Samuel Rodriguez - Watch God Show Up
1 Samuel 5. Take out your Bibles quickly. Let's do our biblical due diligence. 1 Samuel's 5, I'm gonna illustrate this, so, matter of fact, I'm gonna show you. I'm wearing this because I'm gon' illustrate something. Jason, come up, quickly. They're used to this for all these years here. This is Jason Furtick. We're gonna illustrate 1 Samuel's 5. Jason is not your normal cup of tea. By the way, we have the same identical physique. And you laugh. And it's all a matter of perception. His shirt is extra small, mine's extra large.
So, real quick, Jason, just like our pastor, Jason is a, he served in our armed forces, like our pastor, a decorated war hero. Right after 9/11, 20 plus years ago, he went to Afghanistan, went to Iraq. He led the alpha teams, and he took care of certain individuals that wanted to do away with our religious liberty and our Judeo-Christian value system. So, he is an anointed captain America, a real anointed avenger. And this is what you get when you love Jesus, you're full of the Holy Spirit and you use steroids. Let's go quickly into the Word of God. Creatine. Ageless male.
Alright, let's go. 1 Samuel's 5, here's the word of the Lord, "After the Philistines captured the ark of God," and that very phrase, it really provokes a theological conundrum. The fact that the Mucho, a theological conundrum. The fact that the Mucho, malo hombres captured the glory of God in a box. "They took it from the battleground, at Ebenezer, to the town of Ashdod. They carried the ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. When the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning," watch this. It's like a Netflix series right here. "Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the ark of the Lord". I sense the Lord already here. "They took Dagon and put him in his place again but the next morning the same thing happened. Dagon had fallen face down before the ark of the Lord but this time," somebody shout, "This time". "But this time, his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway: only the trunk of his body was left in tacked".
1 Samuel's 6:13. Watch this. This is the faith for the divine harvest. This is the faith for the divine harvest. "The people of Beth Shemesh," or Beth Shemesh. "Were harvesting the harvest, wheat in the valley, when they saw the ark come back and they were overjoyed". I wanna speak to you on the subject matter "Faith for the divine harvest" and the subtext is "Timber, it's coming down". I need you to touch the neighbor you like the most and tell 'em, "Timber, it's coming down". Touch your other neighbor, the barely tolerate, say, "Timber, it's coming down". So, let me prophesy to you that by the time you get home, by the time you get home, by the time you get home, every Dagon occupying your space, somebody shout, "Timber", your space. Somebody shout, "Timber, it's coming down". Somebody shout like you actually believe what you just said. It's coming down.
So, let me go quickly here. Point number one, if you're taking any notes and good luck with that, here we go. When hell declares victory, watch God show up. When hell declares victory, watch God show up. "After the Philistines captured the ark of God, they took it from the battleground to the town of Ashdod". Now, y'all know this already. Let me just, quick, little synopsis and review. In the Old Testament, the ark of God, God's treasure chest represented God's presence, power and promise. The ark of God served as a facilitative platform for the manifestation of the glory of God, and the glory of God in its very own definition is to manifest presence of God. So, it was the glory of God in a box. Whatever heaven touched, whatever the Bible described as glorious, whatever the Bible described as glorious, the rod of Aaron, man of the 10 commandments, was in that box.
Now, let me give you just the backdrop here. The Philistines hated the Israelites. The Philistines would launch war against the Israelites. Ten thousand men against 1000 men and the Philistines would be defeated. The Philistines increased exponentially the number of men, multiplied it. A 100,000 men. They would come against the Israelites and the Israelites would defeat the Philistines. The Philistines figured out the Israelites had a secret weapon. The secret weapon was not in the number of men that would fight. The secret weapon was the glory of God they carried. They discovered that the ark of God was a facilitative platform for the glory of God. Therefore, this is what they figured out: if we can capture the ark of God, if we can capture the glory of God in the box, we take away their secret weapon hence they will be defeated. And they captured hence they will be defeated. And they captured the ark of God. They captured it.
The Philistines believed that they took the secret weapon away. They believed they took the glory hostage. I'm gon' repeat that for the hearing impaired. The Philistines believed they took the glory hostage. They really stood convinced that they took the power of God captive. They convinced themselves that they had placed a lid on the manifest presence of God. They were soon to discover, you can't incarcerate the glory. I'm gonna repeat that here, you can't imprison the power of God. "The Lord, our God, is our sun and our shield, he gives us grace and glory." Psalm 84:11.
Through the vicarious atoning work of Jesus through the vicarious atoning work of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection, we ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are carriers of the glory. "Having chosen them", the apostle Paul writing said, "He called them to come to him'. Having called them, he gave them right standing with themselves. And giving them right standing, he gave them his glory". Romans 8:30.
