Sunday Evening Worship Service

just remain standing grab your Bibles yeah or if you're like Moses grab your tablets just don't break them go with me to 1st Samuel chapter number 10 and as you're turning to 1st Samuel chapter number 10 I want to say what a tremendous word we heard this morning if you miss that message from our pastor you need to go online tonight tomorrow sometime this week and listen to it uh we are blessed we are blessed I'm so thankful I know it's his birthday but I'm thankful for him all the time and I'm so thankful for all of our leadership our ministry all of our uh all the ministers and the families that that serve uh each and every time these doors are open and even when the doors aren't opening or aren't open you are here serving and I give you honor tonight go with me to First Samuel chapter number 10 I won't keep you long tonight uh I want to uh help help you and encourage you with the the word of the Lord tonight 1st Samuel chapter number 10 I got some helpers they're coming here looking at verse number 20 and when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near The Tribe of Benjamin was taken when he had caused The Tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families the family of matrie was taken and Saul the son of Kish was taken look at this look at this last part of verse number 21 this is important and when they sought him he could not be found therefore they inquired of the Lord further if the man should yet come fither and the Lord answered look at what the Lord said about Saul behold he hath hidden himself among the stuff someone say stuff what a vague word that is stuff let's read verse 23 and they ran and fetched him fence and when he stood among the people he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward the Lord answered can't find him and the Lord answered he's hid himself among the stuff tonight I'd like to minister to you from this title hidden among the stuff hidden among the stuff would you put your Bibles down and would you lift up your hands lift up your heart lift up your voice and would you pray with me for a moment father we're so thankful for the word of God we're so thankful Lord for the the ministry that took place today your spirit that is here tonight we're so thankful Lord that you have met with us once again but Lord these are your people this is your house this is your word I am your servant but I need your anointing and your spirit to help me help me to speak with clarity it and understanding and I pray that you'd help us to leave here unburdened with all the things that we carry around in Jesus name we pray and everyone said amen would you clap your hands one more time onto Jesus amen turn around tell somebody I'm going to help brother Nate preach stuff stuff hidden among the stuff Have you seen um this show it's called I'm so sorry to give you a carnal example um this show called hoarders no if you you've not seen it you don't need to see it it is the scariest thing that you'd ever seen in your entire life um people who hoard things they keep things they have their houses and they like they keep cereal boxes from 1973 and the cereal still in it or and the milk that they poured into it still in it and they like it's it's like that's nothing like it's it's it's awful it's the worst thing you can ever imagine that people would live in in 2011 emergency workers in Las Vegas rescued a man who had become trapped in his own home his house was filled to the ceiling with belongings hoarding things stuff so much so that he physically could not Escape over time he had accumulated so much stuff that it literally imprisoned him when the rescue workers arrived they had to dig through piles and piles of trash and junk and stuff to reach him this leads us to our text tonight in 1 Samuel chapter number 10 where the people of Israel desired to have a king they said we want to be like all the other nations around us they have a king and that be seems kind of cool so we'd like to have a king as well and much to the uh refusal of the prophet Samuel he said you know you don't really want to do this and this is a really a bad idea God is your king and uh this king is going to treat you terribly he'll tax you he'll work you to death he'll get you into Wars they're like ah we still want him and um so he the Lord says listen Samuel this is uh this is what they want I'm going to give them exactly what what they want and I believe and we're not going to talk about this tonight but I've talked about it other places but I believe that Saul was an answer to the prayer of the people but God gave them really what they desired and he was in my opinion a curse unto them because when you reject God and you want to do things your own way you'll always end up Shipwrecked and curse and so Samuel relents God relents and he really God was not surprised by this request at all and he even tells in Deuteronomy 17 about how the king should comport himself but here in this scene uh God has chosen Saul Saul is a young man from the small once disgraced Tribe of Benjamin and he is God's choice to lead the nation Samuel had already anointed Saul privately but here at this moment it's time to publicly announce him as king now imagine for a moment all the people have gathered Samuel is ready to make the big announcement but Saul is nowhere to be found they look around they call out they send out the dogs they send out the search team they put his picture on milk cartons you all don't remember that do you 80s children know what that's about where is Saul we can't find him he's not around and the Lord answers and says I know where he's at he's hiding among the stuff stuff someone say stuff I'm not talking about Oreo stuff cookies but stuff it's a vague word isn't it stuff because stuff can mean anything and I it's kind of strange that the Bible would translate this word as