Holy rebels are willing to take the risk of relationships. In the final week of the Holy Rebellion series, Pastor Charles reminded us of our need for community. While relationships come with beauty and brokenness, there is nothing like having friends who will pull you, protect you and pour into you. We are created with the purpose and the power to stand up and stand out for PEOPLE. We pray that this message sparks you to pray that God sends you the friends that align with your purpose. If you’re looking for community, join an online or local Belong Group near you at: https://transformchurch.us/belong/

Scripture References Romans 1:16 NKJV Galatians 3:28 NIV Genesis 2:18 NIV Daniel 3:24-25 NIV Daniel 3:16-18 NIV John 15:15 NKJV Ephesians 6:12 NIV Proverbs 18:24 NKJV 00:00 – Intro 01:08 – Romans chapter 1 verse 16 NKJV 07:39 – Galatians chapter 3 verse 28 NIV 10:32 – You were created with the purpose & the power to stand up & stand out 12:15 – The point of purpose is people 18:15 – Declaration of a Holy Rebellion: 1. I refuse to live in shame 19:09 – Declaration of a Holy Rebellion: 2. I refuse to be bitter 19:31 – Declaration of a Holy Rebellion: 3. I refuse to be powerless 20:02 – Declaration of a Holy Rebellion: 4. I refuse to be alone 23:00 – Genesis chapter 2 verse 18 NIV 31:24 – Daniel chapter 3 verses 24 through 25 NIV 32:31 – Daniel chapter 3 verses 16 through 18 NIV 43:38 – Holy rebels are willing to take the risk of relationships 49:29 – Great friends… 1. Pull 51:02 – Great friends… 2. Protect 53:03 – Great friends… 3. Pour 56:16 – Proverbs chapter 18 verse 23 NKJV 57:41 – A Holy Declaration Join Transformation Church for our live Sunday experience. Plug into community, engage in live worship with Transformation Worship, and hear a powerful word from God. ABOUT US: We Exist to REPRESENT God to the lost and found for Transformation in Christ. This is the vision of Transformation Church, led by Pastor Michael Todd and based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. NEXT STEPS: Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? You may be wondering what’s next on your journey toward Transformation in Christ. Text SAVED to ‘8282’ Join a Belong Group: https://transformchurch.us/belong/

Join our TC Email Newsletter: https://transformchurch.us6.list-mana…

STAY CONNECTED Transformation Church Website: https://transformchurch.us/

Transformation Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearetransfo…

Transformation Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearetransf…

Transformation Church Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformtulsa

#transformationchurch #transformationworship #liveworship #sermon #preaching #onlinechurch #miketodd#livesermon

