A (0:02)

Welcome to Transformation Church podcast, where we represent God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ. We're so glad you're here. And wherever you're listening from, we believe God will transform your life through today's message. Anybody ready for the word? This morning we get excited about the word of God. Well, we are in week seven of a series we're calling Help Me Muster. Whoa. Somebody had to do it. Talking faith. Somebody had to do it. Talking faith. Somebody had to do it. I always seen talk show hosts do that. And this is the last week of this series. Has anybody been helped in their faith through this series? And amen. Next week, I want to tell you about something special that's happening right now. Our very own Pastor Charles Metcalfe is preaching at Elevation Church this morning. Oh, come on, y'. All. We shout for our home team. And as he's preaching there, I'm just so grateful of what God's doing in his life. And. And in case you don't know, next week we are starting a brand new series here. And he is going to preach this next series out of his life. And I can vouch for him and say that I have seen the behind the scenes, the inner workings of this Elevation transformation and really acceptance of a brand new call on Pastor Charles life. So next week, you do not want to miss it. I'm going to be here sitting on the front row. We are starting a brand new series called God Chose Me. And I'm telling you, telling you that this series, this series we've already started walking through all the weeks of this series. Some of y' all about to get your fight back. You're about to believe God like never before. Somebody say, God chose me, chose you to raise them kids, be at that job, be in the city you're in, and he's gonna use you there. And so if you have not pre ordered his book, there's nothing like family riding for you. And I just want. Pastor Charles didn't ask me to do that. He ain't even here right now. He probably on the stage preaching. But I want us to back Pastor Charles in this new endeavor of releasing a book. Like nobody else even has to come to the party. And if you buy a copy, buy three of them, Give them to people. Give. Like, let's. Let's sow into what we see God is doing in him in Abby's life. And I always want to be a leader that makes space for people to shine. And today somebody's like, just keep going. No, no, no, no. I need you to hear me. Because there's too many people that leave church because they think it's only room for one person. Only one person can have. My goal is to create so much real estate in the kingdom of God under Transformation Church that what God's called you to do would one day flourish in this garden. See, some of y' all don't believe it because it's not regular. I'm not talking about just having somebody have a book. Bree, why don't we have a publishing company? Like, why don't we. Why don't we release the. Y' all didn't hear what I'm saying. We're not just releasing music. We're trying to start something up so we can have the record company so that we can do things to actually be in a position to help the body. And it starts with us supporting what God gives us. So next week, we're going to celebrate it. The book comes out on the 17th, and we are going to have a party. So in this last week of this series called Muscle, y', all, I'm sweating so bad up here. I'm sweating like I stole something. And my God. Yeah, this thing felt that. That worship got me going, and my body temperature rose, like, 17 degrees. And today, in this last sermon of this series, I feel that I have an assignment to teach you about something that is overlooked, but that we have to have to go into. Watch this. The promised land. Last week, I talked to you about Joshua and how we were going to be big steppers. How many big steppers do I have that are going to walk in faith and do everything that God's called you. I see. See you. And I'm telling you right now that your faith has to go to a whole another level and. Hold on. What are you talking about? For what? Hold on. What do you mean resisting, bro? Hey, man, can somebody hold on? What are you doing, bro? Okay, hold on, man. I didn't do anything. What? Stop resisting. Now, now, now, before somebody. I see somebody getting up back there. All my security knows what it is. For some of you, your heart just started beating fast. For some of y', all, it's like, here we go, tmz. But this officer came up here. Go ahead and put it on me. This officer came up here to put me in a position that I did not want to go into. This would be called resisting arrest. And as I was not submitted to the position that I was in, I'm good. I didn't do nothing. But the problem is I just escalated My issues because I resisted arrest this police officer. We could have talked this out very clearly and maybe they had the wrong suspect. I am black and six two, but I didn't do it. And maybe my position of submission would have created understanding, but because I was resisting arrest, I just created more problems for me. Could it be that you are in a handcuffed position to culture, to speed to what everybody else says because you've been resisting a rest Today the sermon is called resisting a rest. Uh huh. I'm coming for you today. Resisting. Write it down. A rest. Now, many of you in that moment was like Pastor Mike, just chill out, it's gonna be over soon. But, but, but it was my actions when I was supposed to be in a submitted position that just escalated all of my issues because I was resisting. Have you been resisting a rest? In a culture full of grind, in an atmosphere of more. Have you been resisting a rest? Most of us in this room have not had the pleasure of being arrested before, but some of us will. 10 years sobriety. Good job, brother. Some of us have been arrested. How many people hands because we're humble, open and transparent church. How many people have been arrested before? Oh, dang. Okay. Put your hands down. We exposing ourselves out at Transformation Church. Come as you are. Yes. Yes. So everybody knows in this building obviously what it feels like. Watch this. To be put in a position of submission. And the reason we don't like it is because Watch this. We're not in control. And there are many people that are in here. And I came prophetically to tell you stop resisting a rest. Some of y' all just won't rest. Some of you will not take a break. Some of you will not come off of Instagram. Some of you will not come off of Canva. Some of you will not stop checking your email. Some of you, I'm coming to your house today. Some of you will not stop planning vacations that you know you're going to have to cancel at the last minute because you don't know have enough room on your credit card to do it. Some of you, some of us will not take a rest. And the truth of the matter is some of us won't won't take a rest. And we still not working. Have you met somebody who's always tired but ain't done nothing? How are you this tired? What have