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we are in week 9 of a series called gray
cycle flood and I could literally be in
this series for the rest of the year
but but we’re going to call it a closed
right now but I think God may have saved
the best for last
um because we’ve gone through a lot of
concepts and literally I would love to
rehash everything we’ve talked about
over the past eight weeks but I don’t
have time so I’m going to encourage you
to go to YouTube or a transformation
Church app and they are there are eight
sermons over the grace of God and I want
you to get this because this is a
fundamental belief an understanding you
have to have if you’re going to live a
victorious Christian life it wrecked me
because I live 20 plus years and I never
knew about the grace of God the only
thing I knew about the grace of God is
there was a famous song called amazing
grace I’ll sweep the sound that saved a
wretch like y’all know it but that’s
about as much as you knew about grace
too before we we’re starting to really
dive into this and so we’ve learned
about the saving grace of God we’ve
learned about the sustaining grace of
God but today I want to talk about the
thing that’s gonna help you live like I
want to talk about the thing that after
you get saved and after you know that
god is for you I want to talk about the
thing that’s gonna help you stop cussing
everybody out oh oh yeah yeah yeah I
mean I just see I need to help you
because some of y’all are saved sailors
like y’all are saved sailor
yeah because they’re everybody out in
the name of Jesus I’m trying to figure
out how we can how we can move from just
from from being holy to being uh-huh
schism
I don’t want us to be holy I want us to
be holy and I know cuz we get saved that
a lot of times our actions don’t line up
with what we are believing and we’re
confessing okay
this I being fake can we be honest in
the building have you ever wanted to
stop doing something and you could not
stop doing it come on let’s be honest
okay yep there’s a row back there that’s
still bushi let’s try it one more time
is there anybody in here who still has
something that’s an issue that you
really want God to change in your life
but it seems to be a problem hands
everywhere hands ever okay Coco Coco
Coco so so if that’s you you came to the
right place today because the title of
today’s message is the empowering grace
of God the empowering grace of God so
grace can do more than just save you and
and it’s funny because most people just
spend their life just trying to make it
to heaven like I just try not that I
just want to make sure that when he
cracks the sky wasn’t thinning on that
day so I could come oh y’all so I could
just make it to heaven like hopefully
this was a good week for me but I just
want to say this to you like like your
eternity is settled when you put your
faith in Jesus Christ and it’s the first
level of faith the bottom blower like
you don’t even see what God wants to do
with your life if you’re just staying on
the first level
if you’ve believed and received the
grace of God and some of y’all like the
grace of God what does the grace of God
write this down if you don’t have it the
grace of God is the unmerited undeserved
unearned favor and kindness of God and
none of us that the Bible says in
Ephesians 2:9 and says it’s a free gift
of God because he knew all of us if we
could earn it we were earned it and
boast about it yeah bro I got new grace
threes like you know I’m saying I’m
walking out here in grace and God said
no no I’m giving it to everybody so that
everybody as long as you receive it you
can have it and so what ends up
happening in this is that once you
receive grace most people still struggle
with the old them like I’m saved but why
am I still so angry I’m saved but why am
I still dealing with such strong
insecurities I worship but I worry
am i talking to anybody in here like
like like like like I’m trying to be
faithful but somewhere I’m fearful like
and it’s this dynamic where we are
trying to figure out our humanity and
our divinity like my new life in Christ
but this flesh shoot I’m in like being
saved and sanctified by living in a
world of sin and I’m here to tell you
that God is so good that he never set us
up to fail like he didn’t bring this
whole thing to a plan so we could
struggle until we get to heaven like he
wants us to live and empowered like
somebody say I’m supposed to live an
empowered life by the grace of God yet
and and many of us don’t know and so
today that’s where we’re going to spend
our time not just talking about the
saving grace of God or the sustaining
grace but that empowering grace that
makes you look at situations that you
used to do and then you say you know
what something in me is rising up and
saying I cannot do that I don’t have to
answer your phone call delete I don’t
have to steal this money I’m walking
away I don’t have to get angry and
that’s where I believe the church really
needs to be transformed because we have
come into a place where most of us have
settled with our sickness let me prove
it to you we’ll say stuff like this this
is just the way I am and and for you
that may mean a lot of things but but
somehow God’s power was strong enough to
save us from death hell in the grave but
it can’t change your attitude when you
hungry
come on let’s be honest like life life
like he literally defeated all sin but
somehow you’re so powerful that he
cannot allow you to withstand temptation
and lust and perversion that used to be
so common for you you can’t say no – I
mean peasant like it was just there
Pastor Mike I mean it was just on a
platter like oh my god like right are no
that means you haven’t experienced the
other side the flip side of the coin –
grace not the grace that just saves you
and rescue you it’s the grace that
empowers you to say no to what wants to
rob your purpose that grace that
empowers you to keep going back to that
hard relationship and working on it the
Gracie we want to run from it and God
wants to use it and so today I just want
us to know that the grace of God isn’t
it’s for your empowerment and and just
