Delayed But Not Denied | Dr. Jerry Mason

Amen. Thank you.

Tonight you may be seated in Jesus name, Amen.

Good to be in the House of the Lord with each of you here this

evening looking toward, for toward resurrection Sunday,

Amen, and Wednesday night, Amen. Grateful that you're here this

evening, Amen. Tonight Doctor Mason's going to

come minister the word of the Lord to us.

Amen. Whenever, whenever I finally

figured out that we could go get these seats and it was going to

be soon, last this last Monday, then I reached out to him and

see if he wouldn't mind help carry the load here on Sunday.

And he of course landed his shoulder to get underneath the

load to help in that respect. And he has always been well to

do that if I needed him, sometimes at a short, short

notice. He's always been willing a man

to offer himself over the years, always been a crucial part of

this church for years and now for years.

Dependable, committed, faithful. All of those words describe him,

integral, so on and so forth. So we're thankful for him

tonight. Will you give the Lord a great

hand of praise this evening? Amen.

As Doctor Mason comes tonight, let's give the Lord some praise

together. Jesus, we magnify you.

What a wonderful day it is if you'll turn in your Bibles with

me to the book of Second Samuel, Chapter 5.

2 Samuel 5 · chapter mention

Give honor to our Bishop, to our pastor.

Thank you for those kind words tonight.

I hope somehow I can live up to that.

Give honor to our youth pastor, his wife, and his daughter, my

granddaughter Piper, if you're listening, Pops loves you.

Give honor to my wife tonight. I love her and I'm so thankful

she puts up with me. Second Samuel chapter 5, verse

2 Samuel 5 · chapter mention

#1 The Bible says, Then came all the tribes of Israel to David

unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy

flesh. Also in time past, when Saul was

king over us, thou was he that led us out and brought us in

Israel. And the Lord said to thee, Thou

shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over

Israel. So all the elders of Israel came

to the king, to Hebron, and asked David.

And King David made a league with them in Hebron before the

Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel with the help

of the Lord. And I sure need it.

I want to minister to you tonight on this subject.

Delayed but not denied. Delayed, but not denied.

Would you lift your hands and ask God to help us one more

time? Jesus, in your precious name

today, God, we're, we're grateful, Lord.

Help us Jesus, may the Lord bless you.

You may be seated tonight. That is a courtesy and not a

command. Doctor Mary Jackson, a brilliant

mathematician and aerospace engineer, faced significant

delays in her career path due to racial and gender

discrimination. Working at NASA during the 1950s

and 1960s, she faced barriers that could have easily denied

her the chance to fulfill her potential.

To become an engineer, Mary had to attend graduate level courses

at a segregated school in Virginia.

Even gaining permission to enroll into these classes

required determination and advocacy as societal norms were

working against her, for she had to petition the city of Hampton,

VA, for special permission to join her white peers in the

classroom. She finally completed the

courses and earned the qualifications to becoming

NASA's first Black female engineer in 1958.

Early in her career, Mary was often assigned menial tasks and

denied opportunities to work on significant projects.

She had to fight for her chance to prove her capabilities and

demonstrate her potential. Mary did not have access to the

same resources as her white male colleagues.

This disparity meant she had to work harder and longer to

achieve the same results. As a woman in a male dominated

field, Mary faced sexism and prejudice and was often

underestimated and had to overcome stereotypes to earn

respect and recognition. Her journey was undeniably

delayed. Obstacles slowed her progress,

but Mary Jackson's perseverance ensured that she was not denied

her rightful place in history. Her achievements paved the way

for countless others and contributed significantly to

NASA's space exploration efforts.

Nelson Mandela is a man whose journey to becoming a global

symbol of justice and equality was marked by significant

delays, but his ultimate impact has been undeniable on the world

at large. Mandela was arrested in 1962 for

opposing apartheid in South Africa and was sentenced to life

imprisonment in 1964. For 27 years, he remained behind

bars, separated from his family and unable to actively lead the

anti apartheid movement. During these decades of

imprisonment, Mandela faced immense personal and political

challenges, endured isolation, harsh living conditions, and the

pain of watching his loved ones suffer.

Yet, despite being physically confined, his resolve never

wavered. Mandela used his imprisonment as

a time to reflect, educate himself, and strengthen his

vision for a democratic South Africa.

