Steven Furtick — Don't Miss Your Turn
Now Jesse, this is 1 Samuel 17:17, it says that this giant from Gath named Goliath, was confronting and defying the people of God for 40 days. And every day he would taunt them, but Jesse, said to his son, David. Huh, this verse 17 is kind of confusing because, Jesse must have forgotten that he was talking to a future king. Because what he asked him to do was so menial. He said, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these 10 loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp". And David could have said, "Who do you think your talking to? Didn't you hear what Samuel said about me? I am a man of potential and purpose. I don't have time to run your little errands. I'm not trying to take bread and cheese to the same brothers who didn't even bring me into the room when Samuel came to choose a king".
But this is the test see. To see if David will do the basic things. Sometimes we want God to use us to do a big thing, and we won't even do the basics. Talk to me somebody. How in the world can God use us to do something big, and we won't even do something basic? I love David's heart, because the story could have stopped right here if he had said, "I'm not doing that, I'm a king, I'm not doing that, I'm not, you're demeaning to me, I'm not doing that". You know, all the ways we disobey God. These little things that he asks us to do. Call your sister and tell her you're sorry. Reach out to somebody who looks different than you and listen to them about their struggle.
It's funny to me, some of us want to kill Goliath, but we don't want to tend sheep, and we don't want to make deliveries. We want to see big victories. But how in the world can God use us to kill giants if we can't even follow simple instructions. The Bible says that David, and I think this is why God used him, you know, every time we see David in the scripture, he's moving. Now, it says at first though, that, he ran to Goliath, but you gotta understand before he ran to Goliath, look at verse 20, it says, "Early in the morning, David left the flock in the care of a shepherd and loaded up and set out".
Now, here's what David didn't know at the time, 'cause we know it, and it's much easier to interpret what God is going to do when you know the ending. But can I tell you something, David did not know that this was 1 Samuel 17. From his perspective, this was just another day. Sometimes God wraps destiny in what we perceive as just another day. The same day that he was told to take bread to the battle lines, was the same day he stood over Goliath. But he didn't know that, and he would have missed his turn if he did not obey. And so, for me I'm asking God to use me in big ways, but will I obey him in the small ways? You know I bet if you pray God, show me a small way, cause we all, right now are concerned about things in our nation.
Josh Van Olmen, was telling me, he's an officer and serves, how long have you been Charlotte police? How long have you been on the force? He's been 12 years; he's also been serving in the church for all 10-½ years. Josh drives me to church every week so I can look at my notes in the car. And so, I thought that was a safer way then me driving and looking at my notes. So, I can get ready on the way. And he was telling me just this week, about people, black people, white people coming up to him, and buying lunch for him. I thought that was amazing. I thought that, just, he said it was a small thing, he said but to me, that just went a long way. I know his wife appreciates it. He also told me how somebody spat on him this week while he was walking down the street with his little girl.
And so, here's the thing, we can get up in our churches and preach really big stuff, you know? Deep stuff. Reconciliation. High sounding stuff. Unity. But I think probably our small acts of actual love go a lot further then our loud screaming, preaching, like I'm doing right now, and God wants to know, will you do the small things? Sometimes the blessing of God is in doing the thing that seems beneath you. We always want to look beyond. God says, sometimes it's in doing the thing that seems beneath you that releases the blessing.
We were on vacation past month and we rode our bikes over to the farmer's market because we're such a charming family. We rode our bike over to the farmer's market there in the little town where we staying. And, Holly's idea. And when we walked in, just tell you the story kind of how it happened. What's up love you man. While we walked in, this girl, who was behind the booth, she was selling cupcakes and candy and other sugar confection items, her name was Addy May. Addy May. And I'm going to tell you how I know her name in a minute but, she starts screaming behind her booth, she said, "Oh my God. I'm so sorry to bother you but, I'm like a total fan girl, I love your broadcast, I love your church, can I have a selfie".
I was like, yes of course. Let's take a selfie. And she was super nice so we stood there for a minute talked to her, found out that where I was from, she also had some family there. All this stuff we just talked for a minute. And she goes, boy, my pastor is going to be so excited, so jealous when I tell him I met you. I was like, really? And I said cool, who's your pastor. She said his name, I never heard his name and I said that's great. And she said, and my church, were having holy convocation this week. You should come.
