The Pajama Principal

0:00 Brace yourself and buckle up. You are about to hear a life-changing, history-making, world-defining message from the New Birth Podcast. Tell everybody you know, things will never be the same. Come on, open up your mouth and give him thanksgiving. Thank you, musicians. Matthew 11, verse 7 through 9. Matthew, the 11th chapter, the 7th, the 8th, and the 9th verse. when John's disciples left to report Jesus started talking to the crowd about John what did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild a weekend camper hardly what then a sheik in silk pajamas not in the wilderness not by a long shot.

1:13 What then? A prophet? That's right. A prophet. Probably the best prophet you'll ever hear. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. I want to preach this morning using as a subject, the pajama principle. The pajama principle. I am pleased as pastor to report to you today that on last Tuesday we finally received the zoning that was necessary from the city council. to start our first phase of 101 houses.

2:16 on our property. While you're clapping, they also, also approved our second phase for multifamily and senior housing. We only have one more river to cross.

2:45 And in that river, part of it is financing. That is so critical. While it is that we have been looking for financial partners and developers, I unearthed something that I wanted you to be aware of and it is called the pajama principle index. The pajama principle index. It's an unwritten principle used by developers when they look for going into communities that have section eight.

3:32 Here is the principle. Here's the principle. It says the more people you see wearing pajamas in public, on one street, it means that they have an inherited mindset to accept things the way that they are. that when you see people in pajamas in public, more often than not, they are living in Section 8 and have done so in a multi-generational vein so that they have no aspirational goal to ever move. developers then will begin buying property in areas where people are wearing pajamas in public because they know that they have section 8 vouchers which will guarantee that it is paid for the crime is lower because they know each other and they have become familiar and comfortable with their own inadequacies.

4:59 So the developers many times go into black communities looking for the pajama principle, knowing that when they buy houses in that area, it is a low investment and a high return. if they can keep you in pajamas then they feel certain that the sleeping giant within you will never wake up on this Sunday morning, I firmly believe that the greatness in you is coming out of slumber. everything that has lulled you to sleep, the alarm is about to wake it up.

5:55 I remember when John the Baptist was incarcerated, having been found guilty of spreading the gospel, he sent members of his team to go inquire from Jesus whether the mission was noble or futile. Jesus, without even batting an eye, said to them, see for yourself that the blind now see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised. If a church is authentic, and if your walk with God is genuine, then there should be some signs. The bills are paid. The kids are eating. The car is running.

6:49 The tuition is handled. You're still breathing. Jesus then took a shot and said, what did you expect? To see me walking around in pajamas? they are hoping you just continue to lounge around while the wheels fall off and you do nothing about it Martin Luther King Jr. in his sermon delivered in 1968 entitled remaining awake through a great revolution cautioned our community not to be in a coma of consciousness while the country was corroding. In his message, he referenced the short story by Washington Irvin entitled Rip Van Winkle about a lazy colonial villager who sleeps for 20 years after getting drunk and wakes up to a changed America because he slept through the American resolution.

8:01 I am afraid, ladies and gentlemen, that too many of us have on psychological pajamas. because we seem to be asleep while America is falling apart. The Trumps have made $1 billion in crypto in eight months, and nobody is talking about how we got to get our coins.

8:28 China is trying to capitalize in every area of the African continent, but we are not looking to scale our businesses through the diaspora. We're sleeping through the revolution. We spend nine times more on hair care than any other ethnicity, making hair care a billion dollar industry, and we keep giving all of our money to the Koreans. AI is the wave of the future and we're not breaking into cyber security data ethics, coding or even user experience we are just scrolling through Instagram and TikTok and not thinking about how to monetize take your pajamas off you are asleep at the wheel while there is money to be made and there is a difference that is begging for your attention.

