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a real message that has really been

changing people’s life has anybody has

their life been changed by this tried

message okay um if this is your first

time I encourage you to go back and

listen to what God has been saying but

basically it’s the concept that we’re

gonna stop striving using all of our

energy and effort and trying to do

something outside of what God has set

for us and we’re gonna start striding

which means to walk a long decisive

steps in a intentional direction and

many of us have been out here running

everywhere trying to do everything but

we’ve come to the conclusion and decided

that running is overrated like running

is what leads us to be burning burnt out

to be frustrated to have so much loss

and God says I have a better way for you

a way that you don’t get the glory for

it but I get the glory for a way that

will allow you to not just see a

blessing but be able to enjoy it too and

so I want us as a church to go deeper

into this revelation because Psalms 37

23 I want you to remember this it says

the Lord directs the steps of the godly

he delights in every detail of you of

their lives

God wants to direct you in every area of

your life if you’ll let him and every

area you don’t let him direct you have

to sustain and so why are you stressed

god I’m just so stressed out it’s just

so much happening right now god I just

feel overwhelmed if you say stuff like

this you may be outside of the pace of

grace you may be doing something that

God did not grace you for in the season

maybe he’s gonna grace you for it maybe

you’ll have it in a different season but

God is saying will you allow me to set

the pace will you allow me to be the one

that gives you the promotion when you

need it will you allow me to be the one

to lead you to the job when you need it

will you allow me to be the one that

leads you to the relationship when you

need it and I’m encouraged that there

are so many people that at the top of

the year in our vision series we’re

saying god we’re pushing everything to

the middle of the table we want your

will for our life so set the pace

somebody just say set the pace guy

and I know that’s a fight in many of you

because how many of you are planners

come on let’s be honest how many you you

already got till 2019 plant down okay

and how many of us can we be honest this

is a hot church humble open and

transparent how many of us are control

freaks come on just you want to be in

control you in the passenger seat no

turn here you didn’t even want to drive

and you’re trying to tell me where to go

and many of us would just like God to be

in the vehicle and not be in the

driver’s seat we would rather him not

know the direction and know what’s best

and take us there we’re just saying what

do you think is the best direction but

I’m gonna make my own decision anyway oh

come on

and so we have to stride everybody say

stride I want to take you to a scripture

that really is going to challenge all of

us and challenge our thought process and

our American dream and it’s gonna

challenge all the things that we’ve been

taught because the title of my message

today is less is more less is more and

many of us don’t feel that way honestly

you’ve been taught all your life that

more is more and the more you get the

more you acquire the more people who

know you the more people who like you

somehow your significant somehow that’s

what God wants for you somehow that’s

the best for you but as I begin to study

around this this concept of us striding

and taking long decisive steps in the

direction that God has for us I keep

coming to this theme in the Bible that

less is more

and honestly it’s the conflict that many

of us deal with every day is fighting

wanting more when God is setting a pace

for less oh come on let’s be honest god

I should have a promotion on this John

job but we’re striding okay well I want

to be married do you see me

how do you know what I bring I’m at I’m

at oh my friends weddings and they

gettin all married in the summer and

I’ve caught all the bouquets I just I

don’t know any up out here random Austin

or everybody but why don’t I have a

husband what why is it not come my term

and many times it feels like what God’s

doing is less than what we could be

experiencing we’re living in a house

that’s a less than what we could be

we’re not experiencing everything that

that God says is the abundant life visit

it and why does it seem so many times

that when God starts to do a work in our

life it seems like less but I came to

encourage somebody today I really did

come to allow somebody to realize that

less is more that’s I’m like how can you

say less is more cuz as I studied the

Scriptures I keep coming to this start

process that God is close to people with

less that that that he begins to do a

work in your seasons of less more than

he’s able to do in the seasons of us

having abundance I don’t know about you

but some of my greatest revelations came

what I didn’t have nothing it came at my

lowest point it came when I was putting

my heart before God and allowing a God I

ain’t got nothing else I need you to do

something with me and he would speak to

me and change me and renew me and then

when I got paper I stopped playing when

I got influenced we stopped being

intimate and what God is saying is if

you as my people could allow me to set

the pace of grace for your life and

realize you don’t need everything right

now that I’m enough for you you would

begin to embrace the fact that less is

more somebody say it with me

less is listen let me read this

scripture to you because

convicted the mess out of me and he been

whipping my butt all week with this so

guess what he about to do to you go to

Ecclesiastes chapter 4 verse 6 there’s

some good word right here better is one

handful with tranquility then two

handfuls with toil and chasing after the

wind what God is saying right there is

it’s better to have one handful of

something good then have two pham pools

full of something you think is great

but it’s better to have one marriage

that you’re actually investing in then

to have every girl in the world liking

you and trying to keep up to please

everybody I got some examples because

some of us are like one one hand see

when you have one hand full you leave

room for God see when you have one hand

full of something you can give if he

tells you to give you can pick up you

can be generous you can do other things

but most of us are carrying everything

we can carry see I’m good I’m blessed

look at me I’m blessed in the city

I’m blessed in the field and we’re

carrying weights and walking around

trying to prove to people that we’re

enough and God says could you could you

do less could you have less good could

you actually be humble and not take the

credit for what I’m doing in you it’s

okay to just have one handful and be

peaceful than to have two handfuls with

toil and all of these other types of

distractions that’s why God is coming to

you today to give you this message of

less is more because he’s telling us to

cast aside every weight that wouldn’t

just stop us that would slow us down and

as we’re walking many of us have so much

stuff so much approval we’re needing so

many things that we’re trying to keep

and get and status and love and likes

and all of these different things and

God says is it okay if you have less

could you just have enough to be