And I'm thinking in the back of my mind, girl, I am on vacation. I am, like I'm gonna do your convocation. Not this week. I love the Lord. I love His church. But I am chilling. So, I'm just thinking, that, right? Oh, yeah that's great. Convocation sounds great. And so, she goes, "It's convocation," and she listed off the people who were preaching and the dates and all that. And one of the guys she mentioned, is a preacher that I greatly respect and actually have been wanting to meet him. So, I'm like, that's cool. Something told me just write it down. Just write it down.
You know how sometimes you just get this little thing, and you're not even sure if it's God. You're not ready to say, and the Lord spoke to me, your just like, write it down. Just a little thought. Just write this down. Just a little thing. Everybody say little things. I'm talking bout the little things. So, I was writing it down, and I wrote down the dates and everything like that. And I walked away. And she came back over to our table. She was so nice, and she brought all of these cupcakes and candies and sugar confection items over to us. And she's like, "I just brought something for your kids". And I was like, "Thanks. And you can come watch them". She was, "I just brought.". It was so sweet, right?
She was like, "And I just called my pastor," And she said, "and he told me that we had actually invited you to come speak at our convocation but your office told us that you were on vacation this week". And so, I said, "well obviously, you can see that I am". We really are on vacation. So anyway. I texted Jess, and said, "Hey Jess, just reach out to this pastor, the one that was coming to town, on this certain date". I said, "And see if he wants to meet up for lunch". We had been trying to meet each other before and we didn't get to. I said, "Just tell him I'm close by to the church he's going to be preaching at and I'm not going to the church service, but just tell him, if he wants to eat after or before church I would love to have a meal with him. And just let me know. It doesn't matter, just let me know".
And so, you know, some time passes and everything, Jess says I'll let you know. And I forget all about it. I forget all about the whole holy convocation, I'm on the beach. And then one day, it's about 3:00 in the afternoon, Jess texts me and says "Hey, the pastor was going to come and meet with you, but he actually, his back went out in the airport and they had to take him in for emergency surgery. And he's not even going to be able to make the trip. So, he's not going to be able to have dinner with you tonight". And I'm like, that's cool.
Moment I get the text from Jess, I'm reading all this, I'm thinking, that's cool. Moment I put my phone away, something spoke to me again, I'm not sure it's God at this point. And I don't even really want to hear from God at this point. But something spoke to me and said, "Remember they had wanted you to come preach at the convocation? Call the church". And to which I said, Lord, I don't even know the phone number. To which the Lord said, "Google it". So, I'm like, what am I going to do? I'm going to call the church and say, "Hey". I never invite myself to go preach somewhere. That's kind of creepy. Hey, want me to come preach in your church? I don't do that. I don't do that. But the Lord, was like, "You do what I tell you to do".
So, I, by this time, it's 3:30, and I'm thinking, man, they already got a speaker, there thing is tonight. But I'll call, this is stupid. I'm calling the church. Calling the church. Looked up the number. And it rings, and rings, and rings, and rings. It rings like five times. I'm like, whew. Lord didn't tell me to leave a voice mail. So, I promise you, on the sixth ring, guy picks up, says the name of the church and how can I help you. I'm like, crap.
And I said, "Hey man, this is, my name is Steven Furtick, I'm over there in Charlotte, and, I was just calling, I know, to talk to the Bishop. I know he's not available. I'm sure he's not available. But, you don't have to give him a message or anything". He goes, "No, no, no I'll give him a message, what's the message"? I said, well, "You know, just tell him, here's my phone number. I'm calling bout the revival. If he wants to call me back. He doesn't have to call me back. He probably don't have time to call me back or anything like that. I'm just calling about the revival".
A few minutes later. The pastor calls me, and he goes, "Are you serious? Are you serious that your calling me right now"? I said, "Yeah," I said, "I met Addy May, over at the farmer's market. And I told her that I was here on vacation, and she told me that you had invited me, I know you probably don't want to do this, and I know you got it covered, but I heard that your speaker, his back went out and all this, I'm sure you got it covered by now. But I just felt like prompted that if, you want me come preach I'll come preach. I'm on vacation and everything like that, but if you want me to come preach".
He said, "We were praying this morning". He said, "I've had the most crazy week you can imagine. I've done three funerals this week. I called five of my friends, and asked them if they could come preach tonight. None of them could come, you are the only speaker that we invited to the convocation that couldn't come". He said, "Would you come tonight and preach for us"? He said, "Because I was so stressed out when I was praying, and I got up from prayer, and one of my staff members looked at me and said, 'Don't worry about it Pastor, God has a ram in the bush.'"
