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I Won’t Fold // God Chose You (Part 2) // Pastor Charles Metcalf
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6.22.25 WEEK 2: GOD CHOSE YOU// I WILL NOT FOLD // PASTOR CHARLES METCALF Could it be that you know God chose you, but you still want others to choose you too? In Week 2 of the God Chose You series, Pastor Charles Metcalf takes us to Paul’s letter in...
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Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and, well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling, even kind of cheesy. But I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell, Oatmeal. So long, you strange soggy. Break up with bland breakfast and taste AM PM's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with K tree eggs, smoked bacon and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit. AMPM Too much good stuff. 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. If you have your Bibles, turn to the Book of John. The Book of John. John is a good guy, a solid guy. He wrote, obviously, the Book of John. If you didn't know that, you can tell your friends and brag about it. But John chapter 12 will be in verse 37. Verse 37. If you got it, say I got it. If you don't, say, hold up, hold up. Man, you slow. Anyway, some of y', all, you just got a Google search. You really take you that long? Anyways, okay, I'm joking. John, chapter 12, starting in verse number 37. Despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted. Lord, who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? But the people couldn't believe. For as Isaiah also said, the Lord has blinded their eyes, hardened their hearts so they cannot see, their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and have me heal them. I'm a pause real quick. This ain't even what I'm preaching. Because some of y' all just read that and like, dang, God, that's so disrespectful. You gonna harden. They hard. How they supposed to. You actually read this in the Old Testament, Pharaoh. If you ever heard that story, Pharaoh hardens his heart. Then the Bible says God hardens his heart. Some people will just landslide theologically on that whole thing. Here's how you solve that. At some point, God going to give you what you really want. Here's how it works. When you harden your heart, it's not like, oh, I'm looking for God, and I can't figure it out. To harden your heart in this context is to say, I know you're the Creator. I Know you're the king. I know you have a plan. I vehemently reject you as king, savior and designer because I know I'm better. Therefore, I'm hardening my heart. And. And God, just like some of yalls grandmothers say, oh, oh, that's what you want. Go ahead then. Go ahead. Go ahead. So this is not God, Some evil God, like, oh, he's making his day. When Pharaoh hardened his heart against the Israel, the God of Israel, he thought he was a God. So God said, oh, you, You. You think you a God? Go ahead, big dog. Okay, you want to. You. That's what you want to do. And this is God's grace and kindness. He'd be like, you really want that? Yeah, that's what I. Okay, go ahead then. So just. That's a little ghetto way to theologically explain that to you. But yeah. Anyways, we'll keep going. Verse number 41. Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this because he saw a future and spoke of the Messiah. Here we go. Verse number 42. Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders, but they wouldn't admit it. Ooh, hold on. The wind is blowing my bow. The Holy Spirit's up in here. Many. Goodness gracious. Hold on. Some of y' all are like, that's why you need to use an iPad. Get out of here. Many people did believe in him, however, including some Jewish leaders, but they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. Verse 43. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. I'm gonna give you one more scripture just to nail this in. Galatians, chapter 1, verse 10. Paul speaking. Obviously. Somebody say, obviously. Look at your neighbor and say, obviously, obviously. I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant. You don't even know what I'm about to say. That's crazy. I love our church. Whoa. He felt that, man. I love our church. I love you. Whoever yelled? Okay, if you're taking notes, write down the title of my sermon. It is called I won't Fold. I won't fold. I won't fold. Lord, we thank you for this morning. God, I pray that your spirit would meet us here as you do every single time. Empower our spirit, strengthen our minds, and dear Lord Jesus, help the thunder win this game. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Everybody said, amen. Don't shake your head at me. Say you have not, because you ask not. We'll stop playing if we win. That's what I'm talking about. Mama Chloe. Mama Chloe. Is it your birthday, Mama Chloe? Y', all, this is the most important thing we might do all day. Everybody, we are about to sing Happy Birthday to Mama Chloe on the count of three. One, two, three. Happy birthday to you. Don't sit down now. Mama Chloe. You done got the whole outfit. Happy birthday. I'm a Chloe. Happy birthday to you. I love you, Mama Chloe. Go, Thunder. Okay. Come on, man. That is amazing. She got the Spark Spark Elite joint. That's incredible. I tell you all the time, I got four kiddos. And something I've learned about having children and realized and recognized is you never know which moment is going to become a core memory. So you really just trying to guard all moments. You know, some of us, we have moments that you remember as a child that you're like, oh, this was the moment that everything changed in my life. And it's been a funny experience even with my parents as I have become a parent. You know, as you as a kid, you like, man, my parents this, this and that. Then you become a parent. It's like, you know what, mom and Dad? I just want to call and say I'm sorry for just the way I was breathing all loud, all the time. It was just, oh, Jesus. All my kids got heavy stuff. They got heavy feet. Got that from their mama. But it sound like they just be bom, bom, bom. So it's just a lot going on. We're moving right now, so our TVs are off the wall. Abby told. She called me. She said, you would have thought that the freaking world was ending when they came downstairs and they couldn't watch a show. What are we doing? It's like, okay, just God forbid you look at each other for eight minutes, okay? But I'll never forget one moment with my dad that honestly shaped me more than I would realize in that moment. I grew up playing sports. And one of the sports I loved to play, I played from three years old, all the way through high school, was football. And I played football. And I remember it was like six or seventh grade. I was on this football team and in Nashville, Tennessee, and at this school, technically at the time, I was the black kid on the team, if you know what I'm saying. It was an all white Christian school. And so it was