satisfied

peaceful or do you want so much that it

causes pain where it was supposed to

cause a blessing and I know I know

this is going against everything you’ve

been taught cuz for me I have never ever

said I want less ever we go to the

buffet y’all know that’s what I’m

thinking about on this last day of the

fast y’all pray for your pastor but you

go to the buffet and you’re usually full

after the first plate but there’s just

so much that I have not tried yet and

what ends up happening is when you’re

sitting with people you can say out loud

man I’m full and they’ll say you better

get you some more what what what why

would they say get some more when I

already told you I was satisfied because

in this American culture and what we do

enough is never enough it’s never enough

and I don’t want to remix this passage

for you cuz some of you are just looking

at me I’m gonna give you the same

passage of ecclesiastic for 6:00 in the

MLT version the Michael Living

Translation let me help you better is a

job that pays less with time for your

family then a high-profile position with

the broken marriage less is more better

is being okay with your singleness and

being at peace than being thirsty and

chasing every counterfeit who will end

up damaging you oh the girl no beggars

like I mean amen amen

okay can I help you better is accepting

your calling and developing it and

obscurity then trying to be and do

everything that seems profitable and

successful at the moment oh yeah I got a

few more verses for you better is being

humble and letting God elevate you

being ambitious and trying to make a

name for yourself that you have to

sustain oh come on let’s be honest a lot

of us are out here striving when God’s

saying is already got it for you before

you were formed in your mother’s womb I

had a plan for you

but you’ve been working your plan and

not my plan and I’m asking you again

today will you allow me to set the pace

of grace for your life I know you want

to have a doctor next to your name but

it’s gonna come when you’re 50 are you

okay with that we’ve got all my other

friends were graduating with this

doesn’t and he said they’re gonna be

working out of their purpose for 20

years but will you allow me to set the

pace of grace for your life well God

they already have a church and you’ve

called me to be a pastor but I called

you to serve for the next 12 and not

even serve on the platform I want you to

serve in the parking lot because I want

to form your character to begin to love

people you don’t even like people right

now but you want to be a pastor stop it

come on let’s be honest so I need you to

I need you to get in a parking lot so

you can know some people’s names and you

can start being out there what it’s

called sometimes he said yeah and I

walked everywhere and I want you to make

a sacrifice and deposit to be able to be

what those people need cuz I’m gonna cut

away until flesh as you serve in that

prayer I know you sexy but I want you to

be bundled up and say hi to some people

because I know you love me right

I know where I’m taking you

but god that’s not the pace I want to go

at he said okay so you sustain which you

won’t – and I’ll be here when it fails

because God said let me set the pace of

grace can I give you one more it’s

better to have some nice things that you

own then tons of junk that owns you Oh

some of us have so much crap and that’s

the nice word I mean let me give you an

example I looked it up the storage

business in the last 10 to 15 years has

become a twenty two billion dollar

industry and the average house 15 50

years ago it the average house now is 10

to 20 times bigger

we still don’t have enough room in our

house for our crap so what do we do we

go buy little storages and pods to keep

our crap in so that we can feel good

about our stuff and then we pray things

like Lord get me out of debt but I’m

paying money every month to keep crap

that I don’t need some of y’all came

just for that what I’m saying to you is

is it bad to have things faster might

know but it’s bad for things to have you

somebody say less is more and I know

this is gonna take a lot to get in our

mind but the rich young ruler he thought

he had it together y’all remember that

story and Mark where he came and he said

hey I’ve followed you I want to follow

you I want to eternal life what I need

to do look what the word says in mark

chapter 10 verse 21 Jesus looked at him

with so much love and wanting the best

for him and he said there’s one thing

that you like he said go sell everything

you have and give it to the poor and you

will have treasure in heaven then come

follow me and I love this because a lot

of people see that’s why I like to

charge Cephas Jesus taught him to sell

everything and tell him to come and give

it to him now look what the word said he

told him to sell everything and give it

to the poor God wasn’t trying to advance

his ministry he was trying to check his

heart he wasn’t trying to build a trust

fund for his ministry he didn’t sell go

sell everything and bring it to me so

that we can do this just sell it and

give it to the poor cuz I don’t care I

have resource I need your heart and look

what he said verse 22 this would be many

of us at this the man’s face failed he

went away sad because he had great

wealth I began to ask God I said what

was the one thing that this young rich

ruler was missing what when Jesus said

the one thing he lacked he said Michael

he could not live with less my question

to you today is can you live with less I

know you didn’t come to church for that

and I know God I’m doing enough to just

stride Lord I’m just I’m doing enough to

just you know just take this pace of

grace he said you have to be willing to

sacrifice whatever I’ve given you so

that I can get from you what I intend

for you and most people when God blesses

them their blessing becomes their God

instead of the God who blessed them

oh come on let’s be honest you got that

house that you prayed for and everything

else like that and now you’re moving

into it and God now asked you hey I’m

trying to get you out of debt or I’m

trying to prepare you for something up

the road or I want you to save more

because there’s something coming that I

want you to do can you live with less

can you live without shopping for the

rest of this year some of y’all just had

a conniption you said oh my god what

what did he just say blasphemy but what

I’m saying is you have so many clothes

right now

the one talking included could you live

with less could you could you live with

less I know you got you got the desire

for more but God said that 400 square

foot apartment

that you can actually keep clean and

that you can actually oh come on that

you can actually do stuff and you’re not

there anyway I want you to stay there

but all my friends are getting blessed

and they’re getting houses and they’re

30-something and they’re dead and God

said that’s not what I called you to do

so stop comparing to the left or the

right could you live with less when

christmas is coming up so you’re keeping

a 5,000 square foot home just for one

day a year and I don’t know what your

thing is but God has been challenging me

Michael could you live with less could

you go without the cable so that you

could actually start giving the way I

want you to well God when you bless me

I’ll give it he said I already did but

you’ve spent it

[Music]

