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good morning transformation church man
wherever you watching this all over the
world I want to say I love you today my
heart is heavy
y’all know Pastor Mike don’t sit down to
do nothing but today the state of our
world the state of America it’s made me
take a seat it’s made me have to be all
week in a place of contemplation dealing
with all kinds of emotions as I know so
many of you are right now emotions of
confusion and anger and pain in not
knowing what to do and before I’m a
pastor I’m a human y’all know where we
say a transformation church we’re gonna
live hot as humble open and transparent
and I tried to press through and act
like everything was normal but it’s not
this week has been the hardest week of
my life as a black man in America and I
thought it would be disingenuous to get
up here and put on like a show like
everything is good cuz it’s not and um I
think we need to talk about it I think
we need to find out what God’s Word says
about it I think we need to hear
different perspectives and I think we
need to just feel it for a moment and I
know some of you are about I’m about to
turn this off that would be the most
insensitive thing to do at this moment I
don’t care if you’re in your house by
yourself or my kids are around this has
to start not with an organization but it
has to start with organisms
and today I’m asking you as we came in
this place and we worship God because
he’s the only one that can actually
change any of this as we worship God as
we pray this is the thing that our souls
needed today and we’re gonna do some
more of it and I know that many of us
have agendas and some of us are
preparing to go on with our normal lives
other us are threatening to go
peacefully protests other people are
planning to act like this is not real
other people are planning to just
continue on with life but right now I’m
asking you to stop and to evaluate
what’s going on in the world and how it
affects your life and I thought the best
way to do that is to just share from my
life because racism is very alive right
now and more than it being alive it’s
affecting people that maybe you haven’t
identified with I’m wearing this hoodie
that says your pastor is black because
in case you didn’t know here I am and
when I saw the the execution of George
Floyd this week cuz that’s what it was
when I saw his execution all I could
picture was my face in the ground
asking for my mother as a grown man when
I was trying to gasps with the last few
breaths that I had this week has been
unusual for me and I’m just sharing hot
like there’s no script there’s no notes
there’s nothing cuz I don’t know what to
do I’m an emotional wreck right now but
my hope is in Jesus and when I prayed he
said just share with the people to share
we share your heart so that’s what I’m
doing here
this week has been emotional for me
because as many of you know the book
that we put out relationshipgoals
this week on the same exact day that all
of this stuff happened my book because
of you and God’s grace became the number
one New York Times best-selling book in
the world and for some reason I could
not find the joy that I thought I would
have in reaching that accomplishment we
celebrated but it didn’t feel it didn’t
feel complete
I begin to evaluate what I was feeling
and at that same moment as being number
one in the world in a category that not
many people that look like me are in I
found out that just as easily if I got
stopped by the cops they wouldn’t care
if I was a New York Times bestselling
author they wouldn’t care that I was
your pastor and we lead a multi-ethnic
church y’all remember the foundations of
this church was built for racial
reconciliation bishop garry mcintosh
went to the north side of tulsa in in
1999 and took off his shoes and God said
help reverse the curse and then in 2015
and did the reins of a church over to a
young black man and said that I’m not
gonna hold you back or hold you down I’m
gonna support you we are here today
because a record racial reconciliation
and as I was sitting there in that
moment thinking about all of these
things if I got pulled over they
wouldn’t care that we lead a 50 to 60%
white church they would just see another
black man and I said God you’re gonna
have to help me reconcile this cuz just
two weeks ago we had Hamad armory and we
had Brianna and before that it was
crusher and before that I mean the names
could go on and I know some of you be
like this is a lot how is this helping
me until you can get compassion for
people that do not have your same
experience the Bible says Jesus was
moved with compassion today I’m trying
to give us an opportunity to see more
than what we’ve seen I was with my wife
and my brother and my sister who were
here on the front row and we went to a
property here in Tulsa that I own that
I’m getting some things renovated at and
we went to go check it out
and as we were walking to the property
line this was just literally ten days
ago somebody drove by and said get out
of there you’re not supposed to be here
we all turned around like what is going
on
five minutes later two police cars drove
up and I was in hoodies and y’all know
how I dress outside of here like I’m in
hoodies and sweatpants in and my wife
Natalie without any hesitation she said
Michael go out there smile
put your hands up
talk from afar and I pretend to think in
that moment I’m standing on a property
that I own I pay for but if I don’t
govern myself in a way that shows that
I’m not a threat I may never make it
back home to see my kids so we all come
out of the house and the property that I
own and I said hello hello officers
how you doing I said can I help you and
in that moment I begin to think about my
white brothers and sisters that in that
moment if they felt threatened and
somebody said can I help you they would
say back to him can I help you but I
knew that in that moment if I said could
I help you that could go a whole
different way and I said Oh sir we’re
just checking out our property I have
the keys right here in dhak dhak dhak
dhak and the officers were amazing
we love Tulsa Police we love all of the
officers out here that are doing it the
right way but it was the attitude and
the prejudgment of that woman who drove
by and yelled out to us get out of there
she didn’t know that that was the place
that I was supposed to be but because of
her prejudgment I wasn’t supposed to be
there and one call from her produced two
cops on my property
that if I would have had a normal
reaction could have ended up in my life
being gone faster why are you saying
that it’s because today two very
monumental historic moments are being
celebrated today on May 31st 2020 the
first one is today is the day as the
church we celebrate Pentecost this was
the moment where the Holy Spirit met a
group of people in an upper room and
changed everything forever and the thing
about it is they were all races all
tongues all tribes all nations waiting
for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
and it was in that moment that we got
the helper the comforter and today as a
church everywhere we’re supposed to be
celebrating that gift that Jesus gave us
of the Holy Spirit on this date is so
ironic that here in Tulsa that this also
is the anniversary of the 1921 race
massacre that happened right here in our
city today
it’s Pentecost the outpouring of God’s
Spirit and it’s the remembrance of 300
black people and an economic empire
being burned to the ground right here
because and now they’re all around the
world there’s an outpouring of crying
and hurting and I stand in the middle of
this moment saying God what do we do how
do we add value to this broken world I’m
a Christian but I’m pissed I love God
but I’m hurting I want everybody to
understand but I don’t know if I have
any more words I can’t breathe
today I’m asking you as we acknowledge
that there are so many tragedies going
on all around the world we’re in the
middle of a global pandemic there are
people all around the world that are
still waging war on sex trafficking
there are countries right now that don’t
have running water and running food and
they’re there states that have poison
water systems there’s so many problems
that are happening so I don’t want to
devalue anything that’s going on in
anybody’s world today I’m asking us to
take a to take a better look what’s
happening in our country when it comes
to racial divide prejudice and just evil
when I saw George Fleur Floyd gasping
for air
I saw every one of my brothers saw my
dad
and he doesn’t know it right now but I
have a four year old son and one day
he’s gonna grow up and be a big black
man
and I’m trying to figure out what I
would do if I got a phone call that MJ
was no longer with us
not because of what he did not because
of hurting anybody else but because of
the color of his skin today we need
Jesus we need him to intervene and I
don’t have all the answers but I know
the answer and his name is Jesus and
this is not in some whitewashed great
white hope let’s just pray type of
situation no you know a transformation
Church prayer is our first response not
a last resort
so we don’t do that and then that’s
gonna be our first step to doing a lot
of other things we’ve got to get God’s
Word in the midst of how we feel cuz my
feelings are lying to me right now what
I want to do what I want to say I want
to respond I know that’s just my flesh
and nothing good is gonna come if I
glory in my flesh but today before I got
up here I prayed that I would stand and
I would speak by faith
and today I have faith that something
can change today I have faith that if it
doesn’t happen in the whole world
somebody that’s watching me right now
God’s doing a deep work in your heart
and on Pentecost Sunday the Holy Spirit
is coming to convict us it’s coming to
change us it’s coming to comfort us and
today it may not be a change for the
organization it may not be a change for
everybody else but it will be a change
in this organism and I believe for
somebody that is watching right now
there’s gonna be a change in you but
transformation only happens through the
Word of God be transformed by the
renewing of our minds and I know people
are trying to do everything just to find
some relief right now but what we need
is we need to be transformed because
after this dies down it’ll be something
else if we don’t change and today we’re
gonna put God’s Word in the middle of
this cuz the Bible tells us that God’s
Word will be a lamp unto our feet and a
light unto our path it is dark out here
and we need a light and the only light I
can think of that will be able to lead
us is the Word of God
I don’t have the emotional capacity just
to be honest with you to minister in the
way that I usually would on a Sunday I’m
emotionally drained but God is so good
that in moments where he knows we’re not
gonna have enough he’s already been
enough and today in relationshipgoals i
thought that we would go ahead and take
it to the next level because one of the
relationship goals that we need as a
country is racial reconciliation we need
to step out of our bubble of comfortable
and be able to represent Christ and so
almost two and a half years ago
God gave me a message for what we are
