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we have an awesome series that we’re
starting today this is week one of a
series that I’m calling unwrapped
everybody say unwrapped and um I’ve
started to you know me uh anybody who’s
been here for any amount of time our
vision here is to represent God so we’re
never just gonna just do something
normal because I feel like normal is
played out and I also feel like people
need to see God differently than it’s
being shown and so when I started
thinking about this concept of being
unwrapped I felt like the Holy Spirit
dropped this in my heart he said Michael
what if the greatest gift you unwrapped
this Christmas was you and and I asked
you the same question what if the
greatest gift unwrapped this Christmas
was you your potential your gifts your
your ability to change the world the
book that’s on the inside of you the
relationships that could be men what if
you were unwrapped because some of y’all
are sitting here so wrap the bows tight
gift never touched you have giftings and
callings that god’s plate placed on the
inside of you that were damaged that in
a season where you were trying to
discover who you are somebody came and
spoke decision division or they came and
spoke doubt into that and so you started
judging yourself compared to somebody
else when they have worked on their gift
and you are just developing your gift
and so because you couldn’t be what you
thought you were supposed to be when you
saw them you stopped when you were in a
place of development of the gifts that
God placed on the inside of you because
you did not get the support that you
needed you felt like God didn’t want to
develop that gift on the inside of you
but I came to tell you that the devil is
a liar that this is the season where
everything that God’s placed in you is
coming out of you this is the season
where God wants to take the hidden
things the things that’s been hidden by
culture the things that’s been hidden by
your cool some of y’all too cool to use
your gift nah nah bro you know I’m
saying you
and on scene I got these vocals bones
saying cuz that’s not and God said
your personality has to submit to
purpose oh I’m coming to somebody’s
house today God doesn’t care nothing
about your personality he wants your
personality to submit to your purpose
well I’m shy but you’re called to be in
front of millions make your personality
to submit to your purpose
well tell some like I’ve not been
trained and educated get in there and
get you got you too well I feel like I’m
supposed to play the guitar learn it do
something get in a place where you’re
cultivating what God has placed inside
of you because you are going to be
unwrapped somebody say unwrapped i’m
hype for this service
because i see too many people that are
in here in a place where they’re wrapped
up and the enemy begins to tell you you
have no worth but just because it’s not
been revealed yet doesn’t mean the
content inside of it is not priceless
it’s priceless what God has placed
inside you why am I so happy
I don’t know keep going I I’m telling
you I’m telling you and I sit and I come
and I come in contact with people who
are just existing and they’re not using
their gifts to their fullest potential
and so today I believe God’s word for us
as a church is to be unwrapped and to
find what God has called us to be and
this Christmas it’s not going to be
about just what we get and about our
family because this season can really be
about us what we can do what we can get
our beautiful pictures our family
dinners ar-ar-ar-ar-ar stuff but that’s
it Michael what what if you gave me a
gift this year what if you gave me a
return on the investment I placed in you
what what if you were unwrapped and you
were used to touch the people the
community that job you hate I put you
there to be unwrapped so you could be a
gift to those people
I put you I gave you I allowed for that
to happen and those pains to come so
that you could be able to identify with
people who were in that same state but
you won’t even tell nobody you went
through it
you won’t even tell nobody you went
through it so you cannot be unwrapped to
be able to give the gift to somebody
else and I just believe it’s that season
when we’re literally celebrating a
season with our Lord’s name in it Christ
must be sending me no happy holidays
it’s Christ miss oh no Xmas don’t send
me no Xmas text I’m gonna send you big
Christ must okay but what I’m saying is
God really begin to prick up my heart he
set Michael in the time where my name is
the billboard of what’s happening my
people are least like me in Christmas or
in Christ miss we’re at least like
crisis we become selfish we’re comparing
ourselves to what other people are doing
we’re going into debt when he tells us
we should not have to owe anybody
anything except love and these are all
cultural things that put on us they suck
us in the Black Friday and all this
other stuff they got me I went to the
food court just to get some Chinese food
came out with bags
what happened it’s like it like what
happened and I’m sitting there asking
myself what happened and and what it is
it’s culture pulling us away from the
kingdom and because everybody’s doing it
people who go to church and people who
know God because everybody’s doing it
and God said what hey hey what about me
he said I’ll if things in you that don’t
take you having to go into debt II and
you could be generous and give them away
I want you to be unwrapped somebody say
unwrapped and so as we talk about this
concept of unwrapped the next four weeks
are gonna be amazing you don’t want to
miss a week but I got to start real
foundational today so that we can
realize some things in our own life we
see the greatest gift ever given in John
3:16
and most of us know the scripture but I
want you to think about it and what an
extravagant gift was given to all of
