The church is not just a physical place; it’s a people. WE are the people! In Week 3 of the Fresh Fruit Sermon Series, Pastor Charles preached a powerful message that reminded us of the power of the church. Our presence is needed to keep the church FRESH. We pray that this message causes you to walk in your authority as the church, invite people, and be formed in a local church so that you can produce fruit. Scripture References: Matthew 16:13-18 NLT 02:27 – Matthew chapter 16 verse 13 through 18 NLT 08:17 – The Church may be broken, but it’s still God’s bride 13:23 – Ekklesia: ones called out from the world and to God 15:30 – Church is first a people and then a place 23:30 – 3 ways to keep church fresh: 1. Keep passion alive 29:48 – 3 ways to keep church fresh: 2. Keep perspective healthy 34:38 – 3 ways to keep church fresh: 3. Keep possession powerful Join Transformation Church for our live Sunday experience. Plug into community, engage in live worship with Transformation Worship, & hear a powerful word from God. ABOUT US We Exist to REPRESENT God to the lost & found for Transformation in Christ. This is the vision of Transformation Church, led by Pastor Michael Todd and based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. NEXT STEPS Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? Fill out the form below so we can help you on your journey toward Transformation in Christ: http://transformchurch.us/saved
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hi my name is Bri and I have the
privilege of serving as Chief of Staff
here at Transformation Church at TC our
vision is to represent God to the lost
and found for transformation in Christ
and we just want to say thank you so
much for tuning in from wherever you’re
watching from if you haven’t already be
sure to like And subscribe we believe
that God has a word just for you so
let’s jump into today’s
message we’ve been in a series called
fresh fruit somebody say fresh fruit
fresh fruit and uh I’m excited to share
today a word um that’s on my heart but
uh man I want to let you know this is
such a special season of our church and
um I’m so grateful for our church I’m
grateful for our lead pastors pastors
Michael and Natalie Todd can you give it
up for our lead
pastors they are so special and uh I’m
excited because this is the first week I
get to preach um as the campus Pastor
here which is a
crazy exciting
thing me and my wife get to serve as as
the campus pastors here at a Tulsa
campus and um I had people in the lobby
that was like what does that mean what
you what does that what does that
actually mean first of all calm down
okay take a deep breath what that means
is that Pastor Michael has such a heart
such a care for this place um that he
has done just like in scripture where
Jethro came to Moses and he said listen
if you try to sit here and talk to these
people this is what the Bible says it’s
not good for you or for all the people
come on come on and Pastor Michael would
be in that Lobby until
2028 praying for every single person
talking to every single but what he did
he said you know what I got to raise up
leaders and a team that can do that and
so that’s what me and my wife are here
to do we are here to be an extension of
our lead pastors to bring their
Vision to
pass and uh I’m very excited for this
season uh we’re going to jump into the
word okay so I need you to open up your
bibles if you got your bibles if you
have a real Bible you get more person
more points than the person who had to
charge their
Bible it’s in Leviticus you’ve just
never read that part
so if you got beef go read all of
Leviticus and then come back to me be
like what is a Leviticus uh okay I’m
going to read you a portion of scripture
and then we’re going to take off okay
this is Matthew 16 starting in verse 13
and it’s actually the song we just sang
It’s like we planned this thing anyways
um Matthew 16:13 it says this when Jesus
came to the region in Philippi he asked
the disciples who do people say the son
of man
is well they replied some say John the
Baptist some say Elijah others say
Jeremiah or one of the other prophets
then he asked them this but who do you
say I am Simon Peter answered you are
the Messiah the Son of of the Living God
Jesus replied you are blessed Simon son
of John because my Father in Heaven has
revealed this to you you did not learn
this from any human being now I say to
you you are Peter which means Rock and
Upon This
Rock I on come on not social media not
YouTube not your attendance upon I I
somebody say I I I will build my church
and the powers one translation says
Gates the powers of Hell will not
conquer
it I could jump off this stage right now
with how excited I am I’m going to pray
real quick
god build your church amen am all right
um I’m about to tell you the whole
sermon in one sentence and then I’m just
going to preach the crap out of it and
then I will come back and if you’re mad
that I said crap you’re about to be real
mad okay um throw it up on the screen uh
my whole sermon please if you got that
the long sentence that I text you guys
if you could throw that up there this is
the whole sermon right here the church
somebody say the church the church say
it again the church look at your
neighbor and say the church the church
all right the church its people and its
place was dreamed Des designed and
destined to be the primary vehicle
through which God radically redeems and
restores
Humanity I believe this more than I
