Marked

Pastor Michael delivers a powerful message from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC where he shows us how God has marked us for a purpose – even when it feels like He hasn’t.

[Applause]

[Applause]

it feels like home in here okay so um

this feels too good right now like I’m

thousands of miles away from my home

church but it feels like we just copy

and paste it I feel your energy I feel

somebody came in here expecting God to

do something miraculous today and as

they were singing that song you are good

good

Oh Oh y’all know the song I just kept

thinking like God’s goodness goes over

and over and over and over it’s like

when we mess up he’s still good when

we’re frustrated he’s still good like

when we missed the mark he’s still good

and the fact that I’m standing here

today is a testament that God is good

and so what I want everybody cuz many

times people come into these

environments looking for a miracle but

what you don’t know is you’re standing

next to a miracle and so I just want you

to look at your neighbor and as you look

at your neighbor you’re just gonna say

god is good the fact that the fact that

they’re here like God is good cuz you’re

you’re a miracle you’re a walking

miracle God is good tonight this morning

whenever this is gonna be broadcast I’m

excited for what God is about to do are

you ready are you ready let’s give God

one shout of praise hallelujah

[Music]

all right take LC

I know Pastor Steven does it a certain

way and he told me to act like I’m at my

church today and and so that that’s what

I’m gonna do cuz you’ll be back up in a

minute before I start anything I have to

give honor where honor is due

um I know y’all hear this all the time

but you have two of the greatest leaders

not in North Carolina not in the u.s.

