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Covered For Greater 2 | Exodus 29:1-14 | Pastor Walter Bowers Jr.

Chosen City Church Sermons

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  1. Stay in that vein right there.

  2. Now I want y'all to quiet it down for a minute.

  3. Stay right there though.

  4. We just quiet it out.

  5. I want to show you something.

  6. Cause some of us are visual learners.

  7. And we're in this sermon series called You Have Been Covered for Greater.

  8. Y'all keep playing, y'all keep playing.

  9. Cause when I show y'all this, we finna turn up one more time.

  10. I told y'all last week we're in this sermon series called You've Been Covered for Greater.

  11. Everybody said covered for greater.

  12. And last week I I I shared the testimony of one of our partners.

  13. He's a quiet man of God.

  14. And I said, you know, he may not necessarily want public attention.

  15. But the Lord didn't keep him for a reason.

  16. Or not for just any reason.

  17. I talked about one of our partners.

  18. So you talk about the faithfulness of God and God being so faithful.

  19. I talked about one of our partners who's a public servant that was involved in a crash that made national news.

  20. He was involved in a crash that should have ended his life.

  21. Come here, Calvin.

  22. I saw you.

  23. Come here, Calvin.

  24. I don't know if the wife and baby here.

  25. See, he's been covered for greater.

  26. He's a new father.

  27. He's a new father.

  28. He's a relatively new husband.

  29. Y'all don't know this, but there was a season in his life where he didn't know whether or not he would even be able to have a child.

  30. And I just remember me and my wife and many others got with them privately to pray for a public blessing.

  31. And I never forget the soiree two years ago when they shared with us that they were with child.

  32. But what was interesting about this man of God, he said he was intentional.

  33. He said he he was wanting a son so that his his name and the family name could continue.

  34. He was praying for a son.

  35. He said, I'm grateful for whatever the Lord blessed me with, but Lord, I would certainly like a son.

  36. And so then when God blesses him with a son, this is what it means to be covered.

  37. There was no way that the Lord was about to bless him with a son and let the traps of the enemy take his life.

  38. Y'all saw it on WSOC TV, this man of God doing his duty, keeping us safe.

  39. A Tesla crosses the center line and hits him head on.

  40. Showing media team what I'm talking about.

  41. So they can see visually what it means to be covered, so they can see visually what it means that when God has his hand on your life, that no demon in hell, no weapon formed against you shall prosper.

  42. They're getting it loaded, and we're gonna shout because the Lord has been faithful.

  43. There it is.

  44. So don't tell me that God is not faithful.

  45. I need some people in the room that said the enemy's plan was to take this new father out.

  46. The enemy's plan was to take this new husband out.

  47. But God has been too faithful.

  48. And he said, I didn't bring you this far just to leave you now.

  49. Somebody said I can never repay you, Lord, for what you've done for me.

  50. You've been you've been so faithful.

  51. Lord have mercy.

  52. I feel something in your family.

  53. I know you're strong man of God on the inside.

  54. And I know you may not normally run around and dance like crazy past the wall.

  55. It's that three days that come out of the three days that come out of the boy, what the enemy for the boy.

  56. The enemy stay.

  57. I don't want to do this.

  58. I need to watch him within the room.

  59. I need to watch him within the room.

  60. Give us some glory.

  61. But not what he got for the challenge.

  62. But giving him some glory.

  63. But what he's about to do for you.

  64. Oh my god! What my worship was up in the room.

  65. Hey, media team! Do a fabulous, give me a little bit more on the monitors and put that picture back up on the screen.

  66. Give me a little bit more on the monitors, there we go.

  67. Oh, oh! Why they dance?

  68. Cause somebody might not know why we but by the grace of God, there'll go out.

  69. And if the low I can keep you, guess what?

  70. He can keep me.

  71. Hey! It's a reminder that God is gonna finish with this body.

  72. Hold on, hold on, hold on.

  73. Lord have mercy.

  74. I didn't know his father was here.

  75. I didn't know his father was here.

  76. That hit different.

  77. See, it's his father's friend that's been keeping him on the highway.

  78. His father's a man of God.

  79. Lord have mercy.

  80. I didn't know his father was here.

  81. Good God Almighty.

  82. Lord have mercy.

  83. I got another remix for y'all.

  84. I got one more remix for y'all.

  85. And we gon' go forward.

  86. I just wanna work some real stuff right here.

  87. You don't know what he's done for me.

  88. He gave me the victory.

  89. I love him.

  90. I love him.

  91. I really love the Lord.

  92. Get a track and take that shift.

  93. Slow that thing down.

  94. You don't know what he's done for me.

  95. Can you catch that when you can't?

  96. That's it, that's it right there.

  97. That's it, that's that, that's the ancient head.

  98. Everybody, everybody.

  99. Almost lost my mama, you don't want to.

  100. Some of you are suicide.

  101. This close to letting go.

  102. You don't know, you just don't know.

  103. I've been trying to tell you, but my words don't come out clearly.

  104. But what I can't do it with my words, I hope I can do it with my hands.

  105. What I can't do with my words, I hope I can do it with my heart.

  106. What I can't do with my words, God, I give you my life.

  107. Because they don't know, God, they don't know, they don't know.

  108. Father, in the name of Jesus.

  109. Thank you, Lord.

  110. Have your way in this place.

  111. Speak like only you can, O Lord.

  112. Thank you for these men that are standing with this man of God.

  113. Thank you for his Father being here.

  114. I pray for him and his ministry in Jesus' name.

  115. I pray for the congregation right now, O Lord.

  116. Because I know you want to release something in this house.

  117. I know you want to do something magnificent because you've already started to do it.

  118. So when you do it in this moment, oh Lord, we'll be careful to give your name all the glory.

  119. We'll give your name all the praise.

  120. We pray.

  121. Let the people of God say, Amen.

  122. Amen.

  123. Amen.

  124. To God be the glory.

  125. To God be the glory.

  126. To God be the glory.

  127. My brothers.

  128. We have been in this brand new, I'm going to call it continuation of what God said.

  129. We're just trying to complete what God has said.

  130. And it's saying that we have been covered for greater.

  131. Our God has been Exodus the 29th chapter.

  132. Reading verse 1 through 9.

  133. And I'm just thankful again that God gave us a witness with a testimony to let you know what it looks like to be covered for greater.

  134. As we stand to our feet, there's a word from the Lord, starting at verse 1.

  135. Let's stand and read the word of God together.

  136. Ready, set.

  137. Read.

  138. This is the ceremony you must follow when you consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.

  139. Take a young bull and two rams with no defects.

  140. Then, using choice wheat flour and no yeast, make loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers spread with oil.

  141. Place them all in a single basket, and present them at the entrance of the tabernacle, along with the young bull and the two rams.

  142. Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the tabernacle and wash them with water.

  143. Dress Aaron in his priestly garments, the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chest piece.

  144. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him.

  145. Place the turban on his head and fasten a sacred medallion to the turban.

  146. Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head.

  147. Next, present his sons and dress them in their tunics.

  148. Wrap the sashes around the waist of Aaron and his sons and put their special head coverings on them.

  149. And the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever.

  150. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.

  151. Amen.

  152. And I would just like to use today as the Holy Spirit would allow.

  153. Number two, cover for greater.

  154. Cover for greater.

  155. You may be seated in the presence of our Lord.

  156. Family, last week we started this conversation and we talked about the fact that the reason God has covered has kept you is because you have been covered for greater.