make sure you know this just just note
this we’re saved by grace through faith
for good works like I want everybody to
write that down if you don’t have that
we’re saved by grace through faith for
good works okay and so when you
understand that principle then we can
walk into today’s message okay um so I
ask the Holy Spirit to help me because a
lot of times when I start talking about
the empowering grace of God most people
think it’s a self-help sermon or of
better practices like set of rules and
it’s not when you get saved God gives us
the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is
our helper now I know the Holy Spirit
depending on what denomination you came
from or who you are to the faith or
sometimes they call him the Holy Ghost
he’s gotten a bad rap just because of
his name like you say the Holy Ghost and
some of y’all like
don’t mess with no ghosts like I like
I’ll do ghosts at all like you say the
Holy Spirit and it just becomes
something but the Bible tells us that
the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost is our
comforter
he’s our aid he’s our helper he’s our
power so it was God’s great he literally
told the disciples cuz the disciples was
tripping when Jesus talking about to
leave y’all Jesus like y’all don’t worry
man I’m about to leave and they’re like
no Jesus you’re leavin he’s I’ve been
telling y’all this for three years since
we got together I’ve been telling y’all
my time is coming I’m about to leave you
he said and this is the the greatest
part he says but you really do want me
to leave cuz when I leave another one’s
coming and his name is the Holy Spirit
and he will empower he will help you he
will be able to give you the power that
you do not naturally have in yourself
and most of us live our life trying to
do better instead of instead of letting
the Holy Spirit work in us and allowing
us to become what we can’t be on our own
let me prove it to you cuz some of y’all
just looking at me I’ll write this down
um this your first point um
the grace of God empowers us I just want
you to write that down and know that
very clearly the grace of God empowers
us and um we’re going to go to 2nd Peter
chapter 1 verse 3 2nd Peter chapter 1
verse 3 but I want to give you a
definition of grace real fast um that
really excited me when I found it this
is found in the Zondervan encyclopedia
of biblical words that sounds deep but
it’s really not it says this grace is a
dynamic force that does more than affect
our standing with God by crediting
crediting us with righteousness this
grace affects our experience as well see
the grace of God is supposed to affect
your everyday experience it says grace
is always marked by God’s enabling work
within us to overcome our helplessness
now I want you to picture every area of
your life that you’re helpless in now I
know we don’t put that on
we don’t put any social media posts
about like helpless Wednesday like we
don’t we don’t do that like we don’t we
don’t show the areas that we’re weaken
but God says that His grace is to help
us overcome our helplessness it’s
supposed to empower us through the Holy
Spirit
so look what 2nd Peter 1:3 says it says
by His divine power who is the fine
power his this is God’s divine power ok
by God’s divine power now this is the
same power that spoke the whole world
into existence and is standing and
keeping it holding it in place right now
by his very word this is the same God I
just want you to think about how
powerful God is this is the same God
that took dirt and a little spit and
made us like I want you to see how
powerful this is this is the same God
okay that told oceans you go this far
land you come this far like this is that
same so by His divine power he has given
to who us I need you to stay with me on
the Scriptures he has given to us all
things that pertain to life and
godliness this is good news for you I am
so height before I should be right now
because I know the end of this sermon
but what I’m trying to tell you right
now is that when you become a new
creation in Christ God gives you right
then everything that you need to be
successful at this life and to not just
live a life but live a godly life and
seeing what the enemy comes to do is
distract you from that truth because he
has you thinking that it’s too hard to
live this life right he has you thinking
that it’s too hard to be nice to people
it’s too hard to love your enemies it’s
too hard but he said when you got saved
I have a divine power that I’m giving to
you to be able to live a life that’s not
natural let me help you and let’s keep
going he says this was brought to you
through the knowledge of him my son
Jesus who called us by glory and virtue
by which had
and given to us exceedingly great and
precious promises that through these you
may be partakers now let me stop the
great and precious promises are the Word
of God like so when you get into the
Word of God you tap into a power source
that allows God’s divine power to then
be transferred to you how many of us
have cell phones in this place okay how
many times do you sit your cell phone
away from the charger and it charges
none of the time it can be close to it
but if it’s not plugged into it it will
never be able to produce what you need
to go to the entire world right now you
can call Beijing from your phone you’ll
know nobody in Beijing but you could
FaceTime somebody in a different country
if your phone had charged what God is
saying is when you get into the great
and precious promises which are found in
the Word of God you connect to a power
source that then transfers his power to
you and see that’s why some of y’all are
so kept out of the word of God and some
of y’all get it it’s like Ambus all or
not ever saw what’s the thing that puts
you to sleep um MJ you know it y’all
know what it is
I rebuke the spirit of never it’s like
an ambien when you open your Bible how
many of us get sleepy come on let’s be
truthful some of y’all just beat another
way go okay hey glory to God and I read
the same verse 90 times why is that
because the enemy is trying to use
everything to distract you from your
