I Have A Personal Gift :: Unwrapped (Part 3)

we are in a series called unwrapped everybody say unwrapped and this is the premise of this whole thing God began to deal with me in my prayer time he said Michael what if the greatest gift unwrapped this Christmas was you like like what if it wasn't a present or a gift under the tree or if it wasn't a new car or some but what if you got unwrapped and I literally pass people every day council people all the time answering emails from people who are not the greatest version of themselves they're still bound by fear from people fear of what people may say about them their own insecurities starting before and failing and they're literally sitting with all of this potential on the inside of them gifts that God has given them all of these different things and they are just wrapped up but not this year I'm here to speak prophetically over your life that God is about to start to unwrap things and present them to the world where you are going to make a difference in this generation in your family in your company in your business in your lineage it stops with you no longer will the things that God placed on the inside of us go undeveloped they will not we will not be stingy or selfish with our gifts but we're going to get unwrapped somebody just yelling at me one more time I'm wrapped and so the first week we started talking about we have a generous gift and how God has given us the ability to be generous with our time our talents and our treasure and I'm super excited because many of you already know and have been preparing all month long to give in our legacy offering we're gonna take that at the end of service today and so it's like oh they're taking offering today yeah yeah if no pressure if you haven't heard about it or anything like that but we believe that the Bible is very clear in a season where everything is about external gifts and different things like that we can get off focus and start doing things in a season where it's called Christ must we act less like Christ and and God said I want trance Meishan church to align their hearts with my house and the Word of God and so the only way God does heart surgery is he asked you for treasure because we understand that where our treasure is that's where our heart is and I'm so excited I've gotten text messaging emails of people so excited to take another step in their faith journey and said God spoke to me of what to give this is what me and my husband decided on and it's not about amounts it's about obedience like I'm on everybody to hear me say that so clearly God doesn't care about amount he just wants you to be obedient so we haven't asked for an amount we don't care if it's two dollars $200,000 we don't just obey because God says when your heart aligns with mine then I can use you for the plan I have for you and so at the end of this service we get to give in that offering and if God's speaking on your heart right now so be able to participate I don't ever want to miss out on a good sale I don't ever want to miss out on something that's happening so if I just found out so if that's you be led by the Holy Spirit so we're gonna do that at the end of the message today but I really feel like I have been given the awesome opportunity to unwrap us just a little more today like like just just just take another layer of wrapping paper off have y'all ever seen those little I don't even know the figurines where it starts off as one and then you open it and then there's another one and then you open it then there's another one and then you open it and you're frustrated at that one because you're like how many more of these are and you just keep open it until it's something and I think that's how God's doing us in this unwrapped series he's saying we have a we have a generous gift unwrap that one hey you have a unique gift that it's worth investing it if you didn't hear last week's message I promise you you need to go back and listen to that because there's something God wants to release on this earth through you so you got to invest and develop that gift and this week is probably my favorite because everybody has this gift like like when we talk about gifts in church we always talk about spiritual gifts and things that we naturally can do better than other people but this gift every body has and it's the gift of your story you have a testimony that you're supposed to give to the world and so many people in this room have been wrapped up and they have not given their testimony and I know that's a churchy term like I got up to Stumbo how many people know go to the Lord and go ms no no that's not that doesn't like like like yeah that is what I'm talking about but I'm saying like it's not the thing that happened 50 years ago I'm talking about the thing God did yesterday in see God has given each of us a story he's given each of us the gift of a testimony and that's why I just want to introduce you to the title of my my message I have a personal gift because your testimony your story is unique to you nobody's walked in your shoes nobody's gone through what you've gone through nobody has stood where you stood and had to make the decisions that you had to make and then somewhere along the way God has come in and he's guided you and moved you and changed you and is transforming you like you're not perfect but you're progressing and that story that testimony he's writing in your life is something that he wants you to give away all the time but most of us for some reason when we get into church we feel like we don't need to do all that that somehow we've got cleaned and washed and we became better than people who were in the situation we was in two weeks ago oh I'm coming for you today like like somehow because we sing on the platform when we were addicted to pornography or in lust and then we