  157. Covered is synonymous with the word anoint being anointed, because when we look at what the word anointed means in Hebrew from the word morshak, which is also where we get Christ being the Messiah, when we get Malshak, when we get Messiah, it means the anointed one or the one that has been smeared or the one that has been covered.

  158. But not just smeared or covered with anything.

  159. You have been smeared and covered with the power of the Holy Ghost.

  160. When you gave your life to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and you open your heart and your mind for the Holy Spirit to saturate all things concerning you, you have now been smeared and covered with the power of the Holy Ghost.

  161. And I want to help you to understand something.

  162. God is about to do something greater than you've ever seen him do before in your life.

  163. You want to know why?

  164. Because the world is going crazy.

  165. It's just that simple.

  166. Nothing that deep about it.

  167. But what happens is when the world is going uh to hell in a handbasket.

  168. Uh when when things are going left sideways in politics and in the economy and in interest rates, and the list goes on and on in your house, in your neighbor's house, when things are going on all around us, God is not surprised by these things, but his response is always in the form of anointing.

  169. Every time God needs to resolve an issue, he raises up a person that he is going to use for his glory.

  170. When the people of God were once at warfare, there was an individual by the name of Barak, and Barak was a man of God that was supposed to lead the people of God into war.

  171. But there was another uh prophetess in the room.

  172. She was a warrior princess, if you will.

  173. Her name was Deborah.

  174. And Barak saw that there was some oil on Deborah.

  175. In other words, Barack saw that Deborah was covered.

  176. Barack saw that Deborah was special.

  177. And he said, Listen, I know that warfare in the Old Testament is normally man's business, but there is something different about you, Deborah.

  178. And I will go to war, but I ain't going unless you go with us.

  179. Because Barack saw something on Deborah that other people didn't have.

  180. May I suggest to all of the Debras in the room that there is something on you, woman of God, that that other women don't have.

  181. And you know why?

  182. It's because God is trying to accomplish something in the earth.

  183. So he is anointing, he is covering, he is taking your natural and having an encounter with his super so that you can produce supernatural results in the earth.

  184. You ought to be excited.

  185. As a matter of fact, let me check the room.

  186. Do I have any Debras in the room right about now?

  187. Yeah, if there are any Debras in the room about now, you know that you are doing something that they perhaps said that a woman couldn't do.

  188. You're doing something that perhaps they said that nobody in your family could do, but the reason you do it and you do it well is because you are anointed and now is your time.

  189. I see a Deborah right there.

  190. I see some.

  191. See, one of the things about being anointed is I want to say it how I feel it, Pastor Chris.

  192. Some of y'all uh uh I'm gonna say it how I really feel it.

  193. Can I say a woman of God like I feel it?

  194. Some of you all who are very anointed have been operating with a false humility.

  195. You act as if you are so humble, so you're gonna let everybody else do it.

  196. You act as if you're so humble, so you you don't I don't need a platform or a stage.

  197. Glory to God.

  198. You act as if you're so humble and you say, you know what, I'm not worried about all of that.

  199. And part of that is true, but here it is.

  200. Thank you, all the driver standing up.

  201. I feel the Lord.

  202. Here's the problem.

  203. It becomes a false humility when you don't do the only thing that God has called you to do.

  204. If you don't do it, it won't get done.

  205. I saw a woman of God back there with a white shirt on, stand back up, woman of God stand with the women.

  206. If you don't do it, it won't get done.

  207. I'm gonna say it again.

  208. If you don't do it, there's nobody else that can do it.

  209. You can't continue to wait for somebody else to solve the family problem because you are the one that has been tapped on the shoulder to do it.

  210. I'm gonna let grandma handle it.

  211. Grandma was anointed for a thing, but this thing belongs to you, Deborah.

  212. And God is saying, I'm waiting on you to operate in the thing that I've called you to do because lives are on the line.

  213. Did you hear what I said?

  214. There are some lives, there are some people that are waiting on you to do what God has called you to do, and we need you real bad.

  215. Somebody said we need you real bad.

  216. Tell them, look at look at the Deborah.

  217. That's a Deborah.

  218. Some of them standing up, some of them on your road.

  219. Tell them, tell Deborah, Deborah, we need you real bad.

  220. Yeah, we need you real bad.

  221. Say, Pastor Walt, he's all right, but you can do something that Pastor Walt can't do.

  222. Deborah, we need you real bad.

  223. We need you real bad.

  224. David, can I talk to David in the room?

  225. David was one that God covered for greater.

  226. And I want to talk to all the Davids in the room.

  227. David, you're often overlooked.

  228. When they looking for a man, they don't come look for you.

  229. When they looking to promote somebody, you the last one on their list.

  230. Matter of fact, they go and they look across everybody in your department.

  231. And they go look at everybody else.

  232. And they look at you on the outside and say, No, this one right here ain't this ain't what we looking for.

  233. Shout out to all of the men in the room that applied for something this week.

  234. I feel the glory.

  235. And they said, Thank you for your application, but we look at we we looking for something else.

  236. I want to talk to you, David, and say, Don't get discouraged.

  237. Because God is always gonna send us Samuel.

  238. You see, Samuel was sent by God.

  239. And what's crazy, David, David, sometime here this, David.

  240. Sometime your own daddy, your own, your own family can't see what's in you.

  241. Did y'all not realize that uh when when when when they when Samuel the prophet came looking for David, the daddy said, Jesse said, here go my sons that I think you're looking for.

  242. He bought his son with the six pack, he bought his son with the finger waves, he bought his son with the muscles, he he he he he he bought his son that had that that roughneck look.

  243. Y'all still go for them thug type.

  244. He bought the son that got the taps all down both sleeves, looking all strong.

  245. He brought the one that looked like Rico Schwabe, he he he brought all he brought all of them out, but he didn't bring out the one that looked like a scrub.

  246. He said, Ain't no way they looking for the scrub, David.

  247. On the outside, the Lord said, Somebody thought you was a scrub.

  248. But I'm so glad that we serve a God.

  249. That the Bible says God doesn't look at what's on the outside.

  250. Yeah.

  251. David, God don't care about what you look like on the outside.

  252. He said, I'm looking for somebody that is that is his heart is torn to me on the inside.

  253. And he said to him, Samuel said to uh Jesse, God told me this was the house.

  254. But none of these, they fine boys, but none of these is the one that God is looking for.

  255. Can I talk to David?

  256. You've been out in the field long enough, David.

  257. Oh, can I talk to David?

  258. I feel the Holy Ghost.

  259. David, you've been working hard on your job.

  260. David, you've been working hard to take care of your family.

  261. David, you've been working hard for career progression.

  262. David, you've been working hard to make sure the 401k was alright.

  263. David, you've been working hard because your old lady talking about she wants a new house while the interest rates are down.

  264. David, I hear you.

  265. But the Lord is saying, watch this.

  266. David, you have been in the field long enough.

  267. Oh, I'm gonna say it to David, catch it.

  268. David in the Bible was in the field.

  269. That field is the equivalent to where you go to do your job and do your nine to five.

  270. But there's a day coming where God's gonna say, David, I'm not telling you not to work, but I'm saying, David, you've been in the field long enough.