hi my name is Bree and I have the

privilege of serving as Chief of Staff

here at Transformation Church at TC our

vision is to represent God to the lost

and found for transformation in Christ

and we just want to say thank you so

much for tuning in from wherever you’re

watching from if you haven’t already be

sure to like And subscribe we believe

that God has a word just for you so

let’s jump into today’s message

y’all ready for the word today

all right all right let’s get into it

let’s get into it

um okay so we have uh we’ve been in a

series called holy Rebellion everybody

say holy Rebellion

holy rebellion and uh I showed up in my

blood Jesus outfit today

um I told you I was gonna wear it

backwards how y’all didn’t know if I was

going to do it I did it um

anyways I’m not going to make a comment

but uh I am excited for today because I

believe it’s going to be the exclamation

point to

um the last couple of weeks and we have

had an anchor scripture for this series

that has kind of been the foundation of

what we’ve been talking about why we’ve

been talking about it and uh this is the

last week and so I want to read this

scripture this is Romans 1 16 Romans 1

16 is our anchor scripture I’m going to

read it off the sky Bible

um and uh I just made that up

man I could do this forever okay uh Sky

Bible so Romans 1 16 it says this for I

am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ

for it is the power of God to Salvation

for everyone everybody say everyone

for everyone who believes

um for the Jew first and also for the

Greek

um this scripture has been our anchor

scripture and I want to address

something today

um because there’s a comma right here it

is very interesting and this could be a

hang up for some people and I wanted to

make sure we didn’t get out of this

series with addressing this um and this

is just why you got to read your Bible

and why you can dig into your Bible you

ever got to a scripture where you read

it then you kind of looked at it and

you’re like I don’t really know what

that means we’ll just skip over that

part like you can do that I’ve

definitely done it um but also you can

kind of dig into it and ask a god like

hey God could you like help me

understand this and not just ask God but

talk to actual people there are people

who study this and that’s like their

whole life goal is to understand and

understand the context in the original

language and what they were getting at

and what they were saying to and uh I am

not one of those people who knows all of

those things but there’s a guy I’ve

originally been connected to his name is

Jr and I’ll text jrjr is fluent in

Hebrew and in Greek and he has more

degrees than a thermometer and so IV

texting Jr like hey dog uh I want to

make sure I’m not saying the wrong thing

is this right help me understand this

there was a whole sermon I was going to

preach in this series and he’s like yeah

that’s not really that’s not really

right so I was like ah okay well what

should I preach so he’s been helping me

um could you throw the scripture back up

there but I I want to address it says uh

it’s the power of God to Salvation for

everyone which is very inclusive like

it’s Super Why like everyone who

believes and then but then it’s also

like makes a delineation it’s like yeah

everyone first for the Jew and also for

the Greek

um and I want to make sure nobody gets

hung up on this because you could be

like what are you saying everyone and

then this is the stuff that like tick

tockers put out and be like this is why

I’m deconstructing my faith and they

haven’t even like looked into the

scripture so I just want to help you

like so you don’t have to like worry is

the Bible’s real because you don’t

understand it doesn’t mean you your

faith isn’t real it just means you don’t

understand it just like there’s cars

that you drive that you don’t understand

I mean the car is broken you just don’t

understand it that’s all it is anyways

um so for everyone who believes for the

Jew and also for the Greek so uh Paul is

writing this is in Romans he’s writing

to the church at Rome the primary this

is the first thing you understand

um Jesus was Jewish I don’t know people

don’t understand that like that you

forget Jesus was a Jew the Jews are

God’s chosen people God comes to Abraham

um his name is Abram at the time and

earlier at the front of the book and he

says hey I’m picking you out and through

you there’s going to be a nation that is

born there are many other gods but God

chooses Abraham so the Israelites the

Jews are God’s chosen people and God

gave promises to them and and special

thanks to them all throughout the Old

Testament and so there’s this beautiful

thing that happens that is Alter our

scripture recognize that hey the Jews

are God’s chosen people and so what he’s

doing is he’s acknowledging two groups

of people the first thing he’s doing is

saying um this is for the Jew first

because they are God’s chosen people

he’s not throwing out the Old Testament

he’s not saying that oh none of that was

real and all the promises that God made

to all your forefathers they’re not real

not everybody gets in Noah’s saying hey

God’s trusted you with special

Revelation because he chose you and he

selected you out now when he says this

what he’s doing is to a Jewish crowd he

understands who he’s talking to so this

is beautiful because the Jews and the

Greeks it would be similar to The Lost

and the found like the Jews would be

like people who are trusted with the

Revelation they’ve had the law all these

things so he says to the Jews hey this

is for you like you don’t have to be

ashamed the Gospel of Jesus it is for

you now to the Greeks that would have

been super offensive because Jews almost

had this stuck up kind of idea about

them they’re like either you’re Jewish

or you’re out of here like and if you’re

not Jew forget you blah blah blah and so

the Greeks are kind of like man I don’t

like them man why are you talking about

they get the special promises blah blah

blah so it would have been offensive to

the Greeks and the Jews would have felt

like

I told you

they’ve done all of that like

so he says that to them like just to

appease like hey I want to acknowledge

there are some promises that you have

but then he like offends the juice so

hard but he’s like also don’t forget

that this gospel is not exclusive to

your cultural background

that please do not get it twisted yes I

want to acknowledge some promises but he

said it’s also for the Greek it’s also

for the person that you feel like

doesn’t deserve it it’s also for the

person that you feel like isn’t good

enough it’s also for the person that you

feel like you they’re not special enough

to receive the promise please do not get

it twisted this church is not just for

saved people this church is not just for

people who can speak in tongues and

talking proper this church is for people

who don’t know where they stand with God

this church is for people

the Bible’s real

and we can learn from this book

and what he was saying is your cultural

background is not the most significant

thing at the foot of the cross

let me bring that modern day and offend

a couple people you being black is not

more important than you being saved you

being white is not more important than

you being saved

some of y’all clapping some of y’all

staring at me but some of us claim our

cultural identity more than you claim

the cross

when we get to heaven they ain’t gonna

be a black church or a white church or

Hispanic church it’s gonna be we all

gonna be up in there singing holy holy

holy is the Lord

foreign

it’s not gonna be segmented that’s

Earth’s problem that ain’t Heaven’s

problem your cultural background is not

the most significant thing I’m not here

to say it’s not important I’m not here

to say that there aren’t real things

that you’ve gone through based on your

cultural background what I am saying is

at the foot of the cross it’s the same

Grace to save you as it is the same

Grace to save me

[Applause]

so that that’s what Romans 1 16 means

okay

that’s not anything to do with my sermon

okay uh

I’m gonna give you some some scripture

just to stand on if somebody tried to

unwork that for you Galatians 3 28 there

is neither Jew or nor Gentile neither

slave nor free neither they’re male or

female uh oh let’s not address our

sexuality here because he’s saying it

that that’s not he says for you are all

one in Christ Jesus

you can see okay here’s what we’re gonna

do we’re gonna move right along

um before I get off track

what he’s saying in this scripture and

what I want to read it to reiterate

today is there’s room in this Rebellion

there’s room in this Rebellion no matter

your background no matter what you’ve

went through no matter your skin color

no matter your mistakes

no matter if you were raised in church

or not there’s room in this Rebellion

because they’re specific people

that you were created to reach

or specific people that you your story

your past

your mistakes

you’re now here let me let me affirm

something your cultural background

enables you to reach certain people that

other people couldn’t reach

the scripture says that God looks man

looks on the outside and God looks at

the heart

and the traditional interpretation of

that scripture is it don’t matter uh

what people say because God’s looking at

your heart that is true a hundred

percent

and also a different perspective might

be as well in its addition to that is to

be aware that man is looking on the

outside

so like let me just make some sense even

so there are people in my life that are

I grew up super into fashion and clothes

like it was just who I was people be

saying like man he trying to be I’m

trying to be me this is me you could

have came up in sixth grade and I would

address this some weird outfit my mom

would be like is that really what you’re

wearing and I was like yes Mama this is

what I’m wearing so

what I understand is that there are

people scrolling on Instagram or Tick

Tock or while I’m out and this is just

me being me Red Alpha I would wear this

to go pump gas like this is just you can

ask my wife I’ll catch a vibe to to take

the trash out like let me throw in this

hat real quick go out here

true

but what I understand is there are

certain people that because they’re

looking on the outside they’ll think

what is let me listen to what he’s

saying

and it’s the thing that surface level

grabs their heart and they don’t realize

that the truth of God does not care why

you showed up but it will arrest your

heart when you show up

and in the same way there are people

that see me like this and it’s like Ah

that’s just not my thing and that’s cool

that’s why they need you

because there’s something about how you

talk and how you carry yourself and your

anointing that is a gift to the people

in your life

we’ve been saying this every single week

um I want to say it again you were

created

with the power

and the purpose

to stand up

and stand out

that’s why you were created you weren’t

created to be normal

created just to fit in to every

situation you walk into you were created

with

the purpose

and the power

to stand up

and stand out

Now that statement has kind of been the

thesis of this series it’s kind of been

the anchor thing I’ve said it every

single week

and I was thinking about the last week

of this sermon

and uh that statement I was kind of

going over it and thinking about it and

I thought

um and something just hit me as I read

it I thought that statement um is true

but it’s incomplete

and I was sitting there and I was kind

of I was wrestling with this idea

because I thought that that is true you

you were created

with the purpose and the power to stand

out

you see this statement IT addresses

why you were created because you were

created to

stand up and stand out IT addresses what

you were made to do

you were why you were created to stand

up and stand out how you have power and

purpose but there is one of the most

significant attributes of a life that is

missing from this statement

it answers what

it answers why

but it doesn’t address who

and I want you to write this down I want

to make sure that when we close this

series you understand this statement the

point of purpose is people

I want to make sure that we don’t preach

this whole series about how you’re going

to stand out How You Gonna Rebel how you

gonna take over in your sphere of

influence and you forget that your fight

is not against people but for people

I

I came to be very clear today because

the church at times has gotten so riled

up in this room and you walked out of

this room thinking your neighbor was

your enemy thinking that person at the

other church was your enemy thinking

that people who don’t believe like you

is your enemy and you walk out of here

thinking we just can’t stand for this we

gotta stand up we gotta say something

and you think you’re fighting people and

don’t realize you’re fighting

principalities

[Applause]

