Michael Todd - Cuffed to Condemnation
Today, we are in week five of a series we’re calling «Cuffing Season.» Let’s give God some praise today! Five has a special place in my heart because it is the number of grace, this is the fifth month of the year, and this is the fifth message in this series. Actually, somebody else was supposed to preach today, but we’ve been in such a flow that the Holy Spirit said, «Don’t you dare step out of your spot.» I was like, «Lord, we had planned this—rest and relaxation.» He said, «You’re going on sabbatical in about a month and a half, but I need you to finish the assignment I’ve given you. I need you to preach today.» So, literally, I called PC last Sunday and said, «Dawg, I’m up again.» He asked, «What about?»
I said, «Uh-uh, the Holy Spirit didn’t change the plans, and He’s given me a direct message on what to preach about.» He said, «What is it?» I said, «Well, let me tell you this message. I know there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people who send Transformation Church and me direct messages, telling us how much the sermon series blesses them or asking questions or trying to see if I can marry them. The answer is no, I can’t marry everybody. I’m so sorry; I can’t do everyone’s wedding. But I wanted to address it all together. Sometimes, the Lord leads me to the DMs to find out what’s resonating and what people are hearing and seeing from these messages since we haven’t been able to meet in person in almost two and a half years. Let me just say, the day is soon approaching—it’s closer than you think.
When we open up, we’re having a party for five weeks straight! Get ready, everybody! It’s going to be a homecoming. I don’t care what month it’s in; we’re going to have a band. I’m going to wear something incredible—I’m going to be my daddy, I’m going to be a drum major, I’m going to backbend, I’m going to do something! Since we have not been open, one of the things I do is feed off of people. I can look into people’s eyes and see what’s going on. I talk to people; I hug people. And since I haven’t been able to do that, God has given me instructions to look when He tells me to look. I opened my Instagram, and this young lady said, „Pastor Mike, the messages have impacted my life so much over the last three weeks. I don’t even know how to express it. But I have a problem: it’s true, I’ve been cuffed to comfort, cuffed to convenience, and cuffed to comparison.
And for the first time in my life, at my age, I’m admitting it. I’ve seen it, but I’ve never admitted it. And today I’m admitting it. I can’t help but tell you that instead of feeling joy, I feel condemnation. What do you do when the truth of where you actually are makes you feel more defeated and want to go back to what was comfortable?“ At that moment, the Holy Spirit said, „That’s the message.“ He said, „Today I need you to break the cycle of condemnation over my people because they have been cuffed to condemnation.“ And see, this is one of those things that you may not suspect, but even after you come into the knowledge of who Jesus Christ is and being who you are in connection with Him, the enemy can try to prey on what you used to do, how you used to be, and where you should be. He says if you hadn’t made that mistake, you would be so much further; if you hadn’t gone to that website, if you hadn’t met those people, if you hadn’t married that person, and if you were just there when your child was abused—oh, come on, I’m coming for real stuff today.
If you hadn’t met that person, your whole life would be different. What the enemy tries to do is cave you into isolation through this spirit of condemnation. Many of you have been cuffed to it. When God speaks directly to you that you’re going to do something, you can’t accept it because of the spirit of condemnation. But what if they really find out who I am? What if they find out that every Thursday I still have to hit a drink? What if they find out that last month I was sleeping with someone? What if they find out that I still owe taxes from five years ago? What if they find out? Y’all hear how silent it is in the building? Because the spirit of condemnation has come to rob you of your life in Christ, and today I’m about to ignite something.
I’m not playing with this spirit because it’s robbed so many of you of the freedom that is now yours as a believer in Jesus Christ. But you have been so cuffed to condemnation that you’re walking around with a ball and chain. God’s calling you to do great things, but you can’t even see it for yourself. He’s put you in a land of prosperity, but you still remember when you were in a land of desert. God has brought you into relationships you prayed for, but you can’t even lean into them because you’re remembering all the people who left you. God is coming to free you from condemnation today. I need somebody to give God praise and faith today, even if you can’t see it yet!
Today, God’s word is going to uncuff you from condemnation! Oh, that’s about to be good! I’ve realized that too many of God’s children have life in Christ, but they’re living condemned. So, I need to let you know what condemnation means. Write this down: the definition of condemnation is a sentence to punishment. You did it, so you will be punished for this forever. You had a baby out of wedlock; you will wear that for the rest of your life. Don’t celebrate them fully. Don’t be proud of it. No, no, no. It wasn’t an event; it’s your identity. That’s what the spirit of condemnation comes to do: to turn events into identity. Yes, it happened; that’s not who I am. Yes, I did it; that’s not who I am. Yes, I’ve repeatedly done it, but that is not who I am. You don’t know me! But the truth of the matter is I said it, but you don’t believe it. We put this sentence of punishment on our lives after we come to Christ.
Somehow, we think He’s making us scary. You’re the kid who put yourself in timeout. Why? When it’s found out or you confess that you did it, you go to punish yourself, and you didn’t even listen to what the authority said about you. It’s because the spirit of condemnation has you thinking that God is a punisher. I know you were raised in that church where they preached hell, brimstone, and fire. You’re going to hell for everything—skirts, lipstick, food, you name it. Nah, we eat food! I’m going to do a message on gluttony next week. But what happens is we don’t realize that God is not a punisher; He disciplines. There is a difference. Punishment has negative emotion involved.
That’s why when you see the person in line at the store and their kids are curious, they put a million candies in front of them at checkout, right at eye level. You don’t think that’s on purpose? But I told that little one before we came into the store, „Don’t touch anything.“ You took them into a store with 10,000 items at age seven, and you really expect them not to touch anything? What happens if they touch it? „Put that down, little David. You know we don’t have money for that! You’re not going to embarrass me in the store!“ And you pop them. You punish them because emotionally, it was charged by your fear of being embarrassed. An emotionally mature adult can tell them, „Sweetheart, we’re not getting that. Mommy already asked you to please put that down. But if you do your chores, maybe next time you can.“ You’re teaching them something. But when you pop them, and now they’re crying in the store, and you say, „Shut up before I give you something to cry about!"—what do you think it taught them? Yeah, it taught them to do what Adam and Eve did: hide.
So now we have a culture that hides from authority because we think all authority is going to lay punishment on us instead of give us discipline. That spirit of condemnation says, «Hide everything. Stay undercover. Do it when nobody’s watching, because if you get found out, you’re going to face a sentence of punishment.» The rest of the definition is «to pass judgment against» or «to pronounce to be guilty.» If you do it, you’re guilty! The enemy uses this because we’re in this flesh suit. Do you know the real you is not this body? The realest version of you is your spirit. Some of your spirits are weak; some of your flesh is way stronger. But the realest version of you that will outlast this body is your spirit. And what the enemy tries to make you feel is that what you do in this body is more important than what you do in the spirit! Okay, this is going to take a lot.
So the enemy uses all of our mistakes, missteps, and mishaps to keep us in condemnation. He uses what we do in our humanity to sum up our identity. Let me put it in point form because we’re going to journey with Christ. Sinning is a symptom of humanity, not our identity. As long as you’re in this earthly body, you will sin. Now, there’s a difference between actively sinning, constantly doing it, and just wilding out or making a mistake—how the Bible defines sin: missing the mark. I missed the mark! I was supposed to not lie, dang it! I lied to them; I missed the mark. I was scared it would cost me something, so I just lied. I’m going to miss it every day I breathe—it’s a symptom of humanity but not your identity!
