You Have Nothing To Prove

And I want you to know that God has a

full horn of oil to give you a fresh annoying

of His spirit today for this year, and all you

got to do is get close and receive it.

Receive a fresh annoying.

The annoying will empower me and equip me and enable me.

To accomplish my assignment given to me by God. I

love Verse four. It's very simple.

But if we could do this this year, we would

succeed in every spiritual thing, says verse or.

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, will 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 annoying.

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. And 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. I

want you to hang on the verse five, part B,

so when I circle back, you'd be ready, it says.

Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them

to the sacrifice. When they arrived verse six, Samuel saw

elieb and thought, surely the lord's annoying. It 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 of me because every.

Verse I come to, I just want to take off

and preach.

Focus, verdict, Focus.

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front

of Samuel, but Samuel said the Lord had chosen this

one either eh. Jesse had Shamo passed by, but Samuel said,

nor is the Lord chosen this one.

Jesse had seven of.

His sons passed before Samuel, but Samuel said to him,

none of them are chosen. Sorry, they're handsome. Eliab almost

had me you.

Know that, hello, But 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 you know we got to choose the

one that God has chosen. And so he asked, Jesse,

I love this line. Are these all the sons you have?

Is this all you got?

Now?

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 ten, eleven,

twelve thirteen. We don't know exactly how old, but we

know that his voice was still a little.

High at this point in his development.

And 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,

sin for him.

We will not sit down until he arrives.

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

sinned for him and had him brought. In verse twelve,

he was glowing with health and had a fine appearance

and handsome features. And that's kind of interesting to me

that God put that. And then because in verse seven

he said that God doesn't look at the outward appearance,

but then it included the detail that he was good looking.

But it's saying that he might have had the outward appearance,

but he wasn't chosen because of the outward appearance. It

is not that outward appearances are never important. It's just

that outward appearances are not ultimately important, and the way

it seems is not always the way God sees it.

And so there's a difference.

Between appearing to be something and really being something. And

so what I'm trying to say is all of Jesse's

sons look good, but only David was chosen for the task.

How do I know?

Verse twelve, Part B. Then the Lord said rise and

annoying 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 that God.

Had in mind all along.

I want you to write this down his affirmation number two.

Just because I'm not visible doesn't.

Mean I'm not valuable. Yeah, it is pretty good.

Just because I'm not visible, that 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.

And 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.

And 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. M hm, no, no, no,

David wasn't forgotten that day he was hidden.

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, Yeah I'm talking about my Easter candy, I

had to hide it.

Yeah.

You know, the stuff you put out in 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 value. In fact, a lot of times, the more

invisible it is, the more valuable it becomes. We know

this because Paul said and First Corinthians chapter twelve, 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,

I 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. I got these shoes, y'all.

I got these shoes. I wore them.

I wore them when I preached for Christmas, and they

were given to me by some of our staff members.

They gave them to me a pastor appreciation month. I

was so excited when they gave them to me.

That was back in October, and I put them on

a shelf.

Because I was saving them for Christmas. And 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. And saving these shoes, he said, oh good.

When we saw week after week after week go bye,

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 like them so much.

I put them up.

And I picked the event that would be the biggest

event of the year. And See, 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 him he's saved

me for something. He saved me for something. He's 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. This is 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, and he doesn't

annoint you just to look the part, but to live

the part.

He's saving you for something.

Let's preach point one and two before we venture into

new territory. Number one. Repeat after me. I am anointing

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 re ignite 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. So some of the

stuff that that God will use to prepare you and

and also to develop you and equip you will be

in those unseen places. My pastor, Craig Grochelle, is fond

of saying, it's the things that no one sees that

produces the result that know that everyone wants.

I totally screwed up his quote.

I'm gonna try again, he said, and he says it

much better. He said, it's it's the things that no

one sees that produce the results.

That everyone wants.

Was it better at that time when I said, all right, yeah,

And just because it's not visible doesn't mean it's not valuable.

Let's move along.

In the text, verse thirteen, 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.

Of God came powerfully upon David. And Samuel then went

to Radma.

Now I'm gonna skip the next few verses because I

hit him next week. Please, this series will require your

frequency and attendance. We're gonna do this like a Floyd

Mayweather fight. We're not gonna knock this thing out in

the first round. We're gonna go the distance, and we're

gonna we're gonna, We're gonna, we're gonna beat Goliath, but

we gotta work our way into it. But I did

want to point out verse nineteen because David is anointed,

and the next time we see David, he is.

Not being fitted h He's not on a float waving

into subjects.

Verse nineteen says that Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said,

send me your son David, who is with the sheep.

This is very confusing because you're anointed, filled by God,

encouraged by God. This happens a lot in church. You know,

you get hyped up, gets word of hope and go.

You think that you're going to the after party, but

then God sends you right back to.

The sheep field.

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 about to get filled up with the spearit

of guys, take you new playe. 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.