you accomplished? What did you do today? Some of y' all looking at y' all teenagers like Billy, but listen to me, many times that is watch a deflection from what they see you doing, they go to the antithesis because they see that you don't even enjoy what God's blessed you with because you will not take a rest. And today I want to talk to you about having the watch this faith to rest. Because the same faith it takes for you to believe God big is the same faith it takes for you to walk away from that thing God, I trust that you're going to multiply this. I trust that you're going to take care of this. I trust that there's nothing I can do in my striving to make this any better. For the next 24 hours, I'm gonna sabbatic. I'm going to take a Sabbath. I'm going to stop touching this. I'm gonna stop emailing them. I'm gonna put on do not disturb. I'm not gonna binge watch and numb myself. I'm gonna get centered present. I'm going to be present. I'm going to find out, is there a gift you want to give me in this moment of oh, watch this cuss word silence. Most of us are allergic to silence. You trade one noise for a different one. I'm tired of hearing these kids. I need to get by myself then to just watch the Kardashians. That's just trading noise. And it may not take the same level of energy to actually exert, but it does not give you watch this restoration. Rest is for restoration. Anytime that God wants you to give out something, he is so gracious and so kind that he wants to put back in more than you gave out. That's why when we talk about living in the overflow, that's not just having more things. That's living from a place of overflowing peace, kindness, joy, rest, relaxation. I'm more patient when I'm rested. Okay? You make better decisions when you rested. You actually can discern what is right and what is wrong for you when you are rested. People tell you, don't make a decision when you tired. And how many of us are making all of our decisions from a depleted place? I'm not coming to condemn you. I do want the presence of God in his word to convict you like it did me. As somebody who has a battery that's bigger than most people, I can go, go, go. I'm the Energizer Bunny. After this, I'll do something else. And after that, we'll do something else. Give me 20 minutes of a power nap and I'm back like, this is my nature. And God said, yeah, you gonna Kill yourself doing work for me. So I need to teach you a principle that's going to put me in the middle of your restoration. Weekly, daily, yearly. You need to rest. And most of you are resisting. It's not this, but you just won't. You just won't. You just won't put it down. When the last time you resisted Instagram, he said, give it a rest, and you done hit that. What does it say when you put the timer on and you're supposed to not be on it? The limit has been hit and you, like, ignore 15 more minutes. How many times do you bypass? Watch this. The limits God sets. If I told you today my name is Pastor Mike and I kill people, the church would empty so fast. Everybody's trying to, like, is that real? Is that a cue? If I say, hey, my name is Pastor Mike. Just wanted to let you know that I commit adultery weekly. I mean, just saying it sends something through your body. Hey, my name is Pastor Michael, and I don't ever rest. Oh, I know. I understand that. I get that. You know what I'm saying? Me neither. Look. You look. I look. Darn. Get the little cucumbers. I heard it really works wonders on the bags. Like, most people would praise me in my position for not doing the thing God said because it means that they get more of me. Oh, God. Most people would rather neglect what God says to make more money, to get more influence, to get to that next level. I gotta hustle. I gotta grind. I gotta get on my. You know what I'm saying? Rise and grind. Rise and shine. The early bird gets to worm. We hustle harder. You set your life to a playlist. Watch this. That is being fueled by principles of the enemy. Because if the enemy can't get behind you and stop you, he gets beside you and makes you think you are productive by being busy. There are many of us that our greatest downfall will not be something that we do recklessly. It will be us not embracing the gift of rest. Stop resisting arrest. Can I tell you something real quick that you may not know, depending on what culture you were born into and how you were raised? Rest is not a reward. It's God's rhythm. Some of you are like, no, no, no, no. I'll rest after I finish this project. I'll rest when my kids get out of diapers. No, you won't. I'll rest when the company hits this number. I'll rest when I make partner. I'll rest when I have this many Instagram followers. I'll rest When I've done all of this, and God's saying, hey, you don't have to work to rest. Because it's not a reward. It's my rhythm. It's God's rhythm. Exodus 20:8. This is God giving instructions to Moses and the entire nation. He said, hey, while you're doing all this other stuff, I know you're gonna forget. So I'm gonna start this one with the word that you need to put in. Remember the Sabbath day. Somebody say, remember. How many times do we forget? It's the kid's birthday. Finals are coming up. Oh, no, no, no. We gotta plan a trip. Everybody say, remember. Cause he knew our. Our proclivity would be to not make this a big deal. Hey, moms out there, you don't get excused from taking a day of rest. No, I know, I know, I know. I have four. I know. But what I'm saying to you is God will give you intentional ideas of how to work this thing. Cause you won't have anything to pour out to them if you're always on either. Many marriages are suffering because we will not put this principle into. Watch this practice. And if you don't practice this principle, it will never become a rhythm like it is for God. Do y' all remember in creation what God did? First day? He created, step back from it. What did he say? Good. Second day created, step back from it. He said, what? Good. Third day, fourth day, fifth day. What did he make on the sixth day? No, no. Y' all, listen, listen. What did he make on the sixth day? That's why y' all confused. He made man on the sixth day. So sixth day comes. Boosh, dust breath. That's good. That's good. So man's first full day experiencing God was the seventh day, which was the day of. So could it be that he did not create us on day one? Because the pattern he would have set for us is work, work, work, work, work. Do you understand? And he wanted us to rest. Work, work, work, work. Then we take a rest. Work, work, work, work. It's a pattern. It's a rhythm of grace. An unforced rhythm of grace where we should be working from rest. And most of you are trying to earn something that God gives as a gift. It's rest first, then I work. Then I can make a good decision. Then I can talk nicely to my wife when I have to tell her that I gotta be gone. Just a little extra. Cause I'm really trying to do something to put our family in a position that we don't