you have two of the greatest leaders and

pastor Stephen and Holly in the entire

world oh you can do better than that

they’re not here today but they should

be able to hear you from where every

Derrick yeah um I honored them the fact

that they would give me the opportunity

to speak in their absence

um it just means a whole bunch and

you’ll hear through the message a little

bit of my testimony about what God’s

done in that relationship but I just

wanted to honor them before I get

started

the elevation team everybody that’s here

um you guys are phenomenal and we just

appreciate you guys my wife is here and

the reason that that’s important is

because she’s fine

um the second the second reason that

that is important it’s her birthday

weekend and she oh yeah can y’all give

it up for Natalie over there

Peggle hi girl

are you doing you look good okay um she

allowed me to come minister on her

birthday weekend so we came out here and

I want to show you a picture of my

family we’ve been together for over 16

years dating and we’ve been married for

seven she’s my high school sweetheart

and um here’s a picture of our children

if they have it um this I have a

daughter named Isabella she’s four a son

named MJ and then a daughter that is six

months old

Ava and that’s our little family right

there and we’re just excited to be able

to represent God um I have a church

family back at home that’s watching

right now transformation church stand up

okay

I am so excited they’re flipping out

right now because this is a testimony of

what God is doing and I am so excited

for even my team that came right now I

got like ten people that came with me

that’s my squat big shizz what’s up bro

it’s my man all right now that all that

sounds away who’s ready for the Word of

God in this place okay so so when I came

um and and I I was asking the Lord what

do you want to say man I’m about to

preach a message that I’ve never

preached to our church to anybody’s

church um and God’s really giving me a

message because I believe there’s

somebody in here who’s been in a process

and they know there’s something inside

of them that God’s called you to that’s

bigger than what you’re experiencing

right now and it’s messed up because

your experience and your expectation

aren’t lining up like what you what you

know God has put in you and what you

currently going through does not look

like it’s the same but but God sent me

all the way from Tulsa Oklahoma to tell

somebody in this room that God has

marked you for destiny

that you are marked for more that you

are marked for purpose somebody just say

it with your chest say I’m marked the

title of today’s message is marked

because I begin to think about what God

wants to do in a believers life and how

he wants to take us to our purpose or to

the place that he’s called us to but

many times people get stopped delayed

discouraged in the process of going to

where God’s called him to go and and

what happens is the enemy comes to rob

them of the value they’ve stopped

thinking you stop thinking I’ve stopped

thinking that God had a plan for my life

because I went through some hard stuff

how many people have gone through some

hard stuff and what happens is many

times when we go through the hard stuff

we think that’s an indication that God

is not with us and maybe we missed it

and maybe he wants to use somebody more

qualified or maybe he wants to use

somebody else but I came to tell you

that in the midst of your trial in the

midst

the divorce in the midst of the lustful

relationship that God’s cutting off of

your life oh I saw you back there in the

midst of all of that God is saying I

still called you I still March you I

still have a plan for you my anointing

has not left just because you feel

lonely I am for you and you are marked

somebody say I’m marked oh it’s gonna be

fun in here tonight and so when I

thought about being marked I started

thinking about David uh and and I

started thinking about how he was marked

from a very young age but his process we

can learn a lot of stuff from David’s

process because he didn’t get anointed

or he wasn’t marked and then he just

went straight into his purpose there was

a process to getting to purpose and I

want to just help us cuz you may be in

the building today and you may be in one

of these steps and I want to let you

know that the things that have come to

discourage you don’t mean that you’re

not called it just means you’re in

process and so we’re gonna look at

David’s life and I want you to turn the

first samuel 16 and let me just give you

some backstory there was a king named

saul he was over all of the land he was

marked he was anointed but he stopped

started disobeying God and he started

doing things his own way God said I got

to choose another person and so um

there’s a prophet named Samuel and he’s

crying and he’s frustrated he’s like oh

my god I thought Saul was the man God

you showed me this he said he ain’t

listening to me so we got to get

somebody else and so he said get up stop

crying

I’m about to do a new thing and and then

he says go to the house of Jesse I want

to anoint one of his sons and this is

where we’re gonna pick up and I want to

read this passage of Scripture and then

I’m gonna give y’all some points and we

gonna shout and we gonna go home is that

okay we’re all okay verse 6 1st Samuel

16 verse 6 it says when they arrived

samuel took one look at iliad 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