Okay, I just had to say this—that’s the stuff nobody told me. When I was in my bedroom, and I masturbated and watched pornography, it made me feel nothing for a month because I was what I did. Oh, y’all don’t want to be real! It affected how I enjoyed life. And, I’m not saying, «Oh, because somebody…» I can hear someone saying, «Are you giving people a license to sin?» Nobody needs a license to sin. Whoever needed a license to sin is already doing it! No, no, no! I’m trying to explain to you what the enemy uses to keep you in that condemnation cycle that makes you go back to sin. The longer you sit in your filth, the more immune you become to the smell. I’m trying to pull you into fresh air—the pneuma, the life, the Spirit of God—so you can have freedom.
So when you fall, you think, «I gotta get this off me!» No, no, no! I messed up; I need a shower! But the longer you sit in it… okay. So, in Christ—now notice I’m saying «in Christ» because you have to put your faith and life in Christ. That’s what I was talking about for everybody who just gave their life to Christ before the sermon. What ended up happening is you put your life in Christ, and now you’ve become a new creation. The old has passed away. I’m going to show you the scripture. And behold, everything becomes new. So now, your eternity is secure, but your history has to be sanctified! Where I’m going is already settled, but why would you live your whole life to get to heaven and live in hell? I’m walking heavy today!
So today, I need you to know that in Christ—somebody say, «In Christ!"—say it like you mean it! In Christ! I failed, but I’m not a failure. Somebody say, «In Christ!» In Christ, I messed up, but I’m not a mistake. Somebody say, «In Christ!» In Christ, I lost, but I’m not a loser. Somebody say, «In Christ!» In Christ, I cheated, but I’m not a cheater! Uh-oh! I’m coming against culture! Once a cheater? According to who? Because in Christ, you may not be able to give me another chance; you may not be able to forgive me; you may not be able to look beyond my faults and see my needs. Maybe that actually came from a trauma that I was trying to cover and solve—something I didn’t have the tools to do. But yeah, I cheated, but I’m not a cheater!
Pastor Mike, how do you know? Because it was me! Oh, you want to be real? See, I know these are stories no pastor tells you because they want to let you know that they’ve been great all their life. The devil is a liar! Before me and Pastor Natalie met—when I was 15 and she was 14—the greatest gift that God ever gave me was my wife. But what ended up happening was I started listening to culture about three years later when I was about to graduate high school. I started exploring different relationships because I heard this one dude say, «Bro, how are you going to just settle down with her? You ain’t never experienced nothing else?» Doesn’t that sound like the enemy in the Garden to Adam?
And even if I’m not on the Bible, then I couldn’t call it out, so I started exploring things. I broke her heart, sent hurt into another relationship that wasn’t good for her, and went down a spiral. We both lost our virginity and went through all of these cycles. Now we’re back together but don’t trust each other, trying to act like we do, while dealing with all of these different triggers and traumas. In the meantime, I’m just standing here, thinking that God is going to bring us back together. I’m not talking to anybody, not a part of any community group, trying to figure out how to navigate life. All they’re telling me on Sunday is that it’s going to be all right. How? I need some help. I’ll pay an extra hundred or five; come on, somebody!
When you tell me how? We’re struggling, going through all types of stuff, and there was one moment in that season where I couldn’t see a way out from under the cloud of condemnation. I knew everything I was suffering at that moment was because of decisions I made, and the enemy was in the corner hyping me up: «That’s right, you’re here, and you’re stuck; you might as well leave her. She’s never going to trust you; you’ll always have to side-hug everyone for the rest of your life.» Oh, these are real, y’all! She’s always going to call and ask who’s there; see, these are the real things. She ain’t never going to let you go, and the enemy literally had me thinking, «I messed up so bad; I might as well walk away from the gift God gave me.»
The spirit of condemnation almost made me forfeit the greatest tool God has used to grow me. The truth of the matter is I cheated, but I, in Christ, am not a cheater. It’s been over 15, almost 20 years since the incident happened, but for almost 15 of those years, I let the cloud of condemnation stay over me. I couldn’t even share this with you because I was concerned about how you would view me. Can I tell you today that I don’t care? I have been made free in Christ. Oh, I need somebody to hear me; I was subject to condemnation, but your boy is free now, and today I want to offer you the same level of freedom because the enemy will try to convince you that’s who you are.
Look what the Bible says in John 3:17: «For God did not send His Son Jesus into the world to condemn the world.» Out of everything, the reason why—I know churches have told you you’re condemned for that—but God did not send, y’all know what this is in the Bible, this is right after the most famous scripture that everybody has tattooed on their chest, John 3:16. Say it with me: «For God so loved the world,» you haven’t been to church in a year, «that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.» That’s John 3:16. John 3:17: «For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it.»
This is the one we need to remember; He didn’t come to condemn the world. I know, I know, those people came to condemn the world, but everyone you hate, God loves. I’m going to say it again: every single person you’re opposed to politically, God loves them. Everyone in a different sexual orientation, God loves them. What I’m telling you is I’m going to challenge your opinion right now, but when God came into the world, He saw all the mess we would all be in, and He said, «I came to save you, not condemn you.» Okay, the religious people just logged off; here we go. «For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the people might be saved through Him.»
Not through church, not religious activities, but through Christ. That’s why everything we do at this church is for the lost and found for one reason: transformation in Christ. I don’t want you to look at me as a savior; I’m just a tool to point you to the Savior. This is transformation in Christ, and until you get that, the enemy will be able to play you because the people you look up to, when their humanity is exposed, you think somehow God fell off the throne because they did. Okay, 1 John, go to 1 John 3:20, and I’m going to give you a point real quick. God’s whole concentration was sending Jesus for salvation to destroy condemnation. I’m going to say it one more time: God’s whole concentration, the reason He made this plan after we messed it up in the garden, was sending Jesus for salvation to destroy what? Condemnation.
1 John 3:20: «For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.» This gives me so much comfort because even the stuff I haven’t told y’all, He knows all of it, and He’s still greater than everything that has tried to condemn me in my heart. For some of y’all, that should be a praise break because if we all knew who you really are, and the hard drives of crap that you have, okay? And the skeletons you have buried in the middle of Nevada, and all of the things that have happened, not even in your actions but in your mind and in your heart. I said, «I know all of that and I still choose you.»
And watch this; He’s so good, I’m still going to give you a calling. I’m going to look beyond all the little crap and give you a calling. And I came to let somebody know that condemnation is not greater than your calling. I need somebody to hear me say that! Everything that has tried to condemn you, everything that you actually did, and everything that you allowed to happen to you is not bigger than God’s calling for your life. I’m speaking to the depths of your soul who have been believing that God no longer will use you because of what you did, and I came to tell you that God’s position did not change in the universe because you messed up. It honestly makes Him greater that He could take somebody as jacked up and as messed up as me and you, and He can still give you a calling and lift you up out of that place of darkness.
I’m telling you right now, His strength is made perfect in my weakness. That’s why if I’m going to boast, it’s in the Most High God. Y’all hear me! What I’m telling you is the spirit of condemnation comes to make you think that somehow the calling of God on your life is void. I’m coming to speak to that thing that has had you paralyzed for a decade because you had the abortion, and now it’s a hot topic everywhere. Every time you see a post, you dare not tell anybody that in a season of your life—where you didn’t have the emotional tools and the people around you to make a sound decision—you decided to abort, and now it was not an event; it’s your identity. You don’t stand comfortably and confidently when people talk about situations because you feel like you’re defined by that moment.
Today I came to tell you that God still has a call for you. Even if you had an abortion, God still has a call for you. Even if you messed over the opportunity that was supposed to take you from here to there, God still has a call for you. If you went through bankruptcy and you no longer have the clout you used to have, God still has a call for you. He’s not in the cloud; He’s in the callings. Whatever you have been given by God is still valid. But if the spirit of condemnation is what rules over you, you’ll never accept what’s already available. Oh, 2 Corinthians 2:11. The reason I have to preach this today is that I need you to stop getting played by the enemy.
