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in a time where we have more friends and

followers than ever before how can they

still feel so lonely we need

relationship that’s deeper than the

service we don’t need people who just

like us but those who will push us

toward purpose we need a crew a posse a

clique we need an inner circle

[Music]

[Applause]

amen so we’re gonna go ahead and get

started I love starting brand-new series

because I believe that each series is

like a puzzle piece to our destiny if

we’re here at transformation Church I

mean if you can just think about how

many people have been here for over a

year how many people been at

transformation Church over a year okay

like if y’all think back to some of the

series that we’ve done and how they

build on top of each other and like

God’s working in us and working through

us I think this is another game changer

and this series is called inner circle

everybody say inner circle and I debated

a lot about what to do for this month of

February but for the next three weeks as

we’re gathering around community and

what that looks like I really want to

talk about our personal inner circle

like like your inner circle I want to

talk about like the people who around

you that really know you like not the

Facebook you or the Instagram you not

the Enhanced you not not not the perfect

all the time you I’m talking about the 4

a.m. you like like when you mad you some

of y’all don’t y’all don’t oh not him oh

not her but like I want who knows you

who knows what you struggle with like

who knows in your life who’s in your

life that has the sit down and shut up

card

si si uh no no no I’m a grown woman hold

on everybody has blind spots and needs

people to speak things into their life

even when they don’t want to hear it the

question is who do you have in your life

that you can call when it’s inconvenient

for them and you know that you still

they would want you to call them and

they would want to know who is that in

your life and honestly as I begin to

think about it and I look and I try and

I ask people questions most believers

most Christians do not have that

and as much as we sit up here and we

talk about it and we can be around

church and me and my husband and all

this other stuff do you have other

marriages that you can be raw dog ugly

with you you know what I’m talking about

like I’m I am mad at her I am mad at him

these are the reasons would y’all pray

for us now cuz I’m about to cut him and

cuss him or is it y’all know how you do

when you get your argument all the way

up into your friend’s house ding-dong

that opens and we pick it right back up

when we close the doors of the car come

on let’s be honest who’s in your inner

circle and that’s the question I want to

start this series cuz before the next

for the next three weeks we’re going to

learn the value of having right

relationships that will lead us towards

purpose because some of you are in here

is like naw naw person like I got my

I got my dogs I got my girls my

besties like that’s how we do but but

I’m not talking about people who have

the same interest as you I’m talking

about people who will point you towards

the interest of Christ see because we’ll

get it with people around makeup and

fashion and gains and and whatever else

we like and there’s nothing wrong with

that but then when it comes to moral

compass when it comes to us making the

right decision when it comes to us

deciding whether we’re going to to stay

in a relationship or not a lot of times

people will give you advice based on

their feelings and not based on their

faith oh come on y’all got that friend

that if you ready to ride or die you

don’t even have no questions they’re

going to do whatever you doing we gonna

say he broke up with me sisters she’s

gonna she ain’t gonna say

turn-the-other-cheek single say we’re my

Knights like Dennis said what I’m saying

like you and some of y’all of those

friends tell me how like yep yeah yep

just let him do it like okay and what

I’m saying to you is but just because

they would be down for wherever you are

emotionally that means sometimes that

they’re down for delaying your purpose

too

like they’ll let you stay in a

relationship and never say anything to

you when God showed them that was the

wrong person you won’t even say it to

him like you want I don’t want her to do

the same thing to me well then y’all

really aren’t in each other’s inner

circle like like like well I would never

want anybody you really don’t care

the Bible tells us that better are our

cuts or our slashes from a friend than

kisses from an enemy and for some reason

as believers we would rather kisses from

people who don’t even know us than the

truth in love everybody got that but

truth in love because some of you I’m

just telling you how it is you’re mean

that’s what you are okay the truth in

love so that people can be able to move

and this is what I’m convinced of is

everybody needs a real inner circle

everybody needs it everybody needs godly

community I want you to write the word

inner circle and then I want you to put

equals godly community so that you can

understand that this is what God wants

for every one of us and and and this is

really why the passion of this has come

in my heart is because the goal for

every person should be to reach purpose

like why are you here like that thing

that God placed you here for you need to

reach purpose you need to do God’s will

for your life

and a lot of people don’t realize that

there is some ingredients to getting

God’s will done in your life and today I

want to share that with you go to

