Converted - Bishop T.D. Jakes

[Music] again now we're in the gospel of saint luke chapter number 22 verse 23 we stand right on the edge on the precipice of a transformative moment in the life of jesus and his disciples likewise we also in this present world stand on the precipice of a transformative transitional moment transitions can be uncomfortable because they are so nebulous so uncertain they are neither here nor there they are not there nor here they're that in between spot where you can't really draw from where you've been and you can't really receive the benefit of where you're going you're just in the process of change and change is uncomfortable beginning at verse 22 verse 23 they began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this this is right after jesus has said one of you is the devil and one of you shall betray me and they begin to contemplate in their own mind which one of us would do this or as one writer says lord is it i oddly enough a dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest yeah that's what i said jesus said to them the kings of the gentiles lord in over them the kings of the gentiles lord it over them and those who exercise authority over they also lord it over them and they call themselves benefactors but you are not to be like that instead the greatest among you should be like the youngest and the one who rules like the one who serves for who is greater the one who is at the table or the one who serves is it not the one who is at the table but i am among you as one who serves you are those who have stood by me in my trials and i confer on you a kingdom just as my father conferred one on me isn't that funny jesus did not give to people who didn't stand by him in his trials [Music] you gotta preach all by itself why are you giving so much to people who have given so little so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones and judging the 12 tribes of israel i've got great things in store for you simon simon satan has asked to sift all of you as sweet but i have prayed for you simon that your faith may not fail you and when you have turned back strengthen your brothers king james version says when you are converted when you are converted strengthen your breath but he replied lord i am ready to go with you to prison and to death jesus said said i tell you peter before the rooster crows today you will deny three times that you even know me then jesus asked him when i sent you without purse bag or sandals did you like anything nothing they answered he said to them but now if you have a purse take it and also a bag and if you don't have a sword sell your cloak and buy one things are changing the subject this morning is converted you may be seated in the presence of the lord yeah let's go to work oh i preached so long without hearing that [Laughter] the word converted is an interesting word it notes a specified type of person who has been converted perhaps from one religion to another one belief to another one attitude to another and it also means the characteristics of that type a converted christian a converted thief noting anything formally of the type specified that has been converted to something else his yacht is converted to a destroyer escort you can convert anything conversion doesn't necessarily mean faith anything that changes fundamentally from one thing into another is converted when thou art converted strengthened thy brother when thou art converted strengthened thy brother they're they're the part on an automobile i don't know if they still use them now but it's called a catalytic converter and a catalytic converter was a result of america's attempt to reduce uh the emissions of toxic toxicity into the air it lowers the toxicity that comes from the exhaust system and reduces the toxicity by dealing with it while it is still in the engine its toxicity is not released into the atmosphere because it is converted while it is still in the vehicle hence it is called a catalytic converter as we look at the text today we know clearly that peter is about to be converted but if we back up from the text and look with the broader lens there's conversion happening in every area there's conversion that started around the lord's table when they came around the table to have passover the elements of the passover the bread and the wine had once referred to the lamb that was slain in egypt the paschal lamb but now it has been converted to represent jesus christ same element converted meaning now when jesus offers him the bread he said take eat this is my body take drink this is my blood until it was converted to its new meaning it looked back historically on the ancestry of their deliverance from egypt through the blood of the lamb on the doorpost of the believer it is a moment of conversion because the disciples who have been walking with jesus are now on the precipice of walking without him and they're having to have to walk with a new understanding and they are confused there is a conversion of the uh of the apostle of peter himself when god begins to speak to him he doesn't even know that he needs conversion oh god the church boy needs to be converted the apostle who has been walking with jesus for three years and traveling with him the one who walked on water still needs to be converted the one who was so committed that he would cut off the ear of a roman soldier still needs to be converted and it almost makes you wonder in your mind out of all of us who sing in church and work in church and do in church and have church colloquialism that church saying wonder how many have actually been converted i can count members better than i can count conversion [Applause] that is to clearly understand this just because you hang out with me doesn't mean you've been converted by the ministry it almost feels as if we're living in a time today that we're not worried about who gets converted we're just worried about followers how many followers are following me on twitter and following me on instagram and following me on facebook and we're not worried about impacts we're worried about influence influence can be determined by counting numbers but impact requires that you count converts obviously the goal of this text is to get simon aware of his deficiencies and preparing him for the outcome of a real conversion but let's go back to the conversation that precedes it because if we don't put the text in context i think we will fail to get the substratum of what jesus is talking about can i take my time this morning these are the final moments with jesus before the cross there is an intensity in the room it's palpable it's almost tangible uncertainty is gnawing at the guts of the disciples that feeling that you get when you know that you're on the verge of change but you're not sure where the change is going the air is heavy with intensity and jesus has in the midst of all of this changing of tradition from passover to communion and so forth it's over washing the disciples feet everything is