help me understand this if Christ died

for everybody why would he equip you and

send you into the world to condemn them

to fight them and be mad at them

the logic don’t make sense so we can be

in here getting riled up but if you

don’t walk out of here understanding the

Reason God Gave You purpose the reason

he gave you power is because there’s

people in your life that you’re supposed

to reach there’s people in your life

that you’re not fighting against

but you’re fighting for

and for so long the church has thought

we’re here to fight against the world

I’m here to fight these people and they

blah blah blah and I’m gonna fight my

boss

your boss need Jesus

and if you have such a bad attitude

and you I’m not I’m not gonna do that

I’m not I’m not gonna do it because my

savior said that I can I pray in the

Lord and you trying to make me show up

at nine o’clock I rebuke you in the

so now you can’t share the love of God

because you just lazy and late all the

time and now you think anybody’s trying

to provide structure in your life is

trying to suppress you and oppress you

and now

you fighting who God died for

[Applause]

may we not forget that the person to

your left and to your right the person

that was behind you in line and Target

that was kind of huffing and puffing

because you got in the Short Line and

you had more than 10 items and you knew

you had more than 10 items but you was

in a rush and so you got in line and now

they huffing and you turn around and

side-eyed them

some of y’all that was a prophetic word

you’re like oh my God that was me how

did he know

the Reason God Gave You purpose

the point of purpose

is people

and I would be remissed if I got you so

confident

in God’s call on your life

but didn’t let you know

that you were created with the power and

the purpose to stand up

for people

you were created to stand up

for God’s creation

this isn’t some idea where we just get

so in ourselves and so in our religious

rules that we forget the only reason we

end here

is to go into all the world

and make disciples

there are no qualifiers after all the

world go into all the world well really

what I mean is the places that you’re

comfortable and people who think like

you and people who voted like you make

disciples of people who make you feel

safe that’s not what the Bible says

go into all the world

and it can be so easy

here’s a here’s a beautiful thought I’m

gonna actually I’m gonna read this one

it’s it’s a text from uh Jr the guy told

you that speak all these languages uh Jr

he texts me and this is a crazy

Revelation and I didn’t write it down in

my notes but I’m going to read it right

here it says this

um okay it says this a great thought for

Community this is what he says Paul says

my Lord only once in his new testament

writings

he says our Lord 53 times

hey and we’re up here talking about me

myself and I I’m A Lone Ranger it’s just

me and Jesus I got Jesus I don’t need

nobody else

okay

but please do not forget the Lord’s

prayer that Jairus led us through

earlier doesn’t say my father

the Bible will preach itself if you read

it it says our father

[Applause]

and Until you realize

that this ain’t about you

here’s here’s the deepest thing I got a

lot of stuff I can say

but here’s the truest thing

you’ll always feel incomplete

you’ll always

there will be a piece of you

that feels like

I’ve done all this stuff

I got all these things

but I

I don’t have any people

you were made regardless of your

personality

regardless of the practices you hold you

were made to be in community with people

over the last couple of weeks I’ve been

trying to do something intentional and I

wanted to give

um four statements for us over the last

four weeks you may recognize this you

may have not but I wanted to give four

statements that could be Declarations of

a holy Rebellion things that you could

leave the sermon series and even if you

didn’t remember nothing I said which

would be a little hurtful but I get it

you could remember these things from

week one I’m gonna sum up all of week

one sermon I refuse to live in shame

that’s the Declaration of week one I

refuse to live in shame the scripture

says I’m not ashamed of the Gospel I’m

not ashamed I’m not ashamed I’m not

ashamed of of my past because I know

that God’s covered my past so the first

declaration is I refuse to live in shame

the second declaration is I refuse to be

bitter

no matter what culture is said no matter

they say you should be offended you

should hold a fence people are raising

their kids to be offended of certain

people no no no no I refuse how I’m

gonna Rebel how I’m Gonna Stand Out I

refuse to be bitter

last week’s declaration I refuse to be

powerless

I refuse to be powerless well good is

purpose if you ain’t got no power God

left us the power of the Holy Spirit to

enable us to live out the life he’s

called you to live the the the the life

that God has called you today is not a

to-do list that you muster up by

willpower but God said it’s good that I

go I’m leaving you the helper the Holy

Spirit The Advocate

I refuse to live in shame I refuse to be

bitter I refuse to be powerless the

final week of this series the title of

the sermon is I refuse to be alone

[Applause]

