Michael Todd - Winning In Weakness
I went to Ephesians 6, and I want you to go there right now because Ephesians 6:10 is basically the anchor scripture for this entire series. When I went away to ask God what the word for the year is, He told me «stronger.» He led me to all these scriptures in the Bible that talk about being stronger, and this is the one He kept replaying in my head and in my heart. This is going to be an anchor for us all of 2023, so you’re going to hear this scripture in every series, regardless of whether we’re talking about relationships, finances, spiritual warfare, or whatever topic we discuss. You’re going to hear this scripture.
Look at what it says: Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10. It says, «A final word: Be strong.» Now I want you to see that this is the final thing Paul is saying here, and it’s such a declarative statement. He says, «Help me be what? Strong.» But then it tells us that our strength is not found in what we can do on our own; it tells us where to place our hope or security for our strength. What does it say? «Be strong in the Lord!» Oh snap! That means I can’t be strong in my business plan alone. That means I can’t be strong in my education alone. That means I can’t be strong in my know-how or my abilities alone. It says, «Be strong in the Lord,» and then watch, «and in His mighty power.» So, put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies of the devil. There is opposition coming, but God is saying, «Be strong in Him, and you’ll be able to withstand everything that comes your way.» Everybody shout at me, «Be strong!»
Now, when I kept reading that and going over it in my mind and in my heart—"Be strong, be strong, be strong, be strong"—it hit me. God was not asking any of us to act strong; He wanted us to be strong. The crazy thing about our generation and the place we live in today is that most people confuse acting strong with being strong. We can post a picture and act like our marriage is strong, but in that moment, you’re sitting in the bed with your husband or wife posting a throwback Thursday while you haven’t talked all day. So, you’re acting strong, but you’re not actually being strong.
Okay, let me take the glasses off. What we can do is post our little Bible scripture reading plan, but we didn’t actually read it. You don’t even know what you posted for everybody else to see; you don’t even know what it says. We would rather act strong than be strong. We spend all of this time getting money so that we can take our children on a vacation they don’t even want to go on, just so we can pose in front of a castle with Mickey Mouse. We paint this picture of a family that is acting strong, but when your child is in need, you don’t pray for them. When they actually need guidance, you don’t have time for that. You’d rather punish your kid than discipline them.
Let me explain the difference: punishment has emotion involved. «Don’t you embarrass me like that in front of others! Don’t you do this!» Discipline, however, actually takes time to sit with the person and explain things to them. Now, I know I’m in some of y’all’s business right now, but you’d rather act strong than be strong. So, I said, «God, okay, how are we going to break this down?» He said, «Michael, if My people are going to get stronger, they’re going to have to stop acting strong. They have to actually be strong.»
You know when somebody is something there’s an authenticity that comes along with it. If someone was like, «Mike’s Black,» I don’t have to act Black; I just am who I am. Do you understand what I’m saying? There’s authenticity to who I am and how I look, and I don’t have to try to do anything because I am being.
Most of us have been caught up in doing. God called us human beings, not human doings or human actors. What I’m trying to convey to you is that if we’re going to be strong, it’s not going to come from what we are doing; it’s not going to come from how we are acting; it’s going to have to come from our being. So, okay, Pastor Mike, help me. How do I get strong in whatever area I’m in in my life?
I think we have to start this whole stronger series by talking about weakness. I would want to pump everybody up this first week, like, «You’re getting stronger; everything’s getting stronger; your marriage is going to be stronger!» But I found that the only way we can get stronger is by acknowledging where we are weak. I know some of y’all didn’t come for this because some of you just came to check this off your box, but there’s no way we can get stronger if you don’t admit you’re weak in an area. Some of you are so prideful that you’ve been dealing with an area of your life, a weakness, for decades.
If anyone even gets close to that area, you shut down; you walk away; you run away. But the only way you can get stronger is if you allow God to sit in your weakness. Uh-huh, all right, I know I’m in the right building today! It says, «Be strong.» The funny thing about this scripture is that revelation comes when you read between the words in the Bible. Revelation is revealed truth. You’ve seen me do this, but I do it all the time to help you. Revelation is there, but there’s a cover over it. So, when you read the Bible, you read it with the cover on it.
What I encourage everybody to do, even during this 21-day prayer fast, is to ask God, «Lord, reveal truth to me—not just in the words I’m reading but between the words.» Pull something back that’s there already, but I need you to reveal it to me. When I was reading this scripture, I found some revealed truth.