means the way you see them aren’t you

glad that God doesn’t just have 20/20

vision that he has vision to look beyond

the person outward in their Instagram

followers and how many zeros they have

in their account and he sees the heart

and he says the Lord doesn’t see the way

things the way you see them people judge

by the outward appearance but the Lord

looks at the what the heart then Jesse

told this then Jesse told his son AB in

adapt to step forward and walk in front

of Samuel but Samuel said this is not

the one the Lord has chosen next Jesse

summoned Simeon but Samuel said neither

is this one

dang all my son’s is messed up verse 10

in the same way all seven of Jesse’s

sons were presented to Samuel but Samuel

said to Jesse the Lord has not chosen

any of these then Samuel asked are these

all the sons you have let me stop

because some of you are frustrated

because you’ve not been invited to a

party that is for your elevation but

they can’t move forward until you show

up see somebody is somewhere right now

asking is this it like like I know we

were supposed to move forward with this

but none of these have been chosen is

there anybody else and look what it says

it says well there is the youngest there

is the one that doesn’t have the college

education there is the one who was

molested when they were younger there is

the one and and it’s funny because so

many people that look at your situation

they look at what you’re deficient in

they look at what you don’t have and and

what others do have and they start to to

to name they didn’t even say David’s

name they started to identify him by his

characteristic well there is the

youngest one the one who’s out in the

field he’s watching sheep and goats like

isn’t that how we describe people

sometimes you know see the tall one with

the you know she got the you know she

got the

and come on y’all know y’all do it too

you know she’s a little uh and she got

the you know and and people don’t know

your heart but they’re describing what

they think about you and what they’re

doing is they’re trying to silently

disqualify you from being used by God oh

yes she was in that relationship with

what you were and I heard no no but see

God says I don’t define you by where

you’re at and what you’ve done and what

has happened I’m looking at what I want

to do with you somebody say I’m marked

he said sin for him at once samuel said

and we will not sit down to eat until he

arrives all the other brothers were mad

right there cuz it’s like we can’t eat

until he gets here okay so Jesse sent

for him he was dark and handsome with

beautiful eyes I don’t know it just

makes sense and the Lord said this is

the one anoint him mark him so as David

stood there among his brother Samuel

took the flask of oil that he had

brought an anointed David he marked

David with oil and the Spirit of the

Lord came powerfully upon David from

that day on somebody say I’m marked let

me tell you a little story um I have

four brothers and my oldest brother’s

name is Gabriel and when we were younger

me and him you know we used to get into

it a lot and so one day my mom’s a woman

of the Lord and a woman of Prayer and

usually she just says hey y’all stop in

the name of Jesus like that was her

discipline method and and one day she

got tired of us and she was like y’all

gonna fight and she was like yep y’all

gonna fight and we had just went to the

fair and we got those gloves like with

the the boxing gloves with the American

flag on them they’re there just for play

and see we both had a pair of gloves and

she was like now listen you guys are

gonna fight cuz you guys y’all I’m sick

of this and only body shots and y’all

are going to do it right now and we were

down in her bedroom and I said oh cuz

I’m a little more athletic than my

brother else like I’m a whoop

and what ends up happening in that

moment is we started fighting on Papa

Papa and he’s like stop stop and I’m

just whooping up on it and for a little

brother to be beating up on his big

brother this is the dream of century and

your mom is like get him get him I’m

like yeah yes and and so all I remember

is that my brother got mad and he turned

over cuz all the cushion was on this

side of the glove he turned his hand

over and he dropped back like this and I

just remember laughing and then he swung

by and he hit me right in the head and

all of the blood went from my toes and

it froze up to my head and I literally

just passed out and I got up I said

there was no body it was supposed to be

body shots you hit me in the head he

said you made me mad and and and and at

that moment I remembered something when

I think about people who are marked

there’s no hit like the hit you don’t

see coming when you think that we’re

just playing body shots and then you get

hit in the head it knocks you off the

same way that in life when you’re going

through and you think I’m giving I’m

serving I’m doing all these things and

then sickness comes or one of your kids

has it has a child out of wedlock or you

getting met in and what happens is we

don’t see the hit coming and many of you

get knocked out and some of us are

sitting and we don’t want to get back up

but I came to tell you today that

there’s some hits that I want you to see

coming see because if you see them

coming you can put up your dudes and you

can say yeah yeah I saw what you were

trying to do but this is not gonna take

me out and so these next few points that

I’m gonna give you are things that are

going to happen if you are marked if you

are marked now some of y’all y’all might