walking through today all the way back
then and today I want you in the current
events that we’re in right now I want
you to open up your heart and I want you
to open up your mind this is not when
you tune out this is not when you walk
away this is when you get a notepad this
is when you call your your your children
around this is when you tell people hey
you need to turn on right now Pastor
Mike is gonna show us and give us some
plays of how to start with us how to
begin this ministry of rent racial
reconciliation that has been given to
the church government can’t fix this the
president sure is not gonna fix this our
school is not gonna fix this it’s going
to start with us the church and it’s sad
to say it’s not even gonna start with
the organization of the church it’s
gonna start with organisms and today by
the power of the Holy Spirit and through
what God gave me two years ago he’s so
good cuz he knew I would be in this
depleted place today full of hope
but still hurting he spoke a word then
that is applicable now and today our
relationship goal we’re gonna see rest
racial reconciliation so let me pray for
you as we go into this message father I
thank you that in this moment you were
invading homes but more than homes
you’re invading hearts and everything
that has been built up father God in the
tension that we feel right now in
America I’m asking you Father God to be
God who brings your super to our natural
change us from the inside out and change
us by your word in Jesus name we agree
right after this message I’m coming back
with some practical steps let us be able
to be the change for racial
reconciliation I want to talk again
about racial reconciliation if you’re
not living under Iraq you know that
that’s a real issue race is a real issue
in our country right now from the
election to government to policing and
and in our city it’s been a very hot
topic over the past year and a half as
we’ve had different cases with Terrence
Crutcher and then what just happened on
this past week and just different things
that are happening that even if these
things were racially are non racially
motivated it starts getting racism and
racial prejudice and and black and white
and Hispanic and it does stall that
stuff up and then the movie get out came
out and
that messed me up y’all just for at
least 30 minutes after that movie I was
suspicious of many white people if
you’ve never seen the movie it’s okay
you know you don’t have to but but
there’s things that are culturally and
racially probing that are trying to make
us divided there it’s trying to make us
divide it and that’s what I’ll say and
that was never God’s intention we were
never supposed to see color of skin but
before we saw the character in
somebody’s life that was never supposed
to be the intent but then we got in this
flesh suit and Adam and Eve back in the
garden and and we started comparing
ourselves and why are they so tall and
why are they so short and why are they
so on why they got all that booty and
why ain’t got no booty and why I mean
these are these are real why are they
born in this side of time why do they
live on that side of the town why does
it seem like this and what and
comparison still runs rampant in in all
of our daily lives today I dare say that
many of the situations that we come in
contact with are racially we see them
through a racial lens and we have not
even acknowledged it it’s just how we
are
you walk into a room full of black
people and your heart if you’re white
starts pumping a little faster but now
I’m not saying I’m saying stuff that
people have told me okay you’re black
and you come in and it’s all Hispanic
people and there’s something in your
mind oh this must be akin cierra this
this must be that this must be and and
what the what we do is we assume an
assumption is one of the deadliest
things that you can do because it
usually leaves you looking at the first
three letters of that word
you you you forfeit relationships that
could benefit your life you cut off the
exchange that you could have with some
of God’s children because we assumed it
was funny one time I was at Utica Square
I eat there a lot I have meetings there
a lot of time at the wild fork if you
know anything about Utica Square most of
the shops over there that she works
there most of the shops most of the
shops over there um their upscale shops
they’re a little more expensive shop so
I’m eating at the wild fort and I look
hood this day I mean I’m in a hoodie I’m
in some J’s I just came from working out
but the people know me there we have
great relationship and so I
intentionally do stuff to throw people
off like I just intentionally so I went
up to this elderly white woman and she
saw me coming and you know how when
you’re trying to look at somebody you’re
not trying to look she’s like and I can
only assume that the only reason she was
looking at me the way that she was
looking at me is because she might have
had some preconceived notions about what
a six to black man in a hoodie would
want to do with her if we’re gonna be
real we’re gonna be real today so even
though she had never met me in my entire
life she had already made some
assumptions that made her continue to
look at me like I’m taking my eyes off
you brother and I walked up to and I
threw her completely off I said ma’am
that is such a beautiful brooch you have
on
she said huh
and I said I said ma’am where did you
get this and she began to talk to me
about how she been shopping at that area
for over thirty years and how a daughter
works over here and she comes every
Thursday morning
da-da-da-da-da and we had a 30-minute
conversation because I challenged her
norm and I stepped across the line and
tried to form relationship with somebody
that we probably don’t even have that
much in common until I made us have
something in common today as the church
we can’t take sides because of the color
of our skin of anything we have to be
able to live biblically on everything
that is happening in our world in our
society and in our lives and so today I
want to talk about it I want to talk
about can I be real today can we know
okay let me get permission can I be real
real today okay this may not be able to
be aired afterwards but we’re if it’s
gonna change it’s got to start with us
it’s got to start with the church and
it’s got to start with each one of us in
this room and so I’m gonna talk about it
um as I’ll talk to you about Arthur
being my my drum teacher he gave me a
really profound appreciation even back
to my dad and all the people around I
love music I mean how many people in the
room love music like like you love music
okay um and and you know some of y’all
can’t sing but it’s you know it’s one of
those things that it doesn’t even matter
you you love music and I used to produce
music and do a lot of different things
in that area and I’ve always had this
thing I wanted to share this with y’all
but I’ve always had this thing that I’ve
wanted to be invented called situational
surround sound and and it it’s like the
most perfect song comes on at the right
moment when something is happening and
you don’t even have to tell it to come
on you don’t even have to press play it
just comes on automatically I’ve always
I’ve always dreamed like when I’m done
talking to somebody
and this conversation is completely over
and I’m like okay well I’ll see you
later I’ll talk to you later I wish this
song would come on right here
I wish this song literally would just
come on out of nowhere out of like I
wish this song would come on always good
to see you all right bye-bye
like I wish that would happen and like
when I get to heaven and I’m looking on
the streets of gold I’m looking for my
house this is what I want to play right
here aw what’s up Abraham what’s up Paul
24-karat magic I want that to come I
think God will be okay if 24-karat magic
comes on y’all to save look at y’all
y’all know that’s funky reconciliation
y’all don’t know nothing about that
y’all don’t know nothing about that
peaches and herb 1970s you don’t know
about that how many people know
something about that right there okay
they said this was a young church I
guess not but I thought about that I
thought about see now everybody’s okay I
had to do that cuz everybody will calm
down now
that song reunited and it feels so good
I started thinking about that
and we’re either gonna have one of two
testimonies when we get to heaven
um I’m convinced that either we’ll be
able to say about all races and all
ethnicities and all backgrounds we’ll be
able to say we’re reunited and it feels
so good because we did it on earth
already or we’ll be able to say we’re
United for the first time and I really
should have had a relationship with them
I really should have invited them to my
kid’s birthday party I really should
have invited them to that function I was
having at my house because many
people are missing out on one of the
greatest experiences and exchanges of
their life by having different
ethnicities a part of their everyday
life Paul gives us a picture I mean John
gives us a picture of this in
Revelations I want you to turn to
Revelation chapter 7 verse 9 and this is
Paul and he has a prophecy and he he’s
seeing heaven God he’s showing him
heaven and this is what he says in verse
9 it says after this I saw a vast crowd
too many people to count it says they
were from every nation every tribe every
people and every language another
translation says every tongue in every
race it says they were standing in front
of the throne before the lamb and they
were clothed in white robes how many
people have never sang in a choir before
in heaven you get to sing in a choir
white robes and all and they help palm
branches in their hands and that you
were shouting with the great work roar
salvation comes from our God who sits on
the throne and from the land so when
people asked me what do you think Pastor
Mike about this racial reconciliation
thing what what what what do you think
about it I have three words I say it’s
gonna happen I mean I don’t care what it
looks like right now we have a picture
of the end so many people are looking at
the situation and God gave us a picture
in Revelations of what it’s gonna be
every tongue every race every background
every thigh size every way size every
person every hair texture they’re gonna
be worshipping around the throne singing
worthy is the lamb so when people ask me
about racial reconciliation I say it’s
gonna happen and I can’t wait so I don’t
wait see see that there’s a difference
when people like I can’t wait for it to
happen so make it happen see I can’t
wait I don’t wait and I won’t wait as
for me and my family we have made a
decision
to make the picture that heaven has
already painted for us hop in
on earth well pastor Michael that’s
easier said than done God this there is
nothing new Under the Sun this racism
stuff has been going on since the very
very beginning but God sent his children
people who are born again to make it as
it is in heaven
on earth what passing like I don’t know
about that go to Matthew 6:10 and Jesus
is talking to the disciples and they see
him pray a different way and they’re
like man Jesus can you teach us how to
pray like that he said yeah I’ll teach