humanity it says for this is how God
loved the world that He gave I call it V
gift this is not a gift this is the gift
his one and only son so that everyone
who believes in him will not perish but
have eternal life how many people are
thankful for the gift that God gave to
all of us and man and if you’re in here
and you’ve not accepted that gift we we
pray that the love you fill in here and
the explanation of God’s Word you will
one day accept that there’s no pressure
we love you and you can keep coming here
as much as you want to in that right
transformation Church and then okay um
but this is what I’ve realized that many
believers have received the gift of
Jesus but they have not yet unwrapped
their gift to the world
and some of you are saying pastor you
know we see your gift there it is but
what about me I don’t have a gift you
sure well I don’t I mean I’m not as
talented as them and I don’t know no I
didn’t say compare your gift I said you
have a gift I want you to go to first
Peter chapter four and we’re gonna start
in verse ten to see if you have a gift
and it says God has given each of you uh
what he give us a gift so that’s
everybody
everybody I want you to write down point
number one say I have a gift now y’all
didn’t even y’all didn’t even say that
with no type of belief say what’s your
chance say I have a gift okay some of
you need to realize cuz you bought into
the lie that because you were not as
significant in a moment as somebody else
you thought that you didn’t have a gift
you were just developing your gift your
gift was premature your gift was not
fully developed but you have a gift
somebody needs to say it proud aloud say
I have a gift you may have not
discovered it you may be still
cultivating it it may be buried beyond
culture and things in lies that people
have told you but you have a gift
and if you don’t hear anything else I
say I came to ignite something deep down
on the inside of you that has been
literally on life support and it’s a
dream and it’s a vision and it’s what
God’s called you to do
and you’re saying is this anything is
this anything yes it is it’s your gift
and God wants to use it to bring his
name glory and he’ll bless you in the
midst of it but you have a gift and says
God has given each of you a gift from
his great variety of spiritual gifts the
thing that makes me so happy about that
is we don’t have to have cloned gifts
it’s that God has a variety of gifts we
can look around the room and see how
creative God is by looking at your faces
looking at our body sizes looking at our
hair types god is great there’s not one
person in here who is the same that’s
the same DNA he gives us with the gifts
he places on the inside of us somebody
say I have a gift but look what else it
says it says 1st Peter 4:10 it says God
has given each of us gifts from his
great variety of spiritual gifts it says
use them well point number 2 I have to
use my gift see because this is the
crazy part about having a gift most
people don’t use it fully and probably
if I could say it the biggest epidemic
in church right now is neglect we got
more word than we ever have we have more
information than we ever have had we
have more more more more more and we’re
doing less and less I mean can you think
about it to tell people about Jesus back
in the day they had to make a plan
saddle up on the donkey ride to another
town get off meet people all you have to
do is pick up your phone can text
somebody but you’re scared they may
reject you you’re scared they may think
you’re a weirdo I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Jesus
what what and we do less now with more
than in any generation in history but
not transformation Church because we
have gifts and we’re gonna squeeze those
gifts until there’s no juice left in a
path I will die empty because the
greatest place of wealth in our world
today is the graveyard because more
people die with their gifts on the
inside of them than their gifts
unwrapped so what are you saying Pastor
Mike use your gift if you knit knit for
the glory of God no y’all see y’all
thought that was funny talk to y’all cuz
they sleeping
if you sing sing for the glory of God if
you play ball play Bowl for the glory of
God do not allow the enemy to lie to you
and think that you have to sell out your
gift to the world to get something now
how many people are singing secular
music that are worship leaders and
they’re fighting and at the end of day
life 80 years old they want to come up
with a gospel record we don’t want to
hear that what I’m saying to you is is
that God’s plans for you are better than
man’s plans for you and if you submit
your gifts back to him he’ll do
something extravagant with your life
somebody say I have a gift and y’all
better be glad I’m not God because the
one thing I can’t stand is when you give
somebody something they don’t use it
like I gave a guy a jacket he had a
busted jacket and I gave him a nice
jacket he has the nerve to show up in
that dusty jacket again what I’ll give
it back you don’t want to use it to give
it back but thank God God’s not like me
yeah praise Him
but this shows the Grace and the mercy
of God look at Romans 11:29 for some of
us who’ve been neglecting our gift
there’s grace for you it says for God’s
gifts and his call can never be
withdrawn isn’t our God good enough
another translation says the gifts come
without repentance and so I’m
encouraging you don’t let it be another
10 years another 15 years another 10
minutes before you say god I’m gonna use
everything on God listen if if it’s
insignificant to somebody else it’s
something that I can use if it may not
be popular or Instagram abou but i’ma
use my gift to bring your name glory
somebody say I’m gonna use my gift
look at that scripture one more time
that first Peter chapter 4 verse 10 God
has given each of us a gift from his
great variety of spiritual gifts use
