Michael Todd - Overflow from Obscurity
You’re a father to the Father, all right. First thing I have to say is I love this church. There are many places that would quench what the Holy Spirit wants to do because they’re trying to prove something to people, but I can’t change you; my words can’t change you. It’s when the presence of God comes in, sir, and He speaks to your individual heart in your individual situation. Sometimes He uses me, sometimes He uses the music, sometimes He uses a greeter, sometimes He uses the person sitting next to you, and sometimes He uses the person on the couch with you at home. However God wants to speak to me, I’m ready to receive it. For us to come here today, and God wanting to minister to fathers, that wasn’t just a «Happy Father’s Day.»
Somebody’s heart started to be put together again in that prayer, and somebody else’s healing journey began because they felt something that needed to get out of them. I’m grateful for this house. Grateful for this church. I have 29 minutes to preach this message, and I can do this. I do hard things every day. Welcome to week nine of a series we’re calling—somebody say «Living in the Overflow.» In the Overflow. Say it with a little SL swag, y’all. Say, «I’m living in the Overflow. I’m living in the Overflow.» I felt a burden from God to teach you how to do this. I don’t want us to sing a song we don’t live. I don’t want us to proclaim things that we have no idea how to possess. I’ve been in churches for decades that claim one thing that nobody in the church has. I said that’s stupid for us to come to this place every week and be declaring by faith when we don’t actually see it in our hands.
When I talk about living in the Overflow, I’m not talking about things. I’m not talking about things, watch this—only. I’m talking about a mindset. I’m talking about the ability to get everything in this life that God has ill-marked with your name on it. There are connections, relationships, ideas, books, and gifts that have your name on them that are still sitting in places that God has not been able to release to you because you’re not ready to live in the Overflow. You’re still dealing with things that are so beneath what God has for you, and the enemy would love for you to get stuck. But today, by faith, I came to encourage somebody and even maybe agitate you out of that space.
Lord, I need you to know that God’s plan for you is not necessarily what your life looks like. I hate when people blame God for their situation. They say, «Well, I guess if God wanted me to have something different, He would have done it.» He’s sovereign; I know He can do it, so I’ll just sit here and do nothing until God decides to bless me. May I submit to you that He has written a manual called the Word of God that gives us the ability at any time to move His hand by obeying His word? Oh my God, okay? If you’re waiting on God, I’ve got a secret for you: you can move Him. If you follow the plays that He has written in His Word, you’re broke; you ain’t got nothing.
The Bible has a play for that: give, and it will be given back to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together. You could say «overflow.» It will be put into your lap, but you’re waiting for somebody to give you something, and you could go ahead and force God’s hand right now if you would take those shoes off and give them to somebody. Yes sir, who wears size 13 in here? Anybody wear size 13? Come here. Those are some shoes I need God to do some things in my life this week. You wear size 13 for real? Take your shoe off and show me; I don’t want you lying. Do you wear 13? Those are yours; God bless you. He tried to give me a five. Can’t do you like that; can’t do you like that. I won’t leave you hanging; I was just grieving a little bit, okay? I was grieving just a little bit; just you saw that, huh?
Okay, here’s what I’m saying to you: what I just did—some of y’all are like, «What’s he going to preach the rest of the—» Yeah, I don’t know. Those shoes didn’t have me; I had them, and now he has them because the Playbook works if I work it. I have too many people in the house of God right now waiting on God to do something when He’s saying, «I’ve already told you, you can live in the Overflow. If you would just take my principles and work what you have right now.» Somebody say, «All I have is all I need.» Say it again: «All I have is all I need.» This is what I found out about living in the Overflow.
Romans 15:13 says, «I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust Him.» Not my job; thank God for my job. Thank God for my pastor. Thank God for my church. That is not where I put my trust; I put my trust in—somebody say, «Him.» He said, «Once you do that, then you will"—everybody shout at me—"overflow!» «Overflow!» with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. So today, when I went to figure out how I’m going to teach you the next layer of overflow and how to apply the principles that God already gives us—because we don’t need new principles; these ones work if you work them—did you hear what I just said? I know it feels redundant, but it’s like somebody saying, «I ain’t got nothing to eat,» but they didn’t open the refrigerator, and you’re going into debt door dashing when you just didn’t open.
