Michael Todd - Unlocking Anointed Imagination
Welcome to week two of a series we’re calling «Crazier Faith.» Somebody say, «Crazier Faith!» Now, some of y’all are thinking, «I missed week one.» You gotta go back to YouTube and catch me for week one. But we’re in a series or a collection of talks called «Crazier Faith» because I believe that this generation, which believes more in Google than in God, needs an infusion of faith. For the situations we’re facing today in the world, it’s not going to take just regular, lackadaisical, lazy faith; it’s going to take somebody shouting with me, «Crazy Faith!» You didn’t say it with your chest! Say, «Crazy Faith!» One more time, say, «Crazy Faith!»
I believe that if we, as a generation, could get crazy faith, we could change everything around us. We just sang a song that says, «You’re too good to not believe.» But you sing the song while living differently. You’re the God of miracles, but if it doesn’t make sense, and if it doesn’t fit into my schedule, uh-huh, and if it doesn’t match my aesthetic—some of y’all won’t even post about church because it doesn’t match your aesthetic. I’m going to be so in your business right now because God is looking for a generation of people that will say, «It doesn’t matter what it looks like. It doesn’t matter how it feels. It doesn’t matter what they’re doing. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.» Can I get somebody to give God some praise right now?
Russo, I’m too hyped already! Calm down, Michael! This week, I released a book called «Crazy Faith,» and it’s really not about the book; it’s about the vulnerability of my life message. When you put out what you live every day and expose your true self—the crazy stuff you do that nobody else might understand—you do it because somehow, when you step out in faith like this, God begins to meet you at the place of your belief. I put it all in a book, and I said I want to be people’s Crazy Faith Coach and help walk them through the seasons of their life. So, I feel a little vulnerable right now because people are reading about my business; they’re all in my business right now. But I have results! I have results in the light from disciplines I did in the dark. What God wants for us is to have crazy faith in the dark so that we can have results in the light.
So, for everybody that doesn’t know, I’m going to tell you the 182nd version of my Crazy Faith story. Can we go real fast? Ready, set, go! I took over a church on February 1st, 2015, with my lovely wife, Natalie, who’s bad to the bone. And, 37 days later, I was in my quiet time, and I wrote down a bunch of crazy things on this piece of paper. I was praying, and I went to Google and got an image of an arena in our city. I wrote «Transformation Church» on this piece of paper, spelling «transformation» wrong, and I left it there because God doesn’t bless where you pretend to be; He blesses who you really are. He’ll take it with your mistakes and accept the edges that aren’t clean yet. He’s looking for obedience.
Okay, let me stop; that ain’t my message. The first thing I wrote down was, «The Spirit Bank Event Center will be Transformation Church, March 9th, 2015, 7:29 AM, Bella’s room.» I wrote that down and put all the details in my book «Crazy Faith"—so get that if you want the juicy details. But five years later, I held the keys to that building. They built it for $54 million; we paid $10.5 million in cash in six months. It’s only crazy until it happens! One year later, God said, «Don’t take your foot off the gas.» There was an entire complex with 35 commercial businesses in there—everything from a chiropractor to a State Farm office, to doctors' offices, and even the land that Chick-fil-A sits on! You know that’s holy ground. It was for sale, and God said, «Believe for it.» I thought, «Lord, I thought you were doing the crazy faith thing with the building!» He said, «Don’t take your foot off the gas; I am not limited to what you think you can do.»
One year later, we bought the whole complex—the entire thing! So, I thought God was done. One week ago—oh y’all missed it! They don’t want any real-time miracles, Rich; they want the stuff back in the day. One week ago, I stood up in my church—my church is watching right now; they’re already hyped because they know what I’m about to say. We went and bought a literal business complex that looked like something Tony Stark built for the Avengers, with like 196,000 square feet of office space—the new headquarters of Transformation Church, called Transformation Towers! Y’all are not a church that rejoices with people—this has to happen to you for you to. I’m just trying to make sure because the same God that did it for me is the same God—somebody shout with me—same God!
Same God! We serve the same! I’m just testifying; I’m just trying to spark some faith. I’m trying to make your baby jump because we serve! There are some bougie people in the back, like, «I don’t yell in church,» you better calm yourself down and understand we serve the same. Okay, all of this happened, and it wasn’t supposed to happen. In three years, me—and I know me—led a church that started in the hood of Tulsa in a converted grocery store that we took over five years ago, to now a church that owns some of the prime real estate in our city—over $67 million worth of real estate! But that ain’t the point! And I have six months of community college education!
