Dharius Daniels - I'm Not The Same

I want to read a verse in the Book of Judges, chapter 8, verse 22, which will serve as a launching pad for our lesson today. To me, it is one of my favorite Old Testament stories, and I believe there is value for us in it today. Judges 8:22 says, «The Israelites said to Gideon, 'Rule over us, you, your son, and your grandson, because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.'» I want to talk from the subject as we conclude our two-part series called «Multiply.» This is your testimony: here it is, «I’m not the same.» Clap your hands if you receive that declaration—"I’m not the same.»

Family, this brief portion of the passage I just read about a gentleman named Gideon, in my estimation, is a prophetic picture of what many, if not most, of us are believing for in 2023. What we see in this passage from Judges 8 is what we call in the coaching and personal development space a Quantum Leap. The term Quantum Leap is borrowed from quantum physics, where it describes how a particle of matter leaps—somebody say leaps—from one space to another. It is a picture of possibility not only for matter but also for you and me. It indicates an alternative way for God to move you forward.

In other words, most of us are accustomed to taking steps, but I want to tell you that God can orchestrate leaps. I’m going to say that one more time: change, family. I said most of us are accustomed to simply taking steps, and there’s nothing wrong with steps. However, I came to tell you that God is not only the God who will order your steps; He will also orchestrate and empower your leaps. Let me speak this into somebody’s life right now: I know this is not technically a leap year, but it can be prophetically a leap year if this is the year you say, «I’m going to stop stepping, and I’m getting ready to take some leaps.» I just want to know whom I’m preaching to today in the room. Don’t lie—is there anybody already declaring, «This is my Leap Year»? I have too much ground to cover to step; I have to LEAP! I’ve got too much time to make up; I can’t step—I have to LEAP! I have too many mistakes to recover from; I can’t step—I have to LEAP! Is there anybody admitting, «This is my Leap Year»? He makes my feet like the feet of deer; they don’t step—they leap! Did you hear what I just said? I’m not in a season of steps; I’m in a season of leaps.

This is important, guys; this is so important. Your destiny requires disassociation. How far you go is determined by who you are not willing to listen to. This idea now of multiplication and quantum leaps means that you have to reject the normal notion—the social norm—that progress can only happen incrementally. You can’t live like no one else if you want to live like no one else. Many people desire to live like no one else while simultaneously conforming to everyone else. I just spent five weeks telling you that being average is not an option for a believer; being normal is not a word that describes you, and you shouldn’t desire normal because normal is dysfunctional.

Yet when you’ve been associated with and exposed to dysfunction for so long—when the majority of the population is dysfunctional—dysfunction may start to seem functional. So when you begin disassociating yourself from what the majority is doing, they are so functional in their dysfunction that when you break free, they see you as dysfunctional. You can call me whatever you want, but by the time 2023 is over, you will have to call me blessed. Whatever you call me, make sure you add «blessed» to it. You can call me a hater, but put «blessed» on it. I need someone in the room to just air-five someone and say, «Blessed!» Tell them to run and say that since they have so much to say and write about—I’m blessed!

We must reject the notion that all improvement can only be incremental. Just because it’s normal doesn’t make it true. I don’t want a normal anything. I don’t want a normal mind because most people stress; I don’t want a normal relationship because most people merely tolerate each other. I don’t want normal resources because most people are barely making it. I don’t want a normal church; I don’t want normal. I had a gentleman I met last night who asked me, «Pastor, how did you just get here? You’ve only been here seven weeks.» I wish I had an answer for him, but I gained some insight this morning. How did you do this? It’s not because I’m so good; you know where I’m going. Seventeen years ago, God gave me something in New Jersey, and we flipped it. We started with one location in one city, but that was normal, and I wasn’t created for normal. I said, «God, don’t just give us a city—that’s normal. Give us a coast! Let’s take the Northeast and the Southeast!» And when God opens the door…