not be marching like I don’t want to be

used by God God you can use somebody

else like if that’s you this ain’t for

you but if you want to be used by God

these hits are coming

but if I tell you they’re coming when

you see them you know what to do so so

y’all ready to find out what you’re

supposed to do how many marks people do

I have in the building right then okay

okay so the first point if you’re marked

you’re gonna be approved in private

uh-oh

see because in 2018 we want everybody to

see us getting approved we want

everybody to know that we’re the next

thing coming and God’s hand it’s on our

lives and we will be and God says if

you’re mark you’re gonna be approved in

private there will only be a few people

that get to see the foundation in the

sieve form of what I’m about to do in

your life so this won’t be possible out

here with Pastor Steven I’m marked no

baby

like like that’s not going to be the

thing David was not even invited to the

party and they sit for him and it was

not in front of the whole town it was in

front of his family members and he was

marked and approved in private and I

don’t know who I’m talking to but you’ve

been looking for somebody of status to

tell you you’re doing a good job but God

already said you are a good job when he

put his hand on you when he started

talking about you before you were formed

in your mother’s will I feel something

he said I knew you I called you but that

means you’re not gonna get the cosign of

all your friends that means that you may

not be recognized by everybody who’s

being recognized but God said that

didn’t devalue who I made you to be no

no no no you’re still marked it’s just

that everybody cannot see you in seed

form cuz if we look at it through the

Bible it’s the easiest to kill

somebody’s potential and dreams when

it’s a baby just think about it they

tried to kill Jesus when he was 8 they

literally clean every male child under

the age of 2 because it’s easier to kill

your dream to kill your purpose

when it’s in seed form and God said you

need to hush and keep some of the things

that I’m doing in you to yourself

he said because you’ve all come on you

don’t need everybody to co-sign what I’m

about to do in your life you’re gonna be

a prude

in private now that was what somebody

came for you came just for that you said

that’s fantast Mike that’s all I needed

I marked see see see David was always

found doing the last thing God told him

to do and spending time in the presence

of God

well Pastor Mike what do I do the last

thing God told you to do and spend time

in the presence of God the Bible over

and over and over says and God was with

David and God was with David and God was

with there you can research it it’s just

and God was with David and I said why

was God with David it’s and and the Holy

Spirit said because David was with me

see a lot of people want God to be with

them but they don’t spend any time with

him and so you cannot be with somebody

that you’re not with and so some of you

are in a place and you know there’s a

dream and a vision and a business and

and in a book in a and and there’s

something on the inside of you and

you’re like God what I do he said the

last thing I told you to do and spend

time with me see because David probably

solved the caravan coming when they were

coming to his dad’s house but he didn’t

run out there to say hey God’s called me

he was doing the last thing he was told

to do and they sent for him see see many

of us are in places where we’re trying

to be seen and God says if you do what I

told you they will send for you Oh y’all

missed it somebody over here understands

what I’m saying you’re trying to be seen

and God says if you do the last thing I

told you and spend time with me they’ll

send for you and so I just want

everybody as pastor Stephen has said

before move all your validation meters

to the inside I’m not going to be

looking for anybody else’s approval

except God because

I’m gonna be approved in private if

you’re marked let me give you number two

you’re gonna be anointed before you’re

positioned now this one messes with

people because cuz David gets anointed

by Samuel in front of all of his

brothers and where was his next

destination not to the palace not to his

purpose it was back to the field doing

what he was doing before he was anointed

I’m pausing like cuz I’m anointed now

and God I got spoke to me in that

conference and I lifted my hands and I

mean I feel it like and we do all of

this stuff and then God says now go back

to that job and be my light no no no god

I’m anointed I’m supposed to be over

this company he said no no you’re

anointed before your position dad the

purpose is for you to to be over this

company one day or start your own he

said but I’m gonna send you back to the

same place and see if the anointing on

your life changes the atmosphere that

you’re in oh come on

imma see if you can go back into that

school and make a difference without a

title I’m gonna go see if you can go

into that place where there’s no

believers and begin to move something

from me and this is where most people

get frustrated because we don’t know how

to handle the weight most of us wait

like this oh my god God how long am I

gonna be here God if you’ll just move me

I know I’m called for more you watching

a Hillsong channel every day like that’s

me and you won’t even service her youth

girl stop like it like what I’m telling

you is all come on now

see a platform is just a raised position

of what would you would do on the floor

[Applause]