have to work like this all the time, but like, it's rest. Man's initial experience with God is supposed to be from rest. And that's why I continue to say rest is not a reward. It's God's rhythm. It was six days, then dip. He withdrew. Y' all see all the times in the New Testament when it tells us Jesus withdrew, it literally puts this other word with it. Withdrew. Often every six days. Work. Go here, do this, make that, have that rest. It's like, one, two, three, four, five, six. Pause. One, two, three, four, five, six. What? Pause. One, two, three, four, five, six. And then a one and then a two, and then a three, and then a four, and then a five and a six. And how did you know where to put pause? I'm gonna show it to you as. As DJ Mike, okay? Because some of y' all won't get it any other way. Here we go. One, two, three, four. Let's two, three. Paul. One, two, three, four, five. Now watch. It's going. We could do this all day because there's a pause, and some of y' all can't stop saying it. You're like, pause, pause. That's enough. Anybody can come and jump on that rhythm. Could you be leaving family members behind because you don't have the rhythm of grace to rest? Could you be forfeiting things that God would let you have? But he knows your pattern of going past the limit will not be good for you or anybody else. So he says, until they can get this pattern of the pause, I can't release the promise. Oh, God. Remember the Sabbath day. And watch this. Keep it. Keep it separate. Make sure it's paused. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Paul. Which means you should have six days of working. I'm just gonna leave this right here. But America did not trump God's laws. You may work five days and need two days, but you, on that other day, you should be working on something. All right? I've worked my whole life to get to this point where I don't have to. I didn't say you had to be doing that job, but I did say you should be working on. Work on your body, work on your mind. Work on yourself. Work on your family. Work on that garage you've been promising yourself you gonna clean. Work on that junk drawer. Work on something. Oh, oh, I got in some. Somebody's junk drawer. I'll fight you. Don't. I'm just telling you the pattern of God. It literally says, remember the Sabbath day. To keep it Holy six days you shall labor. This is the Bible, not Pastor Mike. And do all of your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath. A rest, a pause unto the Lord your God on it. You shall not do any work. You or your sons or your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. Your friends can't work on the Sabbath with you. For in six days, God created a rhythm, a pattern of the heaven, earth and seas, and all of that is in them. And then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, watch the blessing. The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Write this down. Rest is not a suggestion. It's a standard. Well, I know God would be fine with me doing this because, you know, he knows my financial situation right now. You may need to get off of AT&T or Sprint and go back to cricket and anybody that's on cricket. You smart. That one. Flat rate all the time. Doesn't matter how much you call. Nobody knows how your sales service is being connected. And now you've got name brand cell phone service. You can't. You need 49.99. Because that $160 bill is taking away. Watch your time. It's not just taking your money, it's taking your time. So now you're forced because you got a COX Bill that's $300. And they make you still get a phone line. And don't nobody use. Excuse me, that's personal. Don't nobody use the landline. Said my granny. And what I'm telling you right now is all of these stuff, things put us in a position to need to exert more energy to keep things that aren't even giving us comfort. Okay, I know I'm gonna have to work today, but I need to tell you, rest is not a suggestion. It's a standard of God. And some of y' all need to see. Cause you crawling out for the promised land that we talked about last week. I'm gonna be a big stepper and walk into the Promised Land. Can I tell you what God told Joshua and them before they went into the promised land? Josh 1:12. And it says, then Joshua called together all the leaders, the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh. And he told them, remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded you? The Lord is giving you. He's talking about the promised land. What you've been believing for, what you've been praying for. Look what he calls it. The Lord God is giving you A place of rest. What if the Promised land is not a place of more? What if the real blessing is a place of rest? That's what true wealth is. When somebody accidentally debits 5,000 from your account and you don't got a trip, some of y' all like, what? There are people that make enough money that when a catastrophe happens. Hey, could y' all just take that off of my account? I didn't make that charge. Fix that for me, please. Everything's good. No, no, no, no. Still order that, still buy that, and we still going there. But I'm. I'm living from a place of rest. When the. When the people start tripping and saying stuff and doing all that other stuff, it's like, yeah, yeah. No, no, no. That doesn't matter. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the name of the gospel, the sake of the gospel. Why am I tripping about that? I'm living from a place of. What if your promised land is not more power, more prominence, more things? What if it's just that anything that happens, you can still rest. What if the promised land is a place filled with. Watch this word peace. He literally tells them, I'm giving you a place of rest. This is what I'm giving you. Jump down to verse 15. It says, oh, this is the Bible, so good to me. It says, until the Lord gives them rest, as he has given you rest, and until they too, possess the land the Lord God is giving them. He's saying, like, I can't do certain things until y' all rest. The promised land is being held up because you are too busy being busy. You don't trust that I can do more with a day off than you can do with that day on. You think you could outwork God on the day he told you to lay down and rest? You think it's gonna bring in more leads and create that much more money and be able to take you to another level of leveling up and 10xing. And God saying, you really think that you doing it will be better than me doing it? God said, go ahead then. Go on with your bad self. Yeah, you bad. Michael Jackson bad. Huh? Gone. Turn around. Do the he, he too. Go ahead. And God will let you use your effort and energy instead of taking his gift until you really run out. And some of you have been living on E for decades. Your children don't even know you. Joyful, playful, engaged. Because you've been tired since before they were born. Oh, come on. They don't even know the side of you that your friends talk about. Yeah. You