Finally, in 1990, as many of you history readers know, Mandela

was released after international and local pressure forced the

government to end apartheid policies. 4 years later, he

became South Africa's first black president in the country's

first democratic election. His long wait and sacrifices

paid off as he led the nation toward reconciliation and

justice, ensuring that his dream of equality was no longer

denied. Even in the face of profound

delays, he persevered and changed the course of history.

Bethany Hamilton is a professional surfer.

She faced unimaginable setbacks that could have ended her life,

much less her surfing dreams altogether.

At the age of 13, while surfing off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii,

Bethany was attacked by a shark, which resulted in the loss of

her left arm. Many assumed her surfing career

was over and the challenge of adapting to life with one arm

seemed insurmountable. Bethany's.

Resilience. And determination proved

otherwise. Watch this now.

Within one month, she was back in the water, determined to

continue learning. To balance and paddle with one

arm instead of 2 required immense effort, but her passion

for the sport drove her forward. Bethany not only resumed surfing

but went on to compete professionally.

She overcame delays and challenges that would have

deterred most people, inspiring millions with her tenacity.

And today, she is an accomplished surfer, author, and

motivational speaker, proving that while her path was delayed,

her dreams were far from denied. Walt Disney, the visionary

behind the global entertainment empire, faced incredible

challenges and delays early in his career.

As a young man, Disney was fired from a newspaper for supposedly

lacking creativity. His first animation studio,

Laphogram, went bankrupt after he struggled to gain traction

and funding for his projects. Undeterred, Disney moved to

Hollywood in 1923 and began building a new studio.

Even then, his journey was filled with setbacks.

In one notable delay, his original creation, Oswald the

Lucky Rabbit, was taken from him in a contract dispute.

So instead of giving up, Disney channeled his energy into

creating a new character, a cheerful mouse named Mickey

Mouse, and he became an instant success and marked the beginning

of Walt Disney's ascent to fulfilment.

Despite years of delays and failures, Disney's vision grew

into one of the most influential entertainment companies in

history. His commitment to innovation and

storytelling proved that while setbacks may delay progress,

they cannot deny greatness when persistence prevails.

Last but not least, maybe my personal favorite, Michael

Jordan's journey to basketball greatness began with a set back

that has become legendary. As a sophomore at Laney High

School in Wilmington, NC, Jordan tried out for the varsity

basketball team. However, believe it or not, he

was not selected and he was placed on the JV junior varsity

squad. The decision was influenced by

practical factors. At the time, Jordan was only 5

foot 10 inches and lacked the physical maturity needed for

varsity level competition. Meanwhile, his close friend

Leroy Smith stood 6 foot 7 and made the varsity team due to his

height. This rejection deeply affected

Michael Jordan. He went home, locked himself in

his room, and he cried. But instead of giving up, he got

up and he used the experience as motivation to improve the things

that he needed to improve. During his sophomore year on the

JV team, he showcased his talent, scoring multiple 40

point games and attracting unprecedented crowds for JV

matches. Over the summer, he grew and

worked tirelessly to refine his skills.

By his junior year, he made the varsity team and quickly became

its star player, averaging over 20 points per game.

His experience of being cut. Became a lifelong motivational

tool. Driving him to become widely

regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time.

Doctor Mary Jackson, Nelson Mandela, Bethany Hamilton, Walt

Disney and Michael Jordan, even though their stories and

backgrounds were different. They all had.

One thing in common, their success was delayed, but it was

not denied. The Bible is also rich.

With stories that beautifully illustrate the concept of

delays. Time does not.

Permit me to regale you with all of them, but here are a few

examples. Abraham and Sarah in Genesis

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

chapters 15 through 21. God promised Abraham and Sarah a

child, but it took many years of waiting and mistakes along the

way before their promise was born.

Joseph's journey to success in Genesis chapters 37 through 50.

Genesis 37 · chapter mention

He faced betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment before rising to

power in Egypt. God used the waiting period to

prepare him for his destiny. In chapters one and two of First

Samuel, Hannah prayed and longed for a child fervently for years.

Her delay in conceiving was not a denial, as God eventually

blessed her with Samuel, who became a great prophet.

This takes us to the man. David.

In our opening scripture text, David is being anointed the king

of all Israel. David.