changing nothing is solid nothing is stable all the traditions are being shattered and if that were not enough to be disruptive he has announced to his board of directors that one of you is a traitor you can almost feel the tightness in the air the dry movement or lack of movement of air or wind in the palestinian airspace as jesus now has confronted the disciples and each one of them is examining himself for the possibility that it could be possible that he's talking about me if one of you is the devil and the 12 of us in here it raises the question somebody in this room [Applause] is the devil and has betrayed me and the interesting thing to me is that all 12 of them considered the possibility [Music] that jesus couldn't be talking about this or jesus could be done if jesus showed up in the church this morning and said one of you is the devil [Applause] the amens were kind of dry out in the room because all of us would say don't bring that up lord [Applause] maybe he's talking about did you hear what i said on the phone the other night did you see what i did the potential to be judas is shared like the bread and the wine nobody escapes the examination that i could in some way be a betrayer of jesus the odd thing about the conversation is they go from asking lord is it i to who's going to reign with you am i a devil or am i going to sit on the right or the left and the text opens up with this contemplation as they wrestle with jesus for position the jockeying for a place the difficulty of the text is brought about because they're having one conversation but they're on two different planes jesus is talking about one thing and they're talking about something else you see the problem with them they have been walking with jesus for three years they've been listening at jesus preach no i'm sorry they've been hearing jesus preach but they have not been listening at jesus preach and in the back of their minds they they are still so steeped in the tradition of the years and years and years of teaching that they had received that the messiah would come and set up his kingdom on earth and they needed him to be the messiah and set up his kingdom on earth because they were oppressed by the roman empire and they needed desperately for him to do what their tradition had taught him that he would do and so they heard what they wanted to hear when john says the kingdom is at hand they heard that part when jesus taught the kingdom is lacking unto this and like it under that they heard that part but when jesus started talking about except the grain of wheat falling to the ground and died by us alone they weren't hearing that because that that didn't validate how they were taught and when jesus said if you destroy the temple in three days i'll raise it up again this he spoke concerning his own body they weren't listening they were hearing but they weren't listening and so while jesus who understands that his kingdom is not of this world is preparing to go back into his kingdom they are jockeying for positions on the planet oh y'all don't hear what i'm saying they're trying to figure out how does this fit together they still see him as a messiah and as such a return of the king of the jews much of their sacrifice were well intended when they gave it but it was built upon the expectation of his millennial reign you can do the right thing for the wrong reason they had given up everything to follow jesus because after all if jesus is the king of the jews and they are being oppressed by the roman government which is a sovereign and they have been overtaken as a colony of that sovereign then they're going to overthrow that roman dictatorship and move into power it was worth three years off from work it was worth leaving my wife and kids at home it was worth sleeping in dry places and deserts it was worth going through storms and rain because after all if i make up the 12 i'm going to be one of the rulers in this new jerusalem and then he started talking about dying and leaving and if you read the text carefully they are having the weirdest conversation jesus says one of you is the devil and they say lord is it i had him the next breath they said yeah but but uh who who's gonna who's gonna reign with you jesus didn't come to overthrow the existing kingdom ultimately he wants to bring a new kingdom in order to step into his messianic reign as king he must finish his priestly role as priest and sacrifice in other words they saw the crown but they did not see the cross like most of us we see the crown but we don't see the cross be careful who you are envious of don't let the accolades fool you you are distracted by the dynamics and the spectacular display of the crown but somewhere behind every woman and every man's crown is an old rugged cross oh y'all don't hear what i'm saying you might not see it they might have it in their house they might have it in their body they might have it in their family but somewhere in your life everybody listening at me has got a cross somewhere [Applause] [Music] jesus knew his kingdom was not of this world think of heaven now as a sovereign and earth as a colony then you'll understand the lord's prayer thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven in other words heaven is the sovereign and earth is a colony that god has started with adam and eve when you have a sovereignty america we don't have a sovereign we started out with one great britain was our sovereign and they controlled by sending 13 colonies over here they controlled everything when you have a sovereign if they drive on the left side you drive on the left side if they use pounds you use pounds whatever is done in the sovereign is done on the earth that's why jesus said pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven because heaven is the sovereign and i've started this colony and they're down here arguing about who's gonna run the colony and they're talking to the one who runs the heavens oh y'all don't hear what i'm saying [Applause] and god has sent many prophets to the colony call earth and they have killed the prophets and then he sent his son and they're about to kill him too and the colony is in chaos i want you to write that down the colony is in chaos i want you i want you to write that down because i want you to understand that even when jesus was here the colony was in chaos the pharisees were fighting with the sadducees until jesus came and then they got together and ganged up on jesus because the colony was in chaos now all of them are our oppressed by rome and caesar who is ruling in rome has got herod a ruling in jerusalem and they are in chaos because the romans really don't want to be there they want to go home to their families and so there's a chaos and there are killings and there are murders and there are crucifixions and i hate to shock you but jesus is not the only one who was crucified many many many people were crucified crucifixion was normal in the times and the colony is in chaos and into the midst of the chaos jesus