If you don’t have a Bible tonight, please get next to someone that has a Bible. Hallelujah, Jesus. Please share your Word tonight. Amen. Praise the Lord. Praise God.

In Judges chapter thirteen, we’re going to read verses one through verse five, and then we’re going to read verse twenty four. Amen?

1. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2. And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

3. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

4. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

5. For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Look at verse twenty-four.

24. And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are and for what You do. Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. And Father, as I decrease I ask that You would increase. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord my strength and my Redeemer. And I thank You for anointing me to preach the Gospel. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

You may be seated in the house of God.

It is a sad thing to be remembered for what one may have been. When we look at history, we see that there are many people that could have been certain things. But it’s a sad thing that they never reached their full potential.

When we look at Samson, he had tremendous potential. And when we look at that word “potential,” it means that which can be but is not yet. When we look at the body of Christ, I look around the body and I see much potential. I see that which can be but is not yet.

But when God calls you to do a thing, and when God anoints you to do a thing, all I have to do is make sure my life lines up line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. And God will make sure what He has purposed for my life will surely come to pass.

When we look at Samson, there was much possibility about him. When we look at each other, there’s much possibility about us. None of us have arrived yet. We’re just like Paul when he said, “I have not yet attained, but I am pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

We all have potential. And the thing we want to do is reach that full potential. I don’t know about you, but I plan on reaching my purpose. I don’t know about you, but I plan on finishing my course with God. I’m going to get in position to make sure I line up with what God has for my life.

When we look at that word “potential,” it also means power or skill that can be developed. You see, God puts us into the body of Christ. And He gives us skill. And he gives us power. But those things have to be developed.

You see, it’s a process. Isn’t it? And I have got to make sure that I get into the process, and not only get into the process, but understand the process. The Bible tells me with all of my getting I need to get understanding. The reason we begin to get out of line is we don’t understand the process. There’s a process that we must go through.

You see, many times we just want to jump into a thing and forget about the process. Let me tell you something. If you jump straight into it, you’re setting yourself up for destruction. You’re setting yourself up for failure.

When we look at Samson, he was a man of great potential. But most people can only remember his failures. He was born with more credentials than a lot of us will never have. God gave him great physical strength. But let me tell you something.

Even if you have great physical strength, but you have great physical weaknesses, one can make void the other. I’ve got to learn how to get my weaknesses under subjection to the Word of God. I got to make sure that I am holy, because He is holy. I got to make sure that Im righteous because He is righteous.

He had much potential. He had much potential. Just like many of us have much potential. But we don’t spend enough time in the process. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight? We want it right now.

You see, I preached on that. We are set up. And we are destined for greatness. That greatness is the potential that you have. But let me tell you something. You may not reach your full potential. Let me say that again. You have potential, but it’s up to you and I whether we reach our full potential.

He started out with more credentials than most of us could ever had. He was born as a result of God’s plan in the lives of Manoah and his wife. Samson was set up for a great work for God. He was supposed to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. That’s what the Angel of the Lord came and told his parents.

But what about all that time in between? You see, between that time when he was going to fulfill his purpose, there was life in between that time. But what did he do with that life?

You see, before you get to your true purpose and destination, there is life in between that. What are you going to do with that life? The Bible said that he married a woman from the Philistines. That was alright, because God set him up to do that.

But then in between that time the Bible said that he was a jokester. He spent his time in folly. He spent his time in foolishness. The Bible said that he was also a man of fighting. He spent his time fighting, showing off his great strength.

Just like many of us. We may be anointed. But instead of doing the real work, we spend too much time trying to show off our anointing. Oh, my God, my God. Who am I preaching to in this house?

He spent his time in foolishness. He didn’t number his days. You see, that’s why when we ran across the prostitute Delilah, he wasn’t ready for her. Do you hear what I’m saying? He could have saved the nation Israel. He could have done that. He could have been a man of valor, a man of war. He could have done that. But he let his gift mess him up.

You see, many of us are gifted. And the Bible says that our gift is going to make room for us and bring us before great men. But let me tell you something. I can mess up my gift with my flesh. Do you hear what I’m saying? Alright, girl.

See, you are gifted in a certain area. I don’t care what anybody says. You got something special about you. But it’s up to you for that gift to develop. Do you hear what I’m saying?

You may be... You may have a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom. But it’s up to you whether that gift is developed or not. You may have great discernment about you. But it’s up to you whether or not that gift is developed.

The more I submit myself to God, and the more I surrender to God, the more these gifts are going to be in operation.

Samson had a gift of great physical strength. But he spent his life in foolishness.

God has called you with a great anointing. But many of us are spending our time unwisely. Let me put it like that. We’re spending our time in gossip. We’re spending our time in fornication. We’re spending our time in the things of this world, instead of making sure that the Kingdom of God is built. Do you hear what I’m saying?

Let me tell you something. God will fulfill His destiny in you one way or the other. But what are you going to do in the mean time?