This is why the prince of darkness hates your guts. Why is the devil coming after your family? Hell doesn't come after you because you're black, white, yellow or brown, republican, democrat, independent, charismatic or automatic. If you are born again, hell comes against you because you carry the glory of the living God. In other words, the enemy doesn't attack you because of the foolish things you did in your past, he attacks you because of the glorious things you're about to occupy in your future. He wants to overwhelm in your future. He wants to overwhelm your now because you're about to the occupy the next. And right now, right now, it looks like, it looks like the enemy is winning. You go on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and if you're over 40 and you're on TikTok, repent. Whatever it may be, it looks like the Philistines of the 21st century, once again, captured the glory of God. It looks like it. Look around, read the news, it looks like it. Right now, it looks like it.
What if I told you, this is why I came here? The very same thing that took place in Dagon's temple, it's about to take place in your family. Oh, y'all missed it. What if I tell you the same thing that took place in Dagon's temple is about to take place in Dagon's temple is about to take place when your children and children's children, and your children's children's children, what if I tell you the same thing that took place in Dagon's temple is about to take place in your finance, in your career, in your calling. What if I tell you the very same thing that took place in Dagon's temple is about to take place in America and around the world this season? Four words. Somebody say, "Four words".
Repeat after me, "Watch God show up". "But we're coming out of a global pandemic". "Watch God show up". "But the country is more divided than ever before. There are food shortages and rumors of crazier things to come. There's a war in Ukraine. China threatening Taiwan. The stock market inflation. What happened to Bitcoin? My marriage is falling apart. My children are rebellious. The medical report came in". I wanna make this clear. I don't think, I don't hope, I don't wish and I don't feel, I know. Does anybody here know that God is about to show off his glory like we have never seen before? Somebody shout like you believe it and praise like you know it!
High five your neighbor, tell 'em, "Watch God show up". Tell your other neighbor, "Put a smile on your face. Put a smile on your face, God's about to show off his glory in your life". Watch God show up. "How do we know? Prove it". Luke 1:37, "The Word of God never fails". Hebrews 10:23, "God can be trusted to keep his promise". Watch God show up. Oh boy. He promise. We're about to see the glory of Jesus like never before. In every aspect of our lives, we are about to see the glory of God manifest and we're about, when the glory of God, I sense glory. When the glory of God is manifest, when the glory of God shows up and shows off, every Dagon has no other choice but to fall defeated.
I don't know if you're ready for this. I don't know if you're ready for this. Every Dagon of captivity, every Dagon of addiction, every Dagon of generational bondage, every Dagon of alcoholism, every Dagon of poverty, every Dagon of bigotry, every Dagon has to will fall down. Watch God, he promised. "pastor Samuel but wait. pastor Samuel that's not, but when things are getting darker. Everything's going to hell in a hand basket. Things are getting darker. Things are gon' get worse. They gon' get worse. In the last days, remember the list, remember, I remember the list". I know the list. In essence, the list, you know, "In the last days, and the things that are good will be called bad and the things that are bad will be called good".
In the last days. Yeah, leaving our natural desires and natural, I read the list. I get it. Basically, says in the last days, basically, says in the last days, everything go cuckoo. But there's also a last day promise. There's also one more last day promise, it was released in job 2:28 and then, Peter filled with the Holy Spirit in the upper room in acts 2. He stands up and he reiterates it. "In the last days", God said... God did not say... God never said, "I may". He never says, "I can". He never says, "I have the inclination". He said, "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh". Get ready, God's about to show off his glory. We gotta pivot.
Raise your right hand real quick. Let me just speak this over you. Let me just decree this prophetically over you. Let me just decree this prophetically over you. The next thing to fill your family will not be more drama. The next thing to fill your family will be the glory of the living God. Woo. The next thing to capture your mind will not be more negative thoughts, it will be the glory of the living God. Raise both hands now. The next thing to invade your atmosphere will not be demons and legions and principalities, it will the holy, righteous powerful, life-changing, harvest-producing, joy-revealing, glory of Almighty God. Praise the Lord if you believe that word is for you and your family. Watch God show up! "But indeed, as I live", watch God show up! "But indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord". Numbers 14:21. "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea". Habakkuk 2:14. "He who descended as himself, he who ascended far above the heavens so that he might fill all things". Ephesians 4:10.
Oh, watch God show up. We're about to see more people saved than ever before. Doctor Winston David, guys, this is, you're very studious and that's why I love what you do but there was a survey just a couple of weeks ago and then, Fox News had one last week that 50, what is it, 48 to 52% of all pastors today in America are considering leaving the ministry. That came out last week. Google that. Half of the pastors in America are about to call it quits. So, there was a study a month and a half ago, about six weeks ago, that the majority of pastors about six weeks ago, that the majority of pastors in America are meeting with their boards and their executive management teams to minimize services, downsize buildings because they are accepting the fact that in a post-COVID reality, 30% of parishioner's attendees, members, adherents will not come back to church. So, they're streamlining and they're cutting down. Not in this house. Not the people in this conference.
If you're here, you're not meeting to stream things out, you're meeting to say, "Watch God show up". If you're in this house, you're the kind of crazy people that would say, "While everyone else is downsizing and getting rid, we're about to buy more property we're allowed to occupy. Were about to occupy more territory". Somebody shout, more territory. Somebody shout, "Watch God show", we're about to see more people saved than ever before. Now, y'all didn't hear that. We're about to be what? We're about to see more people saved than ever before. We're about to see more healings and miracles and deliverance, we're about to see all of our prodigals sons and daughters come back home like never before. You're about to see your dream become a reality. You're about to reap the greatest harvest of your life.