And I said, "Well, I'm your ram baby. What time do I show up at the church? Where's the church? I don't even know where the church is". He said, don't worry about it. I'll send you a car. I'll pick you up. And man, I'm going to tell you, they picked me up, and I went to church, I told them I said I don't have any church clothes now, because this is holy convocation. People got church hats, and church dresses and I said, "Man, all I have is t-shirts and skinny jeans and Yeezy's". And he said it's all right, "I'll wear my jeans and my Jeezy's too". He called them Jeezy's. I said, "Alright. I said, I'll be there".
And man, it was amazing, and he got up and he told his church, he said, "Our speaker is not here," and they all moaned and groaned, cause they all love that preacher, couldn't make it, and they all moaned and groaned. And he said, "And that's y'all's problem. Some of y'all come for the personality. More than you come for the principles and the presence of God and the power of," man he laid them out. And then he told the story. And just, I don't even know how well I preached that night or anything like that. I mean, I gave it everything I had, the best I could on short notice in my Yeezy's and my t-shirt at the holy convocation. But God showed up in an amazing way. And you know what that pastor said to me? He said, "In 27 years of ministry, I've never been more convinced of God's favor on my life then to know that He heard my prayer".
But I told you that story, not because I'm so obedient. I didn't even want to do it. It turned out to be a blessing, I would have missed it. I would missed the blessing if I would have ignored the impression. But really I would have missed the blessing if Addy May hadn't brought over a cupcake. When Addy May showed up to work that day. She had no idea that she was the answer to her churches prayers. Do you see what I'm trying to say to you? I'm trying to say, that God wants to use you right where you are with what you have.
David said, "I don't have much, all I got is a sling and a stone, but in the name of the Lord, Goliath, when I do what I do with what I have, you gotta come down," and I declare that when the people of God do what we can, in the power we have, Goliath, must fall. Somebody shout about it. Touch your neighbor say, "Don't miss your turn. Don't miss your turn". If David had not been willing to do the simple thing, he never would have seen the supernatural thing. See, when we preach about Goliath, we make it a personal issue. Your addiction, your struggle, your debt, your depression. But when I was reading it this time, the Lord showed me, Goliath wasn't a personal issue for David, it was a national issue that was keeping the whole nation deadlocked in the stranglehold of fear.
Something interesting happened just before David went to fight Goliath. The Bible says that when David showed up that day, you know, he's got his cheese and his bread, he's just doing a simple thing. Don't think that because you can't affect something at the highest level of power, that God can't use you in a great way. David wasn't even in the army and he won the war. I said he wasn't even in a uniform, he didn't even have a weapon that was fit for combat, and he's the one who brought down the giant.
So, David hears this giant taunting the armies of God, and he says, what's up with this, this isn't right? He can't talk that way about my God. He can't talk that way about my people. He can't talk that way. This isn't right. And his brother overheard him, Eliab the tall one, and he comes up to David and, you know he actually accuses David. When Eliab, verse 28, David's older brother, then one that they thought was fit to be a king the one that you would have thought won the battle, when Eliab heard David's conversation, he burned with anger at him. And asked, "Why have you come down here and with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness"?
Do you know what? If David, and this really spoke to me, and I didn't say this in my message last night, but I wanted to say it today, if David would have listened to Eliab, he never would have even seen Goliath. If David would have fought with his brother, he never would have killed his enemy. Do you know what I think the devil tries to do to keep up from being victorious as a church, as a people, as a nation, as the body of Christ? He wants to keep us so divided fighting each other that we never even engage our real enemy. We're not fighting each other, we're not against each other. You're my brother. You're my sister. We're in this together. If we're going to fight darkness, we've got to stand together.
So, David, had his eyes on something bigger. And the Bible says in verse 29, I close with this, "Now what have I done? Can't I even speak"? And then he did something, watch, he then turned away to someone else. He then turned away. Touch your neighbor one more time, this will be the last time, and tell them, "Don't miss your turn". See, because if you get distracted by Eliab, if you get distracted by what the media presents to us, that's not reality, that's an image that is projected to sell us on fear. If you fight Eliab you'll miss Goliath. But I feel a turn coming in the body of Christ and we will stand together, and we will turn together.
I hear 2 Chronicles say, "If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn and turn and turn," I want to plead with the body of Christ. Don't miss your turn. You are the light the world and you are the salt of the earth, and Goliath must fall. In the name of the Lord, injustice, must fall. In the name of the Lord, prejudice must fall. In the name of the Lord, come on help me church, poverty must fall. In the name of the Lord, and His name is Jesus.