  271. David, I'm calling you now because you've been working for the man, you've been working for yourself.

  272. But David, guess what?

  273. David, it's your time to come work for me.

  274. And what happens is when you come and give God a yes, God does not erase what you learn how to do in the field.

  275. We understand that David learned how to kill the bear in the field.

  276. David learned how to kill the lion in the field, but when he got called into the kingdom and he got called into the house, there was gonna be an appointed time where God was gonna use everything that David learned in the field and use it for a kingdom assignment.

  277. Oh, I need to talk to some Davids in the room.

  278. You've been in the field long enough.

  279. David, you've been hiding in the field long enough.

  280. The Lord has more of you, He needs more of you.

  281. Somebody talk to David, say David is your time.

  282. Some of y'all talk to David.

  283. This is David on your road.

  284. Say, God, I thank God for you, David.

  285. Yeah, y'all talk to David.

  286. Say, David, I thank God for you.

  287. I thank God for your work, I thank God for your grind, I thank God for your protection.

  288. But I got a bad news report for you, David.

  289. The Lord requires more of thee.

  290. Oh, make David uncomfortable.

  291. Because Joshua, David, let me help you to understand it, David, just like Deborah.

  292. There's a giant that needs to be slain.

  293. Now, I got my list of giants that I have slain.

  294. I got a whole cemetery for.

  295. And there are some of you all who are Holy Ghost filled.

  296. You got a cemetery.

  297. Here lies the depression.

  298. I bust that giant head to the white meat.

  299. Yeah.

  300. Here lies cancer.

  301. Cancer poured up on me and I said, Cancer, this ain't what you want.

  302. I bust that giant head to the white meat.

  303. Here come problems in my family.

  304. I rebuke those, I rebuke those family issues and that family drama.

  305. And I bust that giant head to the white meat.

  306. But y'all, I as a pastor, I see some more giants coming.

  307. The challenge is, watch this.

  308. Y'all know David used smooth stones from the river to slay the giant.

  309. Here's the problem.

  310. The stones that Pastor Walt are slinging.

  311. For some reason, they ain't knocking down this giant.

  312. Now don't worry about Pastor Walt.

  313. I'ma I'ma I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna shoot until the slingshot is empty.

  314. Then I'm gonna shoot my man my weapon, and then I'm gonna throw the gun at it before I give up on you.

  315. But I got a problem, man of God.

  316. No matter what I do, there are some giants that I see that they won't die.

  317. And when I pray to God, I say, God, why won't this particular giant that I see coming towards a family die?

  318. No matter how much I throw rocks at it.

  319. He said, That's an easy one.

  320. He said, Because that's not the giant that I anointed you to kill.

  321. He said, You better talk to David.

  322. He said, You better talk to David.

  323. I told y'all to talk to David.

  324. There's some giants coming over the horizon.

  325. But he said, There's some Davids in the room.

  326. They got some special ammunition.

  327. There's some Davids in the room.

  328. They got a special testimony.

  329. And he said, David, you gotta come out of the field now because I gotta put you in the warfare.

  330. Because there are some giants around you that must die.

  331. And he said, That's why I've covered you.

  332. That's why I have anointed you.

  333. Because now is your time.

  334. All the Davids in the room say, Now is my time.

  335. Yeah, say it like you mean it, David.

  336. Say, now is my time.

  337. All the Davids in the room, thank you, David.

  338. Thank you, David, thank you, David, thank you, David, thank you, David, thank you, David.

  339. I cannot kill everything that's been coming up with against our young brothers in the streets, every dog on weekend.

  340. But David, there is a rock that is in your pouch that if you just slay the rock, you're gonna slay some stuff that nobody else can slay.

  341. God has covered you for a season such as this.

  342. The Lord told me to remind you that you are so anointed.

  343. And in this season, make sure you're using everything that he has given you for his glory.

  344. The Lord said that some of you are incredibly heavy.

  345. But he wants you to use what he has given you for his glory.

  346. He said, Don't use it as a hustle.

  347. Use it for his glory.

  348. If you use it for his glory, you ain't gonna have to hustle as hard.

  349. Now don't get me wrong, you're gonna have to hustle somebody.

  350. You won't have to hustle as hard.

  351. Because the word of God is clear.

  352. If we do what?

  353. Seek ye first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then when all these things shall be added unto us.

  354. God is saying when there's a problem in the earth, I anoint people.

  355. When I want to encounter people or use something for my glory, God will anoint a place.

  356. For an example, in the Old Testament, they the temple meeting, the meeting that the place where they met was anointed by his glory.

  357. God will anoint people, God will anoint places, and God will anoint things.

  358. In the Old Testament, that's why they had certain things set aside for the glory of the Lord.

  359. We have to be careful that we don't get so familiar with God that we don't use anything and consider anything holy anymore.

  360. Y'all, I'm from the old school church.

  361. Do y'all know that I the first time I went in the pulpit at my home church in Alabama, I was about 20-something years old?

  362. And that was because they told me to go pick up a piece of paper off the floor.

  363. Where I came from, if you you didn't go, anybody was raised in the whole, you didn't go that way.

  364. And as a matter of fact, I was so old school, we we barely walked in front of the communion table.

  365. Now I'm not trying to lock you into legalism or religion, but I am trying to remind you that when God sets a people and God sets a place and God sets a thing aside as holy, then guess what?

  366. That's what we're gonna use for holy purposes.

  367. Wow, for some, this must be a plastic light blue tub.

  368. But for this season, it's the thing that God has given us for baptism.

  369. So you ain't gonna catch Pastor Walt on Friday in here with the jacuzzi all turned on, having a good time.

  370. Now, some of y'all would be like, Well, Pastor, do you?

  371. I mean, you know, everybody needs a jacuzzi every now and then, but I'm trying to tell y'all, I hear you, but this has been set aside for something different.

  372. Can I talk to you?

  373. Why am I using this analogy?

  374. Because there is something that God has set aside different concerning you, and what's good for them, it is not necessarily good for you.

  375. You have been chosen, you have been called, you have been set aside to all of my young adults in the room.

  376. I want to talk to you.

  377. The reason I'm talking to the young adults, the rest of us is in this 40 something up, our knees is bad.

  378. That's why they don't go to the club no more.

  379. Don't let them, don't let them act like they're so holy.

  380. They need bad.

  381. And they get sleepy at 9:30.

  382. So that's why they ain't in the club.

  383. But if their knees was good, and if they can stay up a little while longer, they be sitting right next to some of y'all, right at the hookah bar, having a good time.

  384. And real talk.

  385. I failed that test real bad in my 20s.

  386. I ain't gonna lie to you.

  387. I failed real bad.

  388. But what I'm saying is God is raising up a new army, He's raising up new generals, and I'm just trying to let you understand that that's why you don't even feel that comfortable anyway when you go.

  389. You go because that's where your people go, but there's a different oil on your life.

  390. I'm not telling you not to enjoy life, but I'm just saying you you an anointed person just will not feel comfortable in the same client as everybody else is hanging out in.

