Transcription
Luke 1:5. I started here last week and I want to give you a heads up. There won't be many notes today. It won't be a whole lot of notes today. Today is more so prophetic. Yes, God. Today is more so prophetic. I want to speak some things over your life. I want to say some things that matter to your life. I want to declare some things over your life. Declare some things over your life so you can be all God called you to be.
There are certain Sundays where I give you a 10 pages worth of notes to take. That's for your study. Today is for your soul, for your future. It may not be deep, but it's necessary. He said, "In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zachariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abagah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the commands and decrees blamelessly."
Look at verse 7. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive and they were both very old.
All right, I want to talk today, man. Last week we talked about the gift of hope. The gift of hope. And today at Rock City is what we call the greatest gift. And as I've explained, the greatest gift is a sacrificial offering given to God out of gratitude from the heart and faith for the future. That's a good definition for you to put in your notes right there. What is the greatest gift? It's a sacrificial offering given to God. Underline this in your notes if you don't mind for me. Out of gratitude. That's something I'm really trying to shift, bro. Right? I if we're not careful, the church is is setting our theology up that God is this big bad boogeyman in heaven who will get you if you don't live right. Jesus loves you, but God going to punish you. Do you see what I'm saying? So, I don't give out of fear that my life is going to fall apart. I don't give out of fear that if I don't give God something, he not going to give me the promotion. No, he loves me. I don't believe in fear or on on what I would call it fear giving. I believe in grace giving. No, either he died for everything or he didn't die for nothing. I know the Old Testament said if you don't give will a man rob God, you a curse with a curse. But then Jesus dies in the New Testament. And when he dies, his blood covers a multitude of sins. You got me? So I don't have to give out of fear. I give out of gratitude. I'm going to say this. Only two of y'all going to catch it. I'm grateful. Am I preaching to anybody? I am grateful for what the Lord has done for me.
So, when I'm explaining this to my boys, when I'm explaining this to my kids, my teenagers today, I woke everybody up this morning, sent cash apps to all three of the teenagers, said, "Hey, here's some money. I'm not telling you what to give. You decide what you're going to give sacrificially." It's between you and God. They can give $10 and keep the other 200 and say, "Look at God. That's a blessing." That's between them. They're at the age now where I want them to have their own relationship with God. And what I'm telling them now is if you are grateful for what the Lord has done for you, what shall I render for all of the many things God has done for me? Can I ask you a question? Has God been good to anybody in here? Has God kept anybody in here? Has he been good, church?
So, that's what we're doing. And I told you on last week, gifts are important in established relationships because they're emotional and symbolic. They show appreciation that gifts have the potential to shift the relationship from good to great. And the reality is great gifts, you might want to write this, require great sacrifice. >> Great gifts require great sacrifice. Can I tell you why half of you are frustrated right now? It's because you've been doing stuff for people and it's not the fact that they didn't say thank you. You are overwhelmed and frustrated because you at least want them to acknowledge your sacrifice. They they don't realize how hard you actually go for what they do. I said something two weeks ago to half of my circle. I said, "I'm tired of doing the impossible for the ungrateful." >> I don't think you heard what I just said. I said, "I'm tired of doing the impossible for the ungrateful. It takes sacrifice to make this happen." Many of you get up in the morning when it's cold and have to warm up a car and go to a job you don't want to go to to put shoes on an ungrateful person's feet to help family members who talk about you. And what you're realizing now is great gifts require great sacrifice.
If I wanted to talk sacrifice, we could have church right here. Cuz what if I told you the only reason we get to go to heaven is because there was a great sacrifice. God saw that there was a disconnect between humanity and divinity. So what did God do? God who's sitting in heaven, God who is sitting in heaven looks down on earth and says because of the Adamic fall because of Adam, we are now disconnected from God. Because of the Adamic fall, we are now disconnected from God. So what does he do? He searches the world for somebody who can fix it. He finds Noah. He sends a flood and starts the world over with Noah. But Noah had a problem. He loved the alcohol because Noah kept getting drunk. He couldn't fix the bridge. So then God says, "I have a problem that only God can fix. But the only problem is God can't come back." So he empties himself of his deeds. He wraps it in humanity, calls it flesh, and calls himself Jesus. Now he's all God enough to heal it, but all man enough to fill it. So God said, "I have to give a sacrifice in order to get them back to me." So what did he do? What's a sacrificial scripture? For God so loved the world. Do you see the greatest gift? That he gave. Y'all missed it. That God so loved you that he gave not just any old regular, his only >> begotten son. Have you ever stopped to consider that God sowed a son so he could reap a family?
So when we think sacrifice, what I'm telling you is now that that many of us are at this precipice. I'm preaching from my own personal experience now. This is 2000 what 20 I'm I'm at this I'm at this inflection point. If you ever want to study something, study the inflection point. That is the point of your life where you can either catapult forward or take another lap around the same season. I was at this inflection point where something in my spirit was saying God wanted more, but I didn't necessarily have or know what to do. So, I decided to sew a seed. >> And what I discovered is that I learned in my personal life there are three ways that I can live. I can live wasted, wrecked, or winning. >> This is good. I can live wasted, that means I'm living selfishly. I can live wrecked, little more up here, which means I'm living sinfully. Or I can live winning, which means I'm living sacrificially.