see the Bible tells us that a good man

leaves an inheritance for his children’s

children are you wearing your children’s

inheritance are you eating your children

all y’all I’m coming for you today

something else like did you die your

inheritance into all y’all know y’all

spend two $300 at the hairs out there

aren’t Pomona y’all are we are we

devouring our children’s inheritance

because somebody told us that more is

more when the word tells us that less is

more and as I look at this what that

young rich ruler really said is Christ

is not enough like to leave all of this

and just follow you cuz we never hear

from him again

he went away sad and begin to

contemplate everything that he had and

he decided that what he had was bigger

and better than Jesus and I know we

don’t think about it like that but

that’s what we do many times we decide

that what we have and what we’re going

for and what we’re striving for and what

was the is better than this Jesus thing

and I’m encouraging you to allow God to

begin to work in your heart that maybe

like he did for me

maybe God’s calling you to less know a

man’s why because we weren’t raised like

that yeah I was raised on MTV Cribs like

I like I there is mental images in my

mind of coming up to a house that’s so

big and me walking in saying hello and

there’s cars and Lamborghinis and Rolls

Royces and all the stuff I would put

that as a mental image in my head is

that’s what success looks like and I

don’t know what you’ve done but I dare

you to bring that image up and then ask

is this godly like it’s this what God

wants for me or was that something

birthed out of the insecurity that

wanted people to know that I was enough

and I was significant so maybe if you

see the thing

that I have you think I’m enough what

was having the baddest chick or the

finest guy or having all of these

portfolios and 401ks other is that a

ploy to fill an empty void that only God

can feel anyway and God begin to tell me

he said Michael what you don’t realize

is what you were trying to strive for he

said in me I give to you my children do

not have to beg for what I’ve already

provided for them Bella does not come in

and say daddy can I please have juice

can I please have juice I said I already

bought the juice I already provided the

juice all you have to do is ask for the

juice and when you get mature enough you

don’t even have to ask you can you have

Authority you can literally go in and

get it when you want it but many of us

are out here striving for things that

God wants to give to us

so he’s challenging us less is more look

at the scripture he gave me in first

Timothy chapter 6 and we’re gonna start

in verse 6 it says but godliness with

contentment is great gain

stop right there when the last time

somebody said bro yo bro I’m winning

what you mean you win it bro I had an

amazing day today I’m am the levels went

up today what happened bro man I am

closer to God I’m more godly and I’m

content with where I’m at oh okay bro

nobody celebrates godliness and

contentment but what God says if you

become more like me and you’re okay in

the season that you’re in he said that’s

a great game cuz the world is trying to

tell you you need more you got to have

more you need more followers you need

more people you need more co-signers and

God’s saying less is more in the kingdom

he said because when it’s less of you

guess who it is more of more of me he

said when you do less I do more he said

when you save more he’s like I can give

or through you and through you to be

able to bless other people less is more

and then he goes on to explain it in

verse seven he says for we brought

nothing into this world and we can take

nothing out of it

but if we had food and clothing we will

be content with that when’s the last

time you praise God for food and

clothing oh come on let’s not be bougie

in here didn’t nobody wake up this

morning like God I’m gonna eat and thank

you for this shirt that might tell us

that we are outside of the flame that

God wants us to work in what are you

saying Pastor Mike you wanted to live

broke and ashy around the mouth and and

messed up and do you want it no no no

I’m not saying that I’m just trying to

check our heart motives because many

times there’s things in our heart that

do not line up what God’s Word and so

when God asked us for time when he asked

us for a job when he asked us for our

finances when he asked us to sacrifice

something we act like we got it

ourselves like somehow we provided for

ourselves and God’s saying that that

type of attitudes not going to get you

anywhere verse 8 it says but if we have

food and clothing we will be content

with that those who want to get rich

they desire they fall into temptation

and a trap and into many foolish and

harmful desires that plunge people into

ruin and destruction for the love of

money or the love of status or the love

of followers or the love see God’s not

talking about the actual thing money’s

not problem but followers are not the

problem influence is not the problem

it’s the love of it I gotta have it no

no no no no I can’t I can’t spend time

with y’all cuz I gotta I got to go over

here and I gotta strive I gotta work all

five jobs all five of them God didn’t

hey I can do all things through Christ

you are literally sitting here working

for this status and losing your family

and literally God saying it literally