So many people say, «I just need encouragement—open.» «I’m just feeling lonely right now.» We got words for that: open! «I’m just dealing with anxiety.» You would rather listen to somebody with a podcast microphone and an LED light behind them on social media who has no credentials to be leading your life, then send it to other people because you like their glasses in the video when God has given us a playbook that has worked for centuries. So, when I said, «God, what do you want me to talk about?» He said, «Michael, I want you to tell them that they need to embrace obscurity.» I said, «Hold on, wait a minute—wait, no! This is a generation that wants to be on the platform; this is a generation that wants to 10x everything. This is a generation that needs spotlight; this is a generation that needs everybody to know they’re winning.» And God said, «I want you to tell the people that many times you’re going to have to overflow from obscurity.»
Overflow from obscurity. I believe that God is about to start moving on people and in situations that nobody knows who they are right now. How do you know that, Pastor Mike? Because that’s who I was! See, you met me when some spit hit the fan, and you met me when I got the keys, the keys, the keys! And you met me in relationship goals, but what you don’t know is that for a very long time, with no social media, no spotlight, nobody checking for me—100 lbs heavier—I was in obscurity with God, and everything you see in my life right now that is an overflow is linked back to a season of obscurity that I have never gotten rid of. Oh, you missed it! What you don’t understand is the overflow for me and for Kingdom Kids and people who are connected to God is always connected to something that nobody sees.
Most people today have forsaken the secret place—the place that I don’t Instagram; the place that nobody’s going to see me setting up my phone just in case you see. I’m talking аbout: where is the place that even the closest people to you don’t know what’s happening except you and God? If you cannot start to embrace obscurity, you will miss some of the instructions that only come in one-on-one conversations. God is not going to broadcast your specific instruction for your life through a big platform because He wants there to be something intimate with just you and Him.
There are many times that we would rather God stand us up in front of a thousand people and prophesy something to us than give us a word that is sure in the secret place where nobody else hears it. Okay, all right. All I’m telling you right now is what’s obvious usually starts off in obscurity. Every company, every brand, every famous basketball or football star—you don’t know them until they get to a platform, but there’s no way they started there. It started in some backwoods high school that nobody ever heard of. Do y’all hear what I’m saying? I’m scared for our generation that we want the things that look opulent, but we don’t guard the things that happen in obscurity.
Okay, let me show you how many people in this place got an iPhone right now or any type of Apple product? Okay, let me show you where Apple started. Put it on the screen. Apple started in obscurity, in a garage. Do you know how many people passed this garage? Do you know that the person who was probably the neighbor to Steve Jobs now feels like, «I really should have brought him cookies?» Like, do y’all understand what I’m saying? But what he was building in obscurity has now spanned the globe. My question to you is: what would have happened if he would have never started where nobody could see it? Oh God! People most notably know me outside of our Transformation Nation world for a little book that we wrote called «Relationship Goals.»
Now this book was the brainchild of our Chief of Staff, Bri Davis, who told me coming off of sabbatical, «I don’t know. I came into the office and said, 'I do not know what I’m going to preach.'» She said, «Mike, you’ve never done a series on relationships; you and Natalie’s relationship is okay; you should probably—» No, she didn’t say that, but that’s how I felt. She said, «You should probably do a series on relationships.» I went to Dallas with Charles Metcalf, and we went to this coffee shop in Dallas because Charles loves coffee. I don’t drink coffee, but we went there because the swag was right. I want to show you where «Relationship Goals» started. It was in obscurity. Will you put that on the screen?
This is where «Relationship Goals» started. It didn’t start with nine different languages that the book is published in right now. It’s published in languages I don’t know on the map where the country is. I was a C student in geography! But it’s going to turn into a movie with Amazon next year. No, like, but where did it start? In obscurity! With a notepad and me not knowing what I was going to preach. So, for the first time in my ministry career, I love this picture because this is the first time I broke the religious spirit of hiding my sermons. Nobody talks about this, but in church, there’s this prevalent, prideful spirit—really, it’s a trap—that tells you you’re the man of God, and so you need to just hear from God, and nobody can see it, and you won’t even share it with the people.
God put the slides on the screen; you just wanted to feel like you and God. The Holy Spirit said everything I did; I did in collaboration. When I sent the apostles out, I sent them two by two. There was a reason why I did this. This is a picture of the first message I ever collaborated to write, and that message was the first message that millions of people have seen in «Relationship Goals.» But it started in obscurity. My relationship with Natalie—this Wednesday we celebrate 14 years of marriage! I love you, girl; you’re my everything. I’ve got something special for you. But this relationship started in obscurity—Whiteside Park, 41st between Yale and Sheridan. This is the first picture we ever took. Yes, I was in pleated pants and a very hot red sweater. She was 14 right there; I was 15.
