Who Will You Be? // God Chose You (Part 4) // Charles Metcalf

Welcome to Transformation Church Podcast, where we represent God to

the lost and found for transformation in Christ. We're so

glad you're here and wherever you're listening from, we believe

God will transform your life. Do today's message.

All right, We're gonna jump into the word today.

Are y'all ready for the word? All right?

We're gonna jump in.

If you have your Bibles, open them up to Romans.

Romans chapter six is where we're gonna be. We are

in week four of a series called God Chose You.

That is right in case you didn't know.

The God of the universe, the God that put the

stars in the sky, the God who created animals in

the ocean. We still ain't discovered yet, just the flex

on who I don't know because we ain't gonna discover him.

But he's like Jesic, so you know, I got it.

I created seventy million species of butterflies because I can

that God is the same God the Bible tells us

has put your life together in such a specific way

and chosen you to be in the family you're in,

in the situation you're in, giving you the strength, the courage,

and the power to do exactly what He has called.

And created you to do.

God has chosen you. The question is will you choose you?

The jury is still out on that one, and that

is what we're gonna talk about a little bit today.

But in your bibles. Romans chapter six, we're gonna read

a good chunk of scripture here, and we are where

we're at here, Okay, Romans chapter six. We'll start in

let's see here. Let's start in verse fifteen. I think

I told y'all verse sixteen. My bad, Melissa. Anytime the

stuff is wrong on the screens when I'm preaching is

always me because I just be flipping through this book,

grabbing stuff on the way. So we'll start in verse fifteen,

says this Romans chapter six. Well, then, since God's grace

has set us free from the law, does that mean

we can go on sinning?

Because this is.

Obvi, this ain't even my sorry, but some people feel like, well,

if you preach too much grace, people are gonna start sinning.

So they need to know. You can't tell them they

got too much grace because what if people find a

license to sin? Let me tell you, some brother, people

don't need a license to sin. You worried about them

finding out God loves them too much and they might

get too free. Don't make no sense anyways, Moving right along.

Maybe that's why I didn't include verse fifteen, because the

Lord knew I was gonna go on that ramp. Anyways,

Verse sixteen. Don't you realize that you become the slave

of whatever you choose to obey. You can either be

a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you

can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

Thank God. Once you were slaves of sin, but now

wholeheartedly you obey the teaching that we have given you.

Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and

you have become slaves to righteous living because of the

weakness of your human nature. I am using the illustration

of slavery to help you understand. Previously, you let yourselves

be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led to you

deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be

slaves to righteous living.

So that you will become holy.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from

the obligation to do right.

And what was the result. You are now ashamed of

the things you used to do. Come on, somebody. He's like,

y'all gotta be honest. Don't be playing me.

Now.

Y'all used to be on these streets. But now you

are free from the power of.

Sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do

those things that lead to holiness and results in eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death.

But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ.

Jesus, our Lord, and the.

Church said Amen. Title of my sermon today, if you're

taking notes, write it down. Who will you be? Who

are you going to be? Lor We thank you for

this moment to gather around your word, to worship you,

and for you to do something in us that man

can't do. Accomplishment can't do that. We cannot muster up ourselves.

We need a moment with you that will change and

transform us from the inside out. We believe all these

things in Jesus name. And everybody said Amen. Amen. I

recently became an author, been an author for like nineteen days. Now.

It's great out here.

Cause you're thinking about joining. I would encourage you highly recommended.

But one of the things is people has been still

I'm getting used to it, honestly, is people ask me

to sign their book, and we've had a couple of

book signings, and honestly, it's been awesome just meeting people

and talking to people. And I was signing one person's

book and they looked at my signature and they were like, dang,

You've really been working on that, haven't you. And I said,

let me tell you something.

I've been working on my signature since two.

Thousand and three, when I thought I was gonna be

the next Alan Iverson. So I have been working on

this signature for a long time.

Not using it for what I thought I would, but

thank god, somebody want my signature.

Not for a check that will bounce hello somebody. But

I looked up I was talking about them about making

it to the NBA, and I was having a conversation

with one of my friends about you know, the chances

you think you have when you're in your driveway shooting basketball.

The odds feel a lot more in your favor when

you and your backyard playing against your brother who's eight

years younger than you.

It feels like, you know what, I might actually make it.

This is crazy, but I looked up the odds of

making it, and according to Chad GPT could be lying

to me. I don't know, but we're all trusting it.

So it's the equal lie. So what does it really matter?

But six hundred thousand high school basketball players and in

the draft there's sixty slots. Point zero one percent are

the odds of you going in the draft? Now, I'm

not here to discourage nobody dreams because God tolds you.

You hear what I'm saying, and the facts are it's

point oh one percent. But this past week, the NBA

draft happened. A couple of weeks ago, and there was

the number one draft pick. Cooper Flag went number one,

and you got a sixty two million dollar contract, and

somebody are like, dang, I might be trying to play

some basketball, and uh, I was thinking about how crazy

it is that he got chosen to go number one,

and how his life's changed in an instance, And then

I started thinking about all the number one draft picks

that have happened. There have been some amazing hoopers that

have come through the NBA and SID this morning, for

my illustration, I'm gonna put up some of the best

and my favorite number one draft picks, and we're gonna

see who y'all know, and you gotta cheer for your

favorite number one draft pick. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay,

go ahead, put the first one on number one draft pick.

I think it's nineteen seventy two, LaRue Martin. Oh, come on, y'all,

ain't gonna ya, Ain't got nothing for LaRue. LaRue got

drafted before Doctor j y'all out here hayting on LaRue? Okay?

What about Kawan Brown.

