Michael Todd - I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I have an assignment to speak to you, which is both challenging and transformative. So, if you came in here today to be entertained, you may want to turn on YouTube right now and watch something that just makes you feel good. Today, my assignment is to help you transform. The weight of my words is not just mine; they are the words of God. Watch this: His word is His breath, and He breathed life into us. So today, His word is going to speak to His creation. Oh my God, what do you have to say? Words are breath, sir, and He created you with His breath. He is going to use the breath He breathed into His word to speak to the breath He placed inside you. I believe today will bring transformation for those whose hearts are open to receive it.
I need you to be attentive today. I only have a few minutes with you, and I have a lot to share, but I believe that the way this transformed my life has the potential to do the same for you. As it is my job and duty, commanded by God, to lead you on a spiritual journey, I want to tell you about something coming up that will provide an opportunity for us to take another step. Everybody say «step» in our spiritual journey. If you know anything about Transformation Church, we follow God’s pattern and not a playbook for how to build a church. I go back to the Word and try to find things that we can implement in a modern way to help us take a step together.
One of the things we have done for several years is, at the end of every year, we choose a date when, as a church, we will come together to give a Crazy Faith offering. This offering is above our tithe and regular giving to help expand the vision of this house and move things forward. We intentionally do this without a campaign behind it. We do it not to specify that it will help one ministry over another. Many times, if our giving is motivated by what we get in return, it really isn’t generosity. I know many want to feel like, «Oh, I’m giving so I get this,» but at Transformation Church, we decided that every year, we would follow God’s guidance on what to give. Whether it’s $2 or $2 million—only one can come from the $2 million, and I appreciate that, and I pray God blesses you big. The truth is, when I mention that number, some people have never considered giving that much; they only desire to have it. But God gives seed to the sower, and He will never leave you empty. Sometimes, we need to elevate our faith and step outside what we’ve done.
So, I’m telling you, on December 8th, as a church, all those in this room and those worldwide in Transformation Nation, we will have our Crazy Faith offering, where people come from all over the world to give. They gather, sit down, teach their children, and ask their spouses, «What is God speaking to us to give?» This year, I felt that God strongly told me to retitle this offering. It wasn’t supposed to be the Crazy Faith offering; it’s the Crazy Fruit offering. God said He wants us to produce fruit in our lives at another level.
Well, as I was thinking about it, there has never been fruit without seed. I believe it’s our time to take another step in our journey. There is no manipulation here. I’m telling you this weeks in advance; I’m not saying today we give, and I’m not asking all those with $100 to stand up. The Bible says clearly that you should give what you have purposed in your heart to give without compulsion. No one should make you feel bad. That’s why I share this in advance with time. God will speak to you, and all I’m asking as a church is to say, «God, what am I supposed to give?» And if He tells you something, don’t dismiss it. That’s not the devil speaking because the devil would never tell you to give; he does the opposite of God. For God so loved the world that He gives. That’s God’s character; it’s what the devil hates. Whatever God says to do, I’m asking you to obey.
Amen. I wanted to share this so you can begin to add it to your prayer list, put it on your refrigerator, and start discussing it with your spouse on date night. We will see the kingdom of God expanded because of our generosity. Amen. Now, welcome to week six of a series we’re calling, «Somebody help me say, show me the receipts.» I feel that God has shared with us that there should be nine receipts showing proof of our relationship with Him. He outlines them in His Word as the fruits of the Spirit. They are proof that you have a relationship with God.
The reality is that many people who quote scriptures don’t have proof of spending time with God. Many people who wear crosses don’t have proof of quality time spent. Many people who sing gospel songs don’t have proof. The world is asking all churches and believers, whether on a platform or in a barbershop, «Show me the receipts. Give me proof that you are different from me.» They say, «Yeah, I do this; I do that. But you get angry just like I do. You have the same reactions I do; you have no peace either. What is the difference?» The Holy Spirit says, «Come, spend some time with Me. Abide with Me, stay with Me, and let Me develop in you the fruit of the Spirit. If these aren’t developed, the fruit of your flesh will be.»
I want you to hear this very clearly: these nine fruits are what God wants our lives to reflect. At the end of the day, people shouldn’t be able to remember your name but should describe your life with these attributes. Galatians 5:22 states they need to say, «Yeah, I know them. They are filled with love, joy, peace, patience. They are a person of kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Man, they are gentle and have self-control.» They didn’t achieve this on their own; these fruits were cultivated through the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you look at any of these fruits of the Spirit and you’re trying to figure out a natural way to obtain them without God, you are already setting yourself up for failure. Everything else is a cheap counterfeit. Today, I said, «Lord, how do You want me to bring people into this next fruit?» We have talked about joy and patience, but for this next one, I needed a little help. The Lord began to minister to me as I read something to my children. For those who sometimes say, «You know, Transformation Church is just a bunch of hype; I need to get to the deeper things of the Word,» I’m glad you said that, because today, the Word comes from a well-known author, Dr. Seuss. I don’t need you to be impressed with me; I need you to grasp what the Word is trying to say.
