Steven Furtick - You Have Nothing To Prove (10/30/2018)
In this New Year's message on fresh anointing from 1 Samuel 16, the preacher shows how God chose and anointed young David despite being overlooked, emphasizing that a fresh outpouring of the Spirit empowers us for our current assignments, values the unseen, and frees us from proving ourselves since God already approves us.
Receiving a Fresh Anointing for the New Year
And I want you to know that God has a full horn of oil to give you a fresh anointing of his spirit today for this year. And all you got to do is get close and receive it. Receive a fresh anointing. The anointing will empower me and equip me and enable me to accomplish my assignment, given to me by God. I love verse 4. It's very simple, but if we could do this this year, we would succeed in every spiritual thing. It says, verse 4, Samuel did what the Lord said. I should just walk off the stage right now, so do that. But without the anointing of God to enable us to be obedient, we'll become legalistic trying to do what we think God wants us to do or what God wants somebody else to do. And that's why we need the anointing. That's why we need God's spirit. This is the secret weapon that the enemy doesn't want you to know about.
And it says, when he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him and they asked, you come in peace? Because they didn't know what kind of word from God this would be. Because every time God speaks, he doesn't speak just to make you feel good. And every time God opens his mouth, they didn't just to tell you how wonderful you are. Sometimes he wants to show you some things that are out of order. And they didn't know quite what this visit was about. Samuel replied, yes, in peace. I've come to sacrifice to the Lord. Check out my heifer. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.
God Looks at the Heart, Not Outward Appearance
I want you to hang on to verse 5, part B. So when I circle back, you'll be ready. It says, then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, verse 6, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord. But the Lord said to Samuel, great verse, great verse, do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. Remember this while you're making your resolutions this year. The Lord does not look at the size of your waist first. He looks at the size of your heart. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. Hallelujah. People look at the outward appearance. But the Lord looks at the heart.
It's so hard, Albie, because every verse I come to, I just want to take off and preach. Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel, but Samuel said the Lord hadn't chosen this one either. Jesse had Shammel pass by, but Samuel said, nor has the Lord chosen this one. Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, none of them are chosen. Sorry, they're handsome. Eliab almost had me at hello, but. I'm not the one making the choice, and this is not the starting lineup. I know they're your boys and all that, but we have to choose the one that God has chosen.
He asked Jesse… I love this line. Are these all the sons you have? Is this all you got? Watch how our afterthought is often God's plan A. Jesse said, There is still the youngest, but he's out back. He's tending sheep. He didn't need to come. He's only. 10, 11, 12, 13. We don't know exactly how old, but we know that his voice was still a little high at this point in his development. Samuel said, and this is what the Spirit will always say, no matter what people think about you, no matter what people say about you, no matter if people like you or no matter if they see something in you, when God has anointed you and chosen you, Samuel said, send for him. We will not sit down until he arrives.
The Overlooked One Becomes God's Chosen
So, I love it because the one who originally wasn't even invited now has a standing invitation from God, and this is the way that God often works. So, he sent for him and had him brought in. Verse 12. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. That's kind of interesting to me that God put that in because in verse 7 he said God doesn't look at the outward appearance, but then it included the detail that he was good-looking but is saying that he might have had the outward appearance, but he wasn't chosen because of the outward appearance. It's not that outward appearances are never. It's just that outward appearances are not ultimately important, and the way it seems is not always the way God sees it. So there's a difference between appearing to be something and really being something.
So what I'm trying to say is, all of Jesse's sons looked good, but only David was chosen for the task. How do I know? Verse 12, part b. Then the Lord said, Rise and anoint him. This is the one. This is the one. Real cool, huh? I love how David wasn't even there in the showroom, and yet he's the one God had in mind all along.
Affirmations from David's Anointing
I want you to write this down as affirmation number two. Just because I'm not visible doesn't mean I'm not valuable. Can I talk about this for a minute? David wasn't consecrated by the others, but he was chosen by God. David was left out by the others, but he was set apart by God. And as this year begins, the majority of us feel in an area of our lives like nobody is looking at all that we're doing, and nobody is appreciating all the effort that we're exerting.