Now, where were you, Pastor Mike? I was living wasted. What does wasted mean, Pastor Mike? A wasted life isn't about a lack of talent, a lack of opportunity, or a lack of calling. It's about being having self at the center of it all. No, I had talent. I had opportunities. I had a calling. I had an anointing. I didn't realize how much of what I was doing was wrapped in me. When life revolves around comfort, convenience, and personal gain, purpose leaks out slowly. You can be busy and still wasted. You can be successful and feel squandered. Biblically, selfish living trades impactful indulgence. You consume what was meant to be contributed, >> Michael. You consume what was meant to be contributed. And selfishness doesn't ruin you loudly. It drains you quietly. Many of us are living wasted lives where everything is about your comfort and how you're going to come up and how you're going to have the best day and the best year at life.
But many of us are living wrecked lives. What does that mean, Pastor Mike? That means we're living sinfully. See, sin doesn't just break rules. Please put this in your notes. It fractures alignment. That's good. It fractures alignment. Pastor Mike. All right. What is alignment? Put this in your notes. Alignment is living in agreement with God's design, direction, and desire for your life. Alignment means when you say your life is aligned, what you're saying is I am living in agreement with God's design, God's direction, and God's desire for my life. It's when, please hear me, you are, it's when who you are, how you live, and what you pursue match what God intended. Do I need to say that again? is when who you are, how you live, and what you pursue match what God intended. See, this is what's going to mess you up right here cuz I've discovered there are certain things you not going to catch that you chasing. Three amens and it's cool in the game. >> I'm going say something that no pastor will tell you. There are certain things you are chasing, you're not going to catch. >> Why, PMJ? cuz it's not God's design for your life. So what does God do? Either he don't let you catch it or he lets you catch it so you can see it's not what you need. >> Y'all preaching whether I receive it or not. And for me, I spent too much of my life chasing stuff that God did not want me to have. I had ambition, but it wasn't my assignment. Michael, I had ambition, but it wasn't my assignment. And in 2026, I am only pursuing what God wants me to pursue. Cuz I've discovered if I pursue God, what I'm chasing will start chasing me. >> Do y'all hear what I'm saying in here? And what I'm discovering is a wreck life is when God is present, but he's not the president. A wrecked life is when God is present, but he's not the president. Let's make that simple. It's when you have God in your life, but he not running nothing. I mean, you you got him in your life, but you don't talk to him. You don't consult him. This is good. You tell God where you going and expect him to catch up. >> No amens today, but it's cool in the game. No, that's why I wore my hoodie cuz I was ready to fight today. You want to know cuz cuz I discovered a lot of us don't really want what God wants for us. A lot of us want what we want and then we go around the room trying to find somebody who will prophesy our desire. No. And what I discovered is you just you don't just fall into sin. You drift into it. And over time, please write this. What you tolerate will eventually dominate. This is good. What you tolerate will eventually dominate. Can I say it like the old school saint? What you play with will eventually play you.
I can live a wasted life which is selfish. I can live a wrecked life which is sinful or I can live a winning life. And the winning life is a living is living sacrificially. Winning with God, I got to warn you, does not look anything like winning in the world. Winning in the world is stacking. Winning with God is sewing. >> Winning in the world is checking people. Winning with God is being humble. >> Winning in the world is feasting. Winning with God is fasting. >> Y'all ain't got to like me today. W winning in the world is being seen. Winning with God is being hidden. Y'all don't see cuz there are two types of people. Some of y'all working so you can be seen. Some of us are grinding so we can go missing. Y'all miss what I just what I just said. The two ain't the same. And what I'm trying to get you to realize is sacrifice isn't a loss. It's an investment. It's when you give up what you want now for what God wants to release later. And I prophesy over your life because of your faithfulness. God is not just about to move exponentially. He's about to also move expeditiously. >> You don't even know when to say I receive that. I'm going to say it again. I prophesy over your life that in 2026, God is not just going to move exponentially. He's going to move expeditiously. You didn't shout cuz you probably don't know the definition. Exponentially mean he going to do a whole lot. Expeditiously mean he going to do it real quick. And your ne don't even high five your neighbor right there cuz if they ain't faithful that ain't they word. But if you got enough faith to believe that I was not faithful and committed in 2025 for no reason. God's about to do it expect look down your row and say that's my word. word. I don't know if it's yours. Tell them, "I don't know if you've been committed. I don't know if you've been faithful. I don't know if you prayed when it was hard. I don't know if you tithed when you could have kept it. I don't know if you was nice to nasty people. I don't know if you talked to God every morning. But as for me, I may not have been perfect, but I was giving God everything that I had. And I prophesy over your life. 2026 ease exponentially and expeditiously. Pastor Mike, I want to shout with you, but you're being super spiritual. God ain't going to do nothing exponentially, and he not going to do it expeditiously. You are looking at the evidence of what God can do. I'm not supposed to be where I'm at this quick. But God knows how to do a whole lot. And the reason