o-tama briefs down here like I’m gonna

freeze up here I’m gonna serve down here

all your income what I’m telling you is

that yes you’re marked yes God has

called you but you’re not going to the

palace first you’re going back to where

God brought you from and he wants to see

can you do something there so past

object I’ve been serving in eg it’s all

this time I’ve been serving in this area

and he said yeah and you’re marked

you’re called and they’re not no they’re

not gonna recognize me and you’re not

getting a promotion

not gonna happen no no no you you just

go back there and you serve and you love

and you keep picking up those people and

you kick because just because you don’t

have a title or a position does not make

you less anointed and and that’s what

God is saying from David’s life he says

you’re gonna be anointed before your

position and I came to tell somebody

who’s been struggling and grappling with

where you’re at is your steel marked I

just feel somebody right now saying God

but if I’m marked why is this still

happening and God says I want you to I

want you to give me a proverbs 3:5 I

want you to trust in the Lord with all

your heart and don’t depend on your own

ungodly don’t make sense why am I still

single Lord I’m fine

I should have a man he said don’t depend

on that see you wanna you you’re marked

and now you want that so if you like it

you should have put a ring on it status

he said I want you to go back and be

safe in your singleness for a second let

me work on you in that let me develop

you

he said because if you let me do I feel

happy right now

if

let me do it he says I’ll bring you to

the place that you really want to be so

if you’re Mart you’ll trust in the Lord

with all your heart don’t depend on your

own understanding seek God’s will

in everything you do and he will direct

your path or tell you which path to take

if you’re marked write this down

you become the answer to a problem see

David then goes back to the field and he

knows he got a little extra anointing

juice a little hair grease in his hair

but he went back to do the same thing

that he was doing and he was doing it

gratefully and one day the saw was being

tormented by evil spirits and one of his

assistants say yo we should get somebody

in here to kill the guitar and to

torment those demons and there’s like

y’all know anybody he was like well

Jesse has a boy then I was walking by

the other day as he was out there with

the Sheep and he was like yeah like he

was killing the guitar and I just feel

like if we brought him in here then then

and they sent for David but they sent

for him not because he was anointing or

not because he was marked they sent for

him because he was the answer to a

problem and many of us are in positions

and were ready to go to another level

but we’re not coming with any answers I

want you to hear me some of you young

people that are in hearing like I know

I’m called for greatness I dare you to

get under a leader and I dare you to

torment what torments them that’s what

David did right here he tormented what

was tormenting his leader and his whole

life changed because they sit for him

and he was the answer to a problem I

came to tell you that you’re marked and

you do not have to be in the leadership

position to be the answer to a problem

if there’s something going wrong you say

I can step in and I can feel that gap if

there’s a break you can be the one to do

it and I just came to encourage somebody

that you are the answer to a problem but

I want you to realize this that Dave

first time to the palace the place that

he would ultimately be king it was not

as a leader it was as a servant what are

you trying to say fasting like God will

allow you to taste the place you’re

going to be if you’ll serve Oh

some of y’all met the girl in the

backlight oh my god

I got oh my god I’m just trying to tell

you that the first time David ever goes

to the palace was not with royal

cherubims and all that he went as a

servant and and I’m just telling you

that God’s gonna do something in your

life that he’s gonna allow you to be

around people see things and allow you

to serve in the place that you will

ultimately be an influencer in it’ll be

your purpose it’ll be the palace for you

but you go there as an answer to a

problem and I just want you to hear my

heart cuz these blows are coming and the

enemy will try to challenge you they

don’t want to hear from you you don’t

have anything to offer you’re too young

and God says I marked you I called you I

give you witty inventions and ideas I I

wake you up in the middle of the night

and give you the song here I won’t be on

this elevation project but wait till the

next three come out do you see what I’m

saying we want the gratification now and

God says I’m trying to build something

in you for the future if you would hear

my voice you’re marked and when I look

at this and David’s life then we keep

going in his story and literally later

on y’all got to go read first Samuel all

the way sixteen seventeen eighteen just

go read the whole thing because I

started to see that many people get

thrown off in this process but when you

realize your mark and you see these

things come in God will use you you’ll

be able to duck some glows and block

these things like this next one when

you’re marked your opportunity is

wrapped in obedience see many of us are

looking for opportunity but God packages

it in obedience can I help you so now

David is doing dual duty between playing

guitar at the palace and tormenting what