simply stuff it's vague but I looked up this word in the Hebrew and this word in the Hebrew stuff refers to baggage vessels receptacles baskets tools things or in other words the Clutter of life here is Saul Head and Shoulders above all the people God has anointed and called him to be king over his chosen people and they can't find him because he's hidden among the stuff baggage junk clutter hiding behind stuff instead of doing what he is called to do here he is God's man so much potential so much anointing so much Authority Dominion all of the potential that God has in Saul and he's hiding amongst stuff isn't that just like all of us or maybe some of us that we can evade God's will for our life and come so short of God's potential for us because we hide among the stuff we're covering ourselves up with stuff we it's vague because your stuff might not be my stuff and my stuff might not be your stuff but if we're not careful we'll miss out on places of honor and blessing and purpose because we would rather hide amongst the stuff why would anyone hide from a crown why would Saul avoid stepping into a position of honor and power he's Head and Shoulders above everybody and you might believe here for a moment before you read the rest of the story that he's oh he's just being humble he's a humble young man and he's just afraid he wants to be drug out into the spotlight that's really not Saul because as you read the life of Saul he's Head and Shoulders above everybody but really him hiding among the stuff is a microcosm of his whole life that he's very small on the inside that he's got a lot of bad baggage he's got a lot of issues that are going to hinder him from reaching his potential all of us can be hiding amongst the stuff look at Hebrews chapter number 12 verse number one I thought Pastor was going to read it this morning when he was in chapter number 11 and I'm glad he didn't get there today I wanted it for tonight Hebrews 12 And1 wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin notice that the writer of Hebrews said it was weight before sin because your weights can become sin which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us obviously sin can hinder us and again I was reading this and the word weight caught my attention because weight like the word stuff is very vague right it doesn't name something it doesn't itemize something it doesn't list out what a weight is it's just stuff weight so I looked up this word what does this word mean and again in the Greek this word weight means encumbrance bulk Mass like stuff it's vague because weights and stuff can cause you to impede your progress and if it's not impeding your progress you'll simply hide behind it now obviously this is Ashley's all of Ashley's luggage no I promise it's Ashley's and eon I'm teasing it's it's all of ours this one especially is mine I hope you really like it it's not you're like yes it is it's not now if you've ever traveled by plane one of the most stressful moments when traveling by plane is not going in my opinion is not going through TSA that is not the most stressful part for me uh the most stressful part of traveling by flight is not uh the expensive um snacks like they don't live in reality in the airport do they like you can get a Coke over here for a125 at the airport same Coke it's like $5 that stresses you out don't stress me out that much the thing that stresses me out the most and I hope this is okay and I'm I'm I'm I'm operating on very little sleep tonight um so I hope I don't get myself in trouble but when I'm traveling with Ashley the thing thing that stresses me out the most is when we have to put her luggage on the weight thing I know that's I'm going to get in so much trouble I know when we get to her I get I do mine first I want to be safe she's GNA if anybody's gonna be left it's gonna be her it's not me I'm making it it's when she puts that body bag on that wait and I'm over there going Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus and it's you know it's got to be 50 PBS or less to make it and I'm going please Jesus please father God in heaven Lord Jesus and it goes on there I'm just sweating bullets and I have nowhere to hide it because I have no hair and you want to get that because it says it's 50 PBS or less because the airplane the the the the the the flights the the uh the airline will not take off if the airplane exceeds the weight limit you're not hearing me so what happens is they limit you to your weight in your luggage so we don't weigh down the plane now think about this and I think about you and me that if we're not careful we'll try to load up all sorts of luggage and baggage and stuff and God is saying you're not going to fly you're not going to get anywhere until you Les you you you lighten your load and we're trying to bring all of our stuff and we're trying to get all of our things together and we're trying to do this and God saying hey we're not going to get anywhere until you learn to lay the way down and the S down so we can go somewhere oh but I feel limited and I feel vulnerable and I feel open and God says that's fine because that stuff can go with you where I need you to go stuff stuff where's Saul he's the king he's going to lead God people he where is he at he's behind the stuff why would he be behind the stuff why would he do that because we can make all sorts of excuses for why we can't do what God has called us to do we'll make up stuff Proverbs 26 and3 it says the slothful man says there's a line in the way a lion in the streets I looked at that scripture today and basically what it's saying is there's stuff out there stuff that scares me stuff that might hurt me so I'd rather stay inside than risk being vulnerable to stuff you're not hearing me you know Sinners can do that unbelievers can do that here's why I'm not going to come up and repent uh this one says Pride