remember your mom and dad? They was like them. No, all they talk about is beating me. And I'll give you something to cry about. And half of the punishment is coming from a place of just being depleted. You're so tired that you don't want to take the time to talk to them, so you won't talk because you didn't take in the seven days a day to be able to withdraw. I'm not saying relegate your responsibilities, but I'm saying, saying take moments to withdraw at nap time. You being able to say, God, I'm here in your presence, will you give me more for what I need to do today as this baby wakes up, let me lead them and grow them in the ammunition of the Lord and give them what they need. God, I'm about to kill my husband and he gonna want to come over here and touch on me and I want to slap him. And Lord, okay, I can't be real today. But some of y', all. Some of y' all don't need a brand new vacation time. You don't need a vacation. You need rest. Cause some of y' all vacations are more busy. We gotta do the snowmobiles and then we gotta go down the side of the mountain and then we gotta. All the black people like snow. What? Okay, let me bring it to you now. We gotta do jet skis and then we gotta. We gotta go to the beach and we gotta take a picture and then we gotta. All the white people's like, yes, skiing. I'm taking black people skiing. Amberly, we're gonna take a whole group of black people skiing. Do you hear me? Anybody black wanna go skiing with me? Come on. Come on, Jerrell. We're going skiing. Hispanics. Going swimming too? Yes. I mean, skiing. Skiing. I'm in trouble. Here we go. What I'm saying to you. Listen to the logic though. If you're so busy on your planned vacation, when do you actually get to rest? How many people have come back tired from vacation? A vacation can wear you out more than going to work sometimes. And the only thing. That's why you take them pictures, to remember how you thought it was like, ooh, that was. I'm so tired. But watch this. You need to write this down because some of you think this is inconsequential, but this is the key to your promised land. Watch this. Rest is a gift from God. Remember in verse 15, it said, this is what the Lord is giving you, not making you earn. So this is what I'm going to tell you right now. Psalms 23. Everybody loves to quote it and get it tattooed, but I don't think you've understood the inference of. Of the first three verses of what it means for us to submit to the Sabbath, submit to one day out of seven that we cease from working and spend time in the presence with God. This is what I'm telling everybody they need to do. Psalms 20:3. The Lord is my. Y' all know that without even looking at the screen. What's the next part? I shall not. I will. I won't want for nothing. So he's letting you know he's your provider. Watch this next part. He makes me lie down. He makes me rest. The only reason that a shepherd would have to make a sheep rest is because they won't do it when it's time to. And when a sheep won't rest, watch what a sheep usually does. It wanders. Most of your temptation, most of your going wayward, most of your comparison happens because in the time where you're supposed to rest, you're wandering. You're wandering on websites, you're wandering on other people's pages. You're wandering into other people's business. And God said, you shouldn't even know about that because you should be resting. Yet you still resisting arrest. Let me talk to all my pastors and leaders. God will make you lie down. You are setting a bad example for the people that you lead. And you think it's noble, and I understand it that you're grinding and hustling and the first one there and the last to leave and doing all of this stuff. But he gave you a gift to rest. Your anointing is dripping out on things that you should not even be touching because you are resisting arrest. And your body and your flock and the turnover is because they're following the leader. Today I'm asking every father, every parent, every mother, show your children what it looks like to make a day holy unto God. If you're supposed to raise your children in the way they should go, guess what this is going to do? It's going to mess up your preferences. I'm telling you right now. There are going to be times you'll be like, I don't want to do this. And God says, do you want me to make you? And I can't tell you how kind that is. It's kind when God makes you do something. Watch this. You need. Or it's gonna end up way worse. That's why. You ever seen that Picture of Jesus with the lamb on its neck, on his neck. And everybody's like, oh, that's so sweet. Jesus has the lamb. He leaves the 99 and comes for the 1. And that's the than one lamb. That's me. Do you know why that lamb is on his neck? It's because the shepherd broke his leg. Because that lamb would not rest and would keep wandering. And so to teach the lamb a lesson for when the wolf comes in the next pasture, it said, the only way you gonna learn this is if I break your leg, make you not able to walk for a season and stay with you. That is nasty revelation. And some of y' all have been like, why won't God use me? It's because you're healing from a season where he broke something purposely to make you rest. It wasn't that you weren't good enough. God broke your leg because your attitude was wrong. And he said, they won't rest. It wasn't that you can't do what he called you to do. He has chosen you, but he's making sure that you don't wander in the next pasture. Oh, God. He makes me lie down in green pastures and he leads me beside. Watch this word not rushing waters. Still water is the only environment back in the day that you could see your reflection in. The invention of the mirror came much later than water. God said, I need the water to be still so you can sit there long enough and see yourself. Most of y' all have not been able to see the minute things that God wants to work because you're not by still waters. You see that your outfit is killing, but your insides are decrepit. And you don't see. See that pride keeps oozing out and that your entitlement keeps showing up and that your addiction keeps pulling you in a direction because you're not by still water enough to look at the reflection of who you are. Stop resisting arrest. I'm going to say it to you very strong, but I hope you hear this gift from God in his grace. If you won't rest, God will make you rest. I'm just telling you right now. You can take it as a prophetic word or a prophetic warning. Hear what I just said? You can take it as a prophetic word or a prophetic warning. Well, I'm building my business and God's trying to build you. He's using the business to build you. And if you won't honor him while it's at low six figures, nobody will be able to tell you nothing when it makes millions, when the demand starts coming from everywhere. God said, you haven't put the principle in place at the level you're at. You're never going to do it at the level I'm taking you to. So