  391. That's all I'm saying.

  392. Shoot, I I've been there too many times to rebuke you for going.

  393. I gotta I had to spend the next 10 years rebuking myself.

  394. Should I had a parking spot at one of them?

  395. But but after a while, y'all, where I used to go, it didn't even feel fun anymore.

  396. I just went because I ain't had nothing else to do.

  397. Oh, I'm trying to talk to some anointed 20-some people in the room.

  398. Man, don't waste your 20s just doing it just because everybody else.

  399. I'm trying to help you.

  400. We need the oil that's on you, and we need it on you that right now.

  401. We we we need it right now, not tomorrow.

  402. We need it right now.

  403. Tell them we need it right now.

  404. So, so so here here it is.

  405. And God is saying this, I'm anointing you all.

  406. I'm anointing people, I'm anointing places, I'm losing, I'm anointing things.

  407. But he says this there's a danger that I gotta warn you all.

  408. You have been covered for greater.

  409. Yes, you have been covered for greater, you've been anointed for greater.

  410. But would you believe me if I told you that the Bible suggests that you can lose your anointing?

  411. Not talking about salvation, we'll say that for Bible study, but we can go back and forth.

  412. People like smoke at Bible study.

  413. Pastor Chris, Pastor Keith, uh, Dr.

  414. Um Colleen, they like smoke.

  415. We like to have back and forth conversation.

  416. I'm not having back and forth right now because we can't do that.

  417. So I'm not talking about losing your salvation, but I'm telling you that the Bible teaches that you can lose your anointing.

  418. Somebody said, Don't lose your anointing.

  419. I uh I'm gonna show it to you.

  420. Um, God, in this particular story that we've been looking at, we've looking at this story of Aaron and his four sons because it is the first um um um anointing ceremony that we've seen, where God has said, the problem is I need to connect with my people, and because of sin, I can't connect with my people, so I'm going to establish intercessors, also known as priests, to intercede on the behalf of the people.

  421. And he said, Because your assignment is to talk to the people and to talk to me, I gotta set you aside as an intercessor.

  422. I gotta set you aside as a priest.

  423. Shout out to the intercessors in the room.

  424. You may be an intercessor if God puts random stuff on your heart and your mind, uh, and ultimately you don't feel better about it until you pray.

  425. I didn't realize that I had the gift of intercession because nobody taught me that.

  426. But I believe I was in my 20s once when I started thinking about children that were dealing with abuse.

  427. What was crazy, that was nothing that ever happened to me.

  428. I never saw it happen to anybody.

  429. But I'm trying to figure out was I losing my mind, Montina, because now every day I was waking up thinking about children dealing with abuse.

  430. I didn't know who to talk to because it wasn't happening to me, but it was crazy.

  431. But I'm gonna tell you something, I didn't get peace in my spirit until I started praying.

  432. See, first I started praying for me.

  433. Help me, Holy Ghost.

  434. And a doggone thing didn't change.

  435. Intercessors, I'm talking to you.

  436. Anointed people, I'm talking to you.

  437. When you're anointed, you gotta be careful that you don't make it all about you.

  438. As a matter of fact, your anointing has very little to do with you.

  439. You are anointed in spite of yourself.

  440. But when I started quietly praying, listen, I ain't had no title at the time, ain't no pulpit.

  441. I just started praying for children.

  442. And it was in that moment I started to feel better.

  443. And it was later on, somebody said, Oh, that's intercession.

  444. And I want to talk to some intercessors in the room.

  445. And some God been placing it on your head about this community, about your family.

  446. You ain't in the middle of it, you feel like it ain't got nothing to do with me, but it's bothering me.

  447. Intercede.

  448. You've been anointed to intercede.

  449. That's your that's an anointing.

  450. You've been anointed to stand in the gap for somebody who don't even know God yet.

  451. You've been anointed to stand in the gap for your family member who hadn't come to church yet.

  452. But if you operate in your anointing after a while, somebody say, after a while.

  453. After a while, the one you've been praying for, you're gonna see them get baptized.

  454. It is so in Jesus' name.

  455. I've seen it happen before.

  456. Anointed people, you're so powerful that you gotta understand a few things about being anointed.

  457. The first thing I gotta tell you, oh, anointed people, is that in this text, when God told Moses to get Aaron and his sons to set them aside, he said, they're gonna be the intercessors, they're gonna be the priests, they will come to me on behalf of the people.

  458. He says, Um, the structure that I'm setting up that is described in Leviticus, it it comes with an altar because whenever we have to go before the Lord, we have to come to the to the altar.

  459. We have to come to that place of sacrifice.

  460. Uh, anointed people, you should spend a lot of time at the altar.

  461. Don't tell me you're anointed and you don't have any time at the altar.

  462. Whether that's the altar in the church or the altar at your house, if you're anointed, you're gonna spend a lot of time on bended knees.

  463. Because anointed people are people that pray often and continuously.

  464. So he says, I need you to build me an altar.

  465. And then on the altar you're gonna sacrifice because it was the blood that was gonna wash away the sins.

  466. But he says, uh, I'm gonna start a fire.

  467. So God starts a fire on the altar, and he says, Aaron, you and your sons, y'all got an assignment.

  468. He said, Whatever happens, don't let the fire go out.

  469. Um, if we were having points today, I would have tell you, anointed people, y'all listening to me?

  470. Anointed people, whatever happens, don't let the fire go out.

  471. Do I got any anointed people in the back?

  472. Holler at me, I'll see y'all.

  473. Anointed people in the back of the sanctuary.

  474. Whatever happens, don't let the fire go out.

  475. I'm in the Bible, Leviticus 6, verse 8 through 13.

    Leviticus 6:8–13

  476. The Lord gave, said to Moses, give Aaron and his son this command.

  477. These are the regulations for the burnt offering.

  478. The burnt offering is to remain on the altar hearth throughout the night till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.

  479. Somebody say, Don't let the fire go out.

  480. The Lord says this one time.

  481. Then he says it again.

  482. The fire on the altar must be kept burning.

  483. That's the second time somebody said, Don't let the fire go out.

  484. Yeah, don't let the fire go out.

  485. It must not go out.

  486. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it.

  487. The fire must be kept burning.

  488. That's three times somebody said, Don't let the fire go out.

  489. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously.

  490. It must not go out.

  491. In the Old Testament, we see the fire on the altar of God.

  492. But we see God talk about the fire in Acts, the second chapter, on the day that we know as the day of Pentecost.

  493. You remember this day where all believers were waiting on God to move.

  494. They were waiting and meeting together when suddenly there was a sound from heaven.

  495. And as we always have been reminded that there is always a sound that precedes the move of God.

  496. And when the sound came, suddenly it was followed uh with a mighty, with the with the mighty, with the roaring of a mighty rainstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.

  497. Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.

  498. We just had some people to get baptized.

  499. And the prayer that I always say, whether I say it out loud or not, is that when people get baptized, we don't want it to be just another ceremonial cleansing.

  500. We want it to be this life transition point where the fire of the Holy Ghost will settle upon them so that they will understand what it is that God has called them and birthed them for.

  501. There are some of you all in the room that the fire of the Holy Ghost did, in fact, settle on you at one point in your journey, and you know that's true.

  502. You had a fire and a zeal for God like few people have ever seen.

  503. You had a desire to be in the presence of the Lord in comparison to being anywhere else.

  504. The fire of the Holy Ghost is what connects you to God's plan, it connects you to God's power, and it connects you to God's purpose.

  505. The fire of the Holy Ghost, it connects you to God's plan, it connects you to God's power, and it connects you to God's purpose.

