Marked | Savage Jesus | Pastor Michael Todd

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Well, it's a very exciting weekend at Elevation Church. We just finished celebrating Easter. God is doing amazing things. We've been talking about savage Jesus, and hey, let me tell you something: I brought a savage pastor to share the Word of God with you today. I just met this guy recently; I loved him immediately. He is full of wisdom; he is a fashion icon; more importantly, he's got an amazing heart. God is using him in a great way all around the world, but he pastors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa, Oklahoma. You know about Tulsa, Oklahoma? Tulsa, Oklahoma is the home of Transformation Church. I'm talking about Pastor Michael Todd. He and his wife, Natalie, have been giving leadership to that church now for several years, and God is really raising him up. And recently, God put it on my heart: it was time for Elevation Church to meet Pastor Michael Todd. So I know you're gonna be blessed today by His Word. I know you're gonna feel his warmth, but I want to show a little southern hospitality, or Canadian hospitality, or Floridian hospitality, or maybe you're watching this somewhere else in the world—wherever you are, I want you to show some great Elevation Church love to a great man of God, Pastor Michael Todd. Come on, let's welcome him as he comes. It feels like home in here.

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I am so excited to be here with you. And as you already know, my name is Michael Todd. Something you may not know: I'm black. I'm so excited because any time the people of God come together and there's an expectation—they told me that 11:30 was rowdy, but I didn't—and Concord was crazy like that, and I believe God has a word for us today. So I want you to prepare your section. I want you to find three people and say, "Get ready." High-five them and tell them, "Get ready." But just tell them, "Get ready." Get ready. Y'all can take y'all seats after that. Hallelujah, men. I am so honored to be here. Um, it's amazing how God does things. Before I get started, I just want you to know—'cause you may not know this because you experience it all the time, but you don't go to a regular church—like all your location, that's where I go; that ain't regular. Um, you have two of the most dynamic leaders in Pastor Stephen and Holly Furtick. Or you can give it up. Take their leadership; this team—I mean, it's so phenomenal. In their absence, you can still feel their heartbeat. And for everybody who's serving and leading and running cameras and doing kids and and all this—uh, can we give it up for the team? Everybody impacting the entire world. And you'll hear a little bit of my testimony of how we met in just a little bit. And but before I get started, ma'am, my wife is here, and she fine. And and she came with me. And why it's special is because this is her birthday weekend. Do y'all say happy birthday? Yeah. We'll celebrate later. But but on her birthday weekend, she was like, "Yeah, you can go." And I honor you because you allow me to do what that's called me to do. I had team members that came, and I love y'all. Squad up. My church back home, Transformation Church, stand up. God, I love y'all. Okay, so I think I got everybody out the way. God is here, and um and so we're gonna get right into the word right now. Oh, I got to do one more thing. I want to show you a picture of my kids. This is my family right here. My daughter is 4; she's Isabella. My son, he's got a ponytail, but that's a boy, as 2, MJ. And and then my six-month—oh, that's a beret. And the reason I showed you that because statistics say if I show you pictures of my family, you listen to me more. Okay, here we go. We're gonna have fun today. I'm gonna get out your Bibles and something to take notes with, um, because I was sitting here on assignment. So a lot of people, they go to church to just do something and feel good and check it off the religious box. I came here on assignment, like God started dealing with me about what I was supposed to speak to you, and so I got to deliver this, no matter if you receive it or not. I got to get a well done from God for me. Okay, so hopefully you're gonna receive. Do I got any people that will receive the word? Okay. So I came all the way from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to tell somebody that you're marked by God. Yeah, yeah. And I know what kind of sounds cliché and a little and a little—okay, I'm marked by God. But somebody came in here discouraged, and the things of life have you questioning, "Did God really call me? Is there really more than this job I'm working? Is there more than how our marriage has been? Is there more than what?" And I came to tell you, yeah, there is. And God has marked you for purpose; he's marked you for impact; he's marked you for destiny; he's anointed you and called you to so much more than anything you can even see right now, but you have to realize it because the enemy has come to tell you, "Stop. Quit. You're too old. Maybe if you were in your 30s, your 20s." But what God's gonna do with you in your 60s? She said, "Yes, me. Thank you, Lord." No, I'm serious, like like what is God gonna do after the second bankruptcy? Didn't God do anything after the the second marriage? Thank God. Come on, y'all. There's some people in here, they denied me for the college I wanted to go to four times, like how am I ever gonna—and I came to tell you that no matter what the denial was, God still's marching. No matter what the trial is, God still marks you. No matter what you're facing now, you are marked. Somebody just say it with faith. Say, "I'm marked." Y'all going—I like this 11:00 buddy. Y'all right with me? And and and this is the thing: when I started to think about people in the Bible who were marked by