Samuel Rodriguez - God Is Calling You to Have Bolder Faith
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Summary
Pastor Sam Rodriguez delivers a fiery message from Mark 10:46–52 about blind Bartimaeus, urging believers to «raise your volume» through bold praise and worship to attract Jesus' attention and receive breakthrough. He connects Bartimaeus' shout in Jericho to Joshua’s victorious shout generations earlier, emphasizing that persistent, loud faith overcomes opposition and passes down a legacy of victory. The ultimate call is to refuse silence in the face of cultural pressure, declaring that Christ-followers must get louder in their testimony, leading to personal transformation, generational inheritance, and global impact for Jesus.
I’m Not Who I Used to Be
I need you to shake your neighbor, tell them I’m not who I used to be. Well, tell them, tell them I’m not who I used to be. I don’t talk the way I used to. I don’t think the way I used to. I don’t walk the way I used to. I don’t even pray the way I used to. I don’t live the way I used to. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live—yet not I, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20.
I have a word I want to share with you. There are places you go to because you have an assignment. And then there are places you go to because God says to go. You become enamored with the idea that you are not the normal cup of tea. I absolutely love Planetshakers, and I know we’re about to see something truly remarkable across the world.
The Story of Bartimaeus
So right now, real quick, let’s expedite the process. Mark chapter 10, verse 46. Here it is. I’m going to break this down for you. They reached Jericho. Somebody say Jericho. Touch your neighbor—the one you like the most—and tell them Jericho. Touch the other one, the one that thinks you like them but you actually have issues with them, and just say Jericho. He reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road.
When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!» Verse 48: this is the pushback. This right here is the cancer culture, amplified exponentially via the conduit of one verse: «Be quiet!» And by the way, it has an exclamation point in the original language, which means the person who was offended by the shout shouted, ironically enough, «Be quiet!» Many of the people yelled at him, but he only shouted louder, «Son of David, have mercy on me!»
Jesus Hears the Shout
When Jesus heard him—he heard him, he heard his shout—he stopped and said, «Tell him to come here.» Well, they called the blind man. «Cheer up, » they said. «Come on, he’s calling you.» Verse 50: Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. «What do you want me to do for you?» Rabbi, the blind man said. «I want to see.» Jesus said, «Go, for your faith has healed you.» Instantly, the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
I want to speak to you on the subject matter in the next 30 minutes, 29 minutes, and 11 seconds: raise the volume, raise the volume, raise your volume. I don’t care what you’re going through right now. I don’t care what’s been happening in your life. Somebody in Melbourne, Australia, is about to experience victory, breakthrough. Somebody shout like the blind man, Bartimaeus, wrong Jesus to look your way. Raise your volume, raise your volume!
Jericho and the Shout 2.0
The subtext for the message is Jericho and the shout 2.0. You’ve got to go back; you’re going to get that. The general going to shout 2.0. And the second subtext would be: silence is not an option. You may be seated for just a couple. Here, number one: open your eyes by opening your mouth. Open your eyes by opening your mouth. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, «Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!»
He didn’t whisper; he didn’t nod; he engaged. A golf clap? No, he shouted because your eyes will never open until you open your mouth first. Vision is connected to praise. I’ll repeat that for the hearing impaired: vision is connected to praise. He worked with what he had. He could not see, but he could praise. He could not see, but he could shout. His optics were weak, but his vocal cords were strong.
Use What You Have
And here’s the word, Planetshakers: stop focusing on what’s weak in your life. Stop focusing on what you do not have. Stop focusing on what’s broken in your life. Here’s a word for someone: use the blessed area of your life in order to attract God to the broken area of your life. It’s not about what you’re missing; it’s about what you have. Stop whining about what’s missing. Start shouting about what you already have.
Mature Christians don’t just give God glory for what He gives; they give God praise for what He takes away. 1 Thessalonians 5:18: «Be thankful in all circumstances.» Tell your neighbor, «You already have what you need.» Here’s the word for someone. Tell your other neighbor, «Stop whining, stop complaining, start praising for what you already have.» You already have what you need in order to see God show up in your circumstance.