As I was reading this story to one of my kids, entitled «Horton Hatches the Egg,» I thought some of you might feel too grown for something like this, but I can find God in everything. When I tell you this book started ministering to me, it’s about an elephant that meets a bird. The bird is tired and wants a vacation. So, the elephant decides to take on the responsibility of being consistent for the bird until the egg can hatch. I could preach on this for the 40 minutes I have; I promise you I will.
The bird goes off on vacation, but the elephant promises to stay in place until the egg hatches. You need to read the whole thing on your own time, but let’s have a little Transformation Church story time right now. It says, «Very well,» said the elephant, «Since you insist on a vacation, fly off and take it. I’ll sit on your egg and try not to break it. I’ll stay and be faithful. I mean what I say.» Then I flipped a couple of pages, and it said, «He sat all day and kept the egg warm, and he sat all night through a terrible storm.» Some of us experienced a terrible storm last night here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and you still don’t have power.
It poured, it lightninged, it thundered, and it rumbled. «This isn’t much fun,» the poor elephant grumbled. «I wish she’d come back because I’m cold and I’m wet. I hope that bird doesn’t forget.» I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re doing something for someone else, and it seems like they’ve forgotten the sacrifice you were making, but I could relate. I flipped a couple more pages and just wanted to share some highlights. You should really go get it; it’s so nice.
Horton kept sitting there, day after day, and soon it was autumn; the leaves blew away. Then came winter, the snow, sleet, and icicles hanging from his trunk and feet. But Horton kept sitting and said with a sneeze, «I’ll stay on this egg, and I won’t let it freeze. I mean what I said, and I said what I meant—an elephant’s faithful 100%.» At this point, I was reading and felt like I was doing pastor stuff; I was really getting into it. It said they laughed and laughed. He stayed consistent even when people ridiculed him. They laughed and laughed until they all ran away. Horton was lonely because he wanted to play, but he sat on the egg and kept saying, «I meant what I said, and I said what I meant—an elephant’s faithful 100%.»
I’m going to read one more part. This is the point where hunters came to kill him because he was more valuable to them dead. He sat there with hunters pointing guns at him. Oh my God, this hits me hard. It said, «Did he run?» He did not. Horton stayed on that nest, held his head high, and puffed out his chest. He looked at the hunter, as much as to say, «Shoot if you must, but I won’t run away. I meant what I said, and I said what I meant—an elephant’s faithful 100%.»
When I read this, I felt the Holy Spirit ask me, «Will you be that faithful? Will you be faithful through the storm? Will you be faithful when the seasons change? Will you be faithful when they slander you?» Most of us, unlike Horton, have a breaking point to our faithfulness—come on, let’s be honest today. I want to talk to you about the fruit of the Spirit, which is faithfulness, only provided through the Holy Spirit. The type of faithfulness that can look at someone trying to threaten you and stay when you know God said to stay cannot come from good intentions; it must be empowered by Him.
Today, I want to set the foundation so that you can be faithful. Somebody say, «100%! 100%!» I’m not just talking about being faithful to things you can see and that people notice; I’m talking about being fully faithful in every season, no matter what happens. Watch this—this is hard to do. This is why God is telling us you need the Holy Spirit. If you want to be married, you need the Holy Spirit. If you want to work your job, you need the Holy Spirit. This is not just about speaking in tongues; this is you getting the ammunition you need to be everything that God has called you to be.
So when I look at this, there are a couple of things I need to realize right now. Point number one: God is faithful. I just need to start with that foundation. Say it with me: «God is faithful.» Everyone didn’t say it, so I’ll give you one more chance. Everybody, say it with me: «God is faithful.» I’m going to prove it to you in 2 Timothy 2:13. I’m going to give you some Scriptures so you can go home knowing the type of God we serve. It says, «If we are unfaithful.» I love how this verse begins because it starts with my frailty. It starts with my nature. It starts with me not being able to measure up to what I say I want to do. It says, «If we are unfaithful…» How many of you have been unfaithful? You made a promise to God, saying, «God, if you get me out of this situation, I will never do it again,» and then you did it the following week. Come on, don’t leave me hanging; I’ll start calling you out. All of us, in some area of our life, have been unfaithful.
But it says, «If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.» God is faithful. It doesn’t matter; it’s who He is. So, when you mess up and turn your back on God, He is right there. You might say, «God, I hate You! You left me! You said this would never happen!"—but God is walking toward you. You might be thinking, «I don’t want to sing worship anymore,» and that’s okay. You might not want to go to church anymore, and that’s alright. Oh, you want to live an alternate lifestyle? He still loves you! The religious people might be offended by that, but I’m not, because I made you, and you’re my child—it’s who I am. I am faithful.
