I Won’t Fold // God Chose You (Part 2) // Pastor 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.

If you have your Bible's turn to the Book of John.

The Book of John. John is a good guy, solid guy.

He wrote obviously the Book of John. If you didn't

know that, you can tell your friends and brag about it.

But John Chapter twelve.

Will be in verse thirty seven, verse thirty seven.

If you got it, say I got it.

If you don't, say hold up, hold up, man, you're

slow anyway.

Some of y'all you just got a Google search. You

really take you that long anyways? Okay, I'm joking. John

Chapter twelve, starting in verse number thirty seven.

Despite all the miraculous.

Signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did

not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the

Prophet had predicted, Lord who has believed our message? To

whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?

But the people couldn't believe.

For as Isaiah also said, the Lord has blinded their eyes,

hardened their hearts, so they cannot see, their hearts, cannot understand,

and they cannot turn.

To me and have me healed him. I'm a pause

real quick. This ain't even what I'm preaching, because some

of y'all.

Just read that and like, dang, God, that's so disrespectful.

You gonna harden their heart how they're supposed to. You

actually read this in the Old Testament Pharaoh. If you

ever heard that story, Pharaoh hardens his heart, then the

Bible says, God harden his heart. Some people will just

landslide theologically on that whole thing.

Here's how you solve that. At some point, God.

Gonna give you what you really want. Here's how it works.

When you harden your heart. It's not like, oh, I'm

looking for God and I can't figure it out. To

harden your heart in this context is to say, I

know you're the creator, I know you're the.

King, I know you have a plan.

I vehemently reject you as King, savior and designer because

I know I'm better.

Therefore I'm hardening my heart.

And God, just like some of y'all's grandmothers say oh,

oh that's what you want, go ahead, then go ahead,

go ahead. So this is not a god, some evil god.

Like, oh, he's making his say.

When Pharaoh hardened his heart against the israel God, the

God of Israel, he thought he was a god.

So God say, oh you you you think you a god?

Go ahead, big dog. Okay, you want to you that's

what you want to do?

And that said, this is God's grace and kindness. He'd

be like, you do you really want that? Yeah, that's

what Okay, go ahead then, so just that's that's a

that's a little ghetto way to theologically explain that to you.

But uh yeah, anyways, we'll keep going. First number forty one.

Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because

he saw a future and spoke of the Messiah.

Here we go, first number forty two.

Many people did him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders,

but they wouldn't admit it. Ooh, hold on the winds

blowing my bi. The Holy Spirit's up in here. Many goodness,

gracious hodo some.

Of other guys, why you need to use a iPad

get out of here.

Many people did believe in him, however, including some Jewish leaders,

but they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees

would expel them from the synagogue verse forty three, for

they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

I'm gonna give you one more scripture just to nail this.

In Galatians chapter one, verse ten, Paul.

Speaking obviously, somebody say obviously, look at your neighbor and say, obviously, obviously,

I'm not trying to win the approval of people.

But God, if pleasing pace people were.

My goal, I would not be Christ's servants.

You don't even know what I'm about to say. That's crazy.

I love our child. It's like we felt that.

Man.

I love our church. I love you whoever yelled okay.

If you're taking notes, right down at the title of

my sermon, it is called I won't fold.

I won't fold. I won't fold. Lord, we thank you

for this morning. God.

I pray that your spirit would meet us here as

you do every single time. Empower our spirit, strengthen our minds,

and dear Lord Jesus, help the thunder win this game.

And the name of Jesus, we pray everybody sad. Hey, man,

don't shake your head at me and say you have

not because you ask not.

Stop playing if we win. That's what I'm talking about.

Mama Chloe, Mama Cloe. He's at your birthday, Mama Chloe.

Y'all, this is the most important thing we might do otday.

Everybody.

We are about to sing Happy Birthday to Mama Chloe on.

Account of three one two three.

Happy Birthday two.

You don't sit down now, Mama Chloe. You done got

the whole outpha Happy Birthday. I'm a clobe.

Happy Birthday.

I love you, Mama Chloe. Go thunder.

Okay, come on, man, I that is amazing.

She got the sparkly joint. That's incredible. I tell you

all the time. I got four kiddos.

And something I've learned about having children and realized and

recognized is you never know which moment it's going to

become a core memory. So you really just trying to

guard all moments. You know, some of us we have

moments that you remember as a child that you're like, oh,

this was the moment that everything changed in my life.

And it's been a funny experience even with my parents

as I have become a parent. You know, as you

as a kid, you're like, man, my parents, this this

and that.

Then you become a parent, it's like you know, a

mom and dad. I just want to call and say.

I'm sorry for just the way I was breathing all

loud all the time. It was just, oh Jesus, all

my kids got head, They stomp around, they got heavy feet,

got that from their mama.

But it sounds like they just be boom boom boom.

So it's just a lot going on.

We're moving right now, so our TVs are off the wall.

You Abby talked, She called me.

She said, you would have thought that the freaking the

world was ending when they came downstairs and they couldn't

watch a show.

Like what are we doing? It's like, okay, she's high forbid.

You look at each other for eight minutes.

Okay, But I'll never forget one moment with my dad

that honestly shaped me more than I would realize in

that moment. I grew up playing sports, and one of

the sports I loved to play I played from three

years old all the way through high school was football.

And I played football, and I remember it was like

sixth or seventh grade. I was on this football team

in Nashville, Tennessee, and at this school technically at the time,

I was the black kid on the team, if you

know what I'm saying. It was an all white Christian school,

and so it was me and my friend Aubrey.

Aubrey ended up.

Playing fullback at the University of Auburn, and I am

here preaching to you, so you see how that went.

But me and Aubrey were the only I was half black,

he was, you know, full he counted all the way.