You Have Everything You Need
I’m going to tell you what you have: you have a faith that moves mountains! I said you have a faith that moves mountains with a shout that brings down walls. You have a joy that cannot be explained. You have a peace that passes all understanding. You have grace that is sufficient. You have an anointing that annihilates the yoke. You have a gift that cannot be revoked—a destiny that cannot be stopped. You have mercies that are new every morning. You have the strength of the Father, the grace of the Son, the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Hey, you have Jesus! You have everything you need.
Colossians 3:11: «In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric or uncivilized, slave or free. Christ is all that matters.» The Bible does not say that Jesus was attracted to the man’s blindness. I’m going to mess up your understanding. He wasn’t attracted to the man’s blindness, and it wasn’t that He didn’t have empathy or compassion—no, they were en route.
Attracted to the Shout
He wasn’t attracted to the blindness; He was attracted explicitly to the man’s shout. I’m going to mess you up a bit more: He wasn’t attracted to Bartimaeus the blind beggar; He was attracted to Bartimaeus the worshiper! I feel a breakthrough coming right about in 18 seconds. There is a shout inside of you that, when it comes out of you, will prompt God to look your way. Somebody shout like you know your breakthrough is coming.
The problem is that we want God to focus on our need instead of provoking Him to focus on our praise. You attract God by your praise so He can focus on your need. You attract God by your worship so He can focus on your weakness. Psalm 47, verse 1: «Shout to God with a joyful noise, the shout of triumph with the loud voice of praise, with a shout of celebration.» There is power in a holy shout; there is power in a holy shout!
The Power of the Shout
Isaiah 54, verse 1: «Sing, O childless woman, you who never gave birth; break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor.» Your shout says, «My season, my life is about to radically be changed.» Now, I want to point something out here that very few touch. He was at the entrance to what city? We read it. Somebody say Jericho! Why is Jericho famous? You’ve got to go old school to find out. Why was Jericho famous?
Joshua and the Israelites, years before, did what to prompt the walls of Jericho to come down? They shouted! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the blind man in the same place did the same thing. You’re going to get this in 32 seconds! It was part of a cultural meta-narrative. This is why it’s important: your testimony must be shared from generation to generation. This is Jericho’s shout 2.0—the same thing that his fathers, fathers, fathers, fathers, fathers, fathers, fathers, father’s fathers did many generations before.
Generational Legacy
Do you think it’s a coincidence that a blind man takes it upon himself to shout right in the same region where, years before, his forefathers shouted and occupied the promise when the walls came down? I’m here to tell you to get ready. Don’t tell your children to pray; show them how to pray. Don’t tell your children to praise God; show them how to praise God. Don’t tell your children there is power in the name of Jesus; show them there is power in the name of Jesus! Somebody shout like all the walls are coming down!
Lift up your hands! The power of transferring over to the next generation the legacy of faith! Somewhere down the road, let me prophesy. Now this man shouted in Jericho; his forefathers shouted in Jericho. Your children will walk upon the ruins of what you shout down in your generation! Now, you’re not hearing me right now. I said your children and your children’s children and your children’s children’s children will walk upon the ruins of what you shout down in your generation.
Your Wall, Their Bridge
Can I prophesy? The wall in front of you will be your children’s bridge! So whatever hell has created and has placed in front of you, not only will you shout that thing down one day down the road, in the Lord’s terrors, one day down the road, two, three, four generations if the Lord tarries, somewhere in a digital picture—probably in a virtual reality depiction—somewhere in some beautiful complex there’s going to be your picture three, four, five, six generations down, and all this family will be gathered, and they’ll have your picture right there in the frame.
They’re going to ask, «Why is that person there?» And they’ll respond, «Oh, that’s my great-great-great-grandmother. Prior to her, my family was known for alcoholism. Prior to her, my family was known for drug addiction. Prior to her, my family was known for divorce and brokenness. But she did something; it’s the reason why we’re here right now. She received Jesus; she accepted Jesus; she became a Christ follower, and we walk upon what she brought down in her generation.» Somebody shout like every wall has to come down!
