TLDR;
This YouTube video by Yesenia Then focuses on how to handle pressure and trials by standing firm in faith and obedience to God's word. It emphasizes that trials are a sign of God's trust and preparation for a greater purpose. The sermon encourages listeners to maintain their faith, obey God's commands, and align their hearts with His will, even when facing difficulties and apparent losses.
- Stand firm on God's word, not on what you see.
- Pressure reveals your true self and tests your ability to sustain what God has given you.
- Obedience is more powerful than strategy.
- Align your heart with God's will, regardless of circumstances.
Introduction [0:00]
Yesenia Then introduces the theme of the sermon: how to handle pressure so it doesn't defeat you. She asserts that God allows you to go through challenges for which you are prepared, and these trials are meant to move you to a higher level of confidence in God's plan. The trials you face are based on lessons God has already taught you, designed to move you to a new level.
Pressure Reveals Your True Self [11:44]
Pressure reveals who you really are and what you are made of. Some people fall into crisis because they stop obeying God and start trying to survive on their own terms. It's important to continue obeying God's commands instead of seeking convenient shortcuts. God is watching to see if you will take the easy way out or remain faithful, which will bring reward. There is a difference between a gift, which is freely given, and a reward, which is earned by those who test God.
Saul's Test: Affirmation [15:13]
Saul had everything but failed when tested to be affirmed. The reason you are being tested is because God is not finished with you. The test is not for what you already have, but for what is coming. Just as a mother forgets the pain of childbirth when she holds her baby, you will forget the pain of your trials when you reach where God is leading you.
Buckle Up: God Is Going to Speak [18:32]
Yesenia encourages the congregation to prepare themselves because God is going to speak to them. She urges them to become the pressure of their pressure and to reclaim their role as warriors of God. Trust that even if God hasn't resolved your situation, He is taking care of you.
Stand on God's Word, Not Sight [19:19]
The first key to withstanding pressure is to stand on what God has said, not on what your eyes see. The enemy manipulates what you see to blur your feelings, weaken your faith, and distract your perception. One sign that God is about to fulfill His promise is when everything seems further away than ever. The enemy cannot steal your promise, but he can attack systems to weaken your faith. Even if things look upside down, continue to believe in what God has said.
The Story of Saul: Waiting for Samuel [23:48]
Saul waited seven days for Samuel, as instructed, but Samuel didn't arrive. This highlights the difficulty of waiting when facing pressure. The Israelites were at a disadvantage in war, with only 3,000 soldiers compared to the Philistines' 30,000. God sometimes shows off with the little you have to demonstrate who you believe in. Don't try to control everything; give God space to work miracles.
God's Challenge to Believe [27:21]
Sometimes God challenges you to walk without a floor, jump without a parachute, or swim when you don't know how. He lays the floor as you walk, throws the parachute after you jump, and enables you to walk on water. The arm of God has not been cut off, and the Spirit of the Lord will raise standards against the enemy. Don't fight with your own strength, but with the strength that the Lord gives you.
Don't Be Intimidated by Deadlines [31:11]
Pressure pushes you to react based on what you see, but faith teaches you to remain according to what God told you. When God speaks to you, your job is to believe, and His job is to make what He told you happen. Ensure you are where God wants you and doing what He told you to do, and you will see His sudden action come to your aid. Don't try to interpret God's word; the Spirit interprets it perfectly.
Don't Make Permanent Decisions Under Time Pressure [34:43]
The second key is not to make permanent decisions under time pressure. Saul felt pressured because people were beginning to leave him. In the midst of your trial, some people will leave you alone. Experiencing loss by obeying God is a level of trust He doesn't give to everyone. Don't pressure yourself due to apparent losses.
The Importance of God's Approval [39:36]
Saul wanted to avoid losing people but lost God's favor instead. What you do to maintain your image can cost you your allowance. In the same place where many thought you would die, God will lift you up. Don't move for fear of losing human approval. What God supports remains. Even Jesus lost people at times. The most powerful thing on earth is a person possessed by a divine purpose.
Obedience Over Strategy [44:47]
Understand that your obedience is more powerful than your strategy. When God has you waiting, many people will offer ideas, which may not be bad but are humanly driven. If God hasn't given you a new instruction, keep doing the last thing He told you. Double down on obedience, even when there are apparent shortcuts. The last thing God said to many is, "Keep believing."
The Consequences of Impatience [48:00]
Remember that what you do under pressure has consequences. Saul disobeyed God's clear order, thinking a quick sacrifice would work better than waiting. Heaven is impressed with radical obedience. There are people who are making God smile by continuing to obey Him despite their tears. A good intention out of season is disobedience in disguise. Don't improvise the spiritual; if God doesn't order it, don't execute it.
Pressure Tests Your Endurance [57:49]
Pressure tests you not just to see if you can endure, but to see if you can sustain what God has given you. It's one thing to receive something and another to keep it. The turbulence you experience is often when you are going up. If you maintain yourself, you will remain in the position God wants you to be in. What you can't resist under pressure, you can lose under judgment.
Keep Your Heart Aligned [1:01:04]
Keep your heart aligned in the face of circumstances, no matter how difficult they may be. God seeks people with a heart willing to believe in Him. Saul became internally misaligned, causing his external downfall. Protect your heart more than your strategy and never put your need before your obedience. The anointing flows where there is obedience, not anxiety. Pressure shows whether what you carry is yours or borrowed.
A Call to Faithfulness and Reconciliation [1:02:56]
God tests you to see if He can make a permanent covenant with you. Even if you have failed God, He extends His mercy and calls you to make a new covenant with Him. Abandon what is not pleasing to Him and come to terms. God is not looking for kings who justify themselves, but for children who remain faithful. Do not back down or give in to the pressure.
Testimony and Final Encouragement [1:05:32]
Yesenia shares a personal testimony about facing challenges in the church's expansion project. She emphasizes that what keeps her standing firm is knowing that their priority is to make God smile. She encourages listeners to continue believing in God, and He will bring back all those who have left, multiplied after your waiting. Do what God told you to do, not what is comfortable or what your human strategy suggests.
Altar Call and Prayer for Healing [1:09:44]
Yesenia extends an invitation for those who want to give their heart to Christ or be reconciled with the Lord. She leads a prayer for those surrendering their lives to Jesus and then prays for healing, believing that there will be miracles in the house. She cancels every attack of the devil and declares healing, strength, and victory in the name of Jesus.