But we were the only.

Only people on the team, and we're the only really friend.

I had on the team. And so I was running back,

Auby was fullback, and it was the best time ever.

I'll never forget.

I wanted to get some gloves because honestly, I was fast.

I could run, but I would fumble the ball all

the time. The good thing is I'll pick it right

back up and run a touchdown. But I would fumble

the ball all the time.

So my dad was like, we're going to the store.

We're gonna get you some gloves. And I was like, okay,

So we do it.

We go, we pick out the dopest gloves. I'm ready.

It's like right before my game. I have all my

stuff on.

We play the game, I don't wear the gloves once,

don't wear them at all. And we get in the

car and my dad kind of asked me about it,

and I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I just forgot.

I just didn't, you know, I forgot about it. And

he was like, okay, okay, just the next game we

had another game. I had the gloves, you know, tucked

in right here in the front, so I was looking cool.

Say if y'all know, that's the cool way to wear.

But I never put them on. I'll never forget. We

get in the car and my.

Dad is like, hey, brother, uh, what's up with them gloves?

Why aren't you wearing your gloves?

And I was like, well, you know, I just I

don't really just I don't know if I want to

wear them.

I just don't. It's kind of, you know, it's kind

of a lot. And he's like, what do you mean

it's a lot? And I was like, well, you know,

it's just like we just playing football. I got these

big fancy gloves on. It's like, come on, man, you

don't need them fancy gloves on. And my dad looked

at me and he said where. He's like, where where

did that come from? I was like, what you mean?

He was like, why are you really not wearing those gloves?

And I said, well, when I first put them on

and went out to practice, immediately someone was like, oh,

look at Charles.

He thinks he all fancy got the gloves.

Ooh, and everybody started making fun of me.

So I immediately took them joints off. Immediately, I was like,

gloves are stupid anyways? Who need that? I will never

forget this moment. My dad.

Now, I'm gonna have to amend the sentence a little bit,

he said, because you know, y'all be all messed up

if I said what he really said. But my dad

looked at me, and we are sitting at a red

light and stops signing.

He stops. It felt like we stopped for two hours

at that stop sign. But he looked at me, and

he turned his whole body in the card. He looked

at me. He said, Charles, you look at me.

He said, you are a metcalf, and you don't give

up what anybody thinks about you.

If you want to wear them gloves, you wear them gloves.

You run a touchdown. I don't care what anybody say.

Don't ever let anybody stop you doing for what you

know you need to do. I okay that I wore

my gloves change my life. Mama changed my life. Here's

what I want to submit to you this morning. This

is my thesis statement for the whole sermon. If you

write this down, you're gonna get the whole thing. Many

people will never do what they can do, could do,

or should do because.

They are afraid of looking dumb. They fall the fear

of looking dumb.

You would never say this out loud, but a lot

of the time you spend going back and forth on

if God shows you, going back and forth on if

you're gonna start the business, going back and forth, on

if you're gonna speak up, going back and forth, on

if you're gonna write the book, going back.

And forth on if you're gonna.

Have a conversation with that family member, going back and

forth of if you're gonna wear something, going back and

forth on if you're gonna actually chase your dream, going

back and forth on if you're going to be wise

with your money and admit you don't know what you're doing.

If you are going to really do what God chose you.

To do, many people, you would never say it but

the reason you don't, the reason you fold, is because

you're afraid. You don't want to look dumb, you don't

want to look silly, you don't want to look like

you don't know what you're doing. Many of us ask parents,

won't our kids ask us a question, and you just

go straight up into makeup land.

What Dad? Why do we do this? As well? You

know so technically the.

Way things are set up here, you don't know what

you why you're trying to put on because you're afraid.

Of people.

You're afraid of what they think about you. You're afraid

of what will they say, what will they do? How

will they treat me? And you need to know I'm

not mad at you. This has been the human condition

for a very long time. I can take you story

after story on where you can sense the underlying fear

of someone stepping into their God given person is their

fear of looking silly, their fear of what they're gonna do.

Exhibit A Moses. Moses has a moment with God the

burning bush. He walks up to that bush and it

is a crazy moment. The bush is on fire but

not being burnt up. He walks up and God's like.

Yo, it's me. Take off your shoes. This is holy ground.

And He's like, oh my gosh, okay, it's amazing. He's like,

I've heard the cries of my people.

I've heard what they've been going through, and so I'm

coming to you.

Let me tell you this.

When God wants to answer the prayers of other people, sometimes.

He's gonna come find you.

He's gonna come find you in a place where you

don't feel like you have what it takes, where you

don't feel like you.

Know what you're doing. But God chooses Moses for this moment.

Guess what one of his questions is.

Say I come to them and I say that the

God of your father's Abraham Isaac have sent me. What

am I gonna say if they ask who is it?

This is where we get the moment where God says

tell them I am that I Am has sent you.

But Moses is asking this question because if they come

to me and ask who it is, how am I

gonna prove to them? How am I gonna show them

this wasn't just me. I don't wanna look dumb, I

don't wanna look silly.

I don't wanna look I don't want to be embarrassed.

Go to Peter.

Peter is sitting in a boat and Jesus comes walking.

On the water and he says, if it's.

Really you, you.

Tell me to come out there, because I'm not about

to step over the side of this boat in.

Front of all my friends and look crazy old Testament again, Gideon.

He's in a wine press threshing wheat, which makes no sense.

It's like baking a cake on the side of a mountain.

It's like, what do you do? This is not where

you do that. But anyways, he's underneath there. God calls him.

He has this crazy moment. He's like, all right, I'm

gonna put this little piece of cloth out and you

make that wet and everything else dry, and then I'm

gonna flip it.

You do it again. He goes all back and forth.

