Samuel Rodriguez - You're Anointed For The Storm
Come hell or high water, I'm on my way to Rome. If you're ready for revival, praise like you believe it, worship like you believe it, pray like you believe it, live like you believe it, think like you believe it, serve like you believe it. You and your house, number two, are anointed for the storm. There it is. The storm does not define you, the storm reveals who you really are. Wow. "Alright Paul, you're going to Rome". Go to Rome, go to Rome. Never gave him the specifics of it. "Paul, you're going to Rome". So, all of sudden, he's on the way to Rome. You would think that he's going to Rome on Norwegian cruise line. royal Caribbean, celebrity x, carnival, and for all the bougie people, viking cruises. No, he's going to Rome on a prison ship. Hmmm, didn't get that in the memo.
Yeah, alright, he's on his way to Rome. He's on his way to Rome on a prison ship, and all of a sudden, acts 27, a nor'Easter, a storm hits, and that storm begins to just batter the ship, slapping it around like a cheap pinata. That's slightly racist, sorry about that. Like a, just slapping it around like something, alright? So he's being battered and listen what the Bible says, I'm gonna read it, "The ship was caught by the storm, so we gave way to it to be driven by the storm". They preferred to be driven by the storm, and as a result, the Bible says, verse 18, "They were violently battered". So, what drives you? We are all driven people. We are either driven by the past or the future, by the pathetic or prophetic, by problems or promises, by nightmares or dreams, by the flesh or the spirit, by Google searches or godly searches. We're either driven by drama or by destiny, by trauma or by testimony.
So, what drives you? Are you driven by the praise of others? Are you driven by criticism? Here it is as it pertains to the opinions regarding you by others. If their praise did not make you, their criticism cannot break you. We have too many Christians that spend more time reacting to what comes from hell rather than what comes from heaven. We have too many believers driven by the winds of cancel culture, ideologies, and social constructs that are counter intuitive to the word and the spirit of Almighty God. Too many Christians driven by opinions and feelings instead of being driven by truth and love. What drives you? Are you driven? Oh boy, here we go, full disclosure. I kind of lived a portion of this message last year. And pastor Robert is totally up to par with this because he was part of this conversation.
So, last year, I get a call right before last year I get a call. Last year it came to fruition, but I got a call, "Pastor Sam," wrapping up a 2022, "Pastor Sam," a ministry, I'm gonna be very, because of ethical parameters, liabilities, disclaimers, and insurance policies, I'm gonna be nuanced and whimsical as possible. I get a call and the call was from very prominent ministry in California, very prominent. And the call was, "Pastor Sam, we did not , in an essence, we did not survive COVID and we've lost 1,500 people. We have a $25 million of debt. Our property, as you well know, a large property, it has three sanctuaries, a three thousand seater, a one thousand and eighteen seater, and a three hundred seater, forty plus acres," etc, etc. "It has a school. Pastor Sam, would you consider coming in, merging and taking over the ministry"?
And so, I went like, "Wow," cause our church in California, we pastor, by the grace of God a very multi-ethnically diverse church. It's Caucasian, which means white. It's African American, which means black. And then, there's Asian, native Americans, Latinos, and people that don't check any of the boxes. Cause they don't want to. They don't want to. So, it's beautiful. It looks like the kingdom. But we grew and God gave us a great harvest post-COVID, to such a degree the county came in, true story, county came in and gave us, and said, "You've exceeded your maximum capacity. Y'all gon' have to make some decisions here". So, we were like, "This is an answered prayer".
Alright, so we met, we had our initial meetings, our due diligence. So, I met with the leadership and so forth. We had conversations, conversations, conversations. And about right after five conversations, we get the call, "Pastor Sam, let's formalize this. We want you to come in with members of your board. We will be here with our board members. Let's sign an MOU, let's proceed with the execution of this merger". Wow. I'm going, "This is it". So, we met. They never told me the questions. We met right beforehand, an hour beforehand, and George, my assistant, his wife is part of our board, she was there. And so, we met beforehand. We went to coffee shop whose name I will not mention. It's the one with Jezebel on the cup. But anyway. So we met. It's pretty convenient. We met. So, we met, "Guys, what are they gonna ask"? "Alright, Pastor Sam, they're gonna ask questions about fiduciary governance. They're gonna ask about integration of systems. Probably attrition on their side and what we do".
