"What is Leading You?" - Stephanie Ike

[Music] you could take a moment to just say hi to the neighbor next to you that they look good you like what they have on even if you may not family we're gonna be reading from the book of Judges is gonna be judges 13 verse one to five and the scripture says again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years now there was a certain man from zora of the family of the Danites whose name was Manoah and his wife was barren and had no children and the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her indeed now you are barren and have borne no children but you shall conceive and bear a son now therefore please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink and not to eat anything unclean for behold you shall conceive and bear a son and no razor shall come upon his head for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the world and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines family you may be seated if you're taking notes my message for today is what is leading you what is leading you you see when we read read the scripture it's interesting how it starts it says again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord again now there is a very interesting history with how God would use the Philistines to humble the Israelites the Israelites they represent God's people the Philistines represents the enemies to God's people but God would often use them because the Israelites often fell into this trap where they would begin to worship gods that offered no substance and that was what it meant when it said they did evil in the sight of the Lord again now family this always you know perplexed me because I'm like how is it that the Israelites after everything they have seen and known about the Lord they will keep finding themselves in this trap of seeking to worship gods that offer them nothing you see they have heard about how Moses led the people out of Egypt by the hand of God they had heard about stories about how Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still and it stood still they had experienced for themselves the power of God but yet they fall into this trap again of worshipping gods that have no substance you see it's funny one of the gods that they were often worshiped it was a god named bow and if you ever need a good laugh in the middle of the night there's a story that will crack you up it's a story of the prophet Elijah when God wanted to make a mockery of this the lower god named bow because I mean it's just there was there's no substance to him so God tells the prophet Elijah to gather the prophets of bow and meet him at a mountain it was like about 350 of them they go to the mountain and Elijah says something he says you know what let's offer sacrifice to our God and the God that answers by fire let him be God and so they put their sacrifices on there you know in offer to the Lord so Elijah puts his sacrifice to offer to the Lord they put their sacrifice to offer to bow Elijah is I mean the mockery he pours water on his sacrifice he's like you know what I am so convinced about my God that even if the sacrifice is wet firewood it's like we didn't even want it to be like all this happened you know as an accident the weather was too dry and it just called fire he said you know what we're gonna make it a little wet and Elijah is like okay guys you know call upon your God and they're doing all kinds of things nothing happens and he starts to mock them he's like you know did your God go on a vacation maybe he's in the Bahamas sipping on some pina colada forgot about y'all nothing happened and then when he lied your calls upon the name of his Lord fire comes from heaven and so the gods that the Israelites would often fall into the trap of worshiping I mean they could offer them nothing and in reality they were seeking them to give them what they already had and so this really bothered me I said God how is that how is that possible and then the Holy Spirit began to teach me something about this scripture you see family when something becomes so common to you we tend to lose sight of its true origin the Israelites had experienced the hand of God in so many ways that it became their norm that they began to lose sight of the source of their strength that it was so natural for them to walk in victory it was so natural for them to walk in favor that they lost sight on the one who granted them the favor you see everything that God did on their behalf was because of his covenant with them his covenant with them as a result of a man named Abraham but you see the Covenant of God an agreement is an agreement only stands when both people hold their end of the bargain and so God would often tell them look if you obey then this is your reward because a covenant means that there is you hold your end and I'll hold my end but they lost sight of the goodness of God and started to think that it was because of just how beautiful they were and how strong they were that every time they went on the battlefield you know what we did that because it became their norm and so the Lord says you know what do you boo the Lord is like okay cool you want to be all strong and mighty you really think it is your strength that has brought you this far I will let you see the fruit of your strength so the Lord backs away and as a result of him back in a way they fall into the hands of the Philistines you see the fruit of their strength was captivity they didn't realize how weak their strength actually was and the Lord says I will let you experience how far you can go by yourself if you think it is by your hand that all that has happened to you is the is what is taking place in your life it's because of you rather so the Lord backs away for 40 years there in captivity for 40 years they are being oppressed and then finally when they wake up and realize God that I am nothing without you and they call upon the name of the Lord the Lord answers them by sending Samson and so the scripture tells us about how the angel of the Lord visits Samson's mother a barren woman and tells her you would actually will conceive a son and this son shall be a Nazarite so all the things that he speaks to her you know don't drink any wine no turnip for you all right you can't either have anything that is unclean and one of the categories of that is that you cannot eat of anything that has come in contact with the dead and these these rules will also apply to Samson and one of the traits of a Nazarite meant that you can you can't also cut their hair now