God, anointed, I started to think about David, who was marked from a very young age, but there was a process to the palace, or there was a process to his purpose, a process to his destiny. And many times, if the enemy—what he cannot destroy, he distracts. He can't destroy us, so then he distracts us, and we start thinking, "Well, maybe—" like at one time you're on fire for God, and you knew he had called you, and you knew. And then and then well, that happened, and then this happened, and now you're distracted. And and and you're just looking for validation. And God said, "No, no, no, no. Come back. Today is a refocused day. I need you to realize that before you were formed in your mother's womb, I need you. I called you. I had a plan and a purpose for you. I see stuff you ain't never seen to you before." Somebody just yell, "See!" When you stop believing the lie, then you can believe the truth. See, a lot of people try to believe the truth and the lies; they don't they don't work together. When you stop believing the lie, the truth automatically comes to the front. And the truth is that no matter what you've been through, you're still marked by God. And so right now, I want to read First Samuel 16, and let me give you some some backstory. There was a king named Saul. He wants—was marked; he once was anointed by God. And a lot of people give Saul a bad rap, like he was just a bad guy from the beginning. No. God called him, but he started doing things his own way, and God lifted that anointing from him. And Samuel was a prophet at the time, and he was like, "Man, I anointed Saul; he was supposed to be the man." And and and then God said, "Sammy, stop crying over him. I'm anointing somebody else. I'm moving my anointing. He he's still gonna be in leadership, but but my anointing is taken from him." Can I just put a pin right there on the point? You can still have people in leadership without God's anointing.

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Just got—just 'cause they got the title don't mean they have the anointing. Okay, now you thinking about somebody else. I'm talking about you. Oh, they didn't like that at Asheville. They didn't like—y'all don't like that? I'm sorry. All I'm saying is he started doing things his own way, and so God had to bring somebody else; he had to mark somebody else for what he was trying to get done in the earth. And what ended up happening was he goes to Jesse's house, and he's planning to find the next king of Israel at Jesse's house. And so that's where we pick up. It says verse 6: it says, "When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, 'Surely this is God's anointed.' But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them.'" In that—good that God doesn't judge you by your education and doesn't judge you by the number of Instagram followers or zeroes in your bank account. See, look what he tells him: he says, "People judge by the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." It's good news for all of us. Then Jesse told his son—a bit of dad—to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "This is not the one the Lord has chosen." Next, Jesse summons Shammah. Yeah, that's my boy right there. That's the one that's like his daddy. But Samuel said, "Neither is this the one." Jesse's like, "All my sons failures, like—" But Samuel said to Jesse that the Lord has not chosen these. Verse 11: then Samuel asked, "Are these all the sons you have?" He said, "Well, there's still the youngest," Jesse replied, "but he's out in the field watching the sheep and the goats." It's funny that his father didn't even call him by his name; he defined him by a characteristic that was unattractive. Like many times when you're marked, people look at what you've done or what you're doing and try to sum you up as that's what you are. "Oh, oh, she's the one who was divorced," and "He's the one who's been in bankruptcy." He said, "Well, is there another—" "Oh, you talking about her? That's kind of like mmm—this solves that big ant got the bad attitude." Like people not even saying his name but describing what they've been through. But isn't it beautiful that God doesn't even care about that? We got it. He said, "He's the one out there; he's watching the sheep and the goats. He don't smell that good." And and Samuel said, "Send for him at once, and we will not sit down until he arrives." All the brothers like, "Dang, we can't eat." So Jesse sent for him. He was dark, handsome, had beautiful eyes. Get the picture. And the Lord said, "This is the one. Anoint him. Mark him." So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David. He marked David with oil. Watch this: and the Spirit of God came powerfully upon David from that day on. Somebody say, "I'm marked." Um, I want to tell you a story. I'm I'm a son of five—one of five boys that grew up in our house. And my parents didn't have cables, so they were fruitful and multiplied. And so and so I have an older brother named Gabriel. And one day, me and Gabriel were fighting and just being what brothers do. And my mom, she's a woman of prayer; she's a woman that speaks lies. And one day, she just switched on us, and she was like, "Y'all about to fight?" I said, "What?" And she said, "Yep, y'all gonna fight." And she called us down to her room. And I'm a little more athletic than my brother Gabe. And so um I knew I was about to whoop his—bless the Lord. And so so we got these gloves from the fair like a week earlier. And if you've ever seen these American flag gloves, there there are a lot of cushion on this side, and there's no cushion on this side. And so she put gloves on both of us, and she said, "Box." And I'm whooping him on, and I vaguely remember that he got back his hand, and my mom told us we were only supposed to be doing body shots, so from the head down. And I just remember