It would have been very easy for young David to get a complex. I mean, what would it hurt to at least let him come in the room? Even if you don't think he's the one, what will it matter? At least he'll get to see his big brother get chosen to be king. At least he could be in the picture afterwards. At least when you hashtag it, it can say David too. At least you can tag him. Come on. What would it have hurt to have him in the room? But I believe he was left out because God wanted to show that it's often the people who feel left out that are actually the ones that God has set apart for his special purpose.
If they were holding an election to anoint the next king, it wouldn't have been David, but God doesn't consult nominating committees. Not for David, not for you. I want you to know that if you feel undervalued, unseen, unremarkable… I'm talking about the way your kids treat you, where your boss treats you, the way you treat you, and the way many of you think that God is treating you. I want you to know that invisibility is not an indication of unimportance. No, no, no. David wasn't forgotten that day. He was hidden.
Hidden by God Means Valuable to God
See, you hide stuff you really care about. And I grew up in a home with two large men. My dad was a big dude. My brother was a big dude. So anytime I had some food that I really wanted… I'm talking about my Easter candy… I had to hide it. Yeah. You know, the stuff you put out isn't really the stuff that you want to eat. It's the stuff that you put away. Yeah. And just because it's not visible doesn't mean it's not valuable. In fact, a lot of times, the more invisible it is, the more valuable it becomes.
We know this because Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 that the parts of the body that we don't see are actually sometimes more valuable than the parts of the body we do see. In other words, you can live without your pinky. You can't live without your liver because just because it's invisible to you doesn't mean that it's not valuable to the function. And that's the truth in a church. And that's the truth in a family. It's not just the dude with the microphone that makes it happen. There's somebody doing something right now that you're not seeing that's making the microphone work.
Yeah, I'm talking into it, but if somebody doesn't turn it on and if somebody doesn't send it out, how in the world are they going to watch this sermon in Toronto? Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not significant. Come on, let this help you now. Don't waste energy trying to get people to notice you. When God knows where you are, nobody else has to notice it all. You're still valuable. You're important.
Saved for Something Special
I got these shoes, y'all. I got these shoes. I wore them when I preached for Christmas. They were given to me by some of our staff members. They gave them to me at Pastor Appreciation Month. I was so excited when they gave them to me. That was back in October. I put them on a shelf because I was saving them for Christmas. When I wore them to the Christmas party, one of the staff members who gave it to me, he said, I'm so glad you don't hate those shoes. I said, Hate them. I love these shoes. These shoes are amazing. I've been saving these shoes. He said, Oh, good. When we saw week after week after week go by and you never wore them, we thought he hates them. We've totally failed. We have no taste in shoes. I said, No, quite the contrary. I liked them so much. I put them up and I picked the event that would be the biggest event of the year.
Sometimes when God puts you on a shelf and you're unseen by others, it's because he's saving you for something that's so significant. You just can't be worn out anywhere. You just can't be worn out for anything. No, no, no. He's saving you for something special. Touch three people. Tell them he saved me for something. He saved me for something. I thought he didn't like me, but it turns out he likes me so much. He hid me to protect me and preserve me. Oh, he saved me for something. He's saving me for something. And just because you can't see it right now doesn't mean he hasn't anointed me for something special. I'm encouraging people today. That's what I do. Help people see that the way it looks isn't always the way it is. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at something deeper. He doesn't anoint you just to look the part, but to live the part. He's saving you for something.
Key Affirmations for the Year
Let's preach point one and two before we venture into new territory. Number one, repeat after me. I am anointed to accomplish my assignment. Number two, just because I'm not visible doesn't mean I'm not valuable. And the same thing goes for some of the disciplines that God wants to create or reignite in your life this year as well. Just because something that God's telling you to do isn't visible doesn't mean it's not valuable. Some of the stuff that God will use to prepare you and also to develop you and equip you will be in those unseen places.