hear somebody else's then we're on them oh my god how dirty how filthy no no no no it's not for the grace of God on everybody's life like if not if not if not for what God did in me none of us and it's the attack of the enemy to make us divorce our testimony hear what I'm saying to you like like somehow that this version is better than God has brought us from and he's saying I want you to tell the story I want you to carry around your personal gift of your testimony and be ready to share it any time my question to you is when's the last time you told the real version of your testimony I'm not talking about the Disney version y'all know y'all have the the g-rated version like I was broken and I'm healed her praise got shut up like like don't don't don't tell the g-rated version some of y'all got some Triple X some tv-ma like y'all got some stories how many people got some stories like that God has brought you look at this whole section is fake they're like I'm harissa man can't do it but the problem is if you don't share your story you end up at a place where people who are going through what you went through feel like they can never get to where you're at because they think that you just arrived there and that's a lie there was there were steps to you getting to where you are now and if you do not share your story and share your testimony you leave people out because the enemy's already warned them out that they'll never get there and then church people Christians are so hypocritical that we don't allow people to see our scars this is where I bled this is where I made the mistake this is where I was divorced before this is where I was in abusive relationship and this is what God did in mama and I came to unwrap to you today that probably the most powerful gift that you have is not money it's your story it's what God did in your life and what God is doing in your life somebody say I have a personal gift go to revelations 12 verse 11 revelation 12 verse 11 and this is one of the most amazing scriptures to me because it sums up how we overcome everything how any challenges that come in our life how we can overcome the enemy how we can overcome lack poverty anything in our life look what it says it says and they have defeated him and this is talking about Satan the adversary yo hater like the devil he's real and he does not want you to win he wants to steal kill and destroy everything and it says it gives you the blueprint of how to beat him every time you defeat him by the blood of the Lamb that's what Christ has already done that's grace that was poured out on a cross 2,000 years ago and when you received that you have to understand that your life change but I thought that would be enough Pastor Mike I thought I could overcome just by the blood of the Lamb I thought I mean Christ did the finish work like that's all I need is Jesus and so the enemy keeps you silent and not using this next part because he know you can still be defeated you can be saved isolated and alone and the enemy wearing you out in the back of your house how you saved and depressed come on let's be honest how do I have the unlimited power of Jesus Christ on the inside of me but I'm still cutting I'm still lying I'm still it's because I don't think we've really tapped into our gift this next part of it said they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and what's this next part and the words of their so when I tell my story along with grace it allows me to overcome what I'm going through right now see I don't need anything else as long as I got what Jesus did for me and I can just think back hold on why am i tripping about this financial situation because of what Jesus did in my life he became my provider Jehovah Jireh and if I just think back I have a story about when he did it when I was 18 and he did it when I was 22 and he did it when I was 31 and he did it when I was 41 now I'm 50 let me overcome this Big D under set by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my Testament so my story and my god makes me overcome so the enemy he knows he can't stop you unless you don't share your story and today I want to unwrap you to share your testimony that there will be a net there will never be another week that goes by that you're not looking for an opportunity to share what God has done and someone's like Oh God my whole story I say your whole story cuz we don't have time all the time to share our whole story but I think about it like this your testimony is not one testimony it's testimonies like it's testimony after testimony I mean I got a testimony from yesterday my daughter was on my last nerve and my wife's last nerve yesterday and she said something and I was about to snap off just some of y'all know that parent snap off that just did you know kill you like snap off you y'all y'all know that one and and I was about to say something and I felt the Holy Spirit say do I talk to you like that and I mean at that moment I mean mine my language changed and I said baby you know how you just have to call them what they not being right now hey sweetie it's okay just stopping and I was able to do grace and see some of y'all's like that's not no testimony but yes it is because if I would have gone off and said what my feelings were telling me to say I could have damaged my daughter for the rest of her life me and my wife could have gotten an argument all these other things have seen a testimony doesn't have to be a horror story to be a testimony and so many times in church we make it like it's got to be this thing yeah I lost I was in the cars they lost my eye my leg is jacked up and now God healed me baby that's not gonna happen every day but the fact that I got a bridle on my tongue and I listened to the devotional that pastor Demario said to me yesterday and idea that's a testimony and so