Now's Your Opportunity Marked (Part 10)

0:00 Hallelujah. Man, I'm so excited for what God's about to do today. I can sense the presence of God. Y'all, one of my greatest honors is to get to lead, along with my wife, this amazing church. And for all of you who have just started coming to Transformation Church over this past year, there are things that we have done since the very beginning of our ministry that I really do believe have qualified us to be used by God in a very big way. Right now, even as we sit in this room in a converted grocery store on the north side of Tulsa. Oh, yeah. I love that. There are tens of thousands of people watching and joining us right now. And being a part of what God's doing in other countries where they're persecuted for going to a local building to be able to meet. But at an internet cafe because they don't have it at their home because of government regulations.

0:59 They'll wake up and go to an internet cafe and join in with what God's doing at Transformation Church. Do y'all, oh, y'all can do better than that. That is huge. So many times what we take for granted is somebody's only option. And so today God's using us in that way, but it's because some principles that we've decided to do to represent everybody say represent That's the vision and the mission of this church is to represent God to two groups of people lost people and found people for one reason Transformation in Christ And so one of those things is me and pastor Natalie have been pastors of this church now for almost five years coming up in February And that time has gone by like this like and one thing we do every every July is me and my wife and my family We take a sabbatical for the entire month of July and and thank you. I got one. That's good

1:59 Some of y'all like where you going? Okay, one of the things that we decided at the very beginning of this ministry is that we would not build this ministry just on my personality That we would build it on principles That would be able to sustain and stand if I was the pastor if or if somebody else was the pastor and our goal And our job is to build something that will outlast all of us We want there to be a transformation church around when our children's children's children's children are on the earth Can I get one big amen for that? Okay?

2:33 And so so part of this is for this week. I'm preparing content I'm doing stuff all the time and I try to get my very best for you guys But I I really do believe there's something powerful and anointed that happens in rest I mean when you think about when God created everything he was done in six days But he still put a seventh day in there to paint an internal picture That no matter what you're doing if you give God opportunity He can do much more when you're not in everything and Relationship goals which is the series that a lot of people even heard about our ministry out of that series The first day I was back off of a sabbatical. Y'all, I get so recharged. God speaks to me. And you're saying, what happens on the sabbatical, Pastor Mike? Because you're our pastor. We need to know. You don't really need to know, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

3:29 The first week we give to our children. We do what we call PK vacay. Nobody knows the sacrifice that our little babies go through for us to do what God's called us to do. And so for five to seven days, we do everything they want to do. bubbles big splash Everything and we do that because I've heard too many people get to the end of their Christian life And they gave everything for God and none of their kids love Jesus Won't happen here and so um, so we do PK vacay and then me and my wife go somewhere tropical I mean, I'm not wearing those shorts. I mean shirts

4:05 Maybe maybe I exposed too much I will have on shorts But we're gonna go somewhere and we're just gonna relax together and just try to fall more in love just because At the at the moment at the moment that you heard pastor Mike cheated on his wife none of y'all come here no more So they all want it while it seems healthy But at the moment it goes wrong Nobody wants to hear from it. So we have to do things to intentionally keep our marriage healthy And then and then and then we're gonna come back here and and do honey do things around the house And then that last five days i'm gonna go away and i'm gonna seek god Nobody's gonna go i'm a fast that i'm gonna pray and i'm gonna ask god what what is the next five months look like for 2019 what do you want me to preach show me what you're what you want me to focus in on and i'm telling you every Every time I've set this meeting with God, he's never missed it.

5:08 And I'm telling you, when this happens, when I get back, we're going to a whole nother level. And this is what I encourage everybody. You won't hear many pastors say this, but I'm encouraging. I'm trying to model for you what health looks like. So I'm encouraging you. I'm giving you permission. during this time of year, I want you to take a Sunday off of church.

