Michael Todd - The Mystery of a Miracle
Today, I hope it blesses you. We are in week four of a series we are calling «Worship on the Word,» and I heard someone say it. I was just trying to see if y’all were going to do it. I’ll try it again for y’all: we’re in a brand-new series—no, not brand new; we are in week four of a series called «Worship on the Word.» Wow, there you go! I love y’all. Our prayer at the end of this series is that people will be in awe; they would say wow at what God does in their lives with an understanding of what worship is. I say it all the time: it’s not just the two slow songs at the beginning of church. Worship is our lifestyle. We even have a definition: worship is our love expressed to God as a response to His grace towards us. What I want everybody to do is to worship God not just on Sundays. What does your worship look like throughout the week?
If you cannot identify your worship unto God throughout the week, I dare say you don’t actually worship Him. If your worship is only once a week when the mood is right, it may not be worship—it may be the atmosphere or just my feelings. But when you worship God by the way you love people, when you worship God in how you give generously—not just to the church, alright? Because anytime y’all hear the word «give,» you think someone wants money. I’m talking about when you know you’re supposed to give that waitress a tip for the meal you ate, but in your heart, you’re selfish and thinking about another pair of shoes that are a different colorway than the three you already have. God was trying to work His character into you, and instead, you left a common tip instead of what they deserved when God was trying to stretch you through generosity—not just in church; He was trying to teach you how to worship Him.
What I’m asking the church to do is to worship the God who performs miracles. No, no, no, that’s important to say because most of us believe that God can do great things; we just probably think He won’t do them for us. The truth is, many of us do not believe that the things that happened in the Bible can actually happen today. They are historical stories that seem to be somewhere between Narnia and reality. You think it’s an episode of «Bridgerton» or something. You have more faith in a made-up story than in factual scientific evidence.
For some reason, we believe the things that happened back then were meant for back then, and I came to say today that we still serve the God who performs miracles, signs, and wonders in 2023. As we release the song «Miracles,» I thought, alright, I’m going to preach a message on miracles, signs, and wonders. God, I need you to show me the formula for miracles. I’m going to give the people the formula so they will never forget again not to believe this. Sometimes I pray because I want it so badly for y’all. I understand miracles; I’ve seen miracles, but how do I export the faith to believe in miracles into somebody who is depressed and hurting? So, I just want to show you right now. Lord, give me the formula.
When I was praying about this, I started to look at the 37 recorded miracles of Jesus in the New Testament. I realized Jesus was just waking up in the morning, just going around, healed, healed. Hello, my name is Jesus, healed! It was like He was on a rampage of healing. He said, «I only have three years to prove to y’all that I am the Son of God.» So, how am I going to do this? Should I hold seminars? Should I build a building? No, I’m just going to go about my regular life, transforming people’s situations in front of others. I’m just going to heal the person who was mean, mad, and crippled. I’ll walk up and say, «Be healed,» and then I’ll walk off.
They’ll be like, «Jerome, hold on! I don’t know—He’s got to be the Son of God because we know Jerome, and Jerome is the worst of the worst—a jacked-up liar, cheater, heartbreaker, like the whole thing! He’s transformed!» And from town to town, Jesus would do miracles in people’s lives, and that’s how the gospel began to spread. He healed blind Bartimaeus, the crippled man who was lowered by three friends into the house in front of Jesus, and Jesus healed him. He walked out of there with the mat he lay on to see Jesus; the demon-possessed boy, the feeding of the five thousand—all these miracles! I’m going through this, and my faith is being stirred. I’m like, «Okay, God, you’re going to show me in the Word a formula to give to your people so that they can believe for miracles.»
Then the Holy Spirit stopped me. He said, «Michael, I can’t give you a formula.» I said, «God, why can’t you give me a formula?» Because that’s how people learn: two plus two equals four. We didn’t all go to the same school, but because that formula works, we all know it. So, give me a formula! He said, «I can’t because if I give you a formula—watch this—this is the title of my message: it takes the mystery out of the miracle.» Today, I want to teach you the mystery of a miracle. See, it’s not a miracle if there isn’t a mysterious part of it. It can’t be a miracle if you can explain it. So now, with that definition, some of the things we’re believing for aren’t miracles; they’re plans we need to implement. Some of the things you’re like, «I need God to make a miracle,» no—you need to start saving money and stop eating out. We don’t need a miracle to budget; you need discipline.
Oh, some people are believing, «I just need a miracle in this area.» He said, «No, you need accountability in that area.» The miracle requires something that no one else can do. A miracle has an element of mystery that only God can step into. The problem with giving a formula is that if I give you a formula, it would take out faith. If it was guaranteed every time that if I stood like this, prayed like this, sang «Good Good Father,» and turned three times in a circle, God would perform a miracle, then everybody would be like, «Oh, that’s what it was.» That’s what church would be, and it wouldn’t take faith because we would have a formula. God said, «I’m not doing it the same way I did it before because if I did, you wouldn’t need faith to believe in Me.»
The reason a miracle cannot have a formula is that it requires faith. If we had a prescription for a miracle, it would take away His presence. If we put it in a system, it would take out His Spirit. So many of us are believing for a miracle, and God’s saying, «I’ll give you a miracle, but you have to embrace the mystery.» You will need to be okay with the tension of Me saying, «Do this,» and you don’t get it; «Go here,» and why. Embrace the mystery! «Go talk to that person.» «I don’t know them!» Embrace this; you will not see the miracle on the other side of the mystery if you do not obey the instructions that don’t make sense.