none of this was because it was about the rules or regulations it wasn't because that God saw those that had dreadlocks as more special than those that did not but you see a Nazarite was dedicated to God from the womb the word actually means being set apart there's a scripture Jeremiah 1:5 it tells us the Lord that she was speaking to the Prophet Jeremiah and he said before you were before I formed you I knew you and before you were born I set you apart and so each and every one of us is set apart for God from God for a unique purpose but how it unfolds is very different you see some of us we had the luxury of discovering our our calling during our walk with God we had the luxury of encountering God and all of a sudden God revealing to us oh this is who have called you to be but for a man like Samson his calling was announced even before he was conceived it was revealed to his parents who he would be that this child would bring deliverance to the Philistines so when he is born he is born into his destiny immediately so what happens when God would call someone to be offered to him as a Nazarite the now being a Nazarite was it symbolized a dear covenant with God because even though God would announce who you are before you reach the earth used you have to make the choice God will still honor your freewill and so the rules was not because it was about rules the rules was because if you honor it if you stay faithful to it then you stay faithful to the Covenant that I made with you at any moment if you feel like I don't want this life nothing about this you can go against the agreement cut your hair have your fun be just be like everyone else if that is what you choose God would always leave you with a choice he would show you the truth of your destiny but he would leave you with the choice and so Samson being a Nazarite he had the choice to say either I will stay faithful to this oh I will go against it and so he grows up as a Nazarite and the thing is that the way that the Lord fulfilled his promise for the Israelites through Samson is that he empowered him with a supernatural strength I like to believe that Samson was the first superhero before Hercules there was Samson Hercules actually might be something you see he had I mean Samson was known to tear a lion apart with his bare hands the Bible tells us that with the jawbone of a donkey he killed a thousand people he had a strength that came from God but you see the crazy thing is that Samson's strength was became his norm he grew up knowing he was strong anytime he engaged in a battle it was easy for him he found victory was his norm to the point that Samson lost sight of the source of his strength he lost sight that Samson the strength upon your life is actually the grace of God working through you you see if you're taking notes I want you to write this down perceived strength can lead you where the presence of God will not follow you see something believed at a point that his strength was his what does perceived strength look like in our lives it looks like your gifts the thing that God has made so easy for you to do the thing that comes to you so naturally you see our pastor recently had a series called the modern church series and in that series he talked about the different graces of God that functions through our lives if you haven't watched it please go on youtube and watch each and every sermon and one of them when he talked about the Evangelist for example he talked about how they have the appealing power of God people tend to be drawn to them and some I think they're drawn to them because of their beauty or because of how they talk or their presence but it is actually the grace of God through their lives that causes people to be drawn to them and so for many of us you know especially you know we are in a very creative community especially when you're creative there are things that seem like it just becomes your norm that you tend to forget who is the source of your strength and when God is getting ready to take you to the next level of your destiny one of the things that God would commonly do is that he would test what is in your heart when you look at who you are he will test what is in your heart how do you view what comes out of your life how do you view the impact of your life do you think that it is yours do you take the glory or do you give God the glory you see the truth is that no Christian would ever say I take the glory that's why the Word of God says he looks at a heart sometimes we don't even know what's in our own heart and so God will use scenarios and situations to bring out of your heart what is actually in there so that you may know it for yourself and either continue to walk in humility or to humble yourself you see something had a scenario just like this he was on his journey somewhere and the lion came towards him to attack him and that's when the Bible tells us that he ripped that lion in two with his bare hands he goes to where he's going on his way back home he sees the dead lion and inside of it he sees honey that was formed by bees in the body of the dead lion now as a Nazarite it was against his covenant with God for him to eat that which is in contact with the dead but you see what is fascinating about the scripture is that the Bible tells us that Samson puts his hand in the dead body of the lion to grab some honey and to eat it now I wondered I said God why would he do that because if he was hungry that would be a big deal for you to share in the scripture because you see when Jesus was in the wilderness and he was being tempted by the enemy the temptation one of the first temptation was hey Jesus you know turn the stones into bread and it was only a big deal and the Bible tells us why because the Lord was hungry so it was a big deal for him to reject food in the moment of his hunger and so I said then why did Samson take of the honey if perhaps he was not hungry and what the Lord showed me is that in that moment the honey represented to him the it's like the fruit of his victory that you know what I just killed this lawn with my bare hands now inside of the lion there is honey I did that this is the fruit of my victory you see the Lord will test you in scenarios that would elevate your gift but it would demote his voice and it's about what you choose God do I choose to walk with you or do I let my gift lead my life in that moment Samson allowed his gift to lead his journey he looked at the dead lion when against his covenant with God and touched of it and ate that which came out of it and the interesting