5:33 I'm the pastor telling you that. Now, some of y'all take too many Sundays off a term. Some of y'all, this is the first time you've been here. See, baby, he told us we didn't have to come. But I think it's healthy That you plan like Hey, these two weekends We're not coming to church We're not losing our connection with God But we're going to use this time to invest in our family Or to do something Now I would ask that all y'all don't do it At the same time I do it So don't take July and just be gone Okay But what I am saying is I would rather us last And be in this for a long time Than to have a little blip on the radar And it was like y'all remember transformation church No, no, no, no, no We're here to represent God for a long time And so what I'm asking you is I want you to come I promise you that during the month of July Every week there's going to be a word from God Every week this is my baby right here This is my responsibility I will not put nobody up here Who's not going to deliver the word of God to you And really you don't want to hear from Pastor Mike And God speaks in so many different forms in so many different ways So your expectations should go to another level as we come for the whole month of July. Amen Amen, so I want to honor you and I want to thank you for that invite friends most churches decline in the summer We grow in the summer every year since we've had a church We grow in the summer because fun month is what we're about to go into and some of y'all don't know nothing about fun month And we do it every year, but I thought I wouldn't do the announcement for fun month I thought I would allow somebody that's a little more handsome than me and can articulate a little bit better Tell you about some of take a look at the screens for me real quick

7:22 You know what time of year it is it is fun month at Transformation Church and I'm telling you every week in July We are about to turn up some of y'all want to know what is fun month is spirit week on steroids We are about to have the best time and you don't want to miss it. Starting July 7th, Capital C Sunday. And this is when we cancel all Transformation Church services. What? Yes, you heard that right. We're canceling all Transformation Church services and we're going to go be a part of other congregations in our community and in our city. Because it's not just about TC. It's about what God's doing in the Capital C Church. And after that, it is Tropical Sunday. grab your grass skirts and your Hawaiian shirts and meet us here for an amazing worship experience. Put me in coach. After that, you get to join us for Rep Your Team Sunday. So I need you to wear your favorite jersey of your high school team, professional team, college team, and come represent because there's one king and it's not LeBron. And then we're going to close out the month with all you cool cats and foxy ladies on Throwback Sunday. So I want you to dress in your bell bottoms or your throwbacks and come enjoy a God that never changes. You do not want to miss fun month at TC because we are going to enjoy it all.

8:51 Anybody excited about Fur Month at Transformation Church? Amen. Well, anybody ready for the word this morning? Today I am pumped because this is part 10 of a series that we've been in forever called Month. And I'm excited about it because the only time you do something this long in church is when you know God's trying to get something really deep down in a group of people. And I really do believe that God has been trying to tell us for the past two and a half months that you are marked by God. That he has called you to do something phenomenal that nobody else is called to do. That you no matter the opposition or what has happened in your life that you were marked and born and you have the DNA for greatness on the inside of you. But the problem is people who are marked do not a lot of times enjoy the process.

9:58 And because there is a process to your palace or a process to your purpose. Many people get knocked out in an early round because they did not know that this wasn't going to be easy And many of you are sitting here right now paralyzed in your purpose Because you had some hits of life that took you out because you were not expecting them You prayed you got saved you asked God to use you and then you thought it was straight to the palace Straight to my purpose Straight to being debt-free straight to all my kids loving me and and obeying me But what happens is if you don't see these hits of life coming You don't stay in the fight And we are in a fixed fight if we would just stand everybody say stand Say it again. Say stand So we've been going for the past 10 weeks And I want you to go back and watch the series before because we have laid out really through the life and the leadership of David If you're marked by God, some of the things you're going to have to go through.

11:03 I didn't say might go through. I said you're going to have to go through it. Things like being anointed before your position. Things like nobody's going to co-sign what God's doing, but he's given you something. Things like having to actually walk down a path and step towards obstacles and not step back from obstacles. Like all of these things you're going to have to go through. But as David, we talked about last week, he defeats Goliath. in his hands. And now he is the man. Like when you beat a giant that nobody else would fight, you become the man. And so David now, the Bible tells us, is the captain of about a thousand men and they go out winning all of these wars for Saul, who was the king. And they would come back from these expeditions. And you know, I don't know how you, like when you win a game, If you play a basketball or uno or anything for me When you win like you like yeah, you know, I'm saying that was nothing I Do this every morning like this is this is kind of what happened not from David's perspective But from the people's perspective People started glorifying what God was doing through David This is a side note for somebody when you're marked make sure you're listening for the applause of God

12:25 Not the applause of people because it'll throw you off So David is coming in and all of these groupies start singing this song And I mean it was a hit song Back in this time matter of fact, I had them find in the archives a video of what the song kind of sound like It was number one hit record for many years. Could you play that video for me real quick? Just just in case they forgot

12:54 We got groupies now, it's like, oh my God, look at David, look at him. Look at him, he's falling. Like that now, he didn't have that before. And one day, the groupies made a song and they was like, David, David. And they was like, David, David. David, sweet 10,000. Song 1000. David, like that's what happened. That's what the Bible says, read it.