Two thousand and one?

Come on, kawal mee?

Okay, my bad, Come on, he got drafted before he

found somebody to do them brains. But Michael Ola with

a candy nineteen ninety eight, boo, what's your boy?

You don't even you don't even know it? What's you're booring?

Okay?

Who else we got on a draft list?

Okay?

Anthony Bennet he got drafted before Giannis number one draft.

Okay, y'all surely gonna know this one last one? Sam

Bowie drafted before Michael Jordan. Okay, Charles, what's your point? Oh?

Trust me, you're about to see one of the craziest

transitions ever.

Just because you're chosen.

Does not guarantee any of them a championship. Just because

you got picked does not mean you will, without a doubt,

reach your potential. Just because someone has chosen you because

they saw what was on the inside of you, and

that you knew what you had, what it took, and

they knew the greatness and they saw the workouts and

they did it. Just because you're chosen does not mean

you are guaranteed.

And we talk about some of these draft picks.

The reason you don't recognize them is because they had

a moment where they were drafted and by all of

the lists and measures, it made sense. Sambury's drafted before

Michael Jordan to go down one of the greatest basketball

players of all time. Cooper Flagg just got drafted number one.

But guess what, He's still gotta go to summer workouts

and he's still gotta see Will it translate from the choice?

Will it translate from the.

Opportunity to an actual outcome?

This morning, I want to talk to you today that

we have established and if you have not embraced it yet,

you need to know you have been chosen by God.

This is not up for debate. This is not a theory,

This is not an idea, This.

Is not just a Good Sermon Series.

This is theologically and for all intentsive purposes, the greatest

truth in your life. That the God of the universe

picked you, chose you. The Bible says, he gives us

the power and the desire to.

Do what pleases him.

God has chosen you. Estion is who will you be?

Because here's the reality for everybody in this room. After

you embrace the freedom that comes with God chose me,

you still have to decide who you're gonna be. And

many of us, if you're not careful, you think that

God choosing you guarantees you an outcome. That's not how

it works. God choosing you guarantees you an opportunity. These

are two different things. I'm trying to help you this morning.

Just because you have been given the opportunity does not

mean you're gonna actually believe it for yourself and put

the work in yourself and show up as yourself to

actually do and be who God has called you to be. Now,

in the case of these NBA players, it is a

very different story in the fact that if they don't

reach and do what they're supposed to do, they're gonna

get either traded or released back into what are they doing?

God never does that with you. He will never throw

you away, He will never.

Get rid of you. My question, how much potential have

you left on the table? How much of you is

on the table of what things you were supposed to do,

that were in your capability to do, but because you

couldn't believe it, because you didn't wrestle with it, because

you didn't think it of yourself, because nobody in your

family had ever done it, because nobody would support you,

because people didn't like your posts, because of whatever reason.

How much have you left on the table? How much

in you is the world waiting on? And God has

set time up and set people up and set life

up in such a way that he's saying, Okay, this

is the moment. I've picked you, I've called you out.

You're my first draft, You're the one I'm banking on.

But we stand at the starting line wrestling with well,

I just don't know if I can do it. I

just don't know if I have it. I just don't

know what.

Happens if I and what do I do with this?

And what do I do that?

And the question this morning is what and who are

you going to be?

See the question.

I found that many of us we start off when

God chooses us and when we have something that He's

called us to do, we start off, honestly, many times,

and I'll speak for myself, I start off.

Asking the wrong question. Here's the wrong question.

When you first start off and God choose you to

do something, he calls you and said, okay, this is

what I have for you. The first thing you go

to I was, Okay, what do I need to do?

God comes here. You have a moment, you're sitting in

worship or you come to prayer, and it's like, okay,

you heard pass.

A Bree, we tell that beautiful story.

Devin, what up?

Devin's good to see you, brother.

He tells his story about God changed his life through tribes,

and Bree's like, all you need to lead a tribe?

And your first thought is, okay, what do I need

to do? I need to scan the QR card. Dang,

I got this android. The QR codes don't always work

with the android.

Let me no, I'm joking. I'm joking. I'm joking. Dang,

A lot more people got androids. That joke used to fly.

Now you're like, hey, but you immediately go Okay, what

do I need to do? Okay, and you start going

through your list stuff to do is to see if

you're qualified to do it or not.

Okay, do I have a space to do this thing?

What am I gonna Where am I gonna teach him?

What am I gonna say? What I'm gonna wear? My

house mail a litt funny because I got eight cats?

What am I gonna do about eight cats?

And you start going through all the things, what am

I going to do? The only problem is what you

are going to do is based out of who you are.

A better question is who am I going to be?

What type of leader am I gonna become?

What type of person? And I'm gonna be?

For people when they share something, you have to start.

With the question of who are you going to be?

Who a you're gonna be? Because here's the difference.

Many of us. It's easier to think, Okay, if I

need to do something, I just need to change what

I'm doing. If I change what I'm doing, then it

will feel different.

It's not the case. The truth is who you are.

Is always gonna shape what you do, how you think,

how you operate. And here's the thing. What you're doing

is really just gonna take you planning on your calendar.

Who you're becoming is about your character. These are totally

different things. What you're doing is about just can I

work in some time to do something different so that

way I can reach what God's called me to reach.

Let me tell you, God is not giving you and

choosing you to give you a to do list so

you can just act like you're someone different. He wants

to change you from the inside out, so you become

a different person, so then you can do different things.

I'll illustrate it this way, y'all remember back in school

with it. Do they still do yearbooks? I don't know.

Do they be doing yearbook? They do?

Yes? No, okay, don't be looking at me crazy. That

stuff they don't be doing.