Look at what it says in Ephesians 6:10: «Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on…» another translation says «the full armor of God.» Now, I’m beginning to think about it. He says, «Be strong,» but then He tells you to put on armor. «Be strong, but put on your armor.»
Now, don’t just walk out there saying, «Be strong,» but don’t forget your armor! I’m picturing in my mind some rock-type Dwayne Johnson person stepping out—if you think of someone strong like The Rock, he has muscles in his veins and stuff like that. I’m thinking, «Spiritually, I’m looking like The Rock.» But then God says, «But still, put on your armor.»
Why? Because no matter how strong you are, you still have a weakness. The only reason someone puts on armor is to cover weaknesses. That’s why if you ever see anybody back in the day, they had a breastplate to guard all of the major internal organs. No matter how strong you present yourself to be, there is always still a weak area in your life.
What are you trying to say, Pastor? I don’t care how much money you’ve made; I do not care how great your family looks; I do not care what you’ve overcome to this point—if you are alive and a human being, you still have a weakness. This message today is for everybody because some of your weaknesses are more detectable than others. Some of us have a substance abuse problem; that’s a weakness for us that everybody can smell and see in our actions.
But do you know pride is just as intoxicating? Did you know greed and gluttony are just as harmful? But I can’t see that weakness in everybody I come in contact with. It’s funny how Christians, believers, and people are very quick to point out weaknesses that are visible, but many times, we don’t acknowledge the weaknesses in ourselves that nobody can see.
So today, I want to teach you something because this revelation that I got out of the scripture is that you have to go to war even with your weaknesses. How many people in this room have a weakness? Now that I’ve said it, and if you don’t raise your hand, you’re a liar in the house of God. You’re a big, fat liar!
The crazy thing about our weaknesses is that usually, when we have a weakness, we want to rest. Like, I did because I had that holiday feeling. I wanted to just rest today. I was like, «Lord, just put a video on.» But He said, «Mike, I’m going to make you a living example today. I need you to get ready to go to war with your weakness.»
The problem is that most of us have been taught all of our lives that our weaknesses are why we cannot do something. But when I read this scripture, I’m finding out that He says, «Be strong! I want you to be strong!» But every warrior is going to have to get up and fight something with armor on, because you’ll be weak going to war.
I think about single mothers. If you focus too much on what you don’t have, you won’t get up to be the mother that you could be. You’ve got to get up every morning! Shout out to all the single mothers that get up and go to war with their weaknesses!
I think about all of the people in here who have come from financially hard times where you didn’t have anything given to you. You look at your disadvantages, and God is still requiring of you what you’re not even prepared to do. It’s like, «I need you to go to war with your weaknesses.»
If we went down the road and had a real honest conversation, all of us have a weakness that we don’t like to talk about. God’s not saying, «Sit on the sidelines for this next year.» He’s like, «Yeah, I knew you were addicted to that when I called you.» We’ve got to go to war with our weaknesses!
Oh yeah, you’ve got issues from being bullied all your life. Yeah, I know; I know you’re insecure about that. I know you’re insecure about not knowing who your father is. But no, no, you can still come to war with your weaknesses! Oh, you thought I wasn’t going to lose you because they broke you down in relationships? Oh, you thought no, no, no! I factor in your weaknesses, and we have to go to war!
Somebody shout, «We’ve got to go to war with the weakness!» Tell your neighbor—they didn’t believe you—"We’ve got to go to war with the weakness.» This is about to set somebody free because someone has been sitting on the sidelines of life, looking at everything that hasn’t happened, everything that you were never picked for, everything that seemed to pass you over. God says, «Here it is; your time has come. We’re going to war with the weakness.»
So, the title of my message today is «Winning in Weakness.» I believe 2023 is going to be the year that we will still be winning even with our weaknesses! Somebody needs to believe that right now. I don’t know who you are or what you came in here with, but this year we’re going to win in weakness!
I feel this thing! I want to look today at a story of a young man whose weakness people tried to define him by. I want you to see how what seemed to be weak in one season was really the reason why he started winning in another season.
In 2 Samuel chapter 9, verse 1, it says, «One day, David asked, 'Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive, anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake? '» He summoned a man named Ziba who had been one of Saul’s servants. «Are you Ziba?» the king asked. «Yes, sir, I’m at your service,» he replied. Then the king asked him, «Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.»