Where that started and what we had to go through to get to where we are? Y’all wouldn’t let me be your pastor if you were in our counseling sessions because we deal and work through and pray through and cry through the things that make us us. In front of people, we get the power in obscurity. Okay, I’m just trying to paint a picture for you today that your greatest moments will not come on a large platform. The things that God will do in you that will actually last will probably happen where nobody sees it, and most of us are running from those places. But if you’re going to really overflow, you’re going to have to overflow in obscurity. We’re standing in this building right now, but let me show you where my ministry started. It started in a circle on 31st in Garnett at Spirit and Truth Praise and Worship Center, a church that my parents started.
In a circle, with me wearing suits that were too small and us talking to a bunch of young people—nobody was checking for Pastor Mike! But I was being faithful; I was staying up and praying for young people that I knew were going to go have sex right after I prayed for purity. Good, yeah! John said talk about it because he was one of my 11 youth leaders. No, he wasn’t the one going and doing it; he was helping me. No, no, no, nobody—not nobody—was calling me for speaking engagements. Nobody was trying to see if they could you take a picture with me? It could boost their faith. No, I was being faithful to the assignment in obscurity. Watch this without any guarantee or desire. I’m on a platform not for recognition; I’m doing this because you said to.
My question to you right now, no matter how old you are, how much money you have, or where God is taking you or where you’ve been, is: do you have a place that’s obscure enough for God to give you new instructions, and would you obey him without guarantees for the future? It’s quiet in here, but that’s okay because you want to live in the overflow. God is asking if you will be faithful in the overflow that everyone sees, even if it’s ten years away. Could you overflow in obscurity? You could feel that God was moving powerfully in these rooms. The deliverance, the healing—nobody knew. So was God showing up? Yes. Was He moving powerfully? Yes. Was God doing things I never thought of? Yes. It’s just that you all didn’t know. Many people miss God’s mark because they want the amazing blessing to be broadcast. If it’s not broadcast, we make a move to get out of God’s will. I’m not telling you what I think; I’m sharing what I know. Today, I ask you: will you be able to overflow in obscurity?
One last piece: show them the crazy faith paper quickly. Everyone sees the lights and the LED, but when I started, I’m trying to paint a real picture for everyone today. This is me holding a piece of paper I wrote on my laptop 37 days after I became the lead pastor of this church. We were on the north side of Tulsa when God said, «I’m about to give you a vision that is bigger than anything that anyone around you has ever seen. I’m going to give it to you in your daughter’s room at 7:39 in the morning, and I only want you to share it with five people. I’m giving you this in obscurity, but I need you to believe in me out loud.» It’s so crazy that there are thousands of us sitting in this building at this very moment because I obeyed God during an obscure season. Do you hear what I’m saying? There’s no endpoint to this today; I’m asking you if you have a secret place.
I don’t mean metaphorically; I mean literally. My secret place is from 6:15 to 6:22, right before I take the dog for a walk and go to the gym. We have scheduled our lives so full of what we call blessings that we don’t have a place we go to withdraw and just be with the Father. If I look at your calendar, your priorities, and where you spend your time and money, would it show me that you have a place you withdraw to just be with the Father? Because if you don’t, I’m telling you the greatest things that will ever happen in your life aren’t delivered through a mass email or sent to your family members. They are unique to your DNA, and God wants to speak through His Word to you with impressions on your heart and your spirit through the Holy Spirit. He wants to speak just to you.
But if you do not make space and time to actually have an obscure place, you will miss the instructions and preparation it takes to rule in front of everybody. If you’re believing for an overflow that your character cannot sustain, I just came to tell you—maybe this message isn’t for everybody. I’m being obedient today, so I’m just telling you. When I finish this, I plan to get a Father’s Day gift and a kiss, and I’m going to feel good about myself. But I need someone to hear me: the next elevation may not be in front of everybody. The next elevation may not blow up before man. What if you gain one follower but have the approval of God? Did you hear what I just said? What if the business doesn’t blow up the way it did for them, but you are right in the middle of God’s will for your life? Do you want them to know you, or do you want Him to know you?