opens you up to all of these things it

says if it’s the roof for the love of

money the love of striving is the root

of all

kinds of evil some people eager for

money have wandered from the faith this

is the scariest part about this

scripture is because you can be solid in

God I mean loving him standing on

platforms like I am today and you start

to love something more than you love God

and it’ll make you wonder from your

faith like that’s why I have people

around me that that can tell me hey bro

that’s too much you’re less is more I

one of my friends tell me right before I

came out here bro less is more

yeah I got I have to have those guards

because God’s gonna bless me he’s

growing our church he’s all this other

stuff but what is all of this what does

it profit a man to gain the entire world

but lose his own soul

thank God for 10,000 followers but then

I messed up cuz I love that more than I

love my wife and my children and what

he’s called me to know but that means

we’re gonna have to change our mindset

from all of these things that we feel

like are so grand and God’s telling us

maybe just maybe less is more first 10

for the love of money is the root of all

evil some people are eager for money

they’ve wandered from the faith and look

at this and they’ve pierced themself you

can’t blame the devil for this the devil

didn’t do this when you started putting

something above God you put that

relationship above God

you put wanting people to like you above

God you put your looks above God you put

your foot on one K and he said and

you’re piercing yourself with all types

of grief I heard somebody say it like

this a gain in one direction means a

loss in another one so if you’re going

to be promoted in something you’re

losing something I don’t know what it is

but if you’re gonna go to another height

in this you’re gonna lose something here

and my question to you is at what cost

at what cost are you gonna make what you

want to happen in your life at what cost

are you going to to beat a man or be the

woman and I’ll just keep looking at the

scripture where it says Michael if

you’re gonna stride and find the pace

of grace you’re gonna have to realize

that sometimes what looks like less is

more than you could ever imagine

what you feel like it’s a irrelevant

season that I’m just doing the same

thing I’m just serving at this church or

I’m just working at this job or I’m just

loving on these people or nobody he said

that’s exactly where I want you he says

because when you embrace less then I can

come in and I can do more

I can work miracles out of nothing I can

take a humble heart and elevate them I

can take people who will obey me when

nobody’s looking and I can bless them

beyond measure because I know they’re

not in it for it and some of us are in

it for the wrong reasons

some of us want money for the wrong

reasons some of us want relationships

for the wrong reasons some of us want to

be on the platform for the wrong reasons

some of us want to be the CEO for the

wrong reason you’re trying to prove that

you are enough to somebody who’s not

even alive anymore

God said you’re enough you don’t have to

have the latest everything you don’t got

to be a hype beast to be enough you you

don’t you don’t have to have the biggest

house on the block and you don’t have to

to have everybody clapping for you for

you to know you’re enough and many times

if we don’t realize this we will start

striving for what God is saying if you

would just walk with me you’ll look up

and be in places that you dreamed about

being my plan for you is to do

exceedingly abundantly above oh you

could ever I’d you think you got a

better plan for you than I have for you

but to get there you’re gonna have to do

it my way and God’s Way is less is more

less things less need for attention less

time spent working more time with your

family less time spent with those

friends I don’t know what is it for you

what is God saying that you may need to

cut back or cut down on could you do it

with less I don’t know what God’s saying

for you but he’s been speaking to me

very clearly

and this is one of the things that he

keeps telling me is that Michael I’m

attracted to people with less I

literally I get close to those who are

humble and a very little and I’m not

just talking about just being broke or

anything like that what I’m talking

about is you don’t need it

you don’t have to have it and many of us

if we went into your life and said God

wants this back you would cry you would

scream you throw a fit you do all this

and why because for some of us what God

wrecked me on in August as I sat in a

room next to Charles in Dallas Texas as

what he’s about to share with you right

now this changed my life and I want you

to write this down and realize this is

what God wanted to let you know that all

ambition is evil everything in you that

wants to help God do something great in

the world that is from hell it’s evil

it’s motivated from a part in you that

does not trust God that you are gonna

help him finish his plan in your life

and I was like that is not true

God has given me a godly ambition you

just try to put God in front of it and

like that’s like saying I got a godly

lust no such thing and some of you like

tossing like you’re just talking let’s

look at the word James 3:13 this jacked

me up some of y’all need to tattoo this

on your head it says if you are wise and