is born in a manger yeah oh i gotta stop here i gotta stop stop being thinking because god is not afraid to set it off in the middle of chaos most people if they know you're in chaos they'll leave you alone but god said i will come right down into the middle of the chaos don't worry about the peace i brought mine with me i am the prince of peace whenever i come in the room i got enough peace that even if you don't have peace i'll bring my peace with me you remember when they were on the boat and the storm was raging and there was no peace in the wind and there was no peace on the water and there was no peace on the boat and jesus stood up and wiped the sleep out of his eyes and he had enough peace on the inside to command peace on the outside and he said peace be still and everything stops he is sovereign it means he reigns over everything he's not just a king he's the king of kings he's not just the lord he's a lord of the lords he's not just somebody with some power he's somebody with all power all power in heaven and earth is given unto me and he can step into chaos and straighten it out but what he needed to do was allow them to have the ultimate rejection have you ever seen people that you couldn't help till they hit rock bottom they had sent the prophets and they killed the prophets rejected the prophets but they weren't low enough yet he had to send his son and when they rejected his son that switched everything up all of a sudden when they crucified jesus his murder is the ultimate rejection of theocracy and they are right on the edge of his murder matthew 13 34 says this jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables he did not say anything anything to them without using a parable because he couldn't understand what he really came to say i gotta stop here just a minute because it is amazing to me how long these people could walk with jesus i'm not talking about his enemies i'm not talking about the pharisees i'm not talking about the sadducees i'm not talking about the chief priest i'm not talking about the romans i'm shocked that the disciples his inner circle could walk with him that long and still not get him i'm shocked the only thing that stops my mind from being completely blown is i look at how many times we love people and follow people that we really don't understand we hear them but we're not listening i look at how many families grew up eating grandma's banana pudding but never learned how to make it i look at how many people who are exposed to something but they don't learn from the moment they have and now jesus is getting ready to leave and it matters whether you have been listening or not it's not about the shout it's not about the temporary it's not about the dancing it's not about the jumping it's not about the jerking he that had an ear let him hear what the spirit is saying to the church so the text goes on to say so was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets i will open my mouth in parables i will utter things hidden since the creation of the world good god almighty since the creation of the world jesus is talking up here and they are thinking down here i got five simple points i'm out of your way can i go deeper the first one i want to talk about is positions they are worried about positions i'm going to talk about positions perspectives potentials and provisions and promise i'm going to talk about positions perspectives potentials provisions and promise i'm going to say it again i'm going to talk about positions perspectives potentials provisions and promise and it's not gonna take me long but i'm gonna talk about all five things these five points like my five fingers are going to make the hand of this text reach out and grab the situation in your life and snare it etc and bring it into captivity god is stretching out all five fingers towards you number one positions that that that they are talking about positions they're they they can't even deal with the possibility that they might be a devil for overriding it with their ambition to be in control they want to be in control so bad they want power so bad they got their little feet washed they drank their little cup of juice they ate a little piece of bread and now they said put me on the right side of jesus put me on the left side who's going to rule with you who's going to reign with you they are still so fleshly that they are worried about being recognized as being important and jesus says who is the least and who is the greatest this is the question he says is not the one who sits at the table greater than the one who serves the table did not just get through washing your feet did not just get up off my knees washing your feet and if i your lord can go down and wash your feet you're worried about being up and sitting in a position and i have showed you in your kingdom the way up is up in my kingdom the way up is down oh god if you if you want if you want to operate in the realm that i'm operating in you have to let go of trying to get up and get down and the lower you go in the kingdom the higher god will exalt you i don't know who i'm talking to but i'm gonna say that again the lower you go in the kingdom the higher god will exalt you man might laugh at you but god will exalt you god defines greatness by humility you're looking at me kind of funny this morning god defines greatness by how low can you go god says a little child shall lead them he said god says unless you become like little children you will not inherit the kingdom so deflate your chest take off your crown humble yourself and serve and the better you are at serving the higher i'm going to raise you because i come from another kingdom and my kingdom is not of this world [Applause] see they are talking number two out of their perspectives and we always talk out of our perspectives what we think about anything how we feel about anything how we function about anything is always a result of our life's experience our point of view our perspectives are shaped by our past our backgrounds and what we have seen and we come to a conclusion whether it is the right one or not it is a conclusion that is the sum total of our perspectives and our experiences that's why i don't let you control me with your opinion because i realize that your opinion is concocted out of your experiences and i also know that your experiences are not the only experiences at the table so you don't get to dominate me with your idea because i have a different idea because i have a different perspectives jesus disciples had an earthly perspective jesus who came down from heaven had a heavenly perspective their perspective was go up his perspective was go down and we are seeing the wrestling of perspectives number three peter in the text is i am ready to die for you i am ready to die for you and he's right ultimately he did die for him so he's not wrong with the end of the sentence he's wrong with the beginning the beginning was i am ready i am ready somebody say i am ready think about how many