  506. But what had happened was life.

  507. And when life happens, the enemy hopes and prays that life hits you so hard that your fire goes out.

  508. And the danger that we're running into is not the fact that you were not anointed, you are anointed, but the problem that we have is that you've allowed the fire to go out.

  509. When you prayed, I hear this in the Holy Ghost, and you asked God to move on a situation and God didn't move on it.

  510. You still love God, but the fire went out.

  511. When you went through some a difficult situation and it was so dramatic and it knocked the breath out of you, not only did your breath get knocked out, the fire went out.

  512. I know I'm preaching to somebody in this room, several somebody.

  513. You are too anointed to let the fire go out.

  514. Because if the fire ever goes out, there's a danger that the enemy will do whatever he can to make sure that it's never kindled again.

  515. I need to talk to some people in the room.

  516. Where is your fire?

  517. Where is your fire?

  518. Somebody said that I gotta get my fire back.

  519. There's some married couples in the room.

  520. The problem with the marriage is that you let the fire go out.

  521. Yes, the marriage was anointed.

  522. Yes, the Holy Ghost was there, but you allowed the fire to go out.

  523. There's some business owners in the room.

  524. The idea did come from God.

  525. But that month, that season when clients didn't show up, you started believing the finance report instead of the report of the Lord.

  526. And so then the fire went out.

  527. You prayed for a husband, you prayed for a wife, and God hadn't moved yet.

  528. So now you use that smokeless language.

  529. Shout out to everybody, use smokeless language.

  530. I don't need no man nowhere.

  531. I don't need no woman nowhere.

  532. I can do good bad all by myself.

  533. Smokeless language.

  534. I really didn't want to start no business.

  535. I ain't want to start nothing anyway.

  536. Smokeless language.

  537. Uh-huh.

  538. I hear you.

  539. Y'all hear, y'all here over there?

  540. Look at her off.

  541. You hear y'all, y'all here?

  542. We can have fun in the Holy Ghost.

  543. Do y'all hear still?

  544. Y'all hear the woman of God over here?

  545. Say, no, Pastor, I'm gonna listen, woman of God, get ready.

  546. I'm gonna sing at your wedding and everything.

  547. We have fun in the Holy Ghost.

  548. I'm gonna sing at our wedding, I'm gonna be like this.

  549. Nights like this.

  550. But seriously though, we gotta stop using smokeless language because it's not happening for us yet.

  551. We use smokeless language when we are essentially giving up because it ain't happening.

  552. I'm okay if God don't heal me because you know what?

  553. I still love him, but but but that smokeless language, I need some people to get that fire back.

  554. Fire is risky, fire is uncontrollable.

  555. I got some good news for some married couples in the room.

  556. I got some good news.

  557. Uh I see the same thing I saw at eight o'clock.

  558. I see smoke in your marriage.

  559. I hear the Lord saying that some of you all may be even on the verge of divorce.

  560. But I can just give you what I see.

  561. I see smoke.

  562. I see smoke coming from a mountain.

  563. I see smoke.

  564. Any Boy Scouts in the room, Eagle Scouts in the room, any, any, okay, you got a few, any country folk in the room.

  565. Y'all, I'm gonna stop telling my all my testimonies because y'all gonna y'all gonna stop laughing at me.

  566. I moved to Charlotte in 2007, and I got my first little new house.

  567. I was so proud.

  568. First little starter house, glory to God.

  569. But the builder had left a bunch of trash and the debris in the lot next to mine.

  570. And I said, Man, I want this junk next to my little new little house.

  571. So I did what we do in Alabama.

  572. Man, I just got me a burn barrel or two, took my shirt off.

  573. Listen, my daddy, when he used to be out in the yard working, he put a towel on his head and put the hat on it.

  574. I had a towel on my head, the hat on, no shirt on, just out there just throwing debris.

  575. And I got my neighbor to come, but he knew better.

  576. He was set me up.

  577. We out there, we just we just burning in debris.

  578. Suddenly, I saw the police and the fire truck.

  579. And they just looking at me.

  580. I was like, Hey, how y'all gentlemen doing?

  581. Now, how we what are you doing?

  582. I said, the builder had left a bunch of debris, and I was just cleaning the yard up.

  583. He said, Sir, where you from?

  584. I said, it don't matter where I'm from, Mr.

  585. Officer.

  586. I mean, what you don't?

  587. I just want to know where you're from.

  588. So man, I'm from Alabama.

  589. They start chuckling.

  590. I said, Oh, we got Alabama jokes now?

  591. You know, he said, Nah, man.

  592. In the city, you just can't just burn random stuff.

  593. You be to burn the whole city down.

  594. You can't.

  595. And I asked them a question.

  596. I said, okay, thank you, sir.

  597. My bad.

  598. I didn't know no better.

  599. They said, Yeah, we could tell.

  600. And I said, I said, uh, by the way, who told on me?

  601. Who snitched?

  602. I didn't know who the snitch is in the neighborhood.

  603. Watch this.

  604. He said, Oh man, nobody tell on you.

  605. We could just see the smoke from the firehouse.

  606. Watch this, because y'all about to catch it.

  607. Because when they saw the smoke from the high firehouse, where there is smoke, guess what?

  608. Good God Almighty.

  609. So let me let me let me try this one more time.

  610. There's some marriages that have been struggling, but I see smoke.

  611. There's some marriages that have been struggling, but I see smoke.

  612. There's some businesses that have been going through a difficult time, but I promise you, I see smoke.

  613. It's coming from the top of a mountain.

  614. He's the God of the hills and the valleys.

  615. I see smoke.

  616. And God is saying, for the anointed people, no matter what happens, don't let the fire go out.

  617. Don't let the fire go out.

  618. Chosen city, no matter what happens to us as a body of believers, the decree has to be that I still see smoke.

  619. Whatever happens in your life, the decree has to be I still see smoke.

  620. Because you have been anointed to keep the fire going.

  621. But what's crazy is not only must you keep the fire going.

  622. Hear this, men and women of God, anointed people must be careful of what you add to the fire.

  623. I want you to understand this.

  624. God is saying you got to keep the fire going, but it's not by any means necessary.

  625. You got to keep the fire going in alignment with God's perfect will and his perfect plan and his perfect design.

  626. Your business is not going to be successful by any means necessary.

  627. Your marriage is not going to be successful by any means necessary.

  628. It's going to be successful when you surrender and submit yourself to God's plan for your life.

  629. Here's what happened.

  630. I want to show y'all something.

  631. Leviticus 10, verse 1 in the King James Version.

    Leviticus 10:1

  632. And Nadal and Abihu, the sons of Aaron.

  633. Remember, their assignment was to do what?

  634. Keep the fire going.

  635. Took either of them his censor and put fire therein.

  636. At first it seems fine.

  637. They tried to keep the fire going.

  638. And put incense thereon.

  639. Watch this.

  640. And offered strange fire before the Lord.

  641. Which he commanded them die.

  642. Anointed people, we have to be careful of what we add to the fire.

  643. And I want to see if I could take this new old testament concept because we weren't living at this time and we don't understand.

  644. But I'm trying to help you to understand what God is showing me to the best of my ability.

  645. You are anointed, but you have been offering strange fire unto the Lord.

  646. Strange fire is when we do anything with good intentions, but it's not what God told us to do.

  647. Or it's not the way that God told us how to do it.

  648. And he says that you are anointed, but you run the risk of losing your anointing so long as you continue to be disobedient and offer strange fire unto me.

