Samuel Rodriguez - In Jesus Name, Watch Me Change The World
Two verses. Watch this. 1 Samuel 17:33, "'Don't be ridiculous!' Saul replied. 'There is no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win'". 2 Samuel 5:6, years later, "David led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, 'you're never gonna get in here! Even the blind and the lame could keep you out'"! Let's digress here for a moment. 1 Samuel 17, "Don't be ridiculous! There's no way you can do this". 2 Samuel 5:6, "You're never gonna get in here. You're never gonna do it". On multiple occasions David was told he couldn't do it. It was impossible, and yet he did. David was anointed to prove hell wrong. And just like David, you are anointed to prove hell wrong.
I wanna speak to you on that subject matter, "Anointed to prove hell wrong". Anointed to prove hell wrong by issuing a bold declaration. "Ridiculous! There's no way! You're never gonna get in"! Just like David prior to his greatest victories, these declarations saturate, inundate, and captivate our current reality. Without a doubt, every single day we confront a constant bombardment of negativity, toxic atmospheres, adversity, conflicts, delusion dynamics that include ideologies, social constructs, principalities, powers of darkness with one objective, convince us that it cannot be done.
You're never gonna defeat the giants in your generation. You're never gonna occupy all of God's promises. You're never gonna conquer new territories never! No way! But when you have faith, when you step into every chapter and season of your life with the certainty of 2 Corinthian 5:7 that, "We walk by faith, and not by..." When you live with the sacred algorithm of Romans 12:17 that, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the good news about Christ". When you stand in power with the promise of Matthew 21:22, "You can pray for anything and if you have faith, you will receive it".
When you walk and you talk, when you live and give and forgive with that faith, with the faith in Christ, the faith of Christ, with not just your normal religious kind of faith but with the mountain-moving, devil-rebuking, demon-binding, atmosphere-shifting, captive-freeing, family-saving, supernatural, overflow-inducing, truth-exalting, light-exposing, chain-breaking, door-opening, my cup runneth over kind of faith, then you can stand up like David did through his actions. Then you can rise up like David did through his accomplishments. Then you can speak up like David did through his Psalms and his writings. And because you are crucified with Christ and now it is Christ living in you, Galatians 2:20, because you abide in his word and his word abides in you, John 15:7, because you were a new creation, a new creation.
You're not who you used to be, 2 Corinthians 5:17, then you have the authority, the faith and the power to formally respond. Now, this may be different from your normal Sunday morning, but we are about to occupy promises like never before. We're about to conquer new territories. We're about to do what has never been done before. That's not like rhetorical exuberance and prophetic spaghetti on the wall. You and your family are about to see the glory of Jesus like you've never seen before. Because of that, we're gonna engage a little bit of audacious faith declaration.
To all the naysayers and detractors, to all the haters, I'm talking about spirits and principalities, to negative and contrary voices, both internal and external, that have the audacity to tell you that you will never overcome your giants, that you will never occupy your Jerusalem, that you will never live an abundant life, that you will never be right with God, that you will never see your family saved, that you will never see your body completely healed, that you will never conquer your dream and possess the promise, that you will never change the world, by faith in the name of Jesus, by faith in Jesus' name, I need you to open up your mouth and say two words, "Watch me". I dare you to look at your neighbor, the one you like the most and tell 'em, "Watch me".
Watch me overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of my testimony. Watch me. Watch me conquer the mountain and possess the promise. Watch me live life abundantly. Watch me glorify and magnify Jesus like never before. Watch me and my house serve the Lord. Watch me and my family go from glory to glory. Somebody say, "Watch me". Watch me live a holy, healed, healthy, happy, humble, hungry, honoring life. Watch me. All of creation is waiting eagerly for that day when God will reveal who his children really are. Watch. We are about to see, with that bold declaration people rise up and prove hell wrong.
But it's gonna require, number two, an anointing, fresh oil. You were anointed to prove hell wrong with fresh oil. David proved hell wrong because of the anointing. David proved hell wrong because in every major season of his life, he received fresh oil. How many here are aware of the fact that David was anointed three times? Three times. I'll prove it. 1 Samuel 16:13, "David stood among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil," I love Samuel. What a great name. "Took the flask of olive oil and brought and anointed David with the oil. And the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on".
2 Samuel 2:4, "And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over house of Judah". 2 Samuel 5:3, "There at Hebron, king David made a covenant before the Lord, and they anointed him king of Israel". He was anointed three times. Psalm 92:10, "I have been anointed with fresh oil," he said.
The first anointing is the anointing of assignment. The second anointing is the anointing of acceptance. And the third anointing is the anointing of advancement. And when all three of them come together, you are anointed to prove hell wrong. Just like David but upgraded exponentially to the finished work of Christ on the cross, you and I are anointed to prove hell wrong. You're not your normal cup of tea, you are anointed. What is the anointing? The anointing is heaven's authority upon your divine assignment. The anointing is God's power to fulfill his purpose. The anointing is God's presence that enables you to occupy his promises. The anointing is God's super over your natural, enabling you to experience the supernatural. The anointing is when the grace, gift, and glory of God inside of you come together empowering you to change the world in front of you.