the promised land watch. This is held up because of the wrong patterns. And if you don't get rest inside of your weekly pattern, and I know somebody like, say something more faith filled. You don't got the faith to rest. You don't got the faith to rest. Walk away from it. Do something that nobody else is doing right now. Every year since I've been the pastor of this church, I do one of my crazy faith things. Every summer, I walk away from this church for at least eight weeks and I go and rest and I give to my family and I give to the presence of God. And I spend time looking in the mirror and saying, mike, what is God trying to show you right now? What's changing you? I go to therapy, I go get along with God in the quiet. I turn my cell phone off, I go off of Instagram, I do all of these things. Can I tell you that the only thing that has saved my life in the last decade of doing ministry around people is that every year I force myself and hear what I just said. I force myself to take time off from being on a platform under lights with people listening to me. This could be addicting. This could be my identity. People think that this is who I am. You don't know me. I know it feels like we know each other and I like feeling like we know each other. But there are only a few people that actually know me because this is what I'm called to do. This is not who I am. The only reason I can say that today is because over and over and over and over and over and over, the shepherd has taken me to still waters and said, hey, you remember when that book went New York Times bestseller? I did that. You get to benefit from it. But just remember, you prayed that I would use you in an unusual way. And I did that. And your story, your little pitiful story is helping tons of people. All your mess ups, all your shortcomings, all the mistakes that you made is helping tons of people. And just remember, when I give you this next one crazy faith, just know that was me too. Okay, you can go back now. And then I come off a sabbatical. Crazy faith people are like, oh, my God. And we got the building, I got the keys, the keys, and da, da, da, da. And then I go on sabbatical and say, hey, you remember that little crazy thing, the building? You like it, don't you? Yeah. I told you five years ago I was gonna do it. You listen. Good old band this time. But do you see that little entitlement right there that's trying to like, you deserve this? No, no, no, no. That was my grace and kindness. I want you to look at yourself next to this still water and realize you're gonna cancel all your engagement because your wife needs you. Oh, no, no, no. They're all gonna call. Hillsong's gonna call, all the big ones. They're gonna call and you're gonna say yes after I told you to say no. And then you're gonna have to call back and tell them no. But you're gonna be scared to do that. So you're gonna tell Tim. I'm telling you real stories. You're gonna tell Tim to write a letter to them and tell them no. And some of them are gonna be mad at you for years because they were building a conference off of your name. But I'm trying to build something in you. And your wife is going through postpartum and is depressed right now. And years from now, you won't remember what you spoke at that conference, but you'll remember this time where you and your wife healed together. Guys, it only happened in. Somebody say rest. Okay, we're almost done. If you don't rest, I'm just telling you, God will let the consequences of your life circumstances consume you until you concede. I'm going to say it one more time. If you don't rest, God will let the consequences of your life circumstances consume you until you concede and obey. So when I say God will make you rest, it's not like God in heaven, like I'm about to punish them. He was like, no, no, no, no, no. They want to work three jobs. Go ahead. Until you start losing mental clarity, until you have to knock back so many energy drinks. And then it turns into coffee and energy drinks. Then it turns into drugs to stay up. And then it took. I'm not telling you something I've heard about. I'm talking about what happens. And God said, I'll let it consume them till. Watch this. They become desperate. And then what does God give anybody that's desperate? Come to me. All of the people who are what you're weary and heavy, burdened. And what am I going to give you? A position? What am I going to give you? More money? What am I going to give you? A platform Nope. If you're heavy, burdened, and weary my trade, I will give you rest. It's a gift. Watch this. It's medicinal. Some of y' all don't need weed. You need rest. Okay? You believe in the power of this plant more than the power of the gift that God gave you in a pattern. You don't need weed. You need rest. You don't. Sweet. It just helps my mind calm down. So does sleeping. So does drinking water. So does the only understand one say my anger problems. You just need a nap. Like, shoot, shoot. So many years of depriving yourself of the gift that God gives you will turn you into a person you don't even know. And do you know how serious God is about rest? He told the children of Israel, and I'm just trying to give y' all context to make Sabbath rest holy. And they denied him like a lot of us do. And he said it wasn't just for the people. Watch this. God's so serious about the Sabbath that he wanted the land that gave crops to have a Sabbath. Y' all didn't hear what I just said because we think if it's producing, keep it going. If it's producing, keep it producing. But y' all ever heard of Chick Fil A? The third highest grossing fast food chain in the world with less footprint than McDonald's and Starbucks. Who are 1 McDonald's, 2 Starbucks. Thousands and thousands of stores. Chick fil A has 2,500 stores in the U.S. i think McDonald's has something 30,000 plus. And Chick fil A is the third highest grossing fast food establishment. But do you know what their secret is? Closed on Sunday. Never mind. Chick Fil A closed on Sunday. They make considerably more in a fraction of the time, 21 billion plus a year. That's why all their employees say, my pleasure. That's why they'll give you extra sauce while these other companies are charging you 25 cents. Keep your stinky ranch. I don't want this sweet and sour sauce anyway. It's dirty. I've never been denied. I can be like, could you give me 19 chick fil a sauce? And they're like, my pleasure. I love the abundance more than enough. But I don't think it's a coincidence that the founders put in practice a principle that's ancient but actually has dunamis power in our life today. Okay, so. So. So the children of Israel, because it was producing, they would not let the land rest. So God let the entire nation be taken into captivity so the land could Rest. Y' all don't believe me? Go read Leviticus 26, verse 32. It says, yes, I myself, this is God will devastate your land. And your enemies who come to occupy it will be appalled at what they see. I will