Is one of the most. Prominent figures in the history

of the world. He's a mountain peak among.

Bible characters and is the most famous ancestor of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is not referred to as the son of Abraham, or the son of

Isaac, or the son of Jacob. He is, however, referred to as

the son of David. The Life of David.

Was a strange mixture of good and evil.

It was filled with noble deeds. It was filled with fine

aspirations and splendid accomplishments.

Yet it was also stained with gross sins.

No Bible character fully illustrates anymore the moral

range of human nature and man's tendencies to fall in to sin.

Can somebody say Hallelujah? It seems impossible to conceive

that. The man who wrote the 23rd song

could commit the sin that David did against Uriah the Hittite.

But still, in the early periods of David's life, he is

considered to be a man after God's own heart.

How, you might ask? Because even in the mistakes,

David never became an idolater. He remained true to the Lord in

all that he did. He was the youngest of eight

sons and worked in his young life as a humble shepherd,

keeping the flock of his father. The Bible does not specifically

state David's age. When Samuel anointed him to be

king. But in the review of history and

scrolls that have been written, scholars have estimated that he

was likely around the age of 15 years old when the prophet

anointed him to be king. Saul's successor, David, later

officially became king of Israel at the age of 30.

David's journey to kingship is a remarkable story of faith,

perseverance and divine timing. This.

Journey included anointing by Samuel David was.

Chosen not his brothers, David. Was chosen by God, the one who?

Didn't look the part the. One who may not have.

Felt the part. He may not have even.

Talked the part, but he definitely worked the part and

he was. Chosen by God and anointed.

By the prophet Samuel while he was still young, this marked the

beginning of. His journey, though, he did.

Not immediately ascend to the throne.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell somebody tonight that this

is very important for us to understand and take to heart.

That God may anoint you today, but He.

May not fulfill your destiny until a much later time.

There are delays that occur in our.

Life and it is important. That we understand that I might

be delayed, but I will not be denied.

Somebody shout. Amen.

Victory over Goliath. David gained national

recognition by defeating the giant service in saul's court

was part of. David's journey, David.

Served King Saul as a harpist and as an armor bearer, gaining

favor initially, but later facing Saul's jealousy and

Saul's attempts on David's life as a result of his jealousy.

Please remember tonight David is serving in the court of the King

that he has been anointed to replace.

David knows that he is. Serving in the court of the king

that he has been anointed to replace, David is Privy to what

the prophet. Said David knows and understands

what the anointing oil dripping down the back of.

His neck and rolling down. His spine meant in his life that

may be acceptable. In our human nature that when

things are going well that we will serve the the serve the

things that that. They don't.

They don't service at a later date, but David continued to

serve even when his. King became jealous of him and

even attempted to take his life. We must take record of.

David and somehow understand in our life that even after you've

been anointed by God Almighty for a calling of God, there is

no time and place that it's right.

There is no time and place that it's proper for you to step

outside the the the boundaries of that anointing and try to

rush the things of God. Because God not only gave you an

anointing, God gave you a timeline and God set a journey

in front of you to prepare you for the fulfillment of your

destiny. But you cannot quit.

You cannot quit. There were fugitive years in

David's journey. He spent years fleeing from King

Saul after Saul had went from favor to jealousy despite being

anointed to be king in modern day terms.

In the 21st century. I see an Instagram reel of David

complaining of David. If we put him into modern day

dialect, it would be normal and customary for us for David to

get on on, on on a video and tell all of the people that's

following him. Hey, I've been wronged.

Hey, this guy's tried to. Kill me, I need some people on

my. Side I need some help with me.

I, I just, I just can't make it by myself.

I need somebody. Surrounding me and helping.

If you see him, you take him out first.

And when? I see him.

No, no, no, no, no, no. David had an opportunity to take

the. King out inside a cave.

It was dark. Saul would have never known

that. David was the one that took him,

but David and his anointing would have known.

Their integrity would have known.

Their spirit would have known. It's important for us to

understand when God gives it to you, He will establish it

through you, but He will not do it until the day of his

anointing is revealed and it becomes necessary for you to

fulfill what God has delivered to you.

You can't rush God. David spent years fleeing from

Saul. Then he became the king of

Judah. After Saul's death, he was

anointed over the tribe of Judah in Hebron.

He spent seven years there and ruled over Judah.