believe this jacket is green I am
telling you the church the people and
the place was dreamed designed and
destined by God this wasn’t a man’s idea
nobody sat up in the corner and cook
this thing up this was not imagined by a
couple of gods this was dreamed designed
and destined by God to be the primary
vehicle through which God restores
redeems and transforms the entire
world and I came to remind some of us
and to reignite something on the inside
of you to remind you of the power of
this thing we call the
church friend I know for some of us it
is just become a box to check I know for
some of us we’ve had experiences I know
for some there’s a lot of different
ideas and Concepts and Views and YouTube
channels about the church I get it but
let me remind you and restore to you
today very clearly what the church is
all right the church its people and its
place was dreamed by God you need to
know this thing we’re sitting in and the
people group we are this was God’s dream
you know how you have dreams things that
your your heart is full of things that
you’re so excited about the things that
overtake your sleep and that you
constantly find yourself going to sleep
thinking about and waking up thinking
about can I tell you what that is for
our savior it’s the
church and and here’s the thing so many
of us for real reasons have slowly lost
this beautiful fire and passion and
desire to understand that this thing we
call the church might be the greatest
gift ever given to
humanity I heard one person say it this
way they said the church at its worst is
still the best thing to ever happen to
the world that’s it that’s
it now here’s the thing I want to be
very aware very sensitive and very uh uh
um acknowledging of all of our different
experiences but I want to separate
something just because you had an
experience with an
individual with one
place please do not and here’s not I’m
not begging you for no other reason but
for you I just don’t want you to miss
out on the beauty of this thing I just
don’t want you to miss out on the power
of this thing I don’t want you to miss
out on God’s greatest
Dream It’s the
church there’s no place like the church
friend there’s a lot of good things
there’s a lot of nonprofits that help
people there’s a lot of nonprofits
that show up in a time of need there’s a
lot of nonprofits that serve people in
this life but can I tell you there is
something unique about the church it
serves people in this life and the one
to come there’s nobody there’s no place
like the church there’s no place where
it doesn’t matter how much money you
have in the bank and you’re still
welcome there’s no other place where it
doesn’t matter what you smoke or drink
before you came in and you’re still
welcome if you’ve had issues with the
church let me tell you what type of
church we are this is the church where
no matter what you’re going through no
matter how hurting or broken you are
this is the
church it’s God’s
Dream It’s the thing that he loves it’s
the thing that he cares about and it’s
the thing that he said I will build it
I’m going to build my church and here’s
the thing the unique thing about the
church is so beautiful because I I wrote
this down I want you to write this down
the church may be
broken but it’s still God’s bride
I want to acknowledge something for you
you want to know why it’s broken cuz we
sitting up in
here let me be the the issue is not with
the system it’s with the people in the
system so let me separate something for
you you can go to an amazing restaurant
where the chef is doing his thing and
then you have some janky server come out
like what you want what you need or Ser
that don’t even look at you they act
like they too bougie to do the job they
applied for it’s like I’ll be feeling
that all the time like if you don’t want
to work here quit like I didn’t ask you
to do this you mad at me you need to go
to counseling like I’m sorry your life
didn’t work out I don’t know sorry i’ be
going down a whole
path but please do not mistake the
attitude of the waiter for the intention
of the owner of the
restaurant
it’s not even their fault it wasn’t
their
dream it’s not they didn’t sit there
thinking about the power it would be
they didn’t sit there dreaming of how
people of different races would come in
they didn’t sit there thinking about how
it would radically change the
environment that it was around please do
not mistake your experience with the
waiter for the intention of the owner of
the restaurant he has plans for you
plans to prosper you and not to harm you
that is the
church
and I’m afraid some of us have forgot
that this is his
bride if you were to come up to me after
this service in the lobby and you said
man Charles You Preach so good that was
really good hey he was dressed like a
avocado man that was so
cool but you
know
Abby I just I don’t
really I don’t really mess with Abby I
mess with
you but I you know aby’s just kind of
weird you wouldn’t get weird out of your
M it would be we you would I would
Pastor Charles stole off on somebody in
the lobby some of y’all don’t know a
stole off on y’all don’t even know what
that means that’s one that’s a punch
from back here it’s a specific type of
punch where you ring it back and
B y’ you should you if you ever get in a
fight no this is my moment to stole
off you got to wh okay I will go stand
up I have to keep myself
in you couldn’t
say well I mess with you but I don’t
really want to mess with