Until you understand the fundamental premise of who God is, you will treat Him like one of your family members. Family is a beautiful thing that God has given us, but it can also be the source of most of our dysfunction. Let’s be honest. The truth is, often, those who are supposed to be faithful to you won’t be, and when you choose the wrong college that wasn’t their plan, they won’t pay for it anymore. Because of a decision that didn’t align with what they wanted, they will no longer be faithful. We place stipulations on faithfulness, which leads us to think that God operates in the same way, but that’s not who He is.
Just say it with me one more time as I’m setting the foundation: «God is faithful.» So that means for all of us, we have to recognize God’s faithfulness. Write that down: «Recognize God’s faithfulness.» Deuteronomy 7:9 says, «Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God; He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands.» It is in God’s character to be faithful—not just to you, but to your children’s children’s children…for a thousand generations.
What we have here is unlike anything I’ve seen on Earth. You need to know who God is and how He operates. Once you recognize and understand God’s faithfulness, write this down: «You need to receive God’s faithfulness.» I know I’m going quickly because I’m trying to set a foundation to get you to the point. Somebody say, «God is faithful!» and «I have to recognize God’s faithfulness.» Come on, «God is faithful!» and «I have to receive God’s faithfulness.» Here are some Scriptures that make me happy about the fact that God is God and I am not. 1 John 1:9 states, «If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.» Did He just put a clause in there for all my mess-ups? No matter what! This is the God we serve. If you are dealing with sin, He says, «I will forgive that because I’m faithful.»
One thing I need you to do is to confess it to me. Confess you have this issue. Confess you have this problem. Confess that sin has been ravaging your life. If you give it to me, I will forgive you. Why? Because I’m faithful! They may not forget, but I will! When you give me your sins, I’ll ball them up and throw them as far as the East is from the West. They may not remember, but I will! The only reason He can do this is not because He’s just nice and kind; it’s because He is faithful.
Some of you, by the end of this service, are going to receive God’s faithfulness. That’s the reason you’re here. The enemy has been trying to convince you that you’ve done too much wrong. God is saying, «Bring it to Me, because I’m the only one who is faithful to forgive your sins.»
Let me share one more Scripture that helped really pull me out of pornography and lustful thoughts. Watch this: 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, «There is no temptation that has overtaken you except what is common to man.» What does this mean? You aren’t the only one going through that. You aren’t the first one to deal with it, and you won’t be the last. Everybody say, «Common.»
And God is faithful! Watch how He’s faithful: «He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.» So any temptation you find yourself in—even if it was triggered by your nature—He’s saying, «We can get out of this!» Any mess you’re in, you can still win! It might be messed up right now, but I’m about to provide a way of escape for you. The only thing you have to do is take it. Most of us miss the way of escape. God may have someone call your phone at 11:39 when you’re about to walk into a place you know you have no business being.
You see it, and God says, «Why is my mama calling me right now?» It was your way of escape! You sent the email with your resignation and hit the enter button hard, but for some reason, it returned to sender. God was trying to send you a way of escape! I wonder how many ways of escape we ignore. Your whole iPhone shut off when you were about to do something reckless that would lead you down a path that would rob you of a future with your children. Your phone just went black. You’re searching everywhere for the charger. Where’s the charger? Where’s the charger? You were looking everywhere for it store to buy a new charger to participate in sin, you are about to power to sin, but what did God do?
Many times, the inconveniences that frustrate us are the way of escape that God is trying to provide for us. Stuck in traffic? You weren’t supposed to be there. Okay, let me stop. God is faithful, so I will recognize His faithfulness, I will receive His faithfulness, and the last thing I want to tell you, because this is where I have to camp out today, is that all the songs we sing about God being faithful, we kind of put it all on Him, like «God, You’re faithful! God, You’re faithful! You never fail! You sustain us!» But what I found out studying this fruit of the Spirit and this receipt we all need is that faithfulness is not just for God. So if you think «God wants me to be faithful» and all you think about is how He’s faithful, you’ve only gotten half of the revelation. What God wants us to do—write this down—is reflect God’s faithfulness. Not just recognize it, not just receive it, but what’s the last thing? Reflect it.
See, the thing is, He’s been faithful to us, and now I need to posture and put my life in a perspective. You can’t see my face from here, but at the moment I put up something that can be a reflection, there are groups of people that are able to see something brand new—a different perspective—because I’m reflecting now what is here. And so now, there are people all over the world trying to figure out how they are going to understand who God is, where He is, and what He’s supposed to do in their lives. And God is saying they may never see me, but what if the only faithfulness they get is a reflection of my faithfulness to them through you? Not just recognizing «God is faithful; oh, He’s so faithful! Oh, God has been faithful; great! Oh, I receive His faithfulness!»