somebody who's struggling with their words today they get to get helped because I'm telling my story right in real time and the enemy is trying to keep you wrapped up and think that your story is not worth telling but I came to unwrap you and tell you that your personal story is freedom to somebody else your coworkers are waiting to hear your story you ain't always been that cute well that's perfect Kim perfect Kim whose makeup is always on fleek perfect Kim whose boyfriends are always in perfect Kim like no cuz if you see Kim at 4:00 a.m. the stanky breath Kim the Kim who has an attitude the Kim the Kim who is texting somebody things that nobody else will know about like like when's the last time you told somebody the real story and then how God by his wonderful grace begins to pour out his love even when he sees us broken damaged jacta and how you're not perfect but he's perfecting you every day see this myth that our story needs to be told from a disattached place like we are not that anymore listen that's that's the trick of the enemy you'll never be perfect and at a place that you can share your testimony you won't continually be becoming who God's created you to be and God wants every single one of us to share our testimony I'm gonna give you a formula that the Holy Spirit gave me because something's like I don't know how to share my testimony I don't even think I have a testimony yes you do and I'm gonna show you how to share it right now these are these are six things that you can write down and then you just fill in the blank it's like a testimony equation and I want to give it to you right now okay so the first thing is what happened okay I want you to just write that down on your piece of paper what happened and you'll fill in the blank and the next thing that you'll write down is um what did you do like what did you do and then the next thing is what has God done what what has God done see this is the first way that you can practically figure out a testimony that you can be able to share and give to somebody else what happened what did you do what has God done let me tell you a personal story about your pastor I'm gonna unwrap a gift for somebody right now okay and can I can I can I tell you that this is a free gift like I'm severe though I need to give my gift away if you give your story away it's something that doesn't cost you anything and it's always readily available at any moment so let me tell you a gift that I give to people all the time what happened it was marched about eight years ago eight or nine years ago I don't even remember and it was snowing outside and I got in a car accident I did not have insurance on the car that's what happened what did I do I went and got insurance in 15 minutes or less with Geico online and I manipulated the situation and so the people from the insurance company called me and they said sir did you have insurance at the time that you were in this car accident and I was a manipulator and a liar back then and so I said I had insurance on the day of the car accident yes I don't know why I did but yes at the end like that made it like that made it and they said they asked me again sir did you have car insurance at the time of the accident I said I had car insurance on the day of the accident yes and so what happened was I got in a car accident what I did was work out of my sin nature and lie and manipulate and try to do this what is God done he poured out his grace 2,000 years ago and when he poured out his grace II this is the only one that's the blank is already filled in because when God went up on the cross he saw Michael lying and he went back up there he stated he could have called down angels he could have got people to come up but he said he saw Michael 2000 years later making a mistake he said so I got to pour out my grace for you and he gave me the gift of His grace and so then you ask yourself three more questions the next thing is what is happening in that situation right now well I got caught they found me out they did an affidavit in a deposition and all this other stuff and I was facing a five-year felony charge for insurance fraud I ain't even know it existed I just thought I was a little lie about to be behind bars live stop they won't let me yeah hey get the kicker to this I was pastoring at the time youth and young adults and so the enemy waited for a more opportune time where I had some influence and started to change my life I said i'ma get him and it was the craziest occurrence because Scott mcquarters had told Bishop I come in Sunday morning and Bishop says Mike can you step into my office can we talk what's up glory to God in the highest he said you know there's a warrant out for your arrest for insurance fraud like like there was no words and at that moment the enemy came to my ear lie manipulate tell him it's not true they made a mistake and all that other stuff and my old nature was trying to weave another another thing to keep me in and the Holy Spirit said I've changed you I've changed your name you're not that person anymore I've made you a man that will follow after my heart tell him the truth and I just spit it out I did it was me and and and and and that's what what was happening in that moment and then so what did I do okay this is the next thing you have to ask yourself what what what did you do well I serve community service I was able to get the sentence deferred it was one of the craziest thing cuz I was pastoring at that time and I would be speaking to people and in the day I would be picking up trash and it's nasty people in the world and I and it was the most humbling position where God said that's what my grace does it'll let you be in a place where you can be influential but keep you low to make you know that it's only me that can use you and I mean for for six months I was preaching