Hebrews 13 2002 13 verse 20 and this is

my prayer for everybody through this

series as we lay the foundation today it

says may now may the God of peace who

brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus

and the great Shepherd of all the Sheep

and and ratified an eternal covenant

with his blood all that saying is now

God is really big and really strong he

even raised Jesus from the dead this is

the man he says this is where I want you

to focus in verse 21 may he quit you

with all you need for doing his will

like like that’s why we come to church

is so that God can equip you

with all you need to do his will or to

complete purpose or to finish the reason

that you came here and I want to throw

something out that I want to do a whole

nother sermon series on but somebody

just needs to hear this Jesus never

reached his potential Jesus finished his

calling and and I want everybody to hear

me say this very clearly is because if

we do not get into purpose we will be

ran around trying to fulfill our

potential see see a lot of us are here

like well I have this in me and I have

this in me and I have this in me and I

have this in me and yes God gave you all

of that but why did he give it to you

what are you supposed to do with it and

I’ve been told all my life you need to

you need to get that potential out of

you that this needs to you you need to

reach your potential but if I look at

the example of Jesus he could have done

anything I mean he could have been the

Caesar he could have been a Roman

shoulder he could have done anything but

when he climbed up on that cross and

said it is finished everybody was like

what is finished Rome still in power

your disciples have all left you it this

looks bad he wasn’t finished with what

he could have done he was finished with

what he was supposed to do Oh y’all

didn’t come today to hear nothing and so

that’s why the enemy tries to get us

caught up in potential I could be a

business owner and then I could I could

run from air and then I could do a

crafting business and then I can blog

and vlog and and I can do all of these

different things but the question is

what did God call you to do because busy

people can die never reaching purpose

and for our church that’s not gonna be

the case we’re gonna have keys that help

us be able to reach purpose and I

believe godly community is one of those

keys and I’m gonna explain it to you in

the sermon today um God said I want to

equip you with all you need to reach

purpose so so this is going to be very

simple and very elementary but I feel

like it’s gonna be very powerful for

you to see let me introduce you to the

circle of purpose this right here as I

begin to think about what you need to

reach purpose like what do I need to

make sure I reach purpose well me I go

start studying people that have reached

purpose and I go study

uhm secular people who reach purpose and

then I study biblical people who reach

purpose because I always want to know

like what’s the difference how do you do

it and this is one thing that I’ve found

out that a lot of times when people are

disconnected to God you don’t know if

they reach purpose success and purpose

aren’t the same thing and see this is

this is where we get we think money or

accolades or fame or or the ability to

do something that nobody else can do is

purpose no that’s something that maybe

you contrived or you are good at or

something happen at the right time in

the right place and all that other stuff

and God still looking at you saying

you’re you’re completely out of what I

called you to do this is why we have to

divorce American culture and pick up

Kingdom culture and I know this is

uncomfortable for somebody but but

that’s why he told the rich young ruler

go sell everything that you have and

come follow me

and we never hear from him again because

according to culture he had everything

but according to God he says if you keep

your life you will lose it but if you

give it up for me you’ll actually find

it everything in the kingdom of God is

upside down and I know some of you who

watch some of these people who are this

big and all this other stuff God says

that doesn’t matter to me your heart

matters to me if I can get your heart to

be open to do anything now say I can

give you that stuff but when I give you

that stuff and your heart is tainted by

it then I lose you

and so what God’s saying is I want you

to repurpose but I want you to do it in

my will so when I think about the circle

of purpose like how I’m gonna reach

purpose I found that there’s four things

there may be more but there’s four

things in biblical people reaching for

purpose that everybody has and I want to

talk about them

the first thing they have is a

relationship with God and we need an

active relationship with God every

person needs it look what the Bible says

in John 14

says Jesus told him I am the way the

truth and the life no one can come to

the Father except through me what he’s

saying is you can do good things without

God but you can’t do God’s will without

God I need you I’m gonna say that again

cuz that was good

you can do good things without God but

you can’t do God’s will without God and

a lot of people we we mesh them together

like man look how many how much meals

they raise for the homeless and look

look look at how they’re impacting that

community and look at how they’re doing

you can do good things without God

people are doing good things all the

time but I promise you they’re not doing

God’s specific will for their life

because if he’s out of the equation he

cannot be the center of what’s happening