torment says later but he still has the

humility to come back and sir

his father where most of us we wouldn’t

do that I know me I would be like uh

yeah yeah that’s crazy man

hey yeah just came to see you so what’s

going on how’s everything here you know

I work at the palace you know what I’m

saying I’m working with all these upper

echelon people and then his dad gives

them an instruction hey will you take

these grilled cheese sandwiches to your

brother and the captain’s out here on

the field and most of us would be like

grilled cheese bread and loaves

dad I work at the palace man like I’ve

passed that like I’ve passed serving and

opening doors for people I’m on the

platform I passed come on that that’s

honestly this is this is beyond I’ve

passed that but David was humble enough

to know that whenever he was asked to do

something and it was God that he would

be obedient and I want you to realize

cuz many of you know the story that his

obedience to take the grilled cheese

sandwiches to his brothers in the

captains was what opened up his

opportunity to face Goliath if he had

not been obedient he wouldn’t have been

at the place of opportunity and what I’m

telling you is God told you yeah keep

working that job or go give that single

mother your car or go do this thing and

God said it don’t have to make sense

it’s gonna make a miracle it does not

have to make Oh y’all didn’t hear me it

does not have to make sense but it’s

gonna make a miracle and what I’m

telling you is your next opportunity is

not wrapped up in networking it’s not

wrapped up in who you know and who’s

following you it’s wrapped up in

obedience

somebody say obedience I’m telling you

your obedience is better than any

sacrifice you can make and David was

obedient and he got his next opportunity

which and this is one I just want to

throw in like first Samuel 17 and and

I’ll go to verse 20 it’s funny because

he’s gonna be obedient it says so David

left the sheet with another Shepherd and

he set out early the next morning with

the gifts as Jesse had directed him so

he was going to be obedient but I just

want to throw in this nugget for free

I’m

when God gives you something else to do

you don’t leave the other thing that he

told you to do undone no look at it

so David left the sheep with another

shepherd he left his responsibilities

with somebody else that would be

responsible for it and I just see this

neglect happening in the body of Christ

where oh no now God’s called me to this

and you just left that just jacked up

and God’s saying no no I’ve called you

to steward over everything that I’ve

given you

and so now David comes to the point

where you’re gonna come if you’re marked

that you’re gonna be elevated through

obstacles see this is the one that most

people when they’re mark this the one

that knocks them down because now he

sees Goliath and the entire children of

Israel the entire army that are trained

to fight are paralyzed because they have

met an obstacle named Goliath and when

you’re marked God intentionally allows

obstacles because it will be a vehicle

of elevation watch he walks up Goliath

is taunting everybody this uncircumcised

philistine talking about my daddy

hey bro he huge Road look at him like

he’s talking he’d been doing this for 40

days what are y’all gonna do is today

I’m about to deal with him can you tell

me what the reward is for knocking this

fool out and he comes up to this

situation but the only reason he can

face a situation that looks like an

obstacle like an opportunity is because

God has changed his perspective watch

this see when he walks up to an obstacle

like you’re gonna walk up to a nice

obstacle you don’t have enough money or

they denied you for the loan or they

told you you aren’t accepted to the

thing we usually retreat but God says

step towards it

yeah cuz this obstacle was not meant to

take you out do you know who’s on your

side if God be for you who can be

against you he said I’m on your side and

because I’m on your side

you need to step towards it everybody I

just want you to in your mind and I want

you to realize that whatever is coming

out you step towards it step towards

that thing they told you you can never

have kids step towards it in faith

I’m telling well the presence of God

they told you that your children would

never be safe step towards it in the

name every time you see him you will be

and do everything God’s called you to do

and and David was able to step towards

opposition because this wasn’t the first

time he admitted he tells Saul oh this

is light work cuz when nobody was

looking and the bear came to attack my

sheep when there was no interest or ease

and there was nobody looking for me he

said I took care of the bear and then a

lion came and I took care of the lion

and the same God that did it back then

is the same God that’s don’t do it right

now I came to encourage you that you

have not seen an obstacle that is bigger

than our God you have not faced a cancer

a sickness a trial that is bigger than

our God there’s somebody to give our God

a shout of praise

Darla’s bigger and so david knew that he

was about to be elevated through this

obstacle because maybe the world hadn’t

seen it yet but because he was approved

in private and he was anointed before he

was positioned he was practicing his

reps before anybody saw him what are you

saying passed on my God’s saying do what

you gonna do and get good at it right

now

oh come on keep keep doing what you keep

riding kids speaking heat-loving and he

said it David said this is the first