I refuse to be alone

now I want to address a couple things

here because there are people

um

personality and practices that could

fight against that title some of y’all

Believe It or Not similar to me

are introverts

this has been an awesome year like you

lying

don’t nobody who’s the introvert wear

that red outfit you learn

foreign

or extroversion is not about being loud

because don’t get it twisted I do be

loud

it’s about where you gain your energy

from how you recharge

I do not necessarily

recharge in this atmosphere

but some of us think that your natural

inclination to recharge as an introvert

you think your personality gives you

permission to not have people in your

life

you use that as like a wall well I’m

just an introvert

okay cool you know Jesus can provide you

with other introvert friends

and here’s the most beautiful thing your

introversion if not paired with a friend

around you who is extroverted can become

a weakness that pulls you easier into

depression

I’m not saying this speaking this I’m

saying this from experience if you don’t

understand the beauty of having people

in your life

you will slowly spend time by yourself

and feel like oh gosh what what’s

happening it’s because you were not

created to be alone

so I want to address your personality

the other thing I want to address is

some practices because some of y’all

y’all was in here thinking but what

about the Sabbath what about you know

Jesus often withdrew I refuse to be

alone that sound unbiblical to me

that was a practice not permanent

Jesus went away for the sake of the

people

you know I’m going away to recharge to

spend time with my father to withdraw to

solidify my identity so that I can go

back out here and love on these people

so that I can be around people and

encourage them

I refuse to be alone I refuse to be

alone I refuse to be alone you want to

know what happened in scripture here’s

what I’m gonna tell you in scripture all

throughout scripture Genesis 1 day one

light good

day two atmosphere and firmative good

day three dry ground of plans good day

four sun moon and stars good day five

birds and sea creatures good day six

Genesis 2 18 it is not good

for man to be alone

first not good in the Bible everything’s

good and then God says hold up there’s

something in this picture that would be

a misrepresentation of get this me

see what you don’t realize is our God

refuses to be alone because it’s God the

Father God the son and God the Holy

Spirit he has Community all in himself

even though he don’t have to because

he’s showing

a picture

of the power of community

I refuse to be alone I refuse to be

alone I refuse to be alone the first not

good now there’s two implications of

that scripture because it says it’s not

good for a man to be alone the first

implication is he was talking about Adam

who was a God and guys are dumb so he

knew if you are by yourself

you’re gonna do something dumb so I

gotta give you a woman

the ladies you can clap for that

he he knew that

it’s not good for the man to be alone

that’s also not good for mankind

it’s not good for your soul it’s not how

you were made

now I understand with friendships

there’s a lot of different ways that

people come into our life there’s a lot

of different way that we make friends

some of us make friends just how we did

um in school growing up and these are

all great ways to make friends some of

us make friends by proximity like you

know when you was in elementary school

and he was out there for me um you know

the way little little kids made friends

especially as a boy like growing up

playing sports you just be it’d be quiet

and there’d be somebody out there

shooting

um playing basketball and you kind of

just walk up

you’d be like

oh you didn’t you

then I get let me go

you do this okay yeah and then you get

the rebound you throw it back and you’d

be like hey you you want to play

one-on-one

yeah I’m gonna play 21 You’ll Play 36

what you want to play 36 tips what we

gonna do well yeah

you start playing and it’s like what’s

your name again and then when you leave

you’re gonna be out here tomorrow hey

I’ll be here tomorrow okay and it’s so

guys so we don’t have the ability to

communicate you don’t play basketball

with the dude 36 times you don’t know

his name you come home mama I want to go

to uh songs what’s his name uh he he the

short guy you know he kind of big he uh

he he uh when he shoot his elbow go out

like this I like

you make friends by proximity just and

it’s the same way when you get older you

be in your cubicle and then the boss

walk by and both of y’all straighten up

and then y’all kind of laugh when he go

by and you kind of talk to your friend

you just make friends by who’s around

you

proximity some of us make friends uh

based off perception like I don’t like

sometimes I remember I went to this one

school and when I moved a lot so when I

go to school I was trying to figure out

who uh the cool people was I was like

who’s the cool people who’s the lame

people and very honestly I would like to

bounce between both groups

you see because sometimes I would go to

schools where this this is my experience

may not be your experience but I grew up

where I was one part of a school where I

went to all black skill and I was the

white kid at the school and then I went

to a white school and I was the black

kid at the school so it’s very

interesting

I was like the fastest and then I was

like the 36th fastest on the team at a

different School

so I said Mom I’m gonna go back to the

white school because I be I’ll be

getting a ball a lot more

[Applause]

this is my last week man I gotta get all

these jokes out okay jeez man

they’re like yeah four weeks is all he

can handle anymore we just

but it was based off perception it was

like if I’m friends with them

then I’ll be in

and some of us we do the same thing at

your work you’re like oh I need to be

friends with so and so because they’re

connected to so and so and if I you know

the perception of us being friends will

really help my portfolio blah blah blah

blah that’s awesome

but the most beautiful thing

that I really hope would happen in your

life

is that you would experience not friends

based off perception or friends based

off proximity but God would send a few

people not many this is rare this is

very rare let me be clear if you’re

looking for them down your road they may

not be there right now but my prayer

is that God would send you friends

aligned with your purpose

there’s you don’t meet them all the time

you have one or two of these in your

life and you are a highly favored person

if there are certain people God will

send into your life that are not there

for the perception of being your friend

that are not there just because of

proximity because there are some of us

who have honestly experienced the pain

of people who were only there to be our

friend for what it looked like

there were only people who were there

not for who we were but for what we did

and as soon as someone came along that

did what we did better than we did it

they will offer you and on to the next

one because the only reason they showed

up in the first place

because they liked you for what you did

not who you were

prayer is that you would experience

friends

who are there because God aligned to

purpose

because God sent them into your life you

may not understand it you may not know

why but but they’re a purpose friend

there’s someone who’s been assigned to

you there’s someone who who has oil on

their life that ain’t even for them but

it’s for you they they have something on

the end they’re the purple that you

ain’t even got to talk to them and they

walk in the room and say you all right

what’s going on I speak peace over your

mind right now they’re the people who

will text you when you about to do

something dumb and they say I don’t know

why but the Holy Spirit just told me to

encourage you and I’m gonna like those

type of friends

[Applause]