and so what I’m telling everybody in

this place is that for you to complete

the circle of purpose in your life you

need an active everybody say active

Sundays to Sundays is not an active

relationship with God like like I know I

know as I but I’ve been coming to church

fasting like my job as your spiritual

tour guide is to help you get the most

out of this journey that you can and

what I’m telling you is if you’ve just

started coming to church and you’ve been

faithful with that let’s go because this

is about progression and not perfection

but some of us need to take another step

like you’ve been doing this for too long

you spend hours on YouTube watching

things that have nothing to do with your

purpose watching people that will never

speak into your life life watching funny

videos or doing all these other things

that don’t add to you but actually

you’re taking the only commodity that we

never get back which is time like it’s

robbing you of time and and what I’m

saying is if you get an active

relationship with God a true devotion

life and I’m not talking about an hour

and a half every morning or everything

I’m saying whatever you can start with

but you’re gonna do it daily

we have this thing called the thirsty

thirty wears ten minutes of reading the

word ten minutes of Prayer or ten

minutes of worship and I’m telling you

if you just committed to the thirsty 30

everyday for this year just just I’m

thirsty for

godlike as a deer panteth i need to

drink from you and everyday I’m not

gonna get a revelation but I’m

committing to thirsty 30 I’m committing

to 30 minutes that’s less than most of

the shows you watch that’s that’s less

than the time we can be on hold for our

bure eats or do you understand what I’m

saying like it’s less than the time I’m

asking you to commit to that because if

you’re gonna reach purpose and God’s

will for your life you have to have an

active relationship with God the second

thing that you’re going to need is

you’re gonna need to discover and

cultivate your gifts like anybody that

has ever reached purpose they were able

to identify and start working on the

specific gifts God has given them and

some of you are saying like cousin might

you know I don’t really have no gifts

yes you do I promise you you do and I’ll

prove it to you in the word let’s go to

Romans 12 6 it says in God’s grace He

has given us her different gifts watch

this for doing certain things well what

are those certain things you do well

don’t be deep right now like oh yes I

prophesy and I see into the stop some of

you organize well you you have a better

tendency to be more organized than other

people that’s a gift some of us talk

well so it’s my gift and it’s my job to

cultivate and develop and this is the

thing many times we get so caught up in

a profession instead of purpose that we

think that our gifts are our profession

and we can’t even see what God has

gifted us with some of you are just

gifted at giving if you have three of

something your natural inclination is to

give two of them away that’s a gift read

in the Bible about all the gifts and I

just want us to start valuing what maybe

we have put to the side because it’s

something God placed in us but we’re

judging it in an undeveloped state and

what God is saying is stop judging your

gifts in an undeveloped state start

cultivating those things so they can

become what he called them to become I

could stay

there all day but I got to get to the

missing link today so you got to have a

relationship with God

you got to discover and cultivate your

gifts let me give you the third one you

have to answer the calling of God now

I’m gonna explain this because I was

confused on this for a very long time I

had a relationship with God I knew I had

some gifts but I didn’t answer the

calling and the calling is the

intentional use of our specific gifts to

impact the kingdom so what I’m saying to

you is that no matter what realm God

calls you to governmental education

sports and entertainment God has given

each of you are calling to make Kingdom

impact with your gift see a lot of

people is like well my gifts aren’t in

church they don’t gotta be if you’re in

the workout arena kill that but God is

giving you a calling to turn what your

gift is into something that impacts the

kingdom and this is where most believers

get messed up is because once they find

their gifts this is where money comes

and this is where people start knowing

them and they never answer the call but

if you’re going to reach purpose for

your life you cannot just be gifted and

figure that out and do something but you

got to turn that gift and answer the

call let me give you a practical example

I’ve always been able to talk like I

could talk from the time I got whippings

for talking I got in trouble for talking

I could talk my way out of something

I’ve always that was my gift my gift was

talking but it wasn’t until I said yes

to the calling of God cuz I could be a

radio host right now like I could be a

sports announcer right now I could I

could read audio books for people and

just keep my purpose in the column of

gifts but what I did is when God took me

out of the music industry and said I

want to call you to speak to my people I

want to call you to represent I had an

option to say yes or no and most

believers when it comes right here god

I’m not ready for that God I’ve not been

trained for that

god it’s too late for me I’m so old I

can’t even do that and God said if you

would just say yes to the call I’ve

placed on y’all some of y’all there are

books in you did you said well I’ve

never written before he didn’t ask you