The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:11, «In order that Satan might not outwit us.» That means he’s trying to play you every day! He’s trying to scheme on you; he’s trying to make you think that you’re better than you are. «Oh girl, I’m 60 years old; I don’t deal with that anymore.» Shut up! You’re just older and dysfunctional. You know you haven’t—what are? What are adults? Older kids with more responsibility? What are you talking about? You still complain, you still compare, you still do all that! What are you talking about? You just have a mortgage! If you don’t allow God—no, I’m serious because we do this stuff and act like, «I’m grown.» That’s the worst testimony, to still have that attitude and be grown. You’re still grown and can’t look beyond somebody’s faults? «I’m grown!»
That’s arrogance! As long as you’re on this earth, you will still be learning; you will still be growing. And that’s why I’m saying to you right now that you still need to know the enemy’s playing for you at 65, at 70, at 75. Just because you’re a seasoned saint, don’t think he won’t make some of y’all fall into temptation. You think it doesn’t matter anymore because you’ve lived for seven decades? Okay, let me stop. It says, «In order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes.» I want to know what my opponent is about to do! If I’m playing a game and somebody that used to play for the team comes over and says, «I know exactly what they’re about to run.» It gives us an advantage!
Everybody say, «advantage!» to be able to go on that court or that field and defeat the opponent. We also have an advantage; His name is the Holy Spirit. He’s our advantage. And when we know the things the enemy is trying to do, by God’s word and the understanding of the Holy Spirit, then we gain an advantage. Today, I want to give you an advantage as we break the spirit of condemnation. God gave me a really cool way to illustrate it; He said, «Michael, My people are caught in the cycle of condemnation.» It’s a cycle! It happens over and over. Y’all know how every two years you move from L.A. to New York to Dubai? And every two years, there’s a relationship that takes you out? How have you gone to four different jobs but find the same people at every job?
How come you get to this level in your schooling at this time of the year, and then anxiety and depression hit you because you didn’t get an A on that? It’s the cycle of condemnation, and the enemy is playing God’s people. Today, I need to break it. So we’re going to look at someone’s life who experienced everything from calling to condemnation, and his name is Peter. Peter is one of those people that I really identify with because I feel like I like the gangster that Peter has. I like the understanding of, «Jesus, I’m down for You,» but then there are a lot of nuances that I can see in me that were in him.
So I want us to walk with him from Luke 5:1, and let me give you perspective: Peter’s out living in culture, doing what he normally does, and he has this encounter with Jesus. It says, «When he had finished speaking,» this is Jesus, «there were so many people that came up that He said, 'Hold on, I need a boat.'» He gets in Peter’s boat and says, «Push out,» and he’s in his boat and says, «Push out into the deep water; let down your nets for some fish.» Simon said to Him—and this is Simon Peter, okay? —he said to Him, «Teacher, we worked all night and we have caught nothing, but because You told us to,» because You said so—somebody say «said so"—"I’m gonna do it.» When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to break. That’s a whole sermon in itself; I can’t stay there. But it says they called to their other friends in the working boats to come and help them. They came, and both boats were so full with the miracle that they began to sink.
Watch this: When Simon Peter saw the grace of God— it doesn’t say that right there, but Peter did nothing to earn that type of miracle. He literally was doing it one way, it didn’t work; he obeyed Jesus, did it, and it worked so much he didn’t know how to handle it. When Simon Peter saw this grace, he got down at the feet of Jesus and said, «Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.» Right there, something Peter had done in his past, when he experienced the grace of God, he could not accept it, and that was the seed of condemnation. Did y’all see it? He and all those with him were surprised and wondered about the many fish. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised. Also, everybody was tripping. They were working together with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, «Do not be afraid,» the same thing He tells you with all of your past. «Do not be afraid. From now on, you will fish for men.» When they came to the land with their boats, they left everything and followed Jesus.
I need to let you know about condemnation: the cycle of condemnation never starts off bad; it starts off with the calling. Put the cycle of condemnation up here because I’m going to have to help them. The first thing God is going to do is give you a calling. He said, «I’m going to show you my grace. I’m going to overwhelm you with it, and then I’m going to call you out of that season you were in of fishing, and I’m going to give you something else that’s not going to negate your skills.» He said, «I’m going to make you fishers of men. I’m not going to take away your skill; I’m just going to change your lake. I’m not asking you to become a different person. I want to use everything you did there, and I want to give you a calling that advances my kingdom.»
Oh my God, so Peter is called, but he’s called by someone specific. Can I tell you something? Your parents can’t give you a calling. They will try to direct your calling, but callings do not come from parents. Callings do not come from entrepreneur CEOs. Callings don’t come from—watch this—college. Some of y’all go to college to try to find your calling; that’s not where callings come from. Callings come from one place. Put it up there: when you’re called—no, no, no—put the Lord under «called.» When you’re called, your calling comes from the Lord.
Okay, no, no, yeah, go ahead and put the whole thing up there. I’ll walk through it. Sidebar on this scripture right here: when they threw the nets out there, what they were doing regularly and commonly didn’t work. When they did what God said to do, it worked. Write this down as a point: I don’t know who it’s for; it may be for you. Your common without Christ is an empty catch. Everything you do commonly without Him, you’ll never get anything that nourishes anybody else. If you keep—go ahead, do your little blog, do your little podcast, do your little fashion, do your business—do it without Christ; it’ll never be something that sustains you. There will be no sustenance in it. You will just keep doing it, and it’ll be an empty catch.
But ask God to come in. Proverbs 3:5: acknowledge Him in all your ways and watch Him direct your path. Watch the catch be able to bless so many people that you have to call haters and competition to get some of this because God’s been so good. Sidebar: after this moment, Peter starts following Jesus, and this is where Peter becomes—everybody say «committed.» Because the first thing you will have is a calling; you’ll be called by the Lord. But then you have to be—everybody say «committed.»
And let me tell you something: nobody told me commitment is learned. You don’t wake up committed to nothing, and I don’t know why y’all act like somehow if it’s a struggle sometimes or you have to do it over and over again, or if you have to develop the pattern of it, somehow it’s not real. No, no, no. I’m just learning right now as my son, MJ, is beginning to learn to say words. Let me say it again: as my son, MJ, is learning to say words—that’s a miracle around these parts; that’s a miracle in motion. As this miracle in motion is unfolding, his teacher has to go over and over with him the same thing. Why? Not because he doesn’t want to learn: he’s committed to learning. He has to sit down every day and do it. But sometimes you gotta continue to practice what you want to be permanent.
In church, we don’t talk about this. We act like you get saved and now you’re committed to Christ, Jesus Christ. We act like we’re supposed to step into every situation and have all the answers. No, no, no, no. I’m turning the other cheek. No, I’m learning. Don’t catch me on the wrong day because I’m still learning how to be committed to Christ. «Don’t you go to that church?» I do, but I ain’t the pastor, and I want to give you permission, after you’ve been called by God, to learn how to be committed. Every day, I’m learning how to be committed to my wife. It’s a decision I’ve made, but it’s a practice that I have to display every day.
And so it’s the same thing when it comes to God, and Peter then goes into this season of being committed. Peter was like that gangster committer he might have been the first one to say «Jesus Christ.» I think that is because when they were in the Garden of Gethsemane, he had learned by walking with Jesus to be so committed that he got real zealous. When they came to arrest Jesus—and Jesus already told him it was going to happen—he’s like, «Peter, chill. They come, and this must be done.» «Not on the set, Jesus! I bet you—I wish they would come up off in here!» And he was just standing there like this.