y’all and he gave us a blueprint that we
called the Lord’s Prayer but I want you
to see this with the lens of
reconciliation he says that if you’re
going to pray pray like this pray our
Father which art in heaven hallowed be
thy name he said your kingdom come your
will be done on where where we live
right now as it is in so if the picture
is every race around the throne in
heaven worshipping and praising and
living together Matthew tells us our
prayer our daily prayer should be make
it on earth as it already is in so my
question is are you living your life to
see the picture of heaven on earth and
the reality of it as many of us aren’t
because of our backgrounds and what our
big momma told us and what our Uncle
John told us and what cousin Bob told
all of us you stay away like Dennis said
what I’m saying let’s be real uncle
Julian told you now listen son if you
ever get around you don’t know the
conversations that have been passed down
from generation to generation the
unspoken things that aren’t said but you
know those things that when you walk in
y’all know y’all seen you either with
President Obama you walk in and you’re
shaking everybody’s hand and you see
your brother like what a fool what a
foot what a foot and
hi hi I’m just saying things that we see
but that’s rooted somewhere that comes
from a place and and and my challenge
today is that God is asking us me and
you to not conform to the patterns of
this world that’s that’s woman’s 12:2
but be transformed by the renewing of
our that means there’s some things that
have been programmed in us that are not
like God and it was born in us because
we were born in this flesh shoot we were
born into society that had racial
tension we were born into these families
and God said I know you got it I knew
you had it so I’m gonna send my son and
when I send my son I’m gonna give you a
new race first I’m gonna make you
Christian I’m gonna wash away everything
no neither Jew or Gentile black or white
Hispanic or Asian I’m gonna give you the
blood of Jesus and I’m gonna wash you in
that so that people will know you by
your love and I want to reprogram your
mind so that’s why he says we can boil
the whole thing down to love here and
leave your neighbor as yourself
we can boil this whole now he didn’t say
your black neighbor or your right
neighbor or your affluent neighbor or
your poor neighbor he said your neighbor
so whoever God has sent you around
you’re supposed to love them so today
I’m just challenged that many people
let’s not talk about people who don’t
know Christ right now just let’s leave
it because they don’t know they still
they still got in them the the the seed
of hatred and frustration and all these
other things that doesn’t get changed
until you accept the grace of God but
let me talk to the church for a second
because the saddest part about the
narrative of all the racism that’s going
on is probably some of the most visceral
and venomous
prejudice happens in God’s church Martin
Luther King once said the most
dated our of of a week is Sunday morning
at this time because you got white
church and black church and Hispanic
Church we just want to worship we were
comfortable stop it that’s not what God
called us to look like he said that we
should be able to walk into any Church
any place that bears the name of Jesus
Christ and feel comfortable feel loved
feel accepted feel like you can be able
to praise but that leads me to think
that there may be something wrong in
God’s house with God’s people and I
don’t think we’ve taken our
responsibility to reconcile people to
ourselves and to God well pastor Mike
you know now who races race
reconciliation that’s great I don’t
really feel like that’s my
responsibility well let’s look at second
Corinthians chapter five and I want us
to all look at this together it says
this means that anyone who him anyone
who belongs to Christ he has become a
new birth okay so that means if your
family R is racist when you became a
Christian you became a new person that
mean oh and I’m not talking about just
white people being racist I know some
black people that are more racist than
anybody in the world no I want to be
very clear about this this is not a
white and black message this is a people
humanity message does everybody hear
what I’m saying
okay I want you to hear me say this very
clearly that when you come to Christ he
gives you the title of new creation and
then he clarifies because most of us
wouldn’t be able to understand it just
like that he said the old life is gone
he said you missed it you thought you
was going to be able to keep on to the
keep those racist comments in your back
pocket in case somebody made you too mad
he said the old life is gone it the old
life is no longer valid now that you’ve
become a believer
your only response it’s no longer
acceptable after accepting Christ into
your life and he said in a new life has
become verse 18 second Corinthians five
verse 18 it says and all of this is a
gift from God who brought it brought us
back to himself through Christ and God
has given us this task of reconciling
people to him but how can you reconcile
somebody to him if you will not even
communicate with him how can we how can
I tell you about a sale that’s going on
if I won’t talk to you I want you to see
he’s given us the Ministry of
reconciliation he said for God was in
Christ reconciling the world to himself
he said I’ve already shown you the
picture no longer counting people’s skin
I mean sin against them and he gave us
this wonderful message of reconciliation
check this so we are Christ’s
ambassadors
we’re his representatives and this
messes me up every time God is making
his appeal through us I want you to see
this that God is literally saying I’m
giving you at Salvation anybody where
fanny packs in the 80s did anybody have
a fanny pack okay I just see of
salvation you get a fanny pack and in
that fanny pack you get love joy peace
the ability to turn the other cheek the
question is do you open it up and use it
and in that fanny pack you have the
Ministry of reconciliation that God says
I’m gonna put you in opportunities I’m
gonna have you have workplaces that have
races and and and and frustrated people
that work with you and I need you to be
my representative in that place I need
you to open that fanny pack and give
them the Ministry of reconciliation
so you
know when you come over there and
they’re like all quiet down uh-huh here
comes Bob Bob you go what up yo what’s
up I want to have relationship with you
let me take you out to lunch and yeah
it’ll be uncomfortable yeah it won’t be
but God said that’s not for them to do
you have been given the responsibility
of representing Christ everywhere you go
and that’s why you have the Ministry of
reconciliation so how can you reconcile
if you don’t have any friends that are a
different color than you when is the
last time you had lunch with somebody
that didn’t believe and doesn’t look
like you okay when’s the last time that
you saw somebody in need
that wasn’t a brother what what is
somebody you that you stepped across the
line and risked being uncomfortable or
even embarrassed
so hopefully this can be the thing that
changes their perception about me and
maybe my race if they have one good
interaction and that’s what God is
challenging all of us to do as the
church is to use this message and
Ministry of reconciliation to change
people and I want to show you this in
the Bible with the greatest reconciler
of them all Jesus go to John chapter 4
because all of that is good and and it’s
sad to say but everything I’ve set up
into this point everybody knows but for
some reason we haven’t taken a hold of
this this message of reconciliation and
I know some of you guys are like no no
no I have a white friend I have a white
friend and I do have a black friend and
we are good and we’re listen it’s not
just about a black friend and a white
friend it’s about humanity it’s about
when you see somebody do you think about
their race before you think about their
problem do you think about do you think
about what they need before you you
think about what what where they come
from or what side of town do they live
on or their situation or
you thinking more about race are you
thinking more about grace because until
we can answer that question they’re not
going to look to the church to get any
answers and we’re not going to get them
from government and we’re not going to
get them from the police force and we’re
not going to if the Church of Jesus
Christ because nobody has been given the
responsibility to reconcile except the
church and so I’m proud of everybody who
showed up today because I put it out
there that I’m ministering on racial
reconciliation some people dodge that
one like a bullet you’re at home right
now online hey online do you understand
what I’m saying
because this is the heart of the matter
and I just want to tell you a story in
John chapter 4 that you probably are
familiar with it’s the story of the
woman at the whale and and everybody’s
seen that heard this story if you’ve
been in church for any length of time
but maybe something you didn’t know is
Jesus in this one chapter reverses eight
hundred years of racial division in less
than 24 hours see we hear the woman
after whale story but we don’t know the
real background and so I’m gonna try to
break this down to let you see that
Jesus one man reverses eight hundred
years of black and white eight hundred
years of your side of town in my side of
town eight hundred years of this is what
y’all deserve this is what we deserve
eight hundred years of racial division
he changes in twenty four hours and this
is what happens in John chapter four and
I hope my prayer is that for you that
something in you would be changed to
start moving to be an ambassador of
racial reconciliation and your sphere of
influence at your job with your kids
with your relationships and that God
would start to heal our land not through
us but through you John chapter 4 Jesus
is healing everybody and baptizing
everybody and that’s how it starts off
and basically the Pharisees are mad
they’re like who is this coming up here
baptizing everybody he doing more
then John the Baptist nah we have to go
talk to his brother and Jesus like I’m
baptized enough people today we’re gonna
go and get hit and get up out of here
I’ll see y’all later and they said he
said the Bible tells us that they went
from Judea in the south and they wanted
to go to Galilee in the north okay so I
just want to paint this picture because
it’s going to help you understand that
they’re in one place and he’s healing
people you don’t want to deal with the
foolishness so he says let’s go to
another place to be able to make
interaction the only reason why this is
important is because right in the middle
of those places is a place called
Samaria Samaritan Samaria okay and this
is the thing um Samaria is a place with
Samaritans and they would be like
african-american or Hispanic people and
and the Jews and the Samaritans hated
each other there was so much racial
tension because they came from the same
place but they they classed each other
and started comparing each other and it
would be the equivalent of white and
black or some of the other racial