I’m believing for a miracle, and I’m embracing the mystery of God. How is God going to do it? I have no idea. Sometimes it’s got to be that clear, y’all. What are you praising God for? The breakthrough He’s going to do—when is He going to do it? I don’t know. How is He going to do it? No clue! Where is He going to do it? I’m waiting to find out as well! But I am wrapping my whole faith around the fact that the character of God is that He has good for me, and there is something on the other side of my embracing the mystery. I don’t get it! Why am I in Tulsa? Why the heck am I a pastor? Why did you give me a son with crazy faith and autism? I have to embrace the mystery of a God whose ways are not our ways, and whose thoughts are not our thoughts. As high as the heavens are compared to the earth, He says, «My ways, the way I’m thinking about this, the whole way I’ve got this thing rigged is so far from the way you think—it’s about to happen!» So, instead of trying to figure it out, you need to trust and have faith.
Oh, I feel this! I came to encourage you. What God is about to do has to include an element that no man can explain. The level of miracle that God’s about to do in my life has to have an element that nobody gets—how in the heck did I get to this arena? Nobody understands it because it was a miracle! God is saying, «I need My church to believe that there are doors that only I can open; there are things that only I have for them. There are mysteries, treasures, and ideas, and things, but it’s not going to be what man thinks it’s going to be.» Why? Because if man does it, man wants credit. If man can explain it, then man gets exalted, and the whole purpose of us having faith in God is so that He can be exalted. So, write this point down: every miracle requires mystery so God can be magnified.
In this next season of my life, the reason I’m just standing in crazy faith and embracing anything that God tells me to do—in the face of adversity, in the face of comments, in the face of whatever—is because when God does it, when He stands up strong and says, «I’ve been with him the whole time,» it won’t be because I did something great; it will give God all the glory. He will be magnified. Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us that the secret things or the mysteries belong to the Lord. There are mysteries that God is saying, «Boy, if they only knew what I have planned for them.» They are sad because they’re 30 and not married yet. Oh, if they would just embrace these next two years, really get healed, and dive into their purpose with Me, they’re going to look up and see that every year the canker worm thought he stole from them, I will restore back to them.
You’re mad because they’ve been married for 10 years and unhappily married for 10 years. But what you’re about to have, because you did the work on the inside of you… y’all don’t hear me! You better embrace the mystery of God. We want to talk miracles, then we’ve got to talk mystery. This is not about what I can plan; I don’t want my plan; I want His mysteries to be manifested in my life. Okay, I’m talking too big for some people right now, but the Bible tells us that the mysteries belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever. Can I break that down? There’s a mystery that God wants to bring—a miracle in your life—but after it manifests as a miracle, it’s no longer a mystery. Now you have revealed truth of what God wanted to do, and now you can pass that miracle to your children and your children’s children.
The truth of the matter is, most of our forefathers and parents did not walk in miracles, so they left us empty-handed. You don’t know how to believe God because you never saw the people before you believe God and walk in miracles. I am grateful for parents who believed God. This is what I’m telling you: if you didn’t have them, become them. Y’all miss it! So many times, we take the victim card. That’s why I’m gentle right now, because I’m not having any of that. Let’s believe God for a miracle that He can restore everything that has been broken! But if you didn’t have them, be the ones who start a lineage of people who believe God for miracles.
Alright, let me keep moving. Okay, so God wants the mysteries to be revealed in our lives, but we need to believe Him. Somebody shout «miracles» for me real quick. Y’all didn’t shout it with faith; say «miracles.» Okay, question: if someone is baking a cake, what is the foundational ingredient you need for cake? Flour! It doesn’t matter what cake it is; you need flour. When you’re believing God for a miracle, the key ingredient you need—the foundation no matter if it’s carrot cake or pound cake or, oh Jesus, red velvet chocolate—is that we need flour. In the miracle you’re believing God for, no matter if it’s salvation for a loved one, healing for your body, or forgiveness for past sins that you haven’t forgiven yourself for, okay, okay, let’s talk big now, whatever the foundational ingredient is—watch this—faith. So many people are believing for miracles without faith.
So today, if we’re going to believe God for miracles, tonight we’re going to have a night of miracles. Miracles don’t happen without the ingredient of faith. It’s kind of like Big Mama cooking the recipe, and what I’ve found is that people before 1980 didn’t write anything down. I don’t know how they knew exactly what they were doing, but they never wrote anything down. They had a recipe, but they didn’t have a measurement for all of it; they just had the right ingredients. The more you work those ingredients in, the more you put faith with expectation—speaking the word of God—the more you know that leads to a little more faith. I don’t know! Don’t put your doubt in! No, no, don’t put your pessimistic perspective on this! I’m believing God for something that’s got to happen now! I need my expectation to rise, and I need God to do something. When you get that, it takes the pieces of our lives—the pieces of our situations—and puts them together.
Write this point down. Well, let me tell you a story first. Yesterday, because I want you to get it, I just saw a way that you could see it. Yesterday was my youngest daughter’s birthday; Gia turned two years old. That’s Daddy’s baby princess. We call her Joy Baby. So, one of the things that my wife has an issue with is buying too many toys for our two-year-old. One of my responsibilities is to put together the stuff that she buys. Fathers, stay strong because some of these contraptions seem like they are designed by the devil.
Now, if you’ve never done this before, you have no idea what I’m talking about, but it looks like it comes with a million and fifty little pieces. What they really could have done is put it together for us and put it in a box that would have been fine for our children to enjoy, but no, what do they do? They break it down into a bunch of pieces and then call us to have an argument with our wives about it. No, this seems personal! I need a counselor! What I’m trying to say is Gia got something yesterday, and in the fine print, it said «assembly required.» I started to think about all of the pieces in that box. Without those pieces, having something to put them together stays something that is useless until there is somebody who actually takes the time to assemble it. What God told me about miracles in your life is that it’s not just that some assembly is required; some faith is required for this next thing to come together. All the pieces, God’s going to say, «Would you just have faith that I can pull those together?»