All kids now got laptops.

In school, we didn't have no laptops.

But anyways, when you had.

Your yearbook, they would write and sign it. And there

was one of the worst piece of advice you could

ever get as a sixth grader, never change. Some of

y'all took that to heart a little too much, but

the advice was, hey, stay who you are right now.

As comfortable as that would feel. The truth is, you know,

and I know, for you to do some things you

really want to do, you have to become somebody different.

I heard it said. I was having a conversation the

other day and somebody said, if you want to do

something you've never done, you have to be willing to

become someone you've never been. And many of us just

want to try to do something different without becoming somebody different,

because the truth is, if you want to become a

different person, it's gonna cost you something. It's gonna cost

you some where you get your.

Security and identity.

It's gonna cost you some discipline. It's gonna cost you

some things. And we have to talk about this because

the scripture Paul is talking about, he's talking to people

about this idea of freedom here in America. We just

celebrated the fourth of July. Some you almost blew your

fingers off trying to set off fireworks. No, Lie, I

was at my friend's house and we went and we

got kids, so we got the little kiddy fireworks. You know,

I'm not trying to be I'm passed trying to blow

my hands off.

I don't need to do that, no more so.

I got and I was like, okay, look at these guys.

We got four different colored smoke bombs for all the kids.

So I set up the smoke bombs. I lie them.

I'm like, all right, God, I'm standing like right here.

I was like, here's that go, and it's like and lit.

It was not a smoke bomb. And so everybody doctor

gay would shooting stuff up in tree. It was a

bad situation, but it just it felt like it was

supposed to be a smoke Hey, gonna make something that's

all one color and it's not a smoke bomb anyways,

But it's fourth of July. I was talking about freedom,

and I think many of us when it comes to

who we're gonna be. Here's the truth is, you gotta

deal with this word freedom because in our Western culture

and just the world, the way you define freedom is

I can do what I want, when I want, how

I want. That's what it feels like to be free.

Some of y'all in school right now, maybe you're in

high school or middle school, and you're like, man, I

can't wait to get grown, So I'm gonna eat what

I want when I won't. Let me, first of all,

tell you ain't gonna have no money. You're gonna be

eating Ramen noodles when you can, when you get it.

You know what I'm saying.

You're gonna be eating whatever you can get, whenever you

can get it. But we have this idea, and we

raise our kids with this idea that at some point

you'll be able to do what you want when you want.

And if you're not careful, you will mix that definition

with freedom, with scripture that says who.

The son is set free is free indeed. And now

you think God choosing you and God.

Equipping you is license to do what you want when

you want. And I've heard some people I've had to

even as I was writing the book, people are like, yeah,

God chose me, so y'all can't try to change me.

It's like, okay, yeah, okay, yes, and.

God chose you how you were, but He loves you

too much and your purpose is too important for you

to use that as an excuse to not grow, develop

and become the person that the world is waiting on.

Do not get it twisted. The idea that God has

chosen you is not a license to do whatever you want.

I just you know, God told me so. I don't

care what y'all think. Okay, And I preached a couple

of weeks ago about pleasing people. We ain't here to

please people, but you should be considerate of people. Somebody

be like, God chose me. I don't care about nobody,

forget them. They don't know nothing. Well, they might know something,

So before you use that as a means to get

out of watch this accountability and responsibility, because this is

what we love to do. We love to put God's

name on stuff he never did, just so we don't

have to be accountable to nobody. Oh I'm not even

gonna go there, but some of us will be doing that.

I would preach to send you for a couple of

weeks ago.

I ain't been back in a while, so I think

I did too much. But my role I told this

to tire youth pastor. I said, my role in saying

youth is to be the wild uncle that just come

in and say stuff.

That can't really be said.

I'm like, well, y'all having sex with people?

What y'all doing? And they're all like, some of y'all

got nervous, y'all grown.

I just said that to you, like, oh my god.

It's true.

Man, who's gonna ask him? Somebody gonna ask them direct questions.

Sixth grader in a group talking about I gotta.

Unspoken brother, you looked upon and we know what you did.

Quit with the unspoken.

Some of y'all in you tribe. I got a six unspoken.

So it's like, okay, brother, you are a gambler and

you need to admit that.

Okay.

We love to do that church, though, we use all

these God cards and facades to get out of what's

really going on. And if you don't address what's really

going on, you're not gonna get the real healing that

you need. This is not the place where you act like, yeah,

I'm fine and it's cool and we good. No, it's not.

And I don't know who you're doing that for. But

once you realize God has chosen you and he loves

you where you are, you then have the steadfastest and

the courage and continue to stay. Okay, I realize he

loves me where I'm where I am, but I cannot

stay here. And this is the message I want to

get to today. Some of you, you have been where

you are for too long, and what you don't realize

is it's costing you too much. You not becoming the

better and best version of yourself is costing the world,

your kids, your family, and your marriage way too much.

If we can lay it out on the table and

you could see, Okay, if you do this, it'll equal

that some of us be so disappointed to see what

have we left on the table because we wanted to

be free. I just want to do what I want

to do when I want to do it. I don't

want nobody telling me what to do. And that's fine,

except for when you come into contact with Romans chapter six.

Now I have to tread lightly here because there's some

strong language in this scripture.

But I have to teach you something.

Just because the Bible says something strong doesn't mean it's wrong.

Just because it says something you don't like and maybe

don't understand yet does not give us a license to

scoot around it and act like that's not what it says.

We will do this. We'll read parts of scripture.

And it's like, oh yeah, it definitely don't mean that

present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Like oh yeah, yeah,

you know, but not really, you know what I'm saying.