and picking up trash you could catch me on Sundays here or downtown any day of the week picking up yo garbage and this is the beautiful picture of God's grace because what is God doing now he's giving me influence to be able to share my story with the entire world because I would not keep my story silent what I'm telling you is it's only God's grace that can take a person from somebody who's manipulating lying facing charges to being a leader in a pastor that can help people through their situation and what you don't really understand is there somebody in here right now that is facing some legal issues or some frustration in their life or some things that are going on and me just sharing my story and me just share my gift just gave them hope to think that their situation is not going to be the end where the enemy has tried to tell them this is going to be it God is saying that's just a chapter in this story and I don't want you to be 50 years down the road before you share it I want you to overcome this by the grace I've given you and the word of your testimony and when you get this church we are gonna be unstoppable because I want you to realize my second point in this that my gift of my testimony is freedom for someone else there are people waiting for you to start sharing what God is doing and has done in your life it doesn't have to be a perfect ending this story this storybook ending I told you guys the story many of you the story of my son a few months ago in our fruitful series where the doctors have said that he has developmental delays and he may have autism and all these different things and this is a story and I could have waited for a long time because me and my wife have been battling with this thing behind closed doors and the enemy tried to shut me up and say don't say that you're a man of faith why would your son have autism if God is real in all this love and I said the devil is a liar I'm gonna share my testimony and this is gonna be a miracle for the world to see I'm not gonna wait till it's finished I'm gonna share this testimony while it's happening and God's saying I like that faith I like what you're doing right there it's not even a completed story yet but if he's the author and the finisher that does not mean I have to write the rest of this story it's gonna take a miracle but I serve a God who looks at situations pours His grace out on him and he writes the story that will give him glory I get somebody to just take a second and give God praise in the middle of the situation in the middle of the chapter in the truth in the middle of the fire [Applause] see I got to overcome this thing and the only way I can overcome is by what God has already done and the word of my testimony and that gift is what God wants you to share with somebody else because somebody else's freedom is depending on your words your testimony your sorry well how are they gonna look at me it doesn't matter I'm a new creation in Christ what is my family gonna think about me it does not matter cuz I am adopted into the royal family I'm a riot well what are my co-workers gonna hit on my you ain't gonna work there much longer they gonna be working for you the it don't matter cuz this is the blueprint God has given me when I think about someone's testimony or someone's someone's life bringing freedom to others I think about Paul and his conversion on the Damascus Road and if you're not familiar with the story it basically goes something like this Paul was a gangster and his primary target was not the Bloods of the Crips it was Christians and say you were Christian glory to God Papa like do you understand what I'm saying like hey I just want you to get the picture okay his primary target was crit and he had permission to kill Christians so he was on his way on the Damascus Road and he was about to kill some more Christians and he had an encounter with God God came and met him and it was like a light song you can read in Acts chapter 9 when you get the time and it's like a light shone and it blinded him and but this is the beautiful thing that that God didn't just do the work with just Paul he always asked somebody else who already believes to get involved with the miracle of transformation so because there was another guy that was in another city and this died he was praying and his name was Ananias and and he was praying and and God said hey um I want you to go pray and lay hands on Paul uh-huh are you are you sure did she want me to go and talk to Paul cos you know he's the Christian killer and I happen to be agree and let's pick it up in Acts chapter 9 verse 15 he said but the Lord said go for saw is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to Kings as well as the people of Israel isn't it funny how the people we don't even want to be associated with God's chosen like the people that you think are the worst at whatever you're doing God said don't worry about that they're becoming right now I've chosen them to reach an area and a place that none of y'all will reach and I've chosen him but I need some believers that'll be around him that will let them become who I've created them to be and see churches so religious and we want people to change before God changes them and we if they mess up and and there's like oh my god he came in smelling like a black and milds I used to do crack and I do a black and milds good job celebrate me give me a high five and see pride is something that nobody can see the black and milds is what we can smell so I come in smelling like a strawberry black and milds and you judge me but prides all over you and God judges you and so instead of being in a church that will celebrate people's progression we want people to be perfect but God said if we put it all out there none of us are in the place to judge anybody in this place maybe they can see yours