seeing his hand turn over, and and he hit me straight across my face, and my neck turned, and then as my neck turned, my body went with it, and I—I fell to the ground. And at that moment, I got up; I was like, "We're all supposed to be doing head shots; we're supposed to be doing body shots." And the Lord brought this back to my memory as I begin to study for this sermon. He said, "Michael, there's never a hit like the one you don't see coming. That's the hit that knocks you out." Just like a lot of people in this room right now, you've had a hit of life, and you didn't see it coming. And so it knocks you down—the bankruptcies, the divorce, the frustrating co-worker—it knocks you down. And many of you are in this room, and you're sitting down, and they're counting one, two, and you're debating, "Should I even get up? Should I even try again?" And I came to say it's time to get up because you are—my God—the fight is not over, and God has a plan for your life. Somebody shout out, "Marked!" So what I came today for—all the marked people in the building—now this may not be everybody, but I know there's some marked people at University City, and there's some marked people right here at Ballentine. If you're marked, make some noise in the building. I see you. I came to help you because there are hits of life that are coming. See, most pastors just want you to feel good and just like the God that said he's setting you up for a blessing, and he's setting you up for some hits too. But if you know the hits are coming, you can be ready. See, I wasn't guarding my head because I didn't think the hit was coming there. But when I know where a hit is coming from, I can be able to defend myself and know and be prepared for what's gonna happen. So I just want to talk to the marked people in the room and give you a few steps that are gonna happen to you if you are marked by God. Are y'all ready? Now, let's look at David's life. Number one: if you are marked, you're gonna be approved in private. Now, this one messes with people because we want to insert the story—our elevation—look at me; I'm gonna pass the Stephen; look at the anointing rubbing off. No, I didn't see—because what God wants to do in your life is something that he cannot do on display when it's in seed form. And this messes with our culture because we want everybody to know we've been approved; we want everybody to recognize what God has done in our life. And he did speak to you, and he did give you a word at that conference, and he did touch your life sitting in the back row of that meeting or whatever he did. But everybody doesn't need to know. He got intentionally—is approving you in private. Why? Because the easiest time to kill something is when it's in infant stage. And many people are putting all their dreams, visions, ideas out there when it's baby stage, and people are coming to stab and kill and drown everything that God has called you to do. Just think about it: when they were scared of Jesus being born—the Messiah—what did they do? They killed all the males under the age of two because it's the easiest to kill a king in kid form. And I came to encourage you: just 'cause everybody doesn't know that mean you're a marked. David was not even invited to the party; they didn't even call for him. He must have seen the caravan coming in before anybody because he was the shepherd; he was out in the field; he saw. But they didn't invite him to the party. But he wasn't trying to get into the party because David was content with doing the last thing God told him and spending time in the presence of God. And what happened is they sent for him. And when he gets in the room and his brothers are standing there, probably hungry and jealous, he said, "You're marked," and he was approved in private. And he did not get to go and tell everybody. What are you saying? Pass the mic. There's somebody in this room who you know God has called you to greater than what you're dealing with right now, but you're still marked, even though nobody else knows. And if you don't see that hit coming, you'll start doing things to try to allow people to know, and then somebody will speak death and to what God called to live you are. Do you hear what I'm saying? Somebody will be able—and I'm telling you, you're marked even if everybody doesn't recognize it. You may have family members that—girl, they ain't gonna do nothing; you're just gonna be the same thing as it was—like your granddaddy and your grand—that—it's big—"Why, I cannot deal with you anymore because I have been approved in private." Somebody say, "I'm marked." Let me help you understand. See, see because the Bible always says, "And God was with David," and "God was with David." You can research it, and "God was with David." The—I begin to say, "God, why were you always with David?" It said, "Because David was always with me." See, a lot of people want God to to be with them, but they're not with him, and he's not gonna intrude on your busy schedule. You gotta make room for him. He's a gentleman, though; he stands at the door and knocks; you got to let him in. And and and and God is saying to us today, "If you would just do the last thing I told you and spend time in my presence, I'll approve you in private." See, if you're a marked—let me give you the second thing: you're anointed before you're positioned. So just imagine this picture with me: David goes into this room; Samuel marks him; he anoints him; he said, "You're gonna be the next king of Israel." For most of us, we would be looking to go back to the palace with Samuel. "Yeah, I'm gonna catch a ride with you." Where was David's next move? Back to the pasture because he was anointed before he ever got a position. Seems—most of us feel like, "No, no. I'm anointed, so now it's time for me to be on the platform. I'm anointed; now it's time for me to be the