I don't think it's strange that given the worshipper that David

was, that he was the king over the worshippers.

After seven years of being the king in Hebron, he became the

king over all Israel. His reign was marked with

military victories, political alliance, and a deep devotion to

God. His reign as king of Israel was

to unite the tribes, and he established Jerusalem as the

nation's capital. David's journey reminds us that

God's plan often unfolds over time.

I know. That that's that's the least.

Favorable part. I understand tonight that I'm

talking to people that are just as human as I, and I understand

even men, my own humanity, that God unfolding His will and

purpose over time is my least favorite part of the journey.

But yet the. Psalmist in king of Israel

reigned because he was. Faithful and because he had

patience. And because he had commitment

and because he trusted his God. And, I might add, because he

maintained a worship spirit. Because when you're in, I don't

want to get outside. My notes here because I've got a

lot of ground to cover and I need the Lord's help.

But when you're delayed, the first temptation that you are.

Going to. Face is just stop when you're

delayed and you know that what God has called you to do is

there. And you standing.

Here, and you've been here. Longer than you think you

should. And the doors and the obstacles

and the barriers to getting between point A and point B.

You just can't seem to remove. It gets old, it wears on your

mind, it wears on your your body, it wears on your spirit.

But it's important to understand that God often unfolds His plan

over time. What an impact David had

anointed by the prophet of God Samuel to be the successor to

King Saul. You must understand something

about this anointing. David was anointed for.

His calling, but it was. Not yet.

Time for him. To fulfill his calling.

So if you don't. Understand the calling of God.

In your life, you will become frustrated with having an

anointing. And not being able to do

anything with it you've. Got to.

Understand God's call. You need.

Clarity on God's call. For your life, God anointed.

David. And David was aware of this

anointing for years, but it was approximately 15 years or so

later that David has had this anointing and he's watched and

observed the throne. And he's understood in his heart

of hearts that throne belongs to me.

Because God said so. But for 15 years or so, he

couldn't touch the throne. Because God had said it, but

God. Wasn't ready to fulfill it yet

David was anointed for his calling, but he could not

fulfill his calling until later. When you are at the fore stage

of your calling, you might be delayed, but when you.

Get to the fulfill stage of your calling.

There is. Absolutely nothing that can deny

you. God's anointing is.

Greater than man's denial. I said God's anointing is

greater than man's denial. God, don't quit just because

you've been delayed. Don't stop because you've been

delayed. Don't just attend church because

you've been delayed and stop worshipping.

God, be like David. You've got to have a worship.

Spirit. David might have been an.

Adulterer. But he was not an idolater.

He knew in the God he served. He knew in the God that he

believed. He knew in the God that he

worshipped with all of his mind. Don't walk away because you've

been delayed. Hang on through the delay.

You've got to get to the fulfillment of your God calling,

and you will never get to the fulfillment stage if you don't

hold on. So you might be.

Delayed, but you're not denied. The people that I talked to you

about when I started this message, each of them have some

very, very good popular quotes regarding perseverance.

Doctor Mary Jackson says you can't just sit there and wait

for someone to open a door. You have to knock it down

yourself. Now, from a from a church

perspective, we might say when God opens the door, you better

walk through it because sometimes God opens doors.

We don't walk yet, but you cannot complain about not being

fulfilled in your God calling if when God opens the door you

don't take the step. Nelson Mandela said the greatest

glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising.

Every time we fall. What's the Bible say when I fall

I shall arise? Bethany Hamilton says I don't

need easy, I just need possible. Our Bible tells us that.

With God, all things are possible, Walt Disney said the.

Difference in winning and losing is most often not quitting

Michael. Jordan said I have failed.

Over and over and over again in my.

Life and that. Is why I.

Succeed. Quite often we see delays and

failures. As an indicator to quit.

But I want to remind somebody tonight that the absence.

Of immediate success is often the marker.

Of a genuine call. Being delayed doesn't mean God's

against you. Being delayed just may very well

be. God's got anointing on you and

the oil is still trying to find its spot.

God's got something for you that you can't imagine.

Delay is not an indicator to quit.

Delay is not an indicator of the lack of God's favor.

Even let me say this tonight. Even if.

Your delay was caused by you. I need no other Bible story to

look at than the man David. If where you're at feels like

rejection, understand that God calls it direction.