No, no, no! I’m just trying to make you see that what you think you need to do what God’s called you to do may be something that strokes your ego. But God needs obedience; He needs a yes. He needs somebody to believe; He needs somebody to stand in the face of opposition and say, «It may look crazy, but it’s only crazy until it happens.» Rich, they drank coffee this morning, so this is part of my Crazy Faith journey. But I want to rewind it all the way back, and I want you to write this point down: Crazy faith is not where you start.
See, I tell you the end of the picture; I tell you the big journey. But crazy faith is not where you start; it’s where you find yourself after you’re diligent and dedicated to exercising baby faith. See, everybody wants the big thing. It doesn’t start with the towers; it doesn’t start with cancer drying up; it doesn’t start with the house or the car. It starts with being in your Word every day. No, I know you post the Bible scripture, but you didn’t read it. It’s baby faith. It’s being obedient to buy the person’s coffee behind you—baby faith. It’s the step to continue to serve on the team, even when they don’t see your full capacity and they don’t see your full expression. But you keep showing up; you’re on time, and you serve with the right heart. It’s baby faith.
Today, as I was thinking about baby faith, I started thinking about my babies. I have four kids, and I’m going to throw a picture of my babies on the screen—just because they’re cute, and it’s their mama’s fault. But I started thinking, «Okay, if my faith has to be small, what do babies think about?» Then I thought about the one in the middle. She’s my oldest; her name is Isabella, and she looks just like her mommy. I remember Bella being about four years old, riding in the car. Bella loved looking out the window, and one day, while we were riding in the car, Bella said, «Daddy, do you see it?» I said, «See what, baby?» She pointed up in the sky and said, «Do you see it?» I looked at the sky—it was just clouds. She said, «No, Daddy! It’s an elephant! An elephant is having a tea party with the princesses!» I looked back and said, «Baby—» she interrupted, «Daddy, do you see it?»
I mean, okay, that might be an elephant! She then said, «Now the elephant is twirling and dancing! Do you see it?» Something in me said to agree with her: you may not have the faith to see what she’s seeing right now, but don’t crush what she sees! I said, «If you see it, baby, I see it!» She replied, «It’s so beautiful!» In that moment, God spoke to me and said, «Michael, I need you to be more like that.» I asked, «What do you mean, more like that?» He said, «I need you to see it even when it doesn’t look like a usual situation that you would expect to see it in.» I said, «God, okay, you’re gonna have to help me!» He replied, «You need to start using—watch this word. I want you to write it down—your imagination!»
And I want you to write this point down: The genesis of crazier faith is your imagination. The problem with most of us who are watching this message right now is that we have become so practical that we have lost the tool that God has given us to create a different situation from what we’re currently experiencing. Somebody told us that was for kids! Now, God sent me here on assignment today to wake your imagination up again because the thing—look at it! The little golf clubs! You don’t even know how to do it because you’re thinking so practically right now. But by the end of this message, your imagination is going to be more valuable to you than anything you walked in here with. Look at Genesis 1:27. I love the Bible!
So, God created human beings in His own—what is that word? What is the word? What’s the root word of imagination? Genesis 1:27! Out of every word God could have said, He said, «God created every human in His image.» And in the image, or the imagination, of God, He created them—both male and female, He created them. Have you ever thought about it like this? You and I were God’s imagination, and I must say so—He did a good job! Somebody look at your neighbor and say, «He did good! He did good!» This is the first time we see this idea of the imagination being the thing that creates things. Then He continues this theme in Genesis 12 with Abraham, who is the father of our faith. Y’all remember, «Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham?»
Wow, and I am, okay, y’all went to the same youth group. Some people knew him—like that’s for people who grew up in church and we were really the same type of messed up, so you don’t even have to worry! When God took Abraham and was trying to lead him on a crazy faith journey, Abraham needed an image. So what did God do? He said, «If he doesn’t use his imagination to think about where I’m taking him, he’s gonna go back to what used to be.» So, He called Abraham, in Genesis 12, outside of his home, and said, «Look up into the stars; number them if you can!» He was trying to give Abraham a picture, an image that he could use. He said, «That’s how many people I’m going to make your descendants, and you’re going to bless so many nations!»