  649. And I need some anointed person that want to look in the mirror and be honest with themselves and say, God, how many times this year have I offered you strange fire?

  650. Do y'all know what strange fire looks like in a worship context?

  651. We offer strange fire in worship when we come into God's house and there are people that we can't even speak to.

  652. How you gonna walk by somebody and speak, not speak?

  653. And call yourself worshiping God?

  654. Well, that's some strange fire.

  655. We offer strange fire under God when we pray prayers and ask God to forgive us.

  656. But you won't forgive your baby mama or your baby daddy.

  657. That's strange fire.

  658. I know this is one of them how not to build a mega church sermons, but I'm good.

  659. I got a I got I gotta I got about three jobs.

  660. I'm good.

  661. I'm free, praise the Lord.

  662. I'm free.

  663. I'm just trying to help somebody.

  664. Thank you, man of God.

  665. I'm just trying to help.

  666. We offer strange fire when God has given you a gift that you'll use for everybody else.

  667. You'll use it for the CEO of Bank of America, you'll use it for the CEO of Wells, Fargo, you'll use it for everybody else, but you come into the place that you worship, and we have yet to see your abilities yet.

  668. God is saying that's strange fire.

  669. And the thing about strange fire, we can always justify why we offer God strange fire.

  670. We can always come up with a reason why we didn't do what God told us to do the way that He told us to do it.

  671. But I'm trying to help some anointed people.

  672. See, I don't need you to lose your anointing because I told you that there's some giants that only you can kill.

  673. I don't need you to use lose your anointing because that your family is depending on you.

  674. I don't need you to lose your anointing because Chosen City Church is depending on you.

  675. But I gotta remind you that the reason that some of you are in danger of losing your anointing because you are offering God partial obedience, which is in reality full disobedience.

  676. I can't live every way Monday through Saturday and come in here and lead other people in worship and prayer and praise and preaching.

  677. That's some strange fire.

  678. The Bible is clear on this because I said, God, I gotta show them in the Bible.

  679. Because they was taught that they could do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it, however they want to do it.

  680. And now never any consequences.

  681. God be holding back.

  682. He be holding back.

  683. Thank God for holding back.

  684. Lord knows if he didn't hold back, I wouldn't be here.

  685. So I thank God for him holding back.

  686. But he is saying that he said, I need you to speak a word to my people who are anointed.

  687. He says this, watch this.

  688. What's crazy, all you anointed people, I'm really finna make you get them goosebumps now.

  689. He said, I ain't telling you nothing that you've never heard before.

  690. You and your feelings right now, because it's confirmation.

  691. You've been, hey, I say I'm you my broke.

  692. You've been new, you've been new.

  693. You've been offering God this straight file.

  694. But ain't nobody was bold enough to tell you.

  695. I love you enough to tell you that God is saying you are in danger of losing what he has placed on you.

  696. How do I know?

  697. Because he look at Samuel, look at Samuel.

  698. Because somebody said, No, I can't never lose it, no matter what I do.

  699. Watch this.

  700. Look at Samuel.

  701. Yeah, look at Saul.

  702. Saul, Samuel was the prophet of God.

  703. Saul, when the people of Israel asked for a king, Saul was the first person that God anointed to be king.

  704. He said this prophet.

  705. Because whenever God wants to anoint someone, there is always somebody who's going to ascend to affirm what he's trying to do.

  706. He sends his prophet to anoint Saul as the king of all Israel.

  707. Saul lost his anointing because Saul was hard-headed.

  708. Saul first disobeyed God when he was in about to go into war.

  709. He was in a battle.

  710. I got a little sound up here, media team.

  711. I don't know if y'all can hear it.

  712. But but Saul first lost his anointing when he was in battle.

  713. And when I saw Pastor Chris, y'all really love God, but a battle will make you compromise.

  714. You love God.

  715. I'm preaching right to you.

  716. Ain't talking to your neighbor, I'm talking to you.

  717. You love God, but a battle will make you compromise.

  718. You know how I know this?

  719. Because there's a scripture that the man says to God, Lord, don't make me poor because I will steal.

  720. Because if I get poor enough, I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do to survive.

  721. Y'all is it am I in the Bible?

  722. Am I in the book?

  723. So if I'm if my battle is heavy enough, my humanness will compromise.

  724. Saul is in the battle.

  725. And he understands that the only way he's gonna win his battle is if God goes ahead of him.

  726. That's good.

  727. That means Saul didn't lose his entire mind, just half of it.

  728. God told Saul, be still, I got you.

  729. When I get through using Samuel over here, he's gonna come offer a sacrifice over there, and then you're gonna have victory in battle.

  730. So Saul waiting.

  731. He waiting.

  732. He sees the enemy plotting, he sees the enemy scheming, he see the enemy getting in their battle positions, and he waiting.

  733. And he said, You know, this Samuel cat ain't showed up yet.

  734. I am a king.

  735. I I went to Bible study too, you know.

  736. He the only one that love God.

  737. Why don't I just do it and offer to sacrifice myself?

  738. After all, the enemy is about to attack.

  739. I thought Samuel would have been here by now.

  740. Because in a battle, when we see the enemy start to move, we start to get nervous.

  741. There are some of you all in a spiritual battle and the enemy's been moving and you've been getting nervous, but the Lord said you ain't got to compromise, you just gotta wait.

  742. You don't have to compromise, wait on the Lord.

  743. But Samuel decided to do what Saul decided to do, what only Samuel was anointed to do.

  744. Y'all walking with me?

  745. Saul is waiting.

  746. Samuel hadn't showed up.

  747. Saul decided to do what Samuel was anointed to do.

  748. I want to tell you right now, you have an anointing, and your power is when you stay in the lane in which God has placed you in.

  749. When you get outside of that, you lose your power.

  750. Saul gets nervous and he gets out of the lane that God pushed him in.

  751. He offers a sacrifice.

  752. And when Samuel shows up, he said, Man, what have you done?

  753. You've dishonored God.

  754. And the last time, because we have a God of a chance, uh, of another chance.

  755. Uh, but but but the last time God gives Saul another chance.

  756. He said, You're about to go into battle, you're about to go fight the Amalekites.

  757. He said, Kill everything and everybody, kill the king, destroy all the all the pro all the proceeds, kill everything and everybody.

  758. And I'm and you'll be all right.

  759. We're gonna leave the past of the past, Saul.

  760. If you could just go and do what I told you to do this one time, I ain't worried about what you did last time.

  761. I said.

  762. We can leave the plants in the past, though.

  763. If you go there and do what I tell you, you got it.

  764. What did I tell you?

  765. Everybody Don't bring nothing back.

  766. Very good.

  767. We can leave it in the plant.

  768. What did I tell you?

  769. Everybody.

  770. Bring it back.

  771. Everything.

  772. You got it.

  773. Go.

  774. What do you say?

  775. I said I'm gonna let you live.

  776. And he gets back to God.

  777. And God says, Saul, I have now rejected you.

  778. Because you didn't do the simple things that I call you to do.

  779. Saul trying to justify by saying, God, hold on, God.

  780. You do know I was gonna give you ten percent of this real.

  781. You do know that I was gonna give you how for a sacrifice of praise.

  782. And we were burning this in the shape.

  783. But God said partial obedience is for disobedience.

  784. Let me come jump on your toes a little bit more.

  785. There are some of you all you will do everything, but the one thing that God told you to do.

  786. I'm coming for you again because I came for you before.

  787. You will volunteer at the homeless shelter.

  788. You will go and make cupcakes with the girl scouts.

  789. You will go and coach the linebackers on the football team.

  790. You will go to the jazz size class and jazz size on and encourage the ladies in the jazz size class.

  791. But there is this one thing, help me, Holy Ghost, that God has been talking to you about.

  792. You just won't do it.

  793. What God is saying to you is that obedience is better than sacrifice.

  794. Because one day when you and God have a conversation about it, you're gonna say, God, I coach the linebackers on the football team.