Just when you're in worship. There's really what he's talking about.

When youre in worship, you live your hands. That's like God, Yes, Lord,

that's really what he's talking about. In this scripture, Paul,

he starts using this language in this word a slave

to righteous living. As a matter of fact, if you

go read throughout scripture, Paul calls himself a slave of Christ.

This was common language in the New Testament. Now because

of American history, I have to stop it. Acknowledge the intensity,

the gravity, and the horrific nature that this word as

connotation can carry. And I want to acknowledge that. I

also want to go to the original language and the

original intent of what Paul is trying to communicate to

a group of people to understand what it means to

follow Jesus. Paul's using this word slave. Another word he

would use is bond servant. In this time, there's a

lot of different ways that this could go. One of

the ways would be people we can read about this

in the Old Testament, people to pay off debt would

become a servant, like, Hey, I ain't got the money,

you know, I'll get you tea every Tuesday for the

next fifteen years.

We consider it a deal.

He says, you have to become You used to be

a slave to sin. You used to be a slave

to your impulse. You used to be a slave to

whatever you were feeling. It's funny if you read his scripture.

What he's describing is what many of us think is freedom.

See many of us think when you're free. What you

think is I'm free to do what I want when

I want.

That's not freedom. That's a slave to impulse.

You're not free.

You're a slave to your emotions. Because you pop off

and say whatever you want, whenever you want to whoever

you want.

You are not free. You're a slave to whatever you're

feeling in that moment I'm gonna do. I will be

with who I want to be. No, you're a slave

to how you feel and your desires. You're not free.

You're a slave to your desires. I ain't nobody gonna

tell it. You're a slave to people pleasing. That's why

you don't do certain things. Let's not act like we

all ain't got one master. Whether you acknowledge or not,

you got a master.

Ain't nobody tell me what to do.

Okay, except for that feeling in you that wasn't addressed

when you were a kid. It makes you overcompensate by

talking down to people because you felt like nobody saw you.

You're a slave to what happened you when when you

were a child. Don't act like you being and bad.

We all have a master. He starts using this language

of hey, you used to be a slave to sin.

You used to be a slave to the lesser version

of yourself. But God has chosen you. He has picked you,

He has given you true freedom. And here is true freedom.

True freedom is not doing whatever you want when you want.

True freedom is the opportunity to choose who you want

to be. Because without this freedom, you don't have a choice.

Without grace, you're always gonna do the thing you don't

want to do. Without the Holy Spirit, you're always gonna.

Fall to your desires.

Without his empowerment, You're not gonna be able to keep

the marriage together.

Without his joy on the inside of you.

Always will fall subject to depression. And this is we

have to be careful because many of us think more

of ourself than we should. We think without his grace,

there's some stuff we can still be doing. The truth is.

Without his grace, you don't have a choice. This is straight,

but it's true without his grace.

As a matter of fact, Roman sixteen, Roman six sixteen.

The Passion translation team do you have that? Can you

throw that up there for me?

It says this in the Passion translation is so beautiful.

Look what it says.

Don't you realize that Grace frees you to choose your

own master, but choose carefully, For you surrender yourself to

become a servant, bound to.

The one you choose to obey.

Grace gives you the option to choose who you want

to serve. Without his grace, you're gonna serve yourself. You're

gonna serve your desires. You're gonna serve what you want.

You're gonna serve. But when Grace empowers you, he says,

I am the master that gives you the opportunity to

become something different, to become, an opportunity to be a

man that was never in the line of the men

in your family. I give you the opportunity to start

a business, even though everybody else has tried and it's failed.

I've empowered you. The question is who will you be?

How will you live?

What decisions will you make and you have to address

the truth of am I willing? This is strong language?

Am I willing to become a slave of Christ? Now?

These aren't the messages that usually people start doing laps

on and the organ is gonna kick on.

That's not gonna happen with this one.

But it is the message that empowers you to become

that version of.

Yourself you think is possible.

Right now, because here's some of the key details of

the original language and words that he is using to

become a slave in this.

Concert, and say, I the will that I.

Have is surrendered to my master's will. The identity I

have is surrendered to my master's identity.

And depending on who your master is, this is.

Either terrible news or the greatest news you've ever heard.

Some of us this idea, it's so hard to wrestle with,

and I understand it.

But can I free you for a second to think, If.

You want to become someone better, you've got to have

a master who's better than you. If you want to

become somebody different, you've got to have a master who

knows more than you. Any person that does anything at

any elite level, anybody who's mastered something knows this. People

who have mastered basketball don't eat whatever they want whenever

they want to eat it. They know. If I want

to master this, I have to have a master who's better.

There are a basketball player who are professional giddy Cooper

Flag who got paid sixty two million dollars. It's going

to go pay some six y two of the white

guy to look at his foot when he shoots and

tell him, hey, your foots that. Don't put your foot there.

Can't nobody tell me what to do. I'm a pro.

I made it, and that is the exact idea that

will have you in that contract and out of that contract.

It's the exact same idea that will keep you in

the same cycles of insecurity. It is that exact idea

that'll keep you in the same cycles of marriage breakdowns.

It's that exact idea. The question is is who who

are you gonna become?

Are you gonna embrace the choice? God gives you this message?

The origin of this was I really felt this.

Conviction of like man, I just here's here's what I felt.

I'll read it Galatians five, chapter one. So sorry, Melissa

didn't give you this one either, But it's all right

Galatians five, Chapter one.

So Christ has set us free, that's the one everybody loves.

This is where the accountability comes.

Now make sure you stay free. Freedom is not the issue.