Why time after time in scripture, between the time God

chooses you and the time you do it, there is

this big word and phrase that keeps a lot of

people stuck any time, afraid.

Of what people think. What are they gonna think about me?

What are they gonna say about me? What is my

family gonna think if I quit this thing?

That I've been doing my whole life.

What are they They're gonna see, They've I've always been inconsistent.

Now they're gonna say I'm quitting again.

What is what is my What is my friend's gonna

think about me if I step out? What is this

person gonna think? If I break up with this person

who seems to be the right.

Guy, what are they going to do? What is going

to happen? And the whole time, you're spending your energy.

Not on your capability in actual capacity.

See, here's the issue.

Many of us blame things that are not the issue

on the reason you won't obey God. We do this,

we say, well, if I just had more money, then

I would do it. If someone really saw my gift,

then I would do it. If someone really would just

give me the opportunity, then.

I would do it.

Well, if I had somebody who could help me write

the book, then I would do it. And we use

all of these issues, and the enemy gets you stuck

thinking you don't have what it takes, and you're not

called and you're not skilled enough, and you're not strong enough.

And the truth is, none of those things are the issue,

because if I gave you a million dollars, you got

the book contract and you had time to write the book,

you would still be worried about what people think about you.

Let's stop playing, because like it's all this stuff. If

I had the right setup and if they just saw me,

and if they just approved of me, and if I

had this and I had that, and I did this

and I did that, then I would be able to

do it. And that is a lie. The truth is

you are held by the grip of people, and you

are so worried about what people would think about you,

what they would say about you, that you are wasting

your time and your life trying to please people who

do not care about you and are not concerned with

your purpose. I'm saying this because I spent a lot

of my life doing this and still struggle with this.

But we have to be honest on what the real

issue is. The issue is not that you're not called.

The issue is not that you're not equipped. The issue

is not that you're not good enough.

The issue is you.

Are so gripped by the opinion of man, by the

opinion of dust, looking around thinking well, I just don't

want to I don't want to embarrass other I don't

want to ruffle no feathers. Who's got feathers first of all?

And why are we worried about ruffling them? We spend

so much time wasting time. God stands outside of time,

does the whole things, brings you to the moment, just

for you to sit there and not look at him,

but look.

Around, Well, what are they doing? And what are they?

Okay, let me just do just enough, just so I

don't I do enough to obey God, but not enough

so I'm noticed by everybody else because I don't want nobody.

I'll step out.

Enough just to clear like the obedience box that like, yeah, God,

I did it, but not enough so that anybody really

tells I'm making a difference in my life.

And the opinion of people. Pleasing people.

Has you in a choke hold, questioning if you're called questioning,

if God chose you, questioning if you have what it takes.

And the truth is, you have more than enough, more

than enough, if nobody's told you that you have more

than enough to do exactly what He's called you to do.

The Bible tells us he gives us both the power

and the desire to do what pleases him. He has

given you everything you need for this exact moment you're in.

The issue is not your competency. The issue is not

your calling. The issue is not anything else. It is

how long will you waste your time worried about.

What other people think about you? How long?

How many ideas are going to stay in that journal?

How many times we got to hear you talk about, well,

you know, I'm about I've just been trying to get

the thing off the ground, and.

We're just gonna really really.

At some point you have to take the step. At

some point you have to decide, I will not let

my life be di by what other people are gonna

think about me. And here's the truth, many people, you

have spent a significant amount of your life dumbing down

what God put on the inside of you, because you're

worried if you fully stepped into it, if you fully decided,

if you fully lived confident, if you fully lived exactly

how and who He called you to be.

You're worried about what people think.

I'm not mad at you, but I just we have

to take a moment here and call us pade us

paid and say, let's just be honest.

You really care what those people think.

You really have found a lot of significance in the

opinion of people you are close to and not close to.

And you're worried that if you do this and they

don't agree with you, then what. And one of the

most helpful resources one of my friends has given me

is just asking and then what, because sometimes I'll be

stuck in this well, you know, I'm just worried about

you know, what will happen.

This is an honest story.

I FaceTime my little brother, Chandler Barrington Metcalf.

I have a little brother. He's eight years younger than me.

We look like twins.

If you ever some of y'all have a picture with

him and it's not me, and you.

Do not know.

Every time he come in town, he'd be sitting right

up here and tell me, y'all walk up like, oh

my gosh, pastor Charles, and at this point he just

let y'all have your moment. He just like, yeah, God

bless you. He's anointed some of y'all with oil.

You don't even know. He's like shot up about sentence.

He was talking to a twenty two year old kid.

So just so you know, but I FaceTime my little

brother and I was like, Chandler, why did I do

this book signing?

He's like, what you mean? I said, what if I

walk in there and it's me and them Lemon loafs

and my four kids. I started panicking. I was like,

what are you doing? Man, I'm gonna be out here

at Bond and Noble. Y'all just all come on.

Just think about if you how you feel right now,

because I feel.

Just like you feel.

You think cause I'm up here in this yellow leather

jacket that I feel different. But if you were just

like on your Instagram like I'm a big Buns and Nobles.

So y'all just pull up on me.

And we got a yellow sign and my team's like,

this is gonna be a great pastor.

Charles.

I'm like, you ain't gotta sit there and look stupid.

If nobody walk in sitting there at that table like

you want.

You want me to sign your book? They're like, what

do y'all want you to sign my book with you?

I called my brother.

I'm like, hey man, this is kind of crazy. What

if nobody comes man? I'm just you know, like and

what I was worried, was I done wrote this book?

I don't put in all this effort I done got

on my Instagram, I'd have told people to come up,

and what if.

I get in there and I look dumb?