that see cuz the beautiful thing about

God is he doesn’t call people that are

equipped he equips people that answer

the call and so God’s called you to

start a fortune 500 business well I

didn’t go to business go ahead and ask

you all that I’m trying to because the

enemy comes to give us excuses of why we

can’t reach purpose and God’s saying I

did not ask you for your resume I asked

you for your yes well somebody needs to

hear that today God did not ask you for

your resume when he called you he said

pick up the phone say yes to me and if

you’re gonna reach purpose it was never

it’s never about what you can do at this

place which your gifting is just saying

yes and then God begins to mold you and

make you and change your desires and and

and take off the rough edges if y’all

want to see me as a pastor when I was a

youth pastor I was cussing our preaches

I some of y’all was here I say the

n-word y’all I was rough you don’t think

I play all these white people like oh my

god hear me I was rough around the edges

but I said yes and what God has done

over time is he put me on the potter’s

wheel maneet you know uh you can’t do

that you gotta yeah no no no he

understand what I’m saying like he kept

molding me and so what you see in what

you eat of now it’s because I said yes

to a calling a long time ago and where

I’ll be five years from now five months

from now and 50 years from now would be

completely different because every day

I’ll wake up and say yes so I’m asking

you if you’re gonna reach purpose if

you’re gonna get this circle of purpose

you got to have an active relationship

with God you have to discover and

cultivate take lessons get around people

who are better than you and in your

gifts but then you have to say yes to

the specific way God’s going to use it

to expand the kingdom not your kingdom

his

kingdom so now we get to this last one

after we get out okay try some I got my

relationship I understand my gifts like

I’m saying yes to the calling what’s

this last one and this it gets real

complicated people try to make this real

complicated they say man I can reach my

purpose if I have a revelation yeah

so if I can get a revelation

Oh God came to me in a dream last night

and that no no no no you don’t need a

revelation you don’t need that

what Pastor Mike what what if I have the

right networking I you know I gotta work

the people who who know me and I got to

get on social media I got to make a name

for myself that’s how I’m gonna reach

purpose you don’t need that working what

else I’m like what I need cuz I got God

I got my gifts I got my calling I know

what it is I need ambition yeah I need I

need the car I’m gonna I’m gonna show my

family i’ma show everybody that I’m

somebody God says you don’t need that so

what do you need I begin to go through

every giant in the Bible and this is the

missing link for them and for all of us

and it’s very simple it’s godly

community and some of you like no it’s

not

I already see I already see you like no

it’s not I’ll prove it to you three

examples let’s talk about Adam the first

man here we go

so Adam we know he had a relationship

with God he was the first man the Bible

says they they walked in the cool of the

day together so so so God and Adam had a

relationship so this one’s good okay

gifts he had the gift of management how

do you figure that

he had to name every animals yeah

big grey hippopotamus that’s what you’re

gonna be like like he had he had the he

had to manage so he had gifts right here

so that’s good he had a calling what was

his calling to subdue dominate and rule

over the entire earth as well as

reproduce or multiply from Adam

everybody was so he had a calling and he

said yes to the calling the first time

after all the creation that God said

it’s not good was when he looked at Adam

with his God with his gifts and with

this calling and he said it’s not good

for him to be alone and so what did God

do out of his side he put him to sleep

and he created godly community for him

and her name was Eve and God I thank you

for creating me because if you wouldn’t

have created Eve Oh in the god Natalie

and Lord is she a blessing and I thank

you what I’m saying to you is the thing

that allows the circle of purpose to be

fulfilled in our lives

the missing link is godly community that

wasn’t enough for some of y’all cause

something I was like okay Adam okay

let’s go to David because everybody like

David David and Goliath the one who who

slew and killed okay let’s talk about it

his relationship with God the Bible

talks about him being a man after God’s

own heart even when he messed up he

would turn he would repent he would go

from what he was doing so he had a

relationship with God

his gifts david was like some of you he

had tons of gifts I mean he was a

shepherd he was he was a warrior he

could play a mean guitar he was a

musician he he was an expert with a

slingshot and a star he’ll kill you like

do you understand what I’m saying he had

tons of gifts but what did David do with

his gifts he didn’t start a ling shot

company because I mean after you kill

Goliath I mean all I’m trying to do is

start the first Amazon Prime will happen

to you in less than two days like do you

understand what I’m saying I would have

started a business off of that but what

did David do he submitted his gifts to

his calling and what was his calling to

be the king of Israel like and he had to

go through years of being persecuted he

had to go through years of being on the

run he had to go through years of people

hating on him so what are you saying

Pastor Mike somebody needs to hear this