you don't believe is because you don't have hope. And that's why I told you last week, I'm giving you the gift of hope. The gift of hope is the divine ability to stay convinced. Preacher Mike. The gift of hope is the divine ability to stay convinced on the inside when nothing makes sense. On the outside, tell your neighbor, I got to leave you right here cuz you ain't got enough faith for me. Cuz if I'm being honest, what's happening on the outside don't make sense right now. On the outside, I ain't got the credit, but on the inside, I got favor. On the outside, I may not have the connection, but on the inside, if God be for me, who can be against me? You ought to touch three people and tell them, "Get your hope back. Get your hope back. Get your hope back. Outside, inside. And the reason I'm telling you this is because the stuff on the outside will drive you crazy. >> Your problems, the stuff around you. Why do you think Shadrach, Meak, Bendigo was never tripping in the fire? Cuz it was hot around them, but they was on fire on the inside. And the devil can't put nothing around me that can't touch what's in me. That's why they said greater is he that is within me. Y'all got to read me. And the gift of hope is the divine ability to stay convinced on the inside. And so what I'm telling you is when I tell you I don't I don't play this God said thing. You have to been at my church now 10 15 years. You can count on your hands how many times I say God said. I am telling you the Lord told me. For those of us who remain committed and faithful, I am giving you two E, exponential and expeditious. So, so, so hear me when I say this because faith is now, Michael. Hope is next. Faith I got to run. Is when we believe God. Hope is when we expect God. Now, we had church last week when I said this. I'm going to see if you brought your hope with you. I expect I just need you to do an inventory of your whole row and ask them, "Do you expect Do you expect I expect my family to be blessed? I expect my career to take off. I expect coaches to ask about me. I expect my mother to prosper. You ought to jump up, sit down, and shout. I expect Hear me. I expect and I told you expectation is the mental anticipation of a future event based on experience, desire, or evidence. I told you that expectation, Michael, influences behavior. >> Do y'all hear what I'm saying? >> Expectation influences behavior. Expectation influences behavior. Which means, y'all better help me preach this. If I really expect it, I should act like that's why you looking at your neighbor. That's why they confused cuz she looking at you. See, they looking at y'all like, "Why they shouting? They must be blessed. I ain't as blessed as I want to be yet, but I made a decision. I'mma act like it. before I actually hold it. That's why grandmama said, "Don't wait till the battle is over. You ought to tell right now. Y'all going to make me stop. I expect that's your conversation right there. I expect I don't care what they say on that job, Julian. I expect Well, I heard they letting people off and they ain't giving no promotion. That's cool. But I expect I heard they getting ready to I don't want to hear that. I expect they they said they done offering people. Yeah, that's cool. But I expect cuz God made me a promise. And before I take it back, I'll ask expectation.
And so when we tiptoe into today's text, we find ourselves situated and acculturated in the book of Luke. And it is in the book of Luke. I like Luke cuz Luke is different. I like Luke because Luke is different. Luke is different. I'm telling y'all, y'all like Luke. Why? Cuz Matthew only gives us tidbits. Matthew only gives us tidbits. Mark is kind of exciting. Mark is that exciting writer. You know Mark, Mark is the one in the book of Mark, he say stuff like and suddenly and immediately and sudden Mark is a action writer. When you read the book of Mark, Mark is like watching good TV. Mark be like Jesus walked down the street. Then a sister got healed with a bleeder. Boom. Then boom, he walked over here and a brother blind eyes. Then boom, he hooked his little sister. And you'll be reading Mark like, "Oh my God, Matthew leave you wanting." You'll be reading Matthew like, "Okay." And Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, John don't play. John didn't give us none of the genealogy. John don't tell you who his mama is. John just say in the beginning was the word. And the word was God. And the word was with God. See, but I like Luke because Luke is a physician. And because Luke is a physician, he almost gives us tidbits that no other book gives us. Luke introduces us to John the Baptist and is and and Elizabeth and Zachchariah. And when we tiptoe in Luke chapter 1, it says in the time of Herod the king of Judea, there was a priest named Zachariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abi. His wife Elizabeth was also, keep it right here, a descendant of Aaron. We meet a priest. What's the priest's name? Zachchariah. What's his wife's name? >> Okay. What's the priest's name? >> What's the wife name? >> Verse six. Look at what it says in verse six. It says both of them. Michael. Michael. I see a good couple. Both of them. That's why you can't date toxic. Both of them. That's why y'all got to get people out y'all marriage and get on one accord. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly, blamelessly. Stay in verse six. So I see a couple who living for God. >> Living right. This is good. They living for God. They living right. They following God's word. Which means verse seven should say, "And they walk in overflow." Right? But verse seven says, look at this. It says, "But they were childless." No amens right there. See, many of you are confused cuz church taught you if you live right, you'll get stuff. >> So, you almost thought if you didn't sleep with nobody, didn't lie, and didn't cuss, you got blessings by default. Let me tell you, I don't want nobody else tell you. You can be living right and still catch more hell than you ever imagined. And church folk are so hypocritical that when they see you going through, the first thing they say is they must be in something. Sometimes I'm catching hell not cuz I'm in something. Sometimes I'm catching hell cuz of what's in me. When you got this much anointing and this much favor and this much wisdom and creativity, the devil will try to Glory. Look what happened. Look what it says. Told you not a lot of notes today. I'm going to just read the scripture. It says, "Both of them were righteous, but they were childless because they were not able to conceive." This is critical. So, you have to understand this a $2 word, the cultural hermeneutic. Don't let that word fool you. Hermeneutic is the theological way of just saying interpretation. You got to understand the cultural interpretation. The cultural hermeneutic. The T. You got to understand the T. The T in the city is if they can't have kids, they must be cursed. Michael, >> if they can't have kids, they must be cursed. They assumed because she couldn't have a baby, >> they were cursed. >> Okay. Please don't assume cuz I ain't got stuff. I'm not blessed. Let's get out that pattern. Please don't assume cuz I ain't got stuff. I'm not blessed. >> Just cuz your purse got a label and mine don't. Cuz your car got a emblem and mine don't. Cuz your outfit more expensive don't mean you more blessed than me. I'm not blessed because of what I got. I'm blessed because of who I am. I'm not preaching to anybody at Rock City. You know, it's slow, but don't sustain it. Get out that pattern. So, what I'm saying is, hear me when I say this. Elizabeth is blessed, but she's barren. I want to say something that many of you don't want to say out loud, but it's true. You blessed. You're just not producing right now. >> Can I be honest? >> Is that okay? >> This might not have been the year for you to produce. >> But don't think you're not blessed. >> You will go through seasons where stuff don't work. >> You will go through seasons where ideas don't click. Don't judge how blessed you are by how you produce. Cuz for some for some seasons you're in a season of barrenness. See see you will hit a season Michael you will hit a season where you run into a wall called human limitations. >> You don't put nothing in your notes. I need you to write that cuz some of y'all going to go crazy and don't realize you have limits. >> You have limits. Okay. New school saints ain't going to get this. Everybody under 30 ain't going to get this. Y'all stills new school old school people. All right, these new school people pick up their phone. All right, if you want to call your girl, Xander, at 10:00, what you do? Pick up the phone. You want to call at at 11:30? What you going to do? Pick up 3:45. Yeah. Your daddy couldn't call his girl to after what time. >> We had to call him after cuz he' be free after a certain time. One just pick up the phone and call. It was like, no, we used to answer the phone like this. Hey, I'mma call you back after cuz I wasn't trying to pay all them minutes. Who know what I'm talking about? You look at the phone, you be like, if they weren't important, I called them back. But if it was somebody important, hey, you know, I'm going to call you after 8. Call you back later. Boom. Because, watch this. Your phone had limits. >> Okay. Okay. Who done never broke your washing machine cuz you stuffed it with so much stuff and then you realized why I ain't spend it. It had limits. Who have never went to go on a trip and got to the counter and they ask you to take some out your bags or you going to have to pay cuz your bags have limits. Who would have never went to the weight room, went to the gym and got it in, then got up under some weight you couldn't lift cuz your strength human limitations are when God, let me say that better. Human limitations are the God-given boundaries that remind you you are created, not a creator. >> Michael, no. So God will let you hit human limitations >> to remind you you not him. >> If he didn't give you limits, you would be walking around like you God. >> So God lets you hit limits so you can remember you need him. He lets you be natural. >> So you can realize in order to do this, he going to have to put his super >> on your natural. And whenever you hit your human limitation, that is an invitation for divine intervention. And biblically, we call divine intervention a miracle. If you want to know what a miracle is, it's when God steps into your situation >> and he says it's too much for you, but it ain't too much for me.
Now, I'm going to show you something that's crazy. Going to show you something that's crazy. Sander, come here real quick. Run to me. Put that down. Come here. Run to me real quick. I want to show you something that's crazy cuz the Holy Spirit gave me this illustration. God will give you something. All right? He will give you something. And let's just act like I know you're super strong. I know you're super strong. You don't have to stunt for daddy. Okay? But I need you to act like this is heavy. Okay? That's too heavy for you. And and it's weighing you down. And so look at this. It's weighing you down. And most of us because of our pride, we drop it. And then we try to pick it back up and we drop it. And so you spend 6 months out to here tussling with something that you could have called God about. So God is like, "I want to step in, but I can't keep barging my way into their life. I need them to realize they have limits." >> So when you call on God, this what's so cold about God. God helps you. But I'm going to mess you up. He helps you lift it higher than you ever expected. I'm going to mess you up. And what's crazy about God, you know he got it and you know it's not you. But when people see you, all they see is you. And the reason most of us get arrogant is cuz we let people telling us we got it confuse us as if it's we're really doing it when it's nothing but God. 2026 going to be the year that you go further than you ever went. Live more than you were able to live. Dream bigger than you ever dreamed. Go higher than you ever imagined. And it's going to be because you going to surrender. Put it down to God. And that's what happens in this scripture.