CEO. I'm anointed; you just said I'm gonna be the next king of Israel; let's go!" Like we're trying to do it at that moment. But what God is saying is, "I want to anoint you, and then I want to send you back into the sphere of influence that you came from to make a difference there." So he's anointed the king of Israel, but has to go back with the sheeps and goats. Sounds like were you going Monday morning? And God says, "Will you make a difference there? Can I make you be light in darkness at that school? Will you be my representative that goes in and changes the situation? Will you stand and represent me or represent me at that nursing home, at that hospital?" And most of us, we don't see that hit coming. So, "God, I'm anointed, right?" And he said, "Yeah, now go get with the sheep; keep serving; eat kids." "Well, Pastor, I've got songs than me Elevation needs to hear it in time." But go keep serving the kids and don't sing. You know those people who'll be trying to put it on like I'm doing this, but—

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Why? Because what God wants to do in your life, he wants to get the glory fool. And so so so really the problem is—and no, really the question is—how are you waiting? 'Cause you're anointed. Like like how are you waiting? I really think it's how are you waiting at your service guy. What do you want me to do? You want me to give that? You want me to go pick them up? You want me to keep serving them? Because at that moment, it's a heart check, and he says, "Can I can I mark you but then send you into a place that doesn't look like where you're going to be?" And that's the battle because many times our expectation and our experience don't match. Now, how am I supposed to be a CEO and philanthropist, and I'm supposed to pay for people's stuff, but I'm sitting here looking at all this dead? And God said, "I'm the miracle worker; I need your obedience." And so I just wanted somebody in here to realize that you—if you're marked—and I know there's a lot of people in this room—that you're gonna be anointed before your position. And so the scripture I want to give you is Proverbs 3:5—to trust in the Lord in this waiting process with all your heart and don't depend on your own understanding to make sense. "Well, I just can't figure it out." Like, "If God really wanted me to be this, then—" What? You're not gonna be able to figure it out. He's looking for a hot heart posture, not a plan from you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not to your own understanding and knowledge; God—in everything you do. And then it says, "He will direct your every—" Mark person in the place, just say it with a little more safe sound. "Marked!" Yes. Coming. If you're marked, let me give you another thing: you become the answer to a problem. See, so David goes back to the field; he's he's doing the last thing God told him and spending time in the presence. I want you to see how pivotal this is. Like some people, I get questions all the time, "Well, Pastor Mike, what do you do if you just feel like you don't know what to do?" Do the last thing you know God told you to do and spend time in the presence of God. That's what David did. He he didn't have a GPS or a mat to his purpose; he just was doing the lesson. And watch what happens: he becomes the answer to a problem. Saul is now being tormented by evil spirits in the palace. And and you got to read First Samuel 16, 17, 18; you just got to read the whole thing; I don't got time to go through it all. But he's being tormented by evil spirits in the palace, and one of his assistants says, "Hey, maybe we should get a guitar player in here or a skilled musician to be able to torment these evil spirits." And then one of the guys, like, "Do you know anybody?" And he was like, "Yeah, Jesse has a boy named David, and he'd be in the field all the time, just me, and he'd be well in. And so I think we can go get him." And now watch: David did not fill out an application to go to the palace; he did not use connections to get in the palace because he was doing the last thing God told him and spending time in the presence and perfecting what was in his hands. Do you understand what I'm saying? They sent for him. What are you trying to say, Pastor Mike? When you are doing what God told you to do, you will never have to buy for your position; they will send for you. Yeah, I know that that don't work with the ambitious culture that we got—the under grinder, yo hustle, and all this other stuff. They'll send for you. They sent for David. And I want you to see this because David did not come to the palace with nothing; he came as the answer to a problem. And some of us are sitting here so deficient in skills God gave us; you don't even work on it no more. If he couldn't play, he wouldn't have even been invited to the palace. Do you understand what I'm saying? But in the pastor, he was working on what was in his hands, and he went to the palace. Now watch: the place that he already knew he was called to be in, he did not go as a king or a prince; he went as a servant. What are you trying to say, Pastor Mike? God's gonna allow you to taste your future not as a person of interest but as somebody to serve. And many times we get frustrated because we know we're marked, and we're supposed to be on the platform, and we're supposed to go—

To this height, and we're supposed to be there. And God said, yeah, and I want you to go there, and I want you to serve somebody. You ain't gonna get the mic; you're not gonna be in the meetings; you're gonna—and see, this is the thing—the platform is just a raised position of what I would do down here. If you don't do it down here, God's not gonna allow you to do it up here. If you're not nice down here, you can be nice up here if you want. Love down here. Do you hear what I'm saying to you today?