Write this point down: Faith puts the pieces together. If we’re believing for miracles, I believe that God is saying, «I want faith to rise in this place.» Why did I just sing about miracles so many times? Why was I saying let faith arise? It’s because this season of your life is going to require less acting like everything you believe God can do and actually doing it—having faith to believe. Hebrews 11:1 says, «Now faith.» Now, this blesses me because one of the lines in the song that we kept singing is, «I have faith to believe you have all that I need.» Say the first line: «I have faith to believe.» Say that one again: «I have faith to believe.» Without faith to believe, the miracle signs and wonders don’t happen. So Hebrews 11:1 tells you the first thing that you need is not just faith, but everybody shout at me: «NOW faith!» Shout it like it’s happening now! Now!
Okay, so what are you saying to me, Pastor Mike? Most of us have how faith and not now faith. Like, how is God going to do it? How is He going to make a way? How is He going to see us through? We came out here on stage, and then God is saying, «I didn’t say how faith; I said now faith.» Somebody say «now!» That was not two seconds ago, two years ago, or two months ago; it’s right now! So what are you trying to say to us, Pastor Mike? Hear me: the disappointment of your past faith does not disable your present faith.
So many people won’t believe God again because they believed once before, and the how didn’t work out like they thought it would. So the how faith is eroding their now faith. I came to let you know, you could have been disappointed in the past, and you can still have big faith right now. Somebody’s faith needs to be sparked again! «I believed and it didn’t work out like I thought it would. I believed, and they still left my life. I believe God was giving me a different instruction that I didn’t understand.» But I’m coming to encourage somebody that your faith right now is the thing that’s going to change your life. Your faith right now is the thing that’s going to change the generational patterns in your life. Somebody shout at me: «NOW faith—believe again!» That’s a whole word for somebody—believe again! Try again! Hold on! Try for the first time! Your mama used to have faith, but you never actually stepped out on faith. Your daddy was a person of prayer, but you never actually used your faith, and God’s saying, «When’s the time?»
«Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.» Oh, this is the H word! See, even if it didn’t happen last time, the reason that I have to teach this message is that the thing you were believing for wasn’t the thing you were robbed of when it didn’t happen last time. The thing you were believing for was not the thing that you were robbed of. The enemy won because he robbed you of hope. Dang! That is nasty! He wasn’t after the miracle; he was after your hope! Because if you stop hoping, you take away the gas of faith. You missed it because faith is the substance of things.
So if you don’t hope, you can’t have faith, and most of us do not have faith because we stopped hoping. You stopped hoping your marriage would work. You just stopped hoping you would lose weight. That’s who I am. I mean, they love me how I am and where I am! No, no! It’s just because the last time you had a bad trainer, and they discouraged you. It was your life circumstances converging with your insecurities, and it didn’t work the last time. The enemy did not rob you of health; he robbed you of hope!
So now it’s been 15 years and you’ve stopped hoping to be healed, hoping to use the gift that God put inside of you. You went to that one church that one time, and they made fun of you because you couldn’t say «Mephibosheth.» And now I’m talking about real stuff! You couldn’t say «Mephibosheth,» and they were actually jealous of the gift that was in you—unrefined—and so they discouraged you to the point that you didn’t lose that speaking engagement. You lost hope! And now, you’re in here, and we’re talking about miracles, and you can’t even get revved up at all! Because for miracles to happen, the foundational ingredient is faith, but to have faith, you must first hope. All I came to let everybody know is hope is helpful! You can hope when you wake up in the morning that today is going to be a good day.
I know the last 62 have been horrible, but, Father, I feel your grace and your mercy. They follow me! I thank you that today, I hope—I hope today I don’t cuss people out! Y’all don’t even hope anymore! I hope today my anger doesn’t get the best of me! I hope today I walk in integrity! The reason that you can’t is you don’t even have any bumpers! Ain’t nothing even stopping you from what you don’t even want to do, because you stopped hoping. You want a miracle? Start with hope! I hope this year is the last year I’m in financial pressure. No, you’re begging for something you should be hoping for! «Lord, please!» Like that doesn’t take any amount of expectation that something is going to change. Somebody say «hope» again! Say it again—"hope"—again!
Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for. In a world full of cynicism, ideas like the glass is half empty, people thinking the world is going to hell with a pessimistic perspective everywhere, you need to become what the Bible says is a prisoner of hope. If I’m going to be chained to anything, I’m going to be chained to hope. Today might be the day! This might be the moment. I believe it’s going to turn around. Somebody say «hope!» Zechariah 9:12 is where that’s found. It says, «Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope.»
I can hope that my marriage will make it; I can hope that my kids will know Christ; I can hope that I will be healed. Father, I thank You that You would allow hope to become an ember in somebody’s soul again right now! They have been literally desolate, and they haven’t thought that anything good could happen. Father, I thank You that You would unlock hope in them again this week, this moment, this day. I thank You that they would hope their situation turns around. Father, ignite their faith with hope! Hoping is free! Hoping doesn’t require some long list. Father, they can just close their eyes, and with the gift of imagination that You’ve given us, they can hope that they’re running a successful business. They can hope, Father God, that their children have forgiven them, and they’re walking together for next Christmas. Father, let hope come back to Your children in the name of Jesus!
We’re talking about miracles. You can’t have miracles without faith, and you cannot have faith without hope. Mark chapter 16, verse 17: «And these signs will follow those who believe.» So in the song, we say, «I have faith to believe You have all that I need.» What miracle signs and wonders? What will follow? Follow me! I wish we’d have put in there that they follow the people who believe. They don’t just follow people! Miracle signs and wonders are only tracking people who believe they can happen.