me and my friend Aubrey. Aubrey ended up playing fullback at the University of Auburn. And I am here preaching to you, so you See how that went. But me and Aubrey were the only. I was half black, he was full. He counted all the way. But we were the only people on the team and the only really friend I had on the team. And so I was running back, Aubrey was fullback, and it was the best time ever. I'll never forget. I wanted to get some gloves because, honestly, I was fast, I could run, but I would fumble the ball all the time. The good thing is I'll pick it right back up and run a touchdown. But I would fumble the ball all the time. So my dad was like, we're going to the store. We're going to get you some gloves. And I was like, okay. So we do it. We go, we pick out the dopest gloves. I'm ready. It's like right before my game, I have all my stuff on. We play the game. I don't wear the gloves once. Don't wear them at all. And we get in the car, and my dad kind of asked me about it, and I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I just forgot. I just didn't, you know, I forgot about it. And he was like, okay, okay. Just. Next game, we had another game. I had the gloves, you know, tucked in right here in the front, so I was looking cool. Some of y' all know that's the cool way to wear, but I never put them on. I'll never forget. We get in the car, and my dad is like, hey, brother, what's up with them gloves? Why aren't you wearing your gloves? And I was like, well, you know, I just. I don't really. Just. I don't know if I want to wear them. I just don't. It's kind of, you know, it's kind of a lot. And he's like, what do you mean it's a lot? And I was like, well, you know, it's just like we just playing football. I got these big, fancy gloves on. It's like, come on, man, you don't need them fancy gloves on. And. And my dad looked at me, he said, where's that? Where did that come from? I was like, what you mean? He was like, why? Are you really not wearing those gloves? And I said, well, when I first put him on and went out to practice, immediately someone was like, oh, look at Charles. He think he all fancy, got the gloves on. Ooh. And everybody started making fun of him. So I immediately took them joints off. Immediately I was like, psh. Gloves are stupid anyways. Who need those? I will never forget this moment. My dad Now I'm gonna have to amend the sentence a little bit. He said, Cause, you know, y' all be all messed up if I said what he really said. But my dad looked at me and we are sitting at a red light and he stop sign. He stops. It felt like we stopped for two hours at that stop sign, but he looked at me and he turned his whole body in the car. He looked at me. He said, charles, you look at me. He said, you are a Metcalf and you don't give a bleep what anybody thinks about you. If you want to wear them gloves, you wear them gloves, you run a touchdown. I don't care what anybody say. Don't ever let anybody stop you doing for what you know you need to do. I was like, okay, Dad, I wore my gloves. Changed my life. Moment changed my life. Here's what I want to submit to you this morning. This is my thesis statement for the whole sermon. If you write this down, you're going to get the whole thing. Many people will never do what they can do, could do, or should do because they are afraid of looking dumb. They fold the fear. Looking dumb. You would never say this out loud, but a lot of the time you spend going back and forth on if God chose you, going back and forth on if you're going to start the business, going back and forth on if you're going to speak up, going back and forth on if you're going to write the book, going back and forth on if you're going to have a conversation with that family member, going back and forth of if you're going to wear something, going back and forth on if you're going to actually chase your dream, going back and forth on if you're going to, you're going to be wise with your money and admit you don't know what you're doing, if you are going to really do what God chose you to do. Many people, you would never say it, but the reason you don't, the reason you fold is because you're afraid. You don't want to look dumb. You don't want to look silly. You don't want to look like you don't know what you're doing. Many of us as parents, won't our kids ask us a question, and you just go straight up into makeup land. Dad, why do we do this as well, you know, technically, the way things are set up here, you don't know what you. Why you're trying to put on. Because you're afraid of people. You're afraid of what they think about you. You're afraid of what will they say, what will they do? How will they treat me? And you need to know I'm not mad at you. This has been the human condition for a very long time. I can take you story after story on where you can sense the underlying fear of someone stepping into their God given person is their fear of looking silly, their fear of what they're gonna do. Exhibit A, Moses. Moses has a moment with God. The burning bush. He walks up to that bush and it is a crazy moment. The bush is on fire, but not being burnt up. He walks up and God's like, yo, it's me. Take. Take off your shoes. This is holy ground. And he's like, oh, my gosh. Okay. It's amazing. He's like, I've heard the cries of my people. I've heard what they've been going through. And so I'm coming to you. Let me tell you this. When God wants to answer the prayers of other people, sometimes he's going to come find you. He's going to come find you in a place where you don't feel like you have what it takes, where you don't feel like you know what you're doing. But God chooses Moses for this moment. Guess what one of his questions is. Say I come to them and I say that the God of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac have sent me. What am I gonna say if they ask, who is it? This is where we get the moment where God says, tell them I am. That I am has sent you. But Moses is asking this question. Because if they come to me and ask who it is, how am I gonna prove to them? How am I gonna show them this wasn't just me? I don't want to look dumb. I don't want to look silly. I don't want to look. I don't want to be embarrassed. Go to Peter. Peter is sitting in a boat and Jesus comes walking on the water and he says, if it's really you, you tell me to come out there. Because I'm not about to step over the side of this boat in front of all my friends and look crazy Old Testament again. Gideon, he's in a winepress, threshing wheat, which makes no sense. It's like baking a cake on the side of a mountain. It's like, what do you do? This is not where you do that. But anyways, he's underneath there. God calls him. He has this crazy moment. He's like, all right, I'm gonna put this little piece of cloth out, and you make that wet and everything else dry. And then I'm gonna flip it. You do it again. He goes all back and forth. Why? Time after time in Scripture, between the time God chooses you and the time you do it, there is this