
and we say God we want to work, want to have the elders the bishops to come in and
help our leaders but criticizing gossipy backbiting backstabbing it destroys your
future and it doesn't help the church. it doesn't help your family and it doesn't
help our community. Hey this is pastor Vlad and thank you for watching this
sermon. Please click on the Subscribe so that you can be a part of our Hungry Generation Youtube community and click on the bell as well so that
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God bless you!