times you have told god you were ready i'm ready to be married i'm ready to take on another job i'm ready for a promotion i'm ready to open up my business i'm ready to start a product i'm ready how do you know that you're ready [Music] you have the potentials of being ready but not the preparation of being ready being ready takes time tammy you can't be ready just because you want it wanting it doesn't make you ready for it having an idea or an attraction to it that makes you ready for it he says i'm ready to die jesus said essen said shut up [Music] before the crows three times you will have denied me you are not ready you are not ready and i want to i want to spend a minute on this the pain of potential it it's not painful to not be what i don't have the potential to be but what is painful is to know that i have the potential to be loyal enough to die for you but i don't but i'm not ready for it and the lord told me if i preached this message i would speak directly to somebody who all your life they talked about how gifted you were and how talented you were and how much potential you had and yet you've never been able to get it together [Applause] [Music] you got the raw skills to be great you got the skills to be an entrepreneur you have the skills to be a great preacher you have the skills to be a great wife you have the skill to be a great husband but all of that talent put together has not gotten you there and now you're bitter not because the devil has tormented you you are bitter because your potentials have given you pain because you say by now i should be further than this but now i should be better than this by now i thought i would have my degree but now i thought i would be married but now i thought i would own my own place and you do have the potential but you are not ready yet and then he tells him why he's not ready he says satan has desired to have you [Applause] say and and see satan wouldn't want you if you didn't have potential [Music] hey i'm gonna say that for the people in the back satan wouldn't want you if you didn't have potential you wouldn't be in the fight you're in right now if you did not have the potential the only reason he's fighting you is because you have the potential i want everybody that's got potential to give him 30 seconds of crazy praise [Applause] i got it i got it i got it i got it i got it i got the potential i know i got the potential i know i got the potential i know i got the potential i know i got the potential and part of my pain is coming from the fact that i know i have the potential i was pastoring a storefront with seven people in it for years and i knew i had the potential but i wasn't ready and it's not painful when you don't have the potential see i was trying to change a place and god was using the place y'all don't hear what i'm saying god was using the place to change me [Applause] peter had a call i know peter had a call i read where jesus called it there's no doubt about it peter had insights peter was the one who knew that jesus was the christ he had had shared experiences with christ peter was the only one who walked on the water with jesus forget bartholomew and james and john and all the other people that stayed on the boat and right peter was a water walker you can talk all you want about him seeking he's the only one in the bible that got to walk that's why i'm not afraid to fail think or not i'm stepping off this boat where are my radical people at i need about a half a dozen radical people who are not going to stay on the boat and rock where is safe but come hell or high water you're gonna step out god i might get in trouble you might have to get me out of trouble but i'm not gonna rock on the boat with a bunch of dead beats when i know i've got [Music] [Applause] look at somebody say i know i got the potential the other reason i know that he had the potential is that satan knew who peter was and the devil only knows you when you got potential paul i know jesus i know but who are you the very fact that the devil knows you means your life is a threat to his agenda oh i wish i had some holy ghost saints i mean some real holy ghost saints the reason he's after your money the reason he's after your peace the reason he's after your joy the reason he's after your career is hell knows you [Applause] shake your head and say he knows me he knows me he knows me he knows me he knows me he knows me he knows me he knows i got potential he knows i got possibilities he knows i got a gift he knows i got talent he knows i got anointed he knows me he knows me he knows me that's why he wants to have me [Music] so the people wait catch this the people with the greatest potential live up under the greatest attacks if you're not being attacked i'm not talking to you if you are being attacked and you go from this to that and from that to the other it's only because [Applause] so jesus says to him he calls him simon simon simon satan has desired to have you that he might sift you as sweet he was to bring you down to your knees he wouldn't fight you like that if you didn't have potential he wants to bring you down to dust he wants to shatter you he wants you to lose your mind he wants you to freak out he wants you to commit suicide he wants you to die he wants you to give up he wants you to collapse he wants you to faint but he wants to kill me but he wants to destroy me but he wants me to end my life but he wants me to give up but jesus said he wants to destroy you but i prayed for you [Music] this took the fight to a whole nother level this is not peter fighting with satan this is the prayer of jesus fighting against the plan of satan the prayer the plan the prayer and the plan the prayer the plan satan has a plan god has a prayer [Applause] [Music] he is desired [Applause] he has desired to have you that he might sip to your sweet but you know why you still here jesus said i prayed for you [Music] i got to stop a minute that made me get kind of emotional it's not my willpower it's not because i'm strong it's not because i'm holy it's not cause i'm perfect it's not my prayer life it's not my bible study i'm here because he prayed for me he prayed that my faith wouldn't fail y'all don't hear what i'm saying he prayed that my faith wouldn't fail he didn't pray that i wouldn't get sick he didn't pray that i wouldn't have cancer he didn't pray that i wouldn't have a struggle he didn't pray that i wouldn't have a hard time he said but i prayed that your faith wouldn't fail that no matter what he threw at you you would rise up and say though he slayed me yet shall i trust him [Applause] [Music] type on the line i still believe somebody out loud i still believe i still believe i lost my job but i still believe i lost my baby but i still believe i lost my friends but i still believe i lost my spouse but i still believe write it down i still believe [Applause] you don't hear the power of what i'm saying [Applause] the god that jesus said would fail him and deny him jesus also says i'm not praying