big word and phrase that keeps a lot of people stuck. And it's. I'm afraid of what people think. What are they going to think about me? What are the. What are they going to say about me? What is my family going to think if I quit this thing that I've been doing my whole life? What are they. They're going to see they. I've always been inconsistent. Now they're going to say I'm quitting again. What is. What is my. What is my friends going to think about me if I step out? What is this person going to think if I break up with this person who seems to be the right guy? What are they going to do? What. What is going to happen? And the whole time you're spending your energy not on your capability in actual capacity. See, here's the issue. Many of us blame things that are not the issue on the reason you won't obey God. We do this. We say, well, if I just had more money, then I would do it. If someone really saw my gift, then I would do it. If someone really would just give me the opportunity, then I would do it. Well, if I had somebody who could help me write the book, then I would do it. And. And we use all of these issues and the enemy gets you stuck thinking you don't have what it takes and you're not called, and you're not skilled enough and you're not strong enough. And the truth is, none of those things are the issue. Because if I gave you a million dollars, you got the book contract and you had time to write the book, you would still be worried about what people think about you. Let's stop playing. Cause we act like it's all this stuff. If I had the right setup and if they just saw me and if they just approved of me, and if I had this and I had that and I did this and I did that, and then I would be able to do it. And that is a lie. The truth is, you are held by the grip of people and you are so worried about what people would think about you, what they would say about you, that you are wasting your time and your life trying to please people who do not care about you and are not concerned with your purpose. I'm saying this because I spent a lot of my life doing this and still struggle with this. But. But we have to be honest on what the real issue is. The issue is not that you're not called. The issue is not that you're not equipped. The issue is not that you're not good enough. The issue is you are so gripped by the opinion of man, by the opinion of dust, looking around, thinking, well, I just don't want to. I don't want to embarrass nothing. I don't want to ruffle no feathers. Whose feathers? Who's got feathers, first of all? And why are we worried about ruffling them? We spend so much time wasting time. God stands outside of time, does the whole thing, brings you to the moment just for you to sit there and not look at him, but look around. What are they doing? And what are they. Okay, let me just do just enough. Just so I don't. I do enough to obey God, but not enough so I'm noticed by everybody else because I don't want nobody. I'll step out enough just to clear, like the obedience box. They're like, yeah, God, I did it. But not enough so that anybody really tells I'm making a difference in my life. And the opinion of people, pleasing people has you in a choke hold. Questioning if you're called, questioning if God chose you. Questioning if you have what it takes. And the truth is you have more than enough. More than enough if nobody's told you that you have more than enough to do exactly what he's called you to do. The Bible tells us he gives us both the power and the desire to do what pleases him. He has given you everything you need for this exact moment you're in. The issue is not your competency. The issue is not your calling. The issue is not anything else. It is, how long will you waste your time worried about other. What other people think about you? How long. How many ideas are going to stay in that journal? How many times we got to hear you talk about, well, you know, I'm about to. I'm just trying to get the thing off the ground. And we just going to. Really, really. At some point, you have to take the step. At some point you have to decide, I will not let my life be dictated by what other people are going to think about me. And here's the truth. Many people, you have spent a significant amount of your life dumbing down what God put on the inside of you because you're worried if you fully stepped into it, if you fully decided, if you fully lived. Confident if you fully lived exactly how and who he called you to be. You're worried about what people think. I'm not mad at you, but I just. We have to take a moment here and call a spade a spade and say, let's just be honest. You really care what those people think. You really have found a lot of significance in the opinion of people you are close to and not close to. And you're worried that if you do this and they don't agree with you, then what? And one of the most helpful resources one of my friends has given me is just asking and then what? Because sometimes I be stuck in this. Well, you know, I'm just worried about, you know, what will happen. This is an honest story. I FaceTime my little brother, Chandler Barrington Metcalf. I have a little brother. He's eight years younger than me. We look like twins. If you ever. Some of y' all have a picture with him and it's not me. And you do not know, every time he come in town, he be sitting right up here and y'. All. Some of y' all walk up, oh, my gosh, Pastor Charles. And at this point, he's just. He just let y' all have your moment. He just like, yeah, God bless you. He's anointed some of y' all with oil. You don't even know he was talking to a 22 year old kid. So just so you know. But I FaceTimed my little brother and I was like, chandler, why did I do this book signing? He's like, what you mean? I said, what if I walk in there and it's me and them lemon loafs and my four kids. I started panicking. I was like, what are you doing, man? I'm gonna be out here at Barnes and Noble. Y' all just all come on. Just think about that if you. How you feel right now. Cause I feel just like you feel. You think cause I'm up here in this yellow leather jacket that I feel different? But if you were just like, on your Instagram, like, I'm gonna be at Barnes and Nobles. So y' all just pull up on me and we got a yellow sign. And my team's like, this is gonna be great, Pastor Charles. I'm like, you ain't gotta sit there and look stupid. Stupid. If nobody walk in sitting there at that table like, you want. You want me to sign your book? They're like, what? I don't want you to sign my book with you. I called my brother. I'm like, hey, man, this is kind of crazy. What if nobody comes, man? I'm just, you know, like. And what I was worried was I done wrote this book, I done put in all this effort. I done got on my Instagram, I done told people to come up, and what if I get in there and I look dumb? And then I started to go, okay, let's say you get there, nobody's there. And then what? Well, then I'm on. I'm on. I'm. This is going to be weird. Okay, and then what? Then