scatter you among the nations and bring out my sword against you. You're my chosen people. But I gotta do this because your land is going to become desolate and your cities will lie in ruins. Then at last, the land will enjoy its neglected Sabbath years. It needs to just rest. And I'll let it rest while you're imprisoned in a land that your enemies take you to. Then the land will finally rest and enjoy the Sabbaths it missed. As long as the land lies in ruin, it will enjoy the rest. You never allowed it to take every seventh year while you lived in it. He put those people in captivity for every seven years. They didn't let the land rest. He let them be trapped by their own cravings in a foreign land. I just wonder what things are binding us, what things are trapping us. Not because we're bad people, but because we just won't accept the gift of resting. Stop resisting arrest. What day is it going to be? Talk to your wife, Talk to your husband. Decide. What day are you going off Instagram? What day? Every seven days you not doing more work than God did. And I know it's gonna take faith. Cause some of you saying, but that's the extra money that will produce this. And God's saying, will you trust me? Will you have the faith to rest? And I know there's a whole nother message that I really want to do a whole series on it. Because some of y' all is like, pastor, my husband do not need to hear this message. Because all he do is play video games. All he doesn't need another day to rest. Oh, this is somebody's real complaint. What I'm saying is you can't even really enjoy the rest, though, if you don't work. I'm not saying that you shouldn't rest. I'm saying you should do the principle. But the only thing that makes rest fulfilling is that six days you did work and were able to step back and say, that's good. Do you hear what I'm saying? So some in here need a revelation of work, while others need a revelation of rest. When you put them together, do you know what happens? Verse 3 of Psalms 23, he restores my soul. What does it profit a man to gain the entire world and lose his. His mind, will and emotion? God says rest is the gateway to a restored soul. You lie down, I'll work for you. You get up. Restored restoration comes after rest. There's some marriages that need to be restored. And God says, y' all need to take a break. Not from the marriage. Because some of y' all is like, I knew. I told him. I told him that yesterday. No, not. Not from the marriage. From the busyness of the marriage. Your kid's not going to the NBA. I want to be the one to tell you. And I know you're trying to relive all of your dreams out in Little Junior, but he plays soccer and baseball and badminton and he's fencing and he's AAU basketball, then team basketball. And Yalls lives are built around a schedule that they're going to resent one day. And you won't build in because you're trying to give them a life you never had. You won't build in a day of rest. They've never played a game with you. They're just always in competition with others and they're trying to earn a day of rest. You won't even let them. No, no, no. If you gonna be the best. You see this kid? He's nine years old from Asia, and he can do six backflips in a row and then shoot a free throw. It's like, tada. Wanna be a nurse. What I'm saying is it's not bad to have your kids involved, but are they so involved that you can't honor God? Do you want to stand before God and be like, the reason I didn't obey you is because of the pickleball tournament. Because some of us are going to have that excuse, Lord. Swimming class was a higher priority. Bitcoin was a higher priority. Fashion statements. Thrifting, you know, I can't pay for it, so I got to go to all the places and get all the sales and I have to. Thrifting is the reason I couldn't obey you. That's gonna be a sad day before the throne for your excuse to be something as petty as I just wouldn't plan for you. God. I'm gonna just tell the story. A lot of you know that my friend Carl Lentz has been a part of Transformation Church for the past three years. And this is my brother. In my phone, it literally says brother for life. And I was judged, and the church was judged when we decided that we were gonna stand with somebody who's been a hero in the gospel faith at the moment. Watch this. That their failure Was exposed. And in the church, we have a great way of shooting our wounded. We just. They get wounded bow. Let me take you out of your misery. And that's what they say, let me take you out of your ministry. But they really say, let me take you out of your misery. And God just told me he divinely connected us and him. And Laura and Roman came down, and then Ava and Charlie, they became our family. And it was like, I don't even care. Like, I like blood on my shirt. You can say whatever you want to. We gonna rock. And me and Carl have shared a lot of intimate moments of just talking about what happened. And I think it was about five, six months ago we took a trip to New York together and we went to a very devastating place for him that he wanted to bring me to, to see the place that he made a wrong decision. And as I stood there, I felt honored as a brother and just grateful for the transformation and the restoration that God has done in his life. But what he told me was, he said, mike, for over a decade, I was tired. I never rested. They were doing six and seven services a week. Thousands of people would come, and so they would just add another service. Imagine waking up and thinking your last service is going to be at 4 o' clock and you're still in church at 10pm and then you would get off that stage, get on an airplane to go and be with somebody that's high profile to counsel them through suicide, and then come back for a day to see your daughters dance and then go to. And he was just telling me how the enemy got behind him and pushed him into everything everybody wanted. And he didn't honor the Sabbath. He said, mike, before we came out, he said, the reason you can preach this is because you're violently saying no to so much. And I thought about it for a second because this is the pattern that was set for me. And I got people around me like Bree Davis and Natalie Todd and Tim Ross, that's like, oh, yeah, no mo. They gonna make sure, like, cut it off, turn it off, like. And he said, mike, what you have is something that the entire body of Christ needs. They need to know that their no is anointed. Your no is anointed. And today I stand with my brother because he said, mike, you gave me the miracle of margin. He said, the conversations he's had with his daughters and his son and his wife and the different since they've been in the gathering place here in Tulsa, God has literally, I got chill bumps even thinking about the moments we've cried together. The moments we've stood. The birthdays we've celebrated. All the things that God has done. Charlie up here dancing in Ransom, singing songs like seeing God was. They bring tons