Biblical Shouts of Victory
Oh, lift up your hands! Raise your volume! Your wall will be their bridge! Repeat after me: my wall will be their bridge! With a shout, Joshua and the Israelites brought down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:20). With a shout, Gideon and his 300 soldiers defeated the Midianite marauders (Judges 7:20). With a shout, the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to the camp (1 Samuel 4:5). We have a shout! Bartimaeus received his miracle (Mark 10:47). With a shout, guess who’s coming back for us? I said with a shout, guess who’s coming back for us?
I know I’m not making that up. He’s not coming back all nonchalant, all politically correct, and with a whisper. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, «For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout!» There’s a shout coming your way. Somebody shout like you know God’s about to do something amazing! Our shout, our praise, our worship expression continuously delivers the message that both heaven and hell understand. It’s why we do what we do. It’s who we are.
Pushing Back Against Silence
Open your eyes to pushing back. He shouted, he shouted, he shouted, «Son of David, have mercy upon me!» And verse 48: here’s the pushback, «Be quiet!» Someone will always attempt to lower your volume. The haters of truth love grace and hope will want us to lower our volume. There’s an attempt, but I want you to hear this: they will criticize you. They’ve criticized me; they will criticize you. If their praise did not make you, their criticism cannot break you.
We are not defined by the likes of many; we are defined by the love of one. So, you may have been told to be quiet. If in the past three years, a circumstance, a problem, an issue came up and tried to lower your volume, raise one hand. Your volume means your testimony. Your volume means the expression of your faith. Your volume means the magnitude of your worship, of your praise—not just the audible sounds that come via the conduit of your mouth but through your actions, words, deeds, and thoughts.
Raising Your Volume
Your relationships—everything from A to Z of who you are—raising your volume, letting the world know that Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. If you’ve been in a place in the past three years where something tried to lower your volume, raise one hand! If you’ve been through so much in the past three years that everything attempted to put you on mute, raise both hands! Things that showed up here and here, telling you what’s equivalent to «stop praising, stop worshiping, stop praying, stop giving, stop loving, stop living holy, stop doing the right thing.» It’s not worth it! Be quiet! Stop it!
If this has been a season where forces, both external and internal, showed up to silence your praise and squelch the noise of your faith, here’s what God gave me—and I wrote it down—get ready because you are about to raise your volume like never before! You’re not hearing that! I said you are about to raise your volume like never before! If that’s you, raise your right hand and repeat after me: I’m about to get louder! Tell three people around you, «I’m about to get louder. I’m about to get louder! My prayer is about to become more effective! My faith is about to go higher! My life is about to shine brighter! My praise is about to get louder!»
A Sound from Australia
Somebody tell your neighbor—raise your volume! There’s a sound coming out of Australia, coming out of Planetshakers, that will be heard around the world! I repeat that for the hearing impaired: there is a sound coming out of Australia that will be heard around the world. I must say that one more time! There is a sound coming out of Melbourne, Australia, that will be heard around the world. If you believe it, lift up your hands! Asia will hear it! All of Asia will hear it! I mean all of Asia will hear it! Africa will hear it! Europe will hear it! America will hear it! Glad America will hear it! Every single continent! It’ll be so loud!
By the way, a shout cannot be ignored! You missed that! A shout cannot be ignored! No, you missed it—a shout cannot be ignored! And we’ll be able to stop the sound that lifts up the glory. If you’re ready to raise your volume, lift up both hands! Psalm 35:27: «Let them shout for joy and rejoice who favor my vindication. The Lord be magnified who delights in the prosperity of His servant.» More people are about to come to Jesus as Lord and Savior through your testimony than ever before! More people are about to be saved, delivered, healed, transformed through the power of God—through your testimony—than ever before!
The Church Gets Louder
Let me wrap up and pray for you. There are certain people, certain proponents, that would like us to go away. There are certain groups that would like us to lower our voices. There are certain entities, ideologies, and proponents that would love us to stop saying that Jesus is the only way. There are certain critics, just like Bartimaeus had, that would love us to stop saying that every life is sacred from the womb to the tomb. There are certain haters out there that would like us to stop saying that God made men and women different for a purpose.