understand God’s ways so that’s a huge

prerequisite that you’re wise and you

understand God what God’s ways prove it

by living an honorable life doing good

works with the humility that comes from

wisdom watch this but if you are

bitterly jealous and there is selfish

ambition in your heart like like this is

the beautiful thing about it cuz nobody

comes out and like I’m ambitious like

I’m trying to do it God says if there is

a drop of ambition in your heart like

there’s something in you that’s trying

to make away a name

do more for yourself if there’s a drama

he said I look at the heart man looks on

the outward and look he even addresses

it in the next verse he says don’t cover

up the truth with boasting and lying

y’all know how we do

somebody says man you kill them like

I’ll know it’s all God it’s the glory to

God I didn’t plan that you know it was

just God using me no yes I did I was in

the routers like oh that’s gonna kill

him tomorrow that’s gone there’s

something in me come on let’s be honest

I’m being very honest with you up here

there’s a lot of things in me I’m gonna

be blessed so I can show everybody that

I’m blessed imma have the most handsome

or awesome family so everybody can think

more of me we have a part of ambition on

the inside of us that makes us feel like

if we can get or go or be at a certain

place somehow we will be able to be

better and feel more secure and

understand what God is doing in our life

and he said all ambition is evil but God

I made a plan and I’m asking you to

bless it he said you’re supposed to come

to me find out what the plan is and then

do it he said he said he said you you

you know made this 5-year plan and then

you asked him me to bless it you you’ve

already started dating and set the date

for your wedding and now you’re asking

me to bless it you moved to a whole

different city and said it was me who

told you to move Lyon I mean think about

it and then we then we I stopped to

bless it and this is the thing God is so

good that in His grace he factored in

your mess ups that at the moment that

you repent and you turn away and you say

God you know what I have been ambitious

I have been doing this thing on my own

I’ve been thriving and I mean I’ve been

striving and I’ve been trying to make

things happen God forgive me he says

that all things he’s factored in those

mess up and he says I’ll make them work

but from now on don’t make a plan

without me allow me to direct you give

up all ambition because my plan for you

is better than your plan for you that’s

why we have to find the pace of grace

what

this James 3:14 it says all self is in

let’s go to 15 for jealousy and

selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom

look what he calls selfish ambition such

things are earthly unspiritual and

demonic like you ain’t never heard it

like this but God looks at your ambition

BAM about to go take over the world

I’m not to shut this thing down in the

name of Jesus but I’m about to do it he

looks at it and says that ambition in

you is demonic

he said cuz it’s not originated from my

heart of love it’s rigea native from

your brokenness and your ability to want

to be somebody and he says I see that

and it’s nothing like me God didn’t

create the earth to prove himself to

somebody he didn’t create you to be able

to say look at me now it was out of a

heart of love look at it verse 16 for

whatever wherever there is jealousy and

selfish ambition there you will find

disorder and evil of every kind you’ve

been trying to figure out why your life

is so chaotic is because you’ve been

trying to do things out of your selfish

ambition and put in the name of Jesus on

it well this is the purpose guy gave me

you’ve never prayed about it never

people just saw that you were good at

something so you started doing it and

now you made a plan about it and God

said I’m no where in that could you

please bring that back to the table and

let us start to walk out the pace of

grace in your life verse 17 says but the

wisdom from above is first all pure it’s

peace it’s loving it’s gentle at all

times and willing to yield to others

come on when I’m ambitious I’m saying

get out my way I’m gonna do this no

matter what

the thing that God’s saying is I want

you to be able to yield your opinion

sometime to others I want you can I make

it real plain you can’t always be right

and be in the will of God if you always

right God literally brings people around

you to help develop your character if

you’re always right you might not

in the will of God look what it said I

know this is Titan right everybody’s

booty cheeks just tight right now just

ain’t nobody even saying none this is oh

that’s how you know the word is working

okay you needed that you needed to just

loose just to loose your booty cheeks

okay just calm down it says it’s full of

mercy and the fruit of good deeds it

shows no favoritism and it’s always

sincere and those who are peacemakers

will plant seeds of peace and reap a

harvest of righteousness see see God is

saying that I want you to be meek I want

you to have power and be under control I

want you to have the decision yeah I can

make this plan but I’m gonna be under

control God what do you want me to do

yeah I could go and just do this but I’m

not its power under control yeah I could

marry her she’d say yes today but father

when do you want me to do it see that’s

