I Am Not Who They Expected

0:00 Brace yourself and buckle up. You are about to hear a life-changing, history-making, world-defining message from the New Birth Podcast. Tell everybody you know, things will never be the same. Would you stand to your feet all over the sanctuary?

0:24 What a blessing to be alive. Maybe y'all didn't hear what I just said. What a blessing to be alive. Don't you take your life for granted. Every moment matters. Every second counts. I'm thankful unto God for how God is raising up young people all over our church to lead in every area of life, in every area of ministry. ministry our cameraman Steve is turning 21 years old today and he has he's been faith serving faithfully in our media ministry come on give God some praise for I'm excited about his future excited about the man that he is becoming first Samuel 16 verse number 11 first Samuel 16 verse number one thank you first Samuel 16 verse number one we're closing out our series this morning on running on oil amen next sunday we start a new series called standing on business how we do business god's way how god will bless our business and how to mind your business Amen.

2:05 So make sure you're present. 1 Samuel 16, verse number one. Come on, let's read together. The Lord said to Samuel, Fill your horn with oil and be on your way. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I so want the Son to be in. Amen. You may be seated. I want to preach today using as a subject, I am not who they expected.

2:43 I am not who they expected. Elbow your neighbor and say, he talking about me. I am not who they expected. Ladies and gentlemen, in the Journal of Developmental Disorders, I discovered tear-jerking data that the rates of black and Hispanic children being diagnosed with autism has exceeded that of Caucasian children. who up until 10 years ago led.

3:26 In the last year, the increase is not a mere hop, but a whooping jump. Of 43 to 77% of all children with autism are now black or Latino. Autism refers to a broad range of conditions. characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behavior, as well as speech and nonverbal communication. The varieties are vast as it morphs out of both genetic and environmental factors. Because there are a spectrum of nuances, each individual has a different set of strengths and challenges. the way they think, learn, and problem solve is not uniform.

4:28 There are those who can't fly through complex math computations while others excel in arts. Because their comprehension is eclectic, It should not be dismissed as impossible or ignorant. Delay does not mean dysfunction. The mother of an artistic son wrote a poem for parents in the same position entitled The Popcorn Principle. It reads as such. Popcorn is prepared in the same pot, in the same heat, in the same oil, and yet the kernels don't pop at the same time. don't compare your child with other children for their turn to pop is coming in similar fashion please don't compare your finances to anybody else's your marriage to somebody else's your business to somebody else's everybody has their own time and comparison is the thief of joy if you believe that your time is coming would you give god thanksgiving even now I remember some years ago when I read this poem, I got it in my spirit and couldn't get it out of my head.

6:15 And so for some reason, I had a taste for popcorn. When I entered my kitchen, searched all through my cabinets and finally found a bag of popcorn. I threw it in the microwave I placed the setting on high and I started to pace around the kitchen waiting for it to finish and the Holy Spirit started talking to me and said Jamal what did you just put in the microwave that's what the Holy Spirit said to me and I said popcorn he said no you didn't I said yes I did I just took it out of the cabinet I put it in the microwave it's popcorn and the Holy Spirit said Jamal stop the microwave I stopped the microwave I opened the door and looked at it and he says is that popcorn I said no sir it is not popcorn watch this it's just seeds You did not put popcorn in the microwave.

7:31 You put seeds. Y'all are missing it. But you named it what you wanted it to become. I can drop the mic right there. Some of you don't even understand. You better start naming your children. You better tell them what you want them to become. Tell them you are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are a lender and not a borrower. Name your children.

8:09 You got to name your children. Because society is already trying to name them. They're already trying to profile them. They already are trying to sideline them. They have already named what prison cells that they are going to fill. But those of you who know that there is something special destined for your child and know that God's anointing is on their life, I dare you to give God glory for what's on them. It doesn't look like what it's going to become, but you have to be able to name it.

8:50 So I said, Holy Spirit, I got it. He said, put it back in the microwave. Put the temperature back on high. And step back and let me do the work. I put the bag of popcorn back in the microwave. put it back on high. I stepped back. Something amazing happened is that the light came on. And when the light came on, I want you to watch what happened. It just started going in circles.

9:23 And I got frustrated because I felt like how many of you must feel that you're trying to do what God has called you to do, but you just going in circles. don't look like nothing is changing don't look like nothing is shifting don't look like god is doing nothing for you but you just going in circles i remember the children of israel had to go around the walls of jericho and it looked like there was no end but god said just keep going around the circles i'm waiting for y'all to get it and ladies and gentlemen regrettably regrettably I did not have a I did not have a microphone in the microwave because if I had a microphone in the microwave I could have heard the popcorn encourage each other because if there was a microphone in the microwave I would have heard somebody in the bag say it's getting ready to happen and every now again when your life is going in circles you just gotta encourage yourself something is getting ready to happen now if you ain't got that kind of faith you ain't got a shot with us but if you believe in any moment now God is getting ready to do something for me I dare you to grab your neighbor's hand and tell it's getting ready to happen what eyes have not seen what ears have not heard God is getting ready to make something happen I want you to start a rumor on your row and just shout out loud it's getting ready to happen now for some of you it don't mean anything cuz you ain't been praying for nothing it don't mean anything watch this cuz you ain't been waiting on God to do anything but if there five of y'all didn't know God I didn't wait it the first six months of the year by the time I step into July I need something to shift on my behalf

11:36 It's going around in circles. Seemingly nothing is happening. Nothing is taking place. I can't hear them and they can't hear me. And I'm the one that put them in it. I said, God, the temperature's on high. Can I take them out of it? He said, no, you got to leave them in there. Leave them in there because in order for the seed to develop, it requires two things, heat and pressure. Jamal, if you open the door, then their process will not be able to go forward. If you ever see a butterfly in a cocoon and you see it struggling, do not open it for them.