that you won't fail in fact i prophesied that you would fail but i ain't worried about your failure i'm praying that your faith doesn't fail because as long as your faith doesn't fail oh this is too good i'm gonna say this for myself i'm gonna take this back home for me as long as your faith don't fail i don't care if you lose the car i don't care if you lose the house i don't care if your friends walk away all of that can fail but as long as your faith does not fail you can overcome anybody i want somebody that still got their faith to jump up and holler like you lost your mind [Applause] [Music] yes yes yes yes yes take a walk and say i still got my faith i still got my faith i still got my faith i may have to rebuke i may have to refuel i may have to start over i may have to draw that out but i still got my faith i got my faith i got my faith i got my faith my faith has not i feel like preaching up a fire i feel like setting it off in here the devil if the devil tried to kill you but you still got your faith come on and help me give god some glory up in this place right now oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes the devil has a plan the enemy has a plan for you and god has a prayer for you and the enemy has a plan and god has a prayer and the enemy has a plan and god has a prayer and you ain't got to fight neither one of them because the battle is not yours it belongs to god god said i got enough prayer to overcome his plan i know that's where the fight is because there is no if about the outcome satan has desired to have you that he might sift you as sweet but i prayed for you that your faith fell thee not and then he said when thou art when thou not if thou art not i hope you are he knew his prayer was greater than satan's plan he said wind our heart [Music] [Applause] [Music] converted yeah yeah yeah yeah somebody said it's gonna work type it on the line it's gonna work it's gonna work it's gonna work it's gonna work i'm in a fight right now but it's gonna work it's going to work it's going to work it's going to work it's going to work when thou art converted i can't release you into the atmosphere while you're toxic i got to let this test be your catalytic converter i got to let this trial detoxify some of the residue that's left down inside of you but when i get to working on you when i get through testing you when i get to trying you when i get to taking you through the storm when dialogue oh god i'm about to mess around with heart with our heart with our heart with our heart without heart with our heart with our heart without heart win win win win win win when thou art converted when thou art converted [Music] strengthen thy brethren when thou art converted you ain't ready now you got potential but you're not ready now but when i get to working on you he come motion all right what i can do taking you through tests and trials when thou are confronted strengthen that brother converted means i'm gonna take what's wrong with you and make it right with you i'm going to take what's broken in you and make it work for you i'm going to take where you got off and use it to create an on-ramp when thou art converted i'm literally going to change the very essence of who you are the coach i when thou art converted you're not converted yet when they are converted don't take the covenant don't take the cake out the oven because it hasn't got hot enough yet when it is converted when it is changed it's still milk and eggs and flour and butter it hasn't got hot enough when it gets hot enough it's still going to be that but it's not going to be that it's going to change it's going to go through a metamorphosis it's going to come out differently it'll be able to stand on its own if you take it out too soon it's gonna fall but if you let it stay in there long enough it's gonna stand on its own same stuff just converted [Applause] same stuff just converted same man just converted same woman just converted and it's funny when you've been converted and somebody who knew you before runs up on you and they expect you to act like you used to act and they don't know that you've already been through the fire it may look like me but it's not me i've been converted somebody shot i've been converted [Applause] and the lord said to me you got more church members and you got converts see just because people follow you doesn't mean they're converted just because they sing and shout doesn't mean they're converted the goal is the conversion of the soul when you are converted your potentials will be utilized god can't fully use you just because you follow [Applause] you have to be converted you have to be converted it's hard for you to go to church because you're not converted it's not true it's not it's not your generation it's your conversion it's not your age it's your conversion or y'all don't want to talk to me it's your conversion you go you go to church but you have not had a conversion experience because if you were converted you would be hungry for the word you would be hungry for truth you would be hungry for worship you would be hungry for prey the reason you're okay with it is that you're a follower and you've had some experiences with him and you walked out on the water and you cut off some ears for him but that's not the question the question is [Music] have you been you better preach you better preach with me this morning the question is have you been con [Applause] have you been converted have you been washed in the blood of the lamb has your life been changed or you somebody knew when nobody's looking have you been converted or do you put on a church face when you come to church and you act like the rest of us but you haven't really been converted that's all right i prayed for you let your faith fail you not and there ain't an infinite there's no if about it when thou art converted strengthen my brother i'm almost finished can i go a little bit further when i go a little bit further he talks just just two more points i want to show you real quick and i'll be done number one he shows him provision he said you remember when i sent you out the first time and i told you to take nothing with you don't take your purse don't take a script don't take anything don't take a sword he said did you like anything they said nothing he says in your early days i did everything you had to do nothing i provided everything i sent your purse that's your money i sent the sword that's your defense i sent your bag that's your provision everything you needed to get where you were going i provided did you like anything nothing lord he says but now [Music] now he says take your purse with you take your script with you in other words i am weaning you this is important yeah give me that camera right there this is important the stronger you get the less he does [Applause] and let me show you let me show you the example he gave me to to to illustrate the point the younger a baby is the more you do for them you wash them you burp them you clean them you