power source because if you could get
into the Word of God and understand his
great and precious promises then look
what happens it says through these
promises you may be partakers or switch
it around take part in the divine nature
having escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust let me help you
understand this okay so I have a nature
and Michael’s nature doesn’t do what God
wants him to do Michael’s nature doesn’t
even do what’s good for Michael
our our natural stuff will do stuff to
us that will kill us our nature will
work against us and so what God says is
I have a divine power empowerment
through my grace and my love that I
don’t want you to just be struggling
your whole life I’ve sent the Holy
Spirit I’ve given you the Word of God
and I want you to plug into these
sources because if you ever do plug I
transfer my power through that mechanism
into you and so people ask me all the
time Pastor Mike how do you get up every
Sunday and like preach like that in a
revelation and you ain’t never been to
college to do that oh you thought I was
doing this you thought this was me no no
no no no no no I am a partaker in a
divine nature that ain’t even mind when
I connect to the power source
I can then do things that are not
natural to me and what I’m telling you
is that the grace of God is not just to
save you the grace of God is not just to
sustain you and like make sure you live
a pretty life it’s to empower you to
stand in the face of culture to stand in
the face of lusts to stand in the face
of your own demons and say I’m a new
creature I don’t got to do that no more
well yes you do it’s right here it’s
more available than you ever done no no
you forgot I’m a partaker in the nature
that is divine I’m a partaker in
something that’s bigger than me right
now the Holy Spirit my flesh wants to
say yes but I gotta say no because I
understand that there is a purpose that
is bigger than this moment and most
believers live in a moment and they do
not think about how God wants to empower
them to make the right decisions in
every moment so that they can reach
purpose and that’s all I’m here to tell
you is everybody who’s been trying to
fight your fight alone
stop it
because if it would have worked you
would be free now try the holy spirit
try plugging into the great and precious
promises and and allow God’s divine
power to transfer from the Word of God
when you hear these messages when you’re
reading your scriptures when you’re
going it turns into a power source that
allows me to walk into places and have a
nature that I’d be shocking me sometimes
what I say now you think I’m playing
because because this ain’t me this is me
plugged in to the source this ain’t me
when I yo people wear leggings they wear
stockings as pants these days some of
y’all are guilty you shame you what I’m
saying is my and we’re a hot church my
problem was less than perversion so how
how now as a pastor a leader a public
figure do I go around and I see all the
beautiful creations that God is made
yellow red black and white they are
precious in my sight do you understand
what I’m saying
Oh y’all want to be faking here my wife
is on the front row we already talked
about this okay
what I’m telling you is that how can I
walk in to a new availability you know
I’m like Jones used to say back then
they didn’t want me now I’m hot they all
owe me something y’all know different on
fo fo anyway some of the older people
like watch for for us just as somebody
else okay what I’m saying is it was
harder when I was going against God and
now that I’m trying to live holy it’s
available it’s easier how do I withstand
the temptation that is in my face excuse
me let’s make it more personal how do I
withstand the temptation in my deals how
do I withstand the temptation at my
college at my job
I withstand the temptation that’s all my
computer because my nature if we just
talk about Michael’s nature it would go
after those things but you forgot I am
no longer who I used to be I’m not just
saved by grace I’m saved for good works
and so now because I have to live in
this arena I have to go to a power
source bigger than me I cannot solve my
own issue with my power so when I wake
up in the morning my prayer is not God
let me be dope this today Lord let me
you know go out here and kill them and
smash them Lord and represent like that
ain’t my prayer my prayer when I wake up
in the morning God give me grace empower
me to be a good husband father God puts
your divine nature on me so that when
they cut me off
in the road father I lift my hands but
not with only one of them God I think
you owe y’all better come on sometimes
thank you
that eat and what ends up happening is
after time when you tap into this divine
nature that empowers you to live you
look up and be like man I think there’s
a something I say what I used to do I
don’t do no more why I used to go I
don’t go anymore
why it’s because you’ve allowed the Holy
Spirit to become your power source and
so I just want you to know as we in this
series that the grace of God is not so
you can just keep sinning some are about
the grace now bro I’m about to go out
here a wile out
no the grace of God is to empower you to
get off of the first level of faith and
tarts start living in the fullness of
what God has for you so when I started
looking at this okay god I want to take
I want to take part in your divine
nature on I want to be empowered to live
a different life I want to I want to
stand well God is there somebody in the
Bible who had a real experience like
this that I could point to to let the
people know Pastor Mike ain’t just up
here talking like this is really
something that that needs to happen and
he said yeah go talk about Paul today
and I started to research Paul’s life
and Paul men y’all get this picture real
quick Paul one week was killing
Christians like Monday killing them
scout scat scat scat scat scat killing
Christians on Monday I’m just trying to
paint the picture for you scat stat do
you understand what I’m saying
killing Christians on Monday on
Wednesday headed in to another city to
kill more Christians you I’m saying he