I probably, you know. Well, I know a couple people are going to come. Okay, and then what? Well, I'll sign their books. Okay, and then what? Well, then it'll be over. And then what? Then I'll go home. And then what? Then I wake up the next day, and then I'll. And then I'll preach on Sunday and I'll probably forget about it. Some of you just. You need to play out some of those fears that are keeping you in bondage, some of the stuff. What if I step out and it don't work? Okay, what happens if you step out? It don't work. Well, then I gotta go back to my job. Okay, and then what? Then I'm just doing exactly what I'm doing right now. But the opinion of what they would think and what they would say and what they would do and how they would perceive me, it keeps you stuck. And I feel this message so strongly because there's so much time I have spent once you realize, okay, God has chosen me, the real issue of this book, in this message is not the issue of if God chose you. The question is, would anybody else choose me? Because some of you, you resolved. God chose you because he said it. And that settles it. And so I believe it. Yes, God chose me. But your issue is not concerned with if God chose you. The issue is if I showed anybody else all of me, if I told them who I really believed God had called me to be, if I really put myself out here, is there anybody else who would choose all of me? So this is why we create different versions of ourself. You have your work. You. You know that weird work voice you got. How you doing, brother? Jesus, God bless you. It's like you got that work. You. You got the cookout with your family. You. You got the. The spouse version of yourself. You got with your workout, but you got all these different versions. Why? Because somewhere in your upbringing, you. You learned everybody don't accept all of you. So you need to adjust who you Are change who you are. So mom and dad only like you when you helping around the house. So don't ever ask for nothing. Don't be a bother to nobody. Just do your stuff, keep your room clean, and don't get in the way. So that's the version of you you created. Then you go to school and you realize people liked you when you got in trouble at school. Maybe that was just me, but you liked. So you acted this way at school. And then you got around your grandmother and them. And then there was this part of your family that was very spiritual. And you read your Bible. You real. There are all these different versions of you. And then you find yourself at some point, just as I did, realizing, oh, which. Who do you know? You go to work and be like, wait, who? Who do you. Do you know this part of me? Oh, you don't know that about me. Okay, okay. And then you go back home, which. Okay. And all of that energy you feel is because every single day, you're trying to present different versions of yourself because you're worried if I just showed up and I wasn't thinking about who you think I am. I don't know if I could do it. I know this because this was my story. So much energy. What had me crawled up under my desk and worried if I was going to still live would. Was wondering. I don't know if I can keep switching like this. I don't know if I can walk up on the stage and act like I ain't got massive questions about the Bible, even though I'm preaching it. I don't know if I can go home and be something I've never seen or lived out all the way and stop. I don't know if I know how to raise kids. And I'm acting like I do, but they just gave me this joint and sent me home. And after checking my wife's blood pressure, acting like we ain't some kids with a kid. It don't make no sense. Come on. You just be acting like, yeah, this is super regular. It's not regular. You done made a whole new life. It came out and just looked at you like you're responsible now. Hopefully I'm not scarred for life. And the doctor walks in and checks you twice, and it's like, all right. Yep, go home. Is that thing buckled back down tight? Make sure it's strapped down tight, like, okay, I guess I'm a dad now, even though I don't know how to file my taxes. Okay. That was a real thing for Me, I'm like, all right, raise a kid, file taxes, order of importance of trying to figure stuff out. There's just a lot of time spent wondering, okay, okay, who, who am I gonna be and what am I gonna do? And all I'm submitting to you today is there is a life should you so choose where you wake up and get this. You just live your life. Some of y' all is crazy to think about that. You wake up and you think, what do I wanna wear? And then you just put it on. Some of y' all was late to church this morning. You like, let me. Who am I going to be sitting next to? Let me lift my hands and see. Okay, you doing all types of stuff. Acting like it's for you, acting like it's for your husband, acting like it's because you just want. But the truth is, you were worried about what would people think so of you haven't spoken up in so long. Some of you have taken your whole personality as shy and it's not true. Some of you would be surprised to see video clips of you as a kid cuz you used to talk so much. But somebody said, sit down and be quiet. Quit talking. The adults are talking. You be quiet. You ain't got nothing to say. So you decided, okay, I. I'm just a quiet personality. And it's not true. The scripture says that there was so much cultural pressure when John is writing to be a certain way and to believe a certain way and to do a certain thing, that there were some people who weren't accepting God, but there were other people. It says they actually did believe. They just didn't want to say it out loud because they were afraid the Pharisees would kick them out. They were afraid they wouldn't be able to do what they were going to do. And it says at the very end, for. For they love the praises of man more than the praise of God. Culture has really affected us in a strong way because likes and comments and subscriptions have really skewed our ability. And what you think about you, some of y', all, you grew. This is all you know is okay. I post on Instagram and this is what it's so social media has created such a strange world where we feel an obligation to tell people we doing something stuff. Just let's back up a little bit. Imagine if every time you went to someone's house, they were like, hey, how you doing? They immediately walked you over to their photo albums and we're like, let's sit down and just Spend eight hours just going through all my personal stories. We be like, sir, you are weird, and you clearly have no friends. But if it's on our phone and we scroll and we got a nine square, it's super acceptable. And it's almost weird if you post about it and you get shamed. If you're dating somebody and we don't know about it because y' all haven't went public on Instagram. Because that's how we know your marriage is gonna last is if you tell other people what. That's how we know your business is important, because you made an announcement post and you took a headshot and you announced it to the world that you're an important person. Okay, Now I'm about to get real vulnerable up here. Jay, did this seat dry? I'm gonna sit on it. Okay. I drew all over this chair before I came out here. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. I'm gonna be honest with you. When I first got this book deal, I was talking to the publishers, and they were like, so what do you. This is crazy. Let me tell you how the story. When Pastor Michael. I preached the sermon, God chose me. I come off the stage, he looks at me in a very epic way, points in my face. This is your first book. And, like, Pastor Brenda came up out of him, and he just did. And so I was like, is that. Was that okay? So that happens. Fast forward a little bit. A lot of time goes by. I write, like, three or four chapters. I come to him like, hey, I've been working on a book. And he's like, hey, man, again. He's like, this is the time. And so he picks up his phone. He's like, I'm gonna FaceTime some. I was like, okay, who you FaceTime? He's like, the head of the publishing company. And I was like, oh, okay. So he facetimes them. The person is on vacation, and they pick up their phone. They're fishing, they're out on some water. And he's like, hey, what you doing? Okay, real quick. Got something for you. And they're like, okay. And he's like, I've got the next book you need right here. We're gonna meet in this day. You have a week, and if you don't, we're taking it somewhere else. All right, talk to you later. And he hangs up the phone, not lying. And I'm like, oh, okay. This is like. He's like, I'm your book agent now. And I was like, great. Are you gonna take the 15% or no, he's like, no, you keep that. I was like, thank you, God. So I need all the percents I could get out here, man. So fast forward. We get on a call. Pastor Michael, we're on the thing. And they're like, all right, Charles, what are you. And none of these old white people know who I am. And so there no dispigging. It's old white people. It was just all old white people. That's all that's important context. Okay, just wait. I'm dressed like this. And like, who is this kid with this book? So I'm going through it. They're like, what do you expect for this book to be? And I just start talking. This is going to be a great book. Blah, blah, blah. Fast forward immediately. I'm about halfway through writing and they start talking about New York Times best seller. They're like, all right, so this is the list. This is how much you gotta sell. This is how much it's gotta be. This is blah, blah, blah, blah. And then all of y' all like, crazy faith. New York Times bestseller, brother. Bleepity bobbity boop. Here's what I was struggling with personally, and I feel butt naked up here. I very honestly was like, you know what? I'm not gonna think about that because it seems very easy for my friend. He's done it three times in a row just. Cause he just, I guess FaceTimes, the New York bestseller guy and just says, hey. But the truth is, I was talking to my wife and I was like, man, I just don't want to think about that because this is a dream. And the only thing that could make it not a dream is making up another dream and worried about if I don't get that check and that box and it's not this, then what does that mean? And am I still a good. And am I still. And what do people think? Because this is what we do and all of this energy. And we started going down the list, and I was like, okay. At some point, I have to be honest that the real desire under. There's some good things under there. It's cute to get recognized and acknowledged, but. But the truth is, there's a part of me that wants you to think something about me that New York Times apparently will affirm in me as a writer. See, some of y' all ain't even therapized to go to you. But the truth is, the only reason I want some random people in a room I don't know where we don't know what happens and why is because if I get that, it'll somehow make me more of something than what you currently think. And maybe you don't think I'm good enough now, but if somebody else acknowledges it that has authority, then you'll think something about me that apparently I still need. And this is how the enemy robs you of blessings, moments and miracles is because you are in the moment you have been praying for, for dreaming for, fasting, for, striving, for, crying for. And at the moment where you have done it, you are standing there waiting on someone you do not know to approve something they did not give you. And I am here to submit to you tomorrow. This morning it is time to stop wasting your time. Worried about what other people think about you, worried if they think you're good enough, worried about who they said you are. I am doing done living a life where I am afraid of what people think about me. You weren't there when I was depressed and anxious. You didn't save my life. You didn't give me this life, you didn't put this breath in my body and you didn't give me the book idea. So I am not concerned and I will not live my life afraid of looking dumb in front of you. I'm saying this to you because I am trying to set you free from something that honestly, if you got, it still wouldn't change nothing. It still wouldn't change nothing. If you got the idea, if you got the approval, if you got the stuff, you would still be looking for somebody else. You would still hope you posted it and they saw it and we are just deciding this morning I am done with it. I've wasted too much of my life. I've wasted too much of my gift. I've wasted too much of my time that I was supposed to be spending with the people God put in my life. Worried about people who weren't in my life. Today is the day we're drawing a line in the sand and I'm saying for God I live and for God I die. And you can either get with it or get out of here. But as for me and my house, we're gonna serve the Lord. As for me and my house, we're going to preach the gospel. As for me and my house, we're going to do everything God put on the inside of me because he gave it to me. It's his breath in my lungs and I've got a world to reach. I'm not going to fold. I'm not going to live My life afraid. I'm going to give you three ways to put people pleasing to death. We gotta kill it. Some of y' all gonna need to wear black today because we are putting to death your desire for people to approve of you. Your desire to not make people feel weird. I'm so sorry you feel weird when I do what God called me to do. But that sounds like you need to go get some counseling. You need to deal with whatever that is in you. But that is not to do anything with me. And I'm not going just who I am. But because you ain't never seen this before. Not my issue. I love you. I hope me being me can release you to be you. But I'm not. Maybe if I keep doing this long enough, you'll realize you ain't got to fake. You ain't got to put nothing to the side. You ain't got to adjust for other people. I've got a calling and I can't curtail it for you. Why? Why