divisions that we have and so most
people if you are a Jew and you wanted
to go up to Galilee you would go all the
way around Samaria because you didn’t
want to cross the railroad tracks and
have anything to do with the Samaritan
okay so so what so what Jesus did is he
said let’s go to Galilee but I want to
go through Samaria
now all the disciples like Jesus you
know us in Samaria right it’s those
people those people who were
uncomfortable with those people who we
don’t understand where there’s been all
this prejudice in racing Jesus a yellow
let’s go and verse 4 tells us of John
John chapter 1 verse 4 it says he had to
go through Samaria on the way because
there was a spiritual need there and God
was going to give us an eternal picture
of racial reconciliation happening in
this month in this moment and it’s John
chapter 4 is what I mean
to say so please get this picture jews
and samaritans do not like each other
they’re there they’re in the streets
yelling Samaritan lives matter
can we be real that they’ve seen in
Justices they’ve been frustrated and
Jesus is so awesome because he goes
right to the heart of the issue and if
the church is going to see anything
happen and we’re going to read be
reunited as it is in heaven on earth
we can’t skirt around this issue we have
to go and talk about the issue and
that’s why I’m so excited we’re doing
this this morning because if racial
reconciliation is going to happen
give me let me give you point number one
it’s going to start with an organism and
not the organization but this is what
I’m saying is Jesus knew that this
racial problem he couldn’t have his
disciples impartation and agreement for
it to happen because they were still
struggling through some of their own
racism and we’ll talk about that in a
minute but Jesus knew that if something
was going to be done it would start with
him not the church see people waiting
for transformation church to do
something to racially reconcile when are
we going to go no it’s not going to
start with the government’s gonna start
with you
and Jesus paints this picture so much so
that he decides to meet a woman at noon
but he sends the disciples away because
he knew that where they were they were
still racist and they couldn’t handle
the reconciliation that was about to
happen what do you say a person like
there’s some people around you that are
your friends your dogs your homie your
family that ain’t gonna like this next
season because God’s giving you a
Ministry of reconciliation and they’re
still stuck in racist past but Jesus
gives us a picture so what does he do he
will go off on them y’all ready sister
and underneath he said y’all go get some
chicken in town y’all running go get
some Church’s Chicken and he
conveniently starts saying oh is hi I’m
thirsty I’m gonna stay right here that’s
what my Bible says I’m gonna stay right
here and y’all going to town and he
stopped at the place of the issue
and he met her at a specific place it
was Jacob’s Well now why would they meet
at Jacobs well it’s because the
Samaritans rejected most of the Old
Testament except the Pentateuch which is
the first five books of the Bible and
and the Jews accepted that too and so
everybody loved Jacob the Jews and the
Samaritans so Jesus was smart and he met
her on common ground he he didn’t meet
her to reconcile where there was an
issue he met her at a place where they
agreed and if we’re gonna see racial
reconciliation we can’t start when
there’s a riot we we cannot start at the
point of an issue we gotta start where
we agree everybody loves their kids
welcome to somebody of a different
ethnicity say you have the most
beautiful time you’re not gonna hear
anybody say you get away from me you
stupid nobody gonna do that but thank
you because it makes them feel like
they’re pretty even if they’re not and
it makes them you understand what I’m
saying it makes them feel hear me meet
people on common ground everybody likes
to hear about them themselves that’s why
when that woman had a prejudgment of me
a prejudice prejudgment of me at Utica
Square as soon as I told her her brooch
was nice her attitude changed if you
don’t need people on common ground
you’ll never be able to see racial
healing and Jesus met this woman on
common ground verse seven says he met
her at the whale and he asked her a
question so he decided to communicate
with her I want you to just see all of
the things we have to do he said please
give me a drink
look at verse nine it says the woman was
surprised for Jews refused to have
anything to do with Samaritans she used
the past to predict the future she was
surprised because no white people you
see how she summoned everybody up Jews
have nothing to do with some white
people Hispanic people Asian people have
nothing to do with these type of people
and look at the response she said to
Jesus um I don’t know if you knew but
you’re a Jew and I’m a Samaritan woman
why are you asking me for a drink
now this begs a question in my mind
Jesus didn’t say anything about him
being Jewish he he didn’t declare
anything blatantly Jewish so what this
leads me to conclude is that he was
obviously Jewish that that’s by the way
he was dressed or the way that he looked
his skin color she knew he was a
different ethnicity just like me you
know I’m black nobody has to get up and
put a sign up you know if you can see
you see that I’m african-american and
what this tells me is something that’s
so special that Jesus did not have to
change who he was to reach somebody else
see so many people are trying to act
black or act white or do this or do that
stop it you don’t have to deny the
heritage and the culture that you came
from but you cannot respond first out of
that you have to Swiss bonds first
biblically and see this is the problem
that people don’t have people have God’s
not asking you to like rap if you don’t
and he’s not like you meet up asking me
to like Barbra Streisand I saw a lady in
a vegetable
is that but he is asking us to live
biblical and that’s different and I
heard it like this I think Tony Evans
said it and it just just killed my whole
life when he said it he said most people
identify as a black Christian or a white
Christian or a Hispanic Christian he
said well we have two things Christian
is in the noun place of this phrase and
your ethnicity is in the adjective
position in him if anybody knows
anything about English or grammar the
adjective always it describes whatever
the noun is and he said so we cannot put
Christian as the noun Christian has to
be the adjective so that whatever we do
and however we do it and whatever we
become Christian describes what it is so
I’m a Christian business owner I’m a
Christian father I’m a Christian
african-american
I’m a Christian Anglo person because if
you do not put it in the adjective we
always have to conform our Christianity
[Applause]
[Music]
so what I’m asking you to do is be
Christian first be biblical first and
and to do that it’s a scary thing
because that means we have to
disassociate with some of the things
that we have been come on let’s be
honest it makes me have to watch what I
say
when I come into certain environments I
get comfortable in certain environments
and this is just what would come out of
me and God says that life and death is
in the power of the tongue we got to get
ahold of that well I’ve been saying it
since I was fifteen this is me and mine
and God says but when you became mine
you became a new creation the old things
are now past so now you get a new
identity now this is the word you’re
gonna need God to help you with this so
what are you saying Pastor Mike if we’re
going to see racial reconciliation and
we’re gonna live biblically we’re gonna
have to live our life comfortably
uncomfortable see comfortably
uncomfortable has to be your new normal
what are you talking about Pastor Mike
you’re gonna have to live your life
comfortably uncomfortable I had the
opportunity to preach at Battle Creek
two weeks ago and I shared this message
and Battle Creek is about 5,000 to 7,000
members and they’re 90% white people and
the pastor wanted me to come and speak
on racial reconciliation pastor Alex
Amaya one of the greatest men I’ve ever
met and and we I went up there and I was
comfortably uncomfortable I stood up on
that stage and I said good morning
everybody
my name is Michael Todd and I’m black
and they all started laughing and and
and I had to dive through this same
exact topic and I did it the same exact
way and and talking and using the
analogies and talking to help them
understand
I was comfortably uncomfortable but me
and my family have decided to live our
lives like that because that’s the only
way we’re gonna see racial
reconciliation that you’re not going to
be comfortable in all the places God
puts you I mean if you’re just serving
God at all it’s not comfortable that’s
why I calls it a faith walk because
they’re gonna be telling him like it’s
anything gonna be here when I take this
step and somehow he always put something
right there he’s faithful to continue to
provide for his children so so so you’re
gonna have to get used to living
comfortably uncomfortable you’re gonna
have to get used to being in
conversations where you don’t know much
about the topic you’re gonna have to be
some of y’all with pride you’re gonna
have to get used to asking questions you
so me y’all ever had a friend I think
they know everything but you do not know
but they think they know everything
I googled I know it happened to me but
he don’t sit and and and it’s gonna take
you putting yourselves in experiences
that are completely uncomfortable to
find out something new it reminds me of
a time I went duck hunting
what brothers no hot see it’s funny cuz
you ain’t never even heard that one of
the last time you was at the barbershop
it’s like you had me and my boys we went
dunk her like you don’t hear that but
I’ve decided to live my life comfortably
uncomfortable and so what happened was I
had a couple of my friends who I do
things in the cities with with unite my
city and they’re white and we get along
and I mean we are always just connecting
it all stuff if this hoop in or playing
basketball or going to the racetrack or
playing golf they always invite me but
then when they start talking about
hunting it’s like they start whispering
they like see me and they’re like hey
guys we’re gonna and so one day I just
called them out on it I said what’s up
why don’t y’all ever invite me to go
hunting and they were like well we just
assumed there’s that word again
we just assumed that brothers don’t
uh-huh at least ducks like they don’t
only hit dogs and I was like next time
you go hunting I was like I was out
strong with it
next time you go ahead and do it fight
me cuz I’m coming to hunt with y’all and
they was laughing and they were smiling
I was like okay cool three weeks later
they called me came like we got this
duck hunting excursion set up there’s
gonna be geese out there I was like cool
man I’m so excited about that I don’t
have no gear I don’t have nothing that’s
like don’t worry about the gear we got
you we got everything you need your gun
your boots your your your camouflage
they said you just got to be there I
said what time 10:00 11:00 they said
3:00 a.m.