of people to church just seeing God, they said. I never thought I'd be in church again because of what happened. And to see God. Watch this. Restore their soul. Okay? That's what we celebrate at Transformation. You can go ahead and thank God for that. Carl, I love you, and I'll love you to the day that you die. I love this whole family. Listen to me. The reason I'm saying that is because God made him lie down. It wasn't the first time he made a mistake. It was the time that God had to break his leg or it would have cost him his life. So the fact that he sits there today with his amazing mustache, I like what you did with that. It's a testimony that it was God's love that sometimes lets you get caught. It's God's love that lets you sometimes get caught up. It's God's love that lets the deal not go through. Sometimes it's God's love that makes the house foreclose. Sometimes it's God's love that made you have to move. Because he knew if you didn't get it now, it would cost you more than you wanted to pay. Stop resisting arrest. Next week, PC is going to start preaching. God chose me. It's going to be so good. And some of y' all gonna get so amped up to do what God called you to do. And I want you to. But don't forget. What are we not going to forget? Rest. Be accountable. Tell somebody. What day are you going to rest? What day you not going to pop out and show somebody? Oh, some. I pop out. No, no, no, no. Pop in, pop back. Withdraw. Often the greatest messages, the greatest movements, the greatest music God has ever given me has come in often times where I took a break. Watch this to be with him. So a Sabbath is not just zoning out from everything. It's becoming more aware of God in everything. So this is the point. There is Holy Ghost power in a pause. When you pause, you give space for the Holy Ghost to step in. Have you ever seen some people dance? But there was too many people dancing, so you couldn't see the choreography right, because everybody was on top of each other and they all moving. It's like, man, we need, like, four less of y'. All. It will look a lot better. It's because there's not enough space. And many times we plan God out the Holy Ghost out of our lives because there's not enough space. Sometimes you just need to pause. Remember What I said? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. And, yeah, we shouted and acted a fool earlier. Thanks, Pastor Ro. But I thought there would be more power in understanding maybe what the power of the Holy Ghost falling came after. Watch this. Penta, meaning 50, is 50 days after Passover or Jesus being crucified. And then 50 days after that is when the Holy Spirit fell and changed the whole game. Because remember, before Jesus left, he said, you want me to leave? Because I then will send the Holy Spirit and he will be your comforter and your guide. Okay, so this is Jesus fulfilling a promise 50 days after. And so most people shout and run and hit. Watch this. But what Jesus told all of the disciples to do was to go to a room and pause. He said, I want you to wait. Now think about it. They've already been told, go into all the world and make disciples. But before you do that, you gonna need power. And if you gonna need power, you're gonna have to pause before it. Think about them in that room. Like, is this what we supposed to be doing? Didn't he say today? I think he said today. Where's the power? I don't know. Well, I'm going to take a nap. Y' all let me know when the power show up. I'm going to just sit here and think about all the miracles he did and how he actually did what he said. Do y' all remember we was at the table eating when Judas, old broke tail was sitting over there playing it and plotting? I mean, but then God actually rolled away the stone. I'm gonna sit here and just pause. Man, it's so good to be with y', all, man. We made it. We made it out of this. We made it. Ten years sober, we made it. We made it from the prison to now. The platform we made. How did God do all of this? Jesus created a divine pause before he endued them with power. And on this Pentecost Sunday, would it not be a coincidence that we're talking about the power of the Holy Ghost? But the power of the Holy Ghost was only distributed after people made a decision to obey God. When he said to pause, could you be denying the power you need for the next season because you won't take a pause? What if the fire comes after rest? What if your ability to subdue comes after a Sabbath? What I found in My life. What I'm looking forward to as this is my last Sunday preaching for the next few months. What? What the Halle Berry. What the. Hallelujah, y'. All. What the Halliburton. Go thunder. What? I just want to remind you, this is not Michael Todd's church. This is God's church. And this is what I'm telling you. Pastoring, being a police officer and being a doctor are some of the only full contact sports that don't have an off season. Your pastor needs some extra healing. This may be too vulnerable and transparent. And so I. This last season of elevation has been rough. I've had to deal with things I never thought like would ever be a part of obeying God. And yet I still have joy. And I feel called to this. But there's some areas. I know this may be too much for people, and the pastor's supposed to. But I'm not gonna fake it with y'. All. Y' all already know. There's some places I need God to do surgery on me. My close people know what it is. There's some places there. There's some nights I need to fall asleep in my daughter's bed without thinking about what I'm gonna share with you. And I promise you, when I get back, I'm going to be so locked and loaded and ready to do what God's called me to do. But listen, if I don't do this, I will be made to do it. And what I'm asking you, as a church, is for three things. Number one, I want you to plan a weekly Sabbath. This is practical. You don't got to give an offering, but you do have to give a day. And some of y' all would rather pay. No, no. I'll give now. I'll give now. Stop. Six days is the rhythm. And one day, you rest. Rhythm, rest, rhythm, rest. It's the rhythm of rest. And I just want you to stop resisting arrest. What do you have to do to stop resisting arrest? Surrender. God. I believe you got it. I believe I could do a lot today. I could Uber until 4 o' clock in the morning today. But today I'm gonna rest and I'm gonna believe. Some way, somehow, you're going to make up the difference in my life. You going to cancel something or bring something or change something or let some. I'm going to watch this. Have faith to believe that you got this. And I know I'm talking to a lot of people who have a lot of different situations, but what I want you to hear is the standard is the same for all of us. Fortune 500 company or eating with fortune cookies. The standard is the same. I'm gonna ask everybody to plan a day of rest. Husbands, wives, ask each other which gonna be your day. And watch this. Support each other. Uh oh. Is