It's who you gonna be once you get free. I'm

trying to tell listen, being free is not the issue.

It's who are you gonna be once you get free?

And many of us have been bound for so long.

You haven't thought past what happens when I get out

of the cycle of talking to everybody and just sleeping

with anybody. Who am I going to be when I

get married? You ain't thought about that? You just okay, yeah,

you know what I'm saying. I just want God to

get me out of this cycle and I'm gonna get free. Okay,

he gonna let you free. But if you haven't decided

to become a person of integrity, it don't matter how

many times he sets you free, because you're gonna go

right back to the same thing.

It's not about what you're doing, it's who are you

going to be.

The truth is, if you want to see something different

in your life, if you want to walk to the

fullness of the power of understanding, God has chosen you.

You're gonna have to make some decisions to say, Okay,

he chose me, Now I gotta be somebody different. Because

here's the trick. You're not trying to be somebody different

so that he chooses you. Let me get that straight.

Some of y'all, all your action and following, Jesus is

hoping that.

If I read enough scripture, if I pray enough, if.

I do enough, then he'll choose me. That's not how

he works. He chooses you, then he's empowers you to

become somebody different. You have to decide who you're gonna

be now, what you're gonna do. I just need to

stop doing this thing. You're doing that thing because you

don't know who you are. You figure out who you are.

These type of people don't do those type of things.

Oh, I'm trying to help.

You, okay, if you are going to get free for real? Again,

this is strong. But I'm just up here and I

got the mic, And if you don't like it, I

tried my.

Best, but I said it earlier.

But the truth is, if you're going to master anything,

if you're going to grow in anything, the option is

not am I slaver or am I free?

Am I a bond servant? Am I free?

The question is, like I said, have I chosen a

better master? My friend Will, he's sitting on the front row,

Will hackmebok. He's the associate campus pastor here. Will lost

a whole me in weight, literally much as that way,

how much way he lost? Will would tell you to

become free in his health. He has become a slave

to working out to become free in his health. He

has decided to become bound, to become under control, to

become in context with and unity with eating certain things

and not eating other things. You do not grow in

your health and make a massive transferm without deciding. I'm

choosing some things that are better for me and some

better things that get this the language of why master

is important because I'm gonna do it whether I feel

like doing it or not. This is what it means

to truly surrender your life. If you are going to

follow Jesus, if you want something different in your life,

you're gonna have to take the attitude of a servant.

I do not serve my desires. I serve this discipline.

I don't read the Bible when I feel like it.

That's not the times I read the Bible. Everybody read

the Bible when they feel like it. If you want

to become something different, it's what do you do when

you don't feel like it? How do you act when

you don't feel like acting the right way? How do

you talk to people when you don't feel like being kind?

How do you treat your wife when you're mad at

your wife?

How do you talk to.

Your kids when you feel they are on your last nerve?

This is the area that we have to talk about.

In this area, you cannot fake and you cannot use

religion and good deals and will power to consider this area.

This is the area of where all our downfall is

is when it's hard, when it's difficult, when we're frustrated

and we don't want to do anything, we result to

what to who we are. I'll tell y'all a real

story because it's the only way. The other day, me

and my wife we were navigating something and there was

a moment No, no, I'm not I'm not gonna tell

I want to go tell that story.

It's the other story.

Uh, there was a moment where I had thought that

something had happened that didn't happen. Let me I'm trying

to tell a story because my son's going to see

this thing.

Anyway.

Okay, we thought somebody for a second took my son's bike.

We have recovered the bike, so just but let me

tell you where your friend went.

When I thought, my wife she said, hey, have you

seen blah blah blah blah.

And she's like, hey, it's it's not out there, And

I said, WHOA, what you mean it's not I wear

where we left it. I go out there immediately when

I saw what was there, Immediately, the ghetto crazy.

Side of me kicked in.

The First thing I did is I sent a text

to two of my unnamed friends who have weapons.

That's where I went straight to weapons. Man, I'm not

proud of it.

So I went straight to oh you took my six

year old's bike.

You think this is a game. I have friends.

I'm not lying. I'm not proud of it, but that's

where I went.

Then I went to.

Crags list because I know people out here trapping is

trying to steal stuff posted on craigs List talking about

I'm selling this bike. I was gonna be like, hey, brother,

I'm interested. Where you want to meet at I'll pay

one thousand dollars right now for that bike, and then

y'all would have seen me in the news.

Here's that's really what happened.

I was and then we found a bike and I

was like, all right, yo, yo yo.

Just cheer y'all foss alone.

My bad, my bad, my band. Here's what I realized,

though the person I became there was a reflection of something.

That was in me.

How angry I got over a six year old bike,

was like, I will throw this all away. I don't

care about no book. I will go beat somebody with

a book if you gonna take my son's. But like,

here's what I'm saying. Whatever that area is for you,

wherever it feels like it goes right because we all

cool up until a point you and a arguing with

your spouse. You're like, yeah, no, I understand. And then

they say that one thing and you're like, hey.

Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey.

Hey listen, listen, listen, listen, listen.

I will.

What if I told you that area is where some

of the most significant part of your purpose in transformation lies.

Wherever you go to where you stop being a slave

to Christ and you go back to being a slave

to your impulse and desire. Wherever you stop, where you

forget who you are and you go back to doing

what makes you feel good. Whenever you forget that God's

given you everything you need and you start questioning yourself,

whenever you forget who you are and how amaze you

and you fall subject to fear and whatever you fall

to that place, won't you do There is a reflection

of who you are. And I'm not going to sit

up here in church and give you a list of

things to do if you haven't changed who you are.