feed them you lay them down you hold them you set them up you hold their head the older they get the less you have to do for them if the baby is 25 and you still have to bathe them if they're 42 and you got to change them there's something wrong with that the older they get the less you have to do when the children of israel were going through the wilderness god fed them he sent manna down from heaven they went from eating from the hand of pharaoh to eating from the hand of god god sent manna down from heaven he fed them he took care of everything but when they got to the to the promised land the bible said then the man a ceased and when the matter stopped god said to them prepare your victories for in three days you'll cross this jordan in other words i'm not going to do what i used to do for you because you're older now and you're stronger now and i want you to be prepared for what i'm going to do you're still going to get provisions but you're going to have to be more involved i'm not going to do baby food miracles for grown-up believers [Applause] am i helping anybody i'm almost done so some of y'all are waiting for him to do like he used to do but to him whom much is given [Applause] to him whom much is given to him whom much is given so he said take your purse with you this is going to cost you something you're going to have to invest in yourself you you can't just pray and wait on me to do it you are going to have to get involved in the process because you're older now i'm still going to provide but i'm going to provide through you and not to you that's shouting stuff right there i'm going to provide through you i'm going to require your participation in your provision in order to take you where i'm getting ready to take you before i just open doors you just happen to be at the right place at the right time it just happened he said it's not gonna be like that anymore you're gonna have to be intentional take your bag take your purse take your swords and they said to jesus uh lord we're in government too and he stopped talking because he said you still don't understand what i'm talking about you counting natural swords and i'm talking to you about the kingdom and he ceased from speaking to them i got one more point i'm going to share this my fifth point my final point is promise and it's simple it's very very simple god says you're gonna know you're converted by the effect you have on other people when thou art converted the way your presence strengthens people is a sign you're ready [Applause] i feel a praise coming in the room i feel a praise coming in the room he said it's your it's your brethren that are gonna show you that you're converted because now when you walk in a room you're gonna have an effect on them that you would not have before because you've been converted all that stuff you try to fuss and do and yell and do and scream and do and argue to do you're not gonna have to do none of that when you come in the room you're gonna have it impact not just effort you're going to have impact you're going to have impact you're not just going to have efforts you're going to have impact see see education will give you information and it'll give you effort but experience will give you impact impact you need both of them you need both of them you need both of them you need to have the right information but just because you have information doesn't give you impact when you are converted when i get through taking you through hell and hot water after you've suffered after you've cried after you've labored after you've got back up again after you've denied me [Music] after you've denied me after you've been ashamed after you've been embarrassed after your the has crowed and you've denied me three times and you no longer think you are worth being a disciple then i can use you i can't use you because you think too highly of yourself when you get down to nothing and you shame to show your face and you say i go efficient and you walk away from everything then i can use it [Applause] so when jesus was taken to the cross peter denied him by the fire the guy didn't know that he would deny jesus he didn't know what was in him and then the crowed and he wept bitterly and went away because he was ashamed at what was in him that he had followed him that long and not been converted by the one he followed and peter starts weeping when jesus rose from the dead he said go tell the disciples to meet me in galilee go tell the disciples and peter so on the inaugural day of pentecost of all the disciples that god could use to preach the first message on the day of pentecost he didn't use bartholomew he didn't use james he didn't use john he didn't use mark he didn't use luke he used peter because he said when you are converted [Applause] when peter preached let me get down there where i could look at you when peter preached on the day of pentecost three thousand three thousand of his brethren of the jews of his brethren were added to the church that day god used peter to set the gospel off amongst the jews his brethren but he couldn't use him until he had humbled him until he had failed bad enough and gone low enough to be converted and on the day of pentecost peter stood up and said let the house of israel yes that's his brethren he said abortion let the house of israel know assuredly that this same jesus whom ye have crucified have been made both lord and christ and the bible said now there's that word again now now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto him peter and the rest of the apostles men and brethren what shall we do to be saved the bible said peter told them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy ghost and the holy ghost fell on all of them through peter a guy who in our text was yet to be converted i'm not asking you are you following me i'm not asking you how often do you tweet a text i'm not asking how what the numbers are and how many are online because god said it really doesn't matter how many of you are online the only thing that matters is how many of you are converted the real purpose of ministry i got mostly volunteers in here it's not that you sing in the choir it's not that you're a pmt i appreciate it god knows i do it's not that you work out into your on the parking lot i appreciate it god knows i do but walking on the parking lot will not get you into heaven ushering people to a seat will not get you into heaven singing in the choir you can hit the highest note on the keyboard will not get you into heaven what matters is that you are converted let me break this down real simple where you can get it and answer it quickly what about you has changed conversion has changed what yeah what about you has changed to whatever degree you answer that question that is the degree of your conversion let me ask you you watching online right now all while i preach you've been preaching too you know more scriptures than i do i'm glad thank you but that ain't the issue what about you has changed that is what