time it’s gonna be televised but it’s

not the first time I’ve done it and too

many people are trying to step on a

platform and it’s the first time they’ve

done it and God said you weren’t

faithful in the pasture when nobody was

looking but because you’re marked God

says can’t doing it right now and we

know the story that David then picks up

five smooth stones in his slingshot and

why is this important it’s because of my

next point that if you’re marked you got

to be you see a lot of people try to put

you into a box of what you should do but

David he was marked and so he said I

they tried to put Saul’s armor on him

and he said this won’t fit me yet like

one day I’ll be the king like one day

I’ll be able to do this but it don’t fit

me yet so if I try to get in your skin

and talk like you and do everything that

you do and walk your path it won’t fit

so I got to do what I know and when

you’re marked you may be the first of

your current kind but you got to do what

you know and so God said I want to use

your courts and your humor and you’re

just strangely weird but we’re gonna use

everything weird about you we’re gonna

use all of that but you gotta be you and

so he goes and picks up the the stones

and his slingshot and I bet the whole

army was laughing I look at this boy

look at him

vessel knuckle now with the rock okay

but David wasn’t worried about a hater

because he had done it before and many

of us are worried about people and God

says don’t worry about anybody don’t

look to the left or to the right I am

the God who is your provider I’m the one

that will meet your need why do you say

he’s the God that’s provided cuz David

picked up five stones but only needed

one

oh that tells me that my God shall

supply all of your need he’ll give you

more than enough he knocks him down

because he was marked cuts off his head

because he was marked and then he goes

on to becoming this great warrior and he

goes on this process to become the king

but saw one day heard the people talking

and they were singing a song that’s that

David slew his ten thousands but saw his

thousands and so I was like what and

jealousy in comparison creeped into his

heart and he was still in position but

the anointing had left cannot can I help

you that everybody in position is not

anointed for it and so so David went on

the run for over a decade

because Saul was trying to kill him and

let me tell you you’ll have people in

your life even people who are close to

you that you fought for that you won

victories for that somehow it may get

turned or or changed in the

relationships not the same and and David

had the opportunity to turn and makes

all his enemy make his leader his enemy

but he didn’t David had the thing that

you’re gonna have and my last point he

had the audacity to honor

see when you’re marked you’re gonna have

the audacity to honor yeah that boss is

horrible that you have right now but God

is asking you to honor them your parents

may not understand everything that God’s

doing in your life but God’s asking you

to honor them like literally you ain’t

got nobody literally trying to kill you

like he had somebody trying to kill him

but he had the audacity to honor the

Bible tells us that there was one time

where David and his men went on the run

and they were in the cave and and and

Saul came into the cave the Bible tells

us to relieve himself and and and Dave

his boys like there he go and David’s

like that’s a good idea we’ve been on

the road we can actually get somewhere

and David gets close enough to him to

literally take him out and he cuts off a

piece of his rope and look what the

Bible says in 1st Samuel 24 6 it says so

he said to his men may the Lord not let

me put out my hand against my leader

home is this the same guy that’s been

trying to kill us yeah but he’s still in

position sometimes you have to honor

people’s position even when their

character doesn’t line up with it

because God’s not look oh come on

because God’s not looking at their

response the anointing is already left

he’s looking at your response he’s

trying to see can you be elevated

through this moment of Honor what I’m

telling you is go back to that job and

say what can I do for you sir what can I

do for you ma’am because God’s not

looking to get even with them he’s

looking for your response to honor and

David honored this man cuz he said he’s

the Lord’s Chosen now this messes me up

because he trying to kill me and you

still said he’s chosen until God moves

him out of place

he still chosen what I’m telling you is

when you’re marked you’re gonna have to

honor people who have who have done

things to make them not honorable

and God puts that in our path to test

our heart he said where does elevation

come from you or from me and you’re

gonna have to have the audacity to honor

I came to encourage somebody who’s been

in this process wait we’re God where you

been like honor are you with me say yeah

you’re just in the process yeah i

anointed you in private

yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah you you you

like you you were approved before

anybody saw that he said you’re anointed

before your position he said I’m gonna

make you the answer to somebody’s

problem he said yeah yeah oh yeah yeah

yeah you gotta realize that your next

opportunity is wrapped in obedience just

to do what I said and you’re gonna be

elevated through obstacles and if you

would just have the audacity to honor

I’ll write a story in your life that

when you stand before people they will

be able to say that as nobody but God