And then I started going, Okay, let's say you get there,

nobody's there, and then what well, then I'm on, I'm on,

I'm this is gonna be weird, okay, and then what

then I probably you know what, I know, a couple

people will gonna come okay, and then what well, I'll

sign their books okay, and then what well, then it'll

be over and then what then I'll go home?

And then what then I wake up the next day

and then and then I'll preach on Sunday and I'll

probably forget about it.

Some of you just you need to play out some

of those fears that are keeping you in bondage, some

of the stuff.

What if I step out and it don't work? Okay,

what happens if it step out and don't work?

Well, then I got to go back to my job, Okay,

and then what and then I'm just doing exactly what

I'm doing right now.

But the opinion of what they would think and what

they would say and what they would do and how

they would perceive me.

It keeps you stuck, and I feel this message so

strongly because there's so much time I have spent. Once

you realize, okay, God has chosen me, the real issue

of this book, in this message is not the issue

of if God chose you. The question is would anybody

else choose me? Because some of you you resolved. God

chose you because he said it, and that settles it,

and so I believe it. Yes, God chose me. But

your issue is not concerned with if God chose you.

The issue is if I showed anybody else all of me,

if I told them who I really believed God had

called me to be, if I really put myself out here,

is there anybody else who would choose all of me?

So this is why we create different versions of ourself.

You have your work you you know that weird work

voice you doing, Brother Jesse, God bless you. It's like

you got that work you, you got the cookout with

your family. You, you got the spouse version of yourself,

you got.

To your workout. But you got all these different versions.

Why because somewhere in your upbringing you learned everybody don't

accept all of you, So you need to adjust to you.

You are change who you are. So mom and dad

only like you when you're helping around the house.

So don't ever ask for nothing, don't be a bother

to nobody.

Just do your stuff, keep your room clean, and don't

get in the way. So that's the version of you

you created.

Then you go to school and you realize people liked

you when you got in trouble at school.

Maybe that was just me, but you liked so.

You acted this way at school, and then you got

around your grandmother and them, and then there was this

part of your family that was very spiritual, and you

read your Bible and you really they are all these

different versions of you. And then you find yourself at

some point, just as I did, realizing oh.

Who do you know? You go to work and be like, wait,

who do you do?

You know?

This part of me? Oh, you don't know that about me?

Okay, okay, and then you go back home and which okay,

love and all of that energy you feel is because

every single day you're trying to present different versions of

yourself because you're worried if I just showed up and

I wasn't thinking about who you think I am. I

don't know if I could do it. I know this

because this was my story. So much energy would have

me crawled up under my desk and worried if I

was gonna still live.

Was wondering. I don't know if I can keep switching

like this.

I don't know if I can walk up on the

stage and act like I ain't got massive questions about

the Bible even though I'm preaching it. I don't know

if I can go home and be something I've never

seen or lived out all the way and stop putting.

I don't know if I know how to raise kids.

And I'm acting like.

I do, but they just gave me this joint and

sent me home after checking my wife's blood pressure, acting

like we ain't some kids with a kid.

It don't make no sense.

Come on, you just be acting like, yeah, it's just

super regular.

It's not regular. You'd have made a whole new life.

It came out and just looked at you like you're

a response. Now, hopefully I'm not scarred for life. And

the doctor walks in and checks you twice, and it's like,

all right, yep, go home. Is that thing buckle down tight?

Make sure it's strapped down tight. Okay, I guess I'm

a dad now, even though I don't know how to

file my taxes. Okay, that was the real thing for me.

I'm like, all right, raise a kid, file taxes order

of importance of trying to figure the fout. There's just

a lot of time spent wondering, Okay, who who am

I gonna be?

And what am I gonna do? And all I'm.

Submitting to you today is there is a life. Should

should you so choose where you wake up.

And get this? You just live your life. Some of

y'all is crazy to think about that. You wake up

and you think what do I want to wear? And

then you just put it on. Some of y'all, I

was late to church this morning. You were like, let me,

who am I gonna be sitting next to Let me

lift my hands and see. Okay, you're doing all types

of stuff, acting like.

It's for you, acting like it's for your husband, acting

like it's because you just what But the truth is.

You were worried about what people think. Some of you

haven't spoken up in so long.

Some of you have taken your whole personality as shy,

and it's not true. Some of it would be surprised

to see video clips of you as a kid, because

you used to.

Talk so much. But somebody said, sit down and be quiet.

Quit talking. The adults are talking. You be quiet.

You ain't got nothing to say, so you decided, okay,

I'm just a quiet personality.

And it's not true.

The scripture says that there was so much cultural pressure

when John is writing to be a certain way and

to believe a certain way and to do a certain thing,

that there were some people who weren't accepting God. But

there were other people that says they actually did believe.

They just didn't want to say it out loud because

they were afraid the pharisees would kick them out.

They were afraid they wouldn't be able to do what

they were gonna do. And it says at the very end,

for they loved the praises of man more than the

praise of God.

Culture has really affected us in a strong way because

likes and comments and subscriptions have really skewed our ability.

And what you think about You.

Tell me all you grew, this is all you know

is okay, I've posts on Instagram and this is what

it's so. Social media has created such a strange world

where we feel an obligation to tell people we do

and stuff.

Just let's back up a little bit.

Imagine if every time you went to someone's house they

were like, hey, how you doing, they immediately walked you

over to their photo albums and were like, let's sit

down and just spin eight hours just going through all

my personal stories.

We'd be like, sir, you are weird and you clearly

have no friends.

But if it's on our phone and we scroll and

we got a nine square, is super acceptable, And it's

almost weird if you don't post about it and you

get shamed.

If you're dating somebody and we don't.

Know about it because y'all haven't went public on Instagram.

Because that's how we know your marriage is gonna last

is if you tell other people. That's how we know

your business is important, because you made an announcement post

and you took a headshot and you announced it to the.