God has a calling delays. Will.

Happen, but you have to. Build a determination to not

allow delays to deny you of your God calling.

Now I'm going to give a bit of a personal testimony here that I

have, I have waited for over 4 years to give because I haven't

personally been ready and I'm not doing this because I'm not

telling for myself. I have, I have sought means of

therapy and talked about this and I still have days that I

struggle emotionally because scars run deep.

Yes I do. Come on.

But I'm telling this tonight because I'm, I'm hoping, I'm

trusting. I had AI had a minister friend

tell me four or five years ago when I shared this with him, he

said there's going to come a day where you need to share your

testimony. And that day is today.

My calling. I need to say a little little

quick background here. My calling is leadership.

I believe it with all that is within me and I have found that

calling, I call it a God calling in the world of business.

Now before anybody checks out on me, yes, I, I believe, I believe

with all of my heart that I have a calling in the church.

That's right. But God did not call me to

exercise that in a way to provide for my family.

And I have accepted that that's that's not a disparaging

comment. I believe, and this is a very

strongly held opinion on my part.

And if you want to chalk it up to an opinion and ignore it, you

have that right to do so. But I believe that each of us

should not just get a job, but we should find meaning and

purpose in our life by fulfilling God's design for our

life, no matter what. That is banker, Body Shop owner,

painter extraordinaire. That's a sincere statement.

That's not sarcasm. That was sincerity.

Bus driver. School.

I'm I'm I'm going to get in waters here that I I have

absolutely no idea what I'm saying, but school pair pro and

all that jazz. Whatever it is, you need a God

calling in those roles because no matter what just about feel

my help coming. The Bible tells us that

whatsoever your hands find to do do with all your mind.

I believe this is me. This is Mason 101.

I believe. No matter what you choose to do,

it needs to be God's call for you, even if it's flipping

burgers. If that's God's call.

For you, then there's. No need to feel insecure.

Own it. Embrace it.

And allow God to minister through you by it.

So that's my preface. Yeah, come on.

Many of you know I'll spare you my resume, but God's purpose has

unfolded in my life in the world of business.

Over the last 25 years in various roles and various

business disciplines, I have never stayed in one particular

role very long. Most of you know I have lost my

job three times. The first was due to corporate

downsizing. 14 people were cut that day without prior notice.

The next two were for reasons that were never clear to me.

It can be best summarized. The best way I can summarize it

is using a sports analogy. When the team isn't performing,

the coach is most often the one that's first to go, even if he's

not the one that personally did something wrong.

That is the same in business now.

Trust me, I have asked myself and I have asked God to no

avail. Why me?

And I still don't have an answer, and that's OK.

But each time I struggled with this loss for several reasons.

One, I felt I had let my family down and disappointed them.

I felt like a failure. I felt like what I thought God

had called me to do. Because again, my preface, it's

a calling for me, not just a job.

So I questioned whether or not what God had called me to do,

whether I was right or not. Did I understand it correctly?

I lost my faith in myself and the gifts that God has enabled

me with. The most recent occurrence was

absolute hardest for me. There are there are times I have

nightmares still and there are days out of nowhere imposter

syndrome will hit me hard and I will feel like you have no

business doing what you're doing.

Just go take a seat. A lot of things in the business

world changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and where I

was at, and I will use discretion to the fullest extent

of my ability tonight because I intend not to be disparaging

toward any company or any person, but I still have a story

to tell. Things got hard, things got very

hard. Things got 118 hours a week

hard. And what I didn't see at the

time, I knew I was tired. Obviously, what I didn't see at

the time was how harmful and unhealthy it was for me

mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Even though it was hard, God orchestrated the whole event for

my good. If you could please put the

photo up. This, this photo.

Well, the, the box label is going to give it away just a

bit, but that's fine. But this, this photo, well, the

the box label is going to give it away just a bit, but that's

fine. But this, this photo is a photo

of the corner office. Now if anybody knows any other

office, this photo was taken on January 18th of 2021.

I had a dream about what you see in this photo in February of

2013. In the month of February 13, I

was driving to Rural King for some supplies and as I started

driving by this business, I felt an undeniable presence of God

come into my car in a in a very spontaneous way.