but I know yours and we have to be people like Ananias that will be willing to touch those who God's still doing a work on and how do you touch him you touch him with the story you touched him saying yo I was there or I know I know how that feels or I once was like that and unwrapping the gift of your personal testimony look at it in verse 16 it says and I will show him how much he must suffer for my namesake verse 17 so Ananias went and found saw he laid his hands on him he identified with him and look at the word he used when he talked to him he said brothers fall the compassion you would have to have in your heart to know a person was persecuting and killing your father fellow brothers and sisters in Christ but when God put you in the position he gave him compassion enough to not address him as who he was he didn't address him as killer Saul he didn't address him as gangster he didn't dress him as ho he didn't address him as liar he addressed him as his brother he was willing to identify with him and until we start using our story to identify with people and say yeah I know my thing was just being a good girl of being self righteous and not doing it but that's the same thing as everything you did we both needed Jesus and he said brother saw the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit that is so powerful because when we share our testimony it has the ability to be able to let somebody see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit if you would just tell people how you used to act what Jesus did and where you are now it may give them the hope to be able to move past where they're at right now well pastor mark I'm still going through a lot of crap in my baby mama crazy and all this other stuff that's happening yes but did he do anything for you you weren't even supposed to make it out of high school now you just graduated college and you go on for your master's degree could you tell somebody who doesn't feel like they have a future that God can move on their behalf we have to be willing to share our testimony and our stories so that others can regain sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit verse 18 it said this is my favorite part this is my favorite part this is my favorite part this is my favorite part instantly like you didn't take six years of seminary it didn't take him going to Bible College it didn't take him being faithful and quitting all of the things he used to do it said instantly something like scales fern failed from Saul's eyes and he regained his sight because somebody was willing to identify with them then he got up and was baptized I mean look at how quick that happened like Christ comes into his life somebody identifies with him he gets baptized I believe God is raising up a church that will be able to share their stories and we're gonna see revival because it's not going to be about oh I need to go through all these process it processes God's going get people to share their story they're gonna find Jesus they're gonna get baptized and they gonna start moving into what God has called them to be but it does not happen if we don't unwrapped our gift of our personal story our personal testimonies 19 I love this cuz it says after he ate some food and that just lets you know he's human he's a Buddhist who I've been blind for a few days it's been a lot going on anybody got some chicken do you understand what I'm saying and then he ate some food he regained his strength and this is good Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days I want you to see this that after people get touched their story comes to life through Jesus God has to be able to trust those people with the group of believers who will allow them to change see cuz God does a lot of work that Christians undo let me go over here like like God does a lot of heart surgeries and changes people and then they get involved in church and Christians undoable and he went from 4 days earlier wanting to kill these Christians to now deciding to stay with them so he could start becoming and learning and walking in community and seeing how we done and that's what transformation church is all about we're a church that is going to help people become you do not have to be perfect when you walk in here but you do have to be progressing we're going to be moving step by step if you used to sleep with 8 girls every week last week if you're sleeping with two we're gonna say good job now stop sleeping with them but good job see because this walk is not about perfection it's about progression and if I can be better than I was yesterday better than I was last year better than I was 10 years ago God is transforming my heart and he dropped he trusted believers to allow a person to become who he was supposed to be if anybody doesn't know who Paul is he went on to write one of the most substantial pieces of the Bible we read I want you to realize that nobody saw his potential but God when he was killing Christians but because he could use Ananias to tell how God changed him then this man became one of the gray this evangelist for Jesus Christ look at it right what it says at verse 19 after he had regained his strength and and and God got some food in his belly he saw stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days and then he immediately began preaching about Jesus in the synagogue saying he is indeed the son of God see the only reason you can say that is you know who you were and then you get the gift of Jesus he changes you and you say oh y'all can keep talking all that giggety Act if you want to but I know who I was and Jesus came into my life and indeed he is the son of God he didn't hold back his story cuz it just happened he started immediately telling what God did for him look at the repercussions of believers even new believers who start telling their