World that you're an important person.

Okay, now I'm about to get real vulnerable up here.

Jay did this seat dry?

I'm gonna sit on it. Okay. I drew all over

this chair before I came out here. Okay, Okay, okay, okay, okay,

I'm gonna be honest with you.

When I first got this a book deal, I was

talking to the publishers and they're like, so, so what

do you this this crazy?

Let me tell you how this. When I passed Michael,

I preached the sermon God chose me. I come up

the stage.

He looks at me in a very epic way, points

in my face, this is your first book, and like

pastor Brenda came up out of him and he just did.

And so I'm like, was that was that? Okay? So

that happens fast forward a little bit. A lot of

time goes by. I write like three or four chapters.

I comes in my have been working on a book,

and he's like, hey man again, He's like, this is

the time, and so he he picks up his phone.

He's like, I'm gonna FaceTime somebody. I was like, okay,

who you facing them? He's like the head of the

publishing company, and I was like, oh okay. So he

face times them. The person is on vacation and they

pick up their phone. They're fishing, they're out on some water,

and he's like.

Hey, what you doing? Okay, real quick? Got something for you, and.

They're like okay, and he's like, I've got the next

book you need right here.

We're gonna meet this day.

You have a week, and if you don't, we're taking

it somewhere else. All right, talk to you later. And

he hangs up the phone, not lying, and I'm like okay.

This is like he's like, I'm your book ancient now.

And I was like, great, are you gonna take the

fifteen percent or no? He's like no, you keep that.

It's like, thank you God. So I need all the

percents I could get out here, man. So so fast forward.

We get on a call Pastor Michael ware on the

thing that they're like, all right, Charles, what none of

these old white people know who I am?

And so they're no, just thinking it's old white people.

It was just all old white people. That's all that's important. Context. Okay,

just wait, I'm dressed like this and I'm like, who

is this kid with this book? So I'm going through.

They're like, what do you expect for this book to be?

And I just start talking, this is gonna be a

great book. Blah blah blah. Fast forward.

Immediately I'm out halfway through writing and they start talking

about New York Times Bestseller. They're like, all right, so

this is the list. This is how much you gotta sell,

this is how much it's got to be. This is

blah blah blah blah. And then all of y'all like

crazy faith New York Time best Seller, Brother, you could

be boom. Here's what I was struggling with personally, and

I feel a butt naked up here. I very honestly

was like, you know what, I'm not gonna think about

that because it seems very easy for my friend he's

done it three times in a row, just because he

just I guess Facetimes the New York Bestseller guy and

just says hey. But the truth is I was talking

to my wife and I was like, man, I don't

I just don't want to think about that, because this

is a dream and the only thing that can make

it not a dream is making up another dream. And

worried about if I don't get that check in that

box and it's not this, then what does that mean?

And am I still a good and am I still

and what do people think? Because this is what we

do and all of this energy and we started going

down the list and I was like, Okay, at some

point I have to be honest that the real desire

unders there's some good things under there. It's cute to

get recognized and acknowledged, But the truth is, there's a

part of me that wants you to think something about

me that New York Times apparently will affirm in me

as a writer.

See some of y'all ain't even therapists to go to.

But the truth is the only reason I want some

random people in a room I don't know where, we

don't know what happens. And why is because if I

get that, it'll somehow make me more of something than

what you currently think. And maybe you don't think I'm

good enough now, but if somebody else acknowledges it, that

has authority, then you'll think something about me that apparently

I still need. And this is how the enemy robs

you of blessings, moments, and miracles is because you are

in the moment you have been praying for, dreaming, for fasting,

for striving, for crying for and at the moment where

you have done it, you are standing there waiting on

someone you do not know to approve something they did

not give you.

And I am here to submit to you to morning.

This morning, it is time to stop wasting your time,

Worried about what other people think about you, Worried if

they think you're good enough, worried about who they said

you are. I am done living a life where I

am afraid of what people.

Think about me. You weren't there when I was depressed

and anxious. You didn't save my life. You didn't give

me this life. You didn't put this breath in my body,

and you didn't give me the book idea.

So I am not concerned, and I will not live

my life afraid of looking.

Dumb in front of you.

I'm saying this to you because I am trying to

set you free from something that, honestly.

If you got it, still wouldn't change nothing. Still wouldn't

change nothing.

If you got the idea, if you got the approval,

if you got this stuff, you would still be.

Looking for somebody else.

You would still hope you posted it and they saw it,

And we are just deciding this morning.

I am done with it.

I've wasted too much of my life. I've wasted too

much of my gift. I've wasted too much of my

time that I was supposed to be spending with the

people God put in my life, worried about people who

weren't in my life.

Today is the day we're drawing a line in the sand,

and I'm saying, for God I live and for God

I die. And you can either get with it or

get out of here.

But as for me and my house, we're gonna serve

the Lord. As for me and my house, we're gonna

preach the Gospel. As for me and my house, we're

gonna do everything God put on the inside of me,

because He gave it to me. It's His breath in

my lungs. And I've got a world to reach. I'm

not gonna fold. I'm not gonna live my life afraid.

I'm gonna give you three ways to put people pleasing

to death.

We gotta kill it.

Some of y'all know, gonna need to wear black today

because we are putting to death. Your desire for people

to approve of you, your desire to not make people

feel weird. I'm so sorry you feel weird when I

do what God called me to do. But that sounds

like you need to go get some counseling. You need

to deal with whatever that is in you, but that

is not to do.

Anything with me.

And I'm not gonna just who I am because you

ain't never seen this before.

Not my issue. I love you. I hope me being

me can release you to be you, but I'm not.

Maybe if I keep doing this long enough, you'll.

Realize you ain't got a fake, you ain't got a putting.

None to the side. You ain't got adjust for other people.