has been converted you're a deacon that's wonderful you still in the strip clubs i just i just want to know what about you has changed you you're still beating on your wife what about you what about you has changed you you won't miss a sunday you write on the post you do what you're supposed to do but have you been confronted don't you understand the only reason that satan is attacking you like that is that he sees your potential he knows what god has in store for you he knows the things that god wants to give you and he has desired to have you that he might sift you as sweet and the only reason you didn't get shot is that he prayed he said i'm not going to let the enemy kill him i'm not going to let the enemy kill her because i got a plan for their life and i prayed for you or you be in jail right now i prayed [Music] for you or you would have lost your mind i prayed for you you thought you was fooling me you never fooled me you was with but i knew you wasn't really with me you got a couple of testimonies and miracles and you walked on some water and stuff but in essence you still ain't changed [Music] he said i want to do a work of grace in your life that changes your heart and as i stand here today and i speak to you god said change how do i do that when you stop thinking you ready for stuff you're not ready for and humble yourself down and discover your own wretchedness [Applause] when you walk away from positions and titles and say i go efficient he said that's what i'm going to call you and when i call you i'm going to use you like you've never been used before you gave me one word it wasn't a sentence it wasn't a phrase one word converted until we hunger and thirst to be better men and women and better wives and husbands until we understand that you didn't just put us in that college to get an education you put us there to be a witness you gave us that job as a testimony [Music] until we understand that you are not our god to be our manager you are not here to promote me i'm here to promote you [Music] you didn't come in my life to make me great you came into my life so that i would see the greatness of you and when i see the greatness of you it humbles me and i'm sorry because i've been too big for my britches that's what the old folks would say i i i get beside myself and i pray i pray that i would have such an encounter with you that i wouldn't have to define my christianity by what church i belong to [Music] or something i do at the church i'm a pmt i'm a deacon i sing in the choir [Music] yeah that's cute but have you have you been changed are you converted [Music] you want him to see jesus in your life and you act like that [Music] fill out your resume [Music] as a mother how are you different you can't get the kids to go to church i guess not how are you [Music] forever [Music] that i'm just not gonna be who i was [Music] i'm gonna confront the part of me that they don't see [Music] the sneaky part [Music] i'm not gonna gloss over it with christian sands and colloquialisms i i wanna i wanna be converted every head is brown and every eye is closed and nobody's looking at you with god but if you're in this room and this message spoke to you in a real way come to the front i just want to pray for you not as if i were better because i'm not i've i'm just a male man that brought you the mail from god and if you're watching online call 1-800 bishop too and ask for our prayer warriors to pray with you that you could truly be [Music] converted i know we've been through a pandemic and it's brought out the worst in a lot of us and we self-medicated and we got through it the best way we can and some of us lost some stuff and we've been at ward and raged and inflamed we picked up addictions [Music] and problems just trying to survive but god had mercy on you and he let you survive all of this [Music] and even though the enemy wanted to sift you as sweet he prayed for you [Music] and i know it's been hard on you and i know it's been scary and i know it's been tough and this is a no judgment zone i'm not trying to judge you i got my own stuff to bring to jesus but as we stand here in the presence of god i'm not talking about new cars and new houses and new jobs and do this and do that i'm talking about who you are as a person that's all that matters when thou art converted you're going to strengthen your brother [Music] and right around this altar and you watch it online i want to talk to you too i want you to make up in your mind that you're just not going to be a person who goes to church or watches us on sunday [Music] but you're going to walk this thing out you're going to get your prayer life going again and your devotions going again you're going to put a muzzle on the way you respond to people you're gonna represent christ and the places you go and the places you won't go you're gonna be just a little bit more like jesus because you know what time is winding up can i be honest with you time is winding up father these are your disciples these are your disciples that you call that you blessed and you let them see some amazing things and you let them walk on water and you let them do all kinds of stuff but where we are right now lord we need that conversion and i know you're not going to do it for i got to bring my own script i got to bring my own bag it's going to cost me something [Music] you're not going to do it all for me but right where i stand today i make a decision [Music] i just got to do better [Music] i just got to do better come into my heart and into my life and into my circumstance i'm tired of shouting over top of craziness and confusion and turmoil [Music] changed me the way i think the way i act my ulterior motives my issues my weaknesses my vulnerabilities my discipline my commitment my focus [Music] let the metamorphosis begin right now [Music] everywhere this word is preached everywhere everywhere right in that apartment right in that living room right in that house right in that car right through that ipad right at that kitchen table let the glory of the lord let the glory of the lord come through [Music] lift your hands and open up your heart to him and let the holy spirit come into your heart because only the holy spirit can do it you can't do it without him the holy spirit can do it the holy spirit can do it the holy spirit can do it the holy spirit can do it the holy spirit can do it the holy spirit can do it yes the holy spirit can do it none of us can do it of ourselves none of us can do it the holy spirit can do it [Music] i rebuked the plan of the enemy i rebuked the plot of the enemy i rebuked what it has up ahead for you i bind it in the name of jesus i come against it right now you will not shift her you will not sift him you will not sift that family you will not sift that mind you will not sit that hard i come against it now in the name of jesus [Music] right now you're defeated your plans are defeated your problems are defeated every issue you raise is defeated in the name of jesus is defeated