walking in there ready and then he has
an encounter with grace like a flood God
comes and meets him on the Damascus Road
he takes them out and blinds them for a
few days and in that moment he has an
internal transformation and literally by
the next Monday he’s going around as a
herald of the good news of Jesus Christ
now if you went on vacation for one week
and you missed Paul’s transformation
like just let’s say he was out like
let’s just say he was out an office and
like Monday Scott Scott
and the next money is I praise the Lord
like like you wouldn’t know what to do
this I think it’s the same thing for
Paul that even after he was transformed
in his spirit he still had some issues
letting go of his old life just like us
like we’ve been saved for 10 years but
we still have an issue with anger like
we’ve been saved for five years but we
still have an issue with our eyes or a
heart or a love like how do you deal
with going the right direction but still
dealing with some of our problems
because see this is the fight that most
of us are in daily and I said God give
me some wisdom and so we’re going to
look at Paul’s life real quick and see
if we can’t learn a few things about the
empowering grace of God to help you walk
while you still got issues to help you
keep moving while stuff ain’t all the
way right to help you keep going forward
even when you may fall because the
enemy’s trick is to make you fall and
then condemn you till you stay down
there you don’t know the enemy can’t do
anything to you but suggest and so you
fall and then he’s like see you should
stay down there see ain’t nobody even
coming to check on you see that’s where
you’re supposed to be and he can’t keep
you from getting up he can just convince
you that it’s not worth getting up and
so I’m here to talk to a few believers
who have been knocked down or maybe
struggled in their faith or on fire at
one moment and then they kind of like
simmer in right now and I want to talk
to you right now and let you see that
you don’t got to do this on your own you
don’t got to raise those kids on your
own even though you got four different
baby daddies in four different states
God saying I will empower you to raise
those kids like all day daddies was
there and I will be there Heavenly
Father I can empower you somebody say
grace there is an empowering grace of
God so I looked at Paul and Paul was
having a schizophrenic conversation in
Romans 719 like most of us do now we may
never have it out loud but we have this
internally look let’s just see man
verse 19 I want to do what’s good but
then I don’t I don’t want to do what is
wrong but dang it I’d do it anyway has
anybody ever been there okay but if I do
what I don’t want to do I’m not really
the one doing wrong it want me it’s sin
that’s what else that that’s where while
seeing living in me that does it you
know I discovered this principle of life
then what I want to do is right I
inevitably do what is wrong I love God’s
law with all my heart but there is
another power
now do you remember that we talked about
the divine power of God but then there’s
another power my question is what is
that other power in your life but what
is that what is that thing in your life
that makes you do stuff you don’t want
to do oh come on let’s be honest right
now we sing and we praise and we call
down heaven but you can’t even control
that demon on the inside of you that
makes you get up at midnight to go to
Taco Bell in order a chalupa come on
let’s be honest now with you that was
now now what is what is that thing what
is that other power look at it it says
but there is another power within me
that is at war with my mind isn’t that
where the battle happens it says this
power makes me a slave to the sin that
is still within me Oh what miserable
person I am
I hate me who will free me from this
life that is dominated by sin and death
and I want everybody to see this right
now most of us don’t say this but this
is where most of us live like how can I
get free from smoking this how can I get
free from being jealous how can I get
free come on let’s be welcome some of
you
your thing may not be a physical vise
but you compare all the time
and you have been paralyzed by
comparison because you’re always
thinking about what somebody else is
doing instead of what God’s called you
to do and so we sit here and we stand
and gods saying what is that thing that
is the power in your life that’s making
you and leading you into a place of sin
and Paul’s having this conversation but
I love this conversation because what I
think happened is that Paul remembered
the empowering grace of God because he’s
having this crisis right now and then in
the next verse it like switches and he
gives the answer to his own problem look
what he says I hate my miserable life
I’m a bad person who will free me from
this life that is dominated by sin oh
thank god the answer is Jesus Christ our
Lord do you see that like like I want
you to see that he remembers that you
know what nobody on this earth not even
myself can save me from all of this that
I’m going through thank God because the
answer is Jesus Christ what I’m trying
to tell everybody today I’m just trying
to paint a picture that you can go the
next 15 years trying to fix it trying to
do it in your power trying to fix your
family you’re the matriarch you’re the
parent I know how to bring them together
you can’t change arts like like only God
can do and so instead of you allowing
God to do the heavy lifting and
empowering you to stay in hard
conversations to not go off when you
when you feel frustrated instead of
allowing him to power you to do what’s
not natural because all of us have a
natural thing in our lives that we do
that’s not good for us some of you have
what I call the black outline
like if somebody pushes you in your
anger to this line there’s a line and if
they push you past it you black out like
you don’t even know what happened and
you wake up and it’s just like what what
did I do
some of us have a convenience line if
it’s too convenient how can I pass it up
no matter no matter how much it’ll
damage us I mean it’s there I mean I