Ziba replied, «Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive, but he’s crippled in both feet.» He has a weakness; he’s lame. «Where is he?» the king asked. «He’s in Lo-debar,» the place that literally means a place with no communication, a place with no word. A place where there has been no word that has come forth.
Ziba told him it was at the home of Maker, son of Ammiel. So David sent for him at once and brought him from Maker’s home. His name was Mephibosheth. He was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, «Greetings, Mephibosheth!» And Mephibosheth said, «Oh, I’m your servant.»
«Oh, I don’t want none, just your hands. Whatever you want to do, I’m here for you.» David said, «Don’t be afraid. I intend to show you kindness because of the promise I made to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat with me at the king’s table.»
Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, «What the heck is happening?» (That’s not in the Bible, but that’s how I feel.) He fell. «Who is your servant that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?» You should show such kindness. Look at how he looked at himself. Who am I that you would show such kindness to a dead dog like me? Then the king summoned all his servants, Simba, and said, «I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household, but Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.»
Verse 11: Ziba replied, «Yes, Lord, my king, I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded me.» From that time on, Mephibosheth regularly ate at David’s table like one of the king’s own sons. Mephibosheth had a young son named Micah. From then on, all the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. So he gained built-in servants that were generational. Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table. Now, I looked at this story, and I want everybody to see what happened to Mephibosheth.
Let’s run the story back. Saul was the king, and Jonathan was Saul’s son. They died on the same day. Jonathan’s son, now Mephibosheth, was in a position where his grandfather and his father left him uncovered. Word came back that both of them were dead, and then the people who were supposed to take care of this young king—that’s who he was—did something that produced weakness in his life. Let’s look at it. Back up; I’m giving you a lot of scriptural context so you can see this.
2 Samuel chapter 4, verse 4, says, «Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was not born that way; he was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled, but as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.»
What happens when the weakness you’re experiencing right now is not warranted? What if the weakness in communication that you have with your husband and wife, or the communication you’re having with your boss and co-worker, or the perverted images you are seeing right now were not your fault, but something that happened to you? The thing you have to understand about weakness is that it is all around us in different areas, but many times, the people who are supposed to care for us contribute to why we’re weak in an area right now. What if your problem with finances is not because of how you want to handle them, but because of how you saw your family handle finances all your life?
What if the perverted images in your head were introduced to you at a family member’s house when you just went to use the restroom, and you found Playboys? The thing you have to understand is that I’m trying to take away people’s excuses right now, because many of us have valid reasons for feeling weak in an area. Just because it’s valid, it can no longer be your excuse. I must say this again: just because it’s valid and you didn’t want it, Mephibosheth didn’t want to be crippled. At five years old, he was running around the palace, not knowing what was happening, when word came back that his daddy and grandfather were dead. Back then, when the king died, people came in to pillage the whole kingdom.
So the act of trying to protect Mephibosheth was what ultimately crippled him. They were trying to keep him from being killed and hurt, and when somebody made a misstep and dropped him—just like how some of your basketball coaches spoke a word over you saying you’d never be able to play like them—that word crippled you. That teacher who told you you were dumb and wouldn’t ever be able to succeed crippled you to the point where you are now 48 years old and still feel like you don’t have the capacity to do what God called you to do.
A brother, sister, or cousin said, «Look at your face, look at those lips, this and that,» and somebody who was supposed to protect you and love you tripped at that moment, and you fell, leaving you weak. The weakness was not warranted; it wasn’t wanted, but it’s real. What I came to do at the beginning of this message is to tell you that if you’re going to win in weakness, you have to know that your weakness is real. Some of us are in this room acting like we are strong, but you are acting—that’s exactly what you’re doing.
There is an area where the reason you are so successful in business is because you had to eat commodity cheese your whole life, and you made a decision that you’d never allow that to happen again. You built up this whole thing and created so much, but now God is asking you to put that business aside and serve him. You can’t even obey the God who formed all your days because you’ve built this strength to show everybody, which is fueled by a weakness of not being able to trust anyone because your parents, who you should have trusted, mishandled their finances, and that caused you embarrassment as you stood in a commodity line getting milk, cheese, and basic necessities while seeing wealth all around you.
Now, you’re embarrassed. You’ve built up this world where you provide for yourself, and no one else has a say in who you’re going to be and what you’re going to do—not even the God who created you. I just went on a rant, and you can plug and play your own situation, but if you don’t admit that your weakness is real, you can never become strong in that area. Do you see how quiet it is in here? Everyone wants to be strong; no one wants to admit weakness. Everyone wants to be buff, but no one wants to be weak. Mephibosheth had no choice. From that moment on when he was dropped, he found himself in a space where he was hiding for the rest of his life. This is the crazy thing about this story: I could go into so much depth about Mephibosheth’s life, but the Bible tells us a couple of things.