I was driving over here, the Holy Spirit filled me, it's for this conference, haven't said it before. You're about to see more contracts come your way. Y'all missed that. You are about to see more contracts come your way. Somebody shout, "Watch God show up". You're about to build a legacy of faith you're about to build a legacy of faith that your children and your children's children will inherit. Nothing can stop the glory of God from filling the earth. Isaiah 14:27. This is a powerful verse, internalize it, memorize it. "I, the Lord, all powerful have made these plans and no one can stop me now". Oh, you missed that. "I, the Lord, all powerful have made these plans and nothing can stop me now".
Everything God planned for you family cannot be stopped. Everything God planned for your church, your calling, your business, your ministry, your legacy cannot be stopped. Your ministry, your legacy cannot be stopped. Does anybody here serve the unstoppable God? I dare you to look at your neighbor, tell 'em, "My God is unstoppable". Say it like you believe it. "My God is unstoppable". There's not a devil in hell, a demon on earth, there's not a man or a woman that can stop what God has already... Watch God...
When the enemies of truth, love and grace convince themselves that they have successfully captured the glory, watch God... This is real quick. Three quick points. Number two, when the prophetic stands next pathetic, the prophetic always wins. Okay. So, let me show you what, this really happened, not making this up, you all can see this. Dagon's temple. Dagon. The Philistines captured the ark. So, I Googled on my way over her, I Googled, "Are there any Philistines left in Chicago"? Where are my Philistines at? I found two of them. Come here, Philistines. How you doing?
— Excellent.
— You're a very well-dressed Philistine. I'm gon' tell you that.
— Thank you.
— How you doing Philistine? Now, I represent, hence the word 'glory', the glory of God, the ark of God in box, right? The glory of God, the ark of God in box, right? So, y'all gonna carry me, you gon' carry me and put me right next to Dagon on, you see, the left-hand side. Yeah, his left-hand side. Okay? You gon' carry it. Don't drop the glory.
— Are you ready?
— You follow what I'm saying?
— Yes sir.
— Don't drop the glory.
— I won't drop the glory.
— My wife is waiting for me in California. Don't drop the glory.
— I will not drop the glory.
— So, I'm just, this, ready? This is, okay. Hashtag, #BESTDAYEVER. Real nice. Turn this way. Turn the other way. There it is. Nice. Nice to the glory. Nice. Let's do it again. I'm kidding. Okay. You guys were awesome. I'm gonna need you, citizens of Ashdod, to be seated somewhere around there 'cause I'm gon' need you back in a couple of minutes here. 'cause I'm gon' need you back in a couple of minutes here.
— Amen.
— But, thank you. Give it up for the best citizens of Ashdod. Read it. Just read, "They took the ark of God, they carry the ark of God into the temple". Please, open up your Bibles, read it, make sure I'm not, put the verse up. "They carried the ark of", stop for a second. Stop. Did they drag the ark of God? I'm gon' ask one more time: did they drag the ark? Matter fact, let's just go through some sort of cognitive, coherent, logical, sequential way of formative thinking regarding this passage. If that's the secret weapon of Israel and I am the number one enemy of the Israelites and I know for certain this is your secret weapon, why not destroy it? Why not open up the lid take the 10 commandments, crush 'em, take the rod, take the manna. No. And a matter of fact, the Bible says they carried. And we know we can extrapolate with biblical certainty, not only did they carry the ark, they respected the ark when they were carrying it. Because if they would have disrespected the ark of God, they would have what? They would have died.
So, even the devil knows, oh, you're missing it right now. Even hell knows that there is glory that must be respected. I don't know if you got that. There's glory in your family. There's glory in your children. There's glory in your life. There's glory in your church. Somebody shout, "Respect the glory". Tell your neighbor, "Respect the glory". Even the... Don't let anyone disrespect. If the Philistines and the citizens of Ashdod know better, there are things the enemy does not have access to. The Israelites had a testimony, a reputation, it preceded them, whoever messed with the ark of God, with the glory of God, would immediately, immediately, immediately immerge as benefactors of a life insurance policy that would kick in.
You wouldn't mess with the glory. Don't let anyone disrespect the glory of God in your life. I'm gonna say that one more time. The glory of God in your family, on your children, the glory of God in your family, on your children, in your house, in your life. Are you with me? Somebody shout, "Respect the glory". Respect the glory. When you convert your trauma into a testimony and your pain into praise, the glory of God in you and the glory of God shining upon you will be respected.
So, they placed it, it's not just any glory, we have the apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:18 glory. "Not the glory that fades away like Moses," he wrote. "But our glory is forevermore increasing". Your dream and your nightmare cannot occupy the same space. Complacency and conviction cannot occupy the same space. truth and lies cannot occupy the same space. Hatred and love, sin and holiness, forgiveness and unforgiveness, belief and doubt, faith and fear cannot occupy the same space. Something has to go. There's a battle going on for your space.