12:43 Because if you open it for them, you will stop their development. It is the struggle in the cocoon that makes the blood go to the wings so that it can fly. If you open up the cocoon, the butterfly will never fly because it never knew struggle. Parents, many of you are handicapping your children because you keep opening it up for them. They got to learn how to struggle for themselves because that's their only way they'll get connected to God. So Jamal, don't open the door of the microwave or they won't develop into who they're supposed to be. Because their greatest blessing, I'm waiting on nine of you, their greatest blessing is shut doors. God help me I need some adults in the room that know your relationship with God didn't go to the next level till you had to deal with some shut doors you didn't know the favor that was on your life until you had to face some shut doors but it is not just the shut door that makes the corn develop it's got to be matched with heat you remember Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they were thrown in the fiery furnace but you know what them three teenagers did don't you they began to give God glory while they were in fire and while they were in fire somebody from the military came and wiped the steam from the furnace and said Houston we got a problem we put three men in but it looks like there's a fourth man in the fire with him and it looks like the son of God I think I lost somebody here I'm in the book of Daniel Jesus is not prophesied to the book of Isaiah he does not show up until the book of Matthew but when they praise God under fire

14:54 God said I'll show up early some of you don't understand the best time for you to give God glory is when you under fire if you ain't dealing with nothing don't shout with us but if you dealing with bills right now dealing with a job right now dealing with health issues right now God said give me glory It starts to go around in circles. The heat is high. The door is shut. And something crazy happens. The crazy thing that happens next, ladies and gentlemen, is that the shape of the bag begins to change. the shape of the bag begins to change when you are anointed not only will it impact you it will impact what was holding you god help me so whatever was trying to hold you back is getting ready to shift positions those of y'all that ain't going through nothing you ain't gotta give God glory but God said I'm gonna break every straw hole I'm gonna shift every issue I walked out of the kitchen.

16:24 I had to go do something back in my room. And I started to hear a sound. I wasn't sure what was happening. But I started to hear a sound. And I ran back in the kitchen. Looked in the microwave. And I realized that the popcorn was shifting out of seeds. and God gave me a message that I had to give to you today and that message is you can never shift in silence

16:58 whenever there is a transformation that is taking place in you it's got to be connected to a sound the kernels that made no noise were not changing but the kernels that were making noise were shifting who they were those of you who want to remain the same you got my permission to be quiet but if you need God to change everything connected to you you gotta make noise for where you are Oh, yeah. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Softly, sir, I'm getting ready to go. You may be seated, please.

17:53 I feel like something get ready to pop in this room right here hallelujah your whole family getting ready to change your son and your daughter is gonna prophesy he is for 50 of you your business is about to blow up but he can't can't do it in silence. Noise has gotta be in it. The time came to an end. The time came to an end. And uh... The cycle stopped. It was no longer moving in a circle.

18:48 The light was no longer on. The signal had come to me. It had completed. And I took the bag out of the microwave and I made a discovery that messed me up that I hope that you'll be able to identify with. As I took the bag out of the microwave and I began eating it. and I ran into a problem. The problem that I had was at the bottom of the bag. At the bottom of the bag, watch this, were still seeds, while the rest of the bag was popcorn. And the Holy Spirit told me to dump the bag, empty everything out of it until there's nothing left. I opened up that bag of popcorn, put it in the bowl.

19:48 Ladies and gentlemen, what I saw messed me up. It was so much popcorn and then a few seeds. And the Holy Spirit said, hold the seeds in your hand. I took the seeds and I held them in my hand. And God said, look at them. Inspect them. do you notice anything? I said, Lord, I don't notice anything. You got to show me. What are you trying to tell me in this moment so I can tell the people a new birth? He said, the ones that didn't pop had no oil on them. I got the slow class. Do you want to know why we anointed all these babies today?

20:49 Because I declare all of them are going to pop. All of them are going to the next level. All of them are going to make a difference. Only the ones with oil are going to become something that other people didn't expect. Only the ones with oil are going to defy everything that the devil said about them. only the ones with oil are gonna be able to stand in the face of the evil and the wicked empire that we are here only the ones that got oil I need your hand lifted. I'm almost finished.

21:44 Whether they are in this room or whether they're down the hall from where you're watching this, I declare and decree that your children have oil. that your grandchildren have oil, that your niece and your nephew have oil. I'm waiting on the worshipers to come in. Your best friend's children got oil. This is not for them to be millionaires. It's not for them to be famous. It's not for them to be social media influencers. but those of you who want the oil of God on your children's life would you lift up that hand and open up your mouth like you want the oil of God You only got five seconds left.