I don’t have to be—I’m free! I’m free! But when’s the last time that your reflection of God’s faithfulness was the thing that drew somebody else to Him? How have you been consistent? How have you been loyal? How have you been faithful? If I don’t reflect faithfulness, it may mean I need to spend some more time with the Holy Spirit. I wished He hadn’t put it in the nine fruits of the Spirit because it’s easy to talk about how faithful He is. The sun and the moon rise every day; the tide comes up to the sea. He’s faithful! And God says everything that I put into this earth that goes clock-like, that you can set your clock to, is what I want every believer to be like. In discouraging situations, I want people to be able to set their clock—they’re about to encourage me! They are faithful to encourage in hard situations! When somebody is in need, I want my church to be faithful to give when somebody’s in need.
I want to see faithfulness in the lives of every believer, and today I’m asking you, are you actually faithful? Two weeks ago, I took my wife on a date night to see the Michael Jackson Broadway experience that came to Tulsa, and it was phenomenal. It was so good, in fact, that some of the talent came to church on Sunday morning, and then we took our daughters back that night. So I’m sitting there, about to doze off the second time—not because of the performance at all, but because I was super tired. I had preached in the morning and done all the other stuff, and so I’m about to doze off, and they start singing this song called «I’m Starting with the Man in the Mirror.»
The Holy Spirit began to convict my heart in that moment as I was listening to that song. I went back and looked up the words because, you know, half the Michael Jackson songs we don’t know what he’d be saying; you know what I’m saying? «I’m a vegetable, I’m a vegetable.» I don’t know what that brother was on when he wrote that, so I went to look at the words, and again, God’s just been speaking to me through things. I know this may not be churchy enough for some of y’all, but I asked God, like, «Speak to me through everything. Show me Yourself! I don’t know how to do this; I may not look up the right scripture. So as I do, as I’m faithful and spending time with You, You can speak to me outside of my quiet time. You can speak to me outside; speak to me through everything!»
And when I looked up the words, it said, «I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways, and no message could have been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.» This is Transformation Church, and maybe all of the change that we want to happen in the world starts with the man. So today, as we talk about faithfulness, I don’t want anybody else to look at your spouse, to look at your kids, or to look at that crazy neighbor you have. Today, I want you to pick up your own spiritual mirror and say, «I know I’ve done some good stuff, but have I been faithful? Have I been faithful enough?» Not just to God.
See, this is the problem—faithfulness, all of these fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace—it’s not just to give love back to God and joy back to God. It’s supposed to be fruit that nourishes other people. I never thought about it like this, but my faithfulness should be nourishment to somebody else. Y’all missed it! The way that I conduct my life, the way I show up and serve, the way that I give to people, the way that I love, and the way that I treat my wife—that should be a reflection of my relationship with God. And the truth is, culture is fighting faithfulness! There is no place in your life where anybody’s making you be consistent. You need no contracts for cell phones anymore.
Matter of fact, your new company on your cell phone plan will buy out your old contract because they’re telling you, «Don’t be faithful to them; come to us!» Now, I’m not sponsored by any cell phone company telling you this; I’m just saying there are so many places in our lives where we don’t have to stay with the same thing anymore. Think about it. Where in your life is faithfulness being developed? Okay, so today the title of the message is very simple: «I’m Starting with the Man in the Mirror: Reflecting God’s Faithfulness.» I want to give you a definition of faithfulness; I’m almost done. I just want you to self-evaluate today: Am I letting the Holy Spirit work in me the fruit of faithfulness?
And if not, I may need to surrender—watch this—surrender, because getting more fruit doesn’t mean that I work harder. Getting more fruit is I surrender faster. Getting more fruit in your life is not about, oh, I got to do this, and I got to do that, then I got to read that book, then I got to go here—no! It’s, «I surrender the soil of my heart. God, I surrender this soil! Whatever You want to plant in it that is going to produce the fruit in my life that I’m supposed to, I surrender.» I’m not going to pluck up anything that You put there, but it is my responsibility to get these weeds and these distractions out of my heart that keep trying to choke out the words You are planting in my heart.
So Father, I need more faithfulness! I am not consistent in anything. I say one thing; I do the other. Holy Spirit, I surrender to the processes and the plans and the people and the accountability and the structures. Faithfulness means steadfast loyalty, consistent ability to stand firm. A steadfast elephant is in a branch sitting on an egg that’s not his, right? He kept saying, «The only reason I’m doing this is because I meant what I said and I said what I meant!» He stood on business; he had a steadfast loyalty—watch this—to somebody that wasn’t even loyal to him. He told him he was going away for a second; that bird was gone! If you read the story, that bird was flying everywhere, having a vacation! Why? Because it wasn’t about what they do; it isn’t about what they say; it’s not about how consistent they are. That’s why when you’re on teams and you’re like, «Well, nobody else is running laps,» you have to ask, «What was the instruction? What was the steadfast loyalty that you made?»