If you’re in the hood and anybody is standing like this, go the other way. Do you understand what I’m saying? Do not mess with them. He was so committed that when they came up, my man was like, «On sight.» Some of y’all, «Becky, on sight.» What does that mean? Is that in a construction environment? No. If someone says «on sight,» it means we’re not talking when I see you. That’s that Michael Jackson. Peter sees the dudes trying to come at Jesus—no words—pulls out a shank, cuts off my man’s ear. Jesus in the back is like, «Oh my God.»
But Peter’s passion was fueled by his commitment. One thing I can work with—this is for every CEO; I can work with somebody who’s committed enough to be passionate. Don’t just find somebody who has the competency; find somebody who’s committed. Peter was committed, and Jesus was like, «I know you’re committed. Let me help you with the ear.» He picks it up and puts it back on. Peter probably had somebody in the back like, «Hold me back, fool! Hold me back!» And he’s ready. He’s like, «Peter, I told you this had to happen.»
But the thing that I take from this is Peter was committed. The first instruction was «follow,» and his learned commitment turned into a fight. Sometimes it’s just gonna be a step. Yeah, that’s good. I don’t really know what I’m doing; I don’t even know if this is going to work, but we walk by faith, not by sight. Peter had learned to walk with Jesus and be so committed that what was a simple follow turned into something that he would fight for. What I’m asking you is, what are you following that you’re willing to fight for? He got committed, and you can go look that up in Luke 24.
And so what ends up happening is I want to just say it in a point: commitment to Christ is learned. Just so that you know, you’re going to have to develop this. Give yourself grace. Oh, but you have the cloud of condemnation over you, so every time you mess up, there’s no grace for that. You know how we know? It’s because of how you judge other people when they mess up. The most judgmental people are a mirror of how they actually feel about themselves. «I can’t believe these celebrities, and if I was…» You’ll never be! That’s why you’re behind the screen commenting on what everybody else is doing; you have done nothing great enough to even be commented on. Your family doesn’t even text you about your stuff.
Let me stop. What I’m saying to you is because of the spirit of condemnation, you would rather be judgmental and critical. We need to do that one cuff to critical. You’d rather be critical of people and not celebrate them, but it’s honestly the mirror that you’re reflecting on others that you actually believe about yourself. So when you started your Bible reading plan and you made it six days on a streak and missed the seventh one, you stopped the whole plan. You ain’t even going back to the plan because you were cold, Morty. You were more committed to the streak than the scriptures. You wanted to be perfect in your performance instead of actually getting the power of the scriptures.
Oh my God. And so what ends up happening so many times is because we won’t give ourselves grace to mess up and start again and try, «You know what, that didn’t really work out? Try this business and work.» We won’t give ourselves the grace; then we judge other people with that same spirit. And all God is saying is commitment is learned.
And let me say this to you because this is something I’ve learned in the last decade: discipline turns into a desire. Discipline never starts out as a desire. Nobody’s like, «Yes! Let me do things I hate! Let me start off my day with the things that make me feel small, little, and incompetent.» No! Anything I have to be disciplined at is because it’s hard to do for me. You know what’s not hard for me to do? Eat ice cream. It’s never been hard to get a pint of Blue Bell. Just run through it—if somebody else wants a bite, never been hard.
You know what’s been difficult for me? Not pulling up at that QuickTrip. I haven’t been to QuickTrip in like four months. That’s the best gas station here in Oklahoma! I used to go to QuickTrip. I got an electric car; why not QuickTrip? Like, I don’t need gas. But I was saying—can I just tell on myself? I plug my car; I don’t use the petrol QuickTrip every day, grabbing things that reinforced my comforts. Things that I ran to in middle school: Starbursts. What a stick of Starburst! I can—ah! I can hit the whole thing!
Color combinations with a Sprite—oh, the magic in my mouth! Y’all gonna act fake up here? Gummy worms—Trolli! Have y’all tried the new fruit punch jump-off? My security brought me some of those. I almost fired him! So good! What I’m saying is even though I’m 35, I always go back to my default of comfort, specifically when I’m under the cloud of condemnation. But I don’t feel good enough; I just want to feel good. When I don’t feel worthy, I’m gonna make myself feel worth it. You know what I’m saying?
And this is how we find ourselves in a lot of positions because we didn’t commit to being disciplined until it turned into a desire. This morning, me and Pastor Charles were working out, and our trainer—I got possessed by the devil, I think—said today we’re doing Mike Tyson push-ups. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but I knew it wasn’t good! And so I’ve learned the reason I need a trainer is because I will not be disciplined if I have to decide what I’m doing. See, some of y’all are in such a leadership position that you’ll never get somebody over you. I pay this person, but I pay him to tell me what to do. The art of mentoring and the art of being trained should be at every level of your life. Every level! I don’t care if you’re the CEO. Somebody should be telling you what to do in specific areas because I gotta be disciplined.
This meant Charles—come here! Let’s show them what we did this morning. Y’all—no, I ain’t never done it in a suit. We still walking sideways! Okay, come on—let’s get down here! Come on! Y’all ready? We can get at least how many? Four? Four more maybe? Five? So he made us put our thing up here, lean up, do a push-up, and then come back into this crouch position. And the whole time, I was thinking, «This is dumb! I shouldn’t be doing this, Mike! You’re a grown man! Get off the floor!» And the coach said, «If you want to see the results, these are the types of things you gotta do.» So me and Charles, guess what we did? You ready? Let’s go! But listen, listen! Oh God, brother, no! He said three more. No, you do! You do it!
Okay, no, no, no. Watch, Charles. I don’t know about you, but if on the platform was the first time we had done that, that would have been a lot more difficult. But because in the dark at 6:30 this morning we were being disciplined, when we got on the platform, even what I thought would be harder was actually—I said four; we did six. And if my kids' lives depended on it, that’s the only reason—all of our kids—all 10 of them. As many kids as you all have, I’d be pregnant right now. I don’t even know! I don’t even know! That baby just keeps popping them out! Really—whoa! But we could have done more because we’ve committed to discipline until it turns into a desire. Okay, okay! So let me give you this next level of the cycle of condemnation: you get called, then you’re committed, and then you get confronted. Life— as long as you live—whatever you’re committed to will be confronted.
See in Peter’s life when they take Jesus from the garden after he gets, uh, plastic surgery to the soldier, and Jesus fixes it. Then they take Jesus away to be tried, and these are the events that happen right before Jesus is crucified. Let me tell you this point because some of you are really committed to Christ until you get confronted. You talk about loving everybody until someone that’s hard to love comes right in front of you. You talk about how generous you are until the 1st and the 15th. See, I don’t care who you are; life is going to confront everybody at some point. Your commitment is going to be challenged, and you say you’re humble? Get ready; your humility is going to be confronted. This is life. I don’t care how much you pray; I don’t care how much you give; I don’t care how many scriptures you know.
Whatever you are committed to will be confronted by life. I’m a man of crazy faith; I have a son with autism. You have faith? Really believe God? Let’s see. Jesus, why in the world would this happen? We live in a fallen world; there are certain things we can’t control, but we can respond. And when Peter gets confronted, something happens, and I don’t know if too many of us would be far from the reaction that Peter had. It says in Luke chapter 24, verse 54, I’m just trying to show you the cycle so we can break it and get uncuffed. Then they seized him—that’s Jesus—and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following, watch this, at a distance.
Oh, be careful how much distance you put between you and Jesus! Three seconds before, he was so committed he cut off the ear, but as soon as consequences came, he started walking at a distance. Be careful when you start claiming Jesus in 2022, and people start giving you consequences, start judging you. Do you become quiet about your faith now, or are you still unashamed? Are you still a 116? Because Peter started following at a distance, and when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Hold on; somebody who was that close and with Him everywhere was able to blend in with everybody else.