right now just because it’s not working

out doesn’t mean that’s what you’re not

called to like just because you got

opposition and haters doesn’t mean God’s

saying no he’s saying yeah you got to go

through that to build up the stamina to

withhold the position that I’ve called

you to because it’s bigger and it all

come on and it’s higher and it’s more

than what you thought opposition does

not mean that you were supposed to

detour that’s a whole nother that’s

that’s something completely different so

so he answered his calling but the Bible

talks about Jonathan and David that he

had godly community with the son of the

person who was trying to take him out

like like so what I want you to

understand is the Bible you can go read

it later for yourself because there’s so

much there it’s like so much there but

when you start looking at David’s life

and you start looking at Jonathan it

says their hearts were knit together it

said they looked out for each other let

me let me help you understand how much

they looked out for each other Jonathan

was supposed to be the heir to the

throne he was the one that was supposed

to be in the position that God called

David to and Jonathan was so in tuned

that he recognized that he wasn’t even

the one for the position

do you have people in your life who will

say this is what I’m supposed to step

into but your the one God called to do

it answers no look everybody just neck

is stiff like uh-uh no that’s what

Jonathan Jonathan saved David’s life

several times there’s one specific

instance where where Jonathan and David

they were going to invite him to a party

and David was like bro

I mean Jonathan said bro don’t come my

daddy crazy he’s trying to keep well I

don’t know if he trying to kill you I’ll

let you know if he trying to kill you

I’ll do some things I’ll say oh oh and

if I say oh that means get out of here

bro and this man put his life on the

line for his friend so that he could

reach his calling or his purpose and

ended up dying before his friend ever

reached his calling but it was because

he had somebody in his inner circle who

truly cared about him that he was even

able to be the King David that we know

about see he wasn’t able to reach

purpose until he completed with the

missing link being godly community one

more person because some of y’all still

sitting there just looking at me let’s

go to our example his name is Jesus now

if anybody could have done this thing

without godly community Jesus a son of

God are you buying

see I mean they understand what I’m

saying like like did you like arms like

D like like the Son of God okay so so we

already know it’s not like he had a

relationship with God he was God okay so

that one’s taken care of but I just want

you to see how powerful this is when

they were sitting at the beginning

before creation in Genesis he said he

said um they were already in community

this is how you know this is God’s plan

for us the father looked at the Sun in

the Sun looked at the Holy Spirit and

said let us oh come on y’all let us make

man like it wasn’t just one person that

it they literally we’re in community as

the beginning so then when Jesus comes

to earth he said I only do what I see my

so now Jesus is God Jesus gifts are

everything like I mean come on there is

not water in the wine they invited him

to all the party do you understand what

I’m saying like he he could do walking

on water like anything but what was his

calming to save the world to die on the

cross and and I mean if it was me cuz

ya’ll know Jesus didn’t want to do that

he was human and so it means that every

every way out that a human would want he

wanted it to he even as he said is there

um is there any other way

I mean we can and he said but

nevertheless not my see I got gifts but

not my will God I can make money with

this or I can do this or I can but not

my with your will what what you called

me to be done and so if it was me and I

knew I was going to the cross as soon as

I got released into ministry I were to

just walk straight up to the cross right

about to delay this y’all come on I’m

about to die like if it was me I would

have gone straight up come on I’m coming

back in three days

but he didn’t why cuz he had to complete

the circle of purpose and so he chose

godly community Oh y’all missed it he

chose it

he chose godly community he literally

was walking past people hey bro I like

you

follow me fishermen hey follow me walk

with me

do life with me let’s let’s walk

together well Jesus I’m not perfect like

I don’t matter

we’re just gonna walk together we’re

gonna do life together we’re going to

struggle together we’re gonna we’re

gonna eat together we’re gonna pray

together

we’re gonna go to worship together we’re

gonna celebrate together we’re gonna

fight together I’m even wash your nasty

feet I’m gonna get vulnerable before you

imma let you see me in a place that

nobody regular people can imma let you

into my inner circle and he decide he

chose to walk with people and even out

of the 12 disciples see cuz some of

y’all don’t even realize that God’s plan

this is God’s plan for all of us he he

he begin to walk with these gentlemen

but he had three guys they even let even

deeper into his life Peter James and

John they knew that Jesus had doodoo

streaks in his in his uh in his robe

some of y’all are so offended right now

is just like y’all know all of them

things were screaming something right

that was wholly flagellation do you

understand what I’m saying

what what I’m trying to paint the

picture is God was really human in Jesus

like he had to use the restroom see he