guess God wanted me
– no fool do you hear what I’m saying
though and I don’t know what it is but
there’s something in us but this is the
thing that we have to realize that the
answer is found in Jesus Christ so go to
second Corinthians 12 because we’re
following Paul through his journey
because Paul remember he’s saved now but
he still has some issues just like 99.2%
of the people in this room are saved we
got some issues how do I go after
purpose with my issues how do how do I
keep leading with my issues how can I
stand and say god is great but I’m still
feeling pain in an area of my life I’m
glad you asked let’s look at Paul’s
situation Paul is telling everybody
because he’s being persecuted by the
Corinthian church right here he’s being
persecuted cuz they like man is this new
really telling the truth is he really an
apostle and he goes and tells all of
these stories he’s like bro I’m an
apostle bro I’m telling you I’m an
impossible last week I was caught up to
the fourth heaven I don’t even know you
can read it in your own time I’m just
paraphrasing it for you he’s like bro I
was caught up in heaven I don’t know if
it was in the body or if it was in the
mind but I was in heaven last week and I
was like no you wasn’t
bette look at all of these revelations I
got and I mean this is I’m literally
paraphrasing like a whole chapter and
he’s telling all this and he was like
cool maybe you don’t relate to my great
exploits with God but maybe you can
relate to my humanity the same way I’m
coming to you on this last week of this
grace like a flood maybe you can’t
relate to all the Greek and the
Zondervan definitions and all this other
stuff about the empowering grace of God
but maybe you could relate to my
humanity and Paul tells him this story
he says even though I’ve received such
wonderful revelations and all this other
stuff from God okay cool y’all y’all
don’t want to hear that so God did some
things to me so to keep me from becoming
proud I was given a thorn in my flesh
I’m not to take my jacket off that you
think is a an amazing robe and I’m about
to show you something in my own life
that brings me pain on the daily he said
I was given a thorn in my flesh a
messenger from Satan to torment me and
keep me from becoming proud three
different times I begged the Lord take
it away
doesn’t that sound like us take this job
away like I can’t I can’t do this God I
can’t work with these people they are a
thorn in my side I can’t stay in this
relationship god I can’t keep being
faithful at this church God it is I
can’t keep being around these people God
and it’s like there’s a thorn and we
keep begging God to take it away but
each time God had a response my grace is
all you need
now what if now I know this is counter
Christian and countercultural for
everybody who likes coming to church and
just end in with the hooray but what if
the answer to your prayer was not a fix
what if God responded back to you is my
grace is all you need most of us would
be like that’s good but what else
and then you ask again God I’m telling
you like I would serve you better if I
wasn’t single could you please give me a
life partner and God says yeah my grace
is all you need
well god I mean if you allow me to go to
this college and I’m able to get this
diploma and I’m able to work at the
internship at this place then I can come
to climb the CEO and I can become the
CEO and then I can do you and serve you
got it all know go to TCC cuz my grace
is all you need
well God if you would just allow my
husband to cheat on me so that I can buy
the Bible divorce him because I’m sick
of him
and Levi I’m telling you y’all be on
your brain rich crap prayers Lord just
let him do it like I don’t even care
anymore I just don’t want to go to hell
like I just them but what if God’s
response to you wanting to get out of
that relationship is no stay in it
because I have a plan
that’s going to turn this mess into a
message and your encouragement today
you’re gonna kill him No
what’s what would what would be God’s
encouragement my grace is all you need
I just want to let that sit here because
some of y’all are trying to move to the
other side of the world and you may be
doing something that’s out of the will
of God because you’re trying to search
for something that God is trying to make
in you
dang Wow see I told you I’ll be saying
stuff I don’t even know what is it like
God’s trying to make something in you
and you’re trying to run to something
else they say no I need you to stand
this for a little bit it may be
uncomfortable it may be hard it may be
frustrating but I will empower you to
not just get rid of it but to stand
through it what if the new goal is not
just to get away from stuff it’s tough
but it is to outlast it and so many
times we pray for God to take it away
instead of praying God give me the
empowerment the strength the love to
stand in it to where it doesn’t affect
me the same way and this is what Paul is
saying right here and listen it’s funny
because three times he asked and three
times God said my grace is all you need
and then he says my power the
empowerment of grace works best in
weakness so now I’m glad to boast about
my weakness so that the power of Christ
can work through me that’s why I take
pleasure in my weakness and in the
insults the hardships Oh y’all thought
it was just weakness was an ethereal
term he gets real specific when people
insult me I don’t clap back I don’t go
off on Facebook I don’t call people to
get a committee with me so that we can
have our own little pity party he said I
rejoice in that I rejoice in persecution
I rejoice in troubles that I suffer for
Christ for when I am weak then I am
strong can I make it just a couple of
suggestions that you may need to think
about if your
really receive the empowering grace of
God pain is a prerequisite for your
purpose like and I know everybody paints
this like cookie cut picture perfect
idea of Christianity like you get saved
and nothing goes wrong but people get
saved and go through hard hard
situations like how many people believe
in Jesus but have gone through hard
situations okay
the Bible is tells us very clearly the