her because the two have become
one
it’s it’s my bride
now I totally understand if you had an
experience that maybe was like ah I
don’t know but but but there’s something
intrinsically connected to the heart of
God and his
church now here’s the thing uh when I
start talking church I know there’s a
lot of different thoughts in here so I’m
going to try to bring these together so
we can all work from the same premise to
move forward together when I say church
I wrote this in in the thesis statement
um it’s the people and the place
the people and the place the word Church
in in scripture it’s a word eklesia okay
is the word I’m going to teach you a
little bit we’re going to go teaching
right now come on spiritual formation we
about to do it right here welcome to the
first formation
class take out your notes write this
down impress your friend in your tribe
heyo
somebody come on tribe some like what’s
a tribe oh just wait on
us eklesia mentioned in scripture 114
times times in the New Testament it’s
only mentioned twice in Jesus’s lifetime
twice in Luke the first mention of this
word is the one we just read in Matthew
16 here’s what would have happened when
Jesus said this word he said Peter you
have this Revelation you have this
understanding and now I want you to know
I will build my eklesia and the
disciples would have been like yo
what this was not a word they were
familiar with they would have looked at
each other like eka what did he say eka
who hey you know ekaa you seen her
around I what’s her name ekas
ekas okay and what Jesus was doing is he
was introducing an enely New Concept
this was not a bite off of some other
religion this was not some I he said
this you ain’t never seen nothing like
this before and when he’s saying the
word eklesia what this word means is
ones who are called out from the world
and called to God it’s the called out
ones and this messed me up I was talking
to my friend and he said this the
concept of church that we understand as
a building was not in any believer’s
mind for hundreds of years wow they when
they when they said Church nobody
thought of a building nobody thought of
a place they thought of the
people and this is super important for
you to understand because if not you
come here and you come here here and
then you leave it here because you think
church is something you go to not
something you
are I’m trying to teach you this morning
church is not something you go to it’s
something you
are John Mark comr in his book
practicing the way he says we have
confused so much the word disciple
because we treat it like you like it’s a
verb and not a noun let me explain it to
you it would be like some people use
this language I just need someone to
disciple me disciples it’s not something
that happens to you it’s something that
you
are let me make it plain it’d be like if
you said I need you to Christian
me what I I no no no no it’s who you are
the church I don’t Church you this isn’t
where why I I church at you no no no we
are all in here as the church becoming
the church growing as the church to walk
out and be the
church you know where church is it can
be in your cubicle at 10:22 on a Tuesday
morning you can start having
church and wherever the CH church is
There’s Hope wherever the church is
there’s light wherever the church is
healing can happen wherever the church
is the good news of Jesus is preached
wherever the church is things change
wherever the church is stuff starts to
act different wherever the church is
there are things that break open doors
that nobody else could have opened up
wherever the church is
is where our God
is you need to know this the
church is first the
people and then a
place first the people
group we are the
church it is first the people group and
then it’s the place we come to and
here’s the beautiful thing in the
forming of the early Church in Acts is
where this word explodes 72 times onto
the scene is where we see church start
happening and there’s a beautiful thing
that happens and I’m trying not to nerd
out on this stuff but again we in
formation class I’m going to give it to
you there’s a beautiful thing that
happens and there’s one Theologian who
writes that Believers must understand
the dual aspect of the church it is
first it first has spiritual
implications the spiritual nature of the
church is that when you are saved you
become a part of the church God go read
it in your Bibles Jesus is the head of
the church and we are all parts of his
body we are different members with
different functions so we have different
gifts we have different abilities some
of y’all are just naturally the most
welcoming and hosting people ever some
of y’all are not that but you have
amazing other gifts that we
need we are all different parts of the
same body so there’s a spiritual
implication that happens when you give
your life to Jesus you become a part of
the global
church that’s important for you to
realize realiz friend because this is
not about us in our Corner sitting
behind Chick-fil-A there’s a church all
around the world that is Raging against
the gates of hell and we are better
together than we could ever be a part
please do not get it twisted this is not
a ploy to get you to come to
Transformation Church this is trying to
get all of us to become the
church there’s spiritual
implications but it is so important that
we understand after we become that the
reason it’s set up as a physical
place is because it is the only