Most of us only want to be faithful when there’s a crowd. I got to say it—faithfulness to God is usually authenticated in the dark when nobody sees you. That’s when God calls it faithful. Okay, I got to keep going. Some people are thinking, «Okay, Pastor Mike, how do I get this steadfast loyalty? How do I get consistent ability to stand firm?» I know even your minds are going right now because there are a few different people in the room. Some people are thinking today, «I’m faithful,» a little bit like, «I’ll be faithful.» And then there are others in the room who say, «I’ll be faithful in a little bit.» You think you have time to grow into faithfulness like, «I’m a young man, you know what I’m saying? I’ll do my thing right now.»
That’s why people have three and four marriages, because many times, the quality of the commitment they made at the altar was already in their minds capable of being broken when they said it before God! Y’all know it—we don’t say it, but there are certain people that stand there and say, «Yeah, till death do us part,» or «You make me mad enough,» or «In sickness or health, or until I get sick of you!» They never say it, but it’s true. When you already think that the covenant has the opportunity to be broken, you did not have the faithfulness that you needed to commit like that. That’s why I tell young couples, «Hey, if you’re not ready to be faithful when you don’t feel it, just keep dating.»
No, no, hear me: that’s why if you’re not ready to be faithful when it’s not fair, faithfulness does not take into consideration if it’s fair! I can’t tell you how many times I don’t feel like doing this, and I tell God, «This is not fair!» And He says, «Will you be faithful?» «Yeah, I will!» Everybody open up your Bible this week: 98! Somebody say, «I’m going to be faithful!» If I was saying, «I’m going to have a million dollars! I’m going to be a business owner! I’m going to be an entrepreneur!» you would be loud, proud, screaming, believing God, writing it on your crazy fruit card. But I’m going to be faithful! Why? Why does faithfulness not make us excited? I think we’ve hit something that the body of Christ is missing: a fruit that is required of us to be able to receive everything that God wants us to. At the end of our lives, what is the thing that we’re hoping that He says to us?
«Well done, my good and faithful servant.» If that is what we want to hear from God in the end, how much work are we putting into the faithfulness category of our lives? Some of us will be able to say, «Well done, my good and…», put in your blank…good and lazy servant. I’m just saying, can «faithful» be in there for you? This convicted me so hard and made me start appreciating the consistencies of my life that I have not enjoyed up until this point! Oh God! All right, I got to get out of here. Matthew 25:23 is where you can find that scripture. It says, «Well done, my good and faithful servant.» Watch this: «You have been faithful in handling the small amount.» So I want you to see—remember I said there are a few people in here.
Some people say, «I’m faithful a little bit,» and then others say, «I’ll be faithful in a little bit.» The truth is, all of us should be faithful in the little bit. In the little bit of responsibility God gives you, be faithful. In the little bit of money you have, be faithful. In the little bit of friends you have, be faithful! Because this scripture says God judges how much He gives in increase based on how you were faithful with the little bit you started with! Are you faithful with those few contacts? Are you faithful in that serving position? Are you faithful at that job that they don’t recognize you? God said, «You’re not working for them; you’re working for Me.»
So the question is this: how are we ending today? Why would you be faithful? When I began to ask myself this question, I had to really dive deep into my heart to prepare this message, because there are certain things that I feel like I’ve been faithful in, but my heart motive was wrong in it. I know most pastors won’t get up and tell you that the word is actually working on them, but this one whooped my tail, because the Holy Spirit didn’t just say, «Are you faithful?» He said, «Why are you faithful?»
So I began to jot down a few reasons why I’ve been faithful and maybe a few reasons why you’ve been faithful, and I wrote it down under the title, «What Fuels Your Faithfulness?» And I want you to ask yourself this. There have been seasons in my life where I was faithful out of fear. I can think of many times I did the right thing because I was scared of what would happen if I did the wrong thing. You know what? I’m not mad at that; it saved me a couple of times.
However, at some point, the cravings of my flesh outweighed the fear, and I began to do things I once feared. I actually faced the consequences because my resolve to be faithful wasn’t stronger than my fear. I’m telling you, you may be doing all the right things right now because you don’t want to get in trouble, but at some point, that won’t be enough. I’m telling you, as I stand here right now, you’re only being faithful to your wife because you don’t want to see what she might do. You know how crazy Hispanic women can be; they’ll cut your stuff up! We all have these wild ideas about who to mess with and what not to do. Fear will only hold you if you’re faithful purely because of fear. Today, I want to ask you to reconsider a better way to be faithful.