Zachariah and Elizabeth don't have no kids. Zachariah is in the priestly division. His whole career, he's a priest. All Zachariah want to do is get one phone call. He won't lie to walk out and say, "You know what? It's your season." He would then get a lighter. You ever seen somebody at a wedding when they come and light the C? He would get in the walk. He would walk in there, light the incense, and that would be his life's work. No, he's never got that call. But look at verse eight. Once when Zachariah's division was on duty, he was serving as the priest before God. Verse 9, he was chosen by lot. I'm going to have church by myself. He was chosen by lot. Can Can I preach to three of y'all who people can't figure you out? And I'm going to give you some good clapback for all your enemies and haters right here. Stop want my verse 9 when you didn't live my verse six. Put verse six on the screen. And they got to see this cuz it is in verse six, both of them were righteous. Verse 9, but he got chosen. Verse six, he obeyed the Lord's commands. Verse 9, he got chosen. Verse six, he was faithful. >> Verse 9, he got favored. >> Verse six, he was committed. >> Verse 9, he was chosen. See, you can't get verse 9 isolated >> from verse six. >> So, stop hating on people who in a verse 9 when you ain't been consistent enough to claim a verse six. It says he's chosen. Y'all tired of me. He was chosen to burn the incense. This is the biggest day in his career. Everything's coming together for him. And look at what happens on the next slide. I want you to see this now. Look what happens. And when the time for the burn of the incense came, they assembled worshipers praying outside. I want you to get this picture. Everybody outside worshiping, they look at him and say, "You get to go in." >> Can you imagine how much pride he got? Can you imagine? He walk up in that thing with his garments on. >> He got his lighter with the incense. >> He walked past everybody who laughed at him. He's like, "Here's my season now, baby." And they open the doors to the church. He walk in that church head hell high, holding the burning of the But then look at verse 11. To the right, the Lord appeared to him. The angel of the Lord appeared to him standing to the right of the candle of the altar of incense. Look at the next verse. It's going to mess you up. The angel said, "When Zachariah saw him, he was gripped with fear." Verse 13. But the angel said to him, "Michael, do not be afraid, Zachariah." I need a better church. I think I want an old people church right there. I want me a good old Baptist church. Who would have went to church with me right there? I'm going to try it again with y'all. Angel says, "Do not be afraid." >> Zechariah. >> Okay, you you still don't get it. I'm going to try one more again. Do not be afraid. Zachchariah, some who who want to shout. You just don't know why you should be shouting yet. Anybody like PMJ, I want to shout, but you going to have to help me. I don't see it. Okay. The angel shows up and says, "Do not be afraid, Zachariah." It's because had anybody else showed up, >> it wouldn't have been their season. >> He's letting Zechariah know what I got for you >> got your name on it. I'm preaching. I'm preaching if you receive it. That's why ain't nothing about me going to be jealous about you. Cuz what's for you is what's for you. But you better believe what's for me got my name on it. I dare to shout your name right there and shout it got my name on it. The promotion got my name on it. The good doctor's report got my name on it. The breakthrough got my name on it. I dare to shout your last name that everything connected to you got to be blessed. I'm getting excited. I'm getting excited. I'm getting excited. I got to calm down. He says, I like this. The angel says, I told you not a lot of notes today. I'm just preaching to your future whether you see it or not. Do not be afraid, Zachchariah. Okay, I'm going to do this. Let's do an exercise. When I get to Zechariah, just claim that. Say your name. Let's stop playing with the devil real quick. All right. Here it is. All right. Here it is. All right. 2026. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid." >> Yeah. >> Y'all don't even know how to say your own name. I'm going to say it again. Do not be afraid. >> Okay, here it is. Your prayer. >> Michael. Michael. Wait. Oh. Ooh. Ooh. I did not see that all day. I've been preaching this sermon all day and just saw that. Oh my god. Lesie. Oh my god. He did not say your prayers. He said your prayer. Now, that don't mean a lot to you cuz you probably don't pray a lot. >> But for some of us, we be talking to God about everything. Lord, I need a new job and a new car. And if you don't mind, let me keep eating, but lose weight some kind of way and let my children get blessed and fix my money and my credit and my apartment and my man and my woman. And so if I was Zachariah, I would have been like, >> I want to shout, but which one? And the angel says, "Your wife." >> Pause. I did not see that. This why I like 11:30. By this point, I done got my reps in >> and now it's it's like I done played this game two times. So now it's Oh my god. He says, "Look at this. I'm going to see if you catch it. >> Don't be afraid, Zachariah. >> I heard your prayer. >> Your wife Elizabeth >> is about to have a son. >> If God don't do nothing else for you in 2026, >> I pray God put somebody on your life who talk to God on your behalf. I just need you to look down your row and shout, "I'm getting ready to praise God for your prayers." I need you to shout for my prayers. And when God do it for you, he going to do it for everybody. I'm giving you 30 seconds. You ought to shout for what God is curated. I can't take that. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. I need somebody I said this six years ago. Who will practice the art of intercession >> without an invitation and without information? Michael, I need somebody listen to me. Who would practice the art >> of intercession? Pray for me without an invitation. Me having to ask you to pray for me and without information. I got to tell you what I cuz you know how people do. Will you pray for me? Cool. What you need prayer for? God said I'm sending you some people next year. >> Watch this. You not even going to know them. Cuz what I discovered is the folk you telling your business to listening and the folk who don't know you actually praying. God sent me a real intercessor in my life who will go to God. Look what he says. He says, are y'all still with me, >> Jaylen? He Jaden. He says, "Your wife Elizabeth been to bear a son. >> You missed it. >> You missed it. You missed it. >> He went from not having a child. >> So, look at this. I want you to see this. He been waiting his whole life to light the incense. >> Okay, I'm I got Y'all, y'all be slow. Jesus Christ. Y'all be missing stuff. Oh my god. He walked in there. He waiting his whole life. >> And before he still ain't lit it, >> you missed it. I'mma say it again. >> He's standing in line. >> Zachchariah, it's your season. >> He looked to the right and it's an angel. Angel says, "Stop tripping, Zachariah. God heard your prayer. >> Your wife going to have a son. Y'all still don't see it. >> Before he could finish his first blessing like DJ Khaled, he got hit with another one. Y'all miss what I just said? I speak by faith. 2026 going to be the year every time you turn around another one. I need you to slap five people high five and just tell them another one. Another one. Another one. Another one. Another one. Get ready to shake. I felt like Brad right there. I felt like you. Yeah. My soul. Grab your neighbor by both hands. Look them in the eyes one time and tell them it's getting ready to happen. That's the wrong neighbor. Grab the person behind you. Shake them real good and tell them it's getting ready to happen. Find somebody else. If they sitting down, pull them on their feet and prophesy. It's getting ready. Come on. Oh, get ready. It's getting ready to happen. >> It's getting ready to happen. >> It's getting ready to happen. >> It's getting ready to happen. >> One thing back to back. >> One thing back to back one thing. Hey.