13:25 David, David, and they was like, David, David, David, David, sweet 10,000, someone else in, David, sweet 10,000, someone else in, David, and like, that's, that's what happened, that's what the Bible says, read it.

13:49 Read it it does really say that So this made Saul mad And at this moment the Bible says jealousy came into Saul's heart And even though David was fighting for him He now decided That somebody that was on his side was now his enemy And when you're marked I just want to help you understand this because David and Saul had a valuable relationship

14:19 But this is the thing you got to understand that if you're marked by God This is probably one of the hardest lessons I've ever had to learn when you're marked valuable relationships will reposition And this sucks Like like when when people who were on your side Who were on your team who you won victories for and with? Now label you an enemy Now think because you've come to another level of your purpose you've changed They not the same no more They know they fake now. No, no, no. I just I'm just busier now I'm not fake. This is what we dreamed about. This is what we prayed for. I Prayed to be healed. The reason why we connected was over our deficiencies

15:16 Now I'm walking in healing and I can't hang in that same area where we were able to connect And so now you think I'm different and now you talk about me Now you're throwing arrows at me We prayed when we were drunk at that one time We prayed to get free We prayed not to be dealing with our sexual urges in this way We prayed to be married We prayed but now that I'm walking in a level of my freedom

15:47 And if you if you're marked and you don't know this this will take you out of the game As I've walked in ministry I've had people that I consider friends that I was down with that prayed for me that stood with me in one season They walked away No explanation Heard they was talking about stuff I've had people pray like lay their hands and said God's gonna use you and you're about to do something leave the church and take other people with you prophesied you said it

16:20 But I'm trying to help you understand something. Look at it in 1 Samuel chapter 24. I want you to see this because I want to help somebody in the end of this series. That once God takes you to that next level, don't think that the process is over. It said after Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness. So now he's about to send people to find David. Verse 3, at that place where the road passes, some shepherds foes, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding further back in that very cave. So let me paint the picture of what's happening right now. David has to go on the run because the very people that he was fighting for now see him as an enemy. And they're literally trying to assassinate him.

17:18 Now somebody might not be trying to physically kill you, but some people may be trying to assassinate your character They may be trying to assassinate like like your purpose like when when a deal is about to go through and they'd be like Hey, have you ever heard of John? He's like, oh, you don't want home. I Ain't saying nothing but

17:41 You just said a whole bunch You you know how you've never met somebody but somebody gives you an impression of them Before you ever meet them like like this. This is what's happening is David is on the run He's running from what God has called him to because somebody in power or in leadership is trying to assassinate him And he learns that that this ain't fair This is not what god promised me This doesn't what happens when my own family members

18:16 Like like the people they don't believe in what god's called me to do So every time I go home for christmas or every time I go home for thanksgiving, it's a joke I'm talking real stuff right now It's a joke that you're even doing what god's called you to do And what happens is we may not be in a literal cave, but many times in our purpose we're hiding in the back of something Like we're not in a cave because somebody is coming to kill us, but when we're not in the foreground We're not in the light doing what God's called us to do We're trying to work on what God's called us to do in the back so nobody can see us and this Is a perfect picture of when you are in a very vulnerable situation And you have the opportunity to take revenge or to get back at the people who are trying to get at you What your response has to be?

19:09 Because Saul walks into this cave that he does not know David and his strong the Bible calls a mighty men are in now These dudes are gangster No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no You don't even understand what I'm saying the Bible chronicles like some of these dudes like one dude killed a thousand dudes by himself was one of his dudes and hit David and his goons are in the back of the cave and in walks the man who's been trying to kill them in the most vulnerable position he's using the bathroom he said he was trying to relieve himself y'all don't be reading the Bible now any man knows that when you go to use the restroom that is the most vulnerable position that you are in nobody's on guard while they're taking a pee

20:05 Matter of fact, let me stop Okay, let me just stop But all I'm saying to you is you're not thinking at that moment Somebody's about to attack me You're not thinking at that moment And God allows David to be in a place Where he gets to see the person that has been coming after him in a vulnerable position