Some people are faithful only because of feelings. Some of us feel like being faithful at times. You might say, «I’m going to stay consistent in this; I’m going to be loyal to this.» You think to yourself, «I got this great job that God blessed me with, and I’m going to be everything He told me to be here. I’m going to stay planted and be His light shining in the world.» They don’t have to promote me or give me anything; they can overlook me because I don’t do this for anyone but Him. Anyway, this is my moment to be faithful in the dark. «Here I am, Lord; use me.»
Some people are faithful because of feelings, but what happens when you no longer feel that way? Some people change churches often because they don’t feel what the pastor is preaching right now. But God planted you there; He saved you, delivered you, healed you, transformed you, and challenged you. However, it’s a six-month season where you aren’t feeling it. You think, «I’m not even feeling the way he dresses!» So, people act based on their feelings. Will you be faithful when you don’t feel it? I had to ask myself if I was only faithful when I felt it. Am I only encouraging people I like when I feel like it?
Watch this: some of us have only been faithful because it was forced on us. I know people raised in families where they were told, «Your last name is Johnson.» The Johnsons do this, and they never do that. Some of us, at 39 or 50 years old, are still held in place by what they said from their graves, but God is asking you to do something else. He’s asking you to be faithful, but not out of obligation; you need to find a better reason.
This one is significant: God pointed out that a lot of my faithfulness was rooted in wanting favor. There are some of you in business right now, and the only reason you’re being nice is that you know you’re going to ask for something later. What you are practicing is manipulation. If the only reason you are faithful to a friendship, ministry, or spouse is because of what you get in return, you’re manipulating. I know nobody wants to hear this, but I’m not faithful just to gain favor from God—He’s already been faithful to me. My faithfulness should be a reflection and response to Him. If I give so God can give to me, that’s flawed. He wants me to give just because I should. I’d love for my kids to understand the value of my voice in their lives and what I’ve provided for them, instead of asking, «What are you going to give me?» Because God is gracious, He lets us stay in ignorance until we get a revelation.
What I’ve learned in my walk with Jesus is that the best reason to be faithful is because I’m free, and it’s fruitful. When I’m faithful, God says it proves I’m free; I trust Him and know who has done this for me. If you sow seeds of fruitfulness into someone else’s life, it will produce so much that you won’t be able to contain it. But I need you to do it not because you’re getting something back; do it because I’ve already done something for you. I’ve proven my character, and I want you to reflect Me.
On January 8, 2018, I was three years into pastoring Transformation Church. There were about 450 people coming, and I felt discouraged because I didn’t know how to grow the church. I’d never done anything but attend TCC for six months, and I felt unqualified to be in the position God called me to. I sat there, asking God, «Do you see me? Is this worth it?» That Sunday, some friends from Church on the Move, a longstanding church in this city, came by. They had transitioned from the father to the son, George, whom I knew. He didn’t call me, talk to me, or do anything; he sent his Outreach director over with a check for $20,000 for our church. This was unsolicited; we didn’t even need a building campaign. In that moment, God used somebody else’s faithfulness to prove His faithfulness to us.
When I tell you that money lifted our spirits, I mean it. It was like a celebration of, «Thank you, God, for seeing us.» It was affirmation that God was faithful. Two years later, when God changed our situation, it was a reflection. 2018 was the year when I was about to give up, but God was about to blow everything up. It’s right at the moment you’re about to throw in the towel that your biggest breakthrough could be waiting for you. In January 2018, we didn’t even realize what was happening—sermons were going viral, and I was in the middle of a transformation I couldn’t even feel. But I still had to be faithful.
Two years later, our church’s financial position changed, and I said, «We’re going to give back to Church on the Move.» They were faithful to God and showed us faithfulness at that moment. We were going to double it, so we did. Transformation Church gave Church on the Move $40,000 for their missions. That was honor; we gave where we received, but God asked us to be a reflection, not just reciprocate.
Three weeks ago, I was in a meeting and told my team, «I feel like the Holy Spirit is calling us to be a reflection to other emerging churches around the world.» They asked me what I was feeling, and I said, «We’re supposed to give that same $20,000 seed that was given to us in 2018 into 30 other churches.» You all don’t know the right time to rejoice, so this is what we’re going to do: as a church today, we’re going to be faithful; we aren’t going to keep what God has given us to ourselves. We will be a reflection of His faithfulness when God saw us and spoke to Church on the Move. Because they have been faithful in giving, sewing, and being intentional, it blessed us and showed us God’s faithfulness.