He ends up in Lo Debar, which literally means the place where there is no word—the place where there’s no communication. He was royalty, and now, because of shame—Mephibosheth literally means «breathing shame"—because of the shame he experienced from his weakness, he now goes to a place of shame. The same way you are weak in an area, you don’t want God to speak a word in that area: «I was molested when I was young, don’t talk about that,» or «I had plastic surgery to make myself feel better, don’t talk about that,» or «I really tried to fit in with this crowd, so I slept with a couple people that I shouldn’t have; I don’t want to talk about that.»
We get into shame to the point that we don’t want any word about what’s happening, and we start insulating ourselves and backing away. When God really wants you, you say, «You can use all of me except that. You can have my whole life except don’t talk about when I was promiscuous.» You feel me? Like, I left bad in Spring Break '94 in Atlanta, and I don’t remember six of the 12 days! If you’re saying, «God, you’re going to use all of me,» he’s got to use the weakness too. I don’t know who I’m talking to in this place, but you have been trying to protect your weakness and God is trying to use it. What I want you to know is what King David understood.
Let’s look at point number two: His weakness is allowed. Some of you need to hear this because when King David was looking for someone to bless, he didn’t put stipulations on who he would bless. The people who knew Mephibosheth tried to create stipulations about who the king would bless. Let me prove it to you. 2 Samuel chapter 9, verse 3: «Then the king asked, 'Is there anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to him.' Ziba the servant replied, 'Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive, but he is crippled.'» That was unnecessary! They asked if he was alive, not what his weakness was. Many times, when we come up in people’s conversations, they want to define us by our weakness. They want to define us by a season of our life. They want to define us by a moment instead of just saying we are who we are.
Here is his first introduction to the king: «Yes, Mephibosheth, but he is crippled.» «Yes, Sally, but she’s a gossip,» «Yes, Joe, but he’s not that smart.» What happens when God wants to bless you and you have an obvious weakness? Nothing, because the king didn’t care that he had a weakness. I’m trying to set somebody free who’s claiming to be stronger this year. If you keep focusing on your weakness, you will talk yourself out of what God has picked you for. No, you don’t hear me. He picked you for it; he called you for it! Well, I don’t have this and I don’t have that. He literally said, «Go get him at once.»
The thing that excites me is when others try to disqualify you, it becomes one of those situations where God says, «Yeah, that just makes the story better; that’s just going to give me more glory at the end of this situation. Oh yeah, they used to be a liar. Oh yeah, they used to do this. Oh yeah, they’re coming from their second marriage.» I can use all of that. Weakness is allowed! That’s the mic! Why did you make that one of the points? Because somewhere in this culture, especially for men, there’s been this whole masculine, macho thing. It’s like, «Don’t let them see you cry.» Why not?
Okay, can I be honest? All the men in the room, how many of you have heard or experienced or even feel that there is something that has been cast over you about having to have a macho approach to everything you do? Come on, hands in the room! Do you all know that is the exact opposite of what our Savior did? That is the antithesis of what Jesus modeled for us on Earth. Jesus wept; he was moved by compassion. Think about it: he wasn’t weak because he took 39 lashes! Don’t play with my Savior. He could sit in a room with people who would betray him and still be meek. You want to talk about real strength? It’s power under control. He gave Judas a job when he knew he was going to betray him! You can’t stand someone saying anything about you in your comments? You want to talk about okay? What I’m saying to you is that even with weakness, God is saying, «I need that. I need you.»
I know it’s hard to provide for your whole family. That’s why that burden you’re feeling—you’re not supposed to carry it alone. That’s why I asked you to come on. Honestly, we don’t express it like that, but that’s how we feel on the inside. But God says, «When you cut me into the deal and you honor me with ten percent at the beginning—not at the end, but at the beginning—then we become partners. If you care about your family, I care about your family. And guess what? I own everything! When you partner with me, I’ll rebuke the devourer for your sake. I’ll open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that you won’t have room enough to receive.» But God is asking for you to be dependent on him.