He was in foolishness, because he could not control his flesh. You see, if you don’t control your flesh, like Pastor Adrienne said, it’s going to create a mess. See, you may lay hands on folks, but your hands will be dirty. See, you may prophesy to folks. Right? But it’s mixed with dirt in it. Do you hear what I’m saying?

He allowed his flesh to dictate his life. We play, too many times, with the Anointing. See, he had great physical strength. But you got great spiritual strength.

He told the disciples, Jesus did, that, “I give you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions.” In other words he was telling them that, “I give you Holy Ghost power.”

You see, if you got the Holy Ghost, you got power. But what are you doing with that power? What have you done for Him lately? How is that power being used? How is it being used? Ask yourself that question.

We want the Anointing. But why do we want the Anointing? Why do we want it? Why do we want to be anointed? Just for the sake of being anointed? Or do we want to do great exploits, not for self, but for the Kingdom of God?

Why do you want to be anointed? Why do you want to do the work of the ministry? I feel the Presence of God in this house. Why do you want to do the work of the ministry? You don’t want men to know your name, do you? Or do you want men to know His Name.

David said, “I don’t come to you in my own name. But I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts.”

You see, when you really come in His Name, every devil in hell are going to have to bow their knee. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight?

Samson had a great gift from God. But he used it for his own personal pleasure.

What kind of gift to you have? (Tongues.) What kind of gift do you have? Do you have an administrative gift? Because that can be a gift too, can’t it? Will you use it so men can know your name? Do you have a gift to minister? Will you use it that men might know your name? Do you have a gift of song? Will you use it that men might know your name? Or are you going to use it to build the Kingdom of God?

He wasted his life with foolishness. We look at his failures. Remember... We remember him as a judge in Israel who spent his last days grinding grain in an enemy prison. And we say to ourselves, “What a wasted potential.” All that power in the enemy’s prison. What a wasted potential.

Many of us, we love the things of this world. And we lay waste all of that potential in the enemy’s camp. Because with all the power we got he’s holding us captive, just like Samson. He’s blinded our eyes, so that we cannot see.

Samson had to learn the hard way. How will we learn tonight? You know, we don’t have to take that road that Samson took. Do you hear what I’m saying? We can yield ourselves to the Lord right now. We can yield our will and our way to the Lord right now. We don’t have to pretend like we’re doing it. We can do it for real.

All of that potential was wasted. He wasted his life. He could have returned the people to worshiping God. But he didn’t do that. He was caught up in foolishness. What are you doing with your power? He could have wiped out the Philistines if He wanted to. But he was wasting his power.

Samson. Samson. Oh, Samson. How many Samsons do we have in here tonight? God has anointed you with such a great Anointing? Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost of God all over me. What about the process? What about the process? What about the process?

In the end he recognized his dependance upon God. And he began to call on the Name of the Lord. But he waited until folks looked at him and said, “What a waste of potential.”

Don’t let us do that. Let us reach our full potential. Let us reach it.

At the end God turned his defeat into victory. But we can have the victory right now. Right now.

Don’t spend your time worrying about anybody else. Do you hear what I’m saying? Don’t spend your time in gossip. Don’t spend your time with riotous living. But cause your life to line up. Cause it to line up now. Get your heart right now. Get your mind together now. Oh, I feel Jesus.

Get it together right now. Don’t wait until the end of your days to try to get it together, with all that power in you. Don’t wait until the end to call on the Name of the Lord. Call on the Name of the Lord now while you’re still in your youth. Call on the Name of the Lord.

Let me tell you something. He waited until his life was wreck. Don’t wait until your life is a wreck. And then when He fixes your life, if it’s a wreck and He fixes it, don’t go back again. It’s so easy to go back to bad habits, to old ways. Oh, I feel Jesus all over me. (Tongues.) It’s so easy to do it.

God’s Presence (let me tell you) will not override a person’s will all the time. One person that I saw that He did that with was Paul, when He knocked him down on the road to Damascus. And He really didn’t do it then. He just knocked him down. He said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?”

He said, “Who art thou, Lord?”

He’ll put something in your way to make you ask who is He. And still give you a choice in the midst of that.

Samson was a great man of God. And it talks about him in the book of Hebrews as one of the great patriarchs. But what did he do in between? He got it right at the end.

But how many of you know the end might not be promised to us? I need to get it right right now. I need to get my attitude straight right now. (Tongues.) I need to walk by faith and not by sight. And I need to believe God and trust and depend on Him.

In the midst of my battle God will come through. He promised that He would. He said, “Call upon Me, and I’ll answer thee.” He said, “Call upon Me, and I’ll answer thee.” He didn’t say, “I might answer you.” I said, “I will answer thee. And show you great and mighty things that you don’t know about.” He’s going to show you mysteries, things that are brand new to you and I. That’s what He’s going to show us.

Remember Samson. Remember how he got it right at the end. But remember how he let that gift almost destroy him. (Tongues.) You better use that gift to His glory and for His glory all the days of your life. And God will honor you because you honor him. Reach the fullness of your potential

Come on, give God a handclap of praise.