And so God is telling you, he said, I need you to go ahead, wherever you are, to be the answer to the problem. Some of you right now need to go back and serve people with—and asked for nothing. Ain't no connections in this; it's because God's moving and molding and making my heart right now. I don't need your approval because I was approved in private. I don't need your title or your position because I'm anointed before position. And what am I doing right now? I'm becoming the answer to a problem.

Can I give you a secret? David was qualified for another level of promotion because he tormented what tormented his leader. You want to know how to go to another level? Find somebody that you call a leader and torment what torments them. And God says that's the heart I'm looking for; that's the person. The children, high school students, torment what torments your parents—them dishes are always dirty, and you hate raising hands—like everybody hates them too—but make, make up in your mind that anytime there's a dish, I'm on; I'm a torment what torments my single mother who works two jobs and tries—from here, I'm gonna watch what God will do in your life. That boss that you don't like and does not like you—do you hear what I'm saying?—and you like have some like, no, no, no, see if ugly and see it's me, yeah, I can't send her; I like, is that person? I want you to go ask them on Monday, what is your biggest challenge? And, and don't ask for pay right, because God's trying to work on your heart.

So if you're marked, you're gonna be the answer to a problem. If you're marked, let me give you another point: your opportunity is gonna be wrapped in obedience. See, David now is tormenting all of Saul's demons, and he's got dual duty; he's humble enough to be working in the palace serving, but still coming back and helping his father with the sheep. And remember I told you, you'll be sent for. So one day he comes to his dad's house, because humility is a big thing to God, and it's a big thing to David. And so he's there, and his dad says, hey, son, cuz you do me a favor, your brothers are off at war right now, did you take them some grilled cheese sandwiches out there to them and the captains? And, and, and for most of us, we would fail that test, because I'd hit my dad back with like, yo, you already know, bro, I play at the palace; I mean, you want me to be over eats for my brothers? Like, get somebody else to do this. But David was lowly in spirit, and he said, I can still have a position or a platform that people look at, but I'll still do what I used to do. And this is the thing: a lot of us think we're regressing when we go back and do things that we used to do, but a lot of times it's a test to see, do you still have the humility that you once had? You used to work in a parking lot, but you all get is to cloud. You used to serve out of old folks home, but now the way they eat makes you nauseous. Oh, come on. And you say, no, no, no. God goes from glory to glory to glory, but you've been at the same level—maybe it's because you won't go back and do things that you once did. And David shows us that his opportunity is wrapped in obedience.