very opposite he said in this world you
will have trouble but take heart cuz
I’ve already overcome the world so so it
really is about outlasting and finding
the grace to withstand in the middle of
it but I just need to make it sure
especially for my Millennials that
anytime we feel opposition we think is
God telling us no like anytime it’s hard
we feel like maybe this wasn’t God no
this is exactly what God is trying to
use to make you into what he’s called
you to be and that’s why I begin to look
at 2nd Corinthians 4 8 9 when Paul’s
talking about we’re pressed on every
side by trouble but we are not crushed
we’re perplexed but we’re not driven to
despair we are hunted down but we’re not
abandoned by God we get knocked down but
we get up again but we are not
destroying that’s what the scripture
says it literally says that there’s
gonna be pain but there’s something that
empowers us to get back up again and I
want us to realize this as we as we
understand that our purpose is ahead of
us and and maybe this is a major key
that will help you like it helped me God
told me this he said Michael I use
discomfort to reinforce dependence so
God uses uncomfortable situations to
reinforce that you need him how many
times did Paul pray three times if he
would have talked to God or prayed or
talked to him once and God answered it
he would have left thank you God
appreciate you for taking this thorn but
some of us have situations in our life
because with those situations it’s the
only reason that we go to God most of us
wouldn’t go to God if we wouldn’t allow
God to use our pain and let me be
careful to understand this God doesn’t
sin pain we live in a fallen world
there’s pain all around but God will use
pain he will use everything to work it
together for your good and maybe God
it’s using your pain to keep you
depended on him cuz how often do you
pray when you balling when everything is
good we don’t be going to God we must be
like bless up like we like we like we
made it and we did this but God said
yeah that relationship issue keeps you
coming to me and until we mature in our
relationship with God to where we don’t
serve God out of discipline we serve Him
out of devotion
sometimes our pain keeps us coming to
God at any and it’s used for purpose and
and this is funny because I was kept
reading in the scripture when it talks
about Paul having a problem they said
there’s a reason that he was tormented
by this thorn in his side
and when I say thorn that can be an
issue that can be a weakness the Bible
is not clear and I tried to research it
but theologians don’t know what the
thorn was it could have been a person it
could have been emotional it could have
been physical it could have been
anything but I think that is so cool
that they leave it kind of open because
then you can put your thorn in there
like what’s your thorn what’s your issue
what’s that thing that brings you pain
that says I’ll use that to keep you
depending on me and I’ll use it to keep
you from destroying yourself why do you
say that Pastor Mike because it tells us
that Paul was able to articulate the
reason why he had this pain in his life
the Bible says it was to keep him from
getting proud like that’s what it said
he said I was given a thorn in my side
evil spirit from Satan to torment me to
make sure that I didn’t get proud so if
he steps back out of the situation
sometimes our pain is the antidote to
our real problem like some of us have a
problem with being prideful
and so God allows allows a painful
situation to come into our life and it’s
to keep us from getting to the place
that would destroy us anyway and what
are you saying Pastor Mike we don’t
think about this but all of that is the
grace of God I pray this prayer
sometimes father thank you for keeping
us from all hurt harm and danger seen
and unseen I think that’s where the
church needs to be more when it comes to
the grace of God there’s things that
God’s grace covers that we see like the
decision we made that was wrong and all
that but there are some things that
God’s grace has allowed to keep us in
places and in small places or in
frustrating places and things that we
don’t like discomfort because it’s
keeping us for things we don’t even see
when’s the last time you thank God for
your small situation yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah let us sit when the last time you
thank God for not blessing you with the
bigger house we don’t because we didn’t
see the foreclosure after two years when
we got the bigger house because we
actually did it in comparison with
somebody else and our job is about to
close down in three weeks and he’s going
to use this to start purpose in our life
but we don’t see that so we want things
and God says my grace it’s going to use
everything to shape you and to who I’ve
created you to be and to allow you to
reach purpose so we’re sitting here like
Paul frustrated because we got thorns
but straighted cuz he won’t take it away
frustrated because we’re still walking
around with a limp and then look at
second Corinthians chapter 12 verse it
says three different times he said my
grace is all you need somebody say that
with me my grace is all you need one
more time my grace is all you need what
are you trying to say
Pastor Mike your problem was designed
for his power so whatever problem you
have God’s grace is all you need
if you could have fixed it you would
have fixed it but now it’s time to allow
the grace of God the empowering grace of
God that will help you do things that is
not natural to you it’s time to allow
him to take over
what do you mean Pastor Mike there’s a
new way that you have to conduct
yourself when it comes to your problems
introduce your problems to your power
see we’re always telling God about our
problems
God this person no hello person I want
you to be introduced to the power of God
will pray for you until you like me Oh
y’all um y’all don’t hear me the
sickness that’s my problem problem
cancer let me introduce you to my power
the healing virtue of God and I will
pray until this cancer dries up on the
inside of me oh I’m not in a faith