9:30 You got your pajamas on while they are targeting black women who got influence and power. Letitia James should not have been served an indictment just because she was doing her job. They are ticking every black woman off one at a time and we are asleep as if nothing matters. We are asleep at the wheel while they are cow-hawk tying babies at 8 and 11 and 12 years of age while ICE agents are breaking into apartments in the middle of the night and nobody is saying anything about it. They are shutting down the government because they do not want you to have affordable health care for your mother and for your father. You got on pajamas while it is that they are defunding HBCUs. You are sleeping at the wheel while it is that they are gentrifying your community and your neighborhood and you are giving absolutely no pushback. They said initially it was about immigration, but now we see that they are targeting urban black cities that are being led by black mayors, and ain't nobody saying nothing. Take them pajamas off and roll up your sleeve and realize that a revolution is taking place right in front of your face. It took 15 years for us to get a holiday for Martin Luther King Jr., but it took three days for them to get a day of remembrance for somebody who divided our country and our community.

11:20 Take your pajamas off. It's easy for them to attack me, but they ain't going to say nothing about the racists they put in the White House who was ignoring the Constitution and the Supreme Court. Take your pajamas off. In the immortal words of Teddy Pendergrass, wake up everybody. No more sleeping in bed. No more backward thinking. Time for thinking ahead. The world has changed so very much from what it used to be. There has been so much hatred, war, and poverty. The world can't get no better. We got to change it. The only thing you got to do is wake up. I need you to just shake the person beside.

12:14 Don't shake their hand. Shake them and say, wake up. The future is waiting on you. Your unborn generation is waiting on you. Your assignment is waking on you. Your anointing is waiting on you. God is waiting on you. Wake up. You got on pajamas while the world is falling apart. And in Mark chapter 4, verse 38, Jesus was asleep on the ship. And the disciples woke him up and asked, Master, do you not care that we get ready to die? And Jesus wiped the sleep out of his eye and told the winds, Peace. and told the waves, be still.

13:08 That's the authority you got to walk in. You got to tell the interest rates. You got to tell your blood pressure. You got to tell your income to debt ratio. Be still. You got to begin speaking peace to the 300,000 black women who have lost their jobs, to the farmers who are not getting any federal support, to the federal contractors who have been left vulnerable, to the employees of DEI departments that have been eliminated. Peace, be still. Because God said, if you hold your peace, I'll begin to fight your battles for you. And there are those of you who are under the sound of my voice this morning, with everything that's going on, you should have lost your mind. You should have went crazy. You should have committed suicide. but you found peace in the middle of the store and you're able to declare this battle is not mine.

14:08 This battle is the Lord's peace. you gotta be still he may not come when you want him to come he's an on time God peace be still I know what the doctor saw in the x-ray but the God I serve is a healer peace be still I know you got cut off in termination notices and you're not sure how long your check is gonna take but peace be still I know everything is falling apart around you but maybe God been waiting just to get your attention peace be still when Jesus was coming to the end of his life he went to the garden of Gethsemane and he took Peter, James and John with him and the Bible says he went a little bit further when he went a little bit further Peter, James and John slipped on their pajamas and they went to sleep and Jesus came back to them and said, can you not tarry for just one hour?

15:30 For the last season, the black church has just focused on praise and worship. But in this season, we're going to have to go back to prayer. Come on, I can't hear nobody early in the morning. Will I seek him? I don't need everybody to pray, but if I can get two or three who will take the night shift, I need two or three that'll get up 6 a.m. I need two or three that in the middle of the day will just call on him because you know that if you call on him, he will answer. See, I got a whole lot of praises, but I don't have a whole lot of prayers. See, intercessors don't come with reserved seats. Intercessors don't have armor bearers. Intercessors don't need a reserved parking space. All they know is when the Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I'll agree and my answer will. with what we are dealing with, with what we are contending with, we can shout later, but I need somebody to start praying now.

16:43 If I can just get 300 of you who don't mind crying loud and spare night, would you just lift up that hand and just start talking to your father? Hallelujah. Lord, if we ever needed you before, we sure do need you right now. touch now with all of your healing power we need you to intervene we need you to touch we need you to disrupt the plan of the enemy we need you to break every chain we need you to stand in the gap we need you to shift some things in capitol hill we need you to break into the white house we need you to talk to the speaker of the house we need you to find some leaders that got a backbone and find some leaders that will speak truth to power send your fire into the church let your holy ghost burn everything that's not like you now god fill up every person that don't feel your precious holy ghost give him the fresh utterance of speaking in tongue not by might not by power but by your spirit Hallelujah.