And what I’m telling you right now, as I’m preaching in these socks that have my baby’s face on them, is that this next overflow may happen in obscurity. Let me tell you about a young man named David. If you go to 1 Samuel, you’ll find his story. He was in the field, in an obscure place, when Samuel came looking to anoint the next king of Israel. Y’all want to open the Bible quickly? I feel you right now because some of you are offended by the very notion of obscurity. «Not after all these degrees! I’ve been in school for 16 years, and they’re going to call me doctor! Come on, let’s be honest! Not after what I gave up, not after starting three businesses, not after having all these kids. This is my time. I’m going to live my life; I’m going to do my thing.» And God is saying, «If you want to do that, go ahead. I’ll be back here until you’re ready to obey.» Because anything you create outside of God, you have to sustain outside of Him, and I came to tell you, you are not built like that.
What some of you need to know, instead of being offended, is to look at obscurity like this: write this point down: obscurity is an opportunity from God. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished you didn’t know me. I’m not even playing—I’ve wished so many times that I could just not worry about whether a phone is recording me. I’d love to go to the pool with my kids, film it, and put it on Instagram without people calling me a false prophet because I have my shirt off. Nobody cared when I was overweight; they said, «Poor baby, he’s a good preacher.» Now, I’m starting to get a little definition, and I’m a false prophet for being in the pool with my shirt off? You can have that! The reason I’m saying this is because I didn’t value obscurity until I lost it.
Some of you are praying for something you really don’t want. You think it will provide something, but my brother Darius Daniels says there’s always a backside to the blessing. If you don’t calculate what you need for the backside of the blessing, what starts as a blessing can turn into a burden. God, can I have five more minutes? Somebody needs this. Anytime God doesn’t let you shine, He wants to refine something. I’m telling you from what I know—if He’s not letting you shine, if He’s dimming the light, it’s because He is saying, «You have the gifting, but you don’t have…» uh-uh. You think, «I’m better than all of them.» Yes, that’s true, but when He puts the dimmer on the light, it’s because there’s something He wants you to work on. So instead of trying to fight to get in there, go back to obscurity and say, «God, what is it?»
If there’s anything in me that’s not like You, Father, I pray today, like David, «Create in me a clean heart, renew in me a right spirit.» If my motive has gone off, if I’ve started focusing on what they have instead of what you’ve given me, God, today, here I am. If God doesn’t let you shine, he’s trying to refine. In 1 Samuel 16 it says, «Then Samuel asked, 'Are these all your sons? ' Jesse said, 'Well, there’s still the youngest; he’s out in the field watching the sheep and goats.'» Can I tell you this? Overflow usually starts as overlooked. Did you hear that? His own dad didn’t even consider him; he literally said, «He’s out in the field.» Samuel—a man of God—said, «Send for him at once. We will not sit down and eat until he arrives.»
All his brothers were like, «Come on, God, we can’t eat until he gets here!» This tells me that God will hold up other people—you didn’t hear me. He will hold up other people’s access to the next until you get there. So Jesse sent for him. Oh, I like this too; I could do two weeks on this. Jesse’s sending for him means that when you’re in obscurity, you don’t have to see if they’re calling for you. You can keep your hand on the plow because they’re going to say, «Jesse’s boy.» If you don’t hear that, David, if you don’t hear «Big D,» they will send for you. So many times we work and look to see if anybody notices, which takes your focus off of the work.
They sent for him in verse 12, and they said he was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. Let me paint that picture. And the Lord said, «This is the one; anoint him!» Everybody say «anoint.» A lot of times, this word gets used as a spooky, scriptural, Pentecostal term, but let me tell you what it really means: God’s approval. He literally picked him out of all his brothers and said, «Approve him in front of everybody.» This is God’s email! But let me tell you what He does: God usually anoints the opposite. He usually picks the person who doesn’t want it. You’re being so needy, so thirsty. They used to say the term for this was «desperate.» We can smell that desperation. You want to be liked by them that badly? You want to be accepted into that club that bad? And God says, «Yeah, I’m going to pick the person who doesn’t want it. I’m going to choose the one who didn’t try to make this happen through connections. I’m going to pick the one who has been faithful in obscurity.»
I’m coming to do two things today: I’m here to encourage those who haven’t wanted the spotlight and have been faithful, telling you to get ready because God is about to approve you to do something you never thought you could do. I’m also here to warn those who are too thirsty for opportunities that God hasn’t called you to. It’s not over for you, but this is a warning: get back into obscurity. Step out of the spotlight until He calls you into it. Get out of the mentions until He mentions your name.
Okay, I know everyone wants to hear you’re the next big thing. No, because when God gives you a burden, it will be something you don’t think you can do. This is why you need His power, strength, and wisdom. I’m trying to empower a generation to embrace obscurity. Why, Pastor Mike? Because it’s what Jesus did! After every major miracle, He asked, «Did everyone enjoy their fish and chips? Okay, John, just go ahead and tell the people what to do. Father, I have no idea what I’m doing, but thank you for that miracle. I’m just going to sit here in Your presence until You give me my next instruction.»