neat that’s a fruit of the Spirit yeah I

could move everything set up a father

release me let me be sent that’s me but

the opposite of that is ambition i’ma

just go I’m gonna just do it I’m gonna

make it happen and what happens God says

go ahead and make it happen but what you

make happen you have to sustain I’ll be

back here waiting for you to get in my

pace and so can and I hear some people

like so we can’t want anything more than

what we have right now in our life no

that’s not what I’m saying I’m saying

God’s trying to check the heart of where

that’s coming from like where where’s

the seed of that and for many of us it’s

selfish ambition I’m gonna give you

three questions that you can write down

and you’re gonna have to do this on your

own time but I want you to seriously ask

yourself am I selfishly ambitious am i

trying to help God’s plan come to pass

or am I just wanting the next level of

what God has for me this is the first

question you ask yourself do you trust

God to promote you and supernaturally

put you in the right place because many

of us are ambitious and we don’t trust

God to promote us they don’t even say me

I’ve been over here doing this don’t

nobody even recognize my gift my talent

all that I am and God says I I am

the one that is over promotion and I am

the one is that is over your increase

trust me with it and ambitious people

don’t trust God

they don’t trust God with the plan that

they literally will say God if you’re in

this show yourself but I’m gonna do this

anyway and and it’s it’s natural and I

love the word of God because Jesus has

called all of us to take the seat of the

servant he asked us what will you trust

my plan for your life but but if you’re

ambitious you won’t trust the plan of

God in your life and I’m coming to

challenge some of you who already have a

plan God’s saying can I have it back and

can I give you the pace that I want you

to go at let me give you the second

question do you trust the authorities in

your life to recognize God’s gifting and

calling on your life the problem with

that is most of us don’t even have

spiritual authority see a lot of y’all

come to this church and hear me talk but

if I was ever to correct something that

you’re doing in your life you would

leave now see how quiet that got because

this generation doesn’t want spiritual

authority but God always uses a man and

a woman as guardrails to help you get to

the place that you were supposed to be

and many of us don’t have spiritual

authority we won’t let anybody tell us

anything if it goes against what we

think we’re supposed to do we will do

sout on them and talk about them and be

like they don’t hear from God only I

hear from God only I shut up cuz that is

not the truth even Jesus had to submit

to spiritual authority and wait for the

most opportune time not when he wanted

to be released but when God told his

spiritual authority that he was supposed

to be a release y’all remember it age 12

in the synagogue his mama lost him and

she said where’s Jesus Jesus Jesus

and he said y’all excuse me ma’am my mom

was tripping bro I’ll be right back for

one second yes Mary this photo lost this

month did you call me Mac boy you get

back to the house he said woman she’s oh

my god he said don’t you know I’m about

my father’s business you was there the

angel told them who I he told you

Messiah

she said and she dragged him away and we

don’t hear from Jesus for 18 years

nowhere to be found

he wasn’t even playing soccer he wasn’t

doing nothing she gather you’re grounded

until you’re 30 they understand what I’m

saying like that’s what happened but he

was ready to be released but God was not

going to release him until his spiritual

authority confirmed it so what ended up

happening was he was sturdy and he was

at the wedding of Canaan and he and even

want to be there he’s like I’m at these

weak people’s wedding my mama made me

come and-and-and-and Mary comes up to

him and says Jesus do that trick you did

last night at ladies night uh turn it

over we trying to turn the water into

wine and read the scripture he says my

time has not yet come he told her I’m

not ready she said boy if do it

his spiritual authority confirmed his

time to start his ministry that was his

first miracle not because he wanted to

do it because he was under submission

and they told him to do it

so at the very thought of somebody

telling you what to do you get all

cringed up you’re probably ambitious I’m

gonna just leave that one they they bout

to start throwing stones they bout to

start security all I’m saying if Jesus

needed spiritual authority who are you

we all need it

third thing how you know if you’re

ambitious or you just want the next

level of what God has for you are you

willing to serve in obscurity with a

whole heart as you wait for promotion

see see this one this is what messes a

lot of people because in our social

media age like we want everybody to see

what God’s doing in our life but what if

God wants to build you in the pastor and

nobody gets to see until he calls you

and he sins for you see the disciples

were having a discussion one day is in

the presence of Jesus they wouldn’t even

discrete with it they was like yo who’s

the greatest is it me is it you I don’t

know it ain’t you is me and Jesus walks

in on this discussion and he begins to

teach them he said what y’all don’t

realize is the greatest of you is a

