Michael Todd - The Decision Before Delilah
Well, today we are starting a brand-new series simply entitled «Death to Distraction.» Yes, sir, you should be intimidated because in this series, I feel like it may be the most important series I have ever preached. If you get the principles within this series over the next eight weeks, it will eliminate your delay. Most of the things that God desires to do is not an issue on His side. I’m going to say that one more time because some of y’all think God’s being slow. Most of the things that God desires to do in your life is not an issue, a problem, or a defect on the side of the deity; it’s usually something in us that has been disobedient. I need us to be honest about where we are in the area of focus. Everybody say «focus.» Focus! Come on, say it with faith—focus! Focus! Can we be humble, open, and transparent? How many people have an area in your life where it’s hard for you to focus? Come on, just put your other hand up if you have several areas that are hard, okay? All right, clap twice if there aren’t many areas where you can’t focus. Okay, clap twice. Thank you, and those others are lying.
The reason I’m trying to bring us all to the same place is that this message series is not for your neighbor; this one’s for you. Yes, sir. As we walk through literally just the intro today, I was in the back going over what I was about to preach with the team, and they were like, «That’s like four weeks right there! Slow down, calm down, let them get it.» So today is just the introduction of the concept of how we are going to put to death the things that distract us and take us away from the word of the year: focus. As we come into today’s message, I don’t want to just set a framework for this message; I want to set a framework for the year because if we don’t set a framework for the year, at some point in March, you’re going to get off focus.
If I don’t set a framework for the entire year, by summer, we’re going to throw off restraint. Instead of just the word of the year, which at Transformation Church is «Focus,» God gave me a scripture for the year, and my prayer is that by the end of this year, every person under the sound of my voice would know this by heart. You wouldn’t need to pull up the U version to say this one. This would be a scripture that you hide in your heart, and this scripture that talks about our focus is Hebrews 12:1-2. We’re going to say it together, and since it’s the first time we’re saying it, we’re going to try something different. Would everybody stand up for me real quick? Come on, just stand up. In the old-school church, we used to stand for the reading of God’s Word. Now, there’s no more power in standing; you could do it sitting, but I’m doing this for the old-school saints to remind you where we came from.
All right, I’m going to put it on the screen, and we’re going to try to do something that is very difficult to do with this many thousands of people. So I’m going to conduct you, but I want us to read this scripture together. Let’s see how this goes because if it doesn’t go good today, then from now on, I’m going to read it. Everybody say together: «Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes—focus—on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.» We did it! Y’all give it up, give it up, give it up! You may be seated. Hebrews 12:1-2, for the rest of the year, we’re going to say that every week. You should go ahead and read this and try to memorize it every single day because I just gave you the answer to all of your distractions.
Before we take the next step, how do you get your distractions to no longer put you on the path of a detour? You fix your eyes—focus—on Jesus. Write this down: «Fixing your eyes on Jesus gives you the faith to focus.» If you’re so distracted, I bet you’re not looking at Jesus. I’m serious. Anytime distraction dominates you in your life, I promise you, the fixed focus is not Jesus. Think about it—think about your worst season. Think about the season where you didn’t feel like yourself. Think about the season where it felt like the enemy was just running over you, and things were coming from the left and the right, and all that other stuff. It was a conglomeration of many things, but one thing it wasn’t was a fixed focus on Jesus. If you could decide that your answer is to fix your eyes, you would be able to stay distraction-free from the things that try to entangle you.
Remember what that scripture said: we have to set aside every weight. A weight is a distraction. A weight is that relationship you keep trying to make work. A weight is that image you keep trying to maintain. A weight is pretending not to feel something when, really, there’s an issue you won’t confront. The reason we know the weight is a distraction is that he said, «I want you to run your race,» and no runner is trying to run his race with more weight on them. Y’all know at the Olympics, they wear the smallest little shorts. Everybody knows what I’m talking about. They wear the thinnest little spandex shorts because even micro-small cotton sweats would be a weight, and the weight would be a disadvantage for them running their race. God is saying, «I want you to put off distractions so you can run this race.»