20:30 What do you do? When you see your boss that don't like you in a vulnerable position What do you do when you see your parent? Who's doing the best they can but didn't have any reference of parenting for themselves and now you see them in a vulnerable position? What do you do? What do you do when you see your coworker? Who y'all are going after the same job? In a vulnerable position Most of us do what culture says culture says get them Culture says do it if they've done something to me culture says do it back to them But I want you to watch the response of a marked person As opposed to a person that that may be trying to make their own way or striving to make something happen Somebody say I'm marked Say it like you mean it. I'm marked When you're marked your response is different to the same situations And I want you to see this David is sitting here And his enemy is in a vulnerable position in front of him Look what happens in first Samuel chapter 24 verse 4 It says now's your opportunity These are the mighty men around him They said David it.

21:56 Thank you Jesus Thank you Jesus We prayed for this moment Now's your opportunity Kill him Matter of fact I want to title that This message, this talk That's what I want to title it Now's your opportunity

22:17 The reason I want to title it Because what comes after this Is going to show us if you're marked or not Because now's your opportunity to catch your leader catch you the person who's been doing you wrong in a vulnerable position and kill Or now's your opportunity if you're marked

22:39 Now you you might not be you might this may be the qualifier for you right here, but if you're marked You have to have the audacity to honor Yeah See this the way we're gonna end this is checking your heart You're gonna have to have the audacity To honor And this is hard This is not enjoyable But this makes you more like God Now now pastor Mike, I don't I don't really know if If this is God because That the mighty men that David was with they had a different opinion. Yeah, they sure did because they were telling David in the face of a hardship that God was the one who was providing this opportunity for David to dishonor watch This man said now's your opportunity. David's men whispered to him is be careful who you got whispering to you

23:45 Because people who don't know what's on your life will try to tell you things that disqualify you from your purpose He said his men was whispering to him today. The Lord is telling you Now they talking but they said the Lord's saying this Y'all look at it today. The Lord is telling you I will certainly put your enemy into your power to do with as you wish

24:13 And this just for a moment sounded so good to david That he started going up to saul to kill him He said y'all right God did give this opportunity to me so I can do what i'm supposed to do And the bible says that david crept up to saul And it's like i'm about to shank this fool

24:36 Shank for everybody who's never been in a legal Extremity I don't even know what i'm trying to say shank is like taking something and just like just stabbing him Okay, so she's like sally shank He walks up to him

24:57 The leader not even having a clue what's about to happen and he literally says he's thinking about every opportunity that Saul had to actually love on him and take him in and actually be be a mentor to him for real he really wanted somebody to show him how to be a king he's thinking of all the missed opportunities and he's thinking about he's been on the run for such a long time that was my perfect opportunity to defame him To take away everything he's built to be the one to walk out of this cave where nobody knows what would happen in here unless I go out and say it to them I can take him out. I found an email that nobody's seen They accidentally put me in the group text And I got some information I wasn't supposed to get Oh, I'm coming to your house today

25:59 I Over I overheard the reason why they left the job or left the church. I Have an opportunity To kill What's caused me so much frustration? And what is David do at the moment he could do it the Bible says he cuts off a piece of his rope Huh? Some of y'all was like, no, no! Kill him

26:34 But see honor this word is is crazy. It's a kingdom word It's a word that goes against culture. Let me let me tell you what honor means to value To prize or to give weight to something What are you giving weight to? What are you what are you adding value to some of us go everywhere and we take value We come in rooms and we can pick apart everything that's wrong We do that and god says you're not acting in my character. I want you to add value I want you to to prize it to give weight to it and at this moment David has the ability to get revenge And let me tell you revenge always seems like the right thing to do in the moment Always seems like the right thing to do But I want you to see this They're telling them God's saying to do this But when I look at the scripture God's idea of honor is completely different The man's idea of honor And let's see what God has to say about honor real quick And then we're going to pick back up in David's story Look at 1 Peter 2.17 It says honor Everybody say honor Because you're going to have to have the audacity to do this Honor who?

