Focus on The Assignment - Message 1 - Stop Performing—Start Obeying
The central theme of today's discourse revolves around the imperative to cease performing for human approval and instead embark upon a path of genuine obedience to divine instruction. We find ourselves ensnared in a quagmire of distraction, often mistaking our busyness for productivity, while neglecting our true assignments. It is essential to recognize that our pursuit of validation can severely impede our spiritual progress and hinder our God-given purpose. Throughout this message, we will delve into the lives of biblical figures such as Noah, Joseph, and David, elucidating how their steadfast commitment to their assignments ultimately attracted divine provision. As we navigate this series, let us focus on aligning our actions with the will of God, understanding that true prosperity emanates from obedience rather than the quest for public acclaim. The sermon titled "Stop Performing—Start Obeying" marks the commencement of a transformative series entitled "Focus on the Assignment." The host articulates a compelling narrative that resonates deeply with the contemporary believer's experience, delineating the critical distinction between mere busyness and purposeful engagement in God's work. The central thesis posits that many individuals are not fatigued in their spiritual pursuits but are instead distracted by the incessant clamor for human approval. The invitation to shift from performance to obedience is underscored by a profound exhortation to reject the addiction to approval, a sentiment echoed in the scriptural reference from Galatians 1:10, which challenges listeners to prioritize divine approval above all else. This foundational premise sets the stage for an urgent call to reflection and action, as the host implores the audience to consider the implications of serving two masters. Throughout the message, the host employs vivid and relatable analogies to illustrate the spiritual apathy that can result from seeking validation rather than obedience. The analogy of a firefighter capturing a viral moment instead of addressing an emergency serves as a poignant reminder of the spiritual fires that many believers encounter in their lives. It emphasizes the need for genuine deliverance through obedience rather than seeking superficial contentment in public accolades. The host further elucidates the biblical truth that God funds what He ordains, reinforcing the idea that true prosperity is intrinsically linked to aligning one's actions with God's assignments. This pivotal truth is crucial for believers who desire to experience heaven-backed provision and fulfillment in their spiritual journeys. In conclusion, the sermon culminates in a practical call to action, encouraging listeners to identify their divine assignments and take concrete steps towards obedience. The host outlines specific actions to enhance discipline, such as cutting distractions and engaging in secret acts of obedience. This approach not only emphasizes individual responsibility but also cultivates a deeper relationship with God, as faithfulness in hidden moments lays the groundwork for public impact. The introspective questions posed at the end of the message serve as a catalyst for self-reflection, pushing individuals to evaluate their motivations and commitments. Ultimately, this sermon offers a rich tapestry of biblical insights, urgent exhortation, and practical strategies, compelling listeners to embrace their divine assignments with fervor and intentionality.
Takeaways:
- We must transition from seeking validation from others to embracing obedience to God, as true fulfillment lies in doing His will.
- The principle of prosperity asserts that God will provide for what He has ordained; if He assigns it, He sustains it.
- In our pursuit of purpose, we should identify distractions and eliminate them to foster a more focused and disciplined life.
- Our effectiveness in fulfilling divine assignments hinges on our faithfulness in the hidden places, where God prepares us for greater public impact.
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker A:Welcome to a new series that's called Focus on the Assignment.
Speaker A:And let me say it straight, too many believers.
Speaker A:We are busy chasing attention while heaven is calling for obedience.
Speaker A:Now, Jesus didn't become famous because he marketed himself.
Speaker A:He became known because he finished the Father's will.
Speaker A:He said, my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Speaker A:And when you seek first the kingdom, all these things get added.
Speaker A:Not before, after.
Speaker A:So in this series, we're going to expose destruction, confront half finished obedience, and break that addiction to people's approval.
Speaker A:We'll talk about Joseph, David, Esther, Paul, and the Master himself.
Speaker A:Because assignments don't just build.
Speaker A:Legacy assignments attract provision.
Speaker A:If you're ready to start performing and start obeying, stop drifting and start building.
Speaker A:Then lean in.
Speaker A:Your prosperity is on the other side of your focus.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker A:So now we're going to be starting, as I said, the brand new series called Focus on the Assignment.
Speaker A:And I need you to lean in because this one is going to step on some toes, but it's going to heal some feet too.
Speaker A:Because let's be honest, a lot of us are not tired, we're distracted, we're not blocked, we're busy, we're not under attack.
Speaker A:Were just undisciplined.
Speaker A:And today's message is called stop performing.
Speaker A:Start obeying.
Speaker A:Father, in the name of Jesus, open our hearts and our ears.
Speaker A:Deliver us from distraction.
Speaker A:Deliver us from the fear of people.
Speaker A:Give us the grace to obey you even when nobody's clapping.
Speaker A:Let your word correct us, strengthen us and align us.
Speaker A:We want the assignment.
Speaker A:We want the kingdom.
Speaker A:We want your will.
Speaker A:In Jesus name, amen.