he had to go to shower he had and he

allowed people to see him in his state

of becoming my question to you is who

gets to see you while you’re still

becoming see see because because if

you’re just showing everybody the

finished product nobody even knows if

that’s real like what y’all come and

present to us like y’all don’t even know

that that’s real like like like like but

my wife

just prime example so over this past few

weeks in my inner circle and over this

this past year I’ve gained a couple lbs

a couple pounds you understand what I’m

saying and I had this outfit put

together and and I mean this outfit I

mean I think it looks great you know I’m

saying I came up here I was like this is

gonna be the and so my wife came up to

me today as I was leaning I was like how

do I look and she said the chef’s just a

little tight around the tongue and I

said that’s how she says yeah I was like

girl please it started that tie it

around my tongue but it was so she said

she said come here and I said what she

said I’m gonna cut a slit up the side so

that it doesn’t pull

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

you see I’m good now I’m good but I want

you to see the power of this that in my

vulnerability my inner circle just saved

me from an hour of embarrassment and I

let her into my life enough to be able

to see things that nobody would see

unless I showed you that’s a practical

example but in in your life who are the

people that can say come here your

attitudes bad come here we got a cut we

got a cut we we gotta leave you’re too

busy and so you’re stressed out and

that’s when you fall into sin and and

how do I know cuz I’ve been your friend

for four years I’ve watched these cycles

and I’m not gonna stand by anymore and

just let it happen like who are those

people

John would have never known that but my

inner circle does like when I take my

when I take my shirt off in my office

my brother Aaron who’s in my inner

circle he sees everything he knows when

I mess up he sees when I come off this

platform and just like that didn’t make

no sense they didn’t get anything out of

there he’s he see because if you don’t

have godly community you cannot complete

your purpose and so I so this is my

thing

if Jesus needed godly community what’s

your Excuse well I’m busy he had to save

the whole world

come on well I just don’t like people

like that

maybe that’s why you really do need

godly community because you had bad

examples of what relationship really

look like and it’s a dysfunction in your

heart and you need godly community and

somebody like well I’ve got community

I didn’t say community I said godly

community people who are not perfect but

whose direction is set towards Jesus

because if you don’t have those people

that were only removed by your emotions

and what we feel today and what we don’t

feel in the vibe is wrong forget a vibe

because the vibe can be wrong at any

time Jesus is the only thing that’s the

same his joy will be made perfect in our

weakness his strength will be made

perfect in our weakness he will be the

one that lifts that we needs people who

are set on the thing that we are set on

and so my question is Jesus had all of

this my question is where are you and

I’m not talking a serial can you name

your godly community no no I mean Suzie

I mean yeah Suzie Suzie well if you last

time talking to Suzie with seven months

ago

she’s not your godly community well I

mean my sister like must you’re still

lying to her though you never told her

what really happened so you can’t have

godly community with lies some of y’all

are so fake with your best friends let’s

be honest like they’re my besties but

you have not told them what really

happened and what’s really going and

that you keep them that close because

you’re really jealous of them and so you

get to see things before them so you can

try to compare yourself and outdo them

come on let’s be honest all I’m saying

is it may be time to re-evaluate our

community and and this is this is the

only reason I say that is because this

is God’s plan for us this is God’s plan

for expansion in your life and it’s

God’s plan for the

I’m gonna take you right now to

Ecclesiastes 4 9 and you know this but I

want you to see this Ecclesiastes 49 and

it’s so strong because it says two

people are better than one period like

that’s the whole sentence and it says

then for they can help each other what’s

that last word succeed what I’m telling

you is your success is wrapped up in

this missing link right here you need

godly community and I know you’re quiet

and you’re shy and all these other

excuses and lies that the enemy has has

tried to convince you of so you don’t

reach purpose but today we have to

divorce that because the Bible says two

are better than one if one person falls

the other can reach out and help them

but someone who falls alone is in real

trouble I heard somebody say there’s no

I in team but there is a I in isolation

and that’s where the enemy would like to

keep every one of you yeah you pray yeah

you worship yeah you but you’re alone

and if you’re alone according to the

Bible you’re in real trouble nobody even

knows what you’re struggling with they

don’t know how to pray for you they

don’t know and they can’t they can’t

force their way in you have to let them

in that’s why this whole Christian walk

is about about being courteous

that’s what Jesus doesn’t try his way in

to our life you have to invite him into

your life and we need godly community

verse 11 likewise two people lying close

together can keep each other warm but

how can you be warm alone a person

standing alone look at this can be