27:55 Dang it. Dang it. It says honor all people. Love the brotherhood, fellow Christians, people who believe like you. Love them. God, that's easy. No, actually it's not. But it should be easier because we're all going the same way. So maybe I can get that one. If I live my life and I can just love other people who think like me, Honor other people who act like me honor other people who have the same political party as me honor

28:31 Maybe that'll be good But it says honor all people Love the brotherhood fear God And then honor the king Now when this was written Peter's writing this And I want you to know a little something about the king at this time Because this meant something The king at this time was a guy named Nero And Nero was a bad king Nero is so bad that he mothered he murdered his mother He mothered his first wife I guess his second wife didn't get the memo because she married him and he murdered her too At this time Nero set his kingdom on fire and burned two-thirds of it down So that he could build more castle for himself and blamed it on the Christians of the time But Peter Who would go and be crucified by the same guy A few months later Said you need to honor the king

29:35 No, no, no, no, I will not honor anybody who does not line up with my moral values Now this is coming for some people because right now you you could go on to Facebook and Instagram right now And type in one word or one leader or our president or anybody else and you could see Well, he ain't worth honoring hold on hold on hold on hold on hold on hold on

30:03 Now I didn't make this up Okay, this ain't me I have a hard time doing this But when God puts somebody in position It is not your responsibility To check them It is your responsibility To pray for them And then it is your responsibility Everybody say this word with me To honor

30:33 Now I know people gonna be talking and I know some of y'all ain't never gonna come back to the church But I you don't know how I voted but no matter who goes into the office And that's why some people like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but you didn't honor when Obama was in office

30:55 You okay? We're honoring now. Y'all, I'm going to need security on the way out of here. You honoring now, but you didn't honor. All I'm saying is what happens is it exposes the posture of our heart When we have the opportunity not to agree But to place value on to add value to to To put weight on Yeah, there's things I disagree with all the time with not just a president with with my lawn care people. Like, dear, I want to bring it down to level. Like, it's not just honoring the president or honoring our boss. It's like honoring the people who are the leader of my grass right now.

31:50 See, because the problem is we feel like certain people deserve honor. I might have to do week 11 because they Some people deserve honor and others don't And so we go into situations already having summed up how much value or weight we're gonna add to a situation Because of our past experience what other people have said or what we've experienced in the past And God says when my word says in first Peter put it back up there because they don't believe it's the Bible It says, say it with me, honor all people.

32:31 So if you grew up in a racist household And then God allows somebody African American or Hispanic to come into your life Honor all people Or let's flip it up If you're black and you've lived on the north side all your life And then God gives you a high paying job somewhere else And now you have to interact with people You don't come home and talk about like oh my God free shot.

32:56 That's why people are always talking about golf and coffee and... Skiing in the lake? Like what? Did you add value to them? Did you say, I've learned things that I've never known before and I was exposed to new things and I met somebody who went to a private school and I didn't, did you add value or did you come back to the hood talking about, I ain't messing with them white folks no more.

33:25 The Bible says honor. I'm preaching in this place today. And until, and until the church gets this. If you're marked you're gonna have to have the audacity to honor So look what happens in first Samuel 24 verse 5 it says but then David's conscience I have I got him in my grips but David's conscience begin bothering him So many of us don't listen to that thing on the inside of us That's like this is wrong. This is wrong. Don't do this. Don't do this. This is wrong. This is wrong

34:16 But if it ever starts bothering you You need to stop and pay attention it said David's conscience began bothering him But he not because he killed him. Oh, I love this But because he cut off a piece of Saul's rope So he started getting unsettled because of the little thing he did See some of y'all before we ever get to the action we start thinking about it or talking about it to somebody And god said did the little thing you did that was gonna lead you down that road Did that start bothering you did the little thing and david's conscience said what I just did was wrong And then he turned around to his men. I want you to see how powerful this statement is right here Because you're gonna have to have the audacity to honor somebody who you don't want to It says the lord forbid that I should go Do this to my lord the king I shouldn't attack the lord's anointed one what For the lord himself has chosen him

35:27 Now because we have the Bible we already know that Saul is not anointing anymore David is But David doesn't know And many times God puts you in positions where he's already anointed you and set you to the path to the palace But you don't know it You're not gonna know your mark And God is watching how you handle the people that are in charge because watch One day you'll hold the same spot

36:02 What you don't realize is the very people that you're dishonoring seeds to your future because one day you'll be in that spot and God will allow you multiplied to come into your life So if your boss got you pressed down, shaken together, and running over, would you be excited about it? If the people who helped your dream come to pass, who worked for your company, who helped you with your non-profit, were just like you, multiplied.

36:43 This is what David gets the opportunity to do is sow seeds in his present that will show up in his future. Honor is a seed. That when you sow it to people in your life. You're acting mean to that waitress. But you don't know your kid, your child, the baby you love is going to be a waitress 13 years from now.