I've got a calling and I can't curttail it for you.

Why are you doing that?

Why are you doing because somebody needs this? It may

not be you, And I'm secure enough to know that.

This is why I love our church and our pastor

because our church.

Ain't for everybody.

We clear on that we want everybody, but this church

ain't for everybody. I just don't understand why you appreciate

that do all this example. I just don't get it.

I know you don't get it. It's not for you,

but the person who needed to get it got it.

Spend so much time trying to impress people that are

not even who you call to reach, and you go

ruin what God gave you trying to approve to them when.

They waiting on you, not over here. Let me just

say that, not over here. Okay, y'all sit down because

I'm sweating.

Like a dog.

All right, we're gonna put people pleasing to death. Three

things you need to put people pleasing. But the first

thing is you need the right perspective. You need the

right perspective. And I'm gonna say it exactly how.

I feel it.

We worried about looking dumb in front of People's a.

Little perspective you worried. First of all, we passed looking dumb.

We in this room thirty minutes ago, you were singing

up into the sky, lifting your hands waving them up.

Come on, now, we passed.

You singing about some thirty three year old Jewish guy

you ain't never met. I mean, just let's go down

side and we accept it as normal. Your face system

is like, yeah, there was this guy who was swallowed

by weal and then you know, he was in the

well and then the whale.

Spit him up on the side of the joint and it.

We passed little perspective here. You had to cross that

bridge when you raise your hand on the count of three.

So we left that a long time ago.

We have to acknowledge some perspective is when I stepped

across the line of faith, I stepped outside of explainable

and understandable. So once I decided to follow Jesus, I

released my rights to understand everything and be able to

explain everything to you.

I stepped across that line.

Worried about what people would think, worried about looking them.

Here's what I was talking about, wife, about this, I said,

were worried about look at them in front of people.

I just don't want to be looking dumb when I

get up to that white judgment throne. You were talking

about looking dumb. You not doing stuff God called you

to do because you worried about people.

You gonna get up there to the throne.

They're gonna be singing, Holy Holly, here gonna be like, So,

what'd you do with everything I gave you?

You're like, well, you remember.

That teacher I had in the third grade that had

them big teeth when she said I wasn't smart. I

really took that to heart and just kept that for

the eighty years you gave me. So you know, them

parents that you know were young and they didn't know

what they was doing.

Well, the impact they really had I never really dealt

with that.

So I just shoved it down and I just created

a version of myself where I felt like I was

doing enough, but I knew I was never really being

who I wanted to be, So I just kind of

kept them cards and never really brought it to you

or brought it to a friend or talked about what

I was going through because I wanted people to think

I really had it together.

I just surely you can understand, you know, how I

could do that.

There's a little bit of a perspective for you to

realize the people you're trying to impress, at some point

they not gonna matter. The people right now that y'all

got matching tattoos, one day they may not be in

your life.

And you decided your whole calling and purpose, we're gonna

do this for life. And it's six months later.

Life apparently got really short and changed on everybody, and

now you don't feel like you can do what you're

supposed to do because you don't have them. You need

a right perspective, you need a right mindset. God has

chosen me for this moment. He's chosen me right where

I am, how I am, with the tools I have

and a little bit of preve well have you. I

had to do this when I was FaceTime my little brother,

and I was worried about if I was gonna be

sitting there signing the back of my hand at that

book signing.

I said, you know what, Charles.

Metcalf, you are from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and you failed

English class three times, and somehow somebody gave you the

ability to write a whole real book. And you about

to walk up in this store and see your face

and your kids on the back of that book. We

might as well take three seconds and be grateful. Sometimes

all you need is a little bit of perspective.

Some of y'all worried about the house you live in.

It's just well, we just need a bigger space. Let's

be honest. Sometimes you didn't always have the space you got.

Little perspective, little perspective you worried about.

Some of y'all be sitting up in church being like, WHOA,

what time is it? I gotta give food.

There's other people in the world. They had to sneak

to their church. They underground in their church. Their worship

ain't loud, not because they can't. And they ain't got

no speakers. The worship ain't loud because if it's too loud,

they might hear them above ground and come search for

them and ask for their life. Let me give you

a little perspective here, I sing loud because I can.

Little perspective might be helpful.

I know you frustrated, but the same thing you frustrated

that you prayed for.

Let's get a little perspective. Little perspective. You need the

right perspective. The next thing you need is.

You need the right people, because some of y'all are

living for other people because you ain't got the right people.

You don't have people in your life that have recognized

who you are and what's on the inside of you.

Because as long as you are surrounded by people who

don't know who they are, it'll be very hard for

you to know who you are.

Part of how I live and who I am.

Not part of a lot of it is shaped by

who I'm around. And they are certain if God would

have placed me in another church, there are parts of

this message that would have never come out because.

Who I'm around.

Pastor Michael and the way he lives his life, unconcerned

with what people think, about him, gave me permission to

not be concerned with what people think about me. And

some of you are surrounded let me talk straighta some

of your family members with the same DNA.

Are so concerned with what people think.

As long as you keep subscribing to that, you will

never be able to.

Do what God called you to do. You got to

get around some people who know the who they are.

Get around some people who will call out the greatness

on the inside of you and not let you settle.

For that low version of you. I got friends of

my life that won't let me be the lesser version

of me. It seemed like you pull are you good?

You pull it back? What's going on? They won't let you.

Need the right people in your life, the right people

who will support you, the right people who will encouraged me.

Because when you get your encouragement from the right people,

it settles it.

For all the wrong people, it settles it. I'm honest

and aware enough.

I need some key affirmation from some key people, and

if I get that, I'm good.

I was a couple weeks ago, I was preaching at

Elevation and I was sitting in there, you know, trying

to act cool, like I ain't freaking out, and like,

I hold Pastor Stephen's stream ain't working and he don't

see and so I'm gonna.