attacked and defeated

that’s why pornography has been able to

wear some of y’all out because nobody

even knows you’re fighting it and so you

go and you you fight alone that’s why

your marriages are following apart in

some ways because you don’t have any

other couples that can speak life into

your marriage that’s why many of us are

dealing with comparison because we’re

always so perfect and nobody even knows

we’re struggling it says a person

standing alone can be attacked and

defeated but two can stand back-to-back

get that picture in your head they can

stand back-to-back and they can think

and fight brother Scott come here real

fast I want you to realize this image

and this picture right now if I’m alone

the enemy can

me cuz I can’t see something but if I

have somebody that’s back-to-back with

me and stronger than me and ball head

and fight and how the police are

training when the enemy comes he’s got

this side and I’ve got this side and if

he comes and we got to start turning I’m

not blind to what is happening because I

got somebody that’s got my back I need

you to hear me say this there are people

that God is trying to assign to your

life that you can stand back-to-back

with but see what we want to do is stand

face-to-face with people I wanted to

tell you about all my problems I don’t

tell you this and tell you all of that

and God’s saying that’s not what you

need to do you need to stop talking so

much and get back to back and say do you

got me okay and I got you so it’s not

about us seeing eye-to-eye on everything

oh you missed it it’s not about us

seeing eye-to-eye well this is what I

feel about this this is what I feel

about it’s a seeing what each other

doesn’t see it’s about realizing that my

blind spots are things that you can see

clearly so so what’s coming on that side

am i dealing in pride and my Dillion

anger has my attitude change am i

becoming money-hungry I need somebody

that can see what I don’t see does

everybody understand that somebody say I

need an inner circle see see church as I

end today I want you to realize one

thing that we’re not we’re not going to

be a church that just preaches the the

message of Jesus we’re gonna be a church

that follows the method of Jesus see a

lot of people preach the message but do

what they want but God gave us a clear

instruction for godly community this is

my last scripture in acts 2:42 it

literally is titled in my Bible the

believers from a community like doing

godly community and it said all of the

believers devoted themselves to the

Apostles teaching and to fellowship and

to sharing in meals including the Lord’s

Supper

into prayer those are four things a deep

sense of all came over all of them and

the Apostles look at the atmosphere that

miracles were performed in the Apostles

performed many miracles signs and

wonders and all of the believers met

together in one place

and they shared everything they had they

sold their property and possessions and

share their money with those in need

they worshiped together at the temple

each day like we’re doing today

they worship together in large group

settings but then they met in homes for

the Lord’s Supper and they shared their

meals with great joy and generosity

all of the while they were praising and

enjoying the goodwill of every person

they weren’t in competition they were

completing each other in purpose and

each day look at the result of them

doing this each day the Lord not their

publicity not their networking not other

the Lord added to their fellowship those

who were being saved every single day we

would have to do less evangelism if we

would do community Oh y’all in like that

if you wouldn’t have to tell people

about Jesus because they would see how

your life is and the people you do stuff

and they’re gonna ask what must I do to

be saved the Lord added to them every

day so this this is what I want you to

know there are five elements to what

grew the church and what grew people

they worship together they chilled

together they prayed together they

transform together and they multiplied

period I want everybody to get this as a

church I’m here to set the culture

straight as transformation Church if

you’re gonna be a part of this church

I’m telling you my preaching is good but

small groups and community is way better

but because this is where you get

touched guys our church is getting

better bigger everybody’s not gonna get

to touch Pastor Mike and I ain’t got

nothing for you I’m just gonna point you

to Jesus but but healing happens in

community a lot of people want to come

up to the altar and get prayer for me

sorry boo I’m not the healer I only can

point you to the healer and God gives us

direction he tells us in James he says

if you need to be here

confess your sins one to another and ask

each other for healing ask each other

for prayer and you’ll be healed see the

church has gotten it backwards it’s been

glory to the man let the man of God

touch you know tell your friend pray

together Healing comes like I want you

to realize this is not I’m just up here

using my gift submitted to my calling

trying to reach my purpose but I can’t

heal you from your emotional wounds and

all that but being in a small group and

telling those people in walking with

those people and daily asking them to

pray for you and healing God says that’s

where healing comes your marriage is

broken get around some other married

broken keep people and y’all keep

pointing to Jesus and pray together and

he said healing will come I just want

you to see as a church this is what

we’re gonna do we’re gonna worship