That's why church is so frustrating for some of you,

because you haven't become a different person. So you go

home and try to do my three points and it

don't work. Well, I did what they did, and I'm

giving them money, and I'm fascinating the mind. Drink the

kool aid, and I did the stuff, and I broke

a little cracker, and I took communion and I ain't

what's going on because you haven't become a different person.

This is why Jesus in the New Testament, he's talking

to his disciples, and he said, nobody could come and

follow me unless you've been born again, and they're like,

how we technically gonna be born again?

You know, we can't go back into the wound. God,

that's kind of crazy.

That's how you know they was all teenagers.

They're just asking crazy.

Questions and He's like, you don't, you don't you don't

understand that you have to. This is why if you

go on. In scripture, it says I have died. I've

died with Christ, and I've also been back to life,

brought back to life in Christ.

I am a different person.

The old has gone and the new is here.

That's not just for baptism.

That's an everyday decision in our life.

You have to decide to put that version of you

to death.

If you're gonna embrace that, God shows you that version

of you that does not I want to listen to

what he's telling you to do. You got to kill

that person every day. And I say it, that's strong,

because that's exactly how it needs to be. Many of

us we coddle this person, well, you know, they's been

through a lot and just got some traumas.

They are trying to kill your family.

Your purpose, your confidence. Do not play games with this,

Do not give it room or space.

Just to sit around.

Some of us, there are habits that are ravaging your

mind and your spirit and your soul and your family

and your marriage, and we're not staying free. That is

the issue. It's not that we can't come up to

the alter and have a moment where we pray and

lift our hands and someone prays over us and we

feel a brand new person. It's how do I stay free?

How do I stay back from going to that relationship

that's horrible from me? How do I stay out of

going to that addiction? How do I stay out of comparison?

It's not a matter of can I feel it for

a day as God has set me free? But how

do I stay free? If you go stay for You're

gonna have to become somebody you ain't never been before.

And I know it feels scary, and I know it

feels worried. But I came to tell somebody this morning

that God has given you everything you need to embrace

and become this person. You've never been a person of

consistency yet, but baby you wait, you've never been a

person of integrity.

Wait, but you gonna be it.

You've never been there before, but that doesn't.

Mean you can't be it today.

The devil has been spent too much time trying to

lie to you. That because that's who you've been, that's

who you are. That is a lie from the pit

of hell. And I stand up here as God's or

can say that is not the truth.

Over your life.

You will not always be worried and fearful, you will

not always have a lack of integrity, you will not

always compare yourself.

You will be exactly who God called you to be.

We can't play games with this thing.

This is the.

Realest part about following Jesus is the origins of this

message is radical commitment and radical living. It's not something

that's just like, okay, if you could just a little

bit of just it. I was talking to our kids

pastor Matt if you haven't met him, he is amazing

a new kids pastor, and I was talking to him,

and him and his wife spent ten years in India

as missionaries, and I was saying, I was just we're

having a conversation one night, and I said, what's the

biggest difference between churches here in the West and where

you were? And he said, well, over there, it just

cost you a lot more to become a Christian, he said.

Over there on Baptism Sundays, what we were preparing for

were not for tows and people to have a change

of clothes. What we had to look for is host

homes because when you go public with your faith over there,

your entire family renounces you and kicks you out of

your house.

So the day of baptism.

Was a very big deal at our church because people

were deciding, this is who I'm gonna this is who

I'm gonna be. Jesus is my savior. I don't care

what it costs me. I don't care if you approve

of me. I have decided to follow Jesus. That has

been the case for the message of Christ since its origin.

And there are moments where we can get in church.

It's like, man, I feel really good, and I hope

you feel really good.

I really do, and I hope that feeling transitions into.

An action that creates a lifestyle that makes you a

different person. If we just come to church and feel

good and leave, come on, you watched a couple movies

and felt good, but it didn't do anything in your life.

It needs something we need to become a different person today.

I want to give you three things to consider.

Again. This is not like, hey, okay, I'm do these

and you mean tomorrow and.

We'll be a different person. No, that's not Let me

tell you this. Becoming a different person is not a

finish line. There's no like, Okay, great, I am no

longer who I was. It's a journey, it's a process.

Is going to to the rest of your life.

Let me just sell you on it now. This is

the greatest sales pitch ever. You will not get there

until you go to heaven.

We're like, dang, that's kind of depressing until you consider

how you live in now, until you consider the other option,

until you consider going through our life without no hope,

until you consider out you a slave to this version

of yourself for the rest of your life and there

is no opportunity for you to become something different.

We gotta be honest with you, Okay.

Three ways to help you.

Become the better you. First thing, it's going to take faith.

Now. When I say faith, I am talking about faith

in God and faith that he can do anything. And

the subset or more important matter I want to draw

your attention to with this one. If some of you

do not have faith that you could ever become anything different.

The issue is not your faith. If you believe God

can do a miracle, because you believe that, you don't

believe you.

Could go to the gym consistently.

God just do something miraculous and you have faith for

Him to do a miracle. You don't have faith in you.

You don't have faith in His power in you. It's

not a matter of God could make a way and

you miraculously get a deal where you're gonna write a book,

or that you start writing a book. You don't have

faith that if you wrote it it would have any value.

You don't have faith that if you got accepted to

the college, you can make it through the college. So

you never applied for the college. Not because it's a

God issue. The honest truth is you don't have faith

in you. And here's what I'm saying. As you embrace

the Holy Spirit and His power on the inside of you,

you need to realize He can equip you to go

beyond where you are right now. Some of you husbands

do not have the faith to believe you could be

a different type.

Of man than you were before you got married. I

just don't know. I just think it's kind of always going.