marriage trying to make you more like Christ? Mm. Sacrificing for each other. Mmm. Yes. Does that mean that you're gonna have to navigate? It's not always the same. Seasons change. What I'm saying is I want everybody listen to me. Don't leave without the instructions. Plan a day of rest. Second thing, I want you to plan in your year an extended time of rest. So. So a week where it's just you and God by something that rejuvenates you. If it's water, it's water for me. It could be mountains, cabin. It could be just a stay cage. It could be at your cousin's house that you just like. The way they guessing room is set up. I'm not saying spend money. I'm saying spend time. Did you hear what I just said? And I know for some of us who are workaholics, I'm telling you, I'm recovering. It takes faith to rest. And the last thing I'm going to ask everybody to do that's a part of Transformation Church is I want you to stay committed to the house of God and the ecclesia and coming together, even though your leader is going to be gone. Why are you saying that, Pastor Mike? Because it's a maturity test for us. When Moses went to hear from God, the children of Israel was throwing parties and doing the exact opposite of what God asked them to do, to the point where their disobedience kept them out of the promised land. Because the leader was supposed to get instructions so he could tell them, but they decided to go wayward. And today we learn from those patterns and we, like you know what? We gonna stay locked in. What I'm asking you is keep coming, keep giving. I promise you one thing we never gonna do is put nobody on this platform that does not have the word of God for your life in that season and hour. And I'm telling you, we got messages coming from some of our very own team. We got a few people that are going to be surprises, and then we going to get back in here, and God's going to move us into a place of growth, in a place of health, and from a place of rest. Would you stand all over this place before everybody starts moving? I just want to give you this word of encouragement. My last point to this whole thing is the pause is not just for power. The pause is for his presence. I can't tell you how many times God has changed me when I've just paused. And that's where our heart cry has to be. I don't mind waiting I don't mind waiting I don't mind waiting on you, Lord Hear what I'm saying I don't mind waiting I don't mind waiting I don't mind waiting on you, Lord. That means you have to stop resisting arrest and have faith to pause. Can I pray for you? Hands lifted. If you know this message was for you, like if you know there's an area of your life. Okay, I'm watching online Transformation Nation, raise your hands. I'm going to pray a prayer of restoration. That the rest that God brings you into as you obey the command of the Sabbath, that it's going to change what therapy couldn't. That it's going to begin to renew something on the inside of you that's been dead for a long time. Father, today I'm coming to you because you are a God that presents rest to us today. Father, I thank you that we would trust you and have faith to take you at your word. For every person, Father God, that is still trying to figure out out how they are going to make it happen today. Father, would you be Jehovah Jireh, their provider, the good shepherd that will give them rest? Father, for those whose literal nervous systems are overloaded and they can't even calm down today, would the Prince of Peace be the God that meets them right now? Thank you for your presence that allows us to lay back in our Father's arms and know that everything's gonna be okay. God, I pray for my brothers and my sisters who have filled their life with so much that they don't feel that they have permission to rest today. Give them a revelation of rest. Father, you said in your word that the Sabbath was supposed to be holy, set apart. And today, Father, we're saying we need your help. I need your help to keep this day holy. Father, we live in a culture that rushes and a culture that tries to cur. Curate the perfect image. And a culture, Father God, that feels like we're always comparing and we might be left behind. Father, would you deliver me from that? Deliver us from having to have everybody understand. Deliver me from people pleasing. Deliver me from the need to have everybody hear me. Father, let your presence be enough. Let the revelations, the insights, the encouragement, the identity that we get from being with you, be enough. And, Father, I thank you as you did for the children of Israel when you gave them manna. You provided enough for them on day six that they did not have to worry about what they were going to eat on day seven. And I thank you that as your people step out and trust you, Father God, I thank you that you will provide enough that they will not have to work on the day of rest. God, expand businesses, expand contracts. Give wisdom and ideas and intentionality. And more than anything, give us the faith to believe that you are a man of your word. And I thank you that because we will rest with long life, you will satisfy us, that we will leave legacies that last and we won't get lost in the middle of it. Restore our souls in Jesus name. In that same prayer, some of you are in this place and never received Jesus. And God's saying, come to me, all you who are weary, and guess what I'm gonna give you. What is he gonna give them? What are we all gonna receive? If you want to accept Jesus and this beautiful offer of rest and you want to make him your Lord and Savior today, it's a free gift of salvation, a free gift of grace, and a free, free gift of rest. You don't got to work for this. He gives it freely. On the count of three, I want you to raise your hand if you want to make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior. This is the decision that took me from being a liar, a manipulator, addicted to pornography. Whether you're in your living room right now in this room, or watching in jail, today is your day of freedom. I believe the power of God is coming to you. And this moment is your pause. Pause before the power comes to you. 1. You're making the greatest decision of your life. 2. Heaven is about to rejoice. 3. Lift your hands if you want to make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior. I see you, my brother. I see you, my brother. I see you, my sister. Oh, Transformation Church, I see you. Heaven is rejoicing. And if I didn't see you, God sees you. And somebody around you saw you. And today we're going to pray. Pray because we're a family. At Transformation Church, nobody prays alone. Would you lift your hands right now and say, God, thank you for sending Jesus just for me today? I rest in you. I give you my life. Change me, renew me, transform me. I'm yours. I repent from my old ways and I turn to you. You are my rest in Jesus name. Amen. Yo, can we turn up with all of heaven right now? Oh, y', all, come on. Hallelujah.