story look what it says it says all who heard him were amazed it's the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus followers in Giroux isn't that the same girl who slept with the whole football team isn't that the same family who was so bougie that they would not even come to church isn't that the same businessman who conned me out of money two years ago see you don't have to understand you have to understand this no matter where I am right now when I get Jesus everything changes in my life I am not who I used to be I am a new creation and Jesus Christ and people are gonna say isn't that isn't that and you can fill in the blank because you was there yes you are but now Jesus comes in and it says and didn't he come here with different motives and different intentions to arrest them and take them in Chains to the leading priests look at verse 22 Saul's preaching became more and more it's because he wasn't just preaching a scroll he was telling his like I went man I want y'all to see this they didn't have a Bible like this the way that the gospel grew from 12 people to hold over 200,000 people in a short time is people were telling their personal stories of how they used to be what God did in their life and how they are now and I want you to know that the way that the church is gonna grow that Jesus Christ his standard is gonna be lifted up in America again how we are going to snatch back people from darkness it's not a bunch of scriptures it's what those scriptures did in our lives and how they changed our story but if you won't share the gift but but if but if you won't tell me but you ain't never you ain't always been that you like you haven't always been that put together but somehow we forgive parents one of the saddest things is that many of you don't share your story with your children you feel like if you told them who you really were then you would give them permission to be like that and they could hold something over your head and then put what you don't realize is they're already like that the Bible tells us that the iniquities and the trespasses of the Father passes down multi-generationally until somebody exposes it to the light and allows the word of God to penetrate that thing some of y'all need to sit down and listen this picture right here mommy was doing things that nobody has business doing and let him ask questions what do you mean mommy was doing things I gave my most precious gift to somebody who did not honor God and did not love me do you know what type of freedom would happen if we just started sharing our testimonies in our family but that means truth has to come that means light has to come that means there'll be some hard conversations but there is nothing that will happen except good if we start sharing our testimony in the fact that we are trying to live transparent lives before the king of kings and the Lord of lords and not hold back what he's done in our lives don't tell the horror without telling Jesus see I used to be like this but then Jesus came in and then don't paint no perfect fairytale picture after that and then mommy went back and forth for six years of trying to live a life that was fewer and still trying to satisfy my flesh so how was I born do I lie do I tell the truth do I make up something well what God want me to do he want me to overcome this by the word the blood of the Lamb and the words of not their testimony so baby one night well mommy was under the influence of some alcohol I had a one-night stand with the guy and I don't I don't even really remember who he is and it's one of the greatest things that the enemy is used to try to make me feel worthless but today I I really feel like freedom's coming to me cuz I'm no longer ashamed because of what Christ did for me and he gave me you baby and you've taught me so much about how to love and how to forgive and how to change and mommy well mommy what about Tyrone aren't you going on a date with him tonight Oh cuz you know the story's not finished being read well baby mommy's about to call and cancel that date with Tyrone because you've just made me realize that my gift sharing my kiss with you I don't want to repeat I don't want to delay purpose any longer I don't want to go through that and I love you and I'm telling you this so that you can walk with Jesus and be better than mommy and do more than daddy did and change the game for our whole family if you just start sharing your testimony your story the incomplete version because if it's not good it's not over if he's the author and the finisher if it ain't good it ain't over and if I could get about five hundred to a thousand people to say you know what I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ it's the power of God that has saved me and I am going to tell people my story that is a gift that will unwrap so many people and give them the opportunity to live in freedom my last point is my gift is nothing to be ashamed of I gotta expose the enemy today yes it happened but that's not me yeah I did it but that's not who I am yeah it hurt and I hurt them but that's not what I have to be and I came to dispel the lie that if you would tell your story people would leave you people will let you go people some of them may but God's never gonna let you go if I make a pledge or a bed on the mountain or if I make my bed in hell they said when you receive me I will be with you always and I here to tell you that the way you're gonna overcome this next season is by knowing what God's done and using your testimony unwrap the gift of your story there are people in grocery lines that you need to tell a piece of your story to there are people on Facebook stop telling us that everything's okay it's not showing us everything that's perfect in your life tell somebody the real story so somebody are behind the scenes of how