17:56 Hallelujah. Be seated, please. Hallelujah. Prayer is what you're going to have to do in this season. Hallelujah. Before you get to bed at night, you're going to have to stop praying. Before you get out of the bed, you're going to have to stop praying. You got to pray because God is going to give you a blueprint for your next plan. he's going to give you the steps for your next strategy he's going to show you who you can't include in the next project he's going to show you who's been trying to sabotage you all along he's going to give you wisdom beyond your understanding he's going to give you knowledge that don't match your degree he's going to give you grace for an assignment you ain't even qualified for but it requires you to pray You Hallelujah.

18:53 Somebody prayed for me. Had me on their mind. They took the time. And I'm so glad that they prayed. Hallelujah. You may be seated. Thank you, Holy God. Somebody needs your prayer right now. Somebody that's in the hospital. Somebody who's dealing with addiction. Somebody that's got suicidal ideations. Somebody that's dealing with mental trauma. Somebody that's got emotional brokenness needs your prayer. And you got the nerve to sit here with your arms folded and legs crawl like you ain't never needed nobody to pray for you. Stop acting so stuck up and stop praying like you feel it in your belly. Hallelujah.

19:49 No matter how tired you are, no matter how tired you get, don't ever sleep on yourself. Take them pajamas off. You got something you supposed to accomplish. I'm talking to somebody online that been sitting in bed all day. Get up. There's something that you supposed to be doing. You better tell them lazy, no good children, get up. When I get up, everybody getting up. There's something you supposed to be doing. Take them pajamas off. I don't know how you slipped in the cruise control that you adjusted to being comfortable in discomfort. You don't even like what life is showing you, but you won't do anything to confront it.

20:52 But you ain't gonna change nothing as long as you got them pajamas on. When you make up in your mind, God woke me up today because there's something I'm supposed to be fixing. There's something I'm supposed to be changing. There's something I'm supposed to be moving. And the Lord didn't let me die last night because my assignment is incomplete. So since I'm awake this morning, I'm going to kill every demon that tried to kill me yesterday. A charge to keep I have and a God to glorify. I woke up this morning with my mind, stayed on Jesus. Look at your neighbor and say, don't sleep on me. I may not sit on the front row. I may not be an elder. I may not be a deacon.

21:45 I may not be a missionary, but don't sleep on me. I came to kill every generational curse that's been going after my family. Take them pajamas off. You got to tell the enemy, you can't have my children. You can't have my marriage. You can't have my sanity. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. I'm breaking chains and I'm pulling down stronghold. Grab that neighbor's hair and say, neighbor, oh, magnify the Lord with me. I only got dressed this morning because I got one thing to do, enter into his gates with thanksgiving.

22:41 I got to enter into his courts with praise. You didn't drive this far just to be cute. You didn't drive this far just to wear no pink dress. You came because there's a call on your life. There's an assignment. You may be seated. Hallelujah.

23:20 Don't turn to your neighbor. Just talk to yourself. It's something I'm supposed to be doing. Something I'm supposed to be conquering. Something I'm supposed to be achieving. Something I'm supposed to be taking over. I got to take these pajamas off. Folk have underestimated me my whole life. But this year, they ain't going to sleep on me. Because everything God promised me, I'm going to get it. Everything that's in my belly, I gotta take it over. John was questioning whether he did the right thing by following Jesus.

24:08 And everyone, if you're honest, there are moments that you question at some point where you are. Is it divinely inspired? Is it demonic attack or is it delusion? Maybe we need to cut John some slack because his inquisition is coming from prison. Don't ask like you ain't never been at a moment where you had to question God. Are you the one or should I look for another? You ain't never been there when the MRI popped up? You ain't never been there when they gave you the slip of paper at the mechanic shop?

25:08 You ain't never been there when you weren't sure whether the debit card was going to go through? You ain't never been there when the phone rang in the middle of the night where you had to ask God, are you the one or am I looking to do something else? How it is that you're struggling and you're trying to do right, but people who are reckless and wicked seem to be flairishing.