So in a service like this, when people think, «Oh, this is just emotionalism for you,» it will be! They’re just super—okay, cool! If you don’t believe, it will not happen for you! You can still be here, but if you believe, it says the miracle—hold on—where are the believers at? Where are the people that think God is literally saying? Where are the people that believe I can turn their situation around this week? I don’t need a year to do it! I don’t need a doctor to do it! I can do it for you! Do not let any person rob you of your belief! Do you know how many times people have told me it’s impossible? Thank God you’re not God, because the God I serve says with man it’s impossible! Oh, but with me all things—oh y’all, you better get away, because you’re hyping me up! Somebody say «all things!»
This is why if your family doesn’t believe, let them have it! Stop trying to convince people of the core ingredients for miracles that God can do. You’re wasting your breath! You’ll see the fruit of my miracle! You’ll be asking to drive it! You’ll be asking to spend the night in it! We’re wasting time. That’s the purpose of the miracle, because once God does the miracle, that’s when unbelievers be like, «Well, I mean, hold on, what?» The Bible even tells us the purpose of miracles is for the unbelief. Y’all don’t read the Bible! The reason God wants to do a miracle in your life is that they may not understand the faith—the hope, the fuel—but they’ll understand how they were astray.
Merry Christmas! Ho ho ho! They were! And how in the world are they celebrating 15 years of commitment to one? That’s a miracle! That’s when cousin Jun be like, «Hey, me and Trisha, we’ve been together like 22 years, but for real only been faithful like two weeks.» Oh y’all, these are real stories! Stop! I know you’ll be on that Jesus stuff. Some of y’all are so religious, you can’t even take people where they are. I know you’ll be on that Jesus stuff, and you know, I’m more of a, like, you know what I’m saying— the universe brings the things that we need when we need them. Why is it that the most undedicated people try to get the most deep? You know, because we’re from the earth, the dirt, the sky, the moon, the birds. Okay, okay, and they really be like, but at some point, the miracle you walk in becomes the message.
What I’m saying to you is maybe it would be, it’s more important that you become the miracle than trying to explain how you’re going to see the miracle. Okay? Okay, somebody say, «I believe.» Okay, so if the miracle signs and wonders are attached to our belief, something I realized—write this down—miracles don’t take massive faith; miracles take a moment of faith. I just need to help people because when people see me, they go, «You’re the guy. Crazy, I’m walking crazy faith 24/7.» Oh, y’all didn’t want me to be real? I don’t walk around like, «Yes, today God is going to heal MJ.» There are days that I look up and think, «God, leave!» You know what? I’m going to say it anyway. Just, if you want to, then no. Okay, y’all want to be fake. This is every day. I’m just like, «Oh, coming up to another year of school.» He did good, but is he ready to go to the next grade with his teacher?
God, I have another child. She’ll be starting, and her development is right on schedule. Like, why couldn’t you have—how am I supposed to explain to Gia when she starts asking, «Well, why?» and «Bobby, how?» I’m not hyped every day to get up in the fight of faith. That crap is tiring, but all it takes is a moment. Sometimes I’ll be in the gym, and I’ll be down, and the Holy Spirit said, «You know I gave you a word about your son, didn’t you?» I forgot. You taught me by a certain time he was going to be completely— and in that moment of remembering, it still takes my faith to start hoping again. Hold on, maybe we need to get MJ another facility. He can have his own school. Like, maybe it starts— like, no. Y’all miss it.
My faith starts; I’m going to look at property. Like, maybe MJ’s place is a thing and maybe his deficiency is going to become something for other children on the spectrum. Maybe you’re using— Oh, y’all don’t hear me. Mo, you know I’m telling the truth. Maybe all things are working together, but it doesn’t take massive faith, just a moment. And sometimes y’all have been robbed of the massive things God can do because you won’t have faith for a moment. Oh, there’s a misconception that faith has to be massive. Matthew 17:20 says Jesus said to them, «Because of your unbelief.» This is why the miracle didn’t happen in heaven. The disciples tried to cast out a demon, and it didn’t really work. The demon was like— «And the disciples like, 'Oh.'» And then it was like, «Come out in the name of Jesus!» and the demon was like, «No, I’m going to kill you.»
So I was like, «Right, we’ll be right back. We’re going to go get our manager.» No, that’s not what happened. It’s like, «Jesus, we have a disgruntled demon at the counter trying to figure out— can you just get him out of there?» And the demon was like, «Ah!» and the guy’s like «Ah!» Then later, I’m just showing y’all— and then they’re back at the house, eating some Chick-fil-A, and they’re like, «Jesus Christ of Polynesians, um, how did you do this?» Now he’s speaking to the disciples. So Jesus said to them, «The only reason it didn’t happen is because some of y’all were in there doing the actions, but you didn’t really believe it would work. It was because of your unbelief.»
Like, you went in there and did the motions. Uh, who can you— you did the Mortal Kombat finish him! Y’all did the moves, but there was no power because there were some of y’all’s like, «This ain’t gonna really work in Jesus' name.» And then while we’re laughing, that’s how a lot of us do. «Let’s pray, but make sure you have OxyContin on deck.» You don’t really believe the miracle is going to happen. Where the Bible says two or three can touch and agree, you don’t really believe it. So it’s like, «Get the Oxycontin!» God works through medicine too. Yeah, he does work through medicine, but did you even really try to believe for the healing? Just praying doesn’t mean you believe the prayer is going to work. There are so many people who pray with unbelief every day. It’s a ritual; there is no revelation in the prayer, and so I’m challenging us as a church.
Really believe! He said the demon didn’t come out not because y’all can’t cast out demons; y’all just didn’t believe it could happen. «For I assuredly say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed,"—uh, sunflower seed too, big! What’s the smallest seed? If you had the faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to something massive, like that mountain, «Move!» and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. It doesn’t take massive faith; it takes a moment of mustard seed faith for you to see— somebody shout, «Me a miracle!» You can have a moment of faith, and it moves something massive.