37:07 I Mean your business And what you do cuz oh my god, my food is not Not hot and this water is done in the attitude that you're acting in That honor that you're not sewing because they work a part-time job They're in medical school right now trying to finish their degree in there actually be the one treating you for a disease that you'll have Ten years from now, but you don't think about that right now

37:35 To be responsible over the season that they're in and you're treating them like nothing because they serve at Crackle Bear What? This that church they don't like But this this is this is what will change your life This is what will continue to allow you to be used by God And so David said I can't do this So so let me tell you one more thing you're gonna have to do if you're marked

38:07 When you're marked Honor requires action I honored him show me like a lot of people talk about honor but not a lot of people show honor how did David show honor? I'm glad you asked, look at verse 7 he tells the man I shouldn't have done this he could have made it his own thing but as soon as he said I shouldn't have done this I shouldn't have took it off his man was like it's okay David I really understand what you're saying what you saying God told you not to touch the anointed but I'll kill him

38:46 I Have to assume that that's the connotation because look what it says in verse 7 first Samuel 24 7 it says so David restrained his men and He did not let them See can people talk about other people in your presence

39:07 Can people just go off at the mouth and vomit at the mouth about other people in your presence? And you'd be like, girl, I know. And then you go out of there feeling like justified. I didn't say nothing. But they felt comfortable enough around you that you let them. Everybody say let them. See, honor is an action word. David went from about to kill him to turn it around to the people he loved and say don't stop Don't say that don't do that don't send that don't do that don't talk like that in their presence Don't he started restraining the very people that were on his team

39:45 Because honor is an action word Dang, Pastor Mike I know it's good, girl But this is the stuff nobody wants to hear But it's the stuff that qualifies and makes us know I'm marked, somebody say I'm marked

40:06 So at Transformation Church We've adopted this saying That we honor up, we honor down We honor all the way. Say it one more time. We honor. Let's go. We honor. Okay. We honor. Whoa. Whoa. Just one more time. We honor. Let's go. Okay.

40:32 When you start living like that you don't just honor people who are in positions over you You honor the people who are serving you or serving with you Yeah, a lot of y'all straighten up when the boss comes in But you treat your co-workers and your family members and your cousins you treat them like trash and God says I'm taking notice of all that Because these are the people one day I want you to rule over but you don't even see them on your level when you own a level

41:04 So how would you see them and feel them and represent them when I put you over them? I got to keep you right here until your character gets right because you somehow thought the homeless man that was asking for money You're better than him because you have a car But what you don't know is 15 years ago He was driving what you was driving and he had the same thing and through a series of events where he didn't have the creator of the universe life he got into that position but he's just like you at different stages in the story and if we ever forget about the grace of God and where he gets us from and where he takes us to and how he sustains us through we will not honor the people that God puts around us

41:52 That's why Isaiah 29 13 It says it like this And so the Lord says These people Say they're mine All these people come to Transformation Church And they wear crosses around their necks And their Instagram bio says believer

42:13 These people say they're mine They honor me with their lips But their hearts are far from me and their worship of me is nothing more than man-made it's rules that they've learned and they started to put into practice

42:41 They honor when it gets them another position or takes them up but when nobody's looking in the back of a cave will you honor? I mean I think it's very significant that this whole thing does not happen in front of anybody else. It happens in a cave. And God says if you honor in a cave.

43:02 You'll honor in the palace. If you if you honor that's what integrity that word integrity It means you do the same thing in front of people That you do behind closed doors And this is one of the key things that's missing from the body of Christ right now honor is missing But when I look at the life of Jesus Who in anybody on earth Should have been honored Should have been served Like if I was Jesus I wouldn't have touched the ground the whole time I was on earth Y'all know what I'm saying Like I would have had people either carrying me Or invented the hub around Or something I would have just But that's my selfish self

43:47 But Jesus walked the same roads the disciples walked He didn't have he didn't have any special treatment matter of fact when we talk about honoring down at the last supper in the midst of everybody who's followed him he gets down on his knees. See what you need to know is being marked is not about you. It's about others. The reason God marks people is so that you can bring other people to the realization that there's a God who wants to do something great in their life. And what happens is Jesus with Judas in the room. The same person that would sell him out. Jesus chose to still wash Judas' feet.