them whale to serve one another point
number three my gift is not about me Oh
cuz because I know I know what happens
after you get up to say you don’t I’m
saying okay alright god I have a gift
and you know what I’m gonna use my gift
then we forget about this third one it’s
not about me no no I don’t know I
sacrifice it so I could be the big deal
I went to school so that I could have
the degree and get the better paying job
no no you don’t understand god that’s
funny I got this degree and you want me
to go serve waiter and you want me to go
work waiter and you took me through all
that schooling not to even put me in my
field I can I came to this place to go
to college I didn’t come to this place
to live your you’re asking me for more
than what it does for me that scripture
tells us he said this whole thing is
about us serving each other so
everything that God gave you
you get to use it but it’s not for you
oh that’s so good cuz if you learn this
now you’ll stop holding back on God if
you learn this now you won’t look at
your situation well this is just
happening to me why I’m in this
situation I hate these people around me
you’re supposed to be there because
you’re an answer to one of their prayers
but you’re so focused on what it makes
you feel like that you won’t tell your
flesh to shut up long enough to be able
to get the impact into the area you’re
supposed to be in and God said you got
to stay there till you finish the
assignment and so you’ve been there 50
years I mean remember the children of
Israel they turned an eleven-day journey
into a 40-year deaf cuz they didn’t get
it they didn’t get that he was just
trying to purify them from their old
ways and take them into a Promised Land
but we be up here tripping like this is
about us and he said your gift is not
for you it’s for somebody else
and so once you realize these three
paramount things you begin to act
differently there was a song by the Red
Hot Chili Peppers that said give it away
give it away give it away now
I don’t know a lot about rock but when
they play that when I gotta be trippin
on that one but that concept is so
powerful that my gift things are not to
be held back for a more opportune time
my gift things are not supposed to be
until I have a title or till I have a
position or till they recognize the God
in my me no no you’re supposed to be
where you’re at and you’re supposed to
give it away
see I’m telling you that your God’s
gonna put you in positions and you’re
gonna say well they’re not even gonna
give me credit and you’re gonna hear in
your spirit give it away give it away
give it away now because when God can
find people who will not hold back their
gifts and they understand that these are
resources but he is our source
see the only reason you hold back
something is if you feel like there
can’t be more of that he and so many
reason why people hold back money they
hold back their gifts they hold back
their stuff is because they’re not
really connected to the source your job
is a resource and if you lose your job
yo yo baby if this church folds I’m
connected to the source economy can be
turned down
everything can be jacked up but
everything God uses to give me money is
a resource it’s not my source call him
Jehovah Jireh my proof that’s with or
without taxes that’s with or with you
got what I’m saying
that’s whether they can do a tax cut
imma be cool cuz the White House is not
my provider Oh y’all missed it let me
get back let me get back look at the end
of that verse first Peter chapter 4
verse 11 it says do you have the gift of
speaking and I love the word of God
because Peter he they was like yeah
Peter’s talking about a gift it’s the
same food that walked on water didn’t
have water he’s special like so he
telling us to use our gift but I mean
he’s walked on water so he breaks it
down and he says man okay how many y’all
speak then speak as though God himself
were speaking through you look do y’all
see how powerful that is like he took a
very low level thing that all of us do
because people don’t consider their
gifting what people are annoyed by you
that may be your gift like it like you
know what I’m saying
and he literally bring his said you know
people like he’s always talking he’s
always talking I got in trouble I got
wulfings for talking I get all that and
I get paid to talk yeah they say what
I’m saying like late like like what I’m
telling you is what’s undeveloped and
unrefined in one season may be the thing
that sustains you in another season so
don’t let people deny what your gifting
is just because it’s undeveloped
and so he just took a low-level thing he
said okay what they not getting it can
you speak well speak like God speaking
through you and the reason I like that
so much is it cut it didn’t even say
that God was speaking through you it
says speak like he was like there’s a
confidence you have to just step out and
do it like when you step out and do it
and I just think about oh thank you Holy
Spirit whoa crazy
I’m Jim revelation right now just think
about who’s telling him Peter who God
told him to step out of the boat and
walk on water he had to step before he
defied gravity defied the laws of
buoyancy he had to step first and God’s
telling some of you you gonna have to
stay a step and say I am the business
owner you’re gonna have to step and say
I will graduate college you are gonna
have to step and save my family are
y’all like it y’all not here you’re
gonna have to step first and some of us
are playing it so safe and God’s telling
us right here he said man use what you
got like God’s back in you they said
they don’t even if they don’t get that
either okay what can look what else did
not think of how they gonna get this
okay
do you have the gift of helping somebody
I mean everybody can help somebody so
look look how insignificant that would
seem to us if we stood up and start