To all those that would like us to stop saying that Jesus is the only way and that His love and His mercy endure forever for every single one, are we streaming? Oh great! Are we really? Thanks! Well, to everyone out there who would love the church to lower our voices and to shrivel up in an echo chamber of mutual affirmation and to engage in Sunday, psychotherapeutic, narcissistic, self-absorbed ritualistic habits, if you would like us to be silent—if you would like us just to be loud here but not loud out there, I need to warn you: take some anxiety medication, because the church is about to get louder than ever before!
Love and Truth Cannot Be Silent
Right about now, the pride is about to get louder than ever before! The redeemed of the Lord are about to get louder than ever before! We are about to raise our volume! Oh, and it’s not to annoy anyone. It’s not to confront; it’s not volume for the purpose of provoking or exacerbating discord and hatred. Quite the opposite! Love cannot be silent; truth cannot be silent; compassion cannot be silenced; mercy cannot be silent! Acts 2:14: «And Peter stood up and raised his voice.»
There is a generation of Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered, Bible-believing, devil-rebuking, demon-binding, blood-washed, cultural reformers and societal architects that are about to rise up! If you’re ready to raise your volume, lift up your hands! The moment I—on multiple occasions—from the White House to Congress to what we do in Hollywood, I’ve had people literally tell me, «Hey, Sam.» I’m not making this up. If you lower your volume… I don’t mean about the volume. I mean if you stop being so vociferous about your commitment to Jesus…
Never Lower Your Volume
I do a lot of interviews on Fox and CNN and different networks, and in every interview, I have a commitment with them that I will mention Jesus. It’s funny because I get invited for different subject matters—not just faith issues, immigration, education, global geopolitical issues—things like that. And for whatever reason—and in the interview, I’m with Shannon on Fox News or Sean Hannity or whoever it may be—and they’re interviewing me, and it could be something totally non-faith-related, but I’ll wrap up and they’ll go, «What do you think about the geopolitical implications for Jerusalem with the embassy being moved from Tel Aviv?» and I’ll respond something like, «With the geopolitical ramifications.» And then I finish. «Because at the end of the day, there’s still power in the name of Jesus!» But they bring me back: «Hey, Jesus!» That’s it! Never lower your volume! Don’t lower your volume!
Leaving Things Behind
Anybody standing? You are standing! Open your eyes to leaving things behind. Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. For you, that may be a random act for a poor blind man who is a beggar. That coat is one of his few possessions. By throwing aside his coat, he is conveying a message. By hearing the voice of the Messiah, he’s already saying, «I don’t live there anymore!» Oh, you missed that! I’m not that anymore! I just encountered Jesus! I am not even… and already I’m not what I used to be!
I need you to shake your neighbor! Tell him I’m not who I used to be! Well, tell him, tell him, I’m not who I used to be! I don’t talk the way I used to; I don’t think the way I used to; I don’t walk the way I used to; I don’t even pray the way I used to; I don’t live the way I used to. I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live—yet not I, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20. You’re not where you used to be because you’re not who you used to be.
Follow Jesus
What God places upon you is directly proportional to what you’re willing to put aside for Him. When you let go of the things that define you as a beggar, He will place upon you the anointing that will define you as a believer. «What do you want me to do for you?» Jesus asked. What a question! The blind man said, «I want to see.» Jesus said, «Go; your faith has healed you.» Instantly, the man could see, and he followed Jesus on the road.
Follow Jesus! God conquers; we possess! Our children inherit! God conquers; we possess! Our children inherit! All we have to do is put aside the coat, let Him open up our eyes to what we have never seen before, and follow Him! And it all began because he was willing to raise his volume!
Prophetic Act: Raise Your Volume
So here’s how we’re going to wrap right now: I’m going to count to three, you’re going to raise your volume—not just as a part of the gathering in the atmosphere but as a prophetic act! Like, «God, I will never permit any circumstance to put me on mute!» Who you are in me, with me, for me, and through me will never be muted! I will never be ashamed of who You are, regardless of who I’m with, where I’m at, or whatever circumstance I’m going through! I will raise my volume! My volume will never be muted again!