God's working on you and who you used to be they see you on a platform and think you're amazing but tell them how you threw up behind the stage and how God had to give you boldness and confidence to stand before his people if you tell your story you give somebody else hope and it's nothing to be ashamed of how do you know my because I've started telling my story every week there's not one service I get up here and talk to y'all without sharing what God has done in my life and I could come up here and tell you all of this stuff but I want to show you how powerful your story is and your testimony is I needed some help to come up here I've asked some members of my staff to come up here because you know you see a lot of these people in the perfect area but we want to lead a transparent church a hot church a church that is able y'all come on up a church that is able to stand and not just say this is what God has done but you don't know where it came from today we're gonna unwrap our gift our story our testimony and I want you to realize that when we do this some of you guys are going to receive freedom for the very first time some of you are going to realize that God has a plan for you that is so much bigger than what you see right now because all these stories aren't long ago these aren't far far far far far back in a land that we don't know of know these some of these stories were last week last month last year 10 years from now but God has come into our life and we have to unwrap our gift people like my boy David Davis an awesome man he's been he works here on staff now and he was transformed in this church big mouth series almost four years ago he used to sit right back here was in an abusive relationship all kinds of stuff was happening and see when you see Dave now we see this gift this what we so people oh look at it it's nice and shiny but if we would just be real enough to turn around the story and tell who he really aren't David show everybody who you really were before you received the gift of Jesus David will was a sexually abused as a child he was broken he was a liar and he was isolated when he walked into this church all of those things the enemy told him not to give a sitting right over there and all the enemy convinced him that he should just stay right there and he stayed right there and he and he was trying to figure out what can happen for me and there's somebody in here today that's feeling was sexually abused you're broken you're a liar and you're isolated right now I'm telling you there's freedom for you on people like pastor Brenda Todd this is my mom the Prophet is the woman of God she can get up here and call heaven down but heaven was not coming down all of her life there was a story before all this glory we see in the present has to Brenda Shaw what happened in your life you were intimidated this is this is one of the strongest women I know but she came from a place of intimidation she had a poverty mentality and she had an abortion and there may be somebody in here that's identifying with those same exact things that you haven't even told anybody you gave the baby up you you went through that season all by yourself because you felt like people wouldn't love you through it but I'm here to tell you that there's somebody who can identify with you there's another believer that's not going to stay wrapped up but they're gonna share their story people like Scott mcquarters who's a great man of God now but that's not where it started show him who you used to be Scott Scott was divorced he had distrust for white people he would not be able to go to transformation Church right now we've talked about this how he felt like everybody was against him and he was fatherless raised without a father no guidance no one is shown and that may be you in this building that you may still have racism in your heart black white Hispanic maid to be divorced right now you may be grew up without a father there's hope for you like there was hope for a B who is the perfect just a bohemian Instagram they get everything you see she can wear cool hats like that she's a cool husband all these other things and she has tons of followers on Instagram and people see the rapping but Abby could you please unwrap your gift and show people who you really were fearful chronically depressed that may be you in this room today and alone how can you be alone with all of these people who like what you do how can you be alone when thousands of people praise you every day cuz the like does not feel a god hole in my heart money doesn't feel a god hole in my heart what about people like pastor Francine over our children's ministry unwrapped your gift for ambassador Francine that's the Francine was stuck in self condemnation fear and comparing herself to everybody else and that maybe human this womb today you're looking at people and you're not even seeing the value of who you are cuz you're comparing yourself to who they are and today God is coming to set you free by the power not of some scripture I'm reading to you it's somebody's story somebody like Demark now Demario is like the perfect guy I've never heard anybody say anything bad about Demario his wife loves him it makes good money but what you see in the wrapping what you see on the outside is not what he's been through unwrap your gift D he felt worthless insecure and he was addicted to pornography see that ain't nobody gonna put that in their Instagram bio hi my name is de Mario I'm worthless insecure and addicted to pornography but if we did more people probably would be able to relate to us and even your pastor you you come and people watch online and they see this and they see this beautiful wife awesome kids all this stuff but no no I was a liar I was also addicted to pornography when I was hurting dude the last through the jokes through