[Music]
well what will we be doing at 3 o’clock
in the morning and y’all my mind got
opened up to this whole new experience
we pulled up a quick trip there was
about three or four trucks they had a
big ol I’m trailer behind him they had
thousands of dollars worth of gear they
had all these guns and so we’re out
there we’re setting up the what they
call the blinds and it’s like where you
put up fake grass to hide yourself to
make the Ducks think that is real grass
so you can just stand up and bow shoot
them and and so we have to set up
basically a grass tent and then we had
to go out and put what they call decoys
out which are fake ducks that cost
hundreds of dollars and we got a date
throwing grass up in the air and seeing
which way the wind is blowing so they
can set the Ducks like just so many of
the ducks facing one way and so many of
the ducks facing the other way so that
the Ducks in the sky can think that the
Ducks on the ground are real I mean it
was all this stuff and that was all
before 5:30 in the morning I was so
tired by the job but I was willing to be
uncomfortable so now we’re sitting in
the blinds and I’m the only speck of
pepper
anywhere near there and they all got
these semi-automatic rifles and all
these thing and they don’t gave me a
pump gun so like I don’t know if they
want to give me a gun or something but
so we sitting in the blinds and at the
moment they’re calling that got all the
I mean six and seven duck calls and
geese calls and they’re doing all this
other stuff and then they say they’re
coming and then it’s like I mean it must
be devastating for a duck but it’s so
exhilarating for me there’s like pull
and everybody is like nine people stand
up outside of this grass and everybody’s
like it’s like the greatest feeling in
the world it’s like Mario duck hunt in
real life y’all know what I’m saying it
was amazing hey and I got to spend three
hours in the blinds talking faith
talking family talking about dreams and
visions with guys as we shot ducks out
of the sky but it was one of the most
enriching experiences of my life
and I think we got a picture of of that
day if you could put that on the screen
doesn’t that boy look like then that boy
come on dump that boy look like he hot
and me and my friends you can put that
other one up there and me and my friends
we shot a lot of geese and a lot of
ducks and I don’t know how many I
actually shot but I know that my gun
fired and so we shot all kinds of stuff
that day but what I wanted to save from
that is if I didn’t take the chance to
live my life comfortably uncomfortable I
had to get all my instructions from
somebody else I had to learn about a
whole new thing but when I did that it
right rich their lives it enriched my
lives and now I have relationships that
I’ll have forever
and I’m able to reach people when I told
that hunting story at Battle Creek those
people were on the floor laughing
because their culture has many people
that hunt and because I had that
experience we could connect and business
owners and car dealership owners and
physicians came up to me afterwards and
said that was the best message I I love
pastor Alex but that was the best
message I’ve ever heard but it was
because I could relate it’s because I
took the chance to cross the line and
get comfortably uncomfortable and if
we’re gonna live and see racial
reconciliation God’s gonna ask you to
live comfortably uncomfortable he’s
gonna ask you to take that boss that may
be slightly racist but love Starbucks
he’s gonna ask you to buy them a fifty
dollar Starbucks card and take them to
take them to get a drink every morning
well what are we going to talk about
well what are we going to do it start
with them how long have you been your
hair it’s so beautiful hey how do you
start if you cross the line one
interaction with somebody of a different
ethnicity that’s positive can literally
change the entire thought process of
somebody else and that’s what Jesus did
see I want you to realize in this story
the reason that this woman was so
surprised is because Jesus was willing
to put his Jewish lips on her Samaritan
cup he was willing to identify with her
he said give me she he said give me a
drink and he didn’t have a cup that
means he would have had to drink from
her cup see that’s what God is asking us
to do he’s asking us to at least
identify what people even if somebody’s
hurting or community is hurting or a
group of people are hurting and you have
no experience just say I I know what it
is like to hurt you don’t got to agree
with everything but you got to be there
and hug them you got to send a text that
says I’m sorry that that happened
and that’s both ways that’s every way
that doesn’t matter where you are from
but until we’re willing to identify with
each other
there will be no racial reconciliation
so you’re gonna have to live your life
comfortably uncomfortable go to verse 15
John chapter 4 verse 15 and the
beautiful thing about this is Jesus
decides not to let his historic
prejudice of the heritage he came from
the Jewish people keep them from the
promise of their future so Jesus officer
living water if you drink this you won’t
ever be thirsty again and he’ll give you
eternal life she said please sir um give
me some of that water then I’ll never be
thirsty again I’ll have to come to this
daggone waterhole no more and then and
then Jesus switches the subject cuz now
that he has a relationship with her he
can go deeper into her for life see you
can’t engage some body’s problem until
you engage their humanity and and when
and when he said I identify with you
I’ll drink from your cup she said oh
he’s cool he does good that’s a good
dude I know every other Jew I’ve heard
about her every other Hispanic person
I’ve heard about or every other Asian
I’ve heard about but this one’s able to
identify with me so then he asked her
hey go get your husband and you know
most people now if we ethnically don’t
see out I’m not about to tell you my
business well go get your husband Jesus
told her she said um about that Jesus
said you’re right you’ll have a husband
for you had five husbands and you aren’t
even married to the man you live in
right now you certainly spoke the truth
this woman said I’m sorry I perceive you
are a prophet
to see that oh you know way you might be
the Son of God but I want you to see the
playbook Jesus has given us you probably
never seen this before
Jesus engaged her humanity and said he
would drink from her cup and it granted
him access to her personal and spiritual
needs see what we want to solve is
people’s problems but we have not even
engaged their life and until I know you
care I’ve heard it said like this people
don’t care how much you know until they
know how much you can’t when you tell
them when you show them when you live
like you care they’ll let you in today
problems then they’ll they’ll I don’t
care if if you’re a white person and I
don’t care if you’ve never been to the
north side if you saw a baby get shot
you should be able to say I’m so sorry
that that happened no matter if the cop
was wrong no matter it don’t matter if
we don’t eat ate then we can open up if
you’re a black person and you’re walking
around and you have affluence and you
see somebody poor and you don’t help
them because they’re all that’s trailer
trash sure that’s that they’ve lifted no
you should be able to I don’t know what
it’s like to not have enough cuz until
we gauge engage people’s humanity you’re
not gonna get access today real needs
and so Jesus gets access to this woman’s
life they went from talking about water
to her immoral lifestyle just like that
and then look verse 20 it goes even
deeper because cuz then she starts
asking him questions about their race
see when you get relationship with
somebody I’ve friends that are white one
of my closest friends
um um is David and he was in that video
David you’re somewhere in here there you
go to UM Dave’s white Dwight like dave
is just white but we have a relationship
where he can ask me about anything and I
can ask him about anything because we
engaged each other’s humanity first then
we started talking about our spiritual
needs are our needs for accountability
our needs and now once
you get that you can start asking
questions about the race like as a whole
like there’s white people in here they
have questions about black people there
are black people here like if you really
got to talk to a white person why do you
all do that well what is that but see
we’ve never had those exchanges because
most people don’t get close enough to
have and so Jesus and this woman go
talking about water then they talk about
her sin issue that she says why got some
questions about you Jews so tell me why
this house that’s how it starts verse 20
why is it that Jews insist that
Jerusalem is the only place to worship
while we Samaritans claim that it’s here
on Mount Gerizim where our ancestors
worship see it’s like why do you all go
to church over there and y’all be
shouting and jumping and and speaking in
tongues jesus replied believe me dear
woman the time is coming well it will no
longer matter whether you worship the
father on this mountain at the AME
Church at the conjecture CH at the
pentacle is not going to matter if you
had Guthrie green it’s not gonna matter
where you worship in he said um you know
very little about the one you worship
what he was telling her it’s like you’re
making generalizations about a whole
group of people because your daddy told
you that and your daddy’s daddy told him
that and your daddy’s daddy daddy told
him that your daddy’s dead he’s dead
he’s dead he told you that and he said
he said your daddy didn’t know what he
was talking about and your daddy’s daddy
didn’t know what he’s talking on your
daddy’s daddy’s daddy’s daddy daddy
didn’t know what he was talking about he
said the paradigm which you need to be
thinking about is spirit and truth and
when it comes to this racial
reconciliation
it’s got to be spirit and truth and it
has to be the absolute truth which is
the Word of God and that’s what we do so
when the Bible tells us to love our
enemy that’s what we have to do when it
tells us we’re supposed to turn the
other cheek that’s what we have to do
when it’s tellin tells us we’re supposed
to do for the least of these so Jesus
like some of us we’re doing things cuz
our daddy told us to
and our daddy’s daddy told and our
daddy’s daddy’s daddy believed this way
and Jesus comes like you came to this
woman your daddy and your daddy’s daddy
and your daddy’s daddy’s daddy and your
daddy’s daddy daddy didn’t know what
they were talking about this is about
spirit and truth so can I break it down
if your father was racist if your
grandmother was prejudiced I’m talking
black white and his spent I’m talking
everything if if the uncle who raised
you had just a racial bend y’all know I
had a uncle one time told me all white
people
I said UNK you ain’t never been out this
city you don’t even know all white
people like how can you say that but
it’s been things that we’ve learned and
I came to tell you they didn’t know what
they were talking about they they had no
idea how beautifully and wonderfully God
made every person in this way they had
no clue how much life comes when
different ethnicities embrace each other
and we were talking around that table
they showed you six minutes of a two and