Quite the opposite: if the devil knew better, he would leave you alone! Because every time he comes against you, you have a contract—after today—that if the enemy comes against you, you’re going to raise your volume like you’ve never raised your volume! With me right now: if all hell breaks out against you, raise your volume! On the count of one, two, three—somebody shout like you know that Jesus is! Raise your volume! Come on, Planetshakers! Sound like you know! Go! Raise your volume! Raise your volume! Raise! Raise! Raise!
Commitment to Loud Faith
Me! You don’t like you know that the devil’s been defeated! Somebody pray like nothing can stand in your way! Please, we’ve got four minutes here! Anyone here who says, «Pastor Sam, I permitted things to just maybe—just a little—lower my voice…» just a little. Hmm… just «ooh.» And today, God’s telling me the moment I refuse to lower the volume—the moment I refuse—and I’m going to be honest, there was a temptation there, because it comes with promises.
I was told, «You lower that; you stop being about Jesus.» For example, «More movies in Hollywood, more stuff, more this, more that.» And God just said, «Ha ha ha ha!» He just reminded me. God reminded me. He’s reminding me of a little thing: «The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away!» So I said, «I’m not playing that game!» Because the same God who opened the doors is the same God who will sustain you.
Final Call to Raise Volume
If that’s you, if you’re willing to say today, «I’m going to raise my volume in all aspects of my life—whatever fear, be it wherever God has placed you, whatever area in the marketplace, whatever your calling may be. Whether you’re in high school, you’re in college right now, you’re in your relationship, in your future, in your dream and your purpose and your assignment, wherever I’m at—this whole thing about just silent Christianity comes to an end right here, right now. I’m going to raise my volume through my testimony, through my love, through my compassion, through my integrity.»
If that’s you, if you’re—of my societal architects and cultural reformers, all of my politicians that are here, all of my doctors and scientists and educators, all of my—this is Planetshakers! You don’t just shift the atmosphere; you create the atmosphere! I need you to understand that! Oh, my creatives! All of my artists at the three, jump out of your seat! Get ready to raise the volume! Go, go, go, go, go, go!
Anointing and Declaration
Lift up your—oh, I sense the Lord! Lift up your hands! Lift up your hands! Lift up your hands! Listen, lift them up! Lift them up! Lift them up! There’s an anointing right now. There’s an anointing; there’s an authority; there’s an anointing just by you stepping out! Somebody raise your volume! Thank you, baby! Baby, with your hands raised! Raise your volume! Raise your volume! Raise your volume!
Privately and publicly, you should be louder Monday through Saturday than what you are here on Sunday! Again, it’s way beyond your praising, your worship, but it’s about your testimony—the volume of your integrity, your pursuit of righteousness, exemplifying Christ, which is the glory of God! You’re about to see something amazing take place! Put aside that beggar coat! You’re not who you used to be! You don’t live there anymore! It’s not who you are! The moment Jesus shows up, you’re no longer a beggar!
God Opens Doors
That’s what the man putting this aside meant! «I’m not who I used to be!» Just by hearing Him—just by Him communicating in His presence—you’re no longer a beggar! Lift up your hands! God’s gonna open doors that no man can close! No man! There’s not a devil in hell or a demon on earth that can shut down what God is opening in your favor! You will change the world for the glory of Christ, because your volume—your commitment to biblical orthodoxy, which is a fancy term for the truth of the Gospel, the authoritative Word of God—your commitment to eternal truth—your commitment to the fullness of Christ—never quenching the Holy Spirit!
Because of that, God’s going to give you platforms where you can shine His light. Matthew 5:14–16, John 1:5. We’re about to see darkness flee through your life! More people will come to Jesus as Lord and Savior this year through your testimony than all your previous years combined! In the name of Jesus! The kingdom of heaven will advance in your specific area like never before!
Final Prayer and Declaration
So, with your hands raised, repeat after me: «Today, I open my eyes by opening my mouth! Today I’m fully committed! Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, all that I am, all that I hope to be-fully committed to raising the volume. I will never be silent; I will never be on mute! I will raise my volume on good days and bad days, on sunny days and rainy days, on days when everyone loves me and on days when I don’t even like myself! I will raise the volume! The world will know You through me! In the name of Jesus, Amen!»