So, that means I’ve got to fix my focus. Somebody say, «Fix my focus.» Fix my focus! Oh, this is going to be so good! This is going to be so good! Everybody say, «Fix my focus.» Fix my focus! How am I going to make it through this school year? Fix my focus! How am I going to raise these kids, even though their daddy is a fool? Fix my focus! Because at some point, you can’t change anybody else. I wish you could get this one for real. At some point, the thing that frustrates you, that has been an excuse, you can no longer blame anyone else for. You have to take responsibility for where you are, what’s happening, and you need to fix your focus on Jesus.
Am I going to make it through this traumatic situation that I’m going through right now, grieving amidst a lot of loss where I can’t tell up from down? I’m going to fix my focus! That’s why I need everybody to know that because right now, people are looking and listening, thinking, «Yeah, they are distracted by that. Oh, I saw. Oh my God, how are they distracted by that?» All of us have a distraction somewhere, and so I need you to understand this point right here: all distractions are different, but they all have the same answer. Your distraction may be resources and finances, but the answer to not drowning in debt is to fix your focus on Jesus.
«Pastor Mike, how practical is that?» God talks about finances, money, and what to do with it so much in His Word, but most of us are looking to gurus who do not value the principles that you said you would live by in the kingdom. So, you’re putting your money into things and not honoring God first. He said, «If you would fix your focus on me and what I said—somebody say, 'Fix it! ' Fix it!» You ever met somebody with a bad attitude at a time when they should be happy? Sometimes an old auntie will come by and just say, «Fix it.» They won’t even look at you for real; they won’t even do it. Ah! Fix it!
I feel like the Holy Spirit is saying to some of y’all who are wondering, «Are they my husband? Are they my husband?» Somebody shout at me, «Fix it!» Is that the business? Is that the business? Fix it! He’ll whisper a witty invention and idea to you. I watch Shark Tank sometimes, thinking, «God, what’s up with this Scrubby Dub thing with the smile?» Y’all ever seen that thing? It’s a sponge with a smile! I wonder, «God, why not me?» But many times, we’re looking for something when God said, «If you would get in my face, if you would petition heaven more—ah! If you would come to the one who is, and who was, and who is to come—if you could get to me!» Somebody shout at me one more time—"Fix it!»
That’s why 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us our distractions are not new. It says, «The temptations or distractions in your life are no different from what others have experienced.» Sorry to burst your bubble: your distraction doesn’t make you special; it makes you human. What are you going to do with it? Can I say this? Some of our distractions—watch this—aren’t bad; they’re just not Him.
Some of y’all are thinking, «Yeah, alcohol and drugs and… no, you’re kids!» But these are my kids. They were His kids before they were your kids. God says, «Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, I knew you.» You waited nine months to see what they looked like; He was already making portraits of them. Can I be serious? For some of you, your distraction is ministry. You will pray for somebody and not be patient with them, and what God is saying to you is, «You are being distracted by the function.»
I don’t know what your distraction is today, but if it is out of priority and God is not your focus, it is time to have a funeral for the distractions in your life. Before we go to the funeral, God’s requiring you actually to put it to death. See, this is the moment that you understand what an altar is. Everybody talks about God changing them at the altar, but the altar is the place where things die. An altar is not the place where you think about sweet, somber music. When you think of an altar, think of blood and death. In the Bible, it was usually a sacrifice to God.
What does it look like for you to bring the thing that has been taking away your focus and put it on the altar before God in the first month of 2025? You say, «God, I’m not just going to tell you to take it—I’m going to kill it.» Most of us want our distractions to be kidnapped; we don’t want to kill them. We just want them to be gone for a season until we get strong enough to handle them, and then they don’t have power over us. Uh-uh! I’m strong in the Lord until you’re right back. Somebody say, «Fix it!» Yeah, fix it!
That’s why the Bible tells us your distraction isn’t different from any distraction anybody has ever had. It might be an HD now; it may be more magnified. It might be technology that helps it a little bit, but the same distraction you have, everybody can experience. It says God is faithful. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience, and God is, what? Faithful! He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. That means as a believer, you never can fall into a temptation because He said He never lets you be tempted above what you can.