Now, okay, then a servant girl, seeing him when he got into the light, looked closely and said, «Look, this man also was with him,» but he denied it. Now, he was just committed to cut off the ear, but now that the consequences have come, he’s confronted with his calling and his commitment. Now, he denied it, saying, «Woman, shut up! I don’t know him!» It reminds me of that meme that says, «I hate to say it; I hope I don’t sound ridiculous. I don’t know who this man is; he could be walking down the street; I wouldn’t know a thing. I’m sorry to this man!» He denied Jesus openly but walked with him privately. Okay, some of you are so ready to pray on the prayer line but won’t invite your boss to your church 'cause you know what they do.
That’s exactly why you should be the hands and feet! Oh, but you’re not on time for work, so your performance practically has taken away your power and presence in their life. This is why we have to live a certain way so that when God calls on us to be His hands and feet, we have not already disqualified ourselves by bending to culture. Character! I’m preaching up here, y’all! He denies, «I’m sorry to this man.» Verse 58: And a little later, someone else saw him and said, «Ain’t you—what’s your name? Ain’t you one of them?» But Peter said, «Man, stop talking to me! No, I’m not!» And after about an hour, still another person insisted, saying, «Certainly, this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.» But Peter said, «Man, you better shut up talking to me! I don’t know what you’re talking about. But you—I’ve got a knife!»
And immediately while he was speaking, denying what he was committed to, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter at the moment he was doing it. I just want to make sure you know I see you in it. I just want to make sure when you lay down, you know I saw you. I just want to make sure you know you don’t have to hide this from me; I know. And this is so deep because Jesus told Peter before this happened, he said, «This is what you’re going to do.» And he was so zealous with his commitment; he was like, «There’s no way, me, Peter, the same one you said the church you’re about to build on my foundation. I’m a solid dog! I got you, JC! Peter for life! JCP! That’s who I am!» And He said, «Before the sun rises, you’ll deny me how many times? Three times, and the rooster will crow.»
He denied him three times; he forgot about it. And then the rooster crows, and Jesus looks directly at him. Watch the revelation: Remember the saying of the Lord—how He had said to him, «Peter, the rooster crows; before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.» And because Jesus looked at him in the middle of his darkest moment, he responded by going away and weeping bitterly. This was the seed of condemnation; he knew Jesus saw him in the actual authenticity of his lie, in the middle of his mess, smelling like everything he had been in. And instead of recognizing the love of God, he chose the lie of the enemy.
Okay, so the cycle of condemnation: you’re called by the Lord; you’re committed, and you learn that commitment by walking with Him. You get confronted in life, and then if you believe the lie, you walk in condemnation. And I don’t know what lie you’ve believed today, and I don’t even know the lie that Peter believed, but at some moment he believed a lie so much that it condemned him. That he went away. He, watch this, he was already walking at a distance; he went further away. It said he went away weeping bitterly because his calling, commitment, and his confrontation made him come to a point where he made a decision, and now he felt that he was condemned. And this for me is the part when he went away weeping bitterly; it’s when I believe in Peter’s life the cloud of condemnation formed over his life.
And this is something that for many of you is the same thing that’s over your life right now. You have seen a situation and you made the wrong decision, and now it’s caused you to think, «God no longer sees me how He used to see me.» He sees me defined by the moment I had. And the cloud of condemnation appears in our life, and it usually starts off really small. You know what? I’m just going to walk through life with this situation, and I’m going to allow it to be something that’s around me. But then I know it’s always lurking. But then it comes, and it begins to get over my life, and I walk behind this thing, and everywhere I go, and everybody that sees me knows there’s something back there, but they can’t see who I really am because I don’t see who I really am.
I don’t know if I’m called to lead; I don’t know if God still has a plan for me; I don’t know if God is going to use me; I don’t know if everything that is going on right now will ever change. Because I’m still walking under this cloud of condemnation, and the thing is, the longer you stay up under it, that’s how people start to know you. Some people have never even met the real you because when they met you, you still were hidden behind the cloud of condemnation. They don’t even know that you’re a person of joy because you forgot you’re a person of joy. They don’t even know that you have a strong calling and you’re prophetic and that God uses you in all kinds of situations. They don’t even know.
Why don’t they know? It’s because you’re hidden behind the cloud of condemnation. Can I say it to you in a point? Condemnation always wants control of your life. It always wants control! The reason it comes into your life is because even if it’s a sunny day, it wants you to feel like it’s raining. Even when God blesses you, it wants you to feel like it’s nothing compared to how He blessed them. And, matter of fact, you probably shouldn’t enjoy it; you shouldn’t even celebrate it because you don’t deserve it! Jesus! Some of y’all, God has blessed you so much, and you have still not accepted the favor and goodness of God over your life because you’re walking under the cloud of condemnation.
An enemy is playing you like a video game day after day, making you feel unworthy. There are job positions you should have applied for, and you have all of the credentials and all of the skills, but you won’t even fill out the application because you feel like somewhere along the way, you did something that was too bad to deserve an opportunity like that. What if I fail? What if I mess up? What if I succeed should be your idea. What if God is with me? What if God allows the windows of heaven to open and a blessing be poured out that I don’t have room enough to receive? That’s my right as a child of God! When the cloud of condemnation comes over my life, I walk with this thing everywhere. I’m writing a book right now, and I’m working on helping people walk through damage.
I feel like God’s called me to bust open this myth and lie that people that God uses at a high level somehow came out perfect. And I want to use everything. When the spit hit the fan earlier this year, when God healed me of that moment, He said, «Michael, now I want you to use it in real time. I want you to tell this story. All of the next book you write, I want you to use it, not 15 years from now. I want you to get up and I want you to share what I did for you, and taking all the damaged areas of your life from childhood all the way to now.» And I’ve used it for your destiny. He told me, «The value is still in you, even though people may think you’re damaged goods. The content on the inside of you is still good, and if you would put it in the hands of a master, y’all, I’ma preach this thing! I would take every damaged thing and turn it into something that would be for your destiny.»
So, I’ve been writing this book, and the spirit of condemnation tried to come over me as we started writing this book. How in the world are you about to share the reality of everything that’s happened to you and with you and you decided to do? And God began to say, «Michael, I called you to do this because there is no freedom if there are no truths.» I’ma say it again. You cannot think that you’re going to actually be free, and there are still secrets. Freedom only flourishes in truth! So, right out the gate in the second chapter, I talk about how I was physically abused at age six or seven by a neighborhood boy—quiet because this is happening in black communities everywhere. I know nobody says it. I don’t know anybody. Just a boy in the neighborhood awakened things that were never supposed to, and I knew it was wrong but had no language.
It happened to me. It wasn’t something I went seeking out. At that moment, the cloud of condemnation started to form over my life. And what happened from that point was something that I repressed so deep that I didn’t even remember it until four years ago. I haven’t told anybody about it. Literally, we were in the middle of a series called «Damaged Goods,» and I was asking all the people to just go back in your memory and remember the things that God’s delivered you from, just dumb up here. And I just wanted you to think about it and just ask the Holy Spirit to bring it back to your memory and bring it to the feet of the Master. And I was in here one day, and the sound man was playing worship music, and the Holy Spirit just hit me like a ton of bricks. And I got overwhelmed, and I started crying, and all I knew to do was either to hide or heal. I was already the pastor of the church!