Speaker A:Our anger scripture for the message is Galatians 10:1.
Speaker A:10am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God.
Speaker A:If I was still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Speaker A:If I'm still trying to please people, I cannot be a servant of Christ.
Speaker A:That means two masters can't sit on one throne.
Speaker A:Either God leads or people lead.
Speaker A:Let me paint a picture for you.
Speaker A:Imagine a building on fire, sirens blaring, people screaming, smoke everywhere.
Speaker A:And then the fireman arrives.
Speaker A:He jumps out of the truck and instead of grabbing the hose, he pulls out his phone.
Speaker A:He checks the angle.
Speaker A:He finds the light.
Speaker A:He says, hold on, hold on.
Speaker A:Don't die yet.
Speaker A:This is going to go viral.
Speaker A:Now some may laugh, but some believers are exactly like that.
Speaker A:There is a spirit of fire in your family, in your finances, in your calling.
Speaker A:And you're trying to get content out of it instead of getting deliverance out of it.
Speaker A:Some of us have become performers when we are called to be servants.
Speaker A:We want the spotlight, but we don't want the sacrifice.
Speaker A:Let me start here.
Speaker A:Approval.
Speaker A:Addiction is a destiny killer.
Speaker A:You don't need more talent.
Speaker A:You need less thirst.
Speaker A:Thirst for applause, thirst for validation, and thirst for being seen.
Speaker A:Because when you need people's approval, you will edit your obedience.
Speaker A:You will obey God as long as it's convenient.
Speaker A:You will obey God as long as it looks good.
Speaker A:You will obey God as long as people agree.
Speaker A: ut the Bible says in Proverbs: Speaker A:A snare is a trap.
Speaker A:It looks harmless until you step in it and you can't move.
Speaker A:Listen, some of you are not stuck because Satan is strong.
Speaker A:You're stuck because opinions are loud.
Speaker A:You're more afraid of being misunderstood than being disobedient.
Speaker A:And can I say something that might irritate you?
Speaker A:Some of you call it humility, but it's actually insecurity.
Speaker A:You say I'm just waiting on God, but you're really waiting on people to approve.
Speaker A:Jesus never moved based on public opinion.
Speaker A:He moved based on divine instruction.
Speaker A:Do you realize what Jesus said in John 4:34?
Speaker A:He said, Mark my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Speaker A:Food.
Speaker A:Food means energy.
Speaker A:Food means strength.
Speaker A:Food means satisfaction.
Speaker A:So Jesus is telling you, I'm not fed by attention.
Speaker A:I'm fed by obedience.
Speaker A:I'm not fed by applause.
Speaker A:I'm energized by assignment.
Speaker A:And here's a line you need to write down.
Speaker A:If obedience doesn't feed you, you are starving in the wrong place.
Speaker A:Now let's go to Prosperity.
Speaker A:Because this series is not just about being busy for God.
Speaker A:This is about biblical prosperity.
Speaker A:Heaven backed provision for Kingdom assignment.
Speaker A:Here's the principle.
Speaker A:God funds what God orders.
Speaker A:If God assigned it, he is responsible for sustaining it.
Speaker A:Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Speaker A: Matthew: Speaker A:Notice it says added.
Speaker A:Added means you weren't chasing them.
Speaker A:Added means you weren't worshipping them.
Speaker A:Added means you weren't begging for them.
Speaker A:They found you because you were aligned.
Speaker A:Let me say it like this.
Speaker A:When you focus on the assignment, provision starts tracking you down.
Speaker A:Favor starts locating you.
Speaker A:Opportunities start recognizing you.
Speaker A:Because Heaven loves to sponsor obedience.
Speaker A:Now listen very carefully.
Speaker A:God does not reward hype.
Speaker A:He rewards faithfulness.
Speaker A:God does not finance ego.
Speaker A:He finances Assignment.
Speaker A:Some of you are praying.
Speaker A:Lord, bless me.
Speaker A:And heaven is asking, bless you for what?
Speaker A:Bless you to do what?
Speaker A:Bless you to build what?
Speaker A:Because if the blessing has no burden, it becomes a curse.
Speaker A:If increase has no instruction, it becomes destruction.
Speaker A:The Lord says in Deuteronomy 8:18.
Speaker A:Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:Because wealth is not just for comfort.
Speaker A:It's for calling.
Speaker A:It's for covenant.
Speaker A:It's for kingdom impact.
Speaker A:Can I tease you a little?
Speaker A:Here we go.
Speaker A:Some believers want money, but they don't want mandate.
Speaker A:They want overflow, but they don't want oversight.
Speaker A:They want harvest, but they don't want habits.
Speaker A:You can't keep praying for a financial breakthrough while your calendar is broken.
Speaker A:You can't be asking God for open doors when you won't even open your Bible.
Speaker A:You can't say, lord, expand me when you refuse to be disciplined.
Speaker A:Let's be honest.