That means you’re going to have to expose some of your weakness. This is something I’m learning. I don’t know; for my whole life, I didn’t intend to build up this facade of strength, but God has a way of breaking you down. He sent me two daughters, and I don’t know how else to describe it, but I became softer when Isabella and Ava came into my life. They would say, «Daddy, will you put on makeup with me?» No! And then there I was, sitting there with a full face, wondering how this happened! My daughter came up to me the other day and said, «Come here, Daddy!» I said, «What?» She said, «Give me your forehead.» I said, «Okay.» And she kissed me on my forehead before I went to work and said, «You’re valuable.»
What has happened is through the gift of my daughters, God has been showing me, «Michael, your real strength is in your weakness.» In my prayer time, he keeps telling me, «Your weakness is allowed here. You cannot have it together here. I’m going to keep you; I’m going to protect you.» And I want you to know that for everybody who goes to Transformation Church and is a part of Transformation Nation, your weakness is allowed here. The thing that you need to understand is that there are too many people who stay away from this place because they’re trying to protect their weakness, but your weakness is allowed here. You are not alone to pills, you’re allowed here, just still struggling with fornication. You’re allowed here; you still have pride. Y’all need to get to a place of agreeing with this: if you’re still struggling, you’re allowed here. Your weakness is allowed.
If somebody could give God praise right there, why is that so important? Because you can’t become stronger in something you do not admit is your weakness. If you don’t think your weakness is allowed, you’ll never progress. So, your weakness is allowed here, and the thing I love about this story is that even though Simba tried to define Mephibosheth by his crippledness, the king has the authority to do what’s not normally allowed. So, Ziba was like, «Yeah, but he’s crippled; he’s not allowed here.» But the king ordered him to be brought at once, overriding whatever Ziba thought. It makes me think: when he said he sent for him at once, was the king attracted to his weakness? Was it something that when he heard «Oh, he’s crippled,» he thought, «Oh, this is going to make this even better?» Now that his weakness is exposed, I can really take him from a place where he thought this would never happen for him. It would be an amazing showing of my power.
The thing about God is that when He sees your weakness, I believe He’s attracted to it. As a matter of fact, make this a point: weakness is attractive. When God looks at your deficiencies, when God looks at the things you’re willing to show Him, when you’re not trying to put on an act of strength but being strong is admitting where you’re weak. God says, «Oh, I’m attracted to that. Oh, I can do something with that.»
Can I prove it to you? This concept of God being attracted to your weakness—Abraham was old, Elijah was suicidal, Joseph was abusive, Job went bankrupt, Moses had a speech impediment, Gideon was afraid, Samson was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, the Samaritan woman was divorced, Noah was a drunk, Jeremiah was young, Jacob was a cheater, David was a murderer, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Peter denied Christ three times, Martha worried about everything, Zacchaeus was short and money-hungry, the disciples fell asleep while praying with Jesus, Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians before becoming one, and Michael was addicted to pornography, a liar, and a manipulator.
God is attracted to your weakness. If anybody knows that you can still win with weakness, you might as well give God praise right now. You acted like you forgot who you were, but the grace of God covers you. Somebody give God praise! It seems like God is attracted to people who have weaknesses in their lives, so maybe you should stop trying to cover them up and offer them up. I don’t want nobody to know I’m still on those sites at night; I don’t want anyone to know I’m tired of gambling, but I’m still playing the lotto, just in case God doesn’t provide. I believe He’s Jehovah Jireh in some way.
And if we say stuff like, «Lord, if I win, I promise I’ll give you a tenth; I’ll give all to you. Lord, I promise I’ll be a blessing,» He doesn’t care about you winning the lotto. He cares about who you trust. I know I’m in people’s business right now, but if my worry, my fear, and my shortcomings are attractive to God, I honestly think it’s a step up from weaknesses being attractive. I think weakness is an advantage.
Like, I honestly believe that Mephibosheth’s weakness became his advantage. I want you to get the picture of this: Mephibosheth is in a place where there hasn’t been any word since he was five years old. The Bible doesn’t tell us how old he is right now, but it implies that he’s a young man. These guards show up and say, «Y’all know where Mephibosheth is?» «Where’s Mephibosheth?» That’s a horrible name, by the way; they could have given him something else. But don’t name your kid Mephibosheth. He’s probably in the place where he always was, lying in his weakness, content in his weakness. See, I don’t want you to get this twisted. I’m not saying you need to stay where you’ve been. I’m not saying it’s like, «I’m weak; I struggle in this area; I’m going to get lit up every Friday night because I’m tired of life like this.» What I am saying is if that’s the only way you feel you can find peace, and you’ve tried everything else, you’ve become content in your weakness.