So write this down: a moment of faith can move something massive. And I need you to hear it like that because some of the things you’re facing are huge. Some of the things we need God’s intervention on are things that are so big that it honestly overwhelms us to even pray about it. Okay, can we be honest? Some of y’all, the emotional stuff that’s going on inside you, you don’t even really like—you don’t really express to God what you really desire and need because the situation with your mama is just overwhelming. So then you just start saying stuff like, «The thing with Mom.» Because if I start to get down into the weeds of this and where the offense actually happened and how it stunted my growth in my teenage years and how I resented them in my 20s and how I’ve been faking since I was 35, and now that they’re sick, I’m supposed to act like I care— every time they call, I hate it. It just becomes overwhelming, and it’s just like the mama thing.
What do I pray for? Just let’s get some specificity in here. Like, just your will. God’s saying my will considers your words. And I need y’all to hear me say this— God chooses not to do anything on Earth without the participation of his children. And so why I’m trying to get you to believe God for miracles is because your miracle may be in your mouth. Oh my God! The reason the enemy has had you so discouraged is because when you don’t hope for something, you won’t even say it out of your mouth. There are things that you need that are in somebody else’s hand. They don’t know you need it because you’re not even hoping for it, and you won’t even release it out of your mouth. The miracle is not far off; it just needs to be identified so that somebody that may have the support—okay, you remember how I was talking about how faith—me and Natalie got to a point in our journey with MJ where we were stuck.
We didn’t know where he was going to go to school. They wouldn’t accept him in public school because of his delays. We didn’t know what was going on, and the Holy Spirit told me to go to this Maverick City concert. We went to the Maverick City concert here at Victory, and Chan saw me in the front and he was like, «Will you come up and pray?» At that point, honestly, how I was feeling was, «Hell no! I do not want to pray.» No, can I be honest? Just because I’m a pastor, me and Nat had been crying and arguing earlier that day. She didn’t want to come to the concert; I didn’t want to come to the concert. But the Holy Spirit said, «Go to the concert.» Then we tried to sit in the back. «No, come to the front!»
I didn’t want to sit in the front. I wanted to sneak in the back, and I wanted to not be me. Ah! I didn’t want to be the person of faith; I wanted power. Can I be honest? I’m like, «This is not freaking fair! And you’re going to do all this stuff?» And then someone remembered a moment of faith. I had said, «Let’s have the man of God come up and pray.» Thanks, Chandler Moore! And then I came up, and because I’m authentic, I had to share where I was at. I said, «Today I’m hurting, I’m frustrated. My wife is in the front, crying because we’re believing God in faith.»
Well, just by me doing that in the moment, I had no clue that the young lady who had a master’s degree in special education came in the door five minutes before an hour after the concert had started and sat in the back. The Holy Spirit had already been telling her that she was supposed to quit her job and come and serve our family by helping MJ progress. I’m up there mad, and God’s working a miracle. I’m out there a mess, but God’s working a miracle. I’m about to shout! I’m up there misunderstanding the sovereignty of God, and He’s working a miracle. That young lady said that was the moment she knew she was supposed to quit the job. She went and put in her two weeks' notice, having not even talked to us yet. I know what God said. That girl came into our house and started working with my son. Within three weeks, he was potty-trained after six years of peeing and pooping on himself.
Figuratively, I’m going to tell you a real testimony today. I’m talking about the baby can spell yellow, blue, red—he can count money now! There’s somebody who shouts with me for a miracle. It’s a miracle! Shout at me—miracles! And we’re still in the middle of it. Now watch— I want you to see, the miracle is not finished. A miracle is what I need for the next step to a miracle. And that’s why the enemy would love to rob you right now of hope because so many of us have made so many steps forward in faith. We’ve made so many steps, but if we stop here, if we quit here, if we give up here on our journey of sobriety, if we stop here on our process of purity, if we stop here, we miss out on the fulfillment of the promises of God that He wants to give to us. Okay, all right, let me just finish in 10 minutes.
Here we go. The lyric of the song says I’m not enough, but just one touch is more than enough for a miracle. So a moment and touching Jesus can change everything! It made me think of the woman in Mark chapter 5, verse 25. Let me read it to you and then we’ll go home. A woman in the crowd had suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years, she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched His robe, for she thought to herself, «If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.»
Immediately, the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone from Him. What? So He turned around in the crowd and asked, «Who touched my robe?» His disciples told Him, «Jesus, with all due respect, look at the crowd pressing around you. Everybody’s touching you. Who touched me?» Man, He—look! He’s losing it! But He kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell on her knees in front of Him and told Him what she had done. He said to her, «Daughter, your faith—your what? Not your facts, not what all the doctors told you, not your family— your faith has made you well.» Not even touching me! You missed it! He didn’t say, «Your touch.» Your faith has made you well.
Now go in peace; your suffering is over. The reason for the miracle is that your suffering be over! Okay? So, so, so remember, I’m talking about the mystery of the miracle. So let me give you just three things right here. This woman had the mindset of a miracle. She had expectation, and watch this word—anticipation! These are two words that you need for the miracle mindset.
Can I show it to you in Mark 5:28? «For she thought to herself.» She’s sitting there bleeding. «Jesus is coming to town.» Jesus! I thought—I said Jesus! Who’s coming? You’re talking about the man who heals people. «When is He going to be here today?» Okay? She’s not with the crowd of people. She said, «Hmm, what if I get close enough to the one they call the healer—not to have even a conversation? If He is who they say He is, all I have to do is touch (what’s touching Him). All I have to do is get close enough to touch the hem of His robe.»