What are you saying, Pastor Mike? If David would not have been obedient to his father to go take those grilled cheese sandwiches to his brother, he would have never met Goliath; he would have never met his opportunity for elevation; he would have never even been anywhere, right? He would have been somewhere playing the guitar, thinking God was using him, but his purpose was wrapped up in some other place. And how many things are you missing cuz you just won't obey God? It don't make sense. He said, keep visiting that person. He's like, I don't even like that person. And God said, you're missing it; it's not about the person; it's about your obedience. Well, don't tell some like you, God keeps telling me to serve at the Boys and Girls Club; I don't even like sports. Your husband is there. That woman said, hey, glory to God, somebody at University City just cuts us the Google, where's the nearest where Cece? What I'm finding out is that obedience is never about the other person; it's about God getting your heart. And if your next opportunity is wrapped in obedience—now this is only if you're marked—and let me just, let me just throw in something bonus for some of you that are here and you feel like God's calling you to something else: First Samuel 17:20. It says, so David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts as Jesse had directed him. It's funny because when God gives you a call, it says that David left the sheep with another shepherd. God never asked you to leave something undone to do a new thing. The church is so messy about that. God, God called me to this, and this just falling apart. But stewardship is the heart of God. And David left his responsibilities with somebody else because he knew God was trying to work something in him for where he was taking him. He started in the pasture, but he knew he was gonna end up in the palace. But there was—everybody say—a process.

So when you're marked and you're going through this process, let me give you my next points: you're elevated through obstacles. And this is the one that takes most people out, because we're taught, specially in Western culture and in the church, when we see an obstacle, retreat. And that's what the entire nation of Israel was doing. That whole army saw Goliath; he goes to deliver these sandwiches and he sees the whole army out there and Goliath for 40 days is talking about God, and the whole Israelite army is frozen like, man, this dude is talking about our God. And David walks up with these sandwiches like, here, bro, who's that? [Music] What's your, what your, they are here, hey, so yeah, he'd been doing it for 40 days and y'all, I ain't done nothin'. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine? That was cuss words back then, y'all know this, like it would be like, you know, saying the parental sensory like, and, and David says, I'm not about to sit here and listen to this dude defy my God. So where thousands took a step back because they saw an obstacle, David took a step forward because he saw an opportunity. Obstacles and opportunity are almost the same, depending on who's on your side. So when God's on your side and they give you a diagnosis of cancer, that's the opportunity that God says, step forward; I'm about to be your healer; I am going to be the one who gets the glory out of this. When death is in front of you, God says, don't retreat; step towards it; I'm Jehovah Jireh, your provider; I will meet every one of y'all here. Somebody's getting excited. Sickle is no longer an obstacle because if God it is for you, who can be against you? I dare somebody to give God a shout of praise in this. Somebody give God a shout of praise. Course no longer, because we're marked, will we step away from the obstacle; we step towards it because we know who's on our side. And so David just—Sam David is now sitting here looking at what everybody else calls an obstacle, and he sees an opportunity. Now why does David see an opportunity? It's because when David was in the pasture and nobody was looking, God taught him some things behind closed doors. What do you say, Pastor Mike? That's gonna teach you some things behind closed doors. And, and he said, I'm gonna, I'm gonna take him out. And Saul said, man, you're, you're just a boy; you can't do this. And he said, that's funny you say that; that's crazy; that's crazy; your army ain't doing that. So, so what you don't know about me is when nobody was looking, when there was no Instagram, and when there was no website, and when nobody knew who I was, a bear came, and I was in the pasture forgotten; nobody invited me to the party, but the Lord taught me how to do some crazy stuff with a slingshot and some rocks. And then a lion came, and I thought it was gonna take me out, but I was just getting prepared. This is the first time y'all gonna see it, but this is a rerun for me, because God has—meet some stuff when nobody was looking, when I was in the pasture; he taught me how to take what I had and do something with it. And I'm telling somebody that you don't need everybody to see, but at some point it will be televised, and God will get the glory because of what he taught you in the pasture. Somebody yell, I'm marked. See, that's what you got to realize: when you're elevated through obstacle, he's not gonna put something new in front of you in front of everybody; that's why you have to stew it over what you have now. Like everybody's watching because God said, one day I'm gonna need you to do this in front of everybody, and you can't flinch; you, you got to be so sure of what I've given you because nobody else would do it. I need you to do—you may be the first one in your family to walk in purity, and they're gonna tell you you can't do it. And he said, I've been teaching you this on the backside of the mountain. When Dewayne came, he was the bear, and when Rico came, he was the lion, and you kept it together, cling cling, and Bassett's even told me I could freeze out like I was at home. Is that all right? What I'm saying is you can't flinch when it comes to the big stage.