way that you are actually formed to
produce
fruit the reason we come in here the
reason it’s so important that you’re a
part of the place of church is because
it’s hard to produce kindness staring in
a mirror by
yourself it’s hard to produce patience
when you isolate yourself yes here’s the
beautiful thing about Jesus again we’re
we’re walking through what the church is
Jesus did take times where he was by
himself and prayed but he always came
back come
on he always came back from his times
all throughout scripture you’ll say
Jesus he went be alone to pray and then
he returned to his disciples here is the
thing we do not run to prayer we do not
run to church we do not run to Times by
oursel with God to run away from people
we go there for the sake of the people
your prayer time is not an escape
mechanism from your other Christian
friends it is a place to go to say God I
need patience God I need peace God help
me forgive them and then I go back to
that person and I’m with
them come on Sir the
church it is first the
people and then it is a
place and here’s the beautiful thing
what I have realized about the church
is Against All Odds beliefs and
questions the church is a worthy
Endeavor I know it’s not
perfect I get
it but the
church is God’s
dream and I know we all got questions
and I know we’re all real busy
but friends I tell
you there is far greater things about
this
church there are far greater things
about his church than there are bad
experiences for every one random story
you’ve heard about some person some
person at a church some Pastor something
can I tell you there’s millions of
things you haven’t
heard there’s millions of faithful
pastors who’ve been serving for 50 years
and they’re going to keep serving until
they die there’s millions of volunteers
who had a beautiful experience and
became exactly who they were created to
be in the four walls of a church please
do not anybody sell you anything
different yes there are people but let
me tell you the history of the church
will be on our side we are still a place
of hope we are still a place that
redeems we are still a place that takes
care of
people can I be honest with you and this
is just this is just raw cuz here’s
where I get messed up you know we we
just announced we doing Ransom again and
boy when I tell you I could punch a hole
through that television I’m so excited
for
ransom last year people took Ransom out
of context started running with it you
know what they didn’t take out of
context the $8 million we gave away over
the last couple years ain’t no news
stories ain’t no reporters searching
around like why did you guys buy out a
shoe store and go give it to all the
kids who don’t have any shoes and don’t
have any F why are you taking care of
widows and orphans why have you guys
bought multiple houses for single
mothers and given it to them why do you
give millions of your dollars away every
single year we can’t no no no no don’t
get it twisted this is the church and
whether they write about it or not
whether they say anything we will keep
being the church we will keep blessing
families we will keep serving we will
keep
giving this is the church we’re a part
of and this is the church we will be no
matter who sees it no matter what they
say no matter who comes or who goes we
are the church and we will not back
up and here’s the thing I’ve realized
about church depending on your
experience there are some churches that
have asked way too
much they try to get up here and preach
you that this should be your life if
you’re not in church every week come on
man what do you do you going to go to
hell don’t expect don’t expect your kids
to love God if you don’t prove it to him
by never missing church and you somehow
leave here more ashamed like I got to go
to
church ducking in cuz you
late come on somebody like dang I
was y’all do worship at the 10:00 a.m. I
ain’t never did y’all stop doing worship
at the
10 I love you I’m so glad you’re
here but some Churches ask way too much
and that’s just weird and I’ll say the
other end of the spectrum some don’t ask
for enough and that’s
weak there is something in you here’s
the way I’ll illustrate through
scripture um I I like to say it this way
there are some things that don’t come
out of you until something is placed on
you so like being a father didn’t come
out of me until the responsibility of my
children was placed on
me there are some gifts
some things that God has put on the
inside of you that I want to tell you
you will not get from halfway
participation every 6
weeks it’s just not going to happen that
way there are some things that are weird
some of that is weak but here at TC we
have this beautifully imperfect mix that
I truly believe is a worthy
Endeavor and here’s the thing about the
church believe the church is a worthy
Endeavor and there is a way to keep it
fresh I’m going to give you three things
and we going to be out of here and you
can go get you some french toast
somebody said avocado that was a little
disrespectful I’m not going to fire back
because that would be
flesh three
ways I could fire back though so just
whoever’s over there there just I’m
going to keep
it oh gosh okay let’s get back to the
spiritual matters at
hand three ways to keep the church fresh
number one write this down you got to
keep passion
alive got to keep passion alive now
here’s the cheat code about this sermon
I’m going to go ahead and tell it to you
this is you could put how to keep blank