So if you ever fall to your distraction, this is why I’m trying to help you. If you ever say, «She just asked me too many times. Oh my God, I did not have to fall! I just got tired of standing!» Too many believers are in a place where they feel like, «I’ve been standing for purity for seven years, God, and I’m ovulating, and he looks good now!» Y’all better help me in this place! I don’t know what’s going on, and this one is extra strong and wearing cologne. Lord, he posts scriptures, and, God, he’s got muscles! You said if you fall, though, you decided. He said this one is still not more than you can bear. Think about the things you said just happened. Think about the things you said, «I just… I just… it was one time.» He said that our God is—somebody shout at me—"faithful!» Faithful!
He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand, so when you are tempted, He will always show you a way. Somebody shout out! He’ll always show you every time I’m tempted 'cause he is faithful. This is his character right now; he said, «God is faithful. He’ll never tempt you more than you can withstand.» So when you get tempted, he’ll always show you a way out. When I read this scripture, I thought about all the times I didn’t see the way out. Oh, y’all are going to leave me up here by myself! I thought I looked around and didn’t see anything. But then when I began to look deeper, I found out I was so distracted by what I had already decided. Oh my God, many times when God provides a way out, we’re so distracted by what we’ve already chosen. I wouldn’t even be here if I wasn’t going to do it! And that’s when knock, knock, knock, are they gone?
That was your way out. That’s right! Yeah, you walked back in there. I got it locked, double-locked. Double-locked! Why didn’t you see the way of escape? Maybe because it wasn’t your focus. Sir, if somebody was kidnapping you, the only thing you would be looking for—under different circumstances—you would be looking for any moment. Did they crack the window? Did they leave? Can I dig through this concrete floor? You would do impossible things! Have y’all heard of people digging out of jail cells with a spoon and stuff like that? Do you know how many years that would take? All my prison people watching, don’t do that, okay? No! God is going to restore you in a different way. But what I’m saying to you, we got a broad audience, y’all; that’s my people! Okay, shout out to everybody in the pent tree. God’s going to transform your life, but what I’m saying to you is that in a different situation you’re always looking for a way. Yet when it’s a temptation, and a decision, and a distraction, we do not see it.
So, Pastor Mike, what are you trying to tell me? If you don’t get anything else, get this point right here: your distraction is your decision. Nobody told me this. Nobody told me that everything I’m distracted by, I decided to be distracted by. Your distraction is your decision. I need you to hear me say this because until you take ownership, you will always farm out blame when you could actually change the course of your life by confronting something that is not how you want it in your life. The first step to deliverance is acceptance. I chose this! The amens are getting weak. The reason why is because, though the repeats of the relationship, nobody forced you into that. You keep deciding to get the bad boy who plays an instrument on the side—that is a rough combination! You’ve been to four states; one was in high school.
Now you’re 40. Same thing—you decided! Yes, you decided to accept poverty. I didn’t say you decided to be born into it. But after you came of the age where you understood what was happening to you, some of us decided to keep signing up for Section 8, start a business on the side, not report our income, and actually live because «I can get my house for $600.» Okay, that’s all right; it’s too much. I get it; I understand. But you can’t ask God to bless you if you still decide to be distracted by poverty. Some of y’all decided to be greedy. You have set up in your heart to have a hard heart and to be judgmental. As soon as somebody comes in looking like you used to look in a different season when we didn’t know you, you automatically project onto them who you were and don’t give them the grace that you needed.
So, you begin to push back on them. Look at that spirit, that Jezebel spirit! No, no, no, no! You decided to be what turns you into you instead of being somebody that can transform them and help show them along the way how to transform. Whatever your distraction is, you decided it. That substance? You decided it. Think about it! At this point, whose fault is it? I know this is strong, but let me give you some encouragement because this is the year that we’re going to put a death to distraction. The reason why I’m so aggressive on this is that you can’t live another year in the same decisions you’ve been living in. There’s got to be a break! I feel that thing right now. There’s got to be something that chops off the head of the enemy in your life.