Anybody that knows me knows I'm not a spontaneous person, but I

quickly put my brakes on and I pulled into the parking lot of a

business that I had never pulled into and I stopped the car and I

said, God, I, these are the exact words.

I said, God, I don't know what you're trying to tell me right

now, but I receive it in Jesus name.

In March of 2013, a month later, I had a recruiter call me about

a job opening right here in Mount Carmel.

The place that I was at I was very unhappy with.

I had been praying for God to allow me to be released from

there. He had given me that job as a

blessing to come out of job loss #2 and unfortunately, I knew on

day #2 that it was God providing a bridge, not a place.

And the following 2 1/2 years were hard, but I was praying for

God to release me and I and I I even was specific enough with

God to make sure that I gently prayed this because I did not

want Him to. Think.

That I was ungrateful because he had delivered me from loss #2

with it. So it was a bit of a tough

emotional state. On April 1st of 2013, I started

a new job there as operations manager at the same place as my

parking lot. Prayer.

Two months earlier when I saw the office in the photo after

after starting there, I knew it was from the dream that I had

two months prior. It was not my office.

That was a bit of a let down. It's like I had a dream worth.

All right, Joseph. In 2015, I was promoted to

director. 2017, I was promoted to vice president.

Things were going good right here in town.

In late 2019, the company started to look at buying a

division of one of its largest competitors.

I was asked to put an integration plan together on how

to accomplish this from an operations perspective.

On February 14th, Valentine's Day of 2020, the purchase was

made and I anxiously we were all excited.

I anxiously awaited the opportunity to get started on

the plan that was made. In March 2020, the world shut

down. Everything changed, brought a

high amount of financial stress and unknowns to what the future

looked like. Not just for us as individuals,

but for companies as well. Two months later, in May of

2020, I was finally given the clearance to begin the

integration project that I had planned seven months earlier.

I was very excited, but the project that I had prepared

seven months earlier took on a much different shape.

The expectations remain the same.

The resources were a fraction of what was necessary to be

successful. From May 2020 through November

2020, things were the most difficult I had experienced in

my entire adult life and career. Slowly, some things started

getting better in December and January, although there were

several difficulties still to overcome.

But I had hope. I was starting to get my

optimism back because things were starting to slowly turn

around. On February 19th, it was a

Friday 2020, my boss flew up from Atlanta pay a visit on a

Friday. It didn't register with me.

Why is he here on a Friday? Because he never flew up just

for a Friday. It don't make sense.

Around 1:00 that afternoon he sat me down and informed me that

they were replacing me effective Monday, February 22nd. 3 days

later I lost it. I bawled like a baby because my

God calling was just stripped away from me.

Everything I'd worked hard for just disappeared in a moment.

That Monday on February 2020, the 22nd of 2020, I met my

replacement. He visited church here one

Sunday morning. I spent the next 10 weeks doing

the unthinkable in the corporate world.

And I'm not saying this to pat me on the back.

It was a God thing that I survived Bishop mentally.

But the next 10 weeks I spent working with him and actually

working for him to help him succeed in my absence.

After that 10 weeks was up, I walked away on April the 30th of

2020. I was a shell of myself.

I didn't really know how much healing I needed to do from the

impact of the previous eleven months.

Similar to Joseph, now I can tell you what I went through

prepared me for the next chapter.

So back to the photo. This photo was taken January

18th, 2021, because while I knew the office, this was the image

of the dream. January 18th I was moving into

the corner office. So naturally, I thought the

dream from February 2013 was about me moving in.

So in January 18th, part of my optimism came from this photo

because when I saw this and God prompted me to the dream that I

had had eight years earlier, my first thought was, everything's

going to be all right. God put me here and He just let

me know eight years ago that when I got to this season of my

life that everything was going to be all right.

That was what I thought. But one month later, on a

Saturday, February 20th, my wife and I were in this office using

these boxes not to move out of, but to pack into because I

needed to make room for my replacement who was arriving

that Monday. I shared my story with my family

and my son said to me, because I didn't understand, I didn't

understand the dream anymore because I thought what it meant,

it no longer meant. And my son with wisdom in his

words. He said Dad.

Your dream wasn't about you moving in, Your dream was about

you moving out. So what I've come to?

Share with you tonight is in February 2013.

Our God is so good, He gave me a dream about a temporary

departure from my calling. And a job that I didn't even

have yet, just to make. Sure that I remembered.