a half hour conversation I have with
different ethnicities it was probably
one of the richest experiences of my
whole life because I was open I was
comfortably uncomfortable and I got to
experience relationship with other
people but it comes we decide to leave
what we’ve been taught and be
transformed by the renewing of our minds
guys we got a see racial reconciliation
and it’s going to start with the
organism not the organization and it’s
going to start with us living
comfortably uncomfortable not everything
being okay look at it and verse 23 said
the time has come and indeed it’s here
now somebody shot at me now shout at me
now now this is when true worshipers
will worship the father in spirit and
truth the father is looking for those
who worship him in this way for God his
spirit so those who worship him must
worship Him in spirit and truth and he
and Jesus went real deep on her and she
was like oh okay okay verse 25 the
woman’s
oh well oh yeah I know the Messiah is
coming the one who’s called Christ so
when he comes you know he’ll explain
everything and doesn’t that sound like
the church like we’ll know we’ll all be
together in heaven one day like I know I
mean this black and white thing on the
sail my sons how you stay on your side
of time but in heaven when eternity
happens and he said no no now as it is
in heaven let it be on earth because
we’ve been given the Ministry of
reconciliation
verse 26 then Jesus told her I’m the one
you was talking about I’m the Messiah
I’m here right now and if you look at it
isn’t Jesus living on the inside of all
of us and didn’t he say greater works
should we do he’s healing 800 years of
racial division in one day and greater
works should we do that’s what the Bible
says he said just then the disciples
came back they were shocked to find him
talking to a woman but none of them had
the nerve to ask what are you alone why
are you talking to her now I want you to
see this because you have to read the
whole Bible to get this right here um
they really weren’t mad because she was
talking about a woman cuz the Bible
tells us he’s already talked to Mary
Martha he’s talked to the Sarah
Phoenician woman he’s talked to women
before it was because she was a
different ethnicity that it would be
like a group of black friends that that
black power all this other stuff and
then you see one of the people that’s
leading a group talking to a white
person and they walk up and did did he
forget what we was here for did he
forget that we were here to stay
segregated and saved did Jesus forget
but none of them had the nerve to ask
the question and this is a beautiful
picture because it encourages me is that
the disciples as many miracles as they
perform they were still racist think
about it
think about it at this place in their
journey and this is the beautiful thing
that God can still use you if you have
broken areas they they weren’t healed
all the way in this area they still have
some more time to get this right but it
proves to us that this journey with
Christ is not a perfection thing it’s a
progression thing and the disciples were
still racist right here they burst
twenty-eighth said so the woman left the
water jar beside the well ran back to
the village telling everyone she had a
great interaction with one person who
was a different ethnicity and she had to
go back and tell everybody else because
she got living water she got saved come
and see a man who told me everything I
ever did could he possibly be the
Messiah so the people came streaming
from the village to see him now I want
you to see this a group of disciples
went into the city with no intention of
reconciliation came back with no results
one man had a positive interaction
outside of the city that changed her so
much that she went back into the city
and told everybody she knew and they
came to Jesus see you’re waiting on the
organization to do something and God
said I can do one more where one person
who would show my love and would cross
the line and live comfortably
uncomfortable and they’ll come and say
what must I do to be saved
meanwhile verse 31 the disciples were
urging Jesus rabbi eat some but jesus
replied man I’ve got a food that you’ll
know nothing about whoa whoa you know
what you have something good to eat you
like first day this somebody bring him
some chick-fil-a while we was go we walk
ten miles to get him this trudges
chicken and somebody brought him some
chicks lately that’s what my Bible says
verse 34 says then Jesus
see my nourishment comes from doing the
will of God from actually doing the
Ministry of reconciliation my
nourishment comes from being obedient to
God’s Word who sent me and from
finishing his work
verse 35 you know the saying four months
between planting and harvest but I say
wake up look around the fields already
ripe for harvest see right here Jesus
was doing a social experiment to say
either we’re going to be the church that
goes at this issue or we’re going to
wait for months oh yeah we’ll get
together and do a racial reconciliation
event and we’ll have balloons and
jumpies for the kids and we’ll come
together he said but look around there
are people coming to you right now there
are people at your job right now there
are people that you’re on Instagram with
right now and Facebook right now
he said the field is ripe for harvest
and if you look at where we’re at in our
city in our world about this racial
reconciliation the light shines bright
in the darkest times the field is right
right now for one of God’s children an
organism to raise up and say we don’t
have to do it like this I’m gonna cross
the line of my uncomfortability I’m
gonna have a conversation with somebody
in fact I’m going to invite you to my
family gathering yeah it’s gonna make
all my family uncomfortable but we got
to start living comfortably
uncomfortable why cuz I have been given
the Ministry of reconciliation until I
do something nobody’s gonna do anything
and I want you to get this picture as we
close God’s telling us to wake up look
around so many different ethnicities
that God has placed you around but you
still go home with your four friends you
you still you said well I don’t know
what to say
like Moses I’m telling you open your
mouth and God will feel it
what if I’m disrespectful you’ll learn
like I mean all the things that you’ve
put as a blockage gondol changing and I
want you to see this we’ve heard it but
said Mark 12:31 that we’re supposed to
love our neighbor as ourselves but can i
rephrase it
love requires relationship what do you
love that you don’t have relationship
with nothing if we’re gonna love our
neighbour is it’s gonna require
relationship first John 4:20 it says if
someone says I love God but hates his
fellow believer then that person is a
liar for if we don’t love people we can
see how can we love God who we cannot
see because Jesus one organism decided
to live comfortably uncomfortable and
meet this woman of a different ethnicity
at a place of common ground they were
able to share an exchange that changed
her life and pointed her to the Father
she went back and told all of her
friends the entire city is now coming to
meet Jesus because of one man see the
best part of this whole thing is his in
verse 40 see the people came now I want
you to get the picture real quick Jesus
is about to tell the disciples we got a
minister to all these men you see coming
from the town and this either was going
to be a race riot because Peter cuts
people’s ears off you understand what
I’m saying this this was either gonna be
a race riot or revival and it turned
into a revival because people who had
prejudice in their heart allow God to
fill it up and started to engage people
that didn’t look like them the most
beautiful part verse 40 it says when
they came out to see him they begged him
to stay in their village so so he stayed
for two days get the picture
when they met at noon the woman declared
the first thing we don’t have nothing to
do with each other white people black
people will had nothing to do with each
other
Hispanics and Asians we don’t got
nothing to do Europeans we don’t got
nothing to do with each other by that
evening
he had booked the two night stay in the
hood the and they were begging him to
stay because when their relationship
came into a place where they exchanged
with one of God’s creations it became
one of the riches experience in their
life and then the Bible says that many
were saved because of that one
interaction so what are you asking us to
do Pastor Mike last point take the risk
take the risk to look stupid take the
risk to be the only white people to show
up in a predominantly black congregation
take the risk to invite somebody to your
family reunion now you know your family
to take the risk because if as the organ
is organism we don’t do something and
start to do it then we just stay at the
same place we on our Facebook at our
barber shop and our own place talking
crazy about whatever but nothing changed
and God has given every christ-follower
now anybody who’s not a believer it’s
all good I’m not talking to you but
anybody who believes in Jesus you’ve
been given the Ministry of
reconciliation and now it’s time for us
to use it so if you could bring me out
my prop real fast hey I love sandwiches
and um but a sandwich is not complete
for me now now if I come to your house
and you make a sandwich do not put no
mayonnaise on my set just leave it plain
cuz the only thing that goes on my
sandwiches is the miracle nyeh buyer of
the whip let me let me
hey hey glory this will take some raw
meat and make it by blessing but but as
I begin to study how this was made it
has two major ingredients that aren’t
supposed to go together
and in it and it kind of reminds me of
the enemy’s plan for the beginning of
division it like black and white is not
supposed together go together races
aren’t supposed to go together and it’s
oil and water I mean you can whip it you
can blend it you can you can shake it
and as soon as you quit all of that they
separate : water doesn’t go together
until it comes in contact with what’s
known as an emulsification process and
see the emulsifier and miracle whip is
an egg and one part of the egg grabs the
oil and the other part of the egg grabs
the water and when it mixes together it
becomes one if we’re going to make the
picture of heaven on earth when you meet
Jesus
it becomes the emulsifier of every race
where it’ll take a white believer and a
black believer in the Asian believer and
a Hispanic believer and it will bring
them together and no longer will we be a
part but it’ll be a miracle a picture of
heaven on I don’t want you to ever eat a
sandwich to say
but more importantly I don’t want you to
ever live the same cross the line be the
organism who lives comfortably
uncomfortable and is able to identify
with others take the risk and get
relationship with somebody that doesn’t
look like you and if it starts with you
it will impact so many others can we
give God praise right now this is that
moment where all of us in our home just
watching this on rebroadcast sitting on
a track or with our family or whatever
is happening it’s our moment right now
to take the risk and I want to give you
practical steps I’m so grateful for God
for what he said and what he did through
that message that I believe is so