My pastor, Craig Groeschel, is fond of saying, it's the things that no one sees that produces the result that everyone wants. I totally screwed up his quote and I'm gonna try it again. He said, and he says it much better. He said, it's the things that no one sees that produce the results that everyone wants. Was it better that time when I said it right? Yeah, yeah. And just because it's not visible doesn't mean it's not valuable.
Greater Anointing for the Same Assignment
Let's move along in the text. Verse 13, it says, So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, not because Jesse thought it was a good idea. And you know, Eliab didn't like it. But because God anointed David, quit investing all of the energy of your life into trying to get other people to pour something on you. Because when God picks you, he empties the whole horn all at once. And when he becomes the horn of your salvation and the hope of your affirmation, your life takes on a brand new confidence, a brand new value.
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. And from that day on, the Spirit of the Lord, anointing of God, came powerfully upon David. And Samuel then went to Ramah. Now I'm going to skip the next few verses because I'll hit them next week. Please, this series will require your frequency and attendance. We're going to do this like a Floyd Mayweather fight. We're not going to knock this thing out in the first round. We're going to go the distance and we're going to beat Goliath, but we've got to work our way into it.
But I did want to point out verse 19 because David is anointed and the next time we see David, he is not being fitted. He's not on a float waving at his subjects. Verse 19 says that Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me your son, David, who is with the sheep. This is very confusing because after you're anointed, filled by God, encouraged by God, this happens a lot in church. You know, you get hyped up, word of hope. You think that you're going to the after party, but then God sends you right back to the sheep field.
Back to the Sheep with Fresh Oil
So next time we see David, he's dripping with oil, anointed, next king, but he still smells like sheep. And what I wanted to say about this, this is the third affirmation I want you to write down. I don't need a better assignment to experience a greater anointing. We always think that for God to do more in our lives means that he's going to give us something different and better to do. A lot of people in ministry think this. They're serving in ministry and they keep thinking like that God's going to give them a promotion in the form of different activities.
And what we often don't understand is that God wants me to have a greater anointing, equipment, empowerment, enablement for the same activity and assignment I was already doing. I shut down all my amens now, because at the point I had it, it was like, here comes the promotion. When God's chosen you, here comes the oil. Get ready. You're about to get filled up with the Spirit of God. He's taking a new place. No, no, no. He might send you right back out with the sheep. He doesn't always promise a new activity with every fresh anointing.
Empowered to Persist in Your Calling
I've been preaching at this church alone for eight years. I've been doing the same thing. Preaching. Preached hard when it was 121. I preach hard now that there are more than 121, and next week I'll preach again. See, the activity, the assignment hasn't really changed. It's just that the anointing of God is hopefully increasing so I can do it more effectively. Here's what I'm afraid of. How can God empower us to do something that we're trying to escape from? Like, God, give me a greater anointing. Code word, new job. No.
I want you to learn how to tend sheep like a king. I need to teach you something, David, in the field that will make you fit to wear the crown. Because how are you going to lead people if you can't lead sheep? They're very similar. They're both stupid. So here's your seminary. Get back out and shovel the sheep stuff. Yeah, but I got oil on my head. Well, you're about to have something else on your hands because you're still a Shepherd for now. And so don't wait for a better assignment.
Boy, I tell you, if I had a wife like he does… Well, you don't. You don't. You don't have a wife like he does. You have a wife like you chose. Oh. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You picked her out. Nobody arranged it. And so it's not like, oh, God, when my kids get at different stages, then I'll be a better parent. You're probably going to be the same kind of parent, just with more bigger issues. Because now they're not just going to be like messing stuff up in the house. They're going to be crashing into stuff in an automobile that moves down the road.