There has to be something that says, «Not another year! Not another month! Not another day!» I’m going to put death to this distraction 'cause it’s cost me too much. I will not be delayed! Somebody shout at me, «I will not be delayed! I will not!» But if you won’t own the fact that I chose the distraction, some of y’all have been out of shape about TikTok being gone. I mean, y’all hurt! You didn’t grieve like this when your uncle died! I’ve seen more posts about this app than at funerals! Some of y’all should shout 'cause you just got your life back! Some of y’all should shout 'cause now you’ve got time to make the business plan. You’ve been broke for so long, watching other people do food reviews, that you didn’t do what God told you to do. But I’m telling you, I’m putting death to distraction!
Let me calm down, let me calm down. I’m trying to… The Holy Spirit gave some of y’all a head start on the plan that He has for your life 'cause He knew you were addicted. Some of y’all are having, watch this, withdrawals! Oh my gosh! You’re going to see it in the next few days: people are going to open MySpace back up! Black Planet is on the way! Oh, they’re laying down distractions, y’all didn’t see it! They came! Somebody, go get a trash can! They said, «I’m not going to wait until Monday night! We’ve been laying down distractions all week!»
Somebody else came from out of town; they said, «I’m laying down distractions! I’m laying down!» Y’all better praise with me! Not another year! Not another day! I’m laying down distractions 'cause I have the faith to focus! All right, here we go! Just for anybody else, if you need to lay anything else down, you can come on and bring it to the altar! Okay? We’re not waiting; this ain’t a formula. This is not something we’re trying to be pretty in front of people. We’re going to get delivered in this place! There’s going to be freedom in the house of God! Yep, go on, throw it in there, Jay! Go on, throw it in there! Come on, go on, throw it in there! Go on, throw it in there!
Come on! Yeah, he’s throwing that vape in there! He said, «No more of this vape taking away my life! I’m putting death to the distraction!» Just keep it right here in the front! Keep it right in the front! Yeah, come on! Come on! She said, «I’m throwing it away! It’s a done deal! It’s a done deal!» Come on, put the cigarettes in there! It’s a done deal! Come on, put it in there! It’s a—y’all better—this is where the church shouts! This is where believers make a decision! This is where we say, «Not another day! Enemy, you’re under my feet!» Yep, yep, yep! There are more people coming; you might as well believe with him and shout with him. He said, «I’m not going to let my life be destroyed by a vape!»
Hey listen, there are about 10 people that came right now! This past week, people came and gave weed, pills. They came and gave alcohol; they came and laid down jerseys, items of witchcraft! There’s a whole skeleton! Somebody came! Y’all don’t hear me! And they threw it! They said, «No longer will I be distracted!» If you have anything that you need to write down, you can write their name! Come on, sis; write it down! Rip it up! Tell them it’s over! It’s a done deal! Glory to God! Y’all better shout with her! All right, so now I need you to understand that there’s power in your decision, okay? You want deliverance? Deliverance starts with a decision! It’s so good! And now I want you to understand because decision-making… People focus on the action of the decision, the outcome of the decision, the outward manifestation of the decision.
But I want you to understand and dissect a decision so that you can understand the power that you have, okay? Write this point down: the power of a decision is in the process of your decision. No decision just happens. There’s a decision that everybody sees, but there was a process that nobody sees except you. Most times, we’re like, «I just did it!» No, you didn’t! It just happened! No, it didn’t! I was there, and then I was here! I want to expose the enemy. I want to give you revelation, reveal truth! I want to pull back the cover on how you can actually capture and understand where you are in your decision-making process so you can then fix your eyes on Jesus. So watch this: the process of a decision is three parts. It’s first heart, then head, then hands. Every decision you make first starts in your heart, then it percolates up in your head, and then it comes out in your hands.
So when you’re making a decision, the first time you thought they were fine, that dropped in your heart! You didn’t just go up to them and start French kissing them! What it did was start in your heart. Look at that! God bless; He did, didn’t He? And then when you get lonely and you’re on Instagram and they have a wife or a husband, but you’re still looking, you start placing the pictures in your head. Then, two weeks later, they give you a hug and you’re like, «Oh my God! Why did they hug me?» Like, excuse me, sir! And they’re not even thinking anything about it. It’s like, «Man, oh, thank you so much for opening the door for me!» But in your head, you think, «I’m married!» No, I’m trying to tell y’all how stuff happens! I’m being extreme, but I’m being serious. It can percolate and ruminate in your head for minutes, seconds, or decades!