naming off all of our gifts and somebody
stood up and was like I have the gift to
help people in our society that would
seem little in comparison to the one who
could be on the platform singing but
he’s saying that’s a valid gift like if
you have the gift of helping people do
it with all your strength and energy
that God supplies then everything you do
will bring glory to God through Jesus
Christ hold on if I just use my gift
where I’m at and do the best I can with
it it’ll bring glory to God yes and then
it says all glory and power to him
forever amen three things I want you to
remember is what I’ve just gone through
I have a gift everybody say I have a
gift
I have to use my gift my gift is not
about me okay so that was just the pre
message before the real message because
what I really want you to hear me say is
that those gifts really can’t be
unlocked until you get generosity and I
know people just got tight right now
just just just butts clinch together cuz
you think issue thing oh you’re coming
for money and he coming for the know
we’re not taking no offerings we’re not
doing any of that today okay what I want
to talk to you about is that you have
the gift of generosity that’s the title
of my message today I have the gift of
generosity just say it in faith just say
I have the gift of generosity see when
you get Jesus you got generous when you
get Jesus you got generous the the the
god of the universe came in set on the
inside of you and generosity now is
innate in you you want to be generous
but a lot of times debt society cultural
norms all of those things come to squash
the generosity in you but that’s not
God’s best and that’s not Kingdom for
your life and so today I came to unwrap
you
I came to unwrap you because some of you
are the most generous people you just
broke some of y’all are the most
generous people but you just don’t
steward over what God’s giving you right
some of y’all are the most generous how
many people would say like come generous
but I’m not able to give like I want to
give come on just just be honest I’m
about to unwrap you today because
honestly it’s not about money it’s about
what God gives you if he’s giving you a
gift to sing but you won’t give it to
anybody it’s worthless
it’s thief giving you the gift to
administrate but you won’t help nobody
cuz you don’t like people it’s worthless
worthless and these are the excuses that
we give for using our gifts but God
wants to unwrap us somebody say unwrap
me see what happens is many times we
allow culture to wrap our gift back up
we allow the fear of running out to wrap
our gifts back up we don’t trust God to
provide we’re in competition with others
we don’t honor God with our increase
we don’t tithe we don’t we don’t give
offering we’re just trying to hold it
and what what the picture God gave me he
said Michael you my people are standing
here with closed hands he said in the
saddest thing about closed hands it’s
not that you can’t give it’s that you
can’t receive either see when you’re
when you’re when you’re sitting here
like this you can’t give won’t receive
and God’s saying but if you would just
do this and open up your hands and just
say God I trust you to put it in there
and if you ask for it back I’m not gonna
close my fists like I’m gonna trust you
with this home god I’m believing you for
this home god I’m doing and he did it
but what happens 10 years later when he
says okay I want you to downgrade and
live in a condo so you can get
financially free crickets crickets what
do we do Oh
thought this was my blessing I stood for
this I gave for this and he said and I
did it so can I have it back
cuz you can’t beat God giving so so it
must mean we don’t trust him because
we’ll hold on to everything that we have
for dear life and he’s saying I got
better for you I just needed to check
your heart and see if I still was God or
was this house God who is this schooling
God or am i God is this car God or am i
God is your family God or am i God
because one of my Commandments is there
shall be no other gods before me and the
only way he can test that is through
testing your treasure hey I’m in your
business right now because the thing is
I people could say you love God show me
your bank account no no you don’t
understand right now I mean it’s in an
economic downturn and so I’m just I’m
just kind of getting things together and
getting in line down and ducks in a row
and I understand that but God tells us
very clearly in his word that our our
heart follows our treasure our treasure
doesn’t follow our heart and many people
have that that
especially the millennial generation we
want to get passionate about something
and so we say stuff like I’m just
passionate about this I just I really
feel this it just goes to my core DNA
and this is just who God’s called me
early and we do all of these different
things okay but but what happens is we
won’t give to it the way we’re supposed
to because just because we’re passionate
doesn’t mean we’ll unclench our hand but
God says see this thing about the
kingdom is reversed if you give it I
make your heart follow it well wherever
wherever you throw it’s like this is
what I saw
it’s like casting it’s like casting and
when you do it and you get a big fish
and you’re in a little boat it’ll start
to pull you where you need to be God
says put your treasure in the house of
God put your treasure in things that
won’t rot put your treasure and things
that that go past death that have
eternal value and he said and then your
heart will go there y’all don’t even
believe me look what I’m just gonna show
you in the Bible because some of y’all
just like I want to show you this
Matthew 6:19 says wherever your treasure
is wherever your treasure is there the
desires of your heart will be also
but like you got to understand that for
us to be generous God is going to test
that thing with asking us for treasure