  795. God, I made cupcakes with the girl scouts, God, I uh I volunteered at the school.

  796. And he's gonna say, All of that was fine.

  797. Here's the problem.

  798. I had already anointed somebody else to do the linebackers.

  799. I had already anointed somebody else to help with the cupcakes.

  800. I had already anointed somebody else to go to the homeless shelter.

  801. But I had anointed you to do that one thing.

  802. And since you was busy doing everybody else's stuff, it's better than one thing that I call you to do.

  803. Somebody said obedience is better than sacrifice.

  804. We can't let the fire go out.

  805. We can't add the risk to the fire.

  806. Because if we're not obedient, we run the risk of the fire.

  807. Don't let the fire go out.

  808. Don't add to the fire.

  809. And the Lord told me to tell you how it's just on you to this clear instruction.

  810. If you're anointed and you're trying to be obedient to God, he says it's better for you to wait and do nothing in comparison to adding strange fire.

  811. I want to talk to the anointed people in the room.

  812. The Lord said it.

  813. Wait on him instead of just doing something crazy.

  814. Wait on him instead of taking matters in your own hands and offering strange fire.

  815. Last thing, anointed people.

  816. We can't let the fire go out.

  817. Anointed people, we can't add strange stuff to the fire.

  818. And the last one, anointed people.

  819. Here's what I need you to understand, and we're going home on this.

  820. Anointed people, you will be tried by fire.

  821. Here's Leviticus 10, verse 2 and 3.

    Leviticus 10:2

  822. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

  823. Moses then said to Aaron, this is what the Lord spoke of when he said, Among those who approach me, I will be proved holy.

  824. In the sight of all the people, I will be honored.

  825. Aaron Son fire.

  826. I got a problem.

  827. I believe in preaching the truth and preaching the gospel.

  828. I said, man, but we got to leave a little bit of courage.

  829. We got crazy stuff going on in the White House.

  830. Show me the difference.

  831. Dispensationalism.

  832. Dispensationalism is the concept that God deals with people in various times of human history in different ways.

  833. There are seven dispensations that are generally recognized.

  834. I won't go through them all for the sake of time, but we started off with the with the with the dispensation of innocence.

  835. That's where Adam and Eve were innocent.

  836. That was a time where humanity didn't know sin.

  837. That was a dispensation of innocence.

  838. And then there were other dispensations like the dispensation of promise, where God made promises to people like Abraham that they that we would be the father of many nations.

  839. And the list goes on and on.

  840. And then there was the dispensation of human government, so on and so forth.

  841. But but in the Bible, most of the time, what we're looking at, uh we're looking at they were in the dispensation of the law.

  842. Let me help you to understand that.

  843. All that means is their connection to God and their relationship to God and whether or not that they would ever make it back to heaven with God was exclusively based on whether or not they could keep the law.

  844. If you broke one part of the law, the fire would catch you.

  845. That's why they were so religious in nature.

  846. Real talk, they had no relationship with God.

  847. All they wanted to do is make sure they did everything right.

  848. And they discovered in their humanity that that was not possible.

  849. This didn't surprise God.

  850. The dispensation of law was put into place until God could send his ultimate plan.

  851. And his ultimate plan was to send Jesus Christ, not to abolish the law, but to be the one person that could do what?

  852. Fulfill the law.

  853. Watch this.

  854. So God said, You ain't got to tell chosen city that because they messed up, they gonna live in fire.

  855. He said, Teach them and tell them that that was a different dispensation, that was a different time.

  856. God, I was operating in a different time.

  857. That was before I wrapped divinity in dust and and came down through 42 generations and was born of a of a virgin named Mary.

  858. Tell them that was a different time.

  859. Tell them I'm doing something new in this dispensation.

  860. I said, God, what's this dispensation called?

  861. He said, Go and look carefully in your book again.

  862. And he said, The moment I sent Jesus into the earth, y'all shifted from a dispensation of I gotta do everything right to a dispensation of grace.

  863. Yeah, somebody said, I thank God for the dispensation of grace.

  864. And now in this grace dispensation, uh, my connection to God is not based on how perfect I am, but my connection to God is based on my faith in Jesus Christ, who is the lover of my soul.

  865. So when I mess up, he don't see my mess ups, he sees that I'm covered in the blood.

  866. When I mess up, he doesn't see my record of wrongs, he sees God's grace.

  867. Yeah.

  868. And I want to tell you today that because you are anointed, you have been covered in grace.

  869. Yeah, somebody said, Thank God for the grace.

  870. Yeah.

  871. Is there anybody in the room that understands what it means to be covered in grace?

  872. I wish I could get some help in here.

  873. Is there anybody that really understands God's grace?

  874. Yeah, is there anybody that said, God, uh, my goal wasn't to mess up, but I did mess up.

  875. But the reason that I'm still here is that you covered me.

  876. You didn't expose me, God, you covered me, uh, you didn't put it all out there in the streets, you covered me, but you covered me because you're not done with me yet.

  877. You covered me because you see the best in me when the world could only see the worst in me, and because you cover me, uh, I understand that I'm anointed.

  878. Because you cover me, uh, I have a different understanding of grace.

  879. Is there anybody in the room that does not understand what grace actually is?

  880. It is God's unmerited favor.

  881. It means you don't deserve it, but God gave it to you anyway.

  882. You don't deserve the talent that you have, but God gave it to you anyway.

  883. You don't deserve the anointing that you have, but God gave it to you anyway.

  884. You should have died when they died, but God spared you anyway.

  885. Your marriage should have ended, but it spared it anyway.

  886. Cancer was been supposed to kill you, uh, then it killed somebody else in your family, uh, but God's grace, uh, you know, uh, I once had a pulmonary embolism, uh-huh.

  887. There was somebody in the hospital that died from the thing that didn't kill me, uh.

  888. And the difference between us, uh, it was not that I was healthier, uh, it was not that I ate right.

  889. It was not that I was wild, but it was God's grace, uh.

  890. I need some people in the room that realize you are what you are.

  891. God's grace.

  892. God's grace, it's uh, it's opening the door, man.

  893. God's grace, it's protect us from the enemy.

  894. God is great.

  895. You gotta think God for the grace.

  896. The fire that killed every stuff, uh, with a showing up kill me.

  897. Uh-huh.

  898. If it wasn't for the grace, uh, when I got my hand in the wheel, uh-huh, with too much alcohol in my body, uh, I wouldn't be here today.