So sometimes it doesn’t take much! Oh yeah, no, no, no! That seed was planted in your heart years ago! And many times it won’t even come out around the people it was planted with. Many times the seed gets planted in one season, Jesus! And because we don’t pluck it out of our heart, it goes to our thoughts! And every season and every time we just start thinking about it. Eventually, when the circumstances become either desperate enough or secret enough, it comes out in an action. So what I want you to identify is where the distraction is in the process right now. Is the distraction just in your heart? 'Cause you can come up here and praise; you can lead us in worship; you can prophesy, and nobody will see the distraction that is taking root in your heart right now. Some of y’all need to pluck! Y’all need to get your hoe—not «hoe» like some of y’all need to pluck them, and you need to get them out of your heart!
Sometimes the Lord needs to say it the way you need to hear it! I was going to say a hoe and a shovel, but gardening tools, guys! Okay? But it hit somebody’s heart! Somebody was like, «My God! It’s time to go gardening!» Sir, there are things that have been planted in your heart! «I’m never going to treat my kids like that!» And that thing has been planted in your heart for so long! You don’t know what type of kids you’re going to have and you don’t know what type of situation it is! Because the seeds of discontentment and punishment are in there because it’s what you experienced, and you never brought that thing to the Lord. You need to actually give it to Him and allow Him to change you from the inside out! It’s still got a hint of resentment and anger and frustration and damage on it! So when it grows and your kids come out and you think, «I’ll beat you!»
I ain’t done it yet, but I’m thinking about it! And at one time, I’m just trying to show you, if you don’t catch it and take captive every thought, every vain imagination that would exalt itself against the knowledge of who God has created you to be! So where’s your distraction right now? Is it in your heart, is it in your head, or is it already in your hands? A parenting thought is that every great parent knows it’s more important that you understand why your kid did it than what they did! The reason being, if you can locate why they made the decision, you can potentially flip and turn this thing into something that changes their destiny! But many times, because we haven’t dealt with our own situation, we just focus on what they did. And we’re dealing with the decision, and we’re not talking about the heart posture, the thinking, and then the action.
So today, I’m just asking you: where’s the distraction? Is it internal, and then does it go to your intellect and then become an interaction? Write this down as a point; we’re about to go home! Addressing the action will change your day, but dissecting the reason for the decision will change your destiny! If we just addressed what the end result was, that’s why a lot of times when people come to church, they’re like, «I’m a sinner!» We all are! «But not like me! I’ve done the wrong things!»
Yeah, we’ve done it too! I need to be changed by God, that’s happening all the time, but the reason many people revisit the same car crash is that they never go and deal with the thing in their heart that keeps growing. I’m at this same scene all the time, and it is my decision. I chose to do that; I chose to do that; I chose to do that. And everybody’s saying, «Don’t do that! We’re going to pray and rebuke that spirit!» No, stop. Look at me. What’s in your heart? Very good, that needs to be dealt with, because you keep making the same decision. But is it insecurity that was planted there at 13 when you tried to do something, and people laughed at you? So you decided, «I’ll never be laughed at again,» and you found out that you had this one gift and talent, and you’ve shrunk back from everything else God wanted to do in your life because you were just going to give them that. We need to go to that. Everybody say, «Root!» If we can get a hold of your decision, we can get a hold of your destiny.
So today, in the intro of this message, we set our frame as Jesus—fixing our eyes on Jesus, fixing our focus on Jesus. Our foundation for the next seven weeks is going to be Hebrews 12. So I want you to know that we’re fixing our focus, but we’re going to just for a case study this, where I’m going to leave you; I’m going to introduce you to our case study for today, and we’ll pick up in his story next week. But I just need to leave you with this one thing. We’re going to go to the Book of Judges, and we’re going to talk about this character named Samson, a man who is known for his relationship with distraction. Distraction cost him everything, even after God placed His hand, anointing, and approval. What does that mean? You can be called and distracted. You can move in the mighty power of God and be distracted. Very good, very good. And anytime I say the name Samson, what’s the other name that goes with it? What’s the other name? Delilah.
