Approved In Private // Marked (Part 3) – Pastor Michael Todd – Transformation Church

• Everyone’s excited when they’re initially marked by God, but few are excited/motivated to go through the process/journey to that promise.
  • “Process” takes time and though many are important, people tend to want Amazon Prime process time.
• Christians are now defenseless against the “hits” from life and/or Satan. Once you accept God’s calling to be marked and the cost to be marked, you would assume that it’s easy sailing, but it’s not. God’s purpose comes with process and with that, hits from the enemy. Be prepared to take the hits, roll with the punches.

Important Side Note

• Stop crying over what God has ‘been done’ with.
  • 1 Samuel 16:1: Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
    • God saw Samuel crying over Saul “not being the one” but He told him to get over it because He already had new plans with David.
  • You mourning over failed relationships, jobs, opportunities can blind you from the plans God has for you now.

David’s Anointing

• 1 Samuel 16:6-13: When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” 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?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
  • Samuel (and most people) look to appearance and outer characteristics to determine worth for position, but God looks at the heart because all abundance of action comes from the heart.
    • God: “I am a man of heart before anything else.”
  • When David was introduced, he was not even invited to the party but God stopped everything to look and get him to be anointed.
    • You are the lynchpin to move some things forward in your life. God is carefully orchestrating things so once you enter the room, everything will start to move.

If You Are Marked, You Are Approved In Private

• “You can’t Instagram integrity and Facebook faithfulness.”
  • You have to be insulated from men to not reach out for men’s approval but instead cultivate God’s purpose for your life.
  • Your dreams always begins small, like a seed, so it’s better to cultivate it in the ground, a dark place, because if it’s in the light, it’s far easier to speak death to a seed than a firm tree
    • EX.) David was anointed in private and casted aside by his own family before he was ever realized as a potential king.

God is Trying to Give Us the Opportunity of Obscurity

• There are things you can do when nobody knows you.
• There are things God can develop in you only in this season

Reasons Why Obscurity is an Opportunity

1. Your Struggle Becomes Your Strength
   • Your season right now is not a punishment but a development
2. Your Character Can Be Cultivated and Corrected
   • God was always with David because David spent his time with God. David cultivated his life to be saturated with God.
3. Your Product Can Be Perfected Until it’s Potent
   • You need to stop trying to be seen when you should be developing your skills
     • EX.) David developed his sling shooting in private, so he could kill Goliath with one shot when ready
4. The Dark Room Develops Your Negatives
   • If you overexpose your negatives in the light, no one will get to see the beautiful image God meant you to be
     • EX.) Jesus’s Dark Room Moments:
       • Jesus’ time from 12-30 years old
       • Jesus’ 40 days in the desert
       • Jesus’ night in the garden before going to the Cross

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