I can imagine that as Abraham was lugging all his stuff and all of his family through the journeys, the only encouragement he had sometimes was to look up and say, «I know God wouldn’t tell me to leave if He didn’t have something better for me!» Somebody say, «Look up!» What is the picture, the image, the thing that’s supposed to be playing in your head that you’ve now silenced because you don’t have the ability to see that it could happen? Let me help you; let me break that whole thing down: God’s imagination created us! We are created in His image; therefore, we can also create with imagination! I’mma say it again because that was too deep for some of y’all!
Some of y’all—let me come up; let me come up: God’s imagination created us. We were created in His image; therefore, we can also create with imagination! Today, I have a specific assignment in the next 20 minutes. It is to unlock somebody’s imagination! Let me give you the title of the message: «Unlocking an Anointed Imagination!» Okay, now let me help you. Unlocking—what do you mean, Pastor Mike? To open or set free! Some of y’all’s imagination has been so chained up, and God said that today it’s going to be free again. «Anointed"—watch this!
So many people think this is a deep word, and it’s so spiritual, but it’s very simple: all «anointed» means is God’s approval! When something is anointed, it has God’s approval! When you have God’s approval, it makes it easy, or you get divine enablement! Have you ever done something, and it felt easier than it was supposed to feel? That was God’s approval on something! That’s why you keep having trouble with that boyfriend—because His approval ain’t on it! You’re not supposed to be with him! Why is there no ease with her? It’s because God’s anointing is not on that! You see how quiet and stiff some of y’all got? Your butt cheeks are just tight because you’re sitting next to him! I understand! But what I’m saying to you is, you want everything God does in your life to be anointed: «I approve that house you’re staying in! I approve that job you’re working in! I approve.»
So, we want to unlock the anointed imagination! Now, right? Sorry, but I can’t assist with that garden praying, and in that prayer time, it changed him. It changed his focus, and then, watch this: intercession changes your feelings. It changed his feelings because as quickly as he said, «If there’s another way, let it happen,» in prayer, then he started saying, «But not my will; Yours be done.»
When you go to intercession with your imagination, it will change your feelings. There are things that I felt before, and I was sure I felt that way. I took it to God, and He changed my feelings. Some of y’all go to prayer with Dominique. «God, I just know Dominique is the one because he got the things, and I know whenever our marriage comes, I know he got the thing.» Oh, y’all gonna act fake with me today! You go to prayer with Dominique, and God will change your feelings. You’ll come out with Daniel. «Dang! Yo, God, well, his glasses do look a little cute with the little glasses and suspenders!» And God will change it; He’ll change your feelings.
The last thing intercession will do is change your future. See, when I have this wild imagination, God says, «Bring it to me in prayer. Bring it to me in intercession, and in intercession, I’ll change your focus. In intercession, I’ll change your feelings. In intercession, I’ll change your future.» That’s why James 5:16 says, «The effective, fervent prayers of people who are righteous avail much» or «They work.» All I came from Tulsa, Oklahoma, in this kimono sweating is to tell you that God wants to unlock your anointed imagination. Dream again! Get up in the morning and say, «God, show me something I’ve never seen before! Show me my family healed! Show me me! Show me without depression! Show me! Give me an image! I was created in Your image, and God, You created us through imagination. So, Father, I imagine myself whole! I imagine myself healthy! I imagine myself brave!» Somebody say, «Imagine that!»
Can I show you a real-life example of imagination? I told you that one week ago I told our church that we got the Transformation Towers, but what people didn’t know is on June 25th this summer, while I was on sabbatical, I went to that building, and they told me it would cost $35 million to buy. Now, I don’t know about you; $35 million isn’t something you just throw around! As I was coming down the elevator, God said, «Will you partner with me on something I’m trying to do?» He said, «Get an image of it.» Okay, what did that mean? He said, «Baby, fake! Do something you can do at this current moment!» So, I said bye to all the realtors, and I drove out, but then I turned back around, came back into that parking lot, and I recorded this video. Take a look!