we see in scripture uh there are three

purpose friends three Hebrew boys

Shadrach Meshach and Abednego

now the funny thing I didn’t get to

preach this but when I was thinking

about identity it’s funny that we still

say the whole story Shadrach Meshach and

Abednego and that’s not their name

that was their cultural name because

they have been taken and what happened

is the Israel people got conquered and

so the culture of the time changed this

is the first thing culture will do

culture will change your identity they

would tell you you ain’t that’s what

culture’s doing right now they trying to

tell you who you you ain’t who God says

you are you whatever you want to be

that’s just that’s what it’s all I’m

saying is I’m not mad at you the devil

just ain’t got no new tricks cause he

was doing it to the Hebrew boys and he’s

doing it to people today so he changes

their name

they get these government jobs and I was

talking to J.R and they were like he’s

like that I was like how’d they meet was

they like in a small group together like

is there anything like and preachers are

so bad because if you this is nothing

preacher said he’d be trying to make the

Bible work sometimes and you need some

people that’s like they don’t work like

that brother and so he was like well you

can’t really say like exactly how they

met but most likely it would have been

under these circumstances and um there’s

a miracle

that happens in this story of these

three Hebrew boys

if you don’t know the story

um the king builds this massive statue

he says hey um at around noon

Bell’s gonna go off

and everybody needs to bow down and pray

to me

so the three Hebrew boys are like uh

that’s cool

but just just We’re not gonna do that

so some people find out some haters

they get on YouTube and they’re like yo

I heard

Shadrach Meshach and Abednego

smash that like button subscribe

I heard

you said

so the word gets around and the King

finds out

so he brings him into his court he’s

like hey guys so I’m gonna need you to

bow down there’s a beautiful thing that

happens I want to read this portion of

scripture for you it’s uh Daniel 3 24 it

says then King Nebuchadnezzar leap to

his fate feat in amazement

what happens is he says if you don’t bow

down I’m gonna throw you into this fiery

furnace and they’re like hey we’re not

going to do that and even we believe our

God can save us but even if he don’t

this is Gangster it’s just like listen

brother oh you weird anyways I’m not

doing this

and it says this it says he’s left to

his feet this is the miracle weren’t

there three men that we tied up and

threw into the fire

they replied certainly your majesty he

said look

I see

a fourth man walking around in the fire

Unbound and unharmed

and the fourth looks like the son of God

there’s a there’s a miracle that happens

in this scripture now now the miracle

that I’m actually talking about today

may not be the one you’re thinking of

let me read this to you uh this is

context before Daniel 3 16 Shadrach

Meshach and Abednego replied to him King

Nebuchadnezzar we do not need to defend

ourselves before you in this matter if

we are thrown into the Blazing furnace

then the God we serve is able to Deliver

Us from you and he will deliver us your

Majesty’s hand but even if he doesn’t we

want you to know your majesty that we

will not serve your Gods you know what’s

interesting to me

not the miracle of Christ

but the miracle

that before Jesus showed up

you have someone in the fire

with you

today I want to help your perspective

and ask the question when did we stop

seeing Community as a miracle

because the truth is

there are many times in my life where I

was standing in fire

and I knew God was with me

but the hurtful thing wasn’t

whether or not he was with me

it was to be in the fire

and look around

and be like I’m in here by myself

do you talk about a miracle

maybe you have it maybe you’ve always

had it but I haven’t always had

three people

that would stay that I would be able to

say we

and us

there were seasons of my life where that

scripture would have said

hey the God I serve

is able to deliver me

and I believe he’s going to deliver me

but even if he doesn’t I want you to

know I

can’t buy bow down

and that’s powerful

but there’s something that happens

to your confidence and to your spirit

you mean to tell me now listen this is

this is uh uh I asked uh Jr about this

the the only implications that I can

have I don’t it doesn’t outline it in

scripture but I’m going to go based off

of human tendency I don’t necessarily

believe that they were standing in the

room and never had a doubt in their mind

how things were going to go

if they’re human

absolutely we see a holy spirit boldness

on the inside of them to stand up and

say even if we don’t but I like to what

I think about this it feels like when

your friends is over and your mama come

up to you and there’s a confidence that

kind of comes up that’s not necessarily

rooted in wisdom but in just a little

bit of good arrogance that just the fact

you got your people with you

there’s something that happens

when you’re able to say

we

ain’t gonna bow down to culture

we are not going to live any type of way

we are going to stay pure until we’re

married we aren’t going to cross that

line we ask for this business everybody

who work here we live with Integrity we

are people who are here to serve we as a

church are people who are called

according to God’s like there’s

something powerful

that happens

the miracle

of community

and my whole goal today

is to hopefully hopefully shift your

perspective that you would see Community

as a miracle

see

the people that God put in your life as

a gift from God

that you would see

the people maybe even the hard

relationships that you have are still

God’s creation

and as a rebel as someone who has

decided to stand up and stand out your

declaration would be I refuse to be

alone

I refuse to be alone because I

understand that whether I feel it or not

that whether it always works out how I

want it to or not God Made Me

to be in community

now I have to address something

and I want to do it

um

gently

because the truth is

relationships and friendships

are equal parts beautiful

and broken

I have to address this you can’t you

can’t preach a whole message on

community and not address the fact that

some of us have had some really good

friends and some of us have some really

bad friends

I mean like relationships they’re

beautiful they’re some of the jokes

aren’t as funny by yourself

like it’s just this is the truth like I

got I got this one friend his name is

Micah and we we’ve been doing this thing

where we talk in this voice it’s just

stupid it’s so ridiculous but it’ll

happen we did we started we were playing

golf and we were like hey how you doing

like we start talking in this like

Italian is we literally we started doing

we did it one time after hitting a golf

ball I like shanked it I was like four

watch out over there and I did it and

then we slowly start and then I realized

I think we just played 18 holes talking

in a made-up Italian mob voice like