fresh you can put anything in there you
can put your marriage you could put your
breath I don’t know maybe I don’t know
about your breath but anything in your
life that you are trying we’re in this
Ser fresh fruit not new fresh Church
ain’t new I’m not here preaching to You
Like A New Concept of church church has
been here it been here long before me
it’ll be here way after me but there is
a way to keep your engagement your
relationship your participation
as remember we’re setting separating two
things you are the people but how do I
keep my engagement in this place fresh
the first thing you got to do is you got
to keep the passion alive good here’s
here’s two two little notes on how to do
that the first thing is
presence you got to you got to be
there it’s your presence that keeps it
fresh and here’s let me tell you
something something that maybe you’ve
never
heard the most
encouraging and uplifting thing about my
Sundays is seeing your
face it is I’m
serious your
presence it’s not what you
do it’s not you like well if I’m on a
serve team and if I’m doing this and I’m
no no no no it’s
simply your
presence now there is a difference
between presence and attendance come on
come on come on
break just I want to be you you can be
attending but not be
present and if you want to keep this
thing fresh you got to bring your
presence I was at breakfast the other
day um with my grandfather and I was
telling him and he’s just navigating a
hard time right now his his wife of over
50 years just passed away and and it’s
just it’s it was such a beautiful
conversation but he was talking to me
like Charles I just don’t know and you
know it’s just hard navigating this and
and what I told him I said he was like I
just feel he’s so he’s so sweet he was
like I just feel so sad to be
around I wanted to cry I was like poppy
that’s not true at all and here’s what I
said to him I said pops you have no idea
how grateful I am to be able to text my
grandfather come
on it’s your it’s your presence it’s
just the fact that I had somebody I
could go to breakfast and sit ac across
from a grandfather and say what’s going
on it was his presence yeah that was the
ministry yeah can I tell you you showing
up and just being here with a smile on
your face giving somebody a hug looking
for your seat walking around say it’s
just your
presence that keeps things fresh and I’m
asking you if you want to be a part and
you say you know what I want this thing
to stay fresh it’s going to take your
presence if you’re going to keep the
passion alive if you want to keep a
marriage alive you got to be present if
you want to keep the relationship with
your children alive you can’t just be
around or in attendance of their
basketball game you got to be
present yeah the other thing if you want
to keep the passion alive another note
under that one um and it’s kind of a
secret weapon it’s
people it’s people if you want to keep
your passion alive for the church the
craziest thing you could do is bring
some people with
you when you I don’t know if you’ve ever
had this experience I have had this
experience as one of the pastors of the
church I be inviting people to come to
church and then like 2 seconds before
they get here I panic because I’m like
hopefully they don’t meet anybody
weird and hopefully we’re singing the
hits
today oh come on we got Hits come on
then we got some new ones we’re trying
let’s be honest some y be like okay this
is nice man okay what are we doing okay
like but there’s something that happens
in my heart when I’m bringing somebody
on when the relational Equity I have has
been been put on the
line you know what it does it has you
prepare differently on some of y’all
ain’t never thought about serving or
being aware of anything you bring a
friend you would be in the bathroom
wiping up all that water off the
counters that everybody hold on before
they walk in here let me check how y’all
doing TC kids y’all need anything we
good we got okay parking lot anybody
angry over here if you had a bad day get
the heck out the parking lot my friend’s
coming I don’t
need
I don’t need no
attitude if you didn’t want to be out
here sign up for a different team but
our friend is coming
today it’s the
truth people bring a different passion
out of you and if you want Church to
stay
fresh
invite some
people okay you got to keep passion
alive is the first one or I remembered
it I thought I didn’t okay um
you got to keep your perspective
healthy keep your perspective healthy
now this one messed me up because I
believe one of the most beautiful and
underrated things the church has to
offer is
perspective here’s the thing about
perspective you’re getting perspective
from
somewhere you woke up this morning and
you got a perspective of the world from
multiple different places you got it
from a friend you talk to you got it
from social media you got it from your
past experiences you have formed entire
perspectives and one of the most
beautiful things that the church has to
offer is a healthy
perspective go with me you’re at
work and you go up to your cooworker
you’re at the water cooler
talking and uh you’re like
man marriage is pretty tough right
now and your friend’s like your marriage
is tough the old lady won’t get off my
back you’re like oh yeah I guess you
know it’s not that bad though ah well
it’s not that great though is
it ain’t been great since 86 brother if
you know what I’m
saying as a matter of fact I was talking
to Sheila the other day and uh have you