So, watch this. He say, >> cuz here's where real soft here's where I got to be careful cuz watch this. He says, look at this. Your wife going to have a baby. Look at the next verse. Look at the next verse. Look at the next verse. Then he says back to him, come on. Next slide. I need you to catch this now. He says to him in verse 18, he says, "How can you be sure? >> I did not see this at any other service." I need you to catch this. What I'm going to say is very practical and it may be very urban, but it's very necessary. I bind the spirit of fumble off your life. I know that ain't spiritual, but you understand what I'm saying. Hear me. who is mature enough to admit I have fumbled some big blessings God sent my way hear me there were opportunities God gave me and I just I fumbled them immature in the room talking too much certain stuff I didn't even go to my pride wouldn't let me humble >> God the Lord tells the angel of the Lord tells Zachariah you f to get what you prayed for >> look what Zachariah Pastor Zachchariah says, "How can I be sure it will happen? I'm old and my wife old." Verse 19, the angel said, "I'm Gabriel." >> Listen to me. Look what he says. I stand in the very presence of God. >> I want you to listen to me real close. It was God who told me to bring you this good. Stay on verse 19. He look what he says. God told me to bring you this good news. >> But look at verse 20. But this what I'm going to do since you don't believe. >> Since you don't believe, >> I'm going to do you this favor. You going to be silent >> and I'm going to make it where you can't even speak >> till your child born. Watch this. I can't let your mouth ruin your wife. Y'all miss what I just said? Y'all miss what I just said? Listen to me. Listen to me. Pastor Mike is our greatest gift. And people have been telling me all week, "This is my first year giving. I ain't never put this much money in church. This my sacrif." I said, "Okay, good. Listen to me. I don't want you to put a penny in my church if your mouth going to cancel it." Heaven can't be bribed. >> Hear me when I say this. Heaven can't be bribed. You can't put $1,000 in a bucket, then live and talk how you want and say, "But God, I gave you some money. My father is rich in houses and land." >> Hear me when I say this. So, I I need you to hear me, Pastor Mike. Why would you preach this before I should be preaching giving? I should have on a suit today and look professional, right? And look more pastoral so it can mean it's serious. I'm not playing that game with you. >> I'm not playing church games no more. I'm tired of them. I'm telling you now, no matter what you put in today, if your mouth keep canceling it, keep it. >> Don't write on a card, my family going to be whole. Then as soon as you get on the phone with your girlfriends, you talk about all that's wrong with them. >> Don't say, "My business and my career going to prosper when all you do is sit on the phone with your partners and talk about who ain't open the door for you. That's what just happened. >> Brother, I'm going to put more money in your bank account than you ever imagine. Well, how is that possible? You don't have my account number. >> You worry about the wrong thing. >> Had I said it, that should have settled it. >> His response should have been, "God, I thank you. 2026 will be an incredible year for you. 2026 will be a year of exponential and expeditious blessings. It will be the year that you become everything God predestined and ordained for you to be. I don't want to hear about your credit. I don't want to hear about your past. I don't want to hear about a failed relationship before this year is out. You need to give that stuff to God. Listen to me. Listen to me. Cuz nowhere in the story does Zachchariah speak foul. He don't speak evil. He got in trouble because he spoke excuses. What I'm telling you is if you're going to be what God called you to be, there's only three things you have to capture this year. Number one, how to wait. How to wait. How to wait. What God has for you, eyes have not seen and ears have not heard. Many of us don't know how to wait. Listen to me when I say this cuz we going to pray. Waiting on God means I don't go outside of God to get what I want. I don't go outside of God. I get people who call me all the time and say stuff like, "All you got to do is call so and so. They can hook it up." And I'll be like, "No, I'm good." I said, "This time, this is a God ordained assignment for me. And if I got to kind of if I got to plot to get it, I'm going to have to plot to keep it." >> There are interviews that I be want to go on and they be like, "Well, all you got to do is I'm not doing that. I don't do that. That's that's not me. Wrong person. I'm not doing I don't want it that bad. what God has for me. >> I turn down opportunities that people would kill for. I tell my squad sometimes, "So and so want me to do so and so." They like, "Oh my God." And I told them, "No, why? That wasn't God for me. That it ain't the right time. It ain't the right season. I'm waiting. I'm waiting." See, you got to be careful because even the devil can see the hand of God on your life. And the devil will send people to try to get you out of position cuz they know they can live off your favor. >> Number two. Number two, what to watch. Many of us are looking at what broke us longer than we're looking at who can fix us. Number three, guard your words. Verse 18, this brother says, "How do I really supposed to know? How can This is a logical question. How can I be sure this is going to happen? I'm old." All my grown folks reading between the lines, I can't do what I used to could do. >> Grown folk. Y'all see what I'm saying? So, let's make that practical. I ain't got the money to start the business. >> How we going to get married? We ain't got nowhere to live. I know God told us that we but but how I'm going to go back to school? I don't know how I'm going to pay for it. And God is like, "Is that what I asked you?" How you don't know soon as you walk into that admissions office, >> y'all gonna get to talk to what church you go to? Pastor be preaching, don't he? Girl, don't