Oh, y’all thought this happened before the ordination? So I can make sure that I’m a man of God that’s worthy of the Word? No, no, no, no! God says, «I’ll heal you in layers. I’ll keep doing the work if you would just let me do it. I’ll keep doing it!» I’m the pastor of the church, sitting right here at the altar. I literally canceled the rest of my day, and I had to run to the arms of my wife, fearful, not knowing how she would judge me. This happened to me, but I don’t know. Now that I’m caring, as I’m thinking, I’m crying, I said, «Now, I’ve got something to tell you.» She’s like, «What, baby?»
And I told her what happened. And in that moment, God used my wife as an extension of God’s love on this earth towards me. And she said only three words: «It’s not your fault!» And when she said, «It’s not your fault!» it was like a dam broke on the inside of me, and I wept at 31 years old like a six-year-old because from the point of offense all the way until the spirit of condemnation was broken, it had been stored up with all of these emotions that the enemy still had. Now I know I was addicted to pornography; now I know why I was chasing these feelings, and now I know why. It’s because that spirit of condemnation said, «You have to prove that you’re not gay. You have to prove that something’s not wrong.»
I’m saying things that nobody else is going to say, but I’m going to tell you this whole thing. As God began to break that thing off of me, freedom came to my life, and I realized I wasn’t damaged; I was made for destiny. I realized that if the enemy can’t shut me up, he’s going to tear this whole thing apart with my testimony. I am a living witness of the goodness of God. Condemnation tried to control me, but I found Christ; in whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Until we get this real in the church, people are going to be living these fake, bound, cuffed lives. If I have to go first, and if I have to sacrifice the platform to tell the truth, I don’t care—today I’m free! Oh, I felt that today—I’m free! You can’t tell me nothing I haven’t said; I’m free. It must be exhausting to continue living in hiding.
The reason I have to confront this thing is that condemnation is the deepest root. It brings forth negative fruit in our lives, like all of the fruit that we see. We try to deal with that, but condemnation is deeper than what your physical body is dealing with. Scientists are now saying that many diseases and afflictions are connected to stress, but stress is still not the deepest root of where our pain in humanity comes from. It’s spiritual. Can I show you a picture real quick? We’ve got to get out of here. Put up the root of condemnation. I hope when you see this it never leaves your mind because it changed my life. This is the root of condemnation. If you can see at the top, all of the leaves are dying. Can you put up what those are? See, these are the leaves of our life: sickness, broken marriage, poverty. Everything on the surface that we see is always attached to a root.
What the church does many times is we start cutting the leaves, hoping that better ones will grow back. We go to different churches hoping that the environment will help us. We move to a different city, stop following certain people, and start following others, but we never address the root. So it keeps coming back. But even when you go to the root system, everything that happens—this is where science ends—they say it’s because of stress. That’s why we have calming apps that tell us to take 15 seconds and breathe a few times, and we’re just breathing. But even getting healthy doesn’t heal your soul. Your physical health will not confront the traumas that happened to you as a child.
Where science ends, they’ve started to look at the Bible, and the Bible says there’s a deeper root than stress. Guess what it is? Fear! They’re saying that all of these things—poverty, sickness, depression, anxiety—are formed by stress, but stress is a response to fear: fear of the future, fear of failure, fear of not being good enough. And do you know what the root of fear is? Put it on the screen—condemnation! This is the big root; it’s the taproot. If we pull this up, fear can’t live, stress can’t live, poverty, brokenness, anxiety, depression—it can’t live. What I’m telling you right now is this thing of condemnation was the first thing that the enemy tried to tempt Adam and Eve with. Remember what it was? Put this back up; keep it up there.
I want you to see that all of their symptoms came because God said, «You messed up. You walked out of my will. Now you’re going to have stress; you’re going to have to work.» I never meant for you to have stress; I meant for everything to be provided for you. But why did stress come into the picture? It’s because they exhibited fear and hid when they should have brought it to God. Do y’all remember when they messed up? When they made a mistake, it didn’t change their identity—it was an event, not their identity. But they believed the lie of the enemy. So what did they do? In fear, they went and hid.
Maybe Jesus won’t see them—the only two humans on Earth—and they became fashion designers, making swim trunks and bikinis for the first time out of leaves. But why did they do that? The fear was because of condemnation. They thought God was trying to keep something from them instead of keeping them for something. They believed the lie: «If you eat this fruit, it’s always counterfeit. He doesn’t want you to know something that He knows.» And as soon as they bit the fruit, condemnation, fear, stress, and all of the sicknesses we have in this world entered in. What I’m telling you is that when you’re in Christ, you don’t have to live like this; you have another choice.
Peter had another choice when Jesus looked at him. He could have run to Jesus and said, «I messed up. I’m sorry; forgive me.» But he believed the lie of the enemy and ran away from Him. And guess what Peter went to do? Can you guess? He went back to what was comfortable. Can I say it to you plainly? Condemnation always pushes you to what is comfortable. He spent three years walking with Jesus, learned all kinds of skills, but guess what? He went back to the place where Jesus found him. If you live in condemnation, when you go away from God, you don’t go to better places—you go back to the place you were in when God came and found you. You go be comfortable in gossip, comfortable in sex, comfortable in being feisty in business, comfortable in being passive. Whatever you were doing before Christ, that’s your default setting.
You know when you’re playing a video game and you die, and it makes you start over again? That’s where we go when we believe the lie of condemnation. Peter goes back fishing in John 21. It says Jesus dies, rises, and comes back to encourage His disciples. I’m giving you a lot of Bible right here. In John 21, verse 1, it says, «Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.» He went to the place where Peter found himself comfortable. Isn’t it amazing that God, in His grace, will come find you? This is how it happened: several disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas, nicknamed the twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee. They were all there.
In verse 3, it says, «Simon said, 'I’m going fishing.'» He went back to what was comfortable. Keep preaching, Pastor Mike, but I have this cloud of condemnation over me, so I’m going back to the drink. I’m going back to the relationship. I’m going back to weed. I’m going back to pills. I’m going back to lying. I’m going back to hiding. I’m going back to ice cream. I’m going back to what is comfortable. And Jesus calls out and says, «Oh yeah, y’all are doing that net thing again? How’s it going for you? You’ve gone back to what’s common without me. How’s it going?»
Verse 7 says, «Then the disciples caught a bunch of fish, and the miracle happened again.» It says then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, «It’s the Lord.» When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he was stripped for work) and jumped into the water and headed to the shore. Hold on! What were they doing on the boat? Catching no fish again—it’s a repeat of where Jesus found him. That’s why we’ve got to read so much more of the Bible, y’all, because there are patterns.
The same exact scenario—you will find yourself in that same exact scenario so that God can prove to you from that spot He can still use you. They’re up there casting their nets, not catching anything. Jesus says, «Cast on the other side again.» Rerun—the miracle happens again. And this is how Peter knows it’s Jesus: «I’ve seen this before; that’s Jesus.» And instead of saying, «I did that one time before,» he runs toward Him, even if it costs him something. It doesn’t say he rowed to shore; it says he jumped in the water. I don’t even understand this! He put on his clothes to jump in the water—he wasn’t even trying to swim right. He just thought, «I have another opportunity. Let me go to Him.»
Because when I have another chance to get it right with Jesus, I’m not going to run away; I’m going to do everything I have to do. And this man runs to Jesus! Oh, I love it! Jesus makes breakfast on the beach for them. This is what the Bible says. Then He asked Peter a question. I need you to tune in right here. After breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, «Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?» What did He ask him? «Do you love me?» «Yes, Lord,» Peter replied. «You know I love you.» «Then feed my lambs.» How do we know we love Him? Because the last moment they connected, the last time I saw you, you had believed a lie. So I’m now accepting your love, but the last moment was a lie. You’re still asking me about love when the last time you saw me, I was caught in a lie.