seen
Sheila Sheila hey I’m not hey I’m not
saying
nothing but if anything goes
down now that
was one
conversation day after day
and eventually you have formed a
perspective of the person you prayed to
spend forever with yeah and now it’s not
that big of a
deal scenario
B show up to your
tribe that’s our small groups by the
way you’re like man marriage ain’t that
good First Response all not all that
different cuz we all human man I feel
you what’s going
on
well 10 years
ago we had this thing happen in our
marriage and ever since then she hasn’t
really trusted me and so now I feel like
I’m trying to be better but she’s always
kind of on me and I get it though
because she’s hurt but also I’m trying
to become a different
man the person you’re tried the couple
goes
oh have you heard our
testimony let me tell you a story 15
years
ago my spouse was in a completely
different lifestyle I had no idea and
then God redeemed it and brought us
together and we’ve been in counseling
and now we actually the whole reason we
have this tribe is to talk to people
like you and tell you that it’s actually
okay and here’s what you can do if you
start doing this and start doing and
just commit to coming back to the tribe
and have you come to Wednesday night we
do prayer on Wednesday come to prayer on
Wednesday night then you’re going to go
to the relationship goes class and get
in there make sure you meet have you met
uh there’s this girl named Sheila Sheila
you know Sheila’s in there and her
husband Derek they’re amazing couple
Sheila is beautiful and everybody be
trying to holl shap but they’ve been
married for 52 years and they just been
rocking and
uh
two
different
perspectives and I have to tell you um
if you want to keep Church fresh most
beautiful thing this church has to offer
you is a perspective but I got I I got
to tell
you to get the perspective you’re going
to you’re going to have to get
involved because there’s only so much
perspective I can give
you in this little segment we got up
here I’m trying to give you all the
perspective but I may not have been
through what you’ve been through and I
may have may not have the testimony that
you need to hear today wow but when you
get in when you get on a serves team
when you start coming just early just to
hang out in the lobby yeah we put
couches out there not just to make it
look cool but so that you would hang
out to maybe get some
perspective okay you got to keep the
passion alive perspective healthy the
last one is keep your possession
powerful okay now here’s what I’m first
of all I ain’t talking about no devil
possession demons don’t get none of my
time out of churches who talk I don’t
know why people oh are you worried about
the devil no I ain’t worried about the
devil Devils don’t get none of my time
they dumb and we chilling on that so I’m
not talking about that go to YouTube
going to look at some weird
video I’m talking where where the
football at M come here real quick I’m
y’all give it up for
ma now you stand right there cuz if I
get too close I’m going to look short so
you stay
uh every every time I meet somebody
they’re like you’re a lot
shorter in person like well sto
up okay when I’m talking
possession talking how do you hold
it how do you take ownership of
it how how how do you embrace your
church how you want to know how stays
friend you have to keep your
possession powerful yeah and here’s the
thing we going to switch I’m going to do
what you was going to do okay so here’s
what many of us do this is how we hold
Church wait don’t hold on stop don’t
take my
happiness oh wow don’t okay give it to
me give it to
me oh
Jesus get behind me Satan that’s I got
angels on my side don’t you
dare touch the God’s anointed
okay but when your
possession is
weak it’s very easy for you to fall off
the mat for eight weeks come
on cuz your
possession was then there are sometimes
you know we got a nice little like okay
okay well then you strong
boy
okay I’m not going to fall I appreciate
that don’t
okay okay
okay but you see this is how this is how
I’m going hold a
church come on boy what you going boy
get off me boy get off me yeah you can’t
touch me oh what you running this wasn’t
part of the
illustration that’s what I
thought give it up for
micaa
wo we didn’t talk about the running
micaah I don’t know what that was
man and somebody said ain’t you been
cycling no I fell off the
wagon that wouldn’t have happened if I
had been
cycling I’m actually out of breath I’m
going to sit down
how how do you hold the
Church Pastor Michael said it last week
the goal is not just that you observe
the vision is that you own the
vision now I get it this is not in a way
that this is your life and this is all
you do and this is the only thing no no
no no we we we’ve all got
lives you got a job you got kids to
raise your bills to pay friendships
dreams but what I’m submitting to
you is that
maybe just
maybe God dreamed up
one of the most
beautiful and radical
ways for you to become the best version
of yourself God what
if God built this whole
thing where we come together and we get
encouraged and equipped and inspired to
live in a way that we never thought was
possible and you go back out into your
place and your ownership is so strong
that you realize man I got I got so
encouraged on Sunday and then I was in
the lobby talking to somebody and I met
somebody new and they actually just
moved here from from Florida and I I
remember I moved three years ago to be