Today, I came to be a lawyer for Delilah. I would like to present to the jury that Samson had issues before she came into the picture. I would like to submit to the court the title of my message—y’all get ready—the decision before Delilah. What if I told you that Samson’s distraction and his known destruction was the culmination of years—very good—of making poor decisions? What if I told you that your life is not just that one job who didn’t see your worth—come on— not giving you a promotion? What if it’s not just this big cataclysmic failure? What if our distractions were actually wrapped up in small daily micro-decisions?
Next week, I’m going to start taking you through Samson’s story because I believe there’s revelation in how we must guard ourselves from things that feel familiar, because the faith to focus actually comes from us not becoming familiar with things that God said are nowhere a part of our destiny. Right? Let me give you just one thing about him. See, Samson’s mom was not able to have kids; she was barren, and she was praying. The angel of the Lord came to her. Ooh, this story is going to be so good for you to understand how to put death to your distraction and what happens if you don’t.
So she prayed to God. The angel of the Lord, the Bible says in Judges, came to her—Judges 13, if you want to study up—and said, «You’re going to have a child, but we need to make a deal. This child belongs to God. This child is going to have super strength, but he has to take the Nazarite vow.» And she said, «Whatever you want to do!» She said, «Tell this baby that it can have no contact with strong drink—nothing from a grape, no raisins, no alcohol, no wine,» because that’s how it was fermented back then. «It can have no unclean thing to eat, which would have been pork back in the day, so no alcohol, no bacon!» Okay, so some of y’all are struggling right there. «No bacon? Oh my God, I put bacon on everything! Okay. No alcohol, no bacon; no contact with any dead thing.»
No contact! Boy, that can preach just by itself! Why do you keep touching it? It’s dead! Some of y’all keep calling what’s dead. Some of y’all keep believing for what is dead. This Nazarite vow? Touch no dead thing! Yeah! And the last thing is, «Don’t cut his hair.» And this young man has several encounters with distraction and makes the wrong decisions before Delilah. Way before he ever met the thing that would take him down, he already decided he wasn’t going to withstand and take the way of escape. The reason I have to bring this up is that when God gave him the Nazarite vow, the same way that God—as many of you—don’t watch that, don’t go there, don’t talk to them, turn your bedtime. It’s bedtime! Some of y’all, this is prophetic. It’s bedtime! It’s 8:45—I’m a grown person! 9:30, you turn into a different person! It’s bedtime! Y’all hear what I’m saying? It’s bedtime for you. The reason why God many times puts boundaries on things is that He’s trying to make you holy.
And I don’t want you to think «holy, holy, holy.» That word means «set apart.» He said, «I’ve called you for something,» like He called Samson for something, and He’s saying, «I need you to do these things that do not seem familiar to everybody else, but it’s the thing that I’m hiding your power within. So I need you to be set apart.» So we might not look like that, and we might not go to that, and we might not talk about that, and we might not eat that, and we might not do what y’all are doing because I am set apart, and because God was trying to set him apart the way I believe He’s trying to set many of you apart in this year of 2025. That’s why He made the word of the year «focus.» Focus on what I’m saying. Forget what the economy is doing; forget what TikTok is doing; forget all of this stuff. Focus on what I’m saying.
The reason you have to understand this is important is that God always hides blessings inside of boundaries. God always puts blessings inside of boundaries. As I end today, I want to tell you a story about young Michael Todd in high school when God set a boundary around my life in Edison High School. In my ninth-grade year, the Holy Spirit told me that I needed to stop eating meat at lunchtime in my school, and this was the year they started serving mayo pizza at my school. I was fat back then and very hungry—I’m just telling you a real story. I remember telling my mom and a couple of other people— you remember this, Mom? —and I just said, «I know I’m not supposed to; I just feel like God’s telling me.»
It wasn’t a youth group thing; it wasn’t a call from the church. I was in ninth grade, and the Holy Spirit said, «You need to stop eating meat at lunch.» He was trying to do something in my heart, and literally, for the entire ninth-grade year, all I ate for lunch was French fries. Now, there were mounds of French fries; I want you to know that I wasn’t hungry—French fries, ranch, cheese, ketchup. People would just come and dump their fries on my plate like it was a blessing. But at the same time, I wasn’t losing calories; I was being set apart for my calling. He was trying to see if, in an environment where nobody in my school was fasting—there was nobody doing that—God said, «Would you do what is unusual to live a life that is unusual? Will you give up the distraction of what everybody else is doing to obey what I’m asking you to do?»