I’m saying it over and over slowly until it hits you. God will ask you about love even when He caught you in a lie. Okay, just stay with me. «Yes, Lord,» Peter said. «You know I love you.» «Then take care of my sheep.» A third time He asked, «Simon, son of John, do you love me?» «He asked me a different question, Jesus. I told you I love you!» Peter watched this and was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, «Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.» Jesus said, «Then feed my sheep.»
When I began to look at how many times Jesus asked, «Do you love me?"—one, two, three—it was the exact number of times Peter denied Him—one, two, three. He was not asking for information; He was trying to give Peter (and all of us) a revelation that every lie can be replaced with love. One, two, three—God said, «One, two, three.» There’s no lie you believe that I don’t have enough love to cover. Some of y’all should be rejoicing! He was hurt over what was healing him. It was Peter’s opportunity to receive the love and replace the lie.
All God was trying to do was give him an opportunity: every time he lied, replace it with love. Let me just say it plainly: how do you break the cycle of condemnation? With love. Condemnation is fueled by a lie; conviction is fueled by love. So, Pastor Mike, are you just telling us to go do whatever we want? No, you missed it! When you’re called by the Lord and learn commitment, you face confrontations in life. If you believe the love of God, when you mess up you’re convicted, not condemned.
When Peter and Jesus locked eyes, it was not for condemnation. If he would have believed that Jesus really loved him, he would have felt conviction, and the Holy Spirit can fix us so we will make right decisions based on what we’ve already committed to, fulfilling our calling. It’s one big circle.
But if at any moment you believe the lie where there’s supposed to be conviction, the enemy will convince you of condemnation. So today, what are you saying to me, Pastor Mike? In Christ, we were never supposed to experience condemnation, ever. But we are supposed to experience conviction. When Jesus looked at Peter, he was supposed to be convicted. That’s why Romans 8, verse 1 says, «So now, look at this chapter 8, verse 1. This is how to live a life in the Spirit. So now there is no condemnation.» Everybody say «now.» No condemnation. Say it again—"now, no condemnation.»
I don’t care what you believed before, but in Christ: «Now, there is no condemnation.» So now there is no condemnation for those who belong by faith to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit freed you from the power of sin. The reason the enemy doesn’t want you to get this is because sin, in most of your lives, is the most powerful force; it’s not the Spirit. Sin has more control over your actions than the Spirit does.
And God’s saying, «How do you make sin powerless? You believe there’s no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.» The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. Because of this humanity, it says, «So now God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have, and in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice.» Remember talking about the blood of Jesus? This is where it comes in right here. It was a sacrifice for our sins.
He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature, but instead follow the Spirit. I thought about it: how many times did Peter deny Jesus? Help me! How many times did he deny Jesus? How many times did Jesus ask Peter, «Do you love me?» How many days did it take Him to defeat death, hell, and the grave? It was almost as if He said, «You know what? I’m going to put an end to this condemnation thing forever, and it’s going to take me three days to defeat death, hell, and the grave—everything we’re scared of, fearful of. But I’ve not given you a spirit of fear; I’ve given you a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.»
One translation says Jesus conquering the grave produced the grace for your greatest mistakes. Those three days conquering death, hell, and the grave produced the grace we would all need to be able to live this life and still make mistakes. That’s why Romans 5:20 says, «Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound; but where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.» Somebody shout at me: grace! Say grace! That’s the unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor and kindness of God. Somebody say grace! Where sin abounds—one, two, three—grace! Much more abounds—one, two, three, four, five. Pastor Mike, give me a practical step to this! I’m so glad you asked for that.
After we’ve been in this sermon for an hour and 35 minutes, let me tell you: you watch movies this long all the time, and they don’t help you. They actually make you feel more condemned because you think you should be living that life. But God said, «I have a better life if you would be content.» Okay, let me give you a practical tool. When I was uncoupling from the spirit of condemnation, something that God told me to do a lot was take communion. I was like, «What?» He said, «You’ve got to understand that the practice—write this down—of communion conquers condemnation.»
Could you bring out my example real quick? It says in 1 Corinthians 11:24 that most of us miss the reason why we do communion. You think it’s a ritual; it’s not something that we do as a ritual. I’m going to prove it to you. He sits the disciples down and says, «I know you’re going to have to still live on this earth, and you’re going to mess up and make mistakes. So I’m going to give you a practical practice that you can do every single day—if not when the church calls it, not when you have the little cups and the wafers and the grape juice and the little styrofoam— I don’t know how they think that’s bread, but it is a styrofoam cup—like a little skinny styrofoam you’ve been having us eating.» He said, «But as often as you do this,» read, everybody say remember!
So when I’m feeling condemned, I need to remember what Christ has done for me. When I’ve made the mistake, I need to remember my identity in Christ. I’m a joint heir with Christ Jesus; I am the righteousness of Christ. When I’m doing the wrong thing and have gotten into a pattern, I need to remember the promises of God—that He has a plan for me, not to harm me, but to prosper me. And Jesus said, «I need you to—everybody say—remember.» In 1 Corinthians 11:24, He says, «And He gave thanks to God for it, then He broke some bread into pieces and said, 'This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.'» Let me put it in a point: communion is not a ritual; it’s a reminder. Oh, that’s nasty! Church has made it a tradition! «Are you not holy? What’s wrong with you? It’s communion!»
Let me come up. People took something that God used as simple as, well, what are they going to do all the time? What are they going to do? Eat! So since they need to eat all the time, let me give them a simple reminder. When condemnation tries to come and find them—probably three times a day—that three somethings: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Every time I sit down to eat, I can remind myself I don’t have to live under condemnation because any man that is in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold! Aha! Abracadabra! Everything has been made new!
So let me demystify communion for you. I need you to know if you just have baguettes at your house and big pieces of bread, before you sit down and eat this week, I want you to break some bread and remember Christ being whipped 39 times, taking lashes, and being nailed to a cross. His body was broken for you. And I want you to take some grape juice—Welch’s, my favorite—and I want you to taste it. I want you to remember His blood that was poured out for every one of your sins so you do not have to live in condemnation.
Now, this is how some of the older saints like to take communion, but can I also tell you what God honors? French fries and a Coke! Oh! And a McDouble! I haven’t had you in about a year and a half. You can literally take this, and I know something else that’s sacrilegious! It’s not about the ritual; it’s about remembering. God, as I break this fry—see, y’all, some of y’all are so churchy. God, at this moment, I made a mistake this weekend. God, as I break this fry, I remember Your body broken for me. God, as I break this pretzel, God, I remember Your body broken for me. As I remember this Gatorade—since I’m a soccer mom and I’m taking it—you can be in the middle of the field serving your children and feeling like nothing, and God says, «Take that pretzel out of that 99-cent bag and break it and remember my body, and take that Gatorade and take a sip, and remember I quenched the thirst you would have for the rest of your life.»
Take the Oreo! Some of y’all would take communion every day, but break it and remember His body. Take the milk, pour it; it’s not the ritual; it’s about remembering. I’ve taken a Rice Krispie treat before. It’s been years—eight months. There’s only freedom and truth. Okay, okay! When the enemy tried to remind me of what I did, I reminded him of whose I was, and I defeated condemnation with the simple spiritual act of communion. What are you saying to me, Pastor Mike? Some of y’all need to be taking communion every day! That cloud of condemnation has been so over you that you literally cannot remember the last time you felt chosen, loved, regarded by God, and today He says, «I haven’t changed; my love for you hasn’t changed. Your ability to remember what I did for you has!»