if I come up there and repent that means I'm admitting that I've been wrong I if if I come up there and repent that means I'm going to have to admit that I'm a sinner and I I've got too much pride to do that if I come up there and and get baptized in Jesus name what will my family that goes to the denominal church think that's called Stuff brothers and sisters I I'm not sure about all that speaking in tongue stuff because that sounds a little spooky and what will happen if somebody hears me speak in an unknown tongue that's called Pride stuff hiding behind it you got a wall up where are you at God's called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light but you're hiding out amongst the stuff h i please don't come into my house please please please don't please don't interrupt my pride Paul would say there is laid on for us an incorrect rable Crown Paul would or Peter would say that we are a royal priesthood a holy nation but unbelievers miss out on the promises and the blessings of God because of stuff but it's not just unbelievers Believers can be hiding amongst the stuff we can hide and carry around all all sorts of baggage and stuff can we talk about that just for a few moment think about Saul all of his potential what he looks like but if you read the rest of his story he's not what he seems EX on the exterior so how about this one how about this stuff in insecurity insecurity there we go insecurity uh I know I look like I have the stuff all together got everything together but I'm insecure and I'm afraid that I'm just not going to be like sister so and so how about this one not just insecurity how about self-doubt Saul can bring all of his victories and he can bring all sorts of battles and he can he can lead the nation to Victory but when he hears the people singing the song of David Saul has killed his thousands oh that's right that's my favorite tune but David is killed his tens of thousands oh oh why why am I not as good as David you're the King Saul and you're worried about a Shepherd it's called Stuff uh I I couldn't how about this one I I I I'll never be as a good of a Preacher as Pastor so I just I don't know if I could do that uh I don't know if I can get up there in that choir you know and just I'm a little you know don't want anybody to hear me so you sit in your Pew and you come late and you leave early fall short of your potential because you got too much stuff how about this one insecurity and self-doubt will always lead to this next one jealousy jealousy I'm jealous of this bag right now just who do they think they are why do they get why do they have all the opportunities uh they're here that might be it I don't know remember I'm operating on little sleep so uh how come how come they get all the opportunities to do this that and the other uh they're here early and they leave late and they're around they show up to all the events not just the ones that they want to jealous I I you know here we go must be nice must must be nice to go to all those conferences and must be nice to be able to do all that stuff and must be nice David to be able to kill Giants hey Saul you could have killed that giant too actually you were there first but guess what just like you had done previously you were hiding in the tent I wish I could teach I wish I can get up there and preach in a pool pit how about you starting a Sunday School classroom room oh I don't know about all that I wish I wish I get that opportunity how about you teach a Bible study I'm not comfortable doing that I'll let somebody else do that I don't know how they get all these opportunities and you know I can sing better than her and I can play better than him hey I'm not looking for who's the best I'm looking for who's faithful I'd rather deal with somebody and use somebody who's got a good attitude who is punctual who's faithful who doesn't need a spotlight they just want to I'd rather come on somebody are you hearing me we don't need jealousy and envy to keep us from our potential in the Kingdom it's called Stuff yall all right yall okay hiding hiding among the stuff hiding among the stuff how about this one comparing yourself comparing yourself I just I try and I try and I try and I just never reached that that level of Holiness and righteousness and so I might as well just quit who are you comparing yourself too you know it's easier for you to be spiritual it's just not as easy for me do you know where I came from you know I just you we start looking at people and like yeah well here they go they get all the opportunities because they're related to so and so told you this is trouble tonight and you see all this nonsense and you hear this type of stuff people talk about this on social meeting they'll make all these comments and they're like yeah they get all these opportunities I'm like if you only knew where that person came from you know if you knew their story you're just you're just watching their highlight reel you you've not you not seen what it took to get there you don't see the ups and the downs and the tragedies that they've gone through you don't know that David dealt with all kinds of people dismissing him his own dad dismissing him and and his own Brothers dismissing him you you don't know any of that about David all you see is him knocking down the giant you don't see that his own family is trying to knock him down they're trying to knock him down while he's there I know the naess of your heart David you're here to see a battle no I'm here to do the will of God and if you would man up and get some courage you can take care of this yourself we got to stop comparing ourselves among each other yes you might not be a a spiritual somebody else but keep praying keep serving keep being faithful stuff stuff how about this one this is a big one Pastor talked about today he was all over it today this one's worse than just about any