but I don’t just be in my car by myself

like hey man how you doing I’m good

Charles you know just hey like are you

okay but as soon as Michael walks I’m

like hey buddy how you doing hey like

this is weird by yourself like it’s just

certain things

it’s just better with people

it’s just you ever like find yourself

looking at social media and you’re

laughing so hard and then you look

around you’re like okay I’m still alone

yeah yeah yeah yeah

because

it’s just better when you have people

around

it’s just it just it’s Joe literally it

was my birthday a couple days ago and I

had we were having friends over and I’m

literally I felt like a 13 year old kid

we got the house ready I’m like asking

Abby about the decorations like is that

too much like you just think you know

like and then I’m just walking around by

the front door like I can’t wait for my

friends to get here like I was so

excited

it’s because the relationships are

beautiful

I’ve had moments with my friends where

I’ve seen God in such a beautiful way

there’s been more I’ll never forget this

one moment me and my I was going through

a really tough season and and my wife

called our friends

and it’s only like two in the morning

this is like it’s so rough this is the

type of friends that God has blessed us

within the season and hasn’t always been

this way but but but but we I’m going

through I’ve been having panic attacks

I’ve been having so much anxiety I’m

having a pain attack it’s like midnight

it’s still happening it’s one in the

morning Abby texts our friends pastors

Mike and Natalie and Brian Aaron and

they text them and they’re like hey I

don’t know what’s going on but Charles

is having another paint effect and it’s

really really bad this time they walk

into our bedroom and I’m like shaking

like I can’t call my breathing down I

like I don’t know I don’t even know why

I’m having panic attack which if you’ve

ever had a panic attack then you start

getting mad at yourself because stop it

Nancy come on like just get it together

and then your body’s like but we can’t

and we’re not good enough and you’re

like come on like

and it just perpetuates the issue

I’m sitting here having this whole

conversation and I cannot tell you how

good God is I’m sitting there and

literally Pastor Michael’s sitting he’s

literally sitting in this chair right

next to the bed

he’s just praying over me

um Pastor Nat and Aaron are walking

around the house with sticky notes that

are just writing the truth that God

words all over our house

and then Pastor brie is sitting on the

end of the bed Abby’s sitting right here

next to me on the bed pass a breeze on

the end of the bed and I’m sitting there

like shaking trying to calm down

and I say and I literally in my head

out here’s what was I was thinking I was

thinking uh if this happens again they

won’t let me lead

that’s what I was thinking like you

because still in my own head it was like

you got to be good you got to have it

together and you now there are real

Seasons where you’re going through a

hard stuff and it’s the healthiest thing

for you to take a break but I just I did

I was like those are not gonna let me

lead and I know and I just feel bad and

this is what went through my head what’s

wrong with you

and I’m not kidding that thought was in

my head when I said what’s wrong with

you when I hit the why of you

Bree Davis immediately said Charles

there’s nothing wrong with you

spirit

told her

it ships are beautiful

and

not but

and at the same time

they’re very broken

because relationships are made up of

people

and people go through pain

and when you go through pain you’re hurt

and you’ve all heard it hurt people hurt

people

and I want to address today

the reality

of the pain you may have experienced

the reality that there are people who

you thought had your back

and at the moment you needed it the most

they walked out

the people who

swore they’d be there for you

only to then in the moment of your

deepest need be nowhere to be found

the people closest to you

the ones that weren’t friends that you

chose but the family that would always

be there

I would never do anything wrong the the

relationships are beautiful

but they are also broken

and here is um

the temptation

of experience Brokenness in

relationships

the temptation

when you start getting hurt by people

it’s for the enemy to tell you see you

don’t need them

you ever been hurt by somebody and and

it means the truth is you’re hurt but

you’re trying to like cover it up and

you say I don’t need them anyway

I don’t need nobody

and what that is is your hurt

six-year-old self trying to make

yourself feel better but it’s not true

and you know it’s not true but it’s the

only way you can make sense of the pain

you’ve walked through

today here’s what I’m going to ask you

to do we’re going to get out of here I’m

coming to a close holy write this down

please holy Rebels

are willing

to take the risk of relationships

and let me tell you this it’s not a risk

you take once

every day to say I refuse to be alone is

a risk

uh and I’m preaching the sermon very

soberly because I don’t want to sell you

on nothing then for you to get into it

and then think man he lied I knew it no

no no no it’s a risk

it’s a risk to be vulnerable

it’s a risk to admit you need help

it’s a risk to say I’m sorry

it’s a risk to put yourself out there

and be honest about how it made you feel

it’s a risk to admit that that part of

you actually intimidates me

it’s a risk to say I know that it’s

awesome and we’re celebrating the fact

that you’ve got married or you had a

baby but the truth is now I kind of

don’t want to be around you because you

having your promise reminds me I don’t

have mine

it’s a risk

and the enemy would just have you think

just as much as you get hurt just start

cutting people off and it’s trying to

here’s what he’s trying to do he’s

trying to do I told you he ain’t got no

tricks he’s trying to do the same thing

he did in the garden

Eve is by herself

she’s at the tree

why don’t you the serpent why don’t you

eat this well God said you know if we do

we’ll surely die

which is always interesting to me the

part of the scripture because

um you know I grew up in church circles

and Men again I said it earlier but men

be dumb sometimes and and they’ll be

like see man if Eve wouldn’t hate the

Apple we wouldn’t

and the truth is if you read the

scripture God didn’t tell Eve not to eat

the apple he told Adam

[Music]

so mighty man of God there are some

things that if you ain’t leading your

home right

and you try to use your spouse as an

escape mechanism for your immaturity and

unability to communicate your emotions

because you a man

have you looking real dumb sometimes

but it happened when she was alone

I refuse to be alone I want to give you

um the cloves of my sermon uh is going

to be this three things

cycling taught me about friends

I got five minutes and 52 seconds to do

it I’m gonna tell you right now I’m

probably gonna go over that just by

touch

um not long I’ll I’ll be done in 10

minutes I promise it’s 12 52 I’ll be

done at 102.