Didn't Paul say he had a thorn in his sign?

I think that's what it is.

This is my thrown in my side, thrown in your side?

Is not an excuse to be dumb.

I thought I was gonna say something spiritual, No dumb

where I'm not saying you're not gonna have stuff you're

struggle in. But there's a difference between relinquishing your responsibility

and actively trying to make progress in something you know

is a weakness. And if you're going to become somebody different,

you've got to start with saying, do I actually believe

I could do this? Do I actually believe God has

empowered me to become somebody that I've never seen before?

Do I believe that God has equipped me with everything

I need to raise these kids even though I've never

seen it? Do I actually have faith? You gotta get

this faith right, because this next one is important. The

next thing is gonna be is it's.

Gonna be a fight.

You think the enemy gonna let you become somebody different

and not try to keep you from doing that. You

think he just gonna let you just be like.

Oh, yeah, you're super insecure for thirty years, kept you

in that cycle. Oh you don't wanna do that anymore, Sure,

go ahead, that's not how it goes. And some of

this is I'm not talking about all of it, because

sometimes it'll be like all of it it's not all

spiritual attack.

But don't get it twisted.

There is some stuff that is definitely a spiritual attack, because.

The enemy knows if you found out who you were.

I don't know if y'all haven't seen those movies where

the chosen One don't know they the chosen one and

everybody else around, can I tell you that's a part

of your life.

Some of y'all don't know who you are, and the.

Enemy has kept you in habits and cycles and ideas

because he's praying and he's wishing and he's waiting because

he knows the day you find out who you at,

the day I found out who I was, the day

that God shows you who you are, you will be

a problem for Hell. So he is fighting with everything.

He's got to keep you from knowing who you are.

And let me tell you, if you're gonna change that,

it's not gonna get easier, it may get more difficult,

and this is where you have to go and address

your relationship with difficulty and with challenge, because some of

you will start to try to become a better person

and become a different person.

And it feels like, oh, hell is breaking loose.

Let me tell you that's because you got in the

game and wanted to make a difference. It's not a

sign you're going the wrong way. It's not a.

Sign that God's not doing anything.

It's a sign that something is changing. It's gonna be

a fight.

Don't be surprised.

It's gonna be difficult. Some friends are gonna leave you,

some people are gonna not be there for you. You're

gonna be disappointed, and you're gonna make a mistake.

But here's the truth. It's worth it.

And sometimes we forget how bad it actually was because

we get in the fight and it gets so difficult

and there's so many challenges and so many frustrations that

you're like the children of Israel and you're.

Like, you know what, Egypt wasn't that bad.

This is how it has exactly what we're talking about.

They were slaves for.

Four hundred years. God set them free.

Then they free and they're.

Like As a matter of fact, as I look at

the landscape, I think, I'm not mad at building the pyramids.

And this is what happens if you don't expect to fight.

Because again, here's another idea.

Jesus never promised you there wouldn't be a fight. It's

easy to get in charge and feel like, all right,

I raised my hand, I did the thing. I am good.

She said, in this world you will have troubles of

many kinds. When he put that many kinds in there

for somebody else's it's very he is type in different

stages and ages. But take heart, you're gonna it's gonna

take faith. It's gonna be a fight. The last one

is our word of the year. Focus. Now, when I

when I say focus, when I'm specifically and uniquely speaking of,

is what is at the forefront of your focus?

What is the prevailing thought or idea?

Because when you're becoming someone different, it's very very important.

What are you focusing on? Many of us to become

someone different. I know I struggle with this a lot.

Is I'm focusing on become trying to not be who

I was. Let me give you example how this plays out,

You're trying to become someone who is confident. So instead

of focusing on all the things you do have or

what you are, you're just not trying to be what

you were. So what does that leave you with? It

leaves you waking up with a list of don'ts. Don't

do this, don't do that, don't do this, don't say that,

and then I'll be who I want to be. I'm

not mad at you, and don't can be a motivator.

But what I have found in my own personal journeys,

as long as I give attention to what I can't

and what I won't and what I shouldn't, I get

crippled and I begin to live this small life that

is a list of things that I can't do, and

I feel restricted and I feel like, okay, just don't

mess up. And then you find yourself living life walking

through a minefield, and you're trying to not say that

and not do that, and not look that way and

not look this way instead of this life that's over

here where it's not about what you can't do, it's

not about what not to do. It is I have.

Chosen a whole different life.

Let me give you a real time example. When I

first got married. At first, I was thinking, Okay, just

don't mess up. Don't look at no hot girls, don't

look at porn, don't have sex with nobody.

Key things, You'll.

Have a great marriage. I got married at twenty years old.

That's all the tools I had. I was talking to

a friend one time. It was an older gentleman.

He was talking to me, and I was just talking

to him about being.

Married, and he said, you know what I pray. I

pray that I've prayed for a long time. And I

was like, what is it? And he said, I prayed

for a long time.

Guys, God give me eyes only for the one you

gave me. So instead of living over here, oh man,

I just can't do that, and I can't sleep with

that person, and don't do that, and don't say that

and bounce your eyes and do look, I go over

here to Wow, God, look at the beautiful wife person

you have given me.

And what type of life could we build? What type

of marriage could we create? What kids could we raise

together with? What God?

Where could we travel to? What could we see God

do in our life?

God?

It's a different focus. I'm not saying you can't make

it over here.

What I am saying is your life is a lot

smaller over here, and many people live a lot of

their walk with Jesus on this side of the tracks.

You don't realize it, but this is the law. Don't kill,

I'm preaching. I know, page thank you, don't kill, don't steal,

don't cove it. That's the law romans Si is all about.