things that are valuable think cuz cuz
there’s no way and I’ll begin to ask
house like alright God we starting a
brand new series unwrapped you’re on
saying I really want this to be a great
series he said Michael I can’t unwrap
anybody who’s not willing to give me
what they have and I can’t rap
anybody who doesn’t realize that
everything they have I gave it to so we
got to start with generosity and we got
to start knowing that it’s not about
supply that’s what the Holy Spirit was
telling me when I was praying he said
Michael it’s never about supply
I’m Jehovah Jireh I own everything it’s
it’s never been about will there be
enough
he said it’s always about will you give
it when there’s a demand he gives seed
to the sower is what the word says but
he doesn’t give seed to the waster I
want you to hear me said he gives seed
to the one he can get it through he does
not give seed to the one who will hoard
it and many of you are sitting here and
you’re comparing yourself numbers and
zeros to what somebody else is doing it
does not matter about the amount god is
interested in obedience not amounts but
many of us are sitting here and we’re
holding on to our gifts our finances our
money our talents and constants please
let me unwrap you because what I have
for you is greater than anything you
could even imagine for yourself look at
the word what it says in 2nd Corinthians
chapter 9 verse 9 it says and it is
written that they have freely scattered
their gifts these people gave their
gifts and they even gave them to the
poor it said their righteousness endures
forever or they get to create a legacy
now he who supplies seed to the sower
and bread for food will also supply and
increase your store of seed and will
enlarge the harvest of your
righteousness what are you trying to say
Pastor Mike God wants to bless your
socks off I’m not telling you no
prosperity merit message I’m not blowing
smoke up your horn God is saying I want
to bless you but not so that you can
keep it for yourself look at it it says
you will be enriched in every way but
there’s a purpose so that you can y’all
underline this in your Bible like write
this down like the reason why God wants
your bank account to be fat like the
reason why he wants your business to
blow up the reason why he wants your
investments to go to the next level it’s
not the stunt on people is not the floss
not to bling-bling not to show that
you’re better than everybody he doesn’t
want any of that stuff look what he says
he says so that you can be generous on
every
the occasion and through us through us
somebody say through me your generosity
will result in Thanksgiving to God God
said I want you so paid so that anytime
there’s a need you don’t have to say I
gotta sit this one out like he wants you
so blessed so that when you see an eat
before they say it
oh no no pastor preach something else I
got the next building but like how much
a million it’s some money I thought I
thought see you don’t even have the
faith to even dream there you can’t even
think that like I’m telling you and
that’s what the enemy wants you to think
that is suppress what God’s give me but
he said no no I want to give seed to not
the hoarder to the soul if y’all could
get this college students I don’t have
enough right now I’m already up give
what you got begin to if you got three
packs of ramen noodles give two of them
away know him know y’all missing the
concept you’re missing the concept
because God’s not concerned about
amounts in how it comes
there was a extravagant offering given
and people were dropping hundreds of
thousands the equivalent of a hundreds
of thousands and this woman walked in
and said I want to participate too and
they say how much you got she said I
only got two mites Jesus stood up and
said this woman’s gift was better than
all y’all’s because it was not about
amount it was about heart posture if God
called for all of it she gave all of it
these people sitting up here with
millions of dollars I’ll give a hundred
thousand oh that didn’t mean anything
because it wasn’t a sacrifice but that’s
what God says we bring a sacrifice of
praise and to the how it gonna cost
something that’s gonna hurt ya and God’s
gonna have to provide cuz I just trusted
him with everything that I have but
that’s why he wants to bless you hear
what I’m saying to you that some of your
next level is not going to come in
getting a blessing it’s gonna come in
being a blessing you ain’t even thought
like that yeah you will god I’ve just
wings for the miracle of them I’m
waiting when it is over here is over
here over here you over here playing
basketball trying to defend the blessing
and God says what if I didn’t call for
you to do this but I called you to go
find somebody to be a blessing to you
that’s what the spirit of generosity is
that God wants to give you and that’s
what we’re supposed to be having in
every area of our life look at psalms
112 verse 5 it says good will comes to
those who are generous
good things happen for people who are
generous that’s not just again with your
money that’s with your life I thought
about this the other day that there are
things that we could be generous in that
we’re just not generous in I was in the
parking lot of a establishment and you
know whenever I see an open parking spot
close to the front I think it’s a
miracle that God is trying to tell me
I’m your father
and I love you and you are my favorite
like that’s how I take it every time
every time but like it’s just oh yeah
hey Morioka
anybody else like when you get a
smile
blessed and highly favored but but but
God begin to challenge me he said
goodwill comes to those who are generous
and Lynn freely and God said when’s the
last time you part passed up the good
parking space cuz somebody was behind
you and you wanted to give to them
generously
some of y’all that thought he ain’t even