I've been preaching at this church alone for eight years.

I've been doing the same thing, preaching preached hard when

it was one hundred and twenty.

I preach hard now that there are more than one

hundred and twenty one.

And next week I'll preach again and 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. And here's what I'm afraid of.

How can God empower us to do something that we're

trying to escape from. Look, God, give me a greater

annoying 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

gonna lead people if you can't lead sheep. They're very similar,

they're both stupid. So here's 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

and so don't wait for a better assignment.

Well, I'll tell you if I had a wife like

like he does, Well you don't. You don't.

You don't have a wife like 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,

look God, when my kids get at different stages, then

I'll be a better parent.

You're probably gonna be in kind.

Of parent, just with more bigger issues, because now they're

not just gonna be like messing stuff up in the house,

they're gonna 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 you gonna

go to college when you ain't even studying for junior high.

Come off, somebody, I just want to preach, like you, man,

who do you get start preaching?

Do you ever share the Gospel with anybody, like at

school or anything like that, because that'd be a good start,

and then your annoying can develop one.

Of the things we're gonna see.

I just want to sneak preview for a minute because I.

Can't totally wait to get to Goliath on week three.

And it's when David says in for Samuel seventeen thirty seven.

I think where he says, don't worry, I'll kill this giant.

He said, cause the same God who delivered me. I

know the scriptures 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 Gough.

It was the permission from.

Saul that was born out out of out of David's

sheep hurting days to fight a greater battle.

What am I trying to say?

The field makes you fit for the fight. And so

if the anoying of God is in you, you can

take it.

To dirty places.

You can take the anoying of God with you into

whatever assignment that 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 gonna.

Do it.

When God, who helps me a lot in ministry, he

tells me this all the time, all the time.

It's like a broken record used to get on my nerves,

felt like the iPod got stuck on repeat.

He always say to me, he 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.

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.

Daydad, you're the one. Day Dad, go take care of

those sheep. Nothing's changing about your assignment. But now you're

gonna 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 gotta show you again. I got to show you again,

he said. In verse thirteen, it says Barbie.

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 annoying.

That powerfully worked in him as a kid keeping sheep

was the same annoying that would make him the greatest

king that Israel ever knew.

And what we need in our lives is a fresh annoying.

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. And when you keep doing what you do,

you'll become God has always known that you really are.

You'll discover the power of God that.

Is inside of you.

I 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. Where

you received that kind of annoying look, it was at

least four years before David ever even solved Goliath.

At least four years.

So a fresh annoying thing 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 appreciate the same sermon every weekend, just a

bunch of different ways. And the sermon is this, like,

wherever you are, God is with you. Now go with

him and make a difference with what you have. God

give give these people a greater annoying thing, and then

no woosh transported, no woosh automatic improvements in your circumstances, 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 annoying say it to accomplish

my assignment.

My current assignment.

Ah, say the second one just because I'm not visible

doesn't mean I'm not valuable.

God saving me for something. Yeah? Yeah? And number three?

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 Philippius four thirteen.

I can do all things through Christ, the anointing 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 the lion 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've got

time for number four. Did y'all see that Gatorade. That's

not a Gatorade commercial. Look like a Gatorade commercial. It

was a doctor Pepper commercial, which is kind of interesting

to me because it's got all these athletes, but they're

promoting doctor pepper, which is the secret to success in

any athletic and endeavor. I you're gonna be an leade athlete,

drink a bunch of doctor pepper. But I saw a

commercial I like to this said, I am one of one.

I like that phrase because what they're what they're 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 limit addition.

And I guess that's my favorite thing about the annoying.

The annoying 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 don't talk about your mother in law, talk about God,

almighty maker of heaven and earth, and I'll talk about

one to I got nothing to prove.

The annointing frees you up to live that way. Not

that I live that way perfectly, but I'm growing.

In it, 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 preach 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.

And then 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. And that's when it gets hard,

you know, if you're just living out of the overflow.

If I'm just preaching to you of 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?

Is 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, the best one ever. And when

I live under that pressure, man 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 annoying of God is

that it indicates his preapproval. If God calls you a

king when you're only ten 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,

you say, and it's not you.

I'm one of one. That means un a 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 gotta win, we gotta go, you gotta 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 bore us and in us. And see seven

sons passed by Samuel.

Seven sons seven number of completion perfection.

But it was an eighth son. Number eight. Now eight

is the number of new beginnings.

So this passage begins with a fresh horn of oil,

and God's saying, move on, I've got a greater plan

and purpose.

Fill your horn with oil.

There's a fresh annoying 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. Any time

you decide to receive it, it's a new beginning. It's

gonna 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.

Yeah, you might not get a.

Better assignment, but you're leaving here today with.

A greater anoying.

And you got nothing to prove because you're already approved,

and you only got what person to please, So fix

your eyes on him.

And received what only he aga