  899. Uh-huh.

  900. I need some real people that know something about grace.

  901. Uh-huh.

  902. If it wasn't for the grace, uh-huh, you wouldn't have the spouse that you have.

  903. Uh-huh.

  904. If it wasn't for the grace, uh, you wouldn't have the children that you have.

  905. Uh-huh.

  906. If it wasn't for the grace, uh huh, you would have been lost your mind.

  907. Uh huh.

  908. I need some cheerleaders.

  909. Uh-huh.

  910. Don't mind cheering for the grace of God.

  911. Yeah, you wanna cheerful that you ought to worship for that, uh, because you see you.

  912. You see your last decade.

  913. You see you.

  914. You see your family mess.

  915. You see you.

  916. Y'all was supposed to have been separated, but y'all are still here in the church.

  917. You wanna know why?

  918. That you are still here it's because of God's grace.

  919. Work of God, it's because of his grace, it's my God's grace, I made it this one.

  920. You are the first one.

  921. It's not my God's grace, I made it this one.

  922. It's my God's grace, I've made it this one.

  923. I think it's not it is that it's great, that I'm still here.

  924. It is my god, you know what I'm saying.

  925. Thank you, God.

  926. It's by his grace, it's by his grace, it's by his grace, and some combat veterans in the room.

  927. You didn't die overseas by his grace, you went through domestic violence, but grace, you went through sexual abuse, but grace, you went through incarceration, but grace, you've been covered in the grace, you've been covered in the grace, yeah.

  928. That's what we want right there.

  929. That's it, that's what you want right there, just a sweet worship when you catch it for yourself, Lord.

  930. Have mercy, helping me catch it, Lord.

  931. The only reason you weren't consumed by the fire is because of his grace.

  932. I know you're gonna be successful because of his grace.

  933. Stop trying to be perfect from the perspective that we use it in Western vernacular, but focus on being complete in Jesus because my the grace of God covers me.

  934. Now the Lord said, Because of grace, forgive yourself in this moment.

  935. Forgive yourself, forgive yourself.

  936. We come back here every week because I forgave myself last week, but then I I shame myself this week.

  937. Forgive yourself this week in Jesus' name.

  938. Forgive yourself in Jesus' name.

  939. About to go home.

  940. I'm just giving you a minute.

  941. So you can see what it means to be covered.

  942. You're only not only are you saturated with the Holy Ghost, you're saturated with grace.

  943. You know what it means that you're saturated with grace?

  944. You can take a risk that the ordinary man or ordinary woman wouldn't take.

  945. Because if I'm obedient to God and He tells me to go and start a business, and clients don't show up, grace will send a check out of nowhere.

  946. I'm a living witness, I'm a tell, I'm a living witness.

  947. If the Lord says start a church in November 2019, and a pandemic hit, and now you got a lease payment, but you ain't got no people in the building.

  948. Grace shows up and says you ain't gotta worry about making no payments while the pandemic is going on.

  949. Grace.

  950. If I take steps forward doing what God has called me to do, and I lose friends in the process, grace shows up, and grace walks closer than any brother.

  951. I thank God for his grace.

  952. You are covered in grace, you are anointed for a time such as this, you are covered and you are anointed, you are covered and you are anointed, you are covered and you are anointed, you are covered and you are anointed, you are covered and you are anointed, you are covered and you are anointed.

  953. Now is the time for you to give God a complete yes.

  954. Now is the time.

  955. I see smoke in your ministry, I see smoke in your health, I see smoke in your finances.

  956. Glory to God.

  957. I see smoke in your prophetic gifts.

  958. I see smoke in your healing gifts.

  959. I see smoke in your gifts.

  960. If you don't have a church home, if you need to rededicate your life, our clergy is moving in the aisle, so you don't have to walk by yourself.

  961. Hallelujah.

  962. Let's celebrate God.

  963. Somebody say welcome to the family.

  964. Say it real loud.

  965. Welcome to the family, welcome to the family.

  966. Blessings upon blessings.

  967. Somebody say welcome to the family.

  968. There's some others today that want to give God a yes.

  969. Somebody say welcome to the family.

  970. Welcome to the family.

  971. Chosen city, check on your anointed person sitting next to you.

  972. Ask them if they have a church home.

  973. Ask them if they are saved.

  974. Because if we can't ask in here, we'll never ask in the streets.

  975. This is a safe place to say, hey, I'm just checking on you.

  976. I want to make sure you're good.

  977. Because if you don't have a church home and the spirit is talking to you, I'll walk with you.

  978. If you need to rededicate your life, or if you've never been baptized in your life, being anointed means that you gotta do it God's way.

  979. And God says you confess and then you make this public declaration that for Him you live, for Him you die, for Him you have your being.

  980. Sister Kenya, you can minister right there, whatever's on your heart right there, softly.

  981. So because somebody today needs about a few more seconds, and we're gonna be out of here.

  982. Hallelujah.

  983. Celebrate God.

  984. Welcome this brother right here.

  985. Welcome this brother right here.

  986. Welcome this brother right here.

  987. Breathe on him, O Lord.

  988. Fresh anointing, no limits, no limits, no limits.

  989. Keep 'em connected, keep 'em close.

  990. All of your sons and daughters.

  991. But that young brother.

  992. And let me finish the statement if y'all don't mind, but because I want to celebrate too, but I need to finish this statement before we celebrate.

  993. The young brother that came down, he said if it was at all possible, he would like to get baptized today.

  994. Now I need y'all to hear this and understand this.

  995. This is just the beginning and not the end.

  996. Because this is a amazing, this is the beginning of all beginnings.

  997. But what we mess up at as a church universal is we don't make sure souls like that and others remain connected.

  998. The enemy now desires to sift him more than ever before.

  999. That's why.

  1000. Matter of fact, whatever it is, it's like I don't really care that you've been baptized.

  1001. I'm gonna be waiting on you in the parking lot.

  1002. I'm gonna be waiting on you in your cell phone.

  1003. Hallelujah.

  1004. Listen, I wanna do this.

  1005. I'm gonna take a moment to talk to the brother real quick.

  1006. But I'm gonna do it two ways.

  1007. I'm gonna do an official benediction.

  1008. And for those of you that may have a few moments to wait around, just we can do that.

  1009. But don't feel this ain't one of the ones where we're gonna be looking at you somehow.

  1010. Look at you, just tipping out of church.

  1011. Couldn't wait.

  1012. No, I get it.

  1013. So I'm gonna pray and I'm gonna close.

  1014. And then you're officially dismissed.

  1015. But those that can wait a few moments, I'm gonna go talk to this young brother real quick and see what the Lord is saying, see what the Lord is doing.

  1016. And uh we'll take it from there.

  1017. Kenya, y'all ready to celebrate?

  1018. Y'all ready to celebrate God?

  1019. Give us some victory music right here.

  1020. Whatever's on your heart.

  1021. Pick it up.

  1022. Let's celebrate God right here.

  1023. Whatever you got.

  1024. Let's celebrate God right here as I go talk to the man of God real quick.

  1025. Amen.

  1026. Not supposed to dismiss y'all.

  1027. Lord, we love you.

  1028. We thank you.

  1029. We praise you.

  1030. We give you a name of glory, honor, and praise.

  1031. Now, God, as we prepare to leave this place whenever you're presence, we're careful to give you a name of glory, honor, and praises.

  1032. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray.

  1033. Let the people of God say amen.

  1034. Amen.

  1035. Amen.

  1036. God bless and go in peace.

  1037. Amen.