She thought it to herself. Her thoughts made her get up in pain. She probably looked crazy to everybody else. She might have had to start earlier to anticipate where they would be because she couldn’t run at the same pace as everybody else. But her expectation and anticipation put her in position for a miracle. If you’re not expecting it and you’re not anticipating it, don’t be surprised when it doesn’t happen! All right? Expectation plus anticipation equals—no, not a miracle—action! See, the miracle requires you to do something. What if she would have heard about Jesus and stayed in her place of pain? There’s no intersection where she touches Jesus. Most of us have stopped moving because we’ve stopped hoping, we have no faith, and so we don’t have expectation and anticipation. Today, I want you to get active! Whatever you’re expecting and anticipating, do an action this week to prepare for it!
You’re believing your debt is going to be paid off? Start an account and deposit as much as you can. Start a free one and just label the account «Money to Bless Others.» My expectation, paired with my anticipation, is now propelling me into action. Some of y’all are supposed to write a book. Get the document and save it as «My Book, Chapter One.» And if it doesn’t say anything else, y’all will miss it; it’s more than you did last week, and honestly, it’s more than you will do in the next 10 years if you don’t take action. This woman had a mindset of miracles. The other thing that she had—just jot this down—miracles require movement. If you are going to see the miracle, just move. «Well, I want to release an album.» Release a song. Forget the album because, at this point, it’s too overwhelming to do that. «Well, I want to start a non-profit.»
Serve at somebody else’s. «Well, I want to become a fashion designer.» Clean your room up. Let’s just see what clothes you have. You’ll start finding things you didn’t even know you owned. It’s because you’re disorganized. If you want, let me be honest with you—everybody shout at me, «Move!» The action is a sign that you actually expect something. But she wasn’t just moving towards anything; she wanted a miracle, so she had to find the maker of the miracle. The maker of every miracle is, watch this, Jesus! Say His name. Say His name! I don’t want you to think this is just about positivity—moving toward your purpose or going towards the great things planned for you by the universe. No, no, no! Miracles come from a maker. This woman didn’t just touch any rabbi’s robe: she probably tried it, though. The Bible tells us she did many things trying to get healed. She probably tried random wild stuff—"put the smoke over me» and «throw the herbs on me.» But she decided, «I’ve got to attach my hope to someone I know has a track record of miracles—the one who keeps doing them.»
Somebody shout His name—Jesus! She said she had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched His robe. The miracle is going to happen when you move towards Jesus! Shout His name! The Rose of Sharon! Shout His name! The Lion of Judah! Shout His name! The Lamb of God! Shout His name! Wonderful Counselor! Shout His name! The Mighty King! Shout His name! The Everlasting Father! Shout His name! The bridge that stands between me and God. Where I no longer have to come to somebody and offer up a bull, through the blood of Jesus, I can now have a real relationship with God. Shout His name! Everlasting God! Shout His name! Prince of Peace! Shout His name! Way maker! Shout His name! Miracle worker! We’re not attaching our faith to a concept or an idea; we are attaching the miracle to the miracle maker, and His name is…
Okay, listen, Pastor Mike, why are you telling us this? Because I believe miracles are about to start erupting in this house! No, no, I’m not just saying that. Remember I told you we’re going to worship on the word? Part of that is worshiping with understanding. You’re going to be in the presence. Some of y’all are going to come back tonight at six o’clock. We’re going to have two hours of just unrestrained worship. Whatever happens, happens. We’re going to pray; we’re going to love. But, in those environments—and as you create them in your home—what’s going to end up happening is the miracle worker is going to give you instructions. He’s going to tell you to cut certain things off. We won’t talk about that yet. He’s going to tell you, «Hey, this is what I need you to do,» and your obedience to move towards Jesus is going to create miracles that no man could do.
See, this is the crazy thing about miracles: when you receive a miracle, miracles start multiplying into other miracles. Y’all remember when Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand? It would have been a miracle if He just fed the disciples. If I were one of the disciples and He asked for the fish and the loaves from that little boy—the little boy’s Long John Silver snack pack number two combo—I would have thought, «Hold on, everybody, we need to eat to replenish ourselves to minister to the world.» It would have been a miracle if just 12 people ate! The Bible records that when the miracle worker starts moving, it is in His nature not just to do a miracle for a select group of people. When the miracle worker starts doing miracles, it jump-starts somebody else’s faith to believe He can do a miracle in their life.
The disciples didn’t just eat; the Bible records almost 20,000 people ate that day because one miracle multiplied! I believe that miracles are about to start popping off in this church in a way that will inspire other miracles. If you don’t have faith to believe it, sit there, but if you have faith to believe that we’re walking into a season of miracles, somebody’s faith should be erupting right now. This is a sign: my family will be healed! My family will be safe! Sit down, sit up; don’t get comfortable yet. It’s about to start popping off in here right now! Miracles are happening at my job! Miracles are happening in my home! Miracles are happening in my heart! Miracle seen and unseen! Because the crazy thing about this story—the story of this woman getting healed—is the miracle inside the miracle. It’s a multiplied miracle! I told y’all to write down the point: the multiplication of miracles.
I want you to because this is what I believe is going to happen. The truth of the matter is, the only right reason that Jesus was going through the city where this woman was located was because Jairus, an official, had come to Jesus and said, «Will you come to my house? My daughter is dying.» So Jesus is on a miracle mission for somebody else. But somebody else’s miracle intersects with my miracle too! And because—oh, I feel the presence of God! —He was walking to heal somebody else, this woman had the audacity to move towards Jesus. She hoped today would be the day. After 12 years of disappointment, after 12 years of being broke, she still hoped today, «If I just touch His robe!» She touches the robe, and as soon as this woman is made whole, word comes that Jairus’s daughter is dead.