um

three things cycling taught me about

friends

um so I’ve told you about this dramatic

uh June 10th I had a bike and I was like

I’m gonna go for a bike ride no no no

let me back up a little bit uh no that’s

true I went for a bike ride the next day

my friend Micah the Italian guy I told

you about he uh he’s like yo have you

seen this documentary on Netflix about

the Tour de France I was like let me

watch it I watched the documentary the

next day I’m like I need a better bike

obviously and I’m gonna be in the Tour

de France so

go to the bike shop I walk in I meet

this surprise white guy named Buster

Brown and I’m like hey man uh he I

didn’t know it he owned the bike shop

and so I’m just talking and he tricks me

into doing this race and he’s like yo

you should do this race it’s a hundred

miles and if you’re really good you do

it in sub five which is a century sub

five it means you go 100 miles in under

five hours and I thought in my head who

do you think I am of course I’m gonna do

that how

how far away is it he’s like it’s like

uh you know like six weeks and I’m like

okay I just started but why not

dramatically over commit to a new hobby

so I start I meet Buster at the bike

shop we start riding together he’s like

so strong and I’m like not the first

ride we went on together I’m like I’m

gonna need you to stop brother because

my whole body is cramping up in areas

that I didn’t know had muscles so

but along our our process uh wants to

start teaching me

um about cycling and the first one of

the I remember one of these lessons he

was like giving me and we’re talking a

ride together and you know I’m still

still on the inside I’m trying to act

like I know what I’m doing you know he’s

been so kind and gracious and he’s

teaching me but I’m still kind of like

yeah yeah so he’s like saying a million

things every time we go out on a bike

and I’m like yeah got it totally he’s

like I know it’s a lot I’m like oh no

man I got it and it’s just so much one

time he was like okay one of the most

important things as a cyclist is to know

where the wind’s coming from because you

got to know if you got a headwind if you

got a Tailwind if you got a crosswind

it’s important because you can draft off

of people so if you got a headwind the

wind’s coming from at you you get behind

somebody this is crazy the second part

like if you’re on the front uh you’re

using let’s say you’re 100 of your

energy the person it behind them is

using 40 less energy once you get like

fourth or fifth wheel in a long line of

cyclists the person at the front and the

person at the back the person fifth

wheel is using like 70 percent less

energy to go the same speed it’s crazy

so he’s like you got to know where the

wind’s coming from so we be right he’d

be like where’s wind coming from and I’d

be like

uh

it’s like and I’m I don’t know where we

are so I’m like it’s like coming across

like I feel it kind of cross my face and

then I think it’s coming back it’s like

the Southwest you mean like of course

the Southwest tail headwind that we got

here

and so I I slowly start learning about

this and and riding my bike

and doing the the races and events and

watching there are three things I’ve

learned um from cycling about friends

the first thing is uh three points

they’re just single words a great

friends pull

great friends Paul what it’s called when

you’re on the front of that line is

you’re going to get up and you’re going

to pull

and what that means is you are willing

for a predetermined amount of time to

take on the brunt of the headwind

you’re willing to stand in front of some

people

and say I know you may not have the

energy right now so let me get in front

of you and block the wind that’s coming

at you let me get in front of you and

block the the lies of the enemy that are

trying to get here’s what they’ll say

get on my back wheel and hold on because

I’m about to pull and I’m gonna bring

you home

there are times I was doing this one

time and uh I was out and I was dying

and there was these two guys and I came

behind and I just got on the news back

where I didn’t even know him and I’m

just he keep looking over his shoulder

and he just keep turning around and I’m

like I’m dying back here and he

literally just says stay on my back

wheel

you need some purpose friends in your

life

that when you weak when you ain’t got

the energy when you don’t want to go to

church when you don’t want to love your

spouse when you don’t want to be the

person God cause you need some people in

your life that’ll say get on my back

wheel I’m about to pull you

I’m about to pull you in the second

thing you need you need friends great

friends who will protect

something in cycling there’s teams and

there’s eight people and there’ll always

be someone who’s a leader of the team

they’re usually super fast or they’re

really good in the mountains they’re

super strong in that regard and the

Seven other people on the team are

called the French word and it’s called a

domestic

seven guys there’s eight people on a

team one leader seven domestics you know

what the word that Mustique is French

for

servant

that’s all they’re there to do

if you’re a domestic it’s about the

leader

and what they will do is they will take

turns pulling on the front and leader

stays in the back when they get in a

tight Corner you’ll see this the teams

will form a circle around the leader so

that if a crash happens in a tight

Corner the leader won’t go down they’ll

liter they’ll go they’ll start doing

things and maneuvering they’ll use all

of their energy it’s called an attack if

someone’s out in the lead they’ll jump

and fly past them so that the person

that they’re trying to beat the person

that the leader is going up against will

burn all of that they’ll burn all of

their energy just so that the leader

don’t have to use their energy to try to

unequip the enemy they’ll get in front

of them

and they’ll protect

you need some people in your life

that will get around you

and say I know you going out uh with

some friends

and you single right now and you just

went through a breakup

so I’ma go with you to the birthday

party

because you may not make the soundest

decision if you don’t have somebody

there to protect you

I know you’re super excited about this

new opportunity but why don’t we as a

community pray together that God would

give us wisdom because you need friends

who are there to protect

friends who will pull protect

number three friends who were poor

what a domestic will do or anybody will

do is they’ll go back there’s a team car

it’s if you ever see cycling there’s a

bunch of red and then there’s cars

behind them and they’ll go back to the

team card and what they’ll do is you’ll

see them get seven or eight water

bottles they’ll be putting them in their

Jersey putting them in their bike and

there’ll be these moments where the

leaders struggling

and there’s a moment where they’re going

to get dropped or separated from the

group and you’ll see them start to just

dump water on them

what are the their

refreshing

someone they see

that’s about to give up

this happened to me unintentionally uh

in the 100 mile ride I’m going and I

almost gave up at 75 miles but I barely

made it to this rest stop and we’re

coming and I hit 90 and I’m like oh my

gosh I think I want to do it I’m going

to do it in the time blah blah blah I’m

not lying to you I hit

92.8 miles and my body said boy you done

foreign

I thought dog you only got eight miles

like come on is it you might as well

have a million miles you are done

I was like oh my gosh I’m not gonna make

it I literally but my my whole body was

in the most pain it’s ever been I’m

literally like dying and this person

rides up next to me and they’re like how

you doing and they said it an exciting

way because they knew that like I just

started like you’re gonna do it and I

was like I’m done I’m done and they’re

like what like we’re right I’m like I’m

done I’m done I just kept say I’m done I

can’t do it I’m done I’m done I don’t

know what I’m gonna do I like and

they’re like what what do you mean and

this lady she unscrews her water bottle

and she says you’re not done and dumps

the hole

thing of water

you need people

in your life

that when you say

I’m done

I can’t do it

they’ll come up to you and they’ll say

you’re not done

and they will be refreshment to your

soul

great friends pool

great friends protect great friends poor

now here’s the reality there’s a catch

with this

the honest thing is some of us are

sitting in this room thinking I’m so

grateful for my friends

and some of us feel like I don’t have

any friends who do that for me

and I have comfort and a calling for you

the comfort is

this scripture

and it says this John 15.

I no longer call you servant

I Call You Friend

as Jesus talking

the comfort is for you to know even when

you feel like you ain’t got a friend

Jesus says you’re not servant you’re my

friend

that’s the Comfort but here’s the

calling if you feel like you don’t have

any friends right now

Proverbs 18 24.

a man who has friends

must first

himself

be friendly

here’s my encouragement to you be the

friend you’re wishing you had

be the friend you’re wishing you had

I get it that that’s you got to go back

to week three for this because you can’t

do this in your own power

you can’t because there are times where

you feel like I don’t know what I’m

gonna do I don’t know what the comfort

is you have a friend the calling is be a

friend

you feel like if you’re gonna make the

decision I refuse to be alone the

comfort is you have a friend the calling

is

be a friend

everybody’s standing all over this room

it’s 102.