filled Church this morning I’m not see
this is the problem we’ve been convinced
too long that our problem is bigger than
our God and so what ends up happening is
we don’t introduce our problems to our
God we whine about our problems to our
God switch it up switch it up
start telling God God this is a hard
situation it’s hard be real with them
it’s hard to keep going to this job
where I’m making minimum wage and they
disrespect me they don’t even want me
here and they prove it to me all the
time they don’t even want me here but
God I thank you that as I walk in there
I’m cloaked with your favor I think you
that there’s a divine nature father God
that you put on me and that every enemy
that is around me father God you will
allow me to stand and withstand father
god I thank you that you just won’t have
me here but you’ll promote me in the
presence of my enemies father show me
how to love father god winner
no me show me father God how to be hope
father God when it’s a helpless
situation I need the empowerment the
grace of God to help me stand in a hard
situation I believe that God’s grace is
bigger than my problem
some of y’all gonna have to listen to
this message over and over because
you’ve had so many years of your
problems ruling that you don’t
understand that you have a divine power
called the grace of God that will
empower you to do what’s not even that
yes I want to slap you like that’s what
I want to do but the Bible tells me to
turn the other cheek I’m going to need
the supernatural power of God not to
like turn around and walk do you
understand what I’m saying but how can
you do that by allowing God to empower
you and an impressive mic I need you to
be more practical than that cuz okay we
can allow God to empower us I’m gonna
give you the cheat code to life I’m so
excited
look look look look what it says
just look Paul goes from despair
frustration and asking God to take all
his pain away – then in one verse his
whole attitude changes and in verse 9
look what it says so now I’m glad this
is great God’s people are hating on me
people are coming to a the sickness is
here I’m still dealing with these stocks
that are not like God I’m still walking
in a little bit of anger and I’m
frustrated with my situation right now
but I’m glad haha I boast about my
weakness so that the power like this is
the trick when you don’t be quiet about
your weakness but you say I’m still
struggling with this I’m still hurting
in this area
I’m still walking in unforgiveness I
still have a little Church hurt I see
I still need God to heal my heart in
this area when I expose my weakness the
power of Christ can work through me like
how do I go can lead when I’ve never led
before you a lot of the power you say it
you you tell God young I lead a
multi-million dollar corporation I’ve
never been to college and I’ve never
been to Business School and I’m sitting
in meetings with Bank presidents and all
this other stuff and I’m like how am I
supposed to do that you missed my cheat
code before I walk into the room I
expose my weakness father god I’ve never
been in the business school I don’t know
how to do this but I’m thanking you that
the same power that raised Jesus Christ
from the dead it’s now living oh you
better help me on the inside of me so
father as I step into this room
get me the mind of Christ get me acumen
to be able to make right business deals
and to move this ministry forward I’m
ready
Oh y’all better hear me
I will walk in places without all of the
qualification and I will be in our
budget grace of God somebody give God a
shout of praise right
you’ve never been a mother before you’ve
been asked out to empower you you had a
bad father you better ask out to empower
you to raise those kids God is not
concerned about what qualifications you
have he just wants you to expose your
weakness so that he can stand up strong
in you I feel the presence of God in
this place so Paul got excited and he
says he says man that’s why I take
pleasure in my weakness and in the
insults and the hardships and the
persecutions in the trouble of Act I
love everything I have to suffer for
Christ for when I am weak for when I am
weak then I am Sean all I came to tell
you as we leave this series of grace I
don’t want you to just have saving grace
to know you’re going to heaven I don’t
want you to just have sustaining grace
to let you know that God will just help
me through I want you to know that he
will empower you to walk into impossible
situations and the divine nature of God
through his great and precious promises
will be transferred to you and you will
be able to do what man says is
impossible they told me I would not last
as a pastor they told me there would be
no impact they told me I couldn’t wear
jeans and Jordans and preach the Word of
God look at me now do you understand
what
you better hear what I’m saying to you
right now that God is looking for
somebody who won’t take the credit but
will expose their weakness and say God
this is where I’m weak can you stand in
it this is one we can you stand it I’m
still have a problem with my eyes can
you stand in that I still have a problem
with unforgiveness can you stand in it
and every place you identify God’s power
will supply you better hear me every
place where you say in my marriage I’m
weak doctor power will supply it in my
finances I’m a poor steward God’s power
will supply it if you identify it God
will supply the power for it so I want
you to try this practical application
this week okay
everybody write this down put it on the
screen for me I want you to do this it
says when I am blank what’s your
weakness because you know your
weaknesses I don’t like but you know so
when I’m weak whatever your weekend
because of the empowering grace of God
then I am and put the opposite like and
so I started doing this before service
and and I got high pony cuz cuz then I I
started realizing like God almost loves
and B being weak because it brings him
more glory because I get to stand in his
strength and get to bring him glory cuz
everybody knows I shouldn’t be up here
but God empowers me to do that so I
started Paul putting in he said when I