never crossed in your mind you give up
the park oh but God told me he said
generosity is not just dollar signs it’s
what you can do to make somebody else’s
life more convenient and I mean I mean
there was one time I just I just seen it
was there and I just pushed the gas I
just start waving bye-bye to the park is
fun and and and but you never know what
your act of generosity can begin to do
in somebody’s life what if that person
was in their car and that was so
frustrated away down with the pressures
of life and they said I
even find a parking spot and they were
about to give up and you’re put on the
gas and your act of sacrifice and you’re
asked of generosity gave that person
hope for tomorrow golf claps
because generosity is not about you it’s
about what God can do through you and
this really is a sign of maturity
because only mature believers can say
stuff like not my will but yours be done
only people who are connected to the
source can say if there’s any way that
this club can pass let it do it but you
know what never mind cuz they’re gonna
need my sacrifice and I’m saying that
what if this Christmas this church was
unwrapped and we became the most
generous group of people in this city
that we begin not to act out of our own
once in our own deeds but we begin to
look for the needs and ask the Holy
Spirit to direct us to places where we
can be the answer to somebody else’s
problem you don’t even have to have a
lot of money to do that you can go you
can go in that same store and see
somebody that’s about to be done putting
their groceries up and they’re gonna
have to walk all the way back up there
or leave the cart in the thing and you
can just wait on them don’t be creepy
step back excuse me ma’am can I can I
take that yeah and see what you thought
as insignificant God calls great
righteousness those are the acts of
generosity that produce in our life look
at that Psalms 1:12 five so God come God
will of good will comes to those who are
generous and freely lived that Lynn
freely who conduct their affairs so how
they act matters with justice surely the
righteous will never be shaken isn’t it
funny how when you’re anchored to
something that everything around you can
be shaking but you’re not shaken that’s
what generosity does when I give out of
my need when I give when there seems
like everything around me can be shaking
but I’m not shaking and it says they
will be remembered forever another way
to say that they’ll leave a legacy
my question to you is when you die how
will people remember you like like
because ever you think everybody loves
you and your Instagram is popping in
your Facebook and your family loves you
and all this stuff but will you have
done anything that makes a significant
difference and God says people who are
generous their legacy will be remember
they will be remembered forever and
that’s the type of church that I believe
that I’m leading here a group of people
who want to leave a legacy on this earth
that aren’t just going to be here to
suck up our part of it and not leave
more than what we came with that we are
going to be ones to send people to
college that we’re gonna be ones to
bring people out of desperate situations
and bring them into flourishing
situations we are gonna be the ones to
look at a need and be able to say we’ll
meet the need before you ask for the
need to be met we’re going to be a
church that walks in generosity that you
you don’t even gotta say it I’m looking
for it and I know it’s tight but it’s
right
some of y’all sitting here just so
uncomfortable I made my budget Pastor
Mike I know what I’m supposed to do and
maybe God’s asking you for more than
what you give it a transformation Church
in this season I make super excited
because part of my responsibility as
your pastor is to take you on a
spiritual journey and I’m kind of like
more than a pastor I’m like a tour guide
like hey there’s patience we really need
to go visit that hey there’s joy you
should spend some time right there you
know what a matter of fact here’s
self-control why don’t you just live
there for a little bit I’m just here to
point out things for you to go explore
further and I’m grateful that this
season at Christmas God has given this
church opportunities to move in our
faith to move forward in our faith
through generosity because if you want
to talk about unwrapping your gift it’s
gonna start with you realizing that the
gift is not yours anyway and this is
God’s you are God’s
I am the Temple of the Holy Spirit
whatever you want to do with me God you
can do it you’re sitting here looking at
a person who never thought they would be
on a stage pastoring preaching teach
or doing anything but I gave up what my
will was to obey God’s will and can I
tell you on the other side of it it’s
way better to be in the will of God then
making my own thing happen by myself
[Applause]
here what I’m saying to you and this
season as a church I want to present
these four things these four
opportunities for us to be generous and
the first one was one that me and God
battled with because I know the season
we’re in you like I know it’s Christmas
season and God’s God said to me said
Michael I didn’t call you to lead this
church so people could like you I called
you to lead this church so you could
give people opportunities to be like me
I said okay well okay they said Michael
what I want you to do is I want you to
tell the people that we’re giving an
offering on December 17th and we’re
calling it a legacy offering remember
what it said in that scripture that
those who are generous their name will
be established righteous forever they’re
gonna leave a legacy and y’all know we
have a big vision at this church and
we’re believing God for amazing things
expansion and all kinds of stuff y’all
know this church has doubled in size
basically in the past year and a half
can we give God glory for that right now