of them it's not a word but it's a thing it's called unforg unforgiveness it's not a word go look it up but it's definitely a thing you'll never get anywhere in God's kingdom with unforgiveness do you know what they did to me I don't I'm so sorry but do you know what you did to Jesus I just don't know if I can for I don't know if I can forgive her you know what she did no but uh I know what you could do is be the grownup in the room Hallelujah uh you know some of us are are trying to fight adult battles with teenage methods y'all okay I'm gonna say it again because I just thought it was really good some of us are trying to fight adult battles with teenage methods and so we what we really need is somebody to grow up and be spiritual the Bible says that the older ladies the elderly ladies should be a witness and a teacher to the younger ladies and if you don't forgive what type of example are you giving the Next Generation when you're trying to be a little immature and trying to be a teenager [Applause] and I don't know why God won't use me you know why God won't use you because you're not acting like God because God loves and God forgives and God is merciful and God is gracious you need to leave that stuff behind and say I forgive you you would free yourself up if you would learn to [Music] forgive I wish somebody would clap their hands I wish somebody would help me right now we got to leave some junk behind leave some stuff behind that's causing us and hindering us and impeding our come on me this is let's go where's he at where is he at the Lord said it he's among the stuff he should be out there on the pedestal he should be out there Leading the People this is who I chose this is who I anointed and you're questioning what I've done you're questioning my ability to use somebody like you and he called you with all your baggage and all of your stuff and you're trying to talk God out of his will for your life because you won't let go of some stuff you won't let go of your insecurity you won't let go of your pride you won't let go of the offense you won't let go of the bitterness you won't let go of some old junk that happened in your life and I'm not trying to be flipping about that it's real trauma is real tragedy is real but at some point when will you let it go at some when is your get over going to [Music] come I'm afraid what they might see it's all right we're all out here too it's hard being vulnerable it's t being vulnerable look at verse number 23 I'm coming to a close and they ran and they went and fetched him fetched him that's amazing isn't it where are you at Saul and the Lord says from Heaven he's up behind the stuff where did that come from stuff okay where's all the stuff at and here come you I mean you got to go catch your king you got to go find your king he's hiding come on Saul get out from behind there leave that stuff behind don't you know look at what God's called you to do the word fetch in the Hebrew I know I'm not trying to give you like a a dictionary of words tonight but sometimes we got to look up what these words mean this word means to grab as to seize to take to obtain to capture to lead away Saul you're going to have to leave the stuff can I take my hurt with me no you can't can I take my insecurity with me uh not where we're going you're going to be the King we don't need insecure Kings um can I take I got a good one this is really good for for leaders leaders this is a really good one for leaders uh jealousy you know so we can start comparing our church with other churches I can I take that with me you know because a good leader needs to be jealous of what other people successes are um Saul no you can't can't take that with you um can I take uh you know my My Tribe Benjamin is one of the small ones and um you know we're kind of kind of left out kind of the runt of all the tribes and you know it's you know we just we we kind I take my uh can I take uh you know just what we did in our past and the hurt and the wound and all that that we did but you've reading that at the end of Judges can I take that with me no nobody you got to leave that behind what we need right now Saul is for you to walk in what God's called you to do and you can't do it well taking all the stuff stand to your feet I got to thinking about that that somebody had to lure him out from behind the stuff and not condemn and condone but they needed to affirm listen to me now listen to me we need to affirm in others what God wants to do in them you hear me spouses listen to me you need to affirm in your spouse their potential there the difference between affirming and being a nag I wish you'd pray I wish you'd leave this family that's not that's not you're not going to fetch him doing that you need to say this instead I believe in you I believe that you've got all sorts of potential to lead our family what can I do to alleviate and to remove some of the stuff what can I do to help you how about our kids how about our children parents I had never done that when I was a kid I can't believe you'd do that no affirm it I'm proud of you you've got great potential you can do whatever God calls you to do teachers at ACS we never need to lead our kids by you're stupid you dummy I can't believe you don't understand why are you asking me this question again because you're the teacher I was sitting I was preaching this weekend and South tillo Tennessee for anniv some anniversary services and the pastor is a a teacher in a high school we're talking we're talking about teaching I love teaching he said one thing that I have learned in teaching he said is that kids don't need a hammer as much as they need somebody to be loving and kind and patient he said I have I I I I had to deal with the situation had to deal with this situation with a boy was it's a public high school he said I he was in the back of my class and I watched him he had