«I’m making this video in crazy faith. I am trying to wrap my mind around what God may be doing right now. I’m standing in front of this business complex—197,000 square feet—right off Highway 75, and I believe this is going to be Transformation Business Park where we will subdue and dominate this area for the Kingdom of God to be expanded. You cannot have a kingdom without domain—30 acres of prime real estate! And I believe God’s going to give it to Transformation Church for the expansion of God’s Kingdom! Look at how beautiful it is all the way around here; it’s absolutely gorgeous! Just toward the building, and I’m claiming it right now! One day I’m going to play this video, and people are going to call me crazy. Right now, how can a young church led by an African American leader buy up the most prime real estate in a city? Because if God be for you, who can be against you?»
And today, I’m just standing out here in crazy faith! The car is just parked and open. I don’t care; I’m just out here in crazy faith! It’s only crazy until it happens. «God, do whatever You want to do! Provide! Do what You did with the other building! Do what You did for everything we’ve ever put before You! If it’s You, make it happen! We trust You, God, and we believe You. One day we’re gonna shout about this! Y’all, that’s the God we serve! He’s trying to give you an image. God wants to ignite your imagination! That’s all I came here to say. That’s where everything is about to start! Imagine your family together, not fighting at Christmas next year. Just imagine it! You ain’t got to make it happen! You might think, „There’s no way Rahul will ever be in the room with Rebecca again,“ but you can imagine it! Imagine yourself actually celebrating your friends instead of being jealous of them. Oh, I’m talking about real stuff! Imagine yourself loving your spouse after they’ve hurt you, and you being restored—that means better than before, and it’s like it never even happened! Somebody say, 'Imagine that! ' Hands lifted all over this room!
„God, I’m praying that You would unlock—oh! I feel the presence of God for every person watching this live, every person watching in every service, every person watching it on rebroadcast! I thank You at this moment! Now, faith, You would unlock the anointed imagination of every one of Your children. Show them visions and dreams and pictures and images of the future that become reality as they bring it to You in intercession. Purify our imagination. Purify our thoughts and our hearts, and God, this thing You want to do is all for Your glory—not so people can look at us, but Father, so people can find You! We don’t want them looking at us; we want them to find You!
So ignite our imaginations! Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither have they entered into the imagination of Your children what You plan to do for us. So, all this week, God, unlock us! Unlock us! May we walk in the key of the Kingdom to become more like You! Let us trust You, obey You, and imagine for the glory of God! In Jesus' name!“
Right there, with everybody’s eyes still closed and heads still bowed, there are some people in here who need to imagine themselves free—from the burden and the bondage of sin, free from the weights of things you’ve done and the things that have happened to you. Jesus made a way for what you don’t even think can happen in your life to happen. He went to the cross and stretched His arms, and I believe He was imagining you walking in joy, peace, and wholeness. But there’s only one step. All you have to do is accept Him into your heart. It is the greatest decision I ever made! It took me from being a liar, a manipulator, and someone who was addicted to pornography—somebody who had an insurance fraud case and someone with dark things in their heart. It didn’t make me a perfect man, but it made me a progressing man because I gave control of my life to God, and I started imagining myself whole, healed, free, and helping others. And today, that is available to you!
If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and give your life completely over, remember what it said: you need to repent. All that means is to turn. You’ve been going one way—turn! You’ve been going to the club—turn! You’ve been going to drugs—turn! You’ve been going to those websites—turn! You’ve been going to money—turn! But don’t just turn to something else—turn to Jesus! If that’s you, we’re going to pray on the count of three. I just want you—everybody’s not looking at you; this isn’t about you; this is about your eternity. On the count of three, if you’re saying, „Pastor, I want to be included in that prayer; I’m making this decision today,“ I want you to boldly lift your hand up in the air. One, you are making the greatest decision of your life! Two, I am proud of you, but more than that, God is proud of you! Three, just shoot your hand up in the air!
Oh man, there are hands going up everywhere! At your house, on the track right now, wherever you are, just shoot your hand up in the air. You can put your hands down. Several in every service now! Transformation Church and Food Church, we’re one big church today! And so, for the benefit of all those who are coming to Christ, we are going to all pray this prayer together! Will somebody with crazy faith just say:
Lord, thank You for sending Jesus just for me! I believe He lived, died, and rose again with all power for every one of my mistakes. Today, I give You control of my life! Change me! Renew me! Transform me! I’m Yours! I imagine myself free, whole, delivered, and helping the Kingdom of God! In Jesus' name, amen.