And then so if you don't learn how to do this now and have a greater anointing on this assignment, how in the world are you going to go to college when you ain't even studying for junior high? Come on, somebody. I just want to preach like you, man. How do you get started preaching? Do you ever share the gospel with anybody at school or anything like that? Because that would be a good start. And then your anointing can develop.
The Field Prepares You for the Fight
One of the things we're going to see… I just want to sneak preview for a minute, because I can't totally wait to get to Goliath on week three. It's when David says in 1 Samuel 17, 37, I think, where he says, Don't worry. I'll kill this giant. He said, Because the same God who delivered me… I know the Scriptures are in there somewhere. I might have said the wrong verse. The same God, the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go. It was the permission from Saul that was born out of David's sheep herding days to fight a greater battle.
What am I trying to say? The field makes you fit for the fight. If the anointing of God is in you, you can take it to dirty places. You can take the anointing of God with you into whatever assignment you have and say, Hey, you know what? I may smell like sheep, but I'm dripping with oil, and I'm filled with the Spirit, and Christ is in me, and I'm anointed to do this, so I'm going to do it.
One guy who helps me a lot in ministry, he tells me this all the time. All the time. It's like a broken record. It used to get on my nerves. It felt like the iPod got stuck on repeat. He'd always say to me, he'd say, Just keep doing what you do. Just keep doing what you do. And I'm like, Well, yeah, I think I will. I don't have much other options. Just keep doing what you do.
Keep Doing What You Do with Fresh Power
And you know what? A lot of preaching around this time of year will focus on new activities you need to incorporate into your life. But what if the Word of God for you this year is just keep doing what you do? David! You're the one! David! Go take care of those sheep! Nothing's changing about your assignment, but now you're going to do it with a greater anointing, because you've got a greater awareness, because the Spirit of the Lord… Look at it. It says, the Spirit of the Lord… I have to show you again. I have to show you again.
It says in verse 13, it says, Part B, And from that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David, not to be the king, but as a kid. And the same anointing that powerfully worked in him as a kid keeping sheep was the same anointing that would make him the greatest king that Israel ever knew. What we need in our lives is a fresh anointing. We need more power, but maybe it's not more power for a promotion. Maybe it's more power for persistence in our current situation.
When you keep doing what you do, you'll become who God has always known you really are. You'll discover the power of God that is inside of you, and know that a New Year's sermon is supposed to talk about everything that's new that's coming into your life. But what if God wants you to do some of the same old stuff with a brand new passion? Will you receive that kind of anointing?
Look, it was at least four years before David ever even saw Goliath. At least four years. So a fresh anointing doesn't automatically mean a better assignment. It just means that you're going to have a clearer sense of purpose going into everything that you do. I said to somebody the other day, sometimes I feel like I preach the same sermon every weekend just a bunch of different ways, and the sermon is this. Wherever you are, God is with you. Now go with him and make a difference with what you have.
Living Approved and Free from Performance
God, give these people a greater anointing, and then no whoosh transported. No whoosh automatic improvements in your circumstance or situation, but the power of God comes inside of you, rising to new levels, showing you new perspectives, giving you a clearer sense of purpose and a greater sense of power than ever before. I am anointed to accomplish my assignment, my current assignment. Just because I'm not visible doesn't mean I'm not valuable. God's saving me for something. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And number three… What is it? I don't remember. I don't need…. Touch somebody next to you and say, keep doing what you do, keep doing what you do, but don't do it like you've always done it. Keep doing what you do, but do it with a greater sense of awareness than ever before this year of the one who is in you. That's what Paul said. He said, Philippians 4. 13, I can do all things through Christ, the anointed one, who strengthens me. I can do anything, anywhere, anytime, through Christ.
Keep doing what you do. If God doesn't change the situation, he'll increase your strength to meet the demands of the situation. Keep doing what you do. Keep being who you are. Keep trusting the same God who delivered you from the lion and the bear. He'll be there when you fight Goliath if you'll keep doing what he gave you to do. Just keep doing what he gave you to do. And when you stop trying to escape it, God can actually empower you to walk through it.