God said, «I don’t want you to just do it for one; I want you to do it for thirty.» Get ready to rejoice! I know some of you have to leave, but First Baptist Mohawk Church, Reverend Emanuel L.C.R., here in Tulsa, there’s a check for $20,000 coming to you. New Harp Church, Pastor Ben and Jessica, here in Tulsa, there’s a $20,000 check coming to you. Mission Church in Mesa Vision, Pastor Mel and Kyle Gonzales, here in Tulsa, there’s a $20,000 check coming to you. Precinct Theater Church, Pastor Alvin and Sonola Fier, in Iowa, there’s $20,000 coming to you. Agape Church, Pastor Chad Catcher in Sand Springs, there’s $20,000 coming to you. Friendship Church in North Tulsa, Pastor Jamal Dyer, there’s $20,000 coming to you; it’s a reflection of God’s faithfulness.
But watch this: this only happened because you all have been faithful. This is not just the church doing this; everyone who has given even a penny to this organization has contributed to this. It didn’t go into frivolous things; it’s being used to prove God’s faithfulness. None of these people know this is happening. If you know these people, text them, as they may not know this is unfolding right now. Who knows what they prayed yesterday, or how they feel unnoticed? But because of the faithfulness of God’s people, someone gets to see God’s faithfulness overflow.
Church in Minnesota, Pastor Luke and Jordan Chaffin, $20,000 is coming to you. One Church, Pastor Filmore and Caitlyn in Seattle, $20,000 is coming to you. Sozo City Church, Pastor Long and others in Chicago, we’re sending it to you. New Hope Church, Pastor Kippy and JC in Hawaii, and New Hope Maui, Pastors Dwayne and Janet in Hawaii, $20,000 is coming to you. The Tabernacle, Pastor David Wilford in Illinois, $20,000 is coming to you. All In Church, Pastor Ricky and Melissa in California, $20,000 is coming to you. High Praise Church, Apostle Jack Milk in Tennessee, $20,000 is coming to you. Shell Church in Florida, Pastor Shalom and Marina, it’s coming to you.
Some might say, «Why not put all their names on the screen for one cheer?» The reason I’m doing this is that sometimes people need to know individually that God sees them. Will there be a church that truly celebrates everyone? I’m not just talking about in this moment; I know there might be some in the crowd unable to clap or shout, but what about the heart posture? Will you celebrate those you might never see and be thankful as if it were happening to you? In being faithful over the small part we play, we gave, and now we get to rejoice. Some won’t be faithful in this moment, and God is watching to see if you will be faithful over much.
Well, it’s just $20,000 today? Let me stop here: Centro de Vida, Pastor Olivia and Ogga Springer here in Tulsa, $20,000 is coming to you. Ru Tampa, Pastor Isaac and Bessa in Florida, $20,000 is coming to you. Rain Church, Pastor Billy and Nicole Sweeney in Colorado, $20,000 is coming to you. New Generational Church RVA, Pastor Mike and Danielle Haway in Virginia, $20,000 is coming to you. Text these people if you know them! Rhythm Church in Chicago, Pastor Chris Griffin in Illinois, $20,000 is coming to you. Uncommon Church Bishop Mitchell and Pastor Dana Blue in North Carolina, $20,000 is coming to you. I only got eight more.
Community Bible Church in Odessa, Pastor Shane, $20,000 is coming to you. Harvest Church International, Pastor Brian and Kelly Cuff, $220,000 is coming to you. Fountain of Life Church in Ruia, So, and Cesar Austo in Florida, sorry y’all. Purpose Life Church, Pastor Hson and Sherice Williams from that church in New York, $20,000 is on the way. Way Church, Pastor Noah Haron in Tennessee, $20,000 is coming to you. Hallelujah Tabernacle, Pastor Manasseh and Sandy in Florida, $22,000 is coming to you. Evolve Life Church in Atlanta, Pastors Mike and Shamica Owens, $20,000 is coming to you. Collective Church in Omaha, Pastors Drew and Morgan say it, oh y’all know them, Milligan, $20,000 is going to you.
Home Church in New Orleans, Pastor Stephan Stepan and Laura Deo, $20,000 is coming to you. True North Church, Pastor Daniel and Michelle Hines in Virginia, $20,000 is coming to you. Can we praise God as a church? Hallelujah! Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness, and thank you, Lord, that we can be a church that reflects your faithfulness to others. The last point, being faithful to others means you can’t forget how He has been faithful to you. I had no reason to remember what Church on the Move did after all the miracles that God did, except it was a moment of God’s faithfulness to me. Because I didn’t forget it, it sparked something in me to be faithful to others. That’s why in the middle of a bad situation, we can sing, «Great is Thy faithfulness.» Said, «Great is Thy faithfulness; morning by morning, new mercies I see; all I have needed, Thy hand hath provided; great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.»
Before everybody leaves, would you just look at me? I’m asking you this week to intentionally surrender to the Holy Spirit for Him to show you the places and the spaces where you need to be more faithful. The reason I didn’t give you a list of things is that it will be different for all of us. For some of us, it’s going to be faithful in how we eat, because you can’t fulfill a purpose if you’re not here. Okay, let me stop. I’m just saying—some of us will be faithful in our finances, faithful to show up for your family, faithful to actually be a good friend. What if that song could not just be sung to God, but what if God could sing that song to us: «Great is Your faithfulness»?