his uh he was vaping in class he they they can hide it in their sleeves and they can do it in class and said somebody told on the told on him he said I want to be the hammer throw down send him to the principal punish him kick him out he says but instead I prayed how should I deal with this situation and the Lord said just love him he said so I pulled him aside after one of the classes a few days later and he said hey called him by his name said can I tell you something he said what did I do now said no no no I want you to know I'm proud of you said what what' you say said I want you to know I'm proud of you and that child said I've never heard that said to me before moms and dads never said it to him before and he said you know what brother Nate he said he's not Vaped in my class I never addressed it I never had to talk to him about it said all it took was seeing his potential we got to go fetch some people you need to go fetch that coworker you know what you need to do acts 238 or hell that's not going to fetch them how about you just love them how about you be a witness and and be [Music] kind we're going to catch more flies with honey than we will with vinegar I know we're not in the fly catching business but it works in soul-winning too you know I'm I'm telling you you big loser I can't believe you I can never depend on on you here is no go fetch them and say hey the kingdom needs you right now and you need to leave all this stuff behind I know it's hard but can you come with me because we got a crown for you we got an anointing for you we've got Authority for you and if you'll just come out from the [Music] stuff I believe there's some I believe there are some missionaries School teachers pastor's wives worship leaders I believe they're in this room but you're hiding among the stuff and if you're not hiding it you're trying to take it with you everywhere you go and God is saying you can't run with all those weights you can't take that you can't take jealousy with you you can't take that hurt with you you can't take that Pride with you you're just going to have to leave it behind I wonder if somebody would just slip up their hand right now I don't know who I'm talking to I don't know who it is that needs to hear this tonight but you've been called to the kingdom for such a time as this and we need you to leave behind the stuff and we need you to stop hiding behind all of your excuses and realize that there's something greater for you if you leave the stuff behind maybe you need to forgive somebody maybe you need to get rid of that insecurity maybe you need to get rid of that offense but I wonder if somebody would come maybe it's an unbeliever and need to leave your pride behind and say I'll repent I'll get baptized I I want the Holy Ghost Whatever It Is God I want it but let me leave the stuff behind he can forgive you of the sin but you're going to have to leave behind the ways come on would you lift up your voice my life is not my own oh yes to you are I Bel I give myself I give myself to you my life is not my oh yes to [Music] you I give myself I give myself to you my life is not my own my life is not my own to you you Bel I give myself give myself I give myself to you my life is not my own my life is not my own [Music] you I myself I I want you to lift up your hands I feel the Holy Ghost in this room [Music] we don't need to go through the motions tonight of an altar call he can forgive your sin but sometimes we're going to have to learn how to forgive ourselves and sometimes we're going to have to lay aside the weight he let him do the forgiving of the sin but you do the laying aside of the weight I don't know what it is maybe it's insecurity maybe it's jealousy maybe it's unforgiveness whatever the stuff is you need to lay it aside tonight and obviously those things can become sin they certainly are can be labeled as Sin to scripture but what we must do is say Lord forgive me of the things I need forgiven of the sin that's in my life the things that's in my heart the things I'm harboring but Lord I pray that you'd also give me the strength to lay aside the weight oh God the stuff oh God because that's what's going to impede my progress I want you to lift up your voice right now whatever it is I want you to say Lord help me to lay that aside today I can't care I can't keep caring it I am hurting God it's impeding me everywhere I go it's just a wait on my my shoulder Jesus said come unto me all you who are heavy laden all those who are burdened with stuff he wants to take the stuff the baggage and give you his Yol give you his burden which is light it's not hard to live for him but you got to lay aside all the weight and the stuff you're going to have to come out from all the stuff so you can find Victory and hope and freedom told you can use me I give myself [Music] away I give myself away so you can use me I give myself [Music] away I Give Myself Away so you can use me and give myself [Music] away I give myself away so you can you my life is not my own my life is not my own to you are belong I give myself I give myself to you life is not my my life is not my to you I Bel I give myself I give myself to you my life is not my own Lord to you are give myself to you Lord myself I give myself to you my life is not my own life is not my own to you are I give myself I give myself to you I give myself to give myself away I give myself away so you can use me and give myself [Applause] [Music] away I give myself away so you can use me and give myself away [Music] I give myself away so you can use me would you thank the Lord for his word tonight thank you Jesus thank you Lord for your word let me not hide among the cares of this life let me not hide among my anxieties and my fears but Lord let me do the work that you'd have me to do for you thank you thank you Lord thank you Lord for your word hallelujah hallelujah