who is marked their life who in this

building has been marked by God and I’m

telling you y’all sit down sit down I

got four minutes step so so pastor

Stephen asked me to tell the story of

how God’s been doing this in my life cuz

somebody I’m like who is this guy that

just comes up here screaming in this

long shirt and and talking like okay let

me just tell you I’m nobody who was

approved in private this is not this is

not a story of me working my way to a

position this marked message is what I’m

living before you right now I came I

came here at inside elevation two years

ago and I didn’t have a ticket thousand

people waiting list and I asked my wife

the day before inside elevation can I

spend a lot of money a lot of our money

and we only got a little cuz I feel like

God’s telling me I need to be at this

meeting she said I trust you if if you

feel like this is God I flew out here at

6 a.m. on a Monday morning and I got

here at 1 o’clock and I stood outside

and I met Johnny Merkel and he was just

so

mean man I love what God’s doing but I

don’t have a seat for you but I love

what God’s doing and you’re like he was

so gracious and I paid my money and I

sat there and they said we can’t promise

you anything and so i sat there and i

sat there and i sat there and I said God

didn’t you didn’t you tell me to come

out here didn’t you tell me to do this

he said yeah

okay god I’m just gonna trust you I’m

gonna obey even though this doesn’t make

sense at 7:05 they came to me and said

somebody cancelled and praise and

worship had already started and they

walked me through this door right here

nobody knew me nobody knew anything and

they set me in this seat right here and

I sat in this seat right here and I

heard pastor Stephen begin to speak into

my destiny that I was supposed to go pro

and win from within and do all this

other stuff and I said god I just thank

you that you marked me and you confirmed

it in me and I went home to Tulsa in

August

God said Michael I don’t want you to

smooth I don’t want you to position

yourself I don’t want you to go into

green rooms I don’t want you to do none

of that

and pastor Stephen and elevation Church

has made a major impact on my life I go

into the room um and I hear about a

conference my friend is doing Paul

Doherty at Victory Church and I call him

and I was like a man pastor Stephens

gonna be there can I come is I get

robbed I’ll put you right next to him

and and and and God said okay Michael

when you go in there don’t meet him

don’t meet Steven Furtick

but don’t meet and I was sitting right

behind him and God said will you have

the audacity to honor me and obey me

because the story I want to build is not

something you made happen it’s something

I’m gonna make happen I’m just trying to

tell you right now so Paul’s on the

stage Pastor Steven and chunks are

sitting right in front of me and I’m

right here in Paul says turn around to

your neighbor and greet your neighbor I

like Dave hello Susan

hello and I met a woman named Susan but

I knew God didn’t want to do it like

that this is in August 2017 October I

get a random DM on Instagram hey check

check your messages right now by

somebody who works on staff here I said

huh she said Pastor Steven wants to talk

to you I said they must got some other

Stevens at that church I checked my text

message and I had a minute and 41 voice

note from Pastor Steven he was searching

a message on YouTube and mine was the

next one and he set there and watched

the whole thing and he called me and had

his people find me to tell me that I was

called and I was anointed I was Mariana

now don’t hear me now don’t hear me

he cold now look I didn’t do anything

they sit for me I didn’t make it happen

for me hear what I’m saying to you

October he sends the voice message I

send them a video back saying thank you

three weeks before inside elevation I

get a call at the church my lead

executive director answers the phone and

says and they asked me to come speak the

weekend after Easter

I had planned to come back to inside

elevation so now I come back to inside

elevation and the year before twelve

months before I didn’t have a seat in

the auditorium every session I was

escorted to a seat with my name I did

somebody to see that you don’t have to

do what God already will do because you

are mark and I have gone from a place of

obscurity to a platform because I was

doing the last thing God told me to do

and spending time in his presence

I came to encourage you today that God

sees you that he hears you you don’t

need anybody to cosign what God is doing

in your life cuz you’re marked by God

you’re marked for

and God is good he is faithful so I want

to pray for everybody who’s marked if

you feel like that’s you and you’re in

one of those steps the process can you

just lift your hands in this building I

don’t care what campus you’re at I don’t

care if you’re at Rock Hill I don’t care

if you’re at Asheville I don’t care if

you’re in Toronto father I thank you

that you see her people father you have

marked us for greatness you’ve marked us

for destiny and I speak against the lies

of the enemy that have told us to stop I

come against every person that feels

paralyzed because of the hits of life

father you have called us you’ve

appointed us and father we’re in process

I thank you that we’ll be faithful in

the pasture that we’ll be obedient in

the process and God you’ll take us to

the palace not because we’re good but

it’s because you’re good and so we trust

you we believe you and we thank you

somebody give God some praise