This is where the grace of God comes in. David’s word says, «Go get him from Lo-debar. Go get him in there.» «Where’s Mephibosheth?» And probably some of his friends were like, «Oh, bro, you gotta hide because the King has sent his boys to come find you, and they look serious. It was nice knowing you.» Well, «I’m just gonna lie low because it would take up my whole arm.» R.I.P. to those who said, «Okay.» They sent for him, and the guards came up to him and said, «Are you Mephibosheth?» They said, «Alright, the king wants to see you.»
«I don’t want to go.»
«I said the king wants to see you.»
«Do I have to get out of the comfort of my dysfunction? It’s almost better for me to stay in the known than to trust God in the unknown! The king is sending for me? He told me he wants me, even with my weakness. But I’d rather stay here.»
«No, no, you gotta come.»
And probably the journey to the palace was one of those things where he was like, «I don’t actually know why all this happened to me. If my dad was still here, if my grandfather was still here, if I would’ve gotten accepted to that school, maybe I wouldn’t be going through this.» But he gets in front of the king the same way that I believe God is calling many of us to get in front of the king.
And look what the king does when he gets in front of him. Keep out now! I don’t know how he actually bowed. Y’all don’t read the Bible I read. It literally says when he came into the presence of the king, he bowed. Now, I’m gonna help you: some of us would be embarrassed to come to the king and bow. «Wow, weak! I don’t know how I’m getting up from this place because sometimes when you give it all to God, you don’t know what’s going to happen after. I don’t know what this is going to produce in my life, but when I bring it in front of the king, I can’t hide my weakness. The king said, 'Boy, get up! '»
God says, «Your weakness is allowed here.» «Okay, I thought you were gonna kill me!»
«I didn’t come to kill you; I came to show you kindness. Not because of your doings, but because of a promise established before you got here!» Oh, I’m preaching the word right now!
He said, «From now on, you’re going to sit at my table.»
Can everybody that’s supposed to sit at the king’s table come? Because this is what many of you don’t know: every person who looks like they have everything together and every person who supposedly is perfect for the king’s use has a weakness as well. But what the King—our God—is so gracious to do is say, «Yeah, I want you to come sit at the table, eat at the place I’ve designed for you, and no longer think about all of the things that happened before. I want you to pull up a spot under my grace where your weakness is covered.» So, oh, y’all don’t hear me! When anybody sees me at this table walking in purpose doing what God’s called me to do, I look the same as everybody else sitting at the table. Baby, you might have known me in a different season, but when I pull up to the grace of God, when I pull up to my purpose, I’m still winning in my weakness.
Somebody needs to give God some praise right there in this place! I’m covered! Charles, that’s why I don’t think people understand how huge of a testimony Transformation Church is, because I’m weak as a man. Like, I’m the least qualified to do this. There are 4,000 people here and 25,000 watching online, and a hundred and fifty thousand will watch during the next seven days. And I’m a dude that, seven years ago, had a potential felony case for car insurance fraud, because I was a liar, a manipulator, addicted to pornography. Oh, my testimony is really weak. I mean, unusually, like he’s unusually extravagantly weak. He keeps lying when he doesn’t have to; he decides not to be pure in this way and keeps going to those sites. I wonder, would he be willing to give it to me? I’m wondering, would he be willing to submit his weakness to my grace?
Yeah, my weakness in the hotel room when you decided to give it all to me, your weakness is allowed here. And as a matter of fact, if you’ll let me, I’ll have you tell your testimony every Sunday, and your weakness will become your advantage. Do you know the number one thing people say about my speaking and about us ministering is, «Man, you’re so real. You’re authentic.» So when God says, «Be strong,» I’m not acting strong. I have to be this way because I’m aware of my weakness, and He says it will become your advantage.
And your weakness will then become the thing that you can pull up to any table and everyone will say, «Yeah, Lakewood ain’t never had nobody say [expletive] on Joy.» Ain’t no one seen this stage before? Oh, I did it, though. I said I used to be that, and I know Joel Osteen was in the back like, «Oh my God!» But I couldn’t come to the table; I still wasn’t weak, but I was covered.
But I feel this thing—I was covered by the grace of God! What I’m trying to do is give everybody permission in this room. Y’all stay right there; I’m giving you permission to be weak because you can win in your weakness! Do you know why all of this happened to Mephibosheth? It’s because right at this point, weakness can’t change your association. Remember why he asked for him: «Is there anybody from the house of Saul whom I can bless for Jonathan’s sake?»