And I’m telling you, I can’t tell you when it happened or what happened because I did a lot of stupid stuff even after fasting, but I’m telling you a process started in me of sanctification, where God was making me into His image because I decided I was going to try to focus on Him. And when I look at the thought of Samson doing what God asked him to do, He was giving him boundaries because He wanted to protect a blessing for him. If you could stop looking at the boundaries that God’s given you as some type of shackle and actually look at it as protection, it would change the way that you view how God is trying to set you apart.
Everybody stand all over this place. Next week, I’m going to preach a message called «Every No.» I’m not going to tell you the title yet; just come back next week because I’m going to want to preach it. But I’m telling you, it’s going to change your life. This doorway is going to make sense next week because I’m going to give you the ability to take ownership of your decisions. Thank you, Lord, that today is the beginning of us putting death to our distractions, but our distractions have been our decision. So today, we’re asking you to help us change our decisions. Would you lift your hands all over this place?
God, there are a bunch of people with different distractions, me included, that today You have given me power by Your Holy Spirit to make a different decision. Thank you, Father God, that a decision can get me into it and a decision can get me out of it—fixing our focus on Jesus. Today, Father, where my focus has not been You, would You show me how to lay down on the altar my distractions and not just kill them metaphorically but actually sacrifice them to You? Whether that means I have to change my number, whether I have to delete apps, whether I have to have a hard conversation, I have to schedule therapy, whether that means, Father God, I have to literally work somewhere else. God, I’m asking You, let this be the year, the month, the week, the day that this distraction no longer leads me to destruction. I pray, Father God, that we would stop blaming the Delilahs in our life when it’s been our decisions. Father, Your Word says You give us both the desire and the power to do what pleases You. So thank you, Father, that that Scripture comes alive on the inside of every one of Your children today and that You give us the authority as well, Father God, and the courage to be like these people who came and gave up things that represented weights that so easily would deter us and distract us. Today, God, we are fixing our eyes, fixing our focus on You. God, I look to You; I won’t be overwhelmed. Give me vision to see things like You do. God, I look to You; You’re where my help comes from. Give me wisdom; You know just what to do.
If you’re under the sound of my voice and you’ve never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, whether you’re in this room, you’re watching at home, you’re currently incarcerated, or you’re watching this on rebroadcast, I believe the Holy Spirit has been drawing you to this moment right here. If you’re in this room, I need you to begin to pray because people’s eternities and lives are on the line by one decision. You know how powerful a decision is; we come to faith by a decision. All of our eternity is secured by a decision.
And today, I’m so proud of you, sis. Today you can make a decision. If you want to make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior, whether you’re in this room or you’re watching online, on the count of three, I just want you to lift your hands. As people are surrendering things, they said, «I’m not walking out of here with this distraction,» you can do the same thing, but you have to let it start in your heart. The action is great; the thoughts are great, but let God take over your heart. He’s the only one that if you give Him your heart, He’ll help you change your habits.
Today, you’ve come to the right place—the hospital for humanity—and today I want you to give your life to Jesus. One: you’re making the greatest decision of your life. Two: your name, your eternity is going to be secure, and your name is going to be written in the Lamb’s book of life. Three: lift your hands if you want to give your life to Jesus all over this place and in the room.
I see you in the back; I see you. I see you right there. Anybody else? Come on, I see you, brother. If it’s just for you, I see you, sister. Listen, I see you right there; there are hands up. If you’re watching online, just put your hand up in the chat. Today, if it’s one person—there were several in this room that are making a—somebody say, «decision"—today, God’s going to transform your life. At Transformation Church, nobody prays alone; we’re a family! So would you just lift your hands and say:
God, thank You for sending Jesus just for me. Today I admit I’m a sinner, and I need You to be my Savior. I believe You lived, You died, and You rose again just for me. Here’s my life; take over. Use me; renew me; transform me. I’m Yours. In Jesus' name, amen.