Mark 6:13, "They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick and healed them". Acts 10:38, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good things, healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him". James 5:14, "If anyone among you is sick, let him call for the elders of the church, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord". From Genesis to Revelation, even today, we discover that anointed people do what others will not do.
Anointed people do what others cannot do. Anointed people do not whine, they worship. Anointed people do not focus on the darkness, they turn on the light. Anointed people do not make excuses, they make history. Under the anointing, we shout down walls. Under the anointing, we bring down giants. Under the anointing, we pray down fire. Under the anointing, we cast out devils and demons. Under the anointing we lay hands on the sick. Under the anointing, we speak truth with love. Under the anointing, we pursue righteousness. Under the anointing, we show our children how to pray. Under the anointing, we advance the lamb's agenda. Under the anointing, we do justice, we love mercy, and we walk humbly before God. Let me not be presumptuous, are there any anointed people in the house here today?
If you are anointed, I want you to repeat after me. "I am saved. I am delivered. I am healed. I am chosen. I am anointed. I am anointed. Matter of fact, all my family is anointed. My dream is anointed. My going in is anointed. My coming out is anointed. My present is anointed. My future is anointed. I am anointed"! "But you have been anointed by the holy one and you have knowledge," 1 John 2:20. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, what is the anointing? The anointing is none other than the Holy Spirit. "For you have received the anointing, the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you".
Jason, come up here real quick. I wanna illustrate this. I wanna show you, David proved hell wrong because he was anointed on multiple occasions. I need to show you something, because the anointing in the Old Testament, the way the anointing, and what it means, and what it represents. And pastor Mark was referencing this a few days back. Open that up for me for a second there. And back in the Old Testament when they were anointed, when people were anointed, they would. Any other volunteers? Anybody here want a fresh anointing? So, they would dump, it wouldn't be just a little dab. It would be, it would, by the way, don't ask for a dab of the Holy Spirit.
If you want the power of God, don't ask for a dab. We have too many people with dabs. We don't want a dab, we don't want a touch, we want all of him. We want all of God's power. All of God's, can I prophesy to you right now? You and your house are not gonna get a touch from God, you're gonna be filled with the power and the presence, and the glory of the living God. But in the Old Testament it would be. Yeah. In the Old Testament, it would be just poured out and it would pour out. But let me show you, you have a little bit in that vial? Let me see it. Go ahead. Drink some. Okay. There it is. And that's the new reality.
Let me explain. In the Old Testament, you were anointed from the outside in. When Jesus died and shed his blood and when he resurrected, and when he sent the Holy Spirit, you and I are not anointed from the outside in, now, we're anointed from the inside out. I'm preaching to five people right now. You're anointed from the inside out. You have received the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you. Because you're anointed from the inside out, greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world. Somebody praise God like you're anointed and act like you're anointed. I dare you to lift up your hands and say, "I'm anointed".
As for me and my house, I am anointed. We are anointed. Because that anointing lives inside of you. Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water. Woo! You're anointed. You're not a victim, you're anointed. You're not broke, busted, and disgusted, you're anointed. You're not the devil's punching bag, you are anointed. And if you wanna serve as counter cultural alternatives... So the narrative of this broken world when they ask you, "What are you"? Open up your mouth and say, "I am anointed. I'm anointed". It is that anointing that changes everything.
David was able to prove hell wrong. Interesting enough, when he received that first anointing, he received it in private. It wasn't public. He received his first anointing and then he subsequently served king Saul. The next thing he did was serve the king. And he even started playing the harp for the king who was, who was tormented because of his disobedience and his rebellious spirit. David received his first anointing in the presence of his family members, and he received his first anointing, and he waited until God said, "Now is the time".
So, what does that teach us? God anoints the private you before he anoints the public you. He anoints you to serve before he anoints you to lead. He anoints you in the presence of those closest to you before he anoints you in the presence of your enemies. He anoints you to wait before he anoints you to win. Repeat after me, "I am anointed to prove hell wrong with fresh oil". Fresh oil. You're anointed to prove hell wrong by removing Saul's armor. "And Saul gave David his own armor, a bronze helmet, and a coat of mail. David put it on and strapped the sword over it. Took a step or two and then he said, 'i can't do this. I can't go in these'. So, he removed and took Saul's armor".
You are anointed to prove hell wrong. You can only prove hell wrong when you understand that you can't fight your giant with someone else's anointing. There's too many Christians, too many people in the church that find themselves unable to overcome giants in front of them, because they are wearing someone else's armor. You can't get your breakthrough with someone else's praise. You can't fulfill your purpose with someone else's promise. You can't live out your destiny with someone else's identity. You have to wear your own armor. Look at your neighbor, tell 'em, "Get your own". You have to carry your own testimony, Revelation 12:11. But it goes deeper than that. He removed Saul's armor, "I'm not doing this".