He's freed you from the law. Your life is not

a list of dues and dots. Your life is a

list of being and becoming and friend. The good news

this morning is God has set you free from your

to do list, and he's trying to empower you to

become a different person. And I know it feels like

it's impossible, and I know it feels like you've never

seen it, and I know it feels like you can't

do it. But I am telling you, I am a

living witness that if you will surrender, if you will

let him lead your life, if you will say, he's

not just my savior, but he is my Lord, and

he can tell me what to do, and he can

correct me, and I'll admit when I'm wrong. If you

will let him do it, the version on yourself you've

always dreamed of becoming.

It's right around the corner this morning.

I want to pray, not a prayer that you get free.

I'm a prayer, a prayer that you stay free because.

I know he can set you free. I'm a witness.

I got friends that are witness. He can set you free.

There's no chain he can't break. There's no addiction he

can't change. There's no marriage he can't restore. There's no

dead body he can't raise. There's no cancer that he

can't heal. There's no seed that he can part. There's

no person he can't deliver. There's nothing my God cannot do.

Trust me, whom the sun sets free is free. Indeed,

I ain't gotta pray if he can free you, what

I am gonna pray so that he would embolden you.

You give you the courage to give you the strength

the belief to stay free.

And I feel so strongly there are some of you

in here that you're about to give up because you're

just tired of fighting, because you're like, man, I just've

gotten free before.

I don't even know if it's worth it.

Some of you you felt depressed for so long you

don't know if you it's not that you can't feel

good for a couple of days.

Can I stay free?

And I want you to know we serve a God,

God who can set you free and he can keep

you free.

That you by your hands to close your eyes.

Dear Heavenly Father, all powerful King, mighty Lord, and gracious Savior.

We come to you right now asking that you would

do something beyond a moment, that you would do something.

Beyond and experience and goosebumps.

God, we are asking that you would empower us not

just to experience one moment of freedom, but that you

would give us the ability to stay free, to stay

free from insecurity, to stay free from comparison, to stay

free from that part of us that goes to the

lesser version of God.

We want to stay free.

I pray for all my friends under the sound of

my voice, and anybody watching this right now that has

found themselves in a fight to becoming the better version

of themselves. God, I pray that you would first meet

them and comfort.

Them right where they are.

I pray that you would encourage them in their faith,

give them strength to fight.

And help them fix their focus. God I pray this week.

This week, would you allow people to step from just

a moment of freedom to living a life of freedom.

Every head bout, every eye close or some of you

in this room.

We talk about the choice to stay free that only

comes from surrendering your surrendering your life to Jesus. And

it's a complete and full surrender. It's a moment off

you admitting you can't do it by yourself, a moment

where you realize you've tried to do it all and

it just doesn't work. You've tried to change your habits,

you've tried to become and be a good person, and

it just feels like.

It's not working.

This is the moment where you can become a different person.

God will. The Bible says he exchanges our heart of

stone for a heart of flesh.

What does that mean. It means that part of you

that just feels.

Frustrated at God and mad at God and doesn't even

want to do the right thing.

He'll give you a new heart.

Well, you'll start to develop desires that are completely different.

It's not a moment where everything becomes perfect, but it

is a moment where you can see your life.

Start to make progress.

If you're in this room or you're watching online, and

you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior.

I'm gonna count the three. On the count of three,

I want.

You to raise your hand, and you're gonna raise your

hand boldly, not embarrassed, not worried about what anybody thinks

about you. This ain't about nobody else but you and God.

This is your moment. Some of you need a fresh start.

Maybe you walked away from God. Maybe you're doing your

own thing. But today is the day you decide I

am becoming a new person.

On the counter. Three, you're gonna lift your hand. One.

He loves you. Two. Today is the day of salvation.

Three right now in this room, lift your hand. All

over this room. I see you.

I got you sis, so proud of you, all three

of y'all together. I see you back here in the corner,

a whole row right here, just God saved all together.

I see you, so proud of you. I got you

over here, so proud of you. I see you up there, dog,

I got you, so happy for you. I got you

right here, so happy for you. Hey, listen, everybody out loud.

I want you to repeat this prayer together.

Everybody by your hands, clothes and right.

Everybody say, Dear God, thank you for loving me. Dear Jesus,

I admit I've made mistakes, Save me, change me, make

me new in Jesus name, I pray.

Amen.

Can we celebrate everybody who just made the choice to

follow Jesus. Hey, listen, if you just made that decision,

it's the best decision you could ever make. If you

text the word save to eight two eight two eight two,

our team wants to help you. This is not a

journey you do and live by yourself.

You need people.

The other thing I'd ask you to do is tell somebody,

Tell somebody on your road, tell the parking lot of

tender as you drive out and be like, oh my God,

I'll get my life to Christ.

And then they gonna cheer for you.

But it's important to share this step. It's a beautiful,

beautiful thing. But we love you so much, so so

proud of you. Listen, We're gonna get out of here.

If you need prayer for anything, some of ours is

gonna be up here at the front and at the

back as you leave, And where's going to spend some

time worshiping? Feel free to stay, meet somebody, introduce yourself

to somebody next to you. But we love you so much,

and until next week, go out and live a transformed life.

We love you.

Thank you for joining us today. If you said that

prayer and accept it Jesus into your heart, it's the

best decision you could ever make. We want to celebrate

with you, and we have some tools to help you

on your journey. Tech saved to a two A two

A two and to find out more about TC text

connect to a two A two A two. Be sure

to subscribe and share this podcast with your friends. Thanks

for listening. Now go out and live a transform life.