are you doing doing that? Why are you doing. Because somebody needs this. It may not be you, and I'm secure enough to know that. This is why I love our church and our pastor. Because our church ain't for everybody. We clear on that? We want everybody. But this church ain't for everybody. I just don't understand why you preach like that, do all this example. I just don't get it. I know you don't get it. It's not for you. But the person who needed to get it got it. Spend so much time trying to impress people that are not even who you called to reach, and you go ruin what God gave you, trying to prove to them when they waiting on you. Not over here. Let me just say that. Not over here. Okay, y' all sit down because I'm sweating like a dog. All right? We gonna put people pleasing to death. Three things you need to put people pleasing to death. First thing is you need the right perspective. You need the right perspective. And I'm gonna say it exactly how I feel it. We worried about looking dumb in front of people. Here's a little perspective. You worried? First of all, we passed looking dumb. We in this room. 30 minutes ago, you were singing up into the sky, lifting your hands, waving them up. Come on now. We passed you singing about some 33 year old Jewish guy you ain't never met. I mean, just let's go downstairs. We accept it as normal. Your faith system is like, yeah, there was this guy who was swallowed by a whale. And then, you know, he was in the whale, and then the whale spit him up on the side of the joint. And it we passed little perspective here. You had to cross that bridge when you raised your hand on the count of three. So we left that a long time ago. We have to acknowledge some perspective is when I stepped across the line of faith, I stepped outside of explainable and understandable. So once I decided to follow Jesus, I released my right to understand everything and be able to explain everything to you. I stepped across that line worried about what people would think, worried about looking dumb. Here's what. I was talking to my wife last night about this. I said, we worried about looking dumb in front of people. I just don't want to be looking dumb when I get up to that white judgment throne. You want to talk about looking dumb, you not doing stuff God called you to do because you worried about people. You gonna get up there to the throne, they gonna be singing, holy, holy. He gonna be like, so what'd you do with everything I gave you? You're like, well, you remember that teacher I had in the third grade that had them big teeth when she said I wasn't smart? I really took that to heart and just kept that for the 80 years you gave me. So, you know, them parents that, you know, were young and they didn't know what they was doing well, the impact they really had, I never really dealt with that. So I just shoved it down and I just created a version of myself where I felt like I was doing enough, but I knew I was never really being who I wanted to be. So I just kind of kept them cards and never really brought it to you or brought it to a friend or talked about what I was going through, because I wanted people to think I really had it together. So I just. Surely you can understand, you know, how I could do that. There's a little bit of perspective for you to realize. The people you trying to impress, at some point, they not gonna matter. The people right now that y' all got matching tattoos, one day they may not be in your life. And you decided your whole calling and purpose, we gonna do this for life. And then six months later, life apparently got really short and changed on everybody. And now you don't feel like you can do what you supposed to do because you don't have them. You need a right perspective. You need a right mindset. God has chosen me for this moment. He's chosen me right where I am, how I am, with the tools I have, and a little bit of perspective where I had to do this. When I was FaceTiming my little brother and I was worried about if I was gonna be sitting there signing the back of my hand at that book signing, I said, you know what, Charles Metcalf, you are from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and you failed English class three times. And somehow somebody gave you the ability to write a whole real book. And you about to walk up in this store and see your face and your kids on the back of that book, we might as well take three seconds. Seconds and be grateful. Sometimes all you need is a little bit of perspective. Some of y' all worried about the house you live in. It's just. Well, we just need a bigger space. Let's be honest. Sometimes you. You didn't always have the space. You got little perspective. Little perspective. You worried about some of y' all be sitting up in church being like, woo, what time is it? I gotta get food. There's other people in the world. They had to sneak to their church. They underground in their church. Their worship ain't loud. Not because it can't. And they ain't got no speakers. Their worship ain't loud because if it's too loud, they might hear them above ground and come search for them and ask for their life. Let me give you a little perspective here. I sing loud because I can. Little perspective might be helpful. I know you frustrated, but the same thing you frustrated at you prayed for. Let's get a little perspective. Little perspective. You need the right perspective. The next thing you need is you need the right people, because some of y' all are living for other people. Because you ain't got the right people. You don't have people in your life that have recognized who you are and what's on the inside of you. Because as long as you are surrounded by people who don't know who they are, it'll be very hard for you to know who you are. Part of how I live and who I am not. Part of a lot of it is shaped by who I'm around. And there are certain. If I. If God would have placed me in another church, there are parts of this message that would have never come out. Because who I'm around. Pastor Michael and the way he lives his life unconcerned with what people think about him, gave me permission to not be concerned with what people think about me. And some of you are surrounded. Let me talk straight up. Some of your family members with the same DNA are so concerned with what people think. As long as you keep subscribing to that, you will Never be able to do what God called you to do. You got to get around some people who know who they are. Get around some people who will call out the greatness on the inside of you and not let you settle for that low version of you. I got friends in my life that won't let me be the lesser version of me. It seems like you pull. Are you good? You pulling back? What's going on? They won't let. You need the right people in your life, the right people who will support you, the right people who are encouraged. Me. Because when you get your encouragement from the right people, it settles it for all the wrong people. It settles it. I'm honest and aware