Now you may be thinking, «Oh, I’m the woman; I’m getting healed from touching this robe!» But the truth is, some of you in this story identify more with Jairus—someone who has seen God heal everybody. And while He was healing everybody, the thing you were believing for died. How do you think Jairus felt to watch this miracle unfold for this woman and think, «All right, Jesus, well done. Why are you turning around and looking at her? She was already healed! You said yourself you felt the virtue leave you!» Keep moving; I’m the one who came and got you. She’s the beneficiary of my faith; I’m the one who called you. And now you want to sit around and have a conversation with her? My situation is dying, and you’re being compassionate towards somebody who’s already healed.
Word comes—Mark chapter 5—while He was still speaking, «Why are you still talking to her, Jesus? She’s fine now; they probably have kids!» I’m the one having miscarriages. I’m the one on IVF. You give them another child; they’ve got a vacation home, and we’re staying with my mother-in-law. I’m faithfully serving and giving and sowing, and you’re still talking to her? And the messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, and they told him, «I’m sorry to inform you, sir; your daughter is dead. There’s no use in troubling the teacher now.» Now this messes me up every time because their first thing was not to grieve with him; it was to tell him, «Don’t bother Jesus anymore.»
People who do not believe like you do will often discredit your Savior when your situation looks dead. «Stop going to that church! Stop believing in God! I guess all your prayers don’t work.» Why wouldn’t you grieve with me? Why wouldn’t you speak life into my situation? They think somehow a dead situation discredits our living Savior, and this is where most people give up. They believe the lie: «Yeah, I guess God did fail me.» Watch this! Despite what they said, Jesus is still speaking to this other woman, saying, «I’m so grateful, yes, God bless you.» I mean, «Yes, hold up! God bless you. I’m still coming. Just hold on; I’m still coming to your situation. I know they said she’s dead, but what I want you to do, Jairus, is this: Don’t be afraid, just have faith! Don’t be afraid!» Right now, I know what they just said. «Don’t be afraid; just have faith!»
You can’t have faith if you don’t have hope. So what He was telling him is to hope that He is about to change this situation. I know it seems crazy, but just start hoping right now! Every step is a step of hope that turns into faith. That’s why the scripture says, «We walk by faith and not by sight.» Every step they took, they were telling him she was dead, but every step Jesus gave him structured instruction to believe she’s living. He literally told them, «She’s just taking a nap!» Now, a midday nap is good for everybody. When you hit past 30, a 45-minute nap is like being resurrected! Drooling and all! He says, «She’s just sleeping!» The intersection and the interruption are intentional. God did not want to just heal the sick girl; He wanted to resurrect her! They wanted healing; He wanted a resurrection.
So He scheduled the healing of the woman with the issue of blood just long enough to let her die so He could say, «She’s just sleeping!» It was intentional! What you are seeing as an interruption may be God intentionally setting you up for a miracle that nobody else could do! Maybe the intersection of leaving behind your stuff, being messy, having people not seeing your true value—maybe all of that is a beautiful setup for God to not just heal something, but to bring something back to life! What is more of a miracle: something that’s breathing being healed or something that’s dead coming back alive? He says, «What I’m about to do in your life is going to give Me a lot of glory, so the dead things are about to come back!»
I’m talking about a miracle! That intersection that you think is the hardest thing in your life may be an invitation to a miracle. Get it in your mind: what is that thing that you’re like, «God, how in the world are You going to do this?» He says, «Watch Me work! Watch Me work!» This is why we have to embrace the mystery of a miracle! Everybody say mystery! Put it on the screen: the mystery! The truth of the matter is, nobody likes a mystery. I want concrete; I want sure! What if every time you went to a restaurant, they had a mystery dinner for you? Somebody’s like, «I won’t do it!» Just think about it: what if every time you went to turn on the TV, you didn’t have a remote? It’s like a mystery show! With our lives, God wants mystery! «But that’s scary!» But when I started to see that the mystery, if we embrace it, separates the mind right there, yeah, my theory… But if I change the «E» to an «O,» the mystery becomes my story!
Oh, and if you want to see a miracle, somebody say, «You’re looking at a miracle!» Every mystery of my life becomes my story that gives Him glory! When I embrace the mystery, I’m actually embracing the miracle that will turn into my story. You may not have been there when I didn’t understand it, but if I embrace what only God can do, it turns into my story that gives God glory! And today I’m inviting you into the mystery so your story can be a story of miracles! The reason my wife and I have chosen to share our journey openly is because we’re in the middle of a miracle. It’s challenging, and people say, «Why do you always share that story?»
The Bible says we overcome him—the one who tries to suggest to me to lose hope—by the blood of the Lamb—that’s what Jesus has done. But I have a part in it too: it’s the words of my testimony. Today, my son is sitting in service on his iPad with his headphones on, trying to keep his sensory needs together, hopefully not bothering too many people. I want him in the atmosphere of miracles! I don’t care what anybody else says! No one touch! I feel the presence of God in the atmosphere where faith is rising! MJ can be a modern-day miracle! It’s not just from the Bible; it’s for today! You don’t have to believe it, but one day I’m standing boldly and someone asks, «What if it doesn’t happen?» Then God chose for it not to happen, but it’s not because I didn’t believe! Without faith, it’s impossible… and you’ve already stood at the finish line of your problem, saying what the end is going to be, you’ve not exercised any faith.
I’m telling you right now, this church will be a church of miracles, signs, and wonders, but it starts with us having faith to believe. Standing everywhere today, I want to invite you to embrace God in the middle of the mystery of your miracle. Today, God, I believe You. Hands lifted everywhere. Father, I thank You. Oh, I feel the presence of God today! Somebody’s faith and belief have been reignited. Now, miracles can happen. Before, it was just a song we were singing, but now we have the ingredients — we have our hope that fuels our faith and our faith that now fuels the miracle. So now we can sing with understanding as we worship on the Word. I have faith to believe; I have faith to believe! You have all that I need. Miracle signs and wonders!