Great is Your faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see in you. What if it wasn’t just His faithfulness to us, but a reflection of His faithfulness to people at that workplace, to the people at the record company, to the people who have nothing to give you back? There will be no advancement from what you do; there will be no come up. Would you still be faithful? Today, there are areas in my life where I’m saying, «God, I still need You to work on me.» Come on, can y’all be honest with me in this place? If there’s an area in your life where you’re saying, «God, I need this fruit of faithfulness to be worked in my heart at another level,» would you just lift your hands? I want to pray for all of us. Come on, yeah!
Father, today here we are asking You to make us more like You. Father, my nature is to be faulty; my nature is to be unsure; my nature wants to switch things up and do things, Father God, in a way that’s not consistent. But today, part of Your character is being consistent, steadfast, and loyal—something that lives can be built on. Father, will You make me more like You? Whatever generational patterns or beliefs I have to give up to be more like You, today I surrender. Today, I’m asking You, Father, would You do a work on the inside of me? Holy Spirit, speak to me, develop in me the things that culture could not develop in me, the things that that program couldn’t do in me. Holy Spirit, we know this is a fruit that comes from You, so today, Father God, I thank You that You’ll show up in my life, show up in my marriage, show up in my job, show up in my career, show up, Father, in the way that I obey You inside of the church and outside of the church. I want to be faithful to You, and as a reflection, I want to be faithful to others. God, I thank You for strength coming to people who have been tired of being faithful. I thank You they’ll get that heart of holiness, that they’ll make a decision to say, «No matter what goes on, I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.» Michael Todd is going to be faithful 100%. Have Your way in us today is our prayer in Jesus' name. Somebody say Amen! Give Him a big clap of praise right now.
Hey, listen, listen, listen, remember at the top of the service I said we have to recognize that He is faithful, but then we have to receive that He is faithful. There are some people under the sound of my voice who have never received His faithfulness because you’ve believed the lies of the enemy or even people that said you need to change before you come to God. If you could have done that, you would have already done it; but you need Him to do that. He’s the only Savior that doesn’t tell you to just do rituals to be close to Him. He said, «I’ll come down and I’ll get you; all you have to do is receive Me.»
If you’re in this room and you’ve been living your life for yourself and you’ve been far from God, and you feel like you’ve got too many habits, too many addictions, too many things—oh, my pastoral heart is going out. Somebody’s life is in the balance right now. You’ve been going around in circles, and you’re tired. You’ve even been thinking about ending your life. Today, God is coming to rescue you, and all you have to do is—somebody shout at me—receive! So all you have to do, He said, He is faithful to forgive your sins even when you’re still doing it, knowing that it’s the wrong thing. He said, «I’m faithful to do what men can’t do for you; just receive Me.»
Today, I feel that there are several people in this room and watching online, potentially hundreds, who need to make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior. This is the only reason I’m here: the only reason I’m here is because God has been faithful to me. I could have been locked up; I could have had kids everywhere; I could have been running from God. Like y’all, I was messed up, addicted to pornography, lying, manipulating, doing all these things, and God was like, «Could you bring Me that?» I’m not going to just judge what’s going on here; I’m going to transform what’s going on here. Today, I want to give you that same opportunity. I’m not a perfect man, but I am a progressive man. I thank God I’m not where I used to be, and it’s because of the mercy of God that He shows for me day after day, because He is faithful.
Today, I want you to receive faithfulness. If that’s you, on the count of three, I just want you to lift your hands. If you’re in the room, you’re online, if you’re sitting next to somebody, I want you to just lift your hands and say, «Today, I want to receive Jesus.» Because when you receive His faithfulness, you can never go back. You can try, and some of us have been running from Him for a long time, but there He is. He’s peekaboo; He’s right there. He’s going to always be right there.
Today, you’ve been looking for one; you’re making the greatest decision of your life. Two, I’m proud of you, but more than that, your name is about to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and there’s about to be a party! If you want to receive Jesus, three—shoot your hand up in the air right now. I see you! I see you! I see you, my sister! I see you, my brother! Come on, right there, y’all! How do we celebrate what God is doing? This is what it’s all about. With everybody standing, let’s pray together for those who are coming to Christ. We’re a family; nobody prays alone. Somebody say:
God, thank You for being faithful to me when I wasn’t faithful to You. Today, I ask You to be the Lord of my life. I believe You lived, You died, and You rose again with all power, just for me. Today, I give You my life. Change me, renew me, transform me. I’m Yours; I will be faithful to You, and I will be a reflection of Your faithfulness. In Jesus' name, amen