Impassor Brenda and Tommy called me and real I'm sitting

there back in the green room, their whole Exect team.

Guy, I'm about to walk on stage. I said, hold

on second, I gotta take this call. And I'm like,

who is it. I said, it's.

Pastor Brenda and I got down in the corner and

they both prayed over me. Those two people's affirmation made

me feel like, you know what, I'm gonna be all right.

My wife's encouragement to me.

My friend.

I got a friend named Michaeh. He was one of

my best friends in the world. He's a fashion designer.

He texted me a picture of his book and I said,

I got my copy. I'm so proud of you. This

is a man that one text.

It was the right person that I got it from.

Some of you just need to be honest. You need

some encouragement from the right person. Some of y'all's marriages,

you need to be honest with your spouse. Hey, I

need some affirmation, cause if you don't tell me I'm good.

I'm gonna go find somebody who will. I'm not saying

that from a threatening spot. I'm saying what happens. You

spend your whole relationship not encouraging each other. Then you

go to work and somebody like, ooh, kill jacket and

you're like, oh, this whole thing, man is hold on,

this is a nice jacket. Then you go back home,

You walk in, don't nobody ask nothing of you all?

Where are you being? Oh? Okay? Then you're getting ready

for work tomorrow. What do you do? You put that

jacket on? So I don't know what'll what? Y'all looking around?

You better? Why?

Because some part of you didn't get what you needed.

So now you're out here just looking.

But when you have the right people in your life,

you need perspective, You need the right people. The last

thing you need is the right purpose. Here's what I've realized.

You need a purpose.

That is worth looking dumb for.

And some of our lives are so small, and the

risk we take are so little, and our faith, the

things we believe for are so minuscule that it's not

worth you looking dumb. You need a purpose that is

bigger than you. You need a life that's bigger than you.

And I don't know where along the way, somehow you

were sold on this Jesus that calls you to safety insecurity.

But that's not who he was. As a matter of.

Fact, the first call of Jesus was to some kids

who were fishing. Hey, I know you're doing what your

family has always done, but if you want to put

down that, I will make.

You fishers of men. And we read that scripture.

Now we all go ooh, what does that mean when

you're the disciples. We don't see the disciples go through

a list of questions of like, okay, you know, just

let me, let me talk to my family, let me

see it says.

They dropped everything and left.

Let me give you a little context and backstory. You

wouldn't know, and this is why I'm gonna tell it

to you. At this point, many theologians would say the

whole goal of a little Hebrew boy's life was to

study the Torah and the scriptures, so that one day

he would approach a teacher or a pharisee and say, hey, sir,

could I please study under you. And the fact that

they are working in their family's business tells us that

the culture rejected them, and they studied their whole life,

and they studied the scriptures and they didn't know it,

and they went to the teacher, and the teacher would

have rejected them because they weren't chosen, they weren't good enough.

So they go back to their family business and they're

just doing what they've always known. But let me tell you,

Jesus is the only good teacher that comes and finds

you and says, hey, I.

Know over other people overlooked you. I know other people

didn't give you a chance. But come and follow me,

and I'll give you a life you could only dream of.

When you realize you've been rejected by other people, it

costs you nothing to say, Oh you want me to

go with you?

Easy? Because I'm not okay with living this small life.

And I want to pray a prayer over you. I

hope God recks you living a small life. I hope

He ruins it for you. I hope having small faith

is ruined for you. I hope not being who you

are is ruined for you. I hope not being who

I prompt I pray that God ruins that for you.

You need a purpose worth dying for. Some of y'all

you'll understand it this way. Some of y'all there's nothing

else in your life you die for except them kids.

My kid, I would do anything. I'm not that big.

I'm not that strong. I can peddle a bike for

like eight hours straight, but that's about it.

I'm not.

But if anybody in this.

Room, if Pastor Roosevelt started talking about my kids, brother,

I hope you enjoyed singing in heaven because I.

Because I have. I love you, passing road couch. I'm

just saying, in context, I have something that I will

embarrass myself for. I have something that is worth it

to me. And can I tell you the good news?

You are the child that God was so in love

with that he was okay with looking dumb up on

that cross.

He was okay with standing there in front of people.

And it didn't make sense why he climbed up there,

and it didn't make sense why he said, I let

him do it, And it didn't make sense why.

He let him whip him.

But he saw his kids and he said, I love

them so much, I'll stand.

Up on this cross. And all I'm saying, all I'm

saying to you this morning. Is he already took all

that embarrassment? You're worried about the creator of the world.

Why don't we talk You want to talk about looking dumb.

Let's say you create the world, you create everything.

You breathe your breath into them, and you give them chance.

And chance again, and they ruin it, and your dad

comes to you and says, hey, man, you're.

Gonna have to go down there with them. But they're

broken and their.

Hey, you're gonna have to go down there with them.

You're gonna have to become one of them. You're gonna

have to act like them. You're gonna have to not

call down them angels. Yeah, you're gonna have to let

them spin on you. You're gonna have to let them

pull out your beard. You're gonna have to let them

put that crown on you.

Looking dumb, Jesus willfully.

Climbed up on a cross and let people that he

was giving them the very breath they were using to

mock him.

He sat there while they talked about him, knowing.

It was his breath in their lungs, knowing he could

snap his fingers and they would all be gone.

And he stood there he let him say, and he

let him put those nails in his hands.

They let him beat him beyond recognition, and they hung

him up on that cross. Why because he had enough affirmation,

he had enough perspective. Yeah, this is gonna hurt, Yeah

this is uncomfortable, but one day there's gonna be some

people who need me, so I can stay here.