22:45 I declare an anointing over every child with special needs. I can't hear nobody. I declare the oil of God of every child that has a learning deficiency. I declare the oil of God on every child that has a comprehension that is delayed. I have oil for every child that is nonverbal. I declare oil on every child that the school is trying to medicate. I declare oil. Hallelujah. You can pull your hand down. I want all young people under 20. Lift your hand.

23:37 All young people under 20, lift your hand. And I want you to stand. You are not who the world is expecting. Young people, lift your hand. Young people, lift your hand. Young people, lift your hand.

24:09 There was a preacher by the name of Samuel who the Lord gave the assignment to anoint somebody new. And he went to a man by the name of Jesse's house because that's where God told him to go. He gets into Jesse's house and says, the Lord told me who I am to anoint is in this house today. Jesse lined up all of his children who did well on SATs. Lined up all of his children that were on honor roll. Lined up all of his children who were famous and popular at the prom. And the Lord said, I don't want any of them.

24:58 I want to anoint the one. I hope y'all will give glory for this I want to anoint the one whose family didn't support I want to anoint the one that the school system didn't see nothing in you I want to anoint the one that your own friends laughed at your dream you were not who the world was expecting but you are everything that heaven has been waiting on. While you were in your mother's womb, God made plans for you. You are by yourself going to break generational curses. You are going to move in the territory that you didn't even know existed. You are getting ready to have opportunities that your parents didn't even know were available.

25:55 And over every young child, every young adult, every young person, every teenager, every middle schooler, lift that hand. I declare oil over you. I declare oil over you that you will not have bouts with low self-esteem.

26:18 I declare oil over you that you'll never entertain suicide. I declare oil over you that you will not cut yourself or harm yourself. I declare oil over you that you'll never be conflicted about your identity or your sexuality. I declare oil over you that you'll be better than your father, that you'll go further than your mother. I declare oil over you that your family is going to be reframed because of what you are getting ready to accomplish. and now I speak to the gates of hell to every demon, every witch, every warlock, every soothsayer I declare get your hands off these babies what God has for them nobody is going to be able to get in the way of let the redeemed of the Lord open up your mouth and give him glory Come on, I said give him glory.

27:29 You ain't shouting good. Give him glory. I want every person standing, every person standing, you. are not what they looking for but God found you Not who God, you're not who the world was looking for, but God knew who you were. I stand before you today young people as a high school dropout. Never took the SATs.

28:23 Never took the ACT. I stand before you as the very first person Morehouse College ever let in with a GED. I was not what the school was looking for. for God had me in mind.

28:51 I stand before you today as the pastor of this church. 156 people applied. It was a requirement that whoever is coming got to be married. requirement listen to me ain't no way in the world you coming in here and you are you a me I didn't meet the requirements, but I was who God was looking for. when God has his hand on your life it don't matter who don't like you it don't matter who supports who you are there's something greater that he has in mind for your life so in just two minutes flocks of you are getting ready to head to this altar because you just had the epiphany that God is looking for me because he's got an assignment that he's got for me to fulfill.

30:06 If you're old enough to pick out your clothes, you're old enough to pick out your Savior. You're in this room. I want you to know you're not here by accident or coincidence. You're here because God ordained your life. Set up your steps. You're in this room. Listen to me. You're in this room and you are under 21. You're in this room and under 21 and you have never given your life over to God. You're under 21. never prayed the prayer of salvation. Under 21, you ain't got a relationship with God, but you want to fix it today before you get on that door. You got to fix it today before you go on. You're old enough to identify the brokenness and the frailty of your own parents.

31:01 And you realize there's got to be something more for my life. You're under 21 and you're saying, I can't believe that somebody loved me enough to die for me. I can't believe they love me so much that they're coming back for me. Whoever you are in this room, you are under 21. And today you want to give God your life. Because you can't trust it in the hands of anybody else. If that's where you are, would you come meet me at this altar? Young people who are not saved. Young people that don't have a church home. Young people who have never given their life over to God. I want you to begin coming now. I need y'all to shout for these young people that are coming. God bless you.

32:03 Come on, give God glory. Here they come. destroys

32:36 y'all not excited to see young people saved young people giving their life over to god this don't do nothing for you They're still coming. I need you to give God glory for 14 year olds coming. 16 year olds coming. Come on. Would y'all shout for this black father coming, bringing his babies. Listen to me.

33:17 There are families that need to get saved today. There are couples that need to bring your whole family. This is where your family is going to grow. This is where your family is going to develop. This is where your family is going to change. Husband, be the leader of your household. bring your family here.

33:39 Mother, get your bag. Get down here. I want you to come. I don't know where you are. Those of you that are online, we are a local church making a global impact. Would you give God glory for those who are online getting ready to join the church? I hope you are energized that you don't need an energy drink. What you just heard should have you off and running, chasing your dreams, pursuing your purpose, and answering your call. If this was a blessing, share it with somebody else. Don't be selfish. This is what God gave you so that you can be a blessing to somebody who needs it worse.