What you don’t know is Jonathan and David, though they weren’t supposed to be, were boys, and Jonathan protected David when Saul, his daddy, was trying to kill him. There was a covenant, a blood covenant made between them, stating that when it comes time for me to rule, I will make sure the people of your household are taken care of. Now, David is in rulership, and he remembers the promise made. He says, «Even though I shouldn’t be showing kindness to the family who tried to kill me, I made a blood covenant with my boy, Jonathan.» So, Mephibosheth, with his weakness, gets blessed because of his association.
Let me tell you how this applies to you: because you are weak. In 2020, when you call upon the name of Jesus, there is a blood covenant formed when you believe in what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross. God says, with your weakness, «When I see you, I don’t see you; I see the covenant I made with the one that you believe in, and your weakness is no match for my commitment to what Jesus did on the cross for you.»
And so when God sees my weakness, He actually sees Jesus’s blood. Every time David looked at Mephibosheth, he didn’t see Mephibosheth; he saw his promise to Jonathan. What are you saying, Pastor Mike? Every person in this room, whatever your weakness is right now, God is prophetically speaking over your life. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, that weakness no longer disqualifies you from the promises of God. When I see your weakness, when I see your addictions, when I see your problems, when I see your issues, I don’t see you; I see the promise that I made with Jesus. And in this room, I can take you, with your weakness, your low budgeting, with your messed-up mentality, and I can weave all of that in to give me glory.
Because my last point is that your weakness is a witness. When God sees you and you begin to be blessed, even with the weakness, it becomes a witness to everybody else dealing with the same thing. When God brings your marriage, like the woman we heard about, out of decay and restores it one year later, that’s a witness that God can do that for anybody. When you see somebody who has a six-month degree from TCC and God allows me to lead a multi-million dollar organization, God says, «With your weakness, you can still win.» I need everybody to hear me say this: your weakness becomes a witness.
Service ain’t over. On the way out, I don’t want you to miss this moment. I’m trying to let you know that your weakness doesn’t disqualify you at the moment you’re at right now. When I was preparing for this sermon, I wanted to go stronger! Just…I wanted to max out on stronger! Just ha! Strong, but God said people are going to wait until the end of 2020 because they know that becoming stronger takes a process. They think that the blessing will be delayed until they actually get stronger. I wanted to come to tell you on this second Sunday of the year that you can still win in weakness. I came to tell somebody that the marriage is not where it’s going to be, but we can win and have the best year of our marriage right now.
I know I’m a student who doesn’t have everything together, but God will take what everybody else counts as my weakness and make a seat for me at the table. From that point on, I want you to understand what happened to Mephibosheth: he got all the land that his grandfather, the king, was supposed to have. He got it paid for; he got it tended to; he got generations of people to work for him. He got upgraded, and he did not have to leave the king’s table. The Bible never tells us that Mephibosheth’s weakness goes away. I mean, he was a healer, yeah, he came, but what if your weakness stays and it’s not a miracle, it’s management? What if the miracle is management?
What if you still have a desire to do that thing, but something greater comes in to manage what your weakness was? We will talk about Paul next week, who asked God three times to take away his thorn and his weakness. What did Jesus say to him? «My grace is all you need.» No, I want it gone! He said, «I want to manage it because if I take this away, you might not be dependent on me anymore. You might not pray without this crisis; you would stop giving; you would stop serving; you would stop being empathetic to anybody else.» What if the miracle is not a magic «Oh, I’m at peace because everybody’s gone!»? What if God gives you peace in the midst of the storm?
Today, as we close this second week of 'Stronger', I feel the presence of God. Somebody needs to make a decision that I will win in my weakness! Somebody is saying, «I will win in my weakness.» Say it again: «I will win in my weakness.» With the pain, with the frustration, with everything not going my way, God is declaring over my life, «I will win in weakness.» If you’re making that decision right now and saying, «I want to win in weakness,» I want you to stand all over this place. I want to pray for you. Yes, if you’re watching online, this is just the start of what God is about to do. I feel this thing! But some of you are going to go through your day and your week, and you’re going to feel that weakness coming up again, and the enemy’s going to try to disqualify you.