They said I should go back and try to run for office. They said I could have a solid rapport with the people after doing miracles like that, and it would be a good PR move to make my name famous. You want me to stay here and pray? It’s making the people uncomfortable that I’m not out there with them. They don’t know what to do when they look at a platform and nobody’s on it. Wake up! Walk, walk, walk to a boat in the middle of the lake. Okay, what’s up, disciples? Oh shoot, who is that? Peter says, «Lord, if that’s You, bid me to come!» Peter walks on water. What was Jesus doing right before Peter walked on water? He was in obscurity.
All I’m saying to you is that uncomfortable moment you just had, trying to figure out where I was going to pop up from, trying to figure out how long I was going to do this—it’s a little uncomfortable. You’ve never seen a screen that big before! You were just sitting here, noticing things differently when someone isn’t always the focal point. I’m asking: where is the moment of obscurity that you are embracing and protecting so that God can give you what only He can give you for the assignment given by Him? I’ll have to continue this next week.
Two weeks from now, because I have eight more pages of notes, we’ll pick up right here. But I believe you’re about to live in the overflow, and it won’t be because you tried. You’re going to be faithful where God has you, and He’s going to call you up out of obscurity. Yes, and He’s going to say it’s time for you to do what you did when nobody was looking in front of everybody. It’s going to be so easy for you because, watch this, it’s going to be automatic. It’s easy for me to get up here and talk to this many people because when I was in high school at Edison Preparatory School, God was training me. Why are you calling my teachers' names? Miss Maxwell, be quiet. Mama Chlo, you have to sit there. I love having senior saints. Senior saints will say whatever, no matter what. I’m in a very deep moment trying to minister, and she’s like, «Miss Maxwell, dress like a princess over there.»
I love you; I love my church. Here’s what I’m saying to you, though: when I was in that high school, for some reason they asked me to lead the pep rallies, and there would be 2,000 kids on a Friday. They would give me a mic and say, «Lead this for the next 45 minutes,» and I would get up there and yell and scream, do the Dougie. I mean, I have classmates in the room right now, and I could not figure out why they were choosing me to do this, but God knew that 20 miles away from that high school, I would be in another auditorium with a microphone, 20-something years later, speaking to people of every different ethnicity. He said, «Do there what you did in obscurity.»
Today, I just want to challenge you: if you’re not in a secret place working on something, you may be out of the will of God. It’s His formula to do the deep work, to do the deep surgery in Christ in obscurity. Today, for all the fathers in the room, I’m asking you to do something a man of God once asked me to do. He said, «Go fight your battles with God in a place where nobody can see and then come out and teach your children how to find a place with God so that they can always fight their battles in the same way you did.» I didn’t understand it at first. I was like, «Hold on, why don’t I just do my thing and show them that you can conquer everything?»
Then I started living and realized there are certain things that only God can change in my heart. There are certain things that I don’t need a sorry from Natalie; I need God to forgive me for allowing that into our marriage. Okay, I’m talking too big right now. The only reason it’s an issue between us is because I stepped out of my place and allowed something you wouldn’t allow into this marriage. I allowed it into this thing. I repent, God, for allowing us to talk to each other like that. But where God fixed me and healed me of the addiction to pornography, it wasn’t on a platform; it was in obscurity where He told me, «Michael, you’re going to be generous, and you’re going to give everything I tell you to give whenever I tell you to give it.» He didn’t teach me that on this platform.
Somebody thinks I’m giving away their shoes; I don’t care about those shoes. I’ve been giving away shoes since I used to get them at Ross for $15.99. Y’all, none of you know about the Ross «come-up.» I would go in Ross buy six pairs of shoes, and I’d have the ones that looked most like the knock-off Nikes. I’d have them on. Y’all know how you stand when you’ve got some really good shoes. «What’s up, fellas?» And the Holy Spirit said, «Give to them.» «I don’t like him.» «If you’re going to require me to give it, let me give it to somebody I like.» I said that right to them, and I remember time after time doing that same thing I did at the beginning of this service, even down to «Asam, let me see your shoe size. Let me make sure you wear this size.»