So when you're marked, let me give you this next one: you must be you. So, so okay, oh wow, okay, God, um, I'm approved in private; I got that. Okay, I'm anointed before I'm positioned, so I'm gonna be content with where I'm at right now. I'm actually gonna work on my skills until I can solve some problems, and then I understand that my next opportunity is wrapped in obedience, so I just need to listen to what you're saying. Is I'm spending time with you, and then, okay, I got it; I'm gonna face some obstacles, but the obstacles aren't there to take me out; they're there to elevate me, so I just step towards them, and you're on my side. And then you're telling me I gotta be me, like, like when they tried to put Saul's armor on to David, it didn't fit yet. Like one day it would—one day he'd be the king; one day he would be able to do that, but it didn't fit yet. And God did not expect David to be what he wasn't to defeat Goliath. He said, I'm gonna use you how you are; pick up the slingshot and the five smooth stones; that's what you know; that, that's the thing I want to break in somebody's mind who feel like you got to talk like somebody or dress like somebody or be something else. God says, I made you you, which a weak humor and your funny accent, and I said, imma use all of that, but you can't conform to others because they were successful in an area. God said, there's a fingerprint and a DNA that you have that you unlock your favor in the earth and you—a lot your resources in—or if you're you—that's only if you're marked; you only can be you. I can't come up here and be anybody else. Some of y'all like, Pastor Steven gone? Where did John Gray go? He's here; I'm the skinnier little brother version of him. You got it; you gotta be you. And the last thing is, when you're marked—somebody say marked—when you're marked, you have to have the audacity to honor. Now this one hurts because this means that you have to do like David did, because he defeats Goliath; he cuts off his head; he got groupies now. It's like, oh my God, look at that man; look like that. Now he didn't had that before. And one day the groupies made a song and it looks like, David, David, David slew ten thousand, saw one thousand, David, like that. That's what happens. The Bible says, lady [Applause], and Saul got jealous, and for a decade plus he starts trying to kill the person who won victories for him. What does this say to you? That many times the people that you've been fighting for and the relationships you've been fighting for and the things that you've been trying to keep gather together at some point, if they turn on you, know you're in good company. It hurts and it feels like you have to go on the run, but this is one of those hits. See, if you don't see this one coming, your best seat will take you out of the game. I thought you believed in me; I thought—and they walk away, and you say, well, maybe God didn't call me. You know, no, baby, you're marked; God has a call on your life before you were formed in your mother's womb; he wants to get all of that out of you. But then what do you do when you have the opportunity to tell they dirty laundry and gossip and somebody calls you for a job reference for them? You have to have the audacity to honor. David did not use what he knew about Saul to take him out. There's a specific story that tells that he was in a cave and, and, and Saul was relieving himself, and David's boys, like young brothers, all right there, and he was like, killing, and they was like, does that Saul? He's like, kill him. And he went over your sight; it sounded like a good idea because it always sounds like a good idea to get revenge in the moment. And he got close enough to him to kill him, but he just cuts off a piece of his robe. And this is what happens in First Samuel 24:6. It says, so he said to his men, may the Lord not let me put out my hand against—look at these words—my leader, for he is the Lord's chosen one.

What are you saying, Pastor Mike? Until God moves Saul or your boss or your person that's of frustration to you or trying to kill you, until he moves them, they're still your leader. And so God's already dealing with them based on their actions, but you will disqualify yourself based on your actions if you do not have the audacity to honor. So Mike, why are you so passionate about this? Why is this coming out of you? Because this is not a cute story; this is what I'm living. No, no, hear what I'm saying. Pastor Steven asked me to tell this story, and I want to tell it because somebody's in here, and you know you're marked by God, but life has come to hit you. This was about a year ago. God told me, he said, you're supposed to be at Insight Elevation, and so I'm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, two days before the conference. I tried to get in before it was a thousand-person waiting list and knew God was stirring something in me, and he said, you're marked and you're anointed and you're approved in private; nobody knows you, but I'm doing something in your life. And there was no tickets, and I said, God, there's no tickets. And he said, I told you you're supposed to be in North Carolina tomorrow. And I had to be obedient to God even though it didn't make sense. So I asked my wife, I said, hey, can I spend a large sum of money that we don't have to obey God? And she was like, you got a ticket? I said, no. She said, well, why are you going? I said, because I gotta obey God. She