the smiles - I was hurting but then Jesus presents us with the opportunity of a gif everybody turn your thing back over and this is where many of you are cuz everybody has their own adjectives but have you unwrapped what Christ is done for you to somebody David unwrap who God has made you now oh thank you God David went from being abused as a child to sexually heal from a liar to transparent can we celebrate from alone to enter community and somebody else has that opportunity today because he shared his story Pastor Brenda can you unwrap your gift by telling our testimony by sharing our story she no longer is the woman who doesn't know who she is her identity is in Christ God is her provider not poverty she has a strong marriage after abortion with five boys and your boy is one of them can we give God glory for what God will doing somebody's right for the Scott will you unwrap your testimony your gift he said after divorce now I'm happily married I'm friends with white people oh come on white people makes up north hear me and he probably is one of the most involved loving fathers that I've ever met he is now what he didn't have he is now what he didn't have because the power of Jesus Christ so you may be in this place in your fatherless God says you can change this thing around if you would let me but now you have proof because he unwrapped his gift people like a bee can you unwrap your gift a bee and you show them no matter how you've been feeling no matter what happened being depressed no longer depressed I'm joyful now I'm no longer down in the dump I'm optimistic I'm confident in Jesus and I know he has a plan for my life wanted to speak to somebody who's dealing in depression right now you don't have to stay here and this is proof a be sharing her story her testimony is proof you can do it too and it makes her overcome because of the blood of the Lamb and the word of her pastor Francine isolated alone unwrapped your gift please and share what God has done for you now she's no longer worthless she has self-worth she has courage I remember when she came to this staff and wouldn't say nothing now she'll tell you everything she tea I don't think that's right pass somebody she is satisfied now that's a word that money and lights can't buy cuz you can have everything in the world but not be sad and now she walks in her calling to Mario can you unwrap your gift and give somebody the gift of your testimony he went from being not confident now he's confident in Jesus's love for him he's secure in him and instead of being addicted to pornography he's walking in purity can somebody Oh God can't change that oh yes he can look at the Mario and your pastor every day I've unwrapped my gift and I went from being a liar to being somebody who's authentic you don't even got to guess what I'm feeling I'm gonna tell you I ain't going to jail for y'all uh I went from being addicted to pornography to being addicted to my family I love that woman and those kids more than anything in this world and I went from being hurting and I can stand before you and lift my hands and say I'm healed God has healed me from the inside out and I'm telling you you got a testimony that God wants to use your life to encourage to bring hope to bring healing to somebody else somebody say I have a personal gift and it's my story guess what nobody can make you feel bad for what God's done in your life and these people are all proof that you can go from wherever you're at right now so wherever God wants you to be can we thank God just for one moment that he's been so good and His grace is pouring out on us and that he is finishing and writing his story history his story in our lives so god right now we worship you thank you for being better to us than we've been to ourselves Father forgive us for discounting our story and how it can help somebody become close to you Father and help us overcome and God we make a vow that we will never hold back our person or give our story can free somebody our testimony can help us and God our testimony will bring your name glory because it's you who's doing this work on the inside of us I dare somebody for 10 seconds to give God praise all over this place come on give God praise all over this place hallelujah thank you guys so much can we give it up for these who have shared their testimony now sit down just for a second so let me give you one more scripture first Corinthians 3:16 so check this out because this is the beautiful thing about sharing our story this is Paul talking later on in his life after he's gone on this rapid rampage of sharing his story not the G Disney rated version he's sharing a real version of his story and people can relate to it and it's getting more and more powerful as he shares it like what happened he says yeah I planted the seeds in your hearts when I shared my testimony and Paul is another another believer who shared his story and how God changed him he watered it but it was God who made it grow so what I'm saying is who are you keeping from growing because you're not planting and watering by your story see when I tell that story some dude that was on his website or on his phone last night addicted to pornography I just watered to see you well I planted a seed like I can change like you were sexting somebody yesterday and now that's what I used to do and you're like man in five years seven years I could be changing people's life like yes you can and see God's saying he needs our stories so that we can plant we can water but then he can add the increase you will never hold back your gift of your testimony ever again tell your story

Channel: Transformation Church

Views: 71,785

Rating: 4.9146214 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: ePDYx18PILk

Length: 55min 24sec (3324 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 18 2017