servant the one who can serve and

nobody’s calling their name the one that

can serve and nobody’s taking pictures

and clapping for them the one who knows

that their reward doesn’t come from the

person who’s over him but it comes from

God he said that’s the greatest one and

then look what he got does he proceeds

to wash all of their feet now you saying

okay that’s not that’s not bad no no no

no feet back in that time was the

dirtiest most vulnerable part of their

body because as we have tennis shoes and

boots and all that of stuff they had

sandals and sometimes they were walking

barefoot so he put his hands on the most

vulnerable tender part of people’s lives

and serve them with nobody giving him

applause he even served the ones that

would deny him he even served the one

who would betray him what happens when

you have to serve your enemy Oh y’all

ready for this what happens when God

calls you to less like you got some of

y’all like I don’t even less I I don’t

even have the ESS I’m just taking else

every where I just everywhere is the Ale

for me but God says that’s what I’m

attracted to

cuz when you do less I can do more when

you do less when you stay humble when

you just do what I’ve called you to do

when you stop striving and being

ambitious that’s what I like that I can

use that cuz I’m telling you right now

that service is your way up it’s your

way in and it’s your way out if you

would begin to serve where God has

placed you and be everything he says I

can work with that but in our society

being served is what everybody wants but

God says less is more

I’ll prove it to you CS Lewis said

humility is not thinking less of

yourself it’s thinking of yourself less

think about that can I can I help you

understand why less is more less is more

when God is in control write that down

less is more when God is in control if

you want an example a practical example

of in the word think about David when he

was being sent to kill Goliath and uh he

walks up and he’s like yo why is that do

talking about our God and there was like

bro he’s huge look at him and your party

about to do nothing about him and he’s

like yeah today he’s gonna fall because

I was sent here to handle him he didn’t

even position himself somebody overheard

him and went and there’s such such

practical humility in that that if

you’re really in the stride of God

nobody

we’ll have to make a place for

themselves they will sin for you see

David his whole life if you study him he

wasn’t even invited to the party when

samuel was anointing the next king of

israel but he said there’s got to be

another son cuz none of y’all are it he

stopped the party and said nobody eats

until you go get the one that’s supposed

to be here what am I saying God will

stop stuff so that you can be where you

need to be so he can get to you what he

needs to get to you when he was playing

his guitar in the pasture they sent from

him from Saul’s palace they said jesse

has a boy who can play he wasn’t up

doing concerts like yeah I’m the man I’m

the one that’s gonna torment he wasn’t

doing it he was in obscurity and he was

spending time with God and doing the

last instruction that he was given and

they sent for him it’s not a surprise

that they sent for him when it was time

to kill Goliath his dad sent him to give

the grilled cheese sandwiches somebody

overheard him saying I’ll take him out

and they went and told Saul and Saul

sent for him but guess what less is more

somebody say less is more when he

decided to take out de life they tried

to put more on him they tried to give

him Saul sword Saul was like yeah you

about to get killed anyway so you might

as well look good doing it

let me bog you down with all of my armor

with everything that works for me take

this sword the best armor and and David

gets in it he tries it on he said this

is not gonna work because my God is the

God that told me that less is more so

what does he do David picks up what he’s

learned when nobody was looking David

picks up his slingshot and five smooth

stones and he said I’m going to kill him

with what seems like less to everybody

because when we do less God does more

and look he’s so confident of it look

what he says in 1st Samuel I want you to

see this he says in verse 47

he said all those gathered here will

know that it is not by sword or spear

that God say

it’s not by having more for the battle

is the Lord’s and He will give all of

you into our hands if it said I’m about

to clown you with less than you’ve ever

been beaten with and God is saying to

you you’re gonna be able to write the

book with nobody even promoting you

you’re gonna be able to walk into the

blessing with nobody even advertising

what you do God says I’m the one in your

less I’m gonna be more he knocks Goliath

out with less sometimes well Pastor Mike

I just I don’t know about that I want

you to see this less is more because God

gets the glory write that down

see God wants you to know the reason

it’s okay to have less is cuz when he

does the big miracle everybody knows

it’s not you like God is trying to write

a story that gives him glory if you had

everything figured out then he wouldn’t

get glory from it but when you take you

a little less and you put it in the

hands of the master he’s able to produce

a miracle that you can’t even fathom let

me prove it to you

by the first ubereats employee it was a

little boy in Matthew and he was