25:36 You ain't never been there where you had to question God, are you sure this is where you want me to be? because I didn't have this level of attack before I decided to be obedient. But ever since I started trusting you, attacks are coming out of the woodwork, and I'm trying to keep my sanity because since you sent me to go, you gave me no backup information. You gave me no confirmation. You gave me no affirmation. You gave me no assistance. God, are you sure I'm in the right place? Thank you. when you've been in that place you might as well be honest there's seasons where you don't feel like taking off your pajamas You vacillate in the pendulum between two different realities with all of that stress, with all of that weight, with all of that worry.

26:39 either you can't go to sleep or it's hard for you to wake up. Maya Angelou said in her poem, Still I Rise, did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes, shoulders falling like teardrops, weakened by my soul for Christ, but still I rise.

27:07 People in this room, it is hard just for you to smile, just for you to engage, just for you to talk. pastor pajamas is the most comfortable thing I got it's my safety net it's my safety zone you got kids who will stay in their room all day playing video games on the phone but don't want to talk to you they got pajamas on how are you in a marriage that has all pajamas in no lingerie. sleep with no intimacy with no connection you got pajamas on because you have just resigned to yourself it is what it is your new favorite word is whatever people gotta beg you to come out you cancel at the last minute you always got ulterior plans and at the last minute you make up an excuse why you can't get out, why you can't leave why you can't function how are you an extrovert with antisocial tendencies if you got your pajamas on.

28:38 Trying to figure out why you become so quiet and so sullen and so dark and so pessimistic that even when something good happens, you talk yourself out of it like it's too good to be true. Look at you with all that you have to give, but you won't even offer it to yourself.

29:01 Even David encouraged himself and you are depressing yourself. talking yourself out of your own validation. You make up excuses that have not been offered. I said at Starbucks yesterday in the airport and I was checking out and the young man who was helping me said, you can skip the tip button. I said, why? He said, I don't know. I said, why are you talking yourself out of your own increase.

29:41 You don't even know what I was going to do for you. You presumed it was nothing. He's at work wearing pajamas. and it takes all of your being it takes all of your conscience it takes all of your understanding so you have waved the white flag look how much you've surrendered that you now feel comfortable going to PTA in pajamas what happened in your mind that you flying with a bag on your head. What's going on with you? Did you show up to court with a bonnet and slippers on?

30:38 Where did you break down? I don't even know who you are, what you were called to be. To know that everything in the world tried to break you and you still standing.

30:59 Jesus said to John, did you think you were going to catch me in pajamas when I am a prophet? Y'all ain't saying nothing. I came to wake up the prophet inside of you that's been sleep on the job. You don't need nobody to come from out of town. You better learn to prophesy over yourself that whatever I speak is coming to pass. He said, whatever you ask in my name, it shall be done. I'm waiting for the prophets to arise. You got to declare whatsoever I loose in heaven shall be loosed in the earth. Whatever I bind in the earth shall be bound in heaven.

31:55 Take off them pajamas. you gotta get up like you got a kingdom assignment you were born to take over you were born to have dominion you were born to have authority and you sitting around in loungewear and leisurewear like you are not prepared to take care of business generations unborn in your family are depending on your next move and you sitting there waiting on a check twice a month the devil is alive take them pajamas off came to sound the alarm because you're underdressed.

32:52 for the assignment that God has called you. You don't even look the role. You don't even fit the description. And I'm not talking about Proud and Louie and Gucci. I'm talking about the whole arm of God. Before it is that you walk out of the house in the morning, you better make sure you got the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit in your feet. a shot in the preparation of the gospel. John was unsure whether he had the right one.

33:33 And Jesus had to let him know squarely that I am the best prophet you have ever seen. I want you to lift up that hand. to lift up that hand.

33:55 You owe God an apology. for wearing pajamas when you were suited for the assignment. you let those incompetent people on your job convince you you were not worthy when you smited all of them but you allowed them to put pajamas on you so you would sleep on your gift hide your intellect and try to blend in like you are not brilliant your enemies can see it on you before you can see it on yourself I feel such a weight of heaviness in this hour.