I told you boy

[Music]

wanted to give you

um wanted to give you four declarations

if you don’t mind if it’s not an

emergency if you could please study for

these last few moments I 100 understand

if you have to go 100 understand but if

you don’t absolutely have to it would

really mean a lot I think this part is

going to be super important and when you

leave today you’re going to get

something

um it is a card

like this and it says a holy declaration

as you walk out today volunteers are

going to be holding these

and I wanted to give you something

tangible that every single day when you

woke up you can declare over your life

over yourself based off these last four

weeks I’m gonna take a moment I want to

read this over you

um and then we’re going to pray we’ll be

out of here but this is a holy

declaration This Is Us declaring if I’m

going to be a part of this holy

Rebellion this is the Declaration I make

on a daily basis it says this I am a

holy Rebel

I refuse to live in shame

today I release the shame of my past and

stand confidently knowing that my past

is Forgiven and God has a plan for my

future I refuse to be bitter no matter

what culture says I will not allow the

seed of offense to take root in my soul

I will live my life to be a blessing to

everyone I come in contact with I refuse

to be powerless today I step out of my

own power and I call on the power of the

Holy Spirit he is the source of my

strength and in him is everything I need

for the purpose I have been given I

refuse to be alone my purpose is not

solely for me God has put me on this

Earth to be in relationships with others

and I will continue to take the risk of

relationships I will not back down I

will not quit because I was created with

the power and the purpose to stand up

and stand out today the kingdom of God

will be established on Earth through me

foreign

we’re making a decision

every single day I refuse to live in

shame I refuse to be bitter I refuse to

be powerless and I refuse to be alone

today it is no accident that our belong

groups are starting up this week when

you leave today there will be people in

the lobby where you can get in a small

group if you are not in a small group if

you are not in community there are

people here who would love nothing more

than to go through this human experience

with you they’re not perfect they don’t

have it all figured out they don’t have

all the answers but they would love to

experience it with you if you’re here

and you’ve been coming to church but you

just come you stand in this big room and

then you leave you don’t have anybody to

go to eat with after this you don’t have

anybody to call in the middle of the

week when you leave today in the lobby

specifically there will be people who

would love to get you connected to a

small group

specifically last week we had a moment

where we prayed over all of our students

if you’re a student in here today

specifically we talked to the team and I

said man we’re seeing how many people

come up I want to make sure our students

do not go into this school year without

Community if you are a student right

outside these doors there’s a room it’s

a South Ballroom it’s like a party in

there they set it up there’s people in

there there’s student leaders there’s

College leaders people who are in

college leading small groups if you’re a

student you don’t have Community please

do not leave today without allowing God

to bring some people into your life

[Applause]

I want everybody to repeat after me

say I refuse to live in shame

[Music]

I refuse to be bitter

I refuse to be powerless

I refuse to be alone

every hand lifted Lord God you see us

we’re not perfect

but we’re progressing and we’re saying

we need your help I thank you Lord Jesus

right now I just pray and seal this

series Lord God that you would Empower

every person in this room to know that

they were created with the purpose and

the power to stand up and stand out Lord

God that we would walk out of Shame Lord

Jesus that we would not allow bitterness

in our heart Lord God that we would not

walk out without the power of the Holy

Spirit and I thank you Lord God that you

are sending people into our life for

purpose Lord God you’re sending people

into our life Lord that’ll be there to

pull us when we ain’t got it people into

our life to protect us when we can’t

protect ourselves people into our life

that will pour that will be a

refreshment to our soul and Lord God I

thank you Lord Jesus that overall you

are the friend Lord God you’re the

friend that sticks closer than a brother

I thank you for your spirit every head

bowed every eye closed there’s people in

this room that you have not accepted

Jesus as your lord and savior you can

put your hands down for just a moment

this is the most important thing we do

you have not accepted Jesus as your lord

and savior you need to no he’s not mad

at you you need to know there’s no

pressure to achieve to then make

yourself good enough to get in no you

surrender by Grace the Bible says it is

by Grace you are saved through faith

it’s a miracle that happens when you put

your trust in Jesus he does not take all

your problems away but he is the answer

in the problem he is the fourth one in

the fire he is the one who guides your

steps and reminds you of who you really

are if you want to accept Jesus as your

lord and savior I’ma count to three you

know who you are there’s a fight in your

soul right now and you know it’s you you

accept Jesus as your lord and savior

it’s the best decision you could ever

make I’m gonna count to three if you

want to accept Jesus you just raise your

hand and when you raise your hand it’s

on the outside acknowledging what God is

doing on the inside a miracle it is a

miracle one he loves you two he’s proud

of you three raise your hand right now

you want to accept Jesus as your lord

and savior come on I see that hand I see

you so proud of you so proud of you man

of God I see you up there so

I see you all right everybody let’s

repeat this prayer together for those

who are coming to Jesus say dear God

I admit

I’ve made mistakes

dear Jesus thank you for loving me

be my savior

be my Lord

in Jesus name I pray amen

hey could you make some noise for people

who just gave their latest Jesus

Hey listen if you just made that choice

there’s a there’s a code that’s going to

come up on the screen if you’re watching

online you can scan it on your TV if

you’re in the room you can scan that we

would love to connect with you we would

love to encourage you this journey of

following Jesus is not to be meant to be

done by yourself today as you leave one

make sure you grab these cards for you

grab some for a friend grab one to put

in your car on your mirror and at work

just to remind yourself and do not leave

today if you’re not in community don’t

leave today without checking out a

belong group students specifically right

across the hallway Hey listen I love

y’all so so much I’m so grateful for you

I appreciate you and uh man I want to

um just say thank you for everything

God’s doing through your life and I

swear I wasn’t going to do this but I

made a bet that if I did the race in

five hours Buster Brown had to come to

church so he’s sitting right over here

could you make some noise for my friend

thank you

I promised I wouldn’t do it I lied I’m

so sorry all right we love you so much

thank you for coming to church this

weekend go out and live a transformed

life

thank you so much for watching this

message we pray that it encouraged you

we also want to say thank you to our

faithful partners and givers here at

Transformation Church it’s because of

your generosity that this Vision has

been made possible if you’d like to

partner with us in giving you can text

give to

828282 or you can visit our website also

be sure to like subscribe and check out

our other sermons as well as our live

Sunday experience that begins at 10 45

a.m Central Standard Time now go out and

live a transformed life

[Music]

thank you