things family the Bible tells us about how he takes it to his his mom his dad he shares it with them but he does not tell them where it came from because even he knew that what he did was wrong but that moment he said I want my gift to be elevated hey regardless of the word of God you see oftentimes because God wants to take you to the next phase of your life he would position you in a job in a place around people that cannot recognize what you carry he would allow you to be in a place that the fullness of who you are is not seen because in that place he would offer you the opportunity for your gift to be either elevated or for you to stay true to the Word of God in that place all of a sudden people will start having conversations with you why you what are you still doing there you're better than this God has gifted you got as anointed you your life should be so much further than where you are now they're not utilizing you the way they should and what you don't recognize is that in those moments God is watching for your next move what do you do when an opportunity it's presented to you that would elevate your gift but it would demote the voice of God in your life God would use these opportunities to reveal to us what is actually in our hearts that do you think that the impact of your life is because of you or is it because of me because when you recognize that God the impact of my life is because of you you will stay submitted in a low place because you recognize that and it's not about how I talk and it's not about how I act and it's not about anything that I can do it is the grace of God that makes me who I am so god I will trust you wherever you call me God will often use opportunities that give you the option to say maybe my gift should lead me or maybe the voice of God should lead me you see Samson was so blinded by what he thought was his gift his strength that there was a moment he meets a lady named Delilah she was known as a prostitute he fell in love with her and he you know pursued her Delilah was bribed by the Philistines you see they were upset they're like I'm over this man you know you just think you're out here just being the person in charge just putting us to shame we need to find the source of your strength so we can defeat you they bribe Delilah and tell her hey can you find out the source of Samson's strength and we will pay you this much money she goes back to Samson and you have to read this story the Bible is literally the it's I mean that the storytelling of what happened in history is incredible he goes she goes back to Samson and she's like you know my love lies told on sweater she says my love what is the secret to your strength Samson gives her this falls you know speech and the crazy thing is that she tries it what he tells her she actually tried it and when she tried it she tells him she's like hey the Philistines have come upon you and Samson was awakened and destroy whoever was trying to come against him because he's like I got you right but the thing is that something you choose to be with a woman that is seeking that you her agenda towards you is very clear that is not for you but he was so confident I got this it doesn't matter if we're together and this is a toxic relationship it will work out because I'm above it Delilah tries again the first time the second time the third time nothing happens and then she begins to bother him she's like you need to tell me what is the source of your strength now something that at this time has already broken a couple of what it means to be a Nazarite but this would feel it Samson says to her you know if my hair has never been cut from the day I was born if you cut my hair then I will become like every other man and of course the lila takes the opportunity and she cuts his hair now I want to read to you something that happened in the scripture in judges 1620 like usual she said the Philistines are upon you Samson so he awoke from his sleep and said I will go out as before at other times and shake myself free but he did not know that the Lord had departed from him Samson was so confident that it was all him that he lost sight of where God was working through his life he was led by his gift and no longer led by the Word of God that his gift led him where the presence of God did not follow him you see family the favor of God is the fruit of your alignment to God God has a covenant many of us may wonder then what does my covenant look like with God God has a covenant to his word he's an agreement with his word when God gives you a word he has a covenant with that word that as long as you stay true to that word God will back up his is on part of the bargain that God would be with you that God will see you through that from that low place God would raise you up the Bible tells us that promotion comes from the Lord it doesn't say promotion comes from man it says promotion comes from the Lord favor is the result of your alignment with God you see there's a man in the Bible called the Apostle Paul the Apostle Paul was gifted to preach the gospel but he did not allow his gift to lead him because there was a point where he wanted to go to into Asia to preach the gospel and the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit forbade him to go continue the Holy Spirit stopped him from going into Asia now this is the interesting thing because when the Holy Spirit stops you it's not that he comes in front of you and says hey you're not going anywhere he doesn't like put you in and it isn't bind you it doesn't put you in cuffs it doesn't put you in a prison in this prison of God or something he communicates to you that you are not going into this place but you have to make the choice to submit to that because the Apostle Paul could have said you know what I'm gifted I've been doing this every time I preach I see the power of God I'm going ahead God why wouldn't you want me to preach the gospel it is your gospel but in that moment he said my gift is not what would lead my life it is the Word of God that would lead my life and he allowed the leading of the Holy Spirit to be that which he submitted to and not the voice of his gift you see if the voice of your gift becomes louder than the voice of the one who gave it to you you would be led in places that the presence of God will not follow you you see we often quote the scripture we often quote the scripture that says the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us and that is very true but you have to understand who he said it to he said that to a man named Joshua Joshua's