See, God will never use that. No, baby, I’m still going to win even though I’m fighting this thing every day. I’m fighting comparison every day; I’m fighting depression every day. But I know that’s a weakness of mine; I know it is! But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to show up for this war. Hands lifted all over this place. I feel the presence of God.
Father, I pray right now for every person that is under the sound of my voice, watching live or watching by rebroadcast. Father, I thank you that in the name of Jesus, your children would know that their weakness is allowed here in the house of God, that you want to be the God that touches their weakness and brings them to a new place. Father God, you want to heal us; you want to help us; and you want to bring hope to us in the name of Jesus. Father God, I thank you that in this place right now, weakness would become our advantage.
Father God, that every area where we are weak, you would become strong in. Father God, I thank you that even in this place right now, marriages, relationships, hurts, and hang-ups that have been disqualifying people will no longer keep people in a place of Lo Debar. No longer will they be in a place of shame, but Father, you’re bringing them out of a place of not a word, and you’re bringing them to a place of a sure word—that you can still allow them to win in weakness. I speak against anxiety, depression, and perversion that has been trying to make people back up off of who you called them to be.
Nothing in our weakness can keep us from our association with Jesus, and through the blood of Jesus, I declare that we are chosen, that we are children of God, that we are the righteousness of Christ Jesus, that we are strong, and we are royalty. Every lie of the enemy that has tried to keep us stuck in a desert place, I declare we make a decision on the second Sunday of 2020 that no matter what comes and who leaves, we will be winning in weakness. Father, the first moment of our weakness is the first sign of strength in our lives, and we submit to you, we honor you, and we bless you in Jesus' name.
Father God, that every area where we are weak, you would become strong in. Father God, I thank you that even in this place right now, marriages, relationships, hurts, and hang-ups that have been disqualifying people will no longer keep people in a place of Lo Debar. No longer will they be in a place of shame, but Father, you’re bringing them out of a place of not a word, and you’re bringing them to a place of a sure word—that you can still allow them to win in weakness. I speak against anxiety, depression, and perversion that has been trying to make people back up off of who you called them to be.
Nothing in our weakness can keep us from our association with Jesus, and through the blood of Jesus, I declare that we are chosen, that we are children of God, that we are the righteousness of Christ Jesus, that we are strong, and we are royalty. Every lie of the enemy that has tried to keep us stuck in a desert place, I declare we make a decision on the second Sunday of 2020 that no matter what comes and who leaves, we will be winning in weakness. Father, the first moment of our weakness is the first sign of strength in our lives, and we submit to you, we honor you, and we bless you in Jesus' name.
If you’re going to win in weakness, why don’t you give God—oh, come on, give God a shout of praise! Come on, give him praise that you’re here, that his grace is covering! Listen, if you’re in this room and you need to be covered by the grace of God, if you need to pull up to the table of grace, your weakness is allowed here. Please, I would ask everybody, I know you’re trying to get out of the parking lot, but this is the moment when people are about to make a decision for Jesus. If everyone could tune in up here, if you want to accept the grace of Jesus Christ right now, we’re about to pray, and there are some of you in here that feel disqualified like you couldn’t even be wanted in Lo Debar.
People have defined you by your weakness, and God says, «I knew that when I called you.» Do you all know the funny thing about it is that he said he’s crippled in both legs, and the king still sent for him knowing his weakness? Today, is God sending for you, knowing your weakness? He knows what you struggle with; he knows what’s happening here. He knows you deal with pride; he knows you’ve been questioning if he’s real or not. If today you want to bow and say, «No longer will I try to do my own thing, but I’m going to give it all to you,» on the count of three, I want you to say, «Pastor, include me in this prayer that you’re about to pray for salvation. I want to make that decision; I want to burn for you.»
One, you’re making the greatest decision of your life. Two, it’s the thing that took me from being a liar and a manipulator—not to a perfect man, but a progressing man. Three, if you want to be added in that prayer, why don’t you lift your hands? I see you, my brother; I see you, my sister; I see—you know, I see you all over the place, dozens of hands. Oh, I see you, my brother; online, we see you; back in the back, we see you; at TC, we’re a family. I feel the presence of God. I see you, my brother; you can put your hands down. No one prays alone at TC, so I’m asking everybody to close your eyes and bow your heads and pray this prayer with me. Everybody say:
God, thank you for being so strong when I’m so weak. I believe you sent Jesus to die for me, to live for me, and to save me. I’m giving you my life; change me, renew me, transform me. I’m yours. I will win in weakness. In Jesus' name, Amen.