44:37 He had the audacity to honor the one who would betray him. My question to you is who is the Judas in your life that you're supposed to be honoring right now while you're hating on them right now?

44:59 When Jesus touched Judas' feet, I think it was probably the most spiritual act he ever did. Because now I only could be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do this. Because what I want to do is take his foot and break it. Oh, don't act like Jesus. He was all human, the Bible said.

45:21 If I was Jesus, I would want to suplex. But he had the audacity To honor somebody Who by all accounts was not honorable

45:43 And when you talk about not just honoring up but honoring down and honoring all the way around, you're supposed to add value to people who can't add value to you. See, some of us are great at adding value to people who may be able to take us up or adding value to people who are very poor and, oh, they need some help. But what about your family members? What about your coworkers?

46:11 This crazy thing I heard about there was a man His name was Robert F Smith who went to Morehouse and this year he gave the commencement speech 2019 and he stood up there and in front of a graduating class of Bunch of young African-American men. He said I want to give you a leg up in life. I want to push you I want to pay off everybody's student loan That's graduating today

46:40 As I begin to think about that I said God what would make somebody do that he said honor? He said those young men can't do anything for him But he did I mean he literally if they said it's going to be a worth 40 million dollars now if you have 40 million dollars just to do anything with I Mean come on. Let's be honest Most of us would be investing most of us would be living in it most of us. You know what I'm saying? 40 million dollars and decided to honor a group of men Who could not ever repay him?

47:22 I'm asking you, who are you honoring that can't do nothing for you? Who are you honoring who's actually came after you? Who are you honoring who's hurt you? See, because until we get this, maybe Christ has not taken full residence of our heart.

47:52 Honor is stronger Than taking matters into your own hand Honor takes longer It means I'm going to have to wait on God It means I'm not going to be able to do what I want to do when I want to do it But honor gives God glory Prove it to me Pastor Mike because you're going to have to say something Because I'm about to go cut somebody out right now Pastor Mike I have three people on my cuss out list this week. And I need you to tell me something because I'm about to woo. And one of them was you, so give me.

48:28 Oh Y'all know I'm the pastor right now that you like But there may come a day where I challenge you To do something that may be uncomfortable and it's not honor until I don't want to do it

48:49 That's why one of the first commandments with the blessing is children Honor your parents in the Lord For this is right Do you know how many times a child don't want to do what their parents say? All the time But what God is trying to do Is challenge you To a discipline that you will need for your whole life

49:17 I got it. I got to give you I got to give you the revelation I found in this stuff Okay, I want you to just write this last. This is bonus for everybody when you're marked God's already handled what you think you have to I'm approve it to you right here. Okay, so remember what David did he snuck up on him and he tore a a piece of his robe I Want to flip all the way back to when David's name was not even mentioned and Saul was marked and Saul Disobeyed what God told them to do and Samuel the prophet came and told him why didn't you obey God? You should have done it if you would have obeyed you number one would have been marked and your family would have been Established forever and this is what happens right after it go to first Samuel chapter 15 now we've gone back Tons of books of the Bible And God's already handled what David thought he had to take into his own hand.

50:17 Verse 24, it says, then Saul admitted to Samuel, yes, I've sinned. I've disobeyed your instructions and the Lord's command. For I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. Now, I want you to see this is the same test that David's in right now because he has people around him telling him, go kill him. And Saul listened to the people around him. David had the audacity to honor in the face of the people that was around him Okay, but now please forgive me of my sins and come back with me so that I may worship the lord But samuel replied. I will not go back with you since you have rejected the lord's command. He has rejected you as king of israel This is when the anointing of god the approval of god is being moved from saul's life and look what saul does To his leader As Samuel turned to go away, Saul tried to grab him and hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. This is not an accident.

51:18 The same action that David would do decades later, Saul did to his leader at the moment that his anointing was being lifted from his life. Which tells me that this was a critical moment for David because David either would have gone on to be king or God would have chose somebody else. At this moment of honor. And look what Samuel says. Samuel said to him, the Lord has not just allowed you to tear my robe. The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else. That's David. One who is better than you.