so many of you weren’t here a year ago
thank you for coming we’re so excited
about what God is doing but can I tell
you this is just the beginning this is
just the beginning this is the ground
floor of what God’s gonna do but he
wants to test our heart and he said
Michael I want to do heart surgery on
the people I said what does that mean he
said I need to test their treasure this
is not so much for the vision but it’s
so more for us to realign our heart with
the purposes of God and so on the 17th
December 17th we’re gonna give a special
offering above our tithe and blood above
our normal offering and I’m not gonna
tell you what to give
I have no amounts in mind I have nothing
God’s gonna speak to you and some of
y’all saying la la la la la la la la
you’re doing that right now
hey but this is all I’m gonna tell you
if he gives seed to the sower so if you
purpose in your heart father god i’ma
give that five dollars I’m gonna give
that $50 I’m gonna give that $500 I’m
gonna give that $5,000 I’m gonna give
that $50,000 I’m gonna give that five
million dollar like listen when you
purpose it in your heart God says oh
yeah that’s where I come in I’m the
supplier I give seed so the people I can
get it through and I know this may mean
you wanted to get five pair of shoes for
Christmas and you’re only gonna get one
but I’m telling you that if you obey
this is not a gift for Pastor Mike God
uses his house as a measuring stick of
how you are progressing in your heart oh
that’s good God uses his house as a
measuring stick of how you’re
progressing in your heart and so when we
give this offering we’re gonna give it
with joy we’re gonna give it to expand
the kingdom of God but more than
anything you’re going to begin to bet
hard part of your heart that selfish
part of your heart that layer that says
mind me my family closed fist it’s gonna
open up and got some hard now I can use
them I’ve been trying to get these
resources and this financial aid in this
investor but they just miss so stingy I
can’t even open them up and literally
you’re gonna see the blessings of God
begin to overtake you because you obeyed
him in generosity so I’m super excited
about this cuz we’re gonna do that
and I just want for everybody who gets
funny about money and all that other
stuff um the reason we’re not taking an
offering today cuz a lot of times people
they preach a message
put it on thick and they say now I need
13 people to stand up with $4,000 I’m
waiting and we just be waiting and and
so and I’ve been in too many of those
services but I believe the Bible that I
read tells us in second Corinthians 9:7
it says you must each decide in your
heart how much you are supposed to give
this is between you and God and don’t
give reluctantly or in response to
pressure
there’s no pressure here you can come in
here we’re not checking we’re not
scanning people as they come in can you
tell me if the one in the red gave like
we’re not doing that it’s been this
between you and God but I’m telling you
on the other side of generosity is a
life a blessing that you don’t even know
about right now and God wants our hearts
in this season of Christmas to be more
like Christ so we’re gonna give the
second way that we’re going to give in
this season is by something that we’re
calling the random acts of kindness and
we’ve done this in different seasons in
our church in our it would be our prayer
that we would do this all year long but
we want to ramp it up a hundred percent
during this Christmas season what does
that look like we have these cards out
there that I want y’all to take a
fistful of and it literally just says
random act of kindness and what I want
you to do is I want you to start going
in your areas of influence Starbucks
McDonald’s chick-fil-a wherever you eat
wherever you do and I want you to start
doing random acts of kindness one thing
you could do is I want you to pay for
the person behind you tell the clerk hey
I’m gonna pay for their meal or their
drink or whatever just give them this
card when it’s finished and they’re
gonna walk up there and you don’t stay
in Instagram and see what’s good you
don’t do that stop that because God is
the reward of these moments okay this is
not we don’t give in a spectacled manner
well we give so that God can see those
things
oh so walk and turn around and go out
and on one sides it says hey this is
just a random act of kindness another
other side it says join us for our
Sunday service 9:00 a.m. 1115 and join
us for a special Christmas presentation
and it talks about the gift that we’re
gonna do on on Christmas Eve you never
know what a random act of generosity
could produce in somebody’s life could
it be the one thing that gives somebody
freedom from alcohol addiction could it
be the one thing that leads somebody
from being a self-righteous racist
person to loving people
and being one that say it’s your random
act of kindness and that’s what God
wants to do through you transformation
Church this is a season of generosity
see if we want to really unwrap our gift
we’re gonna have to be ready to give it
away any moment and many of us are
sitting here waiting for a reserved time
a perfect spotlight everything ready to
give my gift and God’s saying I’m gonna
ask for it in the slums I’m gonna ask
for it when you busy I’m gonna ask for
I’m gonna ask for your gift and all I
want to know is can I get back what I
gave you and we’re gonna be a church
that throughout this whole city we’re
gonna be doing random acts of kindness
the third way that we’re gonna exercise
our faith in generosity is that we’re
going to do you already heard about it
the Angel Tree and I just want to paint
this picture for you just a little more
because these children that we are
providing gifts for their parents are
incarcerated 95% of people who are
incarcerated are going to get out but
they don’t have a different lifestyle