enough. I need some key affirmation from some key people, and if I get that, I'm good. I was a couple weeks ago, I was preaching at elevation, and I was sitting in there, you know, trying to act cool, like I ain't freaking out, and like, I hope Pastor Steven's stream ain't working and he don't see. And so I'm like. And Pastor Brenda and Tommy called me, and real. I'm sitting there back in the green room, their whole executive there. I'm about to walk on stage. I said, hold on a second. I gotta take this call. And I'm like, who is it? I said, it's Pastor Brenda. And I got down in the call, and they both prayed over me. Those two people's affirmation made me feel like, you know what? I'm gonna be all right. My wife's encouragement to me, my friend, I got a friend named Micah. He one of my best friends in the world. He's a fashion designer. He text me a picture of his book, and I said, I got my copy. I'm so proud of you. This is amazing. That one text, it was the right person that I got it from. Some of you just need to be honest. You need some encouragement from the right person. Some of yalls marriages, you need to be honest with your spouse. Hey, I need some affirmation, because if you don't tell me I'm good, I'mma go find somebody who will. I'm not saying that from a threatening spot. I'm saying what happens. You spend your whole relationship not encouraging each other, Then you go to work and somebody like, ooh, I like your jacket. And you're like, oh, this whole thing, man, this. Hold on. This is a nice jacket. And you go back home, you walk in. Don't nobody ask nothing of you. All right? Where you been? Oh, okay. Then you getting ready for work tomorrow. What do you do? You put that jacket on. I don't know why y' all looking around. You better. Why? Because some part of you didn't get what you needed, so now you out here just looking. But when you have the right people in your life, you need perspective. You need the right people. The last thing you need is, is the right purpose. Here's what I've realized. You need a purpose that is worth looking dumb for. And some of our lives are so small and the risk we take are so little. And our faith, the things we believe for, are so minuscule that it's not worth you looking dumb. You need a purpose that is bigger than you. You need a life that's bigger than you. And I don't know where along the way, somehow you were sold on this Jesus that calls you to safety and security, but that's not who he was. As a matter of fact, the first call of Jesus was to some kids who were fishing. Hey, I know you're doing what your family has always done, but if you want to put down that, I will make you fishers of men. And we read that scripture. Now we all go, ooh, we. What does that mean? When you're the disciples, we don't see the disciples go through a list of questions of like, okay, you know, just let me. Let me talk to my family. Let me see. It says they dropped everything and left. Let me give you a little context and backstory. You wouldn't know, and this is why I'm going to tell it to you at this point. Many theologians would say the whole goal of a little Hebrew boy's life was to study the Torah and the Scriptures so that one day he would approach a teacher, teacher or a Pharisee and say, hey, sir, could I please study under you? And the fact that they are working in their family's business tells us that culture rejected them. And they studied their whole life, and they studied the Scriptures and they didn't know it. And they went to the teacher, and the teacher would have rejected them because they weren't chosen. They weren't good enough. So they go back to their family business and they're just doing what they've always known. But let me tell you, Jesus is the only good teacher that comes and finds you, you and says, hey, I know other people overlooked you. I know other people didn't give you a chance, but come and follow me and I'll give you a life you could only dream of. When you realize you've Been rejected by other people. It costs you nothing to say. Oh, you want me to go with you? Easy. Because I'm not okay with living this small life. And I want to pray a prayer over you. I hope God wrecks you living a small life. I hope he ruins it for you. I hope having small faith is ruined for you. I hope not being who you are is ruined for you. I hope not being who I prom. I pray that God ruins that for you. You need a purpose worth dying. Some of y', all, you'll understand it this way. Some of y', all, there's nothing else in your life you die for except them kids. My kid, I would do anything. I'm not that big. I'm not that strong. I can pedal a bike for like eight hours straight, but that's about it. I'm not. But if anybody in this room, if Pastor Roosevelt started talking about my kids, brother, I hope you enjoy singing in heaven, cuz I. Because I have. I love you, Pastor Ro. I'm just saying in context. I have something that I will embarrass myself for. I have something that is worth it to me. And can I tell you the good news? You are the child that God was so in love with that he was okay with looking dumb up on that cross. He was okay with standing there in front of people. And it didn't make sense why he climbed up there and it didn't make sense why he said, I'll let him do it. And it didn't make sense why he let him whip him, but he saw his kids and he said, I love, love him so much. I'll stand up on this cross. And all I'm saying to you this morning is he already took all that embarrassment. You're worried about the creator of the world. What are we talk. You want to talk about looking dumb? Let's say you create the world. You create everything. You breathe your breath into them and you give them chance and chance again and they ruin it. And your dad comes to you and says, hey, man, you're gonna have to go down there with them. But they're broken and they're. Hey, you're gonna have to go down there with them. You're gonna have to become one of them. You're gonna have to act like them. You're gonna have to not call down them angels. Yeah. You're gonna have to let them spit on you. You're gonna have to let them pull out your beard. You're gonna have to let them put that crap on you looking dumb. Jesus willfully climbed up on a cross and let people that he was giving them the very breath they were using to mock him. He sat there while they talked about him, knowing it was his breath in their lungs, knowing he could snap. Snap his fingers and they would all be gone. And he stood there. He let him say it, and he let him put those nails in his hands. They let him beat him beyond recognition and they hung him up on that cross. Why? Because he had enough affirmation. He had enough perspective. Yeah, this is. This is going to hurt. Yeah, this is uncomfortable. But one day there's gonna be some people who need me so I can stay. He knew who he was and he had a purpose that was biggest. The only thing that took him out of that garden was a purpose bigger than him. We see it in the garden. He's sitting there thinking, God, I