Come on, lift it up; say, «I have it!» It’s starting right now. I don’t have to look anywhere else; it’s in Jesus. Well, I feel the presence of God! Addiction is no match for Jesus. The pornography addiction is no match for Jesus. The addiction to substances or food is no match for Jesus. Depression is no match for Jesus. Death is no match for Jesus. Grief is no match for Jesus. I have faith to believe; You, miracle signs and wonders! So if you need a miracle in this house, I need both hands lifted. All right? Yes! If you’re at home, lift your hands right now. Oh, I feel the presence of God! Today, you have been equipped to believe for the miracle for yourself. You don’t need Pastor Mike to pray for you because you can hope. So we’re going to do it right now. I want you to close your eyes and begin to hope for what you’re believing for. Yep!
God, I’m hoping that my whole family will be saved. I’m hoping that there would be intimacy and transparency in my marriage. Come on! I’m hoping that You would heal my brother. I’m hoping that You would heal me of the trauma of my past relationships, so that I will be ready to walk into the one You have for me. Come on, just hope for it! I hope that I can’t be angry anymore. I hope that You’ll allow the gifts that You placed inside of me to impact somebody else. God, I’m hoping that I can get healthy. Come on, whatever it is, God, I’m hoping that You would allow me to walk in security instead of insecurity. Oh, hope is coming into the room; I can feel it! God, I’m hoping that You turn my career from something I hate to do to something I passionately love to do. God, I’m hoping that You mend the brokenness between me and my children, who are not in contact right now. I’m hoping that You take the name that You’ve given me and that people have tried to smear, and I’m hoping that You use it for Your glory. Come on, whatever it is, just hope! Hoping that You transfer the wisdom that I need to raise these kids. God, I didn’t have a father, and so now I have to be a father. God, give me wisdom! I’m hoping, Father, that You would turn this aggression into an anointing. Come on, just hope! Father, I’m hoping that You would take this jealousy and turn it into generosity. Father, You hear Your children all over the world hoping, becoming prisoners of hope. God, I thank You that the miscarriage is not my last attempt. God, I thank You for being a restorer. Heal my body; heal my mind. Come on, you can hope for it! Heal my emotions, the trauma that happened to me. God, heal me of the consequences of the abuse I inflicted on others. Father, come on right now, let’s pray real prayers! I’m hoping healing is happening right now. Father God, by Your Spirit, I thank You that now You are turning our hope into faith; that we believe that if anybody has the power to do it, You can do it! Ah! Your Word speaks the faith that moves mountains. Father, we don’t have to have massive faith; we just today are creating a moment of faith, that You’re changing our situation, and however You want to do it, we’ll be faithful to believe You. Father, I thank You that crazy faith would arise in this room and all over this world. Father, I thank You that now the miracles that You want to do, You can do, because we supplied our part — hope and faith. We expect, we anticipate, we’re going to move this week and do our part, but God, we step back from the part we cannot make — a miracle. Only You can! So we embrace the mystery of how You want to do it, when You want to do it, and where You want to do it. You’re God, and You’re God all by Yourself! Teach us to help You with that; all You need us to do is supply the faith, and we have started hoping today. Our faith now is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things that are unseen. God, I thank You that the mysteries are becoming miracles.
Oh, I felt that! The mysteries — how is God going to do it? I just know that He works, and it’s going to become a miracle! Just one more time all over — can we lift this up? I have faith to believe! Just lift it up, say, «I come on with faith!» Say, «We’re looking to Jesus!» Just one more time, trust You God, You’re going to use everything! You’re looking at a miracle! Somebody needs to get faith because you’re in the middle of it! But the fact that you’re here — look at somebody and say, «Neighbor, I want you to know something!» Tell them, «You know everything that I’ve been through? The fact that I’m still here, the fact that I still got praise on my lips — the greatest miracle you can have is accepting Jesus.»
So right now, if you’re in this place or you’re watching online and you want to experience a miracle right now, the miracle of salvation is the miracle that Jesus provides for every single person who would believe. I know culture tells you, «You need to clean up. You need to get out of this. You need to stop that.» But Jesus says, «Come to Me, all who are weary, and I’ll give you rest.» You’re tired of carrying the load of life by yourself, and you want to put your faith in someone who literally will walk with you through every situation and lead and guide you into all truth. I want to introduce you to a man named Jesus. He is our salvation. He is the greatest thing that could ever happen to us. He is the answer, and He took me from being a liar, a manipulator, and somebody who was addicted to pornography.
It didn’t make me a perfect man, but it made me a progressing man. Right now, there’s somebody listening or in this room who your life has intersected with this moment. You don’t even know why you’re watching this right now. You don’t even know how you ended up here right now. It may be your anniversary; it may be your friend who sent you the link, but God is saying right here is the intersection of your life and your miracle. And all you have to do is make a move.
On the count of three, if that’s you and you want to make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior or you want to come back to Jesus, I just want you to shoot your hand up in the air, bold and strong. Hold on! My sister didn’t even wait until three; she said, «I gotta do it now!» One, two, all over the world, three — shoot your hands up! Oh, I feel the presence of God! Transformation Church, this is what we believe you’re looking at — a miracle! Oh, you’re looking at a miracle! See, you at Transformation Church World family, nobody prays alone, so would everybody just lift your hands and say:
God, thank You for sending Jesus just for me. Today, I accept the mystery of salvation. I believe that You lived, You died, and You rose again just for me. And today, I surrender my life. I give You my past; I give You my present; and I give You my future. I repent, and I turn to You. Take me; use me; change me; transform me. I’m Yours! In Jesus' name.