Alright, alright. "Process, what are your", get that, alright, "They're probably gonna ask about whether or not you're gonna have Spanish service, slavic service, etc, etc". Got that, got that, got that. "Law of risk management, liab", got it, alright. Are we ready? Let's go. We left that place. We left jezze in the cup and we crossed the street and we came over and we approached, we launch the meeting. I'm there and my board members were there, and we sat down here and I sat down. I'm ready. I'm going, "Look". They never gave me a heads up what were the questions. And this, just like this, this is, we have witnesses on both sides to substantiate this, not embEllished for the purpose of getting you to go, "Woo". No, this is exactly how it happened. I sit down, we're here, they're there right across the table, and "Pastor Sam, thank you for coming with your board. Well, we wanna begin with the following question". I'm going, "Yes, go ahead. I'm wired, I'm caffeinated, very caffeinated. So, go".
Alright, boom. Prayed up, no joke. We had our prayer team, our intercessors interceding. We're ready to do this. And here was the question. "Pastor Sam, we wanna begin with this first question". First question, "Pastor Sam, our church, we lean left. We wanna know where do you lean"? This is my response... Because, so, help me. First of all, you got to put this in perspective. "By the grace of God," 1 Corinthians 15:10. I know my assignment on this planet and as a preacher and producer and all that we do, but I'm a comedian. The first thing that came to my mind was not a prophetic enclosure, it was not a, "Thus saith the Lord". It was, "Sam, you have enough material here for the next five to ten years, man. You're good, buddy". But this really happened. I looked up and nothing will come out of my mouth, which is both a sign and a wonder. And this, my face, I just couldn't, nothing, and this is me, I went, "We lean left, where do you lean"?
And I'm fighting with the Holy Spirit, I am. 'cause I'm fighting with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is telling me, "Sammy, say it". And I'm going, like, "Sam, say it". 'Cause if I would say what the Lord is telling me to say, I'm gonna lose that building, which I did. He said, "Say it". So, I went like, "No, no", and the Lord said, "Sammy," Holy Spirit versus Sam, Holy Spirit always wins. So, I finally looked up and my team was looking at me like, "You're not saying anything, like, you know". So, I finally looked up. "Well, we lean left, where do you lean"? And I went like this, I went... "Thank you for your question. With great due deference, at our church, we don't lean, we stand. We stand. We stand on the Word of God, we stand on the promises of God, we stand on the finished work of Christ. Whatever the Bible calls holy, we call holy, whatever the Bible calls sin, we call sin".
We don't need Christians and churches that lean one way or another, we need a church to rise up in America that will stand. Somebody shout if you're standing him. Stand, stand, stand, stand. Lift up your hands, lift up your hands. 1 Corinthians 16:13, I feel the Lord, "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith". I'm calling right now this first conference to the entire church in America and around the world, stop leaning, start standing. Stop leaning, start standing. It's time for the church to stop leaning and start standing. Stand up for biblical truth, stand up for righteousness and justice. And I'm gonna get in trouble again, stand up for our children! Stand up for holy sexuality, stand up for the family, stand up for Godliness, stand up for life, stand up for religious liberty, stand up for biblical justice, stand up for racial unity, stand up for the gospel. And don't get offended, do not just stand in the church, stand up in the school board meeting, stand up in the voting booth.