don't want to do this. I know you chose me, but I don't want to do this. But nevertheless, I just. There are so many people in this room are watching. You just have no idea how important you are. Because if you knew how important you were, you would stop trying to be somebody else. And all I'm submitting to you this morning is God thinks so highly of you and so much of you and how he created you and who you are that he's called you and chosen you at this time so you wouldn't fold, so you wouldn't have to live with the fear of what they think and what they'll do and what they'll say. Who cares? Who cares? For me, I've decided I'm only concerned. I love everybody. But my list is five people. Five people. I walked in, my wife, she took a video while we were walking into Barnes and Noble. And it was me holding my kids hand. And all of them trailed behind me, those four kids and this woman on this front row. I hope you like my book. Let me be very clear with you. She already told me she liked the book. I hope you. I hope you get the book. I hope you read it. I hope it helps you. I know it helped my wife. I hope it really encourages you, but I know. I was sitting in the back and Luna was worried about going to the class. And I kneeled down and I said, luna Rose, look at me. You carry peace and purpose, kindness and compassion, boldness and bravery, love and light. You are filled with God's power and you can do anything. I want to pray for you today, that God would release you from the burden and the bondage of. Of people Pleasing everybody. Bow your heads and close your eyes. Dear Lord, this morning we come to you honest. That's the only way, guys. We got to start there. God, we come to you being honest that we have lived points in our life, worried about what other people think. And God, this morning we are bringing that to you in an honest heart, saying, would you please. Would you please change that part of us that needs their approval? Would you please do something with that? That's in us that changes who we are. Would you please change us from the inside out? Show us who we really are. Are. Show. I pray today people would experience their true value. They would see who God created them to be. They would see that they don't need the approval of other people. That they would see that they have been given everything. God, I pray that you would do what only you could do. God, my words aren't enough, Lord, this service isn't enough. We need one moment with you that could change who we are forever. I pray. Pleasing your family would be broken. Pleasing that person who's no longer here. Yep, God's doing something powerful right now. Some of you had realized you've been living your whole life for the words of someone who is no longer here. And I'm sorry they didn't give you what you needed. I'm sorry they didn't see you when they were here. But let me tell you, sweetheart, they are gone now. And your Heavenly Father says, I see you and I approve of you. In the name of Jesus, it's broken. Those who have been living for a success you can't even identify, there are some of you. There's a success in your head and heart. There's a picture you you have in your head and heart of some imaginary place you're going to get to. And that's what you've been working on. And you really don't even know where it is if you're honest with yourself. In the name of Jesus, I speak contentment. God, I pray your Holy Spirit would rest on us and secure us. Every head still bowed and every eyes still close. Some of you in this room, as you've been searching for approval, you've been searching for somebody to choose you. The only person who can truly choose all of you is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And it's because of the gospel message I told you about. He was fully man and fully God. And he came to this earth and he lived a perfect life, the life me and you could never live. And he did that so you could actually be who you've Always wanted to be. You're in this room or you're watching online and you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I promise you, this is the moment you've been waiting on. This is the time to surrender your life. You don't have to. You can stop playing games. Stop acting like you have it all together. You could come like we all have in this room and decided, I need help. I need a greater purpose. I need greater perspective. I need the right people. All that happens when you surrender your life to Jesus. I'm going to count to the count of three. And on the count of three, if you want to accept Jesus as your Lord, Lord and Savior for the first time, or you want to rededicate your life to him, on the count of three, you're going to raise your hand boldly. And you know what you're not going to do? You're not going to worry about who you came here with and what they're going to think about you. You're not going to worry about that family room you're sitting in right now and your family and what they're going to think. You're going to raise your hand boldly because Jesus is here to set you free to live the life you've always dreamed on. On the count of three, lift your hand. 1. He loves you. 2. Today is the day of Sal salvation. 3. Right now, all over this room, lift your hand boldly for Jesus. I'm giving my life to G. Oh, church. Can we celebrate, people? Come on. Keep that hand up. Keep that hand up boldly at home, online. I'm gonna take it a step further. I'm gonna take it a step further. This is gonna be the first time for some of y' all you break out of worried about what people think if you raised your hand to accept Jesus. I'm gonna ask you to stand up all over this room right now. Stand up tall. We gonna cheer for you. Come on, don't get stuck now. Don't get stuck now. Don't worry about what we thinking now. Come on. There's still some other people. Stand up. Come on, stand up. Don't worry about what they think now. Don't worry what they think now. This is that moment. So proud of you. So proud of you. Proud of you. So proud of you. Everybody stand up all over this room, all together. We're going to pray together. But I want to tell some of you what just happened is what's going to happen in your life, and that's this. You got to stand up first before everybody else will. But when you stand up first, you got to see it. People who are ready to stand with you, every head bow, every eye closed, every everybody repeat after me, say, dear God, I admit I've made mistakes. Save me, change me, make me new. In Jesus name I pray everybody said amen. Can we celebrate again? Everybody who made that choice to follow Jesus, hey, listen, if you just made that decision, first thing is give somebody, tell somebody in your row. Hey, I just raised my hand. That's why I was standing up and you were staring at me. What's your name? Tell somebody and then let us know if you text the word save to 828282. Our team would love to encourage you on this journey of following Jesus, but we're so, so proud of you that you have made this choice.