34:56 from people who have gone to sleep. on themselves. It ain't MAGA, it ain't the Republicans, it ain't the White House, it ain't the haters. You kept them pajamas on. This isn't even where I was going, but this is where I am.

35:22 It says, I'm getting ready to take the weight off of you. that you will stop being a terrorist of self-sabotage. You keep talking yourself out of the doors God opened as if you don't deserve to be there. Own the room! When you walk in there, don't get intimidated by nobody. Tomorrow they are meeting a different you because you took your pajamas off over the weekend and you got your war clothes on. When I was growing up, we reserved low self-esteem to teenagers.

36:18 And now it's 42-year-olds who don't know themselves. 39-year-olds with no confidence. 54 and insecure. God said I brought you not for no cheering pep service but I came to strip you of everything that made you comfortable in what you are not assigned to Section 8 ain't your address, it's your mindset. God brought you here today. Hallelujah.

37:05 God brought you here today because he's got to take pajamas off of you so you can lace up your boots, put on your backpack. We got arrived. Come on, y'all didn't hear what I just said. those of you who don't believe you supposed to accomplish nothing greater than what you got don't shout with us but those of you who know this is my last day playing myself low I gotta lace up my boots I gotta get dressed for my greater assignment you turned the opportunity down you walked away from the promotion you declined the offer because you allowed yourself to get clad in pajamas but God says I'm going to give you another opportunity you're in this room, listen to me.

38:16 You're in this room and in the last six weeks, you bypassed an incredible opportunity, missed an incredible door or did knock on one because you didn't think you were suited for it. I need you to meet me at this altar. I need you to come as quickly as you can. you're wearing on my back so heavy I feel it I need you to come. I need you to move as quickly as you can. Don't miss this opportunity. You got what it takes. somebody watching online get up right now take them pajamas off what's wrong with you you live 20 minutes away and wouldn't come to church get dressed you got something to do you got something you're supposed to accomplish I want you to come quickly, please.

39:35 Teacher told you your child needs to skip a grade. Because of your own inferiority complex, you won't let them advance them. They too young. Says who? Can you imagine where you would be if you were raised by a family who saw your gift and invested in it? I need you to come.

40:06 I want somebody's hand in your hand. I promise you I wasn't going this way. I don't even know how we got here. Y'all done messed up my sermon two weeks in a row. I want to show you something, then I'm moving. I found out something that in Greek mythology, watch this. In Greek mythology, opportunity is always represented as a baby. Pastor, say that again. In Greek mythology, opportunity is always represented as a baby. Pastor, why? Because opportunities never get old. I am praying for the person whose hands you're holding that God between now and Halloween will open up an opportunity.

41:07 God, I can't hear no worshipers. Where before they didn't think that they were good enough for open up an opportunity. that is so overwhelming that it'll make them have to catch their breath.

41:27 Open an opportunity that is so big that you got nobody to call for counsel but God. I pray that God will open up an opportunity that even if you testify, it'll sound like bragging because it's too good to be true. I pray that God will open up an opportunity, here's your shout, that will embarrass the people that didn't believe in you, that God will open up an opportunity. I want an opportunity to happen for you. It is that you'll want to get dressed for in the morning.

42:19 An opportunity that'll make you excited. And an opportunity that you won't have space to be depressed over. I pray that this opportunity will change the trajectory of your children. That your family will not be the same because of one opportunity. One opportunity from God will erase 10 years of bad decisions. I can't hear nobody. I said one opportunity from God. Notice I'm not asking God for a gift. I'm asking him for an opportunity. Watch this. For your gift to be used. What you need for this next level is already in you.

43:17 God just needs a stage for you to perform it on. I need you to give God glory for what's already in you. Come on, I need you to praise him. For you already got what it takes you. You already got what it requires. You already got what you need.

43:41 I hope you are energized that you don't need an energy drink. What you just heard should have you off and running, chasing your dreams, pursuing your purpose, and answering your call. If this was a blessing, share it with somebody else. Don't be selfish. This is what God gave you so that you can be a blessing to somebody who needs it worse.