Lift up your hands if you're standing. You are standing. Ephesians 6:13, "Put on the full armor of God so when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand your ground, and after you've done everything to stand". With your hand raised, permit me to declare we're about to see your church rise up. Not one driven by political correctness, comfortability, lukewarmness, or apathy, but one driven by the father, driven by the son, driven by the Holy Spirit, a church that stands. Oh, I sense the Lord. We're gonna see a church rise up, families rise up, and no longer lean, but stand. We have to stand. We can't compromise, we have to stand, we have to stand. Oh, I sense God. Stand, you are standing with me. I was gonna ask you to stand, but you are standing. Stand with me. Let me land this right here with this final, as you stand. "They're battered, pastor Robert. The ship is battered". We're gonna lose the ship. The word of the Lord hits the apostle.
Acts 27, beautiful. One of the most amazing words you could possibly receive from heaven. Let me parenthetically contextualize it for our modern time. "Hey, Paul, here's the word". "Speak to me, God. Give me the word about this cir..." "Here it is, Paul". What a word, right? Like, if you get this kind of word you go like, "What just..." "Paul, here's the word. You see that ship you're in"? "Yes". Yeah. "You see that ship you're in"? "Yeah". In the middle of the storm, "Do you see that you're in"? "Yeah". "That ship will not make it". Who gives you that word? What? But the comma is powerful. "The ship will not make it, but you will".
Oh, I sense the Lord. For the next minute and 30 seconds, I wanna speak to everyone that lost a ship but you're still here. There are things that didn't make it in your life. There are relationship, there are ideas, there are seasons, there are even people, but even without that income, without that door, you're still here. You lost followers but not your faith. You lost connections but not the calling. You may even have lost your mind, but not your mantle. Hebrews 10:23, "He is faithful to keep his promise". Isaiah 43:13, "From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch away anything from my hand. No one can undo what I have already done". Philippians 3:8, "I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord". Yeah, even without that ship.
So, please, and I know we have all been through processes and moments and seasons where we lost something. But please, stop saying, "Look what the devil did," and start shouting, "Look what the Lord has done". With or without that ship, you're still gonna make it to Rome. Let me call you out here for a second. We just pray over you and your house. By the way, little side note, "Hey, Paul, not only are you gonna make it," read it, "But everyone in the ship will make it too". Does anybody here come in agreement that we're about to see our family saved? How many believe here acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved"? Anybody here ready to declare this new year, Joshua 24:15, "As for me and my house..."
If you believe everyone in your ship by faith will make it, give him the best praise you've given him in 2024 thus far. That's it. Let me pray over you. The thing fell apart. The ship fell apart, literally. This should be a movie. It really should be a movie. It falls apart, they hold to pieces of the broken ship to get to the shoreline. Read it. Some people had the ability to swim and make it. Some had to hold on to broken pieces of the ship that fell apart because God does great things with broken pieces. Because the purpose of God is always greater than the brokenness of man. You know what I've discovered? That a wounded worshiper is still a worshiper. A broken praise is still a praise. And this will get the pharisees upset. A prodigal son is still a son and a prodigal daughter is still a daughter.
With your hands raised, 2 Corinthians 4:8, "We are pressed on every side, but we're not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned. We get knock down, but we are not destroyed". God does great things with broken pieces. If it's broken, God can fix it. If it's empty, God can fill it. If it failed, God can restore it. If it sinned, God can forgive it. If it's wrong, God can make it right. If it's crooked, God can make it straight. If it fell, God can pick it up. If it's paralyzed, God can make it move. And if it died, God can resurrect it for his glory. And that's the story on how he got to Malta. Are there any questions? Made it, broken pieces down, "I'm cold. Let me just", here it is, "Heat this thing up". "Let me get some brushwood". In the brushwood was a snake. When the snake made contact with the what? The fire, it jumped out. It did its thing. Because snakes hate fire.