life was sold out to Christ he was sold out to the will and purpose of God and so when God says to Joshua I will never leave you or nor forsake you when God talks about his presence now the Lord loves each and every one of us and the love the Lord is everywhere but when God begins to talk about his presence his presence doesn't just follow anybody because the presence of God represents the power of God it is in his presence that that crazy things begins to happen it is in his presence that miracles that guaranteed because the Lord is there and so when he says I will never leave you or forsake you in the context of his presence it is to a type of person the type of person that says God your will is my will what you desire of me I say yes because the favor of God we often say the favor of God is not fair but it can be understood it is not a mystery God favors where he sees what looks like what has been ordained in heaven God favors his word his favor is not does not go without explanation God favors what looks like what he said when we when we align our lives with God I want to be led by you God says all right now I would empower you because you see everything that comes from God comes from God with intentionality it comes from God with a purpose a blessing is a responsibility is not luxury so when God wants to back up your life he backs it up because of a purpose and that purpose means that you have already said yes that God I want to go where you send me and I want to do what you tell me to do you see what the Lord began to show me is that in this new season of our lives the biggest destruction that will come to your next will be opportunities that exalt your gift but demote his voice you see we're about to enter 2020 there's so much hype around 2020 and they should be but because of the hype around 2020 a new decade big bigger things newer things all of a sudden there would be the pressure of your life looking like victory I want to look like I want I want to look like I secured the bad guy all the bags but that desire to secure the bags can lead you to the place where God would not follow and so it's not about what God just send me up a chimney after a journey no God send me your world show me what you have for me because I don't want to get lost in my gift that I fall into the trap of thinking that the impact of my gift is because of me because it never had anything to do with me in the first place it is because of you you see David many years later we would be introduced to a man named David and David was also a man who was strengthened by the Lord the Bible tells us of how he killed a bear and a lion how he was skilled with his slingshot and his rocks but when it came time for David to challenge Goliath who was also a Philistine who came to oppress the people in that moment David did not rely on his skill David did not rely on his gift David called upon the name of the Lord he said who are you that you come against the Lord's people this is where we would experience a victory like we have never seen family when you can submit your gift before the Lord and say Lord I know I'm gifted I know you have gifted me with things I know you have made me strong in a lot of areas but God I also recognize that without you I am completely nothing and so perhaps you have positioned me in places that I keep questioning God why am I here why did you place me here because I recognize that what I carry is so mighty and so powerful you see David was a man who killed a lion and a bear while being a shepherd he was not in the army none of that he was actually he was he I mean we always call him the underdog because that's how it would it would appear but David understood that my ability to do these things is not because of Who I am it is because of the hand of the Lord that is with me so he never tried to go where his gift could lead him he stayed where the Word of God met him and he said Lord it is your word that would bring promotion into my life not me chasing things that look like what my gift can serve David could have registered to be part of the army he would have gone to the king and say give me your strongest man and let me show you that I belong in the army let me win favor with the King because of my abilities but he said no no no no no because the very ability was not given to me by man it was not even cultivated by me it is because of the hand of God upon my life and so family God may have you in a position in a place and it feels beneath you stay there if God led you there stay there don't be in a hurry to make impulsive decisions because you want your gift to be seen there you go where God is not you don't want to build what God is not building because at the end of the day it would it would manifest to nothing in the beginning it could look like a little Samsung looks like you know you all that and a bag of chips I mean you'll know why we say things like that cuz chips is not much but if you submit your gift to God then you would recognize what it means it would be your testimony that promotion comes from the Lord family stand with me thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus you see family the simple word that God showed me was just that that don't allow your gift to lead you where his voice did not send you there are many things that we know how to do but not everything is profitable to the assignment in our lives there are many things we can do well there are many things it's just like ideas I mean you can if you sit down by yourself one day you could come about with a hundred ideas but it is what the Lord reveals to you that would have impact you know what before I started working on my second book I was just thinking of amazing ideas I was like god what would be a great idea for another book and I had many and they all sounded great and I started working on a couple of them and Midway the spring will stop me and then one day I got frustrated I said God I'm putting a lot of energy into this okay can't write all this page then you told me to let it go and then he said why don't you ask me what you should write because you're relying on your wisdom and it can only get you to that chapter and nothing more but if you want to write a complete book if you want the wisdom that comes from me [Applause] then why don't you ask me what you should write it's not always just about starting it's about starting to finish and there is only one name that I know that is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end and that is Jehovah I complete things in him not without him God