when they come out and their
relationships are so broken that they
usually go back to the thing that got
them in and they go back to jail
but not this year because transformation
church is gonna step in and
relationships that have been severed
between children and family and these
children think that their mom doesn’t
care about them and it really was that
the mom didn’t know how to get things
done so she went in stoled and now she’s
separated from her children and now they
hate her but they get one time a year to
see them and they don’t have the
finances to be able to bring them a gift
but we say we’ll buy the gifts for you
and we’ll an honest mononymously step
back and you’ll never know our name but
we will be the ones to stand in the gap
and provide an opportunity for mending
of relationships between mothers and
fathers and sons and oh you can clap
better than that even if you’re not
giving yeah
see so many people talk about our church
being on the north side and all this
other stuff and whatever lesson baby
we’re a generous church everybody can
give but the reason why people are
giving to us because God gives seed
through the we will continue to get
blessed not because we’re a needy church
is because we’re a giving Church see
y’all got it all twisted
y’all want charity cases but God wants
charity he wants people to say I’ll give
what I got I may not have as much as
victory I have as much as church on the
move but what I do have God’s you can
have it what we do have God’s you can
have it what I do Oh somebody needs to
feel that what I do have God you can
have it and when you get that out of –
God says I have no problem blessing you
the last opportunity that we’re gonna
have to be generous it’s probably my
favorite is that on December 23rd and
December 24th we’re gonna be giving
people the gift and we’re not gonna be
silent or quiet or subliminal with it
we’re trying to give people Jesus I mean
the name of our church is transformation
Church the only way you get
transformation is in Christ so we’re not
gonna hide it but God called us to
represent and the team has put together
this amazing I don’t even know what to
call it presentation that is going to
speak to people who are broken lost far
from God undecided experimental hurting
but it’s going to change people’s lives
and what I’m asking you to do as a
church who’s generous is I want you to
sacrifice number one sometime cuz we
need people to serve and be a part of
people’s transformation well I know we
always have our Christmas Eve
festivities and our Christmas Eve Eve
festivities and we watch in pajamas and
we do that and I’m not coming against
your Christmas holiday but please like I
said last week don’t let convenience
kill your Christianity why do Christmas
have to be on Sunday or Christmas Eve
have to be on Sunday because it rotates
every week it’s going
do you understand what I’m saying well
that’s messing up my tradition what’s
one year for one soul like I just want
us to look at this practically what if
we were generous this year maybe we
didn’t get to do everything we usually
do but our children get to see that hey
guys we’re sacrificing this year so that
a family can be changed and transformed
and this is better than my money I know
you love that bike
but that bike is gonna rust and it’s not
going to be able to produce everything
but what you just did created treasure
for you in heaven and the presence God
gives are way better than the presence
mommy and daddy can give and so I want
you to know that I’m proud of you and
this Christmas has been our best
Christmas because we sacrifice for
somebody else
that’s generosity at its best and I’m
asking you to even be generous with your
influence there’s people that you know
that you’re waiting for this right
opportunity to invite them to church I’m
telling you this is it if you invite
them to church I’m asking you to trust
me with this influence because God is
going to do something powerful at this
presentation because transformation
church this is about God using our lives
and not us using God to live a life but
can God get back the gift that he’s
placed on the inside of you I want to
pray for everybody because I believe our
church is taking a turn today that we’re
going to be unwrapped and the first way
we’re gonna do that is be by being
generous and so I want to pray for every
person in this room who may be been
struggling with that closed hand that
may be like oh I don’t know about that
I’ve already made my budget you asking
me on the 17th to give something extra
like what what God will speak to you
he’ll tell you what it is
he’s gonna put people in your path he’s
gonna do all this other stuff and he’s
just saying hey when I ask you for it
just obey me
he said cuz I always provide I’ll always
give seed to the one who sews father I
thank you for transformation church that
this is a generous Church and father God
that we realize that we have a gift we
have to use our gift father God in our
it’s not about us so the first thing is
that we have to exercise this gift of
generosity but I thank you God that
there is nothing that you wouldn’t do
for your children even to teach us
father God to be more like you
so father if you ask for a amount of
money or if you ask for some time are
you asked for our gift father we say yes
God you can have it because your plan
for our life is better than anything
that we can do God as we give father God
on the 17th and as as we do random acts
of kindness God and as we bless these
mothers and and and children father God
from the angel tree and as we invite
father so that we can see transformation
in Christ God I thank you that you will
be glorified by our generous acts that
people will begin to thank God for us
because we answered the prayer and we
trust you and believe you that you’re
developing a generous heart on the
inside of us in Jesus name we agree amen