Now, back then, it was a blessing for them to take my shoes because they weren’t fly, but I’m just being honest. But what I just did is easy because I did on the platform what I did in obscurity. If you don’t pray in obscurity, you won’t pray when the president calls. If you won’t share the Gospel with one coworker, you won’t share the Gospel on the platform receiving the award. You won’t give with $10; you won’t give with 10 million. I’m asking our church to embrace what culture thinks is whack. «Oh, that little business you go to, that little church, are you going home?» No, come hang with us. I’m going to do it in obscurity in this family. What’s going to last forever? As for me and my house, standing all over this building, I have so much more to say.
Can we just, real quick, before everybody leaves, lift our hands just a little? I just want to pray that, watch this, this is not an end-all. You know sometimes they try to pray and then be done forever, like, «Lord, we make a faithful commitment to live in obscurity forever in Jesus' name, amen.» That’s not what I want to do today. I just want us to ask God to open up our hearts to the idea that we can overflow, watch this, from here. If you don’t get another house, if you don’t get the upgraded car, if you don’t—could God make your world so fulfilling from here? If they never recognize you, if they don’t say, «That’s yours,» could God allow you to love your life and be fulfilled in your purpose from—everybody say here!
Here we are, God, me included. With so many opportunities out there and so many things fighting for my attention, for so many things fighting for our allegiance today, God, we are making a commitment to actually come back to a secret place with You, Father. For some, they’ve never had a time where they’ve carved it out just for You, God. Would you allow Your presence to be attractive to us like never before? Because in Your presence, we can get something that social media can’t do, what raises and bonuses can’t do. We get reminded of our identity in You, God. Would you allow us to become content that You can do whatever You want to do in our lives, our families, our businesses, and this church from here? When You want to call us up, God, we’ll be ready because in obscurity we’re going to be practicing what one day You may ask us to do on a platform. But if You never give us a big platform, Father, You will find us faithful. Today, God, I’m asking that our hearts would be turned back to You like never before. Do a work deep on the inside of us. Father God, I thank You that husbands and wives are about to find, Father God, different ways to appreciate what You’ve given them right now. Thank You, Father God, that people who have their minds set on big things they’re trying to do, Father God, will not get discouraged, but, Father God, will actually be fortified in the secret place. Thank You that as a church we’re making a decision that we will value obscurity because it’s the place You’re making us. And when You decide to overflow, we’re going to praise You and thank You, but we’re going to praise You and thank You in obscurity as well. Thank You for speaking clearly today, and I thank You, Father, that we’re going to live in the overflow from here. Somebody say from here! Here, I’m going to live in the overflow from here. One more time, from here! Here! Not a new marriage, not a new place, not a new car; I’m going to do everything that God has told me and placed in front of me from here. Thank You for it.
If you’re in this room and you’ve never accepted Jesus, today we’re about to leave, but I don’t want you to ever think that this is about me or anybody in here. This is about you finding our Savior, and it took me from being a liar, a manipulator, addicted to pornography. I share all my business because that’s how you overcome by the blood of the Lamb—that’s what He did—and the words of our testimony. Today, I don’t want you to walk in shame, guilt, or condemnation. Today, I want you to be free by the power of what Jesus Christ did. He lived His whole life in obscurity and then died on a cross for my sin and your sin so that we could actually live in freedom. Every week, hundreds of people give their lives to Christ in this room, online, in jail, and today I want to give you that opportunity.
This church, we begin to pray for people in this moment. I need y’all to pray because people’s lives are in the balance. I want your life to actually mean something on Earth, and then I want you to, as you live every day on this Earth, to be secure that your eternity is solid. How do you do that? You accept the finished work of Jesus Christ. What do you mean, «finished work of Jesus Christ»? He’s giving us a gift we could never earn; it’s called grace, the unearned, undeserved kindness and favor of God, and it’s available to you. Religion makes you work for it, but relationship makes you receive it.
Today, I want you to receive that on the count of three. If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior—and I feel just to say that—do not let fear of your past failures keep you from this moment right now. Today, I want you to receive Jesus, and it changes everything in your life. One, you’re making the greatest decision of your life. Two, I’m proud of you, but forget that; your name is going to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Three, just shoot your hand up all over this room. I see you in the back right there. I see you! I see you! Oh, y’all got to praise God with me! I see you! Glory to God! And if I don’t see you, God sees you at Transformation Church, where a family—nobody prays alone. Let’s pray together. Somebody say:
God, God, thank You for sending Jesus just for me. Today I give You my life. I believe You lived, You died, and You rose again with all power, all power just for me, just for me. Today I say use me. I say use me; change me, change me, renew me, transform me. I’m Yours in Jesus' name. Amen.