wants to bring you to a faithful end he doesn't want your life to be cut short he doesn't want the calling on your life to be cut short he wants it to enter into the fullness of what he called it to be but the deception of allowing your gift to lead you is that in the beginning you will see some fruit but it wouldn't last you see the reason why the Israelites could think it's okay to worship gods that have no substance was because even in those moments the grace of God was still covering them in a way that they want it's almost like they they lost sight of their pain because they're like wow these seem like it's maybe working I got some food to eat but you're in bondage why did it take them 40 years I mean I just need a day okay you put me in bondage I just need one every time I see the cop right behind me I'm like oh Jesus oh god I would never hit another fruit snack again why would it take them 40 years because God needed 40 years to remove from them the deception of their strength it was not because 40 years was punishment they were so stubborn in how they saw themselves that it took 40 years for their mind to be completely free in those moments that I need God like I really need God we don't need 40 years we don't honestly need 40 days we have to start taking time to say Lord you alone are the source of my strength if there are decisions that there are opportunities that already coming before you and it's saying that hey hey hey you yes you you're so talented you're so gifted with your fine self why you feel there you should walk away go into better things go into what the Lord is and you would ever make it seem like the Lord does not want you to be hidden the Bible says you know the devil knows the Bible okay the Bible says a city built on the hill shall not be hidden why would you allow yourself to be hidden when the Lord is telling you to shine your lights the devil can be very tricky family he used the word of God to try to manipulate Christ but Christ said no no no I know your little trickeries how many know that's a word but but the way the enemy would work is to say hey you should you should be shining the whole lot brighter why are you still there and very easily you begin to forget that it was the voice of God that lets you to where you are and you start thinking god I am gifted I should be doing one way more than what I'm doing here and if you don't if it's not happening then I probably should walk away and the crazy thing is that you're having a conversation with God but it's not really a real conversation because it's one way you're making up your mind about what you should do and you're not actually consulting the voice of God about what your next move should be and so in this new season family it would be opportunities that would exalt your gift but the motive the demote the voice of God that the enemy would use to fight against your position in Christ and so in this time as we're entering we're going into a new season 2020 take the time not to write new year resolutions take the time to say god I need a word from you I need you to show me what you've called me to do in this season I need you to reveal to me what my life should look like in this time where should my submission lie what should I be submitted to what should I say yes and what should I say no to this is the time not to start planning on what God should validate in you but you need to know the Word of God concerning your life the Bible tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom he should ask the Lord who gives willingly without reproach this is the time these next few weeks it's not about you know we all have our goals right that's cool you know I want a six pack that's cool but that is not the driving force of my life we need to start seeking God what is your word for my life I don't want to be led by my gift I want to be led by you and if you're making that decision meet me at the altar let us pray [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you [Music] thank you [Music] if you're in the house so you're watching and you may not even know why you're here maybe your friend dried you here and you have not made Jesus your Lord and your Savior family there is no life without him and the beautiful thing about Christ is that it's not about somebody convincing you to be a Christian because if I can convince you with my words somebody can convince you out of it with their words it's not about that the Holy Spirit knows how to make himself real to you that's why you may be in the house and all of a sudden there's a burning sensation on your heart there are different things that the Lord has been showing you that led you to this moment of being in the house of God and so you've been having all kinds of questions but you know it's Jesus really the only way is there another way but God keeps showing up to you and saying my child I am your Lord I am your Savior and I want to give you life real life not that fluffy stuff you see on television I want to give you real life I want to give you you the Bible tells us that our lives are hidden in Christ not hidden in culture not hidden in society but it is hidden in Christ if you don't know the Lord and you're saying that god I want to make you my personal Lord and my Savior I just want you to put your hand up thank you Jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] now for those that put their hands up right at the end of service right here to my what is this my left our prayer ministers are gonna be at the altar and they would love to minister with you pray with you decide if just please after service just come down and meet us here family let's bow our head in prayer [Music] Heavenly Father I thank you for my life just repeat after me family heavily father I thank you for my life I think you that you are a God Oh from my life Lord I submit my gift to you I submit all that I am before you have your way in take control over my life may your word be the only word that leads my life thank you Jesus [Music] thank you thank you [Music] [Music] for those that gave your life to Christ on this day I just want you to repeat after me lord I confess with my mouth as I believe in my heart that you are my Lord and my Savior my life is yours and Jesus there [Applause] [Music]

Channel: ONE | A Potter's House Church

Views: 89,421

Keywords: LA Churches, TPH, The Potters House, TPH LA, The Potters House LA, One LA, Toure Roberts, Sarah Jakes Roberts, tphla

Id: R2rKHctFl1E

Length: 44min 24sec (2664 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 08 2019