because jesus prayed the plan is aborted the mission is disrupted the devils are defeated the disease is dissipating the cancer is shrinking the curse is broken the yoke is destroyed he whom the son have set free is free in deed because we are converted [Music] i dare you to praise it wherever you are wherever you are in the world i dare you to praise it [Music] i dare you to pray [Music] i dare you to praise me yes yes yes yes yes yes yes crazy let his fill your heart you changed me with my hands [Music] [Music] you changed me [Music] you changed me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you listen at me just one minute i know you've been standing here a while but i've been standing for an hour so just give me just a minute this is gonna cost you something [Music] on the easy end of it on the easy end of it we sow into the kingdom of god we've given to the kingdom of god we associate our future by the way that we sow no doubtful harv farmer plants a seed a seed is planted because the farmer believes more is coming it's an act of faith if he didn't have faith he would eat the corn he sows it because he is sowing against the future and i challenge you that are watching you that are here that's an important part of what we do but it's not the only part when jesus said now you're gonna have to take your own purse it means that you can't just keep sitting there hoping and a wishing and a wishing and a hoping and a thinking and a thinking and i'm hoping that i'm fixing to and i'm getting ready and i'm gonna it means you're gonna have to take actions access practical actions to go after whatever it is it doesn't have to be a thing it could be a business or a company or something it doesn't have to be that it could be building a relationship with your child you're gonna have to go after it it's not just gonna happen through divine osmosis you don't have to bite your tongue if you want that marriage to be better you're going to have to shut up this is going to cost you something it's not always going to be about what you want and how you feel and what makes you happy and what you ain't having he says this he said now bring your purse this is to be paid for this won't be luck and and right where you are many many people are sewing online they're giving online but right where you are this is what i want from you i want you to decide what you are not going to do or what you are going to do better when you walk away from this altar i don't care if you're slain in the spirit fall out in the floor talk in tongues and hit your head on the concrete if you don't decide we wasted time [Music] i'm not asking you to turn into an overnight wonder but if it's just one step closer to the woman you want to be to the woman he called you to be if it's just one step i'll take one step just one just one step one step i'm just not gonna do that or i'm going to get better about expressing this i'm i'm going to change this i i need some evidence that i have been with jesus and that he's been with me i need some real bona fide evidence that i have a legitimate encounter with god and i need it now more than ever because i've been through hell [Music] because we like to die [Music] because we almost didn't make it and i don't want to be knocked down lower for it to get through my head that i got to change are you with me and in your mind between you and god and god and you i want you to give him something out of your ways out of your habits out of your heart out of your purse something that you say lord i'm giving this to you i am changed [Music] doesn't mean i won't have more work to do i've been working on me for 40 something years and i still got a whole lot to do a whole lot to do it don't mean that i'm finished but it means i'm going to set it off that the next time the preacher asks me have i changed i'm going to have a better answer than i had this morning are you with me okay you get in mind right now what has changed about you and i'm gonna pray over it like it's an offering because we're going to offer it up to god you don't offer god asked for he said that you present your body a living sacrifice we're going to offer it up to god here it is lord lift it up here it is lord i offer this up to you [Music] as a sweet swelling sacrifice [Music] here it is it's 30 minutes more in the morning [Music] it's a devotion before i go to bed it's watching how i respond when i'm angry whatever it is here it is [Music] i offer it to you [Music] in jesus name now give yourselves an applaud and a praise [Applause] as we close this service today people around the world come on come on people around the world are offering up things to god some are giving seeds some are giving self some are giving self at sea everybody's giving something but we want the world to know that we have been changed we have been changed you can forget the messenger it doesn't matter who i am doesn't matter i'm just a guy just like you i'm no different please never worship me because i made out of the same dirt you made out of he breathed into me the breath of life like he did into you forget me but the message converted don't forget that go home and read it go home and replay it study it catch it again on youtube and at least learn this much of your bible it's already been explained for you i know some of you have trouble understanding the bible but i explained it pretty good did i explain it pretty good okay so if we don't learn if we don't learn nothing but these verses put the scripture up on the board again for me if we don't learn nothing but these verses we're going to learn these verses and what it means and what it means to us and maybe you might start by reading this verse every day this week and having a prayer and singing a song just you and jesus for your devotional and when you have devotional think about how many things that could have happened that didn't happen because he prayed for you hallelujah [Applause] father these are your children i commend them into your hands i have given them what you have given me as we come to the close of this service it's all in your hands this sunday morning i put monday in your hands i put tuesday in your hands i put wednesday in your hands i put thursday friday and saturday all in your hands i place it all in your hands and i trust you and i thank you and i know it's gonna rain some days and i know it's gonna shine some days but whatever the weather is i shall not be moved in jesus name amen go in peace i love you god bless you have a wonderful week you

Channel: T.D. Jakes

Views: 536,313

Rating: 4.8516502 out of 5

Keywords: td jakes, faith, potters house, bishop jakes, The Potter's House of Dallas, TPH Dallas, td jakes sermons, bishop td jakes, inspiration, td jakes motivation, motivation, sermons, td jakes ministries, motivational speaker, motivational speech, gospel, motivational, sundayservice, tdjakes, td jakes 2021, td jakes sermons 2021, converted

Id: JUy1tUTc628

Length: 95min 6sec (5706 seconds)

Published: Sun May 16 2021