applicable right now today in this very
moment for each of our lives
I want to give you some handles cuz you
can hear that and I think the thousands
of you over 40,000 devices have stayed
on this entire time hearing this and I
believe that it’s stirring something and
starting something in your hearts in
your home and it’s going to be the agent
of change for what God is about to do
but I want to give you practical handles
if we’re gonna take a risk I want to
tell you what you can do this week cuz
tons of my friends and pastors and
leaders from all over the country they
keep calling they’re asking me like what
can we do like how do i what do i do I
feel bad but I want to make sure that
I’m doing something and my brothers and
sisters when we’re burning down cities
and and and and and looting people’s
businesses that’s not the thing that I
think is going to produce the most fruit
so what do we do Pastor Mike what do we
do we take a risk
everybody spell out risk on your cell
phone or on a piece of paper the first
thing that we’re all going to do because
we’ve been given the Ministry of
reconciliation as the Church of Jesus
Christ what we’re gonna do is we’re
gonna develop relationship this whole
series about relationship goal is for a
to win in relationship but the tagline
that I keep saying is that we cannot
have a goal and we’re not aiming for
over 400 years in this country we
haven’t been aiming like we have the
goal that all men are created equal and
free and all this other stuff but we
haven’t been aiming and so today I’m not
putting it on government to aim I’m not
putting it on your church or your
affiliations or your businesses I’m
putting it on you it’s time to aim at
right relationships
we gotta have relationships with people
that do not look like us they do not
have the same background as us that
don’t even believe the same way we
believe because it’s in relationship
that people really begin to find out not
how different we are but how much we are
the same it’s very hard to talk about
somebody that you know that you
understand what they’re going through
it’s very easy on social media to throw
stones at people and talk about people
and do all of these things but if it was
our kids and our sons and our cousins
and our co-workers it would be different
and what I’m challenging you is it’s
time to build relationship with somebody
that’s not like you at all you cannot
have relationship with somebody you’re
not willing to engage with and so it’s
time to take a risk to form some
relationships that your cousins your
parents your friends may disapprove of
because it’s not about getting a well
done from these people it’s about
getting a well done from the God of the
universe who calls us to be his
representatives his hands and feet here
so I want you this week God will present
the opportunity the Holy Spirit will
show you that’s the person I want you to
connect with not on a surface level but
on a deeper level I want you to call
them I want you to FaceTime them I want
you to email them I want you to stand at
that gas station and have a conversation
if no body has to think what do I get
out of it it’s what can I give to it can
I just give a listening ear can I hear
can I be one to be there
this moment and I want every person
white black yellow red I don’t care what
it’s time for us to take the risk and
develop relationship and then that I I
want you to take the risk to be
intentional this racial reconciliation
that we need to see is not gonna happen
on accident it’s gonna happen
intentionally and I’m asking you to be
intentional it’s all my white brothers
and sisters and of every race I’m asking
you be intentional to have a
conversation with your kids
racism is learned this is not something
that people pick up and wake up and know
my daughter’s right now don’t know the
difference between black and white but
it’s learned and today I’m asking you be
intentional have a conversation with
your kids no matter what their ages be
intentional find things that can help
you understand what people are going
through from every side of the coin and
if you take the risk to be intentional I
think everything begins to not change at
one moment but it starts to aim and
align what happens if the 40,000 people
that are on here right now became
intentional with their prayer for people
that are different than them oh let’s
start there why don’t you be intentional
this week and pray for people that don’t
look like you I’m talking about go on
Instagram and find people’s names out
and and and look at their situation and
hurting you don’t have to know them
there’s no distance in prayer but I dare
you to ask God to give you his heart
forgive let’s get the heart and pray for
George Floyd’s family
let’s get the heart and let’s pray for
our neighbor and our cousin and our
co-worker and the people we play
basketball with and the people we go to
gym with let’s pray a couple AK people
I’m talking to you pray for white people
this week and I know that made me
difficult because of what you feel at
this moment but I’m telling you this is
where we rely on the Holy Spirit this is
where we go back to Jesus where I am
weak he is strong today I’m asking you
to cross that line take the risk to be
intentional so we’re gonna develop
relationship that’s the r and the i
we’re gonna be intentional watch the s
we’re gonna start at home see everybody
wants to say what we’re doing all out
here but the problem is it’s that all of
this stuff is bred in homes hate looking
the blind eye taking the blind eye
oppression all those different things
that we’re doing it starts in the home
and so I’m asking you starting your home
and some people are saying fast I’m like
I’ve started in my home my kids knowing
my family no that’s for me and my house
cool so I’m gonna give you another s
word speak up if it started in your home
now I’m asking you
speak up use your influence no matter
how great or how small if you’re a
pastor of a church speak up if you are
somebody that has an influence with
three people on a zoom call speak up if
you see injustice happening out of gas
station speak up if you see somebody
hurting behind the scene speak up
because right now there are people that
can’t speak for themselves and God tells
us that we as believers are supposed to
speak up for those who do not have a
voice
it starts in our home and we speak up
you can do that this week and I’m not
just talking about hear me when I say
this don’t just say anything the Bible
tells us that a foolish man just says
whatever comes to his mind I’m asking
you to go to prayer for what you’re
supposed to say and begin to say things
that bring life that bring change that
changed policies that move things beyond
where they are right now speak up and
the last thing I’m asking you to take
the risk to do is to find knowledge the
Bible tells us that my people perish
because of a lack of knowledge and the
truth of the matter is for everybody
there’s a lot of stuff none of us know
there’s things that I’m finding out
right now as an african-american in the
United States of America that I had no
clue about but I’m not going to sit here
and allow things to happen I’m going to
go and I’m gonna find knowledge the
first place that I’m gonna find
knowledge is in the Word of God I’m
asking everybody man don’t just scroll
and listen to Instagram post this week I
know it’s so much easier but many of you
need to take a fast from the news and
social media and more than you consuming
the information we want God to consume
us with his fire and purify us how do we
do that we got to get on our knees it’s
so funny that from Colin Kapernick
taking his knees and kneeling to this
officer kneeling when jerk George
Floyd’s neck
that now as a church we have the
opportunity to kneel I’m asking you to
get on your knees all over this world
all week long and get in the most
powerful posture that you could ever be
in this is how I fight my battles and
I’m gonna fight this thing on my knees
god I don’t understand it
God I’m frustrated God that could have
been me God I have friends that are
trying to do something god I don’t know
what to do
god I want to write it god I want to
rest
god I need you to speak God I can’t take
it anymore
God give us wisdom God take this pain
away God change our world God changed me
this is how we start fighting our
families every time you see a knee know
you need to take a knee every time you
see the image every time you see
somebody kneeling remember that that is
supposed to be our posture – the only
one who can change this whole thing
and as we get knowledge from God as we
kneel before his presence I’m believing
we’re gonna get up with solutions we’re
gonna get up with understanding we’re
gonna get up and know who we need to
elect and how we need to move forward
and what policies we need to change we
cannot do this on our own we need the
wisdom of heaven as it is in heaven let
it be on earth and I’m asking you get
knowledge and I believe that as we take
that risk to form relationships with
people that don’t look like us
to be intentional with our children and
our families and start in our homes and
speak up and take the risk to seek
knowledge on things we don’t understand
and listen to me it’s going to be
embarrassing to even have to ask some of
the questions that you don’t know it’s
gonna be it’s gonna be uncomfortable to
talk about things that you know I just
never knew why and that makes a lot of
sense but I don’t have that same
experience I had one of our production
guys Justice he came up to me before the
message and he said Pastor Mike you know
it’s crazy that I was with one of my
white friends yesterday and he said
without my connection without my
relationship and being intentional and
that being in my house with my wife and
without that me and my friend were white
yesterday was a regular day for us if we
were not connected to so many people who
are experiencing this difference then we
are
and in that moment he said I just
realized in that moment how normal my
life was in the same moment how
devastated it was for somebody else and
his boldness to say that to me in that
moment his courage to be able to admit
how this didn’t affect him but how he
lured affected me what’s the common
ground that allowed us to be able to
stand today and say I don’t get it but
I’m here it’s almost like when my wife
or any woman has a baby no man can ever
say they know what that feels like I
don’t know what it feels like to carry a
baby for nine months or have a baby but
because my wife is pregnant I don’t be
like a you dealing with that baby you
hurt and you gotta have contractions go
ahead and deal with that know what I do
as a husband who will never experience
what she’s experienced I may not feel it
but I’m there with her I’m saying
breathe baby I’m rubbing her back I’m
sitting in that moment with it and
there’s many of us that will never
experience the same thing but can we sit
in this together
can we stand with each other can’t we
pray for each other
can we hold each other up if we’re gonna
do that it’s gonna take us making for
many of us a huge risk just as some of
the team I want y’all to come here real
quick I just want them to see who put
this on yeah y’all come on come on come
on I need dad y’all come on I need some
people to see y’all y’all just come up
here here come on team Oh like this just