Speaker A:Some people don't need deliverance.
Speaker A:They need a schedule.
Speaker A:They don't need oil, they need order.
Speaker A:Now let's talk about the hidden place.
Speaker A:Because this is where most people fall and fail.
Speaker A:Jesus said in Matthew 6, 4, speaking about giving and obedience, then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Speaker A:God sees in secret.
Speaker A:He tests in secret.
Speaker A:He trains in secret.
Speaker A:And God rewards openly.
Speaker A:And here is one of the most dangerous scriptures in the Bible for undisciplined Christians.
Speaker A: Luke: Speaker A:Let's translate that.
Speaker A:If you are careless with small money, you are not ready for big money.
Speaker A:If you are inconsistent with small assignments, you are not ready for big assignments.
Speaker A:If you can't steward the unseen, you can't handle the spotlight.
Speaker A:So God will often hide you.
Speaker A:Not to put punish you, but to prepare you.
Speaker A:Some of you are crying about being overlooked.
Speaker A:But you're in a training camp.
Speaker A:You're calling it rejection, but God is calling it protection.
Speaker A:Noah didn't train, he built.
Speaker A:Joseph didn't flex, he served.
Speaker A:David didn't chase crowns, he chased lions.
Speaker A:And then Goliath showed him.
Speaker A:And David already had receipts in secret.
Speaker A:That's why when the battle comes, when the public battle comes, you can't start practicing then.
Speaker A:The oil you want in public is produced in private.
Speaker A:Now I need to rebuke something in love.
Speaker A:Some of you have been playing with God.
Speaker A:You want God to bless what he didn't assign.
Speaker A:You want him to multiply what you won't manage.
Speaker A:You want him to endorse a lifestyle that's not surrendered.
Speaker A:Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, not everyone who says to me, lord, Lord shall enter, but he who does the will of my Father.
Speaker A:Doing.
Speaker A:Not saying, not posting, not quoting, just doing bluntly.
Speaker A:If your Christianity is strong on Sundays and weak on discipline, it's not faith, it's routine.
Speaker A:If your prayer life is only active when you want money, you don't want God, you want a sponsor.
Speaker A:So what do we do?
Speaker A:Three assignment moves this week.
Speaker A:Identify the assignment.
Speaker A:Write down what God has been consistently stirring.
Speaker A:Ministry, business, family, leadership, education, health and discipline.
Speaker A:If you keep hearing it, it's not random, it's a summons.
Speaker A:Two cut.
Speaker A:One.
Speaker A:Destruction.
Speaker A:One.
Speaker A:Not ten.
Speaker A:Just one.
Speaker A:A habit, an app, a relationship dynamic, a time waster because you can't keep feeding what's killing your focus.
Speaker A:And 3.
Speaker A:Do one obedient action in re secret.
Speaker A:An early morning prayer, a financial budget plan, a chapter read, a call to apologize, a plan written, a step taken.
Speaker A:And do it without announcement.
Speaker A:Because God rewards secret obedience.
Speaker A:Let me ask you some questions.
Speaker A:Don't rush past them.
Speaker A:One, where am I seeking recognition more than responsibility?
Speaker A:Two.
Speaker A:What have I delayed because it might not look impressive?
Speaker A:And three, if God removed public validation, would I still do this?
Speaker A:If those questions sting, good.
Speaker A:That's conviction, not condemnation.
Speaker A:I want you to hear me.
Speaker A:God is not trying to keep you small.
Speaker A:He's trying to keep you aligned.
Speaker A:Because when you get aligned, increase becomes safe.
Speaker A:And when increase is safe, heaven can release it without it ruining you.
Speaker A:And I'm declaring over you as you focus on the assignment, God will add what you couldn't chase.
Speaker A:God will accelerate what you couldn't force.
Speaker A:God will open doors you didn't campaign for.
Speaker A:Because obedience carries a fragrance and favor can smell it.
Speaker A:Let us pray.
Speaker A:Father, in Jesus name, I repent for destruction.
Speaker A:I repent for sin seeking people's approval.
Speaker A:I repent for performing when you called me to obey.
Speaker A:Give me a clean heart and a focused spirit.
Speaker A:Teach me to love the hidden place.
Speaker A:Teach me to be faithful with little.
Speaker A:As and as I seek first your kingdom.
Speaker A:Add what you promised to add.
Speaker A:Prosper the work of my hands for your glory.
Speaker A:Not for my ego, not for my image, but for your agenda.
Speaker A:I receive discipline.
Speaker A:I receive clarity.
Speaker A:I receive alignment.
Speaker A:In Jesus name.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Brothers and sisters, if this blessed you, share it with someone who's drift drifting.
Speaker A:And remember, God didn't call you to be impressive.
Speaker A:He called you to be effective.
Speaker A:Next message we're going to into assignments.
Speaker A:Come with training and testing.
Speaker A:Until then, stay focused, stay faithful, and finish what heaven sent you to do.