You knew who he was, and he had a purpose

that was biggest. The only thing that took him out

of that garden was a purpose bigger than him. We

see it in the garden. He's sitting there. Thank God,

I don't want to do this. I know you chose me,

but I don't want to do this. But nevertheless, I

just there are so many people in this room and watching.

You just have no idea how important you are, because

if you knew how important you were, you would stop

trying to be somebody else. And all I'm submitting to

you this morning is God thinks so highly of you

and so much of you and how he created you

and who you are, that.

He's called you and chosen you at this time.

So you wouldn't fold, so you wouldn't have to live

with the fear of what they think, and what they'll

do and what they'll say.

Who cares? Who cares.

For me? I've decided I'm only concerned. I love everybody,

but my list is five people, five people.

I walked in my wife.

She took a video while we were walking in the

Barnes and Noble, and it was me holding my kid's

hand and all of them trailed behind me, those four

kids and this woman on this front row.

I hope you like my book. Let me very clear

with you. She already told me she liked the book.

I hope you. I hope you get the book. I

hope you read it. I hope it helps you. I

know it helped my wife. I hope it really encourages you.

But I know I was sitting in the back and

Luna was worried about going to the class, and I

kneeled down and I said, Luna Rose, look at me.

You carry peace and purpose, kindness and compassion, boldness and bravery,

love and life. You are filled with God's power and

you can do anything. I want to pray for you

today that God would release you.

From the burden and the bondage of people. Pleasing everybody,

bow your heads and close your eyes.

Dear Lord, this morning we come to you honest. That's

the only way, guys, we gotta start there. God, we

come to you being honest that we have lived points

in our life worried about what other people think. And God,

this morning we are bringing that to you and an

honest heart saying, would you please please change that part

of us that needs their approval? Would you please do

something with that that's in us, that that changes who

we are? Would you please change us from the inside out,

show us who we really are. I pray today people

would experience their true value. They would see who God

create them to be. They would see that they don't

need the approval of other people. That they would see

that they have been given everythnthony.

God, I pray that you would do what only you

could do. God, my words aren't enough, Lord, this service

isn't enough. We need one moment with you that could

change who we are forever.

I pray pleasing your family would be broken, pleasing that

person who's no longer here. Yep, God's doing something powerful

right now.

Some of you had your real life.

You've been living your whole life for the words of

someone who is no longer here. And I'm sorry they

didn't give you what you needed. I'm sorry they didn't

see you when they were here. But let me tell you, sweetheart,

they are gone now, and your heavenly Father says, I

see you, and I approve of you.

In the name of Jesus. It's broken those who have

been living for a success you can't even identify. There's

some of you. There's a success in your head and heart.

There's a picture you have in your head and.

Heart of some imaginary place you're gonna get to, and

that's what you've been working on, and you really don't

even know where it is. If you're honest with yourself.

In the name of Jesus, I speak contentment, God. I

pray your Holy Spirit would rest on us and secure us.

Very heads still about and every eye still close. Some

of you in this room, as you've been searching for approval,

you've searching for somebody to choose you. The only person

who can truly choose all of you is Jesus Christ

of Nazareth. And it's because of the gospel message I

told you about. He was fully man and fully God,

and he came to this earth and he lived a

perfect life.

The life me and you could never live. And he

did that so you could actually be who you've always

wanted to be.

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

want to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior. I

promise you this is the moment you've been waiting on.

This is the time to surrender your life.

You don't have to.

You can stop playing games, stop acting like you have

it all together.

You could come like we all have.

In this room and decided I need help, I need

a greater purpose, I need greater perspective, I need the

right people. All that happens when you surrender your life

to Jesus. I'm gonna count to the count of three,

and on the count of three, if you want to

accept Jesus as your Lord and savior for the first time,

or you want to rededicate your life to him, on

the count of three, you're gonna raise your hand boldly.

And you know what you're not gonna do. You're not

gonna worry.

About who you came here with and what they're gonna

think about. You gonna worry about that family room you're

sitting in right now, and your family and what they're

gonna think. You're gonna raise your hand boldly because Jesus

is here to set you free to live the life

you've always dreamed on.

On the count of three, lift your hand. One. He

loves you.

Two. Today is the day of salvation. Three Right now,

all over this room, lift your hand boldly for Jesus.

I'm giving my life to g oh church. Can we

celebrate people? Come on, keep that hand up, keep that

hand up boldly.

At home online. I'm gonna take it a step further.

I'm gonna take it a step further.

This is gonna be the first time for some of

y'all you break out of worry about what people think.

If you raise your hand to accept Jesus. I'm gonna

ask you to stand up. All over this room right now,

stand up tall. We gonna cheer for you.

Come on, don't get stuck now, don't get stuck now.

Don't worry about what we thinking. Now, come on there,

steal some other people. Stand up. Come on, stand up.

Don't worry about what they think now, don't worry what

they think now. This is that moment. So proud of you,

so proud of you, so proud of you.

Everybody stand up all over this room, all together. We're

gonna pray together.

But I want to tell some of you what just

happened is what's gonna happen in your life. And that's this.

You got to stand up.

First before everybody else will. But when you stand up first,

you got to see it. People who are ready to

stand with you bow, every eye close, everybody repeat after me, say,

Dear God, I admit I've made mistakes, Save me, change me,

make me new in Jesus name, I pray.

Everybody said amen.

Can we celebrate again everybody who made that.

Choice to follow Jesus.

Hey, listen, if you just made that decision, the first

thing is give somebody.

Tell somebody in your role. Hey, I just raised my hand.

That's why I was standing up and you were staring

at me. What's your name?

Tell somebody, and then let us know if you text

the word save to A two A two A two.

Our team would love to encourage you on this journey

of following Jesus.

But we're so so proud of you that you have

made this choice.