here and and I was so inspired by the
faith and it just reminded me that man
God really has taken care of me since I
moved here and gosh he’s so good and and
then you’re sitting at work on Monday
and your friends like I don’t know what
I’m going to do and I just feel like
I’ve been in this situation and no you
know I actually I do this thing um every
Friday we throw this party at my house
that’s my secret word that’s how I’m
gonna get all my friends to come to my
tribe I’m gonna be like I throw this
party and it’s the dopest party you’ve
ever been to and everybody’s super cool
and everybody’s super chill and they’re
so cool you don’t have to be drunk to
have fun actually it’s like
way they’re like I don’t know about
that come see for
yourself I’m
just I’m completely sold
out to this
thing I
just trust me if if I I this was not my
like
plan like the church I thought I was
going to do something else and and like
but this
is is the church for
me it’s God’s Dream It’s all of us being
in here
now here’s the thing I have to take an
excert because there’s a beautiful thing
that God has done in allowing this
ministry to expand all over the
world there are people who are watching
from all over the world I want you to
know you are a part of this
church you you are a vital important and
valuable part of this
church logging on and having friends
over to your house and and the way you
you’re keeping pastor by sharing this
and sharing the sermons and and giving a
tithing teing Nation you are an epic
part of this
church and here’s what I
realized I was talking to my dad and
it’s funny I just it’s like this passion
for the CH church was transplanted in me
like I didn’t even I didn’t even want to
have it but me and my dad were talking
yesterday and he said you know what
Charles it’s always been the church for
me because the church has always been
there for
me I’m just thinking there’s nowhere
else I could have
gone there’s this beautiful portion of
scripture and I’m about to close right
now we going to be out of here by
11:35 we’re going to get out of here it
says this Jesus is talking and he’s
talking to the
disciples and Jesus says are you going
to leave
too
and the disciples say one of the most
beautiful things he replies he said who
else would we go
to and I’m telling you I wanted to go a
lot of other
places I wanted to go out and do my
thing but I didn’t have nobody else to
go to come on it was the
church it was getting in this room and
when we worship together there’s nothing
like
it even if it’s not just style even if
it’s not your flavor there’s there’s
nothing like a group of imperfect people
singing to a perfect God there’s nothing
like this
church there’s nothing like being in a
place where you can come in and say you
know what I don’t have all the answers I
still got some
questions but there’s nothing like the
church I heard this story and I’ll close
with this I heard this story this guy
was telling and he said he had two
dogs and uh when they were really young
they would sit on the back porch and
they had all this
land and they would look out onto the
land and they would both be sitting
there looking for a
squirrel and the second they would see a
a movement in the trees or one run out
they would both take off sprinting they
would Chase these squirrels with all
their heart he said But as time went
on
daysy her eyesight got
bad and say she stopped being able to
see the score
squirrels but what Daisy
learned is instead of looking out into
the trees for the
squirrels she
turned and she looked at the other
dog and she couldn’t see it for
herself but when she saw something
happen with
him when the hair on his neck stood up
when when he started to twitch when when
his ears sat up she realized I don’t
know what it is but I can take off
running can I tell you that is the
church at its
greatest is you walking in not being
able to see where God’s taking
you is you walking in not knowing what
he’s doing in your life and sometimes
you don’t have the energy to look for
yourself cuz you feel like you’ve lost
sight but can I tell you the reason it’s
important to have your
presence is because sometimes you’re not
looking up this way you’re looking at
your neighbor
and you’re thinking man if they can
still
worship they clearly feel something
there must be something going on in
their
life I’m telling you friend the
church was a dream of
God to still
be the primary
vehicle through which he
restores and redeems
Humanity
standing all over this
room I’m going ask you to stay still
just for a few moments if you don’t have
to leave I’m going to get you out of
here
11:35 I’m telling you I know you really
want a pancake I get it
so they stop serving it too I know it’s
okay
here’s the thing I want to talk to two
groups of people the first group of
people actually I’m going to I’m going
to separate it into three first group of
people is um maybe church just doesn’t
feel fresh
anymore you’re here but it just it
doesn’t have that
same energy like it used to the
scripture says it this way return to me
the joy of my salvation
some of us maybe you’ve just lost that
Fresh
Fire you lost that feeling like you have
a place to
fit here’s the Assumption in a church
this size oh they got it all figured out
they must not need
me can I tell you nothing could be
further from the
truth if you’re in here and you say you
know what I I just I want that spark
back I’ve lost something I’ve lost the
the even desire to be present I’ve lost