So take communion, and as often as you—He didn’t say every Sunday, He didn’t say with your small group or your church; He said, «As often as you need this, do this in remembrance of me.» And I’m telling you, you want to break the back of condemnation in your life? Remember what Christ has done! Somebody ought to give God a shout of praise in this building! Oh, come on! If you’re going to remember what Christ has done for you, it’s over! What uncuffs you from the lie of condemnation? The love of Christ! If you’re going to be uncuffed—because some of y’all, we can keep doing the series for the next ten weeks, and you wouldn’t be able to receive any of the promises of God because you still think that you’re not worthy! But somebody say, «In Christ!» When you get your life in Christ, He uncuffs you from condemnation! The only way you live in it is if you choose to link back up with it.
So, Pastor Mike, can you put that wheel back up there real quick? What are you saying to me? What you do at that last part is going to determine how you live your life. You are called! Somebody say, «I am called!» And somebody say, «I’m learning commitment!» Life will confront, but I will believe love. Because when you believe love, condemnation can’t come in. When I believe love, conviction will come in. It’ll change you, make you feel like, «Oh, I messed up! I need to change some things, I need to submit myself, I need to get more accountability, I need to do this!» But it happened, but I’m not it—what are you saying, Pastor Mike? Replace the lie with love! If you don’t take anything from this, replace the lie with love today! God, I did my best to communicate Your love to Your people, and I’m asking right now that You would wash over Your people and there would be no more bondage, that the chains would be broken over people. Father God, I’m just believing right now—yeah, I feel Your presence coming and invading the lies right now.
Come on, just right now, lift your hands up! Because there’s no more bondage! I feel like God is about to break chains over your life; He’s uncuffing you right now! He’s uncuffing you from the lies you believe, the condemnation you’ve been living under—that cloud that has kept you weighted down! Right now, God is breaking the chains, He’s now removing the stains, He’s now removing the shame, He’s now removing the pain. Father, right now, we are declaring there is no more bondage. Father, that every chain is broken! Father God, that whom the Son sets free is free indeed! God, let us believe that You shared with us through Jesus Christ and no longer believe the lie! Heal us from the inside out!
I feel the presence of God! Somebody just lift your hands and say, «Holy Spirit, work on me!» Yup, yup! Because right now you’ve got to give Him permission! Right now, He’s going to start doing things on the inside of you that are going to change the lot of love! You’re going to feel joy again! You’re going to be able to get the ability to come out of laziness and being lethargic, and you’re going to have passion again! God is renewing, restoring, and redeeming—so there is no bondage! Every chain is broken! There is nobody; receive this over you right now! Jesus said, «No guilt and no shame, all my stains!» And there is something happening! Sing that again; just lift it up in worship! Something is happening right now all over the world!
Come on, somebody say: «Ever!» He’s uncuffing you right now from everything that has tried to condemn you—the divorce, the mistake, the thing you did on purpose. He said, «When you’re in Christ, I’ll take all of that. There’s no guilt and no…!» Yeah, something’s happening! Y’all, come out here! Let’s sing this just a couple more times! Just lift that up! Come on, lift your hands, lift your voice, and say, «There is no bondage!» Something is happening! The presence of God is washing over you; receive the love of God! Jesus Christ! Just one more time, thank You, Father!
If there has been a cloud of condemnation over your life, and you want that chain broken or you want to be uncuffed right now, hands lifted all over the world in this room right now, I’m about to pray for you. And by faith, there is something about the shift in your mind, in your heart. You are not what you did; you are not what happened! Yes, it was your fault! But you are not a failure! God is about to redeem and restore every damaged area; He’s going to use it for your destiny if you would bring it to the King.
Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for every person that has been living under the lie of condemnation, and by Your Spirit today, I thank You for a revelation that changes, that infuses love where there has been a lie! We curse the lie, Father God, that has come even to some of us since a young age! Father, I declare that the truth of Your Word is that we are redeemed, that we are restored, that we are righteous—not by our performance, but by our position! God, I thank You that the bondage of condemnation is broken over Your people today, and I declare that we would never confuse conviction and condemnation another day in our lives! Give us the proper view of You! You’re not a God that came to punish us, but You’re a God that came to discipline us so that we can be disciples and see everybody come to You! God, I thank You that there’s nothing You wouldn’t do to get to us right now! Father God, I thank You that Your love is overwhelming us! Yeah, even as tears are flowing, even as you’re remembering things from the past, God is saying there’s nothing—there’s no shadow—yeah, He’s coming after you! Coming after me! He loves you that much! Somebody say, «There’s no wall You won’t kick down!» Let us believe, Father God, like never before! God, we thank You for Your love! I don’t understand!
If you’ve never accepted Jesus and His reckless love for you, today I want to give you the opportunity to no longer live cuffed to condemnation; I want you to live in communion with Christ. That’s what Peter had on that beach—he said he had common union with Jesus! He remembered where Jesus found him and how much grace was extended to him—from his business all the way to his life today! God’s saying, «Would you let me commune with you? Come in the common union, and would you receive this love I have for you?» In just a moment, we’re going to pray, and I believe that there are people that are uncuffing from condemnation. But you cannot do it without being in Christ! Any man who is in Christ, he’s a new creation! Doing this without Christ is going to come up with an empty catch!
Today I’m asking you: do it God’s way! According to Romans 10:9, He said all you have to do is believe in your heart, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He died for you. Repent; all that means is to turn. I was fishing on this side of the boat when Jesus said to turn and fish on the other side. When you repent, that’s when the miracle happens. Today, I want to give you the opportunity to accept the love of God. I don’t know what denomination you come from, what your big mama told you, or what you saw on some televangelist TV, but God is in love with you. There’s no wall He won’t knock down, no mountain He won’t climb up. He has been trying to get your attention for years; you’re just good at the cutoff game. Your cutoff game is really strong, but God won’t stop pursuing you. Today is just another opportunity, and may I submit to you that today is the day of salvation.
This is the greatest decision you could ever make. It took me from being a liar, a manipulator, somebody who was addicted to pornography, and someone who dealt with trauma and abuse. In God, when I gave it to Him, He took all my damage and wrapped it up into something that I get to share with you every day. It’s part of my destiny now. I’m free because I found Jesus. I don’t want you to live bound another day. So today, would you accept the free gift of salvation? The thing I love about it is that it’s free, so that nobody’s works could pay for this. It doesn’t matter if you were born into the right family, if you have the right skin color, or if you’re Democrat or Republican. He said this is the free gift of God to every person. I’m sorry that people tried to make you pay for what God made free, but today I’m offering you the free gift of salvation, and all the payment required is faith.
So today, on the count of three, if you’re saying, «Pastor, I want to be included in that prayer. I want to receive grace through Jesus Christ so I no longer live with the cloud of condemnation,» I just want you to lift your hand on the count of three. One: you’re making the greatest decision of your life. Two: I’m proud of you, but more than that, your name will be written in the Lamb’s book of life, and you will start a journey with Christ that is going to transform you forever. Three: shoot your hand up all across the world. Yes, there are people everywhere. I don’t care if you’re watching this on rebroadcast or if you’re in the room right now; God said today, right now, this moment. Somebody say now. He’s changing the spirit of condemnation that’s been over you, and you’re adopted into His family. You’re a son, you’re a daughter; your identity is changing. At TC, we’re a family, and nobody prays alone. For the benefit of all those who just gave their lives to Christ, I want us to pray this prayer together. Everybody say:
God, thank You for sending Jesus for the final payment for all my sin. Today, I receive the grace of God. Today, I believe in the grace of God, and today, I surrender. I believe You lived, You died, and You rose again with all power just for me. I give You my life; change me, renew me, transform me. I’m Yours! In Jesus' name, Amen.