worry. I got this. Let me figure out how to get deal. How you don't know? How you don't know? But what I'm telling you is as we prepare to give today and you bring your cards and that means something to me, don't bring me nothing you don't believe. And I'm not saying you're going to be perfect. You're going to have moments. This why I pray for grace cuz out my own mouth I've had to check myself. God will tell me to do something. Then I I get to I'd be excited. Tell the staff, "Hey, Lord told me to uh we going to go down. We go for Easter. We going to BJC. We going to save a whole city." Then we get there. Y'all want to open? No, we not opening up all that. They even have me in here looking straight to put a curtain over and they be looking at me like, "So, how we going to save a city with no seats?" And instantly like, "God, forgive me for God. Lord, forgive me for that. Was a momentary. Let me get my mind back right." cuz that quick doubt can rise. What I'm trying to get you to realize in this season of your life, and hear me when I say this, prayers birth possibilities, but words shape destiny. Listen to your pastor, baby girl. We've mastered prayers. We failed at words. Think about it. We have prayer meetings. We don't have word meetings. We need to have a meeting at church where we get together and just take everything out of conversation that's negative. Prayers birth possibility. Father God, in Jesus name, I decree and declare that my
Family is blessed now. I got the possibility for it. My career will thrive. I got the possibility for it. But then, soon as I get off my knees from praying, I'm in conversations that don't water the prayer.
That was good. Dre, please put this message up today. Hear me when I say this. I'm in conversations that don't water the prayer. That's why I can't be in every conversation. That's why now, at 42, I'm grateful I ain't got a lot of friends. I'm grateful I don't hang with people. I be sitting at home now like, "Man, I..." I saw one of my guys in the back. They had a Christmas party and he was dressed like they had characters they was dressed like. And before I knew it, I said out my mouth, I said, "Man, I miss when I could do stuff like that, you know, just being regular and just hang." But I really guard who got my ear.
That's why your ear shaped like a wound. If you look at the anatomy of the ear, it looks like a curled up fetus could sit in it. Because your ear is the birth canal to your spirit. If I want to impregnate your spirit, all I got to do is drop some negative or positive in your ear.
Y'all don't like me to hear it. So hear me. That's why I don't sit in conversations. That's why you won't catch me on certain apps. That's why I, I don't do it. I don't even want to know negative. I'm not even the type of person that if you tell me something going wrong for somebody I got problems with, I want to hear it.
Cuz you want to know what I'm going to do? Reach out to them. I, I'm built like what? What? Yeah. They should have never met. Two hours later, "Hey man, just reaching out. If you need anything, just let me know. Let me know. I check your cash app. I'm sending you something. Just let you know I'm praying." I ain't built to be malicious. I ain't built to be, I ain't built to be that. I'm, I'm petty.
I'm never going to fake like I'm something I'm not for y'all. I'mma always be like, I'm very petty. Highly petty. But then I'm instantly high level convicted. I go to the moon in my pettiness, then be back at the moon like, "I don't want to say I'm sorry."
But, but one thing I'm mastering now is my words. And as we prepare, can you grab that card for me? Can you grab that card for me? If you haven't filled it out, can you fill it out? B, that'll mean so much to me. Cuz I'm going to ask all of us to stand in a minute and that card mean a lot to me. Teenagers, grab a card. Make sure you list your children on there. Hear me. If you're in a, if you're in a relationship and it's serious, do me a favor. Still fill out a separate card. Let me be honest. Just still fill out. Even if it's serious, y'all do one, but get you one, too. Get you one, too. If you married, fill out a card, but then get you one, too. Cuz it's stuff we believe God for together, then it's stuff she probably believing God for herself. Does that make any sense? I want to cover it all.
As we get ready to pray, let me tell you what's going to happen. I'm ask everybody in this room to bring your card, even from overflow. Once I start praying, do we have baskets down there in overflow? Did we think through that, Pastor Friday? Did we think through the baskets in overflow? Are they in overflow? Yes. So, if you don't mind, some of my prayer team, if you can go, if they're down there already, once I start praying, y'all can come to the front. I want you to bring that card and whatever you're giving to the altar today. Why, Pastor Mike? Because in the Old Testament, they would bring it to the altar. I know our church is kind of new school. And a lot of times people say stuff like, "Pastor Mike, I like your church cuz it's new school, but we still don't throw away the things that are biblical." You know, a lot of times we have to have quick services cuz it's so many people coming. Today, I told him, I don't care if it's a long service. I don't care how long it take. Today is a day that we set aside to honor God. Can you receive that?
Can you lift your hands right where you are? Father God, as we lift our hands, number one, that's a sign of surrender. A sign that we're submitted and we say, "Lord, you have complete authority over our lives." So God, in this moment, as the priest of this house, I stand in the gap and I repent for each and every one of us. So I don't want to give out of a bad heart. So God, on their behalf today, I ask for forgiveness for every sin we've committed, knowingly and unknowingly, every sin of omission and every sin of commission. Every lie, every sneaky thing we did, everything we did wrong. God, we repent in this moment. And we thank you for grace. We thank you, God, cuz the wages of sin is death. We should have died, but you gave us another chance.