my desire to want to even bring my
friends I used to maybe be excited about
that or honestly I’ve got some weird
perspectives and I don’t even know what
to do or maybe my my ownership of this
thing hasn’t hasn’t even been that
strong but today I want to I want that
back I want I I I need some kind of
spark I need something if you’re in this
room and that’s you you say you know
what I want I want I’m just going to ask
you to do something I just want you to
raise your hand right now if you say you
know what I I this thing is kind of I
need help with this thing being
fresh here’s the thing I want to pray
over you Jesus I thank you for every
hand
lifted I pray
supernaturally there will be a fire
ignited ignited in the hearts of your
people for them to come alive for their
passion to be awakened for their
perspective to be alignment with you
Lord God and for their ownership their
possession to be something that’s
beautiful you can put your hands down
there’s a second group of people in
here everybody can look at me for a
second there’s a second group of people
in here and uh I’m going to do something
bold I don’t know if we’ve done in a
while I’m going to ask
you to help
me me and my wife we are more gassed
than ever before to see this Tulsa
campus reach our
community but the truth is we can’t do
it by
oursel we need people who say you know
what I’m
down I’m down to reach this city I’m
down to represent to every single person
I’m down to show love to every neighbor
I’m down to serve I’m down to show up
early to help set up something I’m down
to come up in the offices during the
week and and call people who it was
their first time and tell them how much
we love them I’m down to I just I want
to be a part of building this thing
there this isn’t for everybody so don’t
feel no pressure of like but there are
some of you in here you feel like no I I
want to help build this thing I want to
help do I’m here like I’m not going
nowhere and I am here to build this
church what I’m going to ask you to do
is directly after service like 10 or 15
minutes after service is over what time
is it now it’s 11:34 o I got to speed up
to keep my word
okay right across here in the South
Ballroom me Abby and our campus staff
Pastor Amberly our tribes pastor we
going be in there and we going to have
our first madeup campus core team
meeting y’all didn’t know we was
launching a church in Tulsa
Oklahoma and if you say you know what
I’m down I want help I want to be a part
I don’t know what that means I don’t
know how much time I got and I don’t
even need to figure out all those
details but I want to help build this
church I’m going to ask you after
service get you listen here’s what we’ve
had uh TC kids prepared they going to
keep your kids some of y’all going to
come just for an extra 10 minutes
minutes where out your
kids but I want you to meet us 15
minutes after service is over so let’s
let’s go with 11:50 11:55 we going to
get started right across here in the
South barroom now some of y’all this
ain’t new some of y’all been
volunteering serving y’all been holding
this Vision down since GCC so this ain’t
nothing give it up for all the people
who been
down but if you want to make a fresh
commitment to help us build this campus
I love to see you in that room every
head bowed every eye closed we’re going
to get out of here if you’re in this
room and you haven’t accepted Jesus as
your lord and savior it’s the greatest
decision you could ever make the
greatest thing that changed my life and
it’s the biggest Fresh Start that I have
ever seen happen in my life and through
the life of so many people I love if you
want to accept Jesus into your life here
is the good news he loves you right
where you are he is proud of you and he
wants nothing more than a relationship
with you you do not have to earn it but
you simply receive it if you are in this
room and you want to take the step to
give Jesus Christ your life I’m going to
count to three and I want you to lift
your hands when you lift your hand is an
outward expression of an inward decision
of what’s happening in your heart if you
want to accept Jesus as your lord and
savior I’m going to count to three one
he loves you two he is so proud of you
three all around the room lift your hand
if you want to accept Jesus I see you
right here I see you brother so proud of
you up there I got both of y’all over
here amazing I see you right there
amazing so proud of you so proud of you
I see y’all so proud of you everybody
out loud would y’all repeat this prayer
with me everybody say dear heavenly
father dear heavenly father thank you
for loving me thank you for L dear Jesus
dear Jesus I admit I I’ve made mistakes
I made mistakes I pray you would save me
I pray you would save me change me
change transform me I’m yours in Jesus
name I pray amen hey can you celebrate
people who just made the decision oh
come on let’s celebrate people who just
made the
choice thank you so much for watching
this message we pray that it encouraged
you we also want to say thank you to our
faithful partners and givers here at
Transformation Church it’s because of
your generosity that this Vision has
been made possible if you like to
partner with us in giving you can text
give to 82
8282 or you can visit our website also
be sure to like subscribe and check out
our other sermons as well as our live
Sunday experience that begins at 10:45
a.m. Central Standard Time now go out
and live a transformed
life