delivering two fish and five house

puppies and he had a Long John Silver’s

meal and he was going and I want you to

see it because some of y’all really

think that more is more but when you put

God in the middle of it less is more I’m

getting excited

John chapter 6 verse 5 it says Jesus saw

that there was a huge crowd of people

coming to look for him he turned to

Philip and he asked hey Phil where can

we buy bread to feed all of these people

he was testing Philip for he already

knew what he was gonna do this gets me

so excited because many of the things

God is asking you to do don’t really

even got nothing to do with where you’re

except where your heart is that because

when he asked you he already knows what

he’s gonna do before the fish and the

loaves were found he knew he was about

to work a miracle he knew that he was

gonna take whatever was around whatever

was available and he’s about to feed all

of these people but he’s looking can I

test you will you be faithful with what

you have and look

Philips reply was God even if we strived

even if we worked even if we got out of

your pace of grace and did this we would

not have enough money to feed them then

Andrew simon Peters brother said hey we

saw this boy with these two fish and

five huts Papi’s maybe we can do

something with that but honestly what

good is it with this huge crowd I want

you to realize this that less is more

because the miracle is planned way

before the moment like when that boy

came and he put his two feet dang that

looks good on this fast thank you Jesus

[Music]

that smell is emanating from it okay

thank you Lord hold me um

this is but but when he had this dinner

what the master did he said can I have

two the little boy can I have what you

may consider and what others may

consider less because in the hands of

the one who made it less turns into more

and literally if you read the language

it said that he blessed it he broke it

and he gave it he blessed bless he broke

less how do you break less how how can

we give out of our having nothing how

how can we serve and we got no more time

he said he blessed it he broke it and he

gave what he had and it says that those

people five thousand men’s men they

believe it was about 15 to 20 thousand

people there that day it said they all

ate until they were satisfied and there

was still 12 baskets left over it

doesn’t say it in the word but I only

can imagine that the little boy who made

the initial seed God to take home more

than he started out with what God is

saying is if you would just give me what

you have less is more

last example cuz some of y’all still

don’t believe me you some of y’all got

it on on the first two tries but there’s

a

a widow in second Kings chapter 4 you

can read about it and she was about to

lose everything that she had her husband

left her with debt like many of us are

in debt right now trying to strive to be

something that we’re but God said I can

I can use all of that he he literally

asked a woman what’s in your house she

said man I don’t I don’t have anything

except just a little bit of oil say can

I have it because that that that’s

enough

like what looks empty to everybody else

what looks worthless to everybody else

there’s enough in there that is just

enough for this miracle to work well I

don’t have the degrees but the smarts

you have is just enough well pastor I

don’t have nobody support me but but but

me giving you Direction cuz you’ll stay

in my face every day that’s all you need

well god I need a record company no no

no I’m the best ANR you’ve ever had all

you need is me and if you will pour what

you have I’ll work the miracle that

woman followed in obey God’s instruction

and she poured what little oil she had

and God worked a miracle and literally

she poured and it filled up and it

filled up and it filled up and it filled

up until she didn’t have the faith to

put out a vessel it got her out of debt

and she had money to live on for the

rest of her life because she did not

devalue less all I’m asking everybody in

this place today as we learn how to

strike could God be calling you to less

because his strength is made perfect in

our weakness when we are less he becomes

more I want to pray for everybody in

this room because I know that this is

gonna be something that God has to work

in your mind your heart your soul but

akin what is the profit a man to gain

the whole world and lose his mind will

and emotions

father I pray

but today something that was said would

change our lives god I know you’re

working this in me and God I don’t I

don’t claim to be perfect in it father

but I’m letting you do this work in me

and I think you would do it in this

church that I’m leading god I thank you

that we would divorce the concepts that

we have we’ve learned from culture that

more is better God and we could really

just be able to say father whatever you

want us to have that’s enough we trust

you and we believe you that as we spend

time in your word you would set the pace

of grace and we would obey you even when

it hurts even when it’s hard even when

it’s frustrating and even father god

when we feel like we’re taking a nail or

it’s less God you have a plan for us

that’s bigger than anything we could

plan for ourselves so help us get in

stride with your pace of grace forgive

us father for being ambitious and God do

a work on the inside of each of us in

Jesus name