together in enlarged temple courts

that’s what we’re doing right now but

then we’re gonna meet and chill together

from house to house that’s what we’re

even pushing today and and offering to

you today I know it may be difficult for

you to find godly community this is the

main thing that our church does is that

we do large group worship and then we do

house to house and we call it belongs

because everybody needs a place where

they belong

y’all this church is only gonna get

bigger thousands of people are gonna be

coming to this church but why do I go to

a big Church it’s not a big Church when

you’re in a small group like like who

knows your name who can you start

developing relationship I know it’s

gonna take time for some of us to open

everything up to everybody but God wants

you to have godly community and listen

that means you may have to divorce some

of the friends that you’ve had I’ll talk

about the rollercoaster of a

relationship next week but you may have

to divorce some of those relationships

because you can’t stay in a relationship

because of time served

Oh y’all know we’ve been down since

second grade we learn how to spell

together

well spell bye-bye do you understand

what I’m saying because this is this is

no longer because it’s not taking me

towards purpose and so we have to get

into that and and so so what I’m saying

is this is Jesus’s plan and his method

so it’s our method – and this is what I

really want everybody to know cuz I know

you’re saying well Pastor Mike that’s

not really what I want to do because

that’s not that’s not how I do it this

is this really I really want it to be

all about me like my comfort me being me

being in control of the relationships me

knowing and God said my plan was never

for it to be about you it was never to

be me focused

it’s time remember the kingdom of God

turns everything upside down as a church

we’re not gonna be me focused we’re

going to be we focus and and from now on

as a church if you’re going through

anything alone it’s because you’ve

decided to reject godly community well

nobody’s here for me

Pastor Mike wouldn’t answer my phone

call I’m not going to answer your phone

call I’m not because my primary

responsibility is to lead the leaders

and feed the sheep and and and above all

of that it’s to Natalie Ava Bella and MJ

I have to be the pastor of that home

before our pastor anybody else and

listen I’m figuring that out right now

in my inner circle last night till

midnight we are talking about my

schedule with people who are in my

people who don’t have to to call me to

come over people who have garage openers

to my house see who has access like like

cancer I’m coming in oh I wouldn’t

expect you it’s okay I’m here and we

need to talk about this because this is

an issue and you were acting like it

wasn’t but it is well it is an issue I

was just mad at y’all and I just didn’t

think that this was gonna work out so I

was gonna act like it didn’t exist well

let’s talk about it this how I feel this

is how you feel

and now

got to get this thing together and let’s

pray about this and let’s move forward

in this and literally I’m telling you

from last night to this morning as I

stand here and preach to you I am better

because I have godly community if you

don’t have that you are missing out on

the circle of purpose that God is trying

to give you there is a missing link that

today God wants you to begin to fulfill

I want to pray for every person that

this concept you wouldn’t just brush off

because some of you gonna be three

months from now I’m like why is

everything not working because you can’t

complete purpose remember you can you

can have all of these other things

everything else relationship with God

your giftings your calling but without

godly community doesn’t complete the

circle true life change happens in small

groups I’m challenging every person

today get in a small group oh I’m busy I

bet you are but you may be busy with

things that aren’t pushing you towards

purpose and this can be another year of

cycles or you can try something

different and break these cycles well I

have a huge company you still need

community well I’ve been hurt in

community before God is a God of second

chances well I just don’t know if I’ll

be heard I promise you if one group

doesn’t work another one will like but

I’m just asking us not to just listen to

the message of message of Jesus why

don’t we participate in the method of

Jesus even those watching online you you

may need to find a godly community

within the internet on circle or go to a

local church wherever you are and tell

them I need community you need to be in

community with other people I’m gonna

pray for every person in this room

father I thank you that today we heard

your word God if Adam needed an inner

circle and David needed an inner circle

and even Jesus our example needed in a

circle Father we believe we need one now

help us find them lead us and guide us

your word says that you delight in the

details of our life and so God I’m

thanking you for every person who is

having a hard time with this father that

you

open their hearts and you allow them to

take the next step father let this

church be known for godly community let

us do life together let us meet in

temple courts and worship you

but then meet from house to house and

share father God let us be able to pray

together and chill together and walk

together and and suffer together father

God and see victory together father God

and transform together and see more

people come to you together we trust you

we believe you and we thank you for it

in Jesus name we agree amen