sit stand I want you to I want you to
see right now in your home
transformation Church is one of the best
places to be right now yeah just y’all
just get right here justice come sit
next to me bro how’s the tummy getting
next to him I want you to see I want you
to see ya y’all get all up on here so I
can sit on the back of this like I just
want them to see this is our church
right now we’re taking the risk I want
everybody to see this all over the world
I don’t know if anybody’s still tuned on
but this is this is our church and we’re
making a decision that we’re going to
live a risky life for God it doesn’t
matter what it cost us if nobody comes
back to the building if I don’t care
what it cost us every generation is
represented up here different
ethnicities are represented up here
different socio-economic classes some of
these are paid staff some of them are
our volunteers some of these people are
people that are a part of the prayer
team doesn’t matter this is our
responsibility to live our lives in a
risky place that we’ll see as it is in
heaven right here on this earth today
as so many people are hurting so many
people are broke in I want to let you
know there’s still hope this is a
picture of hope screenshot this what I
want you to know is that even though so
many people are broken into pieces right
now I saw a beautiful picture called the
mosaic Charles and what a mosaic is is a
bunch of piece of different colored
glass that has been broken all put back
together to make a different picture and
today all of our broken pieces I believe
by the power of the Holy Spirit justice
God has taken all the brokenness and if
we would allow him to be the one that
brings us together the emulsifier that
he would take all of our pieces and
create a masterpiece today we’re praying
for a mosaic that would be on display
all around the world come on I need
y’all to pray with me God I’m asking you
right now to take all of the brokenness
that we feel in America and all over the
world father and I thank you that you
would paint a brand new picture today
white and black young and old Hispanic
and Asian father God Native American
father Irish it doesn’t matter father I
thank you Father that you are taking us
and under the name of Jesus that every
knee will bow and every tongue will
confess that Jesus is Lord that we will
come together and you would do what we
can’t that you would create a picture of
unity and racial reconciliation as it is
in heaven we want it to be on this earth
today God it doesn’t start with an
organism
it starts with this organism and today
father I thank you that you’re not
leaving us to figure this out your Holy
Spirit on the day of Pentecost was
poured out on everybody every person and
you were poured out so that we would
know how to walk in how to live you said
we can ask for your help and you would
be the comforter and today we need your
help
father we pray for everybody on the
streets right now everybody rioting
everybody that’s trying to figure out to
do with their rage and on anger father
I’m asking you Father right now send
your peace to our country God we’re
humbling ourselves and we’re praying
we’re seeking your face where we’re
admitting we don’t know how to do this
and we’re turning from our wicked ways
and God we’re asking you could you hear
us and could you heal us in the name of
Jesus thank you that there would be much
grace yes some people today we give you
glory we give you honor and we give you
praise listen if you’re in this moment
and you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ
as your personal Lord and Savior the
only thing that connects all of us the
only the only thing that connects all of
us it’s the day that we gave our life to
Jesus Christ see I may be black he may
be white he may be black and white we
may have a bunch of different
ethnicities but the blood of Jesus is
ready that’s the only color that matters
when it comes to your life and today I
want to give you the opportunity to
accept Jesus Christ as your personal
Lord and Savior
if you want to stop having to carry this
load in this burden by yourself I do not
know what I would have done this week
had I not known Jesus do you know how
rough it is to live this life of sin
without the saving grace of Jesus and
today I want to offer that to you yo if
you’re like me who’s not a perfect
person who has failed several times
continues to fail was addicted to
pornography a liar a manipulator
somebody who had racism and prejudgment
in my heart if you were somebody like me
and you need a new shot a reset or
restart today God wants to give you that
and all you have to do according to
Romans 10:9 is accept Jesus as your
personal Lord and Savior and believe
that he lived and died just for you and
right there you’re safe and today if you
call on that name he said you will be
saved today is your day of salvation not
tomorrow today is the day of salvation
and if you say in pastor I want to be
included in that prayer today I want you
to pray that I accept Jesus Christ as my
personal Lord and Savior on the count of
three I want you to just lift your hand
one you’re making the greatest decision
of your life – we are all proud of you
but more than that God is proud of you
three come on just shoot your hand up in
the air now I can’t see you right now
but God can see you and that’s just a
sign of your heart posture being open to
God today we’re gonna pray for you and
that transformation church we’re gonna
pray not just for you we’re gonna pray
with you
nobody we’re a family here aren’t we a
family we’re family here and so nobody
prays alone so we’re gonna pray this
prayer together everybody say God thank
you for sending Jesus just for me today
I know I need a Savior and I choose you
I believe you lived and you died just
for me
and today I give you my life change me
renew me transforming me I’m yours in
Jesus name Amen
can we give God praise right now
hallelujah there are hundreds of people
if not thousands who just gave their
life to Christ and more that will do it
as this airs and rebroadcast this is
what I’m asking everybody to do this
week I want you to take a risk I even
want to educate people yeah if you need
to know more you need more knowledge you
need to read the Bible but there’s some
other books you can read I wrote a few
of them down some of you need to get
won’t charge by Pastor Erik Mason the
subtitle is the urgent call for
Christians in America to confront racism
and injustice you can get that book
right now on Amazon I’m not paid to do
this I’m trying to resource you I want
you to get things in your heart in your
mind that will help you understand you
could get the third option by Pastor
miles McPherson it’s hope for a racially
divided nation you can get a book by my
friend pastor Darren Darren gray called
The Good Life what Jesus teaches about
finding true happiness these are all
resources that can help you this week if
you need to sit down and watch something
instead of just watching the news but
you want to understand the plight of
what’s going on here’s a few movies that
I want you to write they didn’t know
that there was gonna get a movie list at
church today but Siskel and Ebert I’m
Michael Todd and this is transformation
Church the movie that hate you give you
should watch that movie every white
person that I’m your pastor I am
pleading with you watch the movie
it will help you just understand I’m not
asking you to repay for everything
that’s happened I’m asking you to
understand and be a part of the change
yeah okay yeah watch the hate you give
another movie that will just really help
you understand some of the things that
are going on it’s a movie called when
they see us I would encourage you to
watch when they see is I would encourage
you to allow your kids to watch it well
that’s too much that’s too gruesome
that’s that listen to me it’s reality
and what they watching on YouTube
already they know more than you think
and then there’s one more documentary
called 13th that’s on Netflix right now
I’m just trying to give you I don’t
agree with everything that’s in them but
it will give you a picture out of real
reality yeah
it’ll give you perspective that’s what
it is that as I sit here with my dad on
the couch and justice is now in an Oreo
right now because I you are in the Oreo
at this moment it’s so crazy that 1966
you are a part of desegregation in
Jackson Alabama and your seventh-grade
year you had to fight every every day he
had to fight every day because he
and his twin sister were a part of
segregation and I I come to today this
is the 99th anniversary of one of the
worst race massacres in US history that
happened right here in Tulsa Oklahoma
and I’m standing here as a
african-american pastor with them with
the possibly majority white church
on the day that we celebrate Pentecost
when the Holy Spirit was given I just
don’t think that all of those things are
disconnected I can’t believe it
it’s not coincidence this is not
happenstance I believe – to heal what
you went through but I’m currently
filling what you’re trying to understand
what there’s a tension up between
everybody we’re gonna need the Holy
Spirit so I’m asking you this week spend
time in prayer go back two weeks ago and
watch the worship thing all over again
it’s two and a half hours of worship
maybe you need to start your day with
that every day yeah go back and watch
other messages watch this again get your
friends together and watch it there’s so
much truth in this and then I’m asking
you to show back up next week no matter
what happens in our world we’re gonna be
here with the hurt with the differences
with our pain with our frustration and
we’re gonna learn how to win in
relationships but one of the
relationships we have to win in is
racial reconciliation and today I want
to pray for you Father thank you for
every person that tuned in come on let’s
stretch our faith towards them right now
father we thank you that this week that
this week is gonna be better than last
week I thank you Father God that you’re
going to allow your spirit to lead and
guide us and we’re gonna keep our lives
anchored in the truth that even in this
fallen world you said in this world
you’re gonna have trouble but take heart
coz you’ve already overcome the world
show us how to take the risk father and
let us love people beyond father God our
understanding is we trust you we believe
you and we thank you in Jesus name we
agree go out and live a transformed life
we love you guys so much thank you so
much for watching this message and if
this has impacted you in any way I’m
asking you to do a couple of things
number one join transformation nation
join us right here
every Sunday gather your friends and
your family and be a part of not just
this moment but this movement the second
thing I would ask you to do is share
share this with your friends your
co-workers people that are around you
because transformation is just one click
away the last thing I would ask you to
do is partner with us financially if
this ministry is impacting your life
transforming you I would ask you to
consider pray about what you could give
to help us take this message to the
whole world I want you to know that we
love you and your best days are right in
front of you this week I want you to
live a transformed life see you next
week
[Music]