And to be very forthright with you, we know according to 1 Samuel 15 that Saul was a narcissist. A self-inflated, self-seeking individual. And Saul attempted to place on David his armor. And if we follow the logical continuum of his behavior, we could embrace easily, the possibility that the reason why Saul wanted David to wear his armor, had nothing to do with David obtaining the victory over the giant. It had everything to do that just in case you do win, people are gonna say you won because you were wearing my armor. You're not gonna get that 'till tomorrow morning. In other words, he wanted to get the glory. But praise God, when you remove Saul's armor, the only one that will get the glory for your breakthrough and your victory is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and the host of hosts, and the Prince of Peace who ordained you for that victory. Removing Saul's armor.
Comes a time where you realize that you take off what others have placed on you that hold you back from fulfilling your God-ordained purpose. I love this. He removed his armor. He removed Saul's armor. But this requires, David speaking up to king Saul was actually his first victory. His first major victory was not against Goliath, it was saying no to king Saul. And you gotta say no to king Saul before you defeat your Goliath. You have to be able to speak up in the moments that really matter. I went through something in California recently, where I had to speak up.
Let me explain. We received a call right about November last year. My wife and I received a call from a major ministry in California, a major, major ministry. They did not survive COVID. They lost a lot of people, and they had a significant debt, 25 million us dollars debt. And they gave me a call and said, "Pastor Sam, we have an auditorium that fits 3,100. We have a subsequent auditorium that fits 1,000 and a third auditorium that fits 300. It's an 80-acre property, and highway frontage. Would you be interested in merging with our church and taking over"? And we're in desperate need for a property, so we thought it was an answered prayer.
So, we had preliminary meetings and we met, and we discussed everything. And we, you know, we really believed that this was it. So, we got together, and we proceeded after all the preliminaries to the first formal meeting. Right before that meeting, my team and I debriefed in a certain coffee establishment, and I drank my almond milk latte, and we talked about one of the hypothetical questions that will be submitted and so forth. So, we arrive, my board, their board, the first formal meeting. After this, you sign an MOU and then you execute accordingly.
So, here it is, and I'm seated there, and first question, and I'm thinking, there will be questions about fiduciary governance and integration of systems. Possibly, attrition regarding current employees on their behalf. Even asking what kind of services, languages, Slavic, Spanish. What kind of services will you have? Etcetera, etcetera. And I understood all of that. So, I'm ready to go. And I'm ready for the first question, and the board member looked at me and said, "Pastor Samuel, here it is. We have a question for you. First question". And I'm going, "Okay, what's your question"? I'm ready to go.
And the man looked at me and said, "Pastor Samuel, here's our question". He said, "Our church, politically, culturally, ideologically, our church, we lean left. Where do you lean"? And I'm thinking they're gonna ask questions on, why do I preach so fast? Do I drink that much coffee? Can I calm down for a minute? No. This is my face. So help me, this was, I've been vetted with people that we... Our board. I'm not making, I'm not, just like this. Looks at me and says, "Our church leans left, where do you lean"?
This is my face. First of all, I'm a comedian. The first thing that went through my mind wasn't even spiritual or prophetic. It was, I have enough jokes for the next three years that'll carry me on. "Pastor Sam, our church leans left, where do you lean"? And this is me... And then, a sign and a wonder took place, nothing came out of my mouth. Nothing. That's a sign and a wonder. And even Jeff Carter was here and they're going like, "Pastor Sam, say something. Say something". Nothing would come out. Just, "Pastor Sam, we lean left. Where do you lean"?
And this is me, this is. And then, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit tells me, "Samuel, say it". But I didn't wanna say it 'cause I knew if I would say what he's telling me to say, we weren't gonna get the building. So, I'm trying to go hmm-mm. And then, the Holy Spirit said, "Say it". And I didn't wanna say it, so I held back. And then, the Holy Spirit always wins. And he said, "Say it, Sammy". So, I looked up, after not saying anything for a minute, I looked up and I went, "Sir, thank you for your question. With great due deference, at our church, new season, we don't lean".
We don't lean, we stand. We stand. We stand on the promises of God. We stand on the Word of God. We stand on the finished work of God. Whatever the Bible calls holy, we call holy. Whatever the Bible calls sin, we call sin. Hey! Kingdom city, around the world, we don't need Christians that lean left or right, we need Christians that stand! Are there any standing believers in kingdom city here? All around the world, kingdom city doesn't lean, you stand! Somebody shout like you're standing. Somebody praise like you're standing.
Lift up your hands right there where you're at. Stand up for biblical truth. Stand up for righteousness and justice. Stand up for the love that expels all fear. Stand up for mercies that are new every morning. Stand up for a grace that is sufficient. Stand, stand, stand, stand. Ephesians 6, "Put on the armor of God and when you've done everything else, stand".
1 Corinthians 16:13, "Stand firm". Stand! Right there where you're at with your hands raised. David spoke up and said, "I am not gonna wear this. This is not me. This is not me". He spoke up. And then, he spoke up again. You're anointed to prove hell wrong when you're able to speak, when you're able to say no to Saul. Saul looks at him and says, "You have nothing. You have no testimony. You have no experience". And then, David says... What does he say? Haha. Nah. I fought the bear, and I fought.