I'm almost done. You got time for number four? Did y'all see that Gatorade? That's not a Gatorade commercial. It looked like a Gatorade commercial. It was a Dr. Pepper commercial, which is kind of interesting to me because it's got all these athletes, but they're promoting Dr. Pepper, which is the secret to success in any athletic endeavor. If you want to be an elite athlete, drink a bunch of Dr. Pepper. I saw a commercial. I liked it. It said, I am one of one. I like that phrase because what they're saying is, you know, I'm unique. I'm one of a kind, all that. But it's like I'm a limited edition.
And I guess that's my favorite thing about the anointing. The anointing sets me free to realize that I have nothing to prove and only one to please. Just put that on your mirror or something, you know, on your visor. So before you get to the place where you're going, you got to deal with them. You can just look at the thing on the visor, and before you see them, you can see that and say, I got nothing to prove and only one to please. I'm not talking about your mother-in-law. I'm talking about God Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, and I'm talking about one. I got nothing to prove. The anointing frees you up to live that way. Not that I live that way perfectly, but I'm growing in it.
One of One: Approved by God
Just to realize that I am one of one. That when God sends for me, he knows exactly where I am. You remember that sermon I preached, Christine, called Cancel the Audition? I was preaching about how sometimes we spend our whole lives trying out for a part that God has already given us, and how sad that is. Instead of trying out, we just have to live out what God has already put inside of us.
See, life only becomes hard when you start trying out for a God who has already said that he's pleased with you because of Jesus. That's when it gets hard. If you're just living out of the overflow, if I'm just preaching to you the overflow of what God has given me, and I'm just preaching to be faithful and accomplish my assignment. Preaching isn't that hard. It's when I start trying out, when I'm up here like, like trying to make sure this is the best sermon ever because you know, every six days you want to hear something new. You've been the best one ever.
And when I, when I, when I live under that pressure, man, that will crush you. My God, that'll destroy you. That'll destroy you as a student. That'll destroy you as an athlete. That'll destroy you as a parent. That'll destroy you as a businessman when you're trying to prove something. And what I love about the anointing of God is that it indicates his pre-approval. If God calls you a king when you're only 10 years old, then you're a king. And maybe that's why David was such a good king. You know, he made mistakes. Sure. But he always came back to knowing, I have nothing to prove because God chose me for this. And I only have one person to please. Only one.
Turn to the person next to you and say, and it's not you. I'm one of one. That means I'm limited edition. I just wanted you to know at the beginning of the year, I know it's a pretty standard message, you know, but I didn't, I didn't want us to just go to accomplishment and fighting battles and like, we got to win, we got to go, we got to do it without just saying like right now. We're not fighting battles to prove something to God and to people. We're fighting the battles to establish what God has already proven to be true, and that is, he is with us and for us and in us.
A New Beginning with Fresh Oil
And see, seven sons passed by Samuel. Seven sons, seven, the number of completion, perfection. But it was the eighth son, number eight. Now eight is the number of new beginnings. So this passage begins with a fresh horn of oil and God saying, move on. I've got a greater plan and purpose. Fill your horn with oil. There's a fresh anointing. And the passage ends with the eighth son walking by, the one nobody expected. What's God saying? It's a new beginning. A new king. A new beginning from an unlikely place and an unexpected candidate. It's a new beginning.
And I just declare over your life today. It's a new beginning. It's a new beginning. Anytime you decide to receive it, it's a new beginning. It's going to be the same battles, the same responsibilities, but a new perspective, new priorities, renewed passion, a renewed spirit, and energized and empowered and equipped and enabled you is rising up. Because if Christ is in you, you can do it. You're anointed to accomplish your assignment. You might not be visible, but you're that much more valuable. You might not get a better assignment, but you're leaving here today with a greater anointing, and you have nothing to prove, because you're already approved, and you only have one person to please. So fix your eyes on him and receive what only he can give.