said, well, you've led this family strong; I trust you and believe you. Lord, be the supplier. I get on a plane 6 a.m. Monday morning; I get here at 1 o'clock; I come over to the campus, and nobody's here except the interns. And I met a man named Johnny Merkel, and Johnny was like, man, I'm so pumped up about your faith to come out here; I don't have a ticket for you, but I'm just telling you, thanks. Johnny, it's my boy; I love you, man. And, um, and so he said, all I can do is tell you to come back and maybe if somebody cancels, we'll let you in. I'm out here on faith, standing in that parking lot 5 o'clock, can't let you in; 6 o'clock, can't let you in; 7 o'clock comes, and I hear the bass start rumbling, and I said, God, I thought you told me I was supposed to be here. He said, I did; wait on me; wait on me. So I'm standing in the parking lot; I said, well, if I'm not gonna get in, imma be the resurrected King spirit; I'm outside, and like I was just like, at least imma get my worship experience in on the parking lot. 7:05 comes, and they say, somebody canceled, and we can let you in. I didn't have a seat in the auditorium, and I start coming in, and I'm looking at everything; I was like, are you so faithful? And I walk into this tunnel, and I come to this seat right here, and for a day and a half I sat in this seat, and Pastor Steven began to speak into my life, and he said, you're gonna win from within, and you're gonna go pro. And God began to download into me everything that I needed to go back and finish my assignment. And that's—didn't come August 2017; I was so impacted that I went back—our bootleg recorded it so I could show my whole staff—forgive me—but I was just so impacted by what, what happened. And I like to thank people that impact my life. So it's like, man, I want to thank Pastor Steven. God, if you give me an opportunity—our guest comes around—and one of my friends in the city, Paul Doherty, he's having a conference that Pastor Stephen's coming to. I called him up like, bro, I'm coming; Stevie's preaching; I want to be there. He's like, bro, don't even worry about it; I'm gonna sit you right next to him. I was like, wow. And then, and this is what happened as I was walking in, God said, you're not supposed to meet him; don't talk to him; don't say anything to him. What are you talking about? Like, I just want to thank him. He said, I don't want you to do this; I want to do it. So Paul's up there, Steven and Chuck is sitting right in front of me, okay? And Paul says, why don't you turn around and greet your neighbor? And I said—I met a woman named Susan—this is a true story—but God was teaching me, don't lean on your own understanding, but don't do this your way; I'm trying to build something in your life. This is August—October—I get a message from my sister, and, and she says, hey, check your DM; Pastor Steven's trying to get in contact with you. I said, they must have some other Stevens at that church. Five minutes later, I get a text from his assistant, and it's a minute and forty-one voice note that he recorded, and he said, I saw you; I was looking for my sermon on YouTube, and you were the next one, and I watched your whole message, and he said, and I was so refreshed and impacted, and God has marked you and your anointing and all that for a minute and what I like [Music]. Now listen, this is October; I'm good now cuz I didn't make that happen; God made it happen. And God said, Michael, that's a mini miracle, and mi ni miracle, so you can know I can do a ma NY mini miracles, he said, cuz I've marked you. So then I go and I say, okay, well, I'm good; I'm just gonna keep on my assignment; I'm gonna do the last thing God told me to do, and imma spend time in the presence of God. I get a call at the beginning of the year, my secretary, I'm in the office; she said, Mike—I said, don't even play with me; don't, don't, don't even do that. She said, they want you to come do all of their weekend services the week after Easter. I said, what? He—what are you saying to me? She said, they want you to come. And at that moment I realized that God was writing a story that no man could get credit for. Okay, so watch what happen: we were already planning on coming back to Insight Elevation with the team of people; they called and said, hey, um, we want to actually host you when you come this time. I said, what you mean host? We have seats for you; we want you to be refreshed; Pastor Steven wants to meet you. And at that moment it was just like I had a surreal moment. God said, I'm the one that can take you from not having a seat in the auditorium, so twelve months later, being escorted to a seat with your name on it. All y'all better hear—y'all better hear me—[Music] elevation, you are, you are, and you are, but will you let God do it? And I stand here before you today not as somebody who's a professional minister; I stand before you as somebody that was marked and approved in prizes, and God raised me up, gave me, and elevations here. What I'm saying to you: he's no respecter of persons; that if you will go through this process of—Lao Ingushetia—leave, and he gets all the glory. Let's get some crazy [Music]. Hey, thanks for watching. Two things I want you to do: first, click our logo to subscribe to this channel so you don't miss a single video; second, you can click the Give Now button to support the ministry, and we'll be able to continue reaching people all over the world. Thanks again for watching.