Show me a church filled with holy fire, and I will show you a snake free zone. Show me a house filled with holy fire, and I will show you a snake free zone. Show me a marriage, and a relationship, and a company filled with holy fire, and I will show you a snake free zone. Matthew 3:11, "Holy Spirit and fire". Acts 2:3. "I have given you authority to walk over all snakes and scorpions," Luke 10:19, "You will be able to destroy all the power of the enemy, nothing will harm you". In 2024, your prayer regarding the snakes that come, the things that jump out for the purpose of poisoning and strangling your integrity and destiny. Here's the word, your prayer will stop him. Your praise will confuse him. Your peace will paralyze him. Your integrity will disarm him. And your resistance will make him flee.
So, everybody do me a favor. This is the way we're gonna kick off this year. Grab a hold of it, right there, of whatever vestige of darkness, whatever attempt of the enemy. You're gonna shake off every single construct, every attempt of the enemy, anxiety, fear, depression, shame, condemnation, perpetual victimization, complacency, apathy, unbelief, unforgiveness, rejection, closed doors, negativity, toxic atmosphere. You are about to shake it off. So, when I say now I know it seems a little bit, you know, but no, there's power. You're gonna shake it off in the name of Jesus. Throw it into the fire because you and your house this year you gon' make it to your spiritual Rome where the gospel of Jesus will shine through your testimony. And this year more people will come to Christ as Lord and Savior through your testimony than all of your previous years combined.
So, here it is. Ready? Grab a hold of it. Some of you should be using both hands cause it's not a garden snake. Some of you have dealt with like, yeah, boas. Here it is. Are you ready? When I count to three, I want you to shake off everything that in the past attempted to poison and strangle your God ordained purpose and destiny. You're about to shake it off, not just on your behalf but on behalf of your family, your children, your children's children. Do it right now. By the time you get home, no more vipers, no more snakes. Here we go, ready? At the count of three shake it off and give God the biggest I'm on my way to Rome praise you've ever given him. One, tell your neighbor, "Give me some room. I need to shake some things off here". Two, ready? Cause we don't lean, we stand. One, two, three, shake it off. Somebody give God your biggest praise. There is an anointing born out of adversity that empowers you to change the world. Raise your right hand.
If you receive that anointing today, raise your right hand really high. If you receive it and you really receive it, raise both hands. Repeat after me, "My faith will move mountains. Under this anointing, through the finished work of Christ, my shout will bring down walls. My family will be saved. My life will be light. My prayers will be answered. My harvest will be great. My walk will be righteous. My testimony will touch others. My words will heal. My praise will deliver. My mourning will become dancing, and all of my actions, all of my words, all of my thoughts will declare, 'look what the Lord has done'. I'm on my way to Rome".
I'm on my way to Rome. Come hell or high water, I'm on my way to Rome. If you got this word, raise your hand. And that's how Paul, oh, that little trip to Rome, was it significant? That's why we're here. That Rome, that's when the gospel went viral. It went global because of that trip to a great degree, yeah, and the same area the snake attack was the same thing that God used to heal in that Island of Malta. So, if the enemy's been attacking you, God's about to use it. We're never gon' make it to Rome unless we permit God to use the very areas that have been attacked in our lives to heal those around us. We're on our way to Rome.
Heavenly Father, there is a church, a community, a family called gateway and those connected all around the world, come hell or high water, we as a church collectively, we're on our way to Rome. We're about to see the gospel reach more people than ever before in human history. More people will be saved, delivered, and healed, and transformed by the power of Jesus than ever before in human history. We're on our way to Rome. Thank you, that we're anointed, anointed for greater things, anointed to stand not to lean, to be driven by your purpose, your passion, and your promise. Anointed to make it even without the ships in our lives. We're still gon' make it. Anointed to see your glory because you do great things with broken pieces. Anointed to shake things off, anointed for Rome. We give you the glory, we give you the glory.
This is the year that each and every one of us in our respective houses will shine for the glory of Christ like never before. May the strength of the Father, the grace of the Son, the anointing of the Holy Spirit make this year the year you and your, you and your, make it to Rome. Hey, gateway, let's do one thing together, just one thing for the glory of Christ. Are you ready? Let's go change the world. God bless you and God keep you. Let's do this.