That he knows my end. From my beginning.

And that he has everything. He has everything under control.

I was delayed, I felt denied. There were days I wanted to go

back to driving A. Forklift to just say forget it.

I don't want to be boss. I don't want to lead.

People, I'm over it. I'm over it, I'm over it.

But I declare to you today that God had a plan, and God's plan

always supersedes every delay that you encounter in your life.

Could you lift your? Hands and praise and.

Could you lift your hands and thank him?

Musicians, come stand with me please.

On January 3rd of 2022, I stepped back into my God calling

after eight months of no employment and an exhausting

search. Not just for a job.

Please understand that it was a search for the will of God.

That's right, it was a search for when I would hit submit with

a resume. There were times it looked so

good and my heart was so hungry. But I will say nevertheless, not

my will, but God, let your will be done.

And the one thing. That I refused to apply for.

My wife had seen the job in early August and she said she

said, read this, I read it. She said that's you.

I said I don't want that. I've worked for those type of

companies before and I don't want to go back to that.

I was having a vertical issue August the 15th.

I still remember it. I was home.

I was home on a Sunday night during church and church was

over, but I was home before my wife got home.

I went back to that AD and I looked at it and she was right.

She always is. That's OK.

I typed up my cover letter highlighted how what they were

looking for I had experience in. I prayed a prayer and I said,

God, you know in my heart I don't want to relive certain

chapters that I have already lived, but if this is different

and I just don't know it, fine. But if it's not different, I'm

asking you to block it. So I hit send right before NYCI

got a phone call and I found out they had put the job on hold a

couple of months earlier. I'm not saying it was a result

of my prayer, but I believe in God enough that it could have

been. Long story short, got the job.

After a series of additional promotions there over the last

three years, I now find myself leading in a capacity that far

surpasses anything I've ever done.

The scope is so large, there are days it overwhelms me that I am

responsible for 750 people every day.

And the sum total of business needs that I am responsible for

is the total of every individual thing I have done collectively

over the last 25 years. 2000, it was warehousing and I told you I

wouldn't give you my resume and I'm not, but I'm going to give

you some examples. 2003 it was accounting and sales, 2006

purchasing and distribution, and then into production and then

into logistics and IT everything.

But what he does, I can't do that.

Bishop, All of it rolled. In It took me about two years to

figure this out, but when God revealed it to me, I got really

excited. All rolled into one position

that the delays prepared me for. If there had been no delays,

certain life seasons and changes would not have changed.

Other experiences would not have been learned or gained in other

places. God prepared me through the

struggles and through the delays.

Like Joseph, things didn't always go the way that I thought

they should go. But I'm telling you today, God

had a plan And what? God had a plan for me.

He has got an equal plan for you.

But you cannot give up in the waiting.

You cannot give up in the waiting.

You might be delayed, but I've come to tell somebody tonight

you're not denied. That photo is a representation

to me of God's divine protection and order.

He cared so much that he told me 8 years, eight years.

Before I would go into that season, he told me some things

through that, that image, although I didn't understand it

at first, but whenever I came to understanding, I understood just

just exactly how much God's hand was holding me and helping me

and protecting me. This altar is open tonight.

There's somebody that you might feel delayed in this house

tonight and you don't understand.

You believe God has called you, but you believe you've had an

anointing. But where did the anointing go?

Because your delay makes it feel like that God's not there.

God doesn't care and God hasn't called you.

Still, I've come to tell somebody tonight that God has

not taken your anointing away. God has not taken your calling

away. He is ready at the He is

standing at the ready to anoint you again.

You still have purpose. The delay is not the end.

The delay is not the end of the story.

Don't deny. Yourself of an opportunity of

fulfillment in God's order. By stopping on him too soon.

He's waiting on you. He's waiting.

And all he needs is a willing vessel to say God.

I give God in spite of the delays, in spite of the things

I've done myself, in spite of the things that I don't even

understand. God, I surrender to you if you

want me to step out to do. Such and such.

Whatever you put on my. Heart God if it's.

Really. Your will?

And you want me to do that? God, I will do it.

You make a way you. Open the door and God.

When you open the door, I promise you I won't say no.

Let's pray if. If you're not praying

personally, please find someone to pray for and with tonight.

You might be delayed, but you're not denied.