52:03 So in the moment David's in the cave About to take matters into his own hand From the balcony of heaven God's saying don't do it Because I already did Wow Like before we got here Before you thought you had to make your way God said he don't know it But I chose you Way back there And if you do The same thing he was gonna do It disqualifies you too

52:39 When you're marked You don't have to fight battles God's already fought If you've been done wrong, God's got you If people are talking about you and smearing your name, God's got you I'm a living witness That when I had opportunities to say things about people And God says shut up

53:04 And I mean that clear Leave Leave now He wasn't punishing me. He was protecting my future What I'm saying to some of you that there are people you need to go back and honor today There are gonna be people at your job this week. There are gonna be people that you don't know There's gonna be a clerk at quick trip That's busy and they forgot to ring something up for you and you're gonna be like yes, I already what?

53:39 You have to have the audacity Why is it audacity? Because everybody's going to give you a pass If you act how you want to act It makes sense That you would be However you want to be But God says when you're marked The Holy Spirit Will give you the ability To do what is not natural But is supernatural

54:06 and love people who are unlovable. Today I want to pray for you. As we end this series, because some of y'all are going to get to the palace and then you're going to disqualify yourself because you think you all that. And you don't honor people no more. You don't honor your wife anymore. You stood before God and told her and her father that you would honor them in sickness and in health for richer or for poorer till death do you part and you're six years into the relationship open the door for her no more?

54:44 But if your boss came, you, oh, son, son, son, let me open the door for you, son. But the person who washes your dirty drops? Who who got cut open or had babies for you who sits there you won't even I'm on a tangent right now

55:08 But it's where you place value what you prize where you put weight The reason I'm taking this sabbatical is cuz all of this is great, but where I where I honor Where I place weight? It's on Natalie Diane Todd Bella Bonet Todd Michael Alexander Todd Ava Ray Michelle Todd because at the end of the day before God asked me how was transformation church? He's gonna say what did you do with the child I gave you?

55:44 Today I'm praying that Transformations Church would change. Not to one of skepticism and revenge, but we would have a culture of what? Pastor Mike, why did you name the message what you named it? Remember what I told you. Now's your opportunity.

56:05 Because that's what David's men said to him. David, now's your opportunity. or David said no I have another opportunity I have the opportunity to honor And that's the choice you're gonna have to make every day for the rest of your life But on the inside of you the holy spirit has empowered you and will empower you to make the right decision Let's pray come on heads bowed father. I'm asking you right now To do a work on the inside of every person in this room That will allow us not to do your job But to stay faithful where we are at even if we feel like we're in a cave god I thank you that you would give us the audacity to honor Those who are hard to honor. Those who, Father God, who have done us wrong. Those, Father God, who have put us in the cave. Today, God, I'm asking you to change our hearts and give us a new sense of your presence.

57:02 That we don't have to do what you've already done for us. And I just thank you, Father, as we're tested in that today. God, I thank you that we're marked. And we do not have to try to position ourselves to something you've already called us to. God give us the ability to trust you In the midst of every hard situation And we'll give you glory, honor, and praise for it In Jesus name, amen Hey listen, if you're in this room And you need to make the greatest decision of your life Which is give your life to Jesus

57:40 I'm telling you, it'll change everything The reason I get up here and passionately share people to come to Jesus is because it's the only thing that's changed me it wasn't finances it wasn't success it wasn't people knowing who I was it was a real relationship with Jesus when I said I'm tired of doing it my own way come in and help me change me renew my life and and it was simple I invited in him at him in and he started doing the heavy lifting in my life and some of you were in here at that place right now and it's time for you to do that today if you would just for one more second just close your eyes just not in a religious moment just to see like where are you at with God and if you want to make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior all you have to do is say pastor if yeah that's me today I want to make Jesus my personal Lord and Savior you don't have to change everything you just have to invite him in we're about to pray in a second as a family because nobody at TC prays alone but we're gonna pray and if that's you and you're saying pastor I want to be included in that prayer on the count of three I just want up in the air. Everybody's eyes are closed. Everybody's heads bowed. This is a decision between you and God, but it's going to take faith to do it. You're saying, pastor, that's me.

58:54 I want to make Jesus Christ my personal Lord and savior. One, two, three. Just lift your hands in the air. I see hands right now. Glory to God. I see you, sir. I see you, sir. All right, you can put them down. You can put them down. Y'all, this is so amazing. God's doing work right now. Today, for the benefit of our family, our new family that's coming to him, can we say this prayer together and mean it everybody say God thank you for sending Jesus just for me today I give you control and I honor you with my life