So then, God, as we prepare to bring our prayers to the altar, we thank you for 2025. For some of us, it was amazing. For some of us, it was rough. For some of us, it was okay. Some of us it was not so okay. Whatever it was, we thank you, God, cuz we didn't have to open our eyes this morning. You let us see another year.
And God, like that plant, it needs sunshine and rain. And we need heartache and pain, love and joy. We need it all to be all that you called us to be. So God, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for this year. But God, I would be lying if I said I was not excited about 2026. God, I see a great revival happening. I see people coming home that haven't been in church for years. I see people's gifts and anointings rising. God, I see nonprofits starting that are changing young men and women's lives. I see businesses thriving and being birthed. I see restoration of families. I see this thing of blended families finally being on one accord and whole. I see broken relationships with mothers being mended, absent fathers becoming present. God, I see that the glory of God is about to be revealed. That revival is coming to our house, not just in the form of worship, but in the form of serving and faithfulness. So, spirit of the living God, rest on us. God, you've fallen on this place so many times. We ask that you rest, rule, abide. God, I speak by faith that in moments of ambiguity, we will always lean on you. God, I speak by faith that the prayers that we've written, if it's your will and it aligns with your design, do it now.
God, I ask that you do for my church what you did for me in 2019. God, you, you released an acceleration anointing. You did for me in six months what should have took six years. So God, if you don't mind, God, the way you accelerate stuff in my life. Oh God, how God, we can start a church and in seven months is nowhere to sit. How we can have a music career and the first records explode. How God, there was, I cannot even have a college degree because I dropped out of school and out of nowhere, Yale opens up a program they've never opened and invites 12 people and out of the whole world, I'm one of the 12. God, how you accelerate stuff in my life, do it for them. I ask that you God, release an acceleration anointing. That God, that thing that should have took years will begin to happen suddenly. God, we thank you in advance that it's already done. It's in Jesus' name.
Before you move, I want to show you something. We operate on Kronos. Somebody say Kronos. That's chronological time. If I ask you what the time is, you would say 10:03 chronologically. God does not operate in Kronos. He operates in Kairos. Kairos is the appointed time. Kronos is our time, which means it's 10:03 p.m. in December 2025. God is outside of time. And Kairos, meaning God can see you in December, walk all the way to your 2031, see the blessing that you have waiting on you in 2031, and decide to bring your 2031 to your 2026.
Pastor Mike, that ain't possible. Okay. What do you think Zachariah had? Everything he had been believing God for all happened at the same time. That's what I call a Kairos collision. You need to put that in your notes. That's called a Kairos collision. I prophesy over your life. Everything you've been praying for is going to start happening all at the same time. Testimony after testimony, good news after good news. Years of disappointment are being lifted. You're going to love again, dream again. This ain't going to sound deep to some of y'all, but for three of y'all, it's going to touch you. You're going to laugh in '26 more than you have ever laughed. You're going to have joy. You're going to have peace. You ought to just shout, "I receive that." I speak that over your life.
Praise. You guys go ahead and come in the name of Jesus. Do me a favor. Can you bring your card? And many of you have asked me how to give. It's on the screen. How to give, Dre. So, we want you to bring it to the altar right now. You can lay it in this bucket. You can lay it in the basket. Wherever you got to come from, be with the lights. Wherever you got to come from, you can come from overflow or not. Praise. Sing. Can y'all worship with us real quickly? Come on. Come on. All over the room. I want you to come. No matter how long it takes. Online, today is your day. Trust and believe. Believe the word of the prophet and you will prosper. Come on, y'all. Jesus, take your place. Jesus, take your place. Yeah. Come on. Jesus, take your place. All the other things, it all say Jesus, take your. Jesus, take your. Let all the other names fade away. Doubt, fear, and depression, and all the other things. Until all the other things. Jesus, take your name. Jesus. Jesus, take your name. So we lift you high. Your way. We lift you high. You be your way. Yah way. Hey. Yahe. Yahe. Hey. We call you. We call you Yahe. Yahe. There's no other God like you. Yaheh. Yahe. Yahe. Your way. Now, somebody open your mouth and give him worship all over this room. You can have your way. Come on, let's praise it. You can have your way. Can you lift that in this room as you give in your seat? Say, you can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. Have your way. You can have your way. You can have your. Have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. Come on, just release that worship. He's able to do it. He's able to do it. He's able to fix it. He's able to fix it. He's able to heal it. He's able to heal it. You can have your way. You can have your way. He's able to heal it. He's able to heal it. He's able to save it. He's able to save it. He's able to fix it. He's able to fix it. You can have your way. You can have your way. He's able to touch it. He's able to touch it. He's able to touch it. He's able to touch it. He's able to touch it. He's able to touch it. So, you can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. Have your way. You can have your way. Have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. Lord, have your way. You can have your way. So we lift you highway and we magnify your name. And we will never be the same. Yaheh. Yahe. Yahe. Because you changed our name. Yaheh. Yahe. Hey. Your way upon above all. We can ask you above upon us. Could ask for upon something. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. Holy Spirit, have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. You can do exceedingly abundantly above our exec. I'm talking upon something. Have something. And you can have your way. You can have your way. Sing it again. Say, you can have your way. You can have your way. You can have your way. Though he lifts you, give you the praise. We will never be the