am weak because of the empowerment of
God’s grace then I am strong I said when
I’m overwhelmed because of the power
empowering grace of God then I get
overjoyed yeah yeah come on this is
going to be exercise you will sit in a
mirror and tell yourself this you can be
in your car you’re gonna start saying
stuff like this when I’m pissed I know
some of y’all too saved for that but
when I’m pissed because of the
empowering grace of God then I am
peaceful like I can have the opposite
because of the empowering grace of God
when I’m greedy when I don’t want to
give when I don’t want to
share because of the empowering grace of
God then I’m generous I’m telling you
you’ve got to start confessing the
opposite of what you are experiencing
because when you identify it God
strength is made known in your weakness
somebody give God praise right there I
[Applause]
just have to because I know somebody’s
dealing with it when I’m horny because
of the empowerment of God’s grace then I
am holy like like like you have to
realize that that no feeling no
temptation the Bible says that you’ll
ever experience that God can’t allow you
to have a way of escape you can overcome
it so past I’m like what do you do you
do the same thing to Abraham David Jonah
Peter and Paul did like even though
you’re messed up as you’re walking on
the spiritual journey and you got a
thorn you got a hurt ankle it’s messing
with your walk it looks like you’re
walking with a limp and see that’s where
the church has a bad rap is that we see
people limping and then we point out
there why they walk in like that you
don’t know the hell that I’ve been
through you know you don’t you don’t
know how hard it is to just stand but I
had I had this one coach in high school
that I had sprained my ankle or twisted
my ankle or something with my ankle as I
was running up and down the basketball
court and I fail cuz you know when I get
hurt it’s all over like I did not like
y’all I hit that kid I was like ah
like like that was me like and and the
trainer ran over and and and yo because
this is how it is in life when we get
hit we usually fall out or fall down or
don’t want to keep going and the enemy
member he convinces us that I probably
should stay down and now I’m trying to
scoot to the bench like I don’t want to
play no more and that’s how many
believers look right now in the
spiritual walk
you’ve been God’s been telling you
you’re supposed to serve and work in
this area and do all this stuff but
you’ve been scooting to the bench
because you got hurt at some point in
the process but do you know what the
trainer told me to do I was
flabbergasted y’all know what he told me
to do he said get up and walk it off I
said that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever
heard he said if you leave it like that
it could swell up and become so hurtful
that you can’t move it but if we get it
in infant stage and even if you have to
walk with them Oh y’all better hear me
even if people have to see me not at my
best even if people have to see me start
from the bottom he said that at some
point it’ll turn into something that
looks more regular and you can go from
where you work so where God wants you to
be I give somebody who’s going to keep
talking with their limp because of the
grace of God to give God a shout of
praise in this place
come on we go keep moving forward so
what are you saying pass the mic no
matter where you are keep walking with
your lip don’t stop don’t fall don’t go
I’ll keep walking with your lip
I know you’re still dealing with that
thought or you still take a sip of
alcohol on the weekend God said I’ll
deal with that you give me your heart
I’ll deal with your habits
he said keep walking with your life at
some point you’re not going to have the
same issue if you don’t drop and fall
and go to the sideline I said the
righteous man falls seven times but he
gets back up again I thought the way
that we end this series is letting you
know that the grace of God is not just
to save you and not just the sustain you
but it’s to empower you that whatever
you’re going through you can keep moving
forward even if you have a limp I want
to play a song for you by Jonathan
McReynolds that that literally brings
this whole thing into three minutes and
45 seconds of understanding and I want
you to know that this is what the grace
of God is for this is what it does for
your life don’t quit don’t stop don’t
give up God is for you and he has a
purpose that he will reveal in you and
he won’t just ask you to do something
he’ll empower you to do it keep walking
with your limp check this out
[Music]
broken innocence stolen and I know one a
different man
[Music]
see life hits in life hurts think I’ve
seen some of life’s works but you’ve
been here so you understand see I fell
and I broke something but I couldn’t
tell cuz I kept running away from your
love and gray so my trips in my pants my
failures they only made be desperate to
seek your face the devil hope this
injury would make me stop and take me
but I know Jesus walls beti so I’ll just
keep on walking with money no pepper
just keep on walking mother
just keep on walking mother
just keep on walking mother temper
I’m imperfect so I slipped up and I had
my heart ripped up to lift up my so
please come and please heal how I think
and how I feel and I’ll live by what you
said can you say
[Music]
and come to me
name the week and I’ll be every
so I’ll just keep on walking then that
fun just keep on walking in London just
keep on walking just keep on walking
[Music]
every weeks Tim stop every thought that
keeps us from having to otherwise
perfect fall but if you just keep on
walking with
soon I victory you look just like me
struggling your passion and your love it
kept you up
[Music]
can’t be walking
matter what they said you kept walking
[Music]
and that’s my Savior with
so one day I could walk I can still be
loved he likes to be used even like I